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Top Reasons Why You Should Consider Buying Phenolic Caster Wheels

Phenolic Caster Wheels in an industrial setting

When it comes to choosing a material for your caster wheels, the question that often comes up is whether to go with phenolic or polyurethane wheels. Phenolic is a very durable and sturdy material that has been used across many industries, including the medical field, and has been proven to be a reliable choice for numerous applications.

Phenolic caster wheels thrive under punishing loads, harsh impacts, chemical spills, slippery floors, and non-stop use. Their unmatched durability and customizability make them a top choice when failure is not an option. If your facility deals with challenging conditions, keep reading to learn why phenolic casters should be your number one consideration.

High Weight Capacities

The dense structure and hardness of phenolic resin enable casters made from this material to withstand high static and dynamic weights. Phenolic resin’s compressive strength allows it to resist deformation under heavy loads compared to casters made from softer materials. This makes phenolic resin an ideal choice for heavy-duty carts, workbenches, and storage racks that must bear substantial weight. The high load capacity of properly rated phenolic casters can prevent wheel failures that lead to accidents or downtime in industrial settings.

Economically Priced

Phenolic resin casters should be considered in situations where cost-effectiveness is a priority. This resin is an affordable material that provides good durability and is advantageous when used in material handling equipment, industrial carts and trucks, and warehouse shelving units. The cost savings from using affordable phenolic resin casters may allow you to purchase more units or higher-quality wheels for the same overall budget.

Ideal for Stationary Loads

A hallmark of quality phenolic wheel casters is their robust build that handles up to 3,000 lbs per caster when stationary. Many plastic and rubber wheels can permanently flatten, deform, or even crack under a fraction of that weight. Yet properly engineered phenolic possesses the hardness, density, and compressive strength needed for holding enormous tonnage day after day.

A great example of this capability is how phenolic casters are used in the auto industry. Auto manufacturers use heavy-duty phenolic casters on their engine assembly skids to support thousand-pound machinery and components. These skids endure tremendous stationary loads from fixtures clamping down on engines during production. Lesser casters flex and fail. However, thanks to their resilience, auto plants can often use the same phenolic wheel casters on their engine skids for years.

Medical equipment companies rely on phenolic caster wheels, too, to transport bulky MRI machines weighing 2,500 pounds each. MRI units undergoing final assembly and calibration testing remain stationary on the casters for 8+ hour stretches. Only hardened phenolic provides the solid foundation to withstand this long-term static load without damage.

Exceptional Hardness

With their exceptional hardness, around 65 on the Rockwell Scale, phenolic casters withstand lifetimes of jarring impacts, drops, and blows that cause catastrophic failure in normal wheels. Preventing breakage and downtime makes them the ideal choice for abusive environments.

For instance, commercial 3D printing companies use large oven-like machines mounted on phenolic casters to melt and extrude specialized printing filaments. Opening and closing the heavy doors on these units generates intense slamming. The scale of the machines also leads to accidental drops of hand tools and parts inside. Typically, the casters stand up to years of this constant physical abuse, allowing these companies to save money by not having to replace them as often.

Lightweight Construction

The lightness of phenolic wheels makes them easier to attach and transport compared to bulkier metal caster alternatives. It also reduces the starting inertia when initially moving carts or equipment. If your application involves frequent lifting, pivoting, or short-distance travel of wheeled objects, the minimal weight of properly designed casters can provide noticeable benefits through reduced strain and fatigue over a full shift.

Recommended for Use on Clean, Solid Concrete

Despite carrying massive stationary loads, properly equipped phenolic wheels retain their smooth-rolling mobility when loads need repositioning. Precision ball bearings, lightweight construction, and expert engineering enable easy transport of even the heaviest equipment.

These caster wheels work well on clean, solid concrete like a retail store or hospital floor. In these environments, phenolic casters are a great choice for rolling heavy equipment or for stationary use.

