Why Are Ergonomic Casters Important

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A lot of people don’t think twice about the kind of casters they use as long as they work. However, ergonomics is crucial to many caster and wheel applications. By utilizing ergonomic casters, your business, your workers, and your wallet can benefit tremendously.

 

What Are Ergonomic Casters

Ergonomics is defined as the science of designing things that people use to make them as safe and effective as possible. In the case of caster ergonomics, it refers to the force required in pushing and pulling a cart. Ergonomic casters are designed to be as efficient as possible by reducing the amount of force required in the start or maintain rolling process of the cart. This is especially important in warehouses or plants where operators push, pull or tug carts every day.

Safer Work Environments

The easier a cart is to use; the less likely injury is. Poor ergonomics can create dangerous work environments because workers are exerting more force, fatiguing more quickly, and becoming more susceptible to injury. Injuries may be caused by excessive stress to the wrists, arms, back or shoulders. Treating workplace injuries can be very costly and the money saved from reducing your potential injury costs can be huge. When employees aren’t injured, they’re working, and that means less downtime and increased productivity.

Higher Productivity

When an application is more easily moved, employees can move it quickly and with less energy exerted. Push, pull, and towed movements are completed faster instead of slowing down as workers tire of strenuous motions. Providing your employees with an ergonomic caster makes the job easier, more enjoyable, and more productive.

Long Term Cost Savings

Often, ergonomic casters come with a slightly higher price tag than their less ergonomic counterparts. But consider that over time the ergonomic advantages will pay for themselves by bringing new efficiencies into your business and having a longer life. Like with the Albion 28 and 38 Series Casters which are designed for improved ergonomics, long life, and quiet mobility. These casters have a 5-year warranty to back their durability and long-lasting quality.

 

Casters vary in quality and their ability to improve ergonomics. Many qualities make up an ergonomic caster such as swivel lead, the wheel type and size, and bearings. But you don’t need to be an expert at identifying an ergonomic caster for your application, let the experts at Colson Group do it for you.

Contact Colson Group today to learn more about our selection of ergonomic caster options that can provide you with a more productive and cost-effective workplace. Colson Group offers a variety of casters and wheels to help you achieve ergonomic efficiency and provide safer work environments, higher productivity, and long-term cost savings.

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What are Robotic Casters?

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Whether we realize it or not, robotics have a massive impact on our day-to-day lives; from industrial robots that aid in production and manufacturing to automatic, self-guided vacuums and other smaller robots that assist with at-home tasks. With how much they help us every day, it’s important that these robots are solidly made and, most importantly, remain mobile. Movement is key to the function of these robots, and robotics casters are specifically designed with these actions in mind.

WHAT ARE ROBOTICS CASTERS?

Robotics casters are the wheels a robot sits on. Often, these are used to move robotic equipment, whether that’s manually (controlled by a human being) or automatically (the robot controls itself or is remotely controlled). When it comes to movement, there are four general categories that robotics casters typicall fall under:
  • Standard/fixed wheel
  • Orientable wheel
  • Ball wheel
  • Omni wheel
Each of these wheel types allows for a different level of movement. For example, unlike a fixed wheel that can only spin on a single axis, ball wheels allow for full rotation in all directions. Orientable wheels, also known as balancing casters, help keep the robot stable when in motion and omni-wheels help robots make quick turns, moving in any direction.

WHAT MAKES A CASTER IDEAL FOR ROBOTICS?

Robots need the ability to move and be moved as necessary – whether that’s from a stationary position on a warehouse floor or across your carpet. Without this mobility, these revolutionary pieces of robotics can be limited in the scope of their use. For instance, a robot arm on the floor of an automotive assembly plant may need to conduct its task while standing in place; however, it may also need to be moved for maintance on occassion. For this, the robot designer may choose standard or fixed wheels to keep the robot in place. Whichever is selected, the caster must be abe able to handle continuous use as many robots rest on these casters 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For a robotics caster to be fully optimized for use, it needs to have reliable mobility, whether in a home or at an industrial plant. To perform its job correctly, the robot needs to be able to move as necessary without the casters falling apart; something that directly correlates with load capacity. Robotic casters need to have significant load capacity in order to successfully carry and transport the robot from place to place.

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT ROBOTICS CASTER FOR YOU

First, consider what you need the caster to do. Are you looking for something that provides omni-directional wheel movement or casters to support something that will be largely fixed/stationary? Will your robot remain indoors, or will you be taking it outside and/or off road? If the robot will have to be traveling over rugged terrain of any kind, this is something that’s important to keep in mind when choosing your casters. Other aspects should also be considered when selecting the right ones for your particular robotic machinery. Are the casters you are looking to add/replace drive wheels or idler wheels? Are you in need of low-profile casters to keep the machinery low to the ground? How much weight do you need the caster to hold? Once you know what you want the casters to do, it’s time to determine what you’d like them to look like. What materials would you like the wheels to be made out of? Are you looking for something more efficient or more decorative? Answering these questions will guide you toward the casters that are right for you.

Robotics Caster Brochure

NEW COLSON CATALOG AVAILABLE ONLINE / NEW PRODUCTS

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Colson’s newest full-line catalog is now available online, available here. At this link, you can view the full catalog, various caster categories, and even individual pages. Additionally, an interactive, digital catalog is available to use online.
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