Benefits of Kingpinless Casters
Swivel casters are used for everything from product display racks, filing cabinets and carts to heavy duty applications such as in the automotive and aerospace industries. These may be made with or without kingpins. Both types of casters span in capacity from 350 to 40,000 pounds, making them ideal for heavy duty and industrial applications. However, a kingpinless design is often the preferred choice for industrial castersas the construction prevents problems like a loose fit, hammering hazards, and eventual swivel failures.
Industrial Casters with Kingpins
Kingpins are engineered to assist in wheel pivoting and turning. The kingpin swivel section includes a stem on the top plate connecting the lower part of the swivel section. A load bearing and thrust bearing wheel with a threaded kingpin is often standard for heavy duty swivel casters.
Kingpins are one of the leading causes of caster failure when it comes to heavier loads and higher speed applications with aggressive force. When kingpins are used, these act as a joining part and take on the forces pressing against the caster. In places where swivel casters are used for towing, the exertion put on a caster with a kingpin can have disastrous effects. When the terrain is uneven or there are many turns, too much stress may be put on the kingpin.
While this type of design allows for flexible levels of swivel resistance, it does not provide the same security and stability as the kingpinless casters.
Kingpinless Industrial Casters
With kingpinless casters, the plate and wheel on the caster are welded together, sealed rather than held in place with a kingpin. There is no bolt and nut fastening the caster together.
This unique construction provides added strength, allowing more force to be put on a caster. Additionally, the design distributes the load over a greater surface area. Because the design is welded, hammering forces that would occur at the intersection of the plates are eliminated. This prevents parts from breaking apart and smooths the swiveling motion. As parts stay firmly in place, less maintenance is required and higher radial force is absorbed.
Kingpinless swivel casters offer many benefits when used in certain heavy duty applications. These affordable casters can be a cost competitive choice compared to other towing casters, such as those with sealed precision ball bearings or tapered bearings. Start browsing kingpinless industrial casters today.