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Static vs Dynamic Caster Capacity

Check a caster against both its standing and its rolling duty, because a catalogue rating quoted for one is not valid for the other.

Catalogues quote static and dynamic capacities, and the two are not interchangeable. Enter both ratings, the standing load, and the rolling load, and the calculator returns the utilisation of each and names the case that governs the choice.

The distinction matters because a static figure measured on a flat plate and a dynamic figure measured on a test track may not be directly comparable, which is why the manufacturer has to state the conditions. Impact is a separate question and belongs with the shock load tool.

Inputs

Load, ratings, and duty

Range: 5–40,000 lb

The share of the cart weight this one caster takes, not the whole cart.

Range: 10–60,000 lb

The figure a catalogue lists for a standing or slowly applied load. Leave equal to the dynamic figure when the catalogue gives only one number.

Range: 10–60,000 lb

The rating for a moving load. Manufacturers commonly publish dynamic capacity about 25 to 40 percent below static capacity for the same wheel.

Result

Dynamic utilization (%)
83
Utilization on the governing duty (%)
83
Static utilization (%)
63
Verdict
Marginal. The caster is within its rating on this duty, but 80 percent is the utilization a 1.25 safety factor allows: any uneven floor, one unloaded wheel, or a heavier later load eats the reserve. Step up one size if the cart will be pushed hard.

What to check

  • Read both ratings from the same datasheet and the same revision.
  • Use the actual standing load, including anything stored on the cart.
  • Check the rating conditions, because a flat-plate static figure and a track dynamic figure may not compare.

Related calculators

Does not model impact or shock, which belong with the dedicated shock tool, and does not adjust for speed, temperature, or continuous duty, which belong with the derating tool. It assumes the two catalogue figures were quoted under comparable conditions; whether they were is the manufacturer's statement to make, not this tool's.