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AGV and AMR Caster Load Calculator

Split a mobile robot's mass and payload across its drive wheels and support casters, add the load transfer from acceleration and braking, and see which axle sets the payload limit.

A robot’s weight and payload are not shared evenly. Enter the robot mass, the payload, the drive-wheel and caster counts, the wheelbase, and the centre-of-gravity height, and the calculator splits the static load across the axle groups, then adds the load transfer that acceleration and braking create.

The heavier-loaded axle sets the payload limit, so the result names which one it is. Load transfer grows with braking rate and with the height of the centre of gravity, which is why a tall payload reduces the usable capacity even when the total mass is unchanged.

Inputs

Robot, payload, and layout

Range: 20–20,000 lb

Range: 0–20,000 lb

Range: 0–100 %

The remainder rides on the drive wheels. A payload centered over the drive axle puts less on the casters; a payload over the casters puts more.

Range: 1–4

Range: 2–8

Motion

Range: 0–1.5 g

1 g is 32.2 ft/s2. Emergency stops on a smooth floor typically reach 0.3 to 0.5 g; a robot limited to gentle stops is below 0.2 g.

Result

Static load per caster, parked (lb)
234
Worst-case load per caster (lb)
366
Worst-case load per drive wheel (lb)
413
Limiting axle
The drive wheels carry the higher worst-case per-wheel load; the casters are not the limiting axle.

What to check

  • Use the dynamic caster rating for the comparison, not the static one.
  • Check the named limiting axle, because the split is not 50/50 in service.
  • Re-run with the acceleration the controller actually commands, not a design maximum.

Related calculators

A screening tool for early sizing, not a dynamics simulation. It does not model cornering lateral transfer, suspension compliance, or the pitch behaviour of a tall payload. Static and dynamic caster ratings differ; compare these loads against the dynamic rating, not the static one.