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Caster Wheel Material Selector

Recommend a wheel tread material from the floor, the load class, and what matters most: rolling ease, floor protection, noise, washdown, or heat.

Each tread material solves one problem and creates another. Enter the floor, the load per wheel, the environment, and the property that matters most for this application, and the calculator recommends a material and explains the trade-off you are accepting.

Polyurethane rolls quietly and protects hard floors but wears faster on rough ground; rubber grips and protects but pushes harder; nylon is light and quiet but absorbs moisture; steel is for heat and heavy loads. The recommendation is a shortlist, not a specification.

Inputs

Floor, load, and priority

Result

Recommended wheel material
Polyurethane tread for low push effort and long wear on smooth floors.

What to check

  • Name the floor surface and the contaminants actually present on it.
  • Confirm the material's temperature and chemical limits against the environment.
  • Check the load rating for the material chosen, not only its wear behaviour.

Related calculators

A screening aid, not a specification, and the chosen wheel's load, temperature, and chemical ratings must be confirmed against the manufacturer's data sheet. Speed, towing, and electrical conductivity are not considered here, and each has its own calculation.