In the past, when discussing caster selection, the key concerns typically revolved around a few questions: How much does the equipment weigh? What type of flooring will it be used on? And is it easy to push by hand?

However, as AGVs, AMRs, and automated towing equipment increasingly make their way into factories and warehouse environments, the operating conditions faced by casters have also evolved.

The same wheel may perform normally when mounted on a manually pushed cart, but when installed on automated handling equipment or an automatically towed material carrier, it may not maintain the same operational performance.

The reason is not complicated: Humans actively adjust their behavior based on the cart’s status, whereas machines tend to operate repeatedly according to their pre-set paths and motions.

1. What is the biggest difference between manual cart-pushing and automated material handling?

When a person pushes a cart, they are actually performing “dynamic corrections” at all times.

When it detects a seam ahead, it automatically slows down; if it senses the vehicle’s steering is sluggish, it adjusts the thrust direction; and when entering a curve, it also modulates speed based on the actual conditions.

Automation equipment, on the other hand, is different.

It places greater emphasis on the consistency and repetitiveness of movements. The same route, the same turning point, and similar start-and-stop maneuvers may be repeated many times each day.

Therefore, certain forces that occasionally arise during manual handling may become long-term, repetitive, and fixed operating conditions in automated processes.

This is also why, when selecting casters for automated equipment, one cannot simply rely on the experience gained from conventional hand trucks.

II. Repeated execution will continually amplify “minor issues.”

Suppose there is a joint at a certain location on the ground.

During manual operation, each person’s path may vary slightly, and their speed may not be exactly the same.

However, when automated material-handling equipment operates along a fixed route, its casters may repeatedly pass over the same location.

What was once an inconspicuous impact has turned into a long-term, repetitive force.

The same situation may also occur at fixed turning points, ramp connections, and workstation entrances.

Therefore, when evaluating automation scenarios, it’s not enough to simply assess “how good the ground is”; you should also pay attention to:

How does the equipment operate each day?

3. For automatic material‑pulling carts, it is necessary to distinguish between the “drive wheel” and the “idler casters.”

In some AGV or AMR systems, the drive wheels are the ones that actually provide propulsion, while the other casters primarily serve to support the vehicle and enable omnidirectional steering.

In addition, some applications involve automated traction equipment that pulls conventional material carts along.

These two structures do not have exactly the same requirements for casters.

For towed material carts, it is necessary to monitor the swivel behavior of the casters during continuous tracking motion; if the casters are mounted directly on the automated equipment itself, their integration with the drive system, overall machine control, and structural layout must also be carefully considered.

Therefore, simply stating “These are casters for AGVs” during procurement still leaves the information incomplete.

IV. For fixed-route operations, consistency should be given even greater attention.

When manually pushing a cart, one may occasionally notice that one of the wheels feels slightly different; the operator can compensate for this by adjusting their hand movements.

However, automated equipment lacks this kind of intuition.

If the casters on the same piece of equipment exhibit significant differences in steering behavior, dimensions, or operational performance, this may compromise the long-term stability of the entire system during repeated use.

In particular, for batch‑type automated equipment, greater emphasis should be placed on the consistency of caster products.

This is because automated systems prioritize repeatability, and casters, as mechanical components in direct contact with the floor, should also maintain a stable and predictable operating condition whenever possible.

V. Don’t just test whether it “can run”

When testing an automated‑equipment prototype, simply running the vehicle back and forth on a smooth, level surface and concluding that “the casters are fine” is often insufficient.

A more valuable test is one that simulates real-world routes as closely as possible.

For example, perform continuous turns under normal load conditions, traverse actual joints, enter workstations, and repeatedly start and stop, while observing the caster wheel condition after a period of operation.

The point is not to prove that it “can run today,” but to observe:

After repeatedly performing the actual operation, has the caster wheel exhibited any abnormal behavior?

6. Route planning can also help reduce the load on casters.

After the automated system goes live, if a particular location consistently experiences caster‑wheel malfunctions, the solution doesn’t necessarily have to be as simple as “replacing the wheels with stronger ones.”

You can also re-examine the entire route.

Is it that certain turns are too concentrated?

Do you always press over the same obvious seam?

Is there a significant floor height variation at the entrance of a particular workstation?

When production conditions permit, improving the floor, optimizing routing, or adjusting operating procedures can sometimes be more effective than simply upgrading the casters.

Caster selection and automated line design are not entirely separate tasks.

7. For automated project procurement of casters, what information is recommended to be provided?

In addition to equipment weight and installation dimensions, you can also inform the supplier:

Is the equipment self-propelled or towed?

What is the typical operational status of the route?

Are there a large number of fixed turns?

Is long-term continuous operation required?

What joints, ramps, or special areas are present on the floor?

In equipment, do casters primarily provide support, guidance, or follow‑along motion?

The more complete the information, the closer the caster selection will be to actual operating conditions.

Written at the end

Automation in material handling has not rendered casters “unimportant.”

On the contrary.

Once the equipment transitions from “human‑controlled” to “programmed control,” each rotation, steering maneuver, and passage over floor joints of the casters can occur repeatedly in a highly consistent manner.

Therefore, when selecting casters for AGVs, AMRs, and automated material‑handling carts, you shouldn’t simply ask:

“How much weight can this wheel support?”

We should also ask further:

“What kind of route will it follow, and what actions will it repeat each day?”

When selecting casters for the future, it’s not just the load capacity that matters—what really counts is how the entire mobile system will operate.