Chair Casters
Chair casters, a specific type of furniture caster, are wheel assemblies which are attached to the bottoms of chair legs to improve mobility and shock absorption. Their main purpose is to allow chairs to move across the floor with minimal friction and scratching. Chair casters are typically used in homes, offices, schools, hospitals, banquet halls, restaurants, retail stores, truck garages and industrial manufacturing plants and warehouses. However, chair wheels are also used in the manufacturing industry, with chairs frequently being moved around the facility. Chair casters are very important in hospitals as well, where wheelchairs are constantly in transit.
Chair casters are primarily constructed of wheels, caster frames and legs. The wheels are positioned between the legs of the caster frame, which can be mounted to objects by an axle or bolt. There are two main types of caster frames: swivel frames, which allow full 360ยบ movement; and rigid frames, which only allows back and forth movement. When the wheel is installed into the caster frame, two legs are attached to either side of the wheel and the wheel is held in place between these two legs by an axle or bolt. Examples of industry-specific chair casters include: medical and hospital chair casters, which are medium-duty with soft rubber of polyamide wheels and polypro injection molded housings for smooth, quiet operation; and office and household chairs, which are made from lower-duty thermoplastic materials.
The majority of chair casters are made from materials that are specific to the surface they will be rolling on, and the load they are carrying. The most common materials for chair casters are thermoplastic rubber, which is ideal for clean environments; rubber, which absorbs shock well and is noiseless; thermoformed plastic, which offers a high load capacity; and molded urethane, which perform well in high-moisture applications. Common surfaces that chair casters come into contact with are carpet, plastic and hardwood. An alternative to chair casters are chair glides, which are wheel-less chair leg attachments which allow chairs to sit or be moved across the floor with minimal friction and scratching. Office and household chairs that remain stationary and do not need casters usually use chairs glides instead.