General Buying Guide
Shopping for spring loaded casters, also known as shock absorbing casters, can be confusing. This guide is designed to make it as easy as possible to find the best spring loaded caster for your application.
When shopping for spring loaded casters it vital to know the total capacity the casters will be used at. Knowing the capacity of the equipment will allow you to stay in the "working zone" of the spring. The working zone is the weight range where the spring starts compression and ends compressions. For example, a caster might have a total capacity of 200 pounds but the working zone for the spring is 5 pounds to 95 pounds - the minimum and maximum compression weights.
Within the working zone we have what we call the "sweet spot" or "recommended load capacity". This is typically the middle of the working zone. So for our example, the sweet spot would be 50 pounds. Once the caster reaches its maximum compression, in this example of 95 pounds, it will no longer offer any shock absorbing, however, it will operate as a standard caster up to the total capacity.
To wrap up our example, if we had piece of equipment with four of the casters in our example above, we would recommend a load of 200 pounds (50 pounds x 4 Casters) to stay in the "sweet spot". The casters would begin compression at 20 pounds (5 pounds x 4 Casters) and end compression at 380 pounds (95 pounds x 4 Casters). The total capacity would be 800 pounds (200 pounds x 4 Casters).
Please note the casters will offer shock absorbing capabilities as long as they are within the working zone. They do not have to be in the "sweet spot / recommended load", however, that is the place that will offer the best shock absorption.
If you have questions or need assistance finding the best spring loaded caster for your application, Contact Us, we are happy to help.
Recap of Important Terms
Working Zone - The weight range the spring will compress. This is made up of the minimum and maximum weight compressions.
Minimum Compression Weight - The minimum amount of weight for the spring to begin compression.
Maximum Compression Weight - The maximum amount of weight before the spring is fully compressed.
Sweet Spot / Recommend Load Capacity - The middle of the working zone
Other Important Terms
Shock Absorbing Extent - Distance the spring will travel before reaching maximum compression
Shock Absorbing Material - Material that the spring is made out of. Typically either a rubber based spring system or metal based spring system
Overall Height (Mounting Height) - Total height of the caster from the top of the plate to the bottom of the wheel. For stem casters it is from the base of the stem to the bottom of the wheel.