Skip to content
Open calculators

Caster Capacity Derating Calculator

Apply speed, temperature, and duty factors to a published caster capacity so a rating quoted for ideal conditions is not used unchanged on a fast, hot, or continuous application.

A catalogue capacity is quoted for a set of conditions, and a real application rarely matches them. Enter the published capacity and the speed, temperature, and duty factors that apply, and the calculator returns the derated capacity and the factor that costs the most.

The result compares with the required per-wheel load, not with the total cart weight, so it pairs directly with the load-per-wheel tool. Naming the dominant factor is often the useful part: it shows whether the derating comes from speed, heat, or continuous running.

Inputs

Rating and service conditions

Range: 50–40,000 lb

Range: 0–10 mph

Speed the cart actually moves, including towing. Walking pace is about 3 mph.

Range: -40–500 F

Ambient or process temperature the wheel runs in.

Result

Combined derating factor
0.81
Derated capacity per caster
486

What to check

  • Identify which of speed, temperature, and duty actually applies before choosing factors.
  • Compare the derated figure with the per-wheel load, not the total cart weight.
  • Replace the factor bands with the manufacturer's table whenever one exists.

Related calculators

A screening tool. A manufacturer's certified derating table, or written confirmation from the caster maker, always outranks these bands. Side loading, impact, and uneven floor distribution are not modelled, and the factors never reach zero, so the result stays positive even for a badly mismatched application.