21 May
5 December

Features of PVC hardware wheels to consider when choosing equipment

Hardware wheels and casters are designed for mobile structures used indoors. Most often, such wheel bearings are used for medical, culinary, trade or exhibition equipment. They provide smooth movement, good stability, as well as high maneuverability of showcases, shelves, medical equipment and various interior items. Practical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) serves as the material for the manufacture of the body of the hardware wheels, which gives the products the properties necessary for reliable and intensive operation throughout the entire service life.

Practical properties of polyvinyl chloride
PVC is a polymeric substance that is used for the production of building materials, medical equipment, automotive components and many other products that we use on a daily basis. The widespread use of polyvinyl chloride is facilitated by its practical properties:

high strength of the material;
resistance to mechanical and chemical influences;
low weight of polymer products;
operating temperature range - from -50 to +60 ° C;
good insulating qualities;
non-susceptibility to corrosive processes.
One of the main advantages of PVC products is their high fire resistance. This is a very important quality for objects and mechanisms fitted with wheels.

Important! The polyvinyl chloride wheels do not harm the floor surfaces at all. They can be used on laminates, carpets, parquet floors, tiles and other delicate surfaces.

Hardware wheel modifications
Taking into account the purpose of the hardware wheels, the intensity of their operation and the expected weight load, a suitable support modification is selected:

rotary or fixed model;
a wheel rim equipped with a cast or bandage tire;
mounting to the base (by means of a special panel, metal bar or central mounting hole).
Twin castors are one of the most popular caster models. They can withstand a heavier weight load and demonstrate good maneuverability in tight spaces.

Attention! To correctly determine the type of wheels, it is necessary to calculate the load on each wheel element. It is produced according to a special formula:

X = (M + m) / (n-1), where X is the load on the support, M is the weight of the placed load, m is the mass of the structure, n is the number of wheels.

Quality of the main components of the wheel structure
In addition to polyvinyl chloride, from which the wheel body is made, the technical characteristics of the main units of the wheel mechanism have a great influence on the running capabilities of mobile models:

bearings. In hardware models, sleeve bearings, ball or roller products are used. This element is responsible for the load carrying capacity of the support as well as for the starting force and rolling resistance;
brackets. They can be rotary or fixed. In dynamic variation, the rotation process is carried out by means of a special double-row bearing;
contact layer. Not only driving performance depends on the tire material, but also the degree of impact of the wheel support on the floor surface. The most commonly used hardware products are thermoplastic gray rubber (does not leave marks on the floor), polypropylene (withstands higher temperatures) or polyurethane (increases load capacity).
To improve the performance of mobile equipment, the supports can be equipped with braking systems or directional brakes.

Interesting! The color of the contact layer depends on the indicators of its hardness, determined by a special Shore scale. The most elastic products are orange, followed by green tires, followed by blue models. The hardest layer is colored red.

Benefits of mobile mechanisms
If all the parameters of the wheels are selected correctly, correspond to the purpose of the design, then the use of hardware supports will have several useful advantages:

silent work;
good vibration and shock absorption;
resistance to various types of impact (mechanical, chemical);
respect for the floor covering;
large carrying capacity.
The design of hardware wheels contributes to a long service life, regardless of the scope of use of the products. The supports are easy to care for, to carry out the mandatory treatment for medical and kitchen facilities, and also to keep them in good condition.