Wheel casters have become an important part of the everyday lives for most people. Although many aren’t aware of what casters are, these useful products are used in a variety of applications. From mechanic shops, trolleys, garbage bins, office chairs, to heavy industrial equipment, once you begin noticing casters, you are likely to find them appearing everywhere.
So, what are casters? It is a wheel set in a metal shelter (including a plate of solo bolt opening for connection using screws), which is used to rotate 360o (granting the ability to move in all directions) or just move in one rigid path. These casters are available in plenty of types, “U-Groove” and “V-Groove” being the most common. This article provides detailed information about the later.
What are “V” Groove Casters?
Casters with a “V” shaped groove on the outside diameter, which is mostly flat or radius in appearance, are known as V-Groove Casters. They can be used as a complete caster or individually, depending on usage. In principle, these casters have been designed for guiding equipment by rolling on round iron bars or inverted angle iron tracks. They can also be used as regular wheel casters, when placed and rolled on a flat surface.
V-Groove Casters are made from nylon or cast iron and are available in poly-urethane, glass-filled nylon, gray iron, stainless steel, metal, machine steel, and ductile steel counterparts, all of which are designed for high load capacities. Mostly these casters have a relief in the groove of the “V”, which makes the wheels a “self cleaning” instrument, while also assuring proper weight distribution.
A partial flat-tread in these casters also allows you to roll the wheels on normal surfaces. Forged steel and cast iron models are usually offered with straight roller bearing or plain bore. Some other models offer precision tapered roller bearings for optimum performance and capacity. V-Groove Casters are available in a number of diameters, sizes, and capacities.
For light capacity casters, you can buy a 3”x 1-1/4” Cast Iron V Groove Wheel Caster that can hold a load of up to 225 lbs, or a 4” x 2” Cast Iron F Groove Wheel Caster that holds a load for 600 lbs.
If you are looking for something to carry very heavy loads you should consider ductile steel casters such as the 6" x 3" Ductile Steel Wheel - V-Groove Caster that can carry a load of up to 3,500 lbs per caster. The strongest caster wheel however is one made out of forged steel such as the 6" x 3" Forged Steel Wheel - V-Groove Caster which can carry a load of up to 5,000 lbs.
Where Are V-Groove Casters Commonly Used?
While V-Grooves may seem intended for a highly specific industrial use, there are more to these casters than meets the eye. Even if you aren’t working in a track environment, these casters can be used in a variety of other settings. The solid caster design and metal wheels of these casters make them capable of stabilizing and supporting heavy loads, without generating a lot of weight themselves.
V-groove casters are widely used in small business industrial environments for all kinds of equipment such as rolling saw mills, ovens, ventilation equipment, measurement equipment etc., to roll tracks. They are also utilized by private consumers for a range of applications, such as rolling, sliding gates.
Since they are modeled after the traditional rail car wheel, these casters can be used transporting units on steel raised or iron tracks. Boasting metal wheels, with some utilizing a polyurethane tube or inset rubber, these casters can also be used off the track without marking up the floorings or compromising the integrity of the metal wheel. Since the design of the v-groove separates a single wheel into two wheels, you can get all the advantages of the two-wheeled caster and its use in various applications.
Besides offering self-cleaning, the v-groove also offers improved handling in wet hazards. This can prove extremely useful, in case you are transporting extremely fragile items. The flexibility of travelling between a grooved and flat rail can also be a huge cost saving investment, especially if you need the trolley to work in both places.
V-Groove casters can also be used in heavy-duty assembly line plants where high temperature soldering and welding is done. Or it can be used in food processing, car manufacturing, or any other type of building that results in extreme heat. Because they hold up so well in rough conditions and heat, V-Groove casters are a highly economical option in a variety of industries.