Retail companies often prefer phenolic wheels for their floor merchandising units since cheaper plastic wheels can freeze under typical product loads. Relocating heavy displays fully stocked with merchandise around the sales floor is easier with units fitted with phenolic caster wheels. Customers can then enjoy a frequently rearranged store with new product selections and layouts.
In hospitals, these casters excel at providing responsive steering and maneuverability for patient beds, crash carts, and diagnostic imaging equipment weighing hundreds of pounds each. Even under significant load, smooth mobility allows nurses and doctors to transport and reposition patients and equipment safely and quickly during emergencies.

Resistance to Oil, Grease, and Some Liquids

Phenolic casters’ non-porous resin construction stands up to caustic chemicals, steam, sanitation sprayers, and prolonged liquid exposure that quickly corrode metal wheels. Preventing rust buildup and contamination makes phenolic the product of choice across food processing, healthcare, and industrial washing applications. Plant managers credit this wheel’s durability with lowering maintenance costs and minimizing health code violations.

The impervious phenolic wheels maintain their integrity despite constant steam, chemicals, and bleach baths. Standard phenolic wheels may slide on certain floors. However, tread options like ribbed dual wheels provide positive traction to avoid mishaps. This grip assures safe handling and steering around grease, water, and slick surfaces.

Maintenance

To maximize the lifespan of phenolic resin casters, periodically clean them to remove dirt, debris, and grease. Check for cracks or wheel damage, and replace damaged casters promptly. Lubricate wheel bearings if needed and avoid excessive loads beyond their rated capacity to prevent premature failure. Proper maintenance keeps phenolic casters rolling smoothly.

Potential Issues to Consider

Even though these wheels might not work the best on delicate surfaces or when exposed to water, the majority of applications where phenolic caster wheels are used provide a multitude of benefits overall. If your operation relies on smooth-rolling wheels that can withstand the toughest real-world punishment while providing years of service, look no further than phenolic.

Phenolic Wheel Casters: An Optimal Choice for Wide-Ranging Applications

With diverse tread types, load capacities, wheel sizes, and accessories, phenolic casters deliver customized solutions for almost all applications. Select wheel hardness, tread textures, rotational resistance, and aesthetics for your specific needs.

Their optimal durability, strength, and customizability make these casters a top choice when failure is unacceptable. They thrive where other casters quickly falter, and their affordable price adds to their appeal. Compared to metal wheels, phenolic wheels can be significantly less expensive, making them a budget-friendly choice even for companies with tight budgets or high-volume wheel needs.

Find the Phenolic Casters and Wheels You Need at Apollo Caster

Apollo Caster is your go-to source for phenolic casters and wheels. We invite you to review our catalog for the products you need and read additional blog posts for inspiration and interesting stories from our customers. We have what you need to get your operation rolling.

Apollo Caster is here to help with your personal or business caster applications. We look forward to speaking with you when you call us at 888.344.3036, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern Time.

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We’re just here to help…

Welcome to the wonderful world of caster and wheel distribution! It’s a wild and crazy ride, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. As the premier distributor of casters and wheels, we’ve seen it all – from the good to the bad to the downright bizarre.

For those of you who are new to the caster and wheel game, let us break it down for you. Casters and wheels are the unsung heroes of the industrial world. They may not be as glamorous as other machinery, but they’re just as essential. Without casters and wheels, everything from hospital beds to shopping carts would be a whole lot harder to move around.

At Apollo Caster, we like to think of ourselves as the matchmakers of the industrial world. We find the perfect caster or wheel for each and every application, from the heavy-duty to the downright weird.

Speaking of weird, let’s talk about some of the strangest requests we’ve ever received. We’ve had customers ask for casters and wheels for everything from a handicapped skunk trolley to a moving bookshelf. Hey, we don’t judge. We’re just here to provide the casters.

But it’s not all fun and games in the caster and wheel world. We take our job seriously, and we’re passionate about providing the best possible solution for each and every application. It all comes down to helping people solve a problem. We know that when it comes to casters and wheels, one size does not fit all. That’s why we offer a wide variety of options, from light-duty casters to heavy-duty industrial wheels.

At the end of the day, we’re proud to be the go-to source for casters and wheels. We may not be saving the world, but we’re making it a whole lot easier to move things around. And if we can help someone’s day with a set of casters for their paralyzed skunk, well, that’s just the icing on the cake.

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Simple, Undying Truths

A recent article by Mihir A. Desai in the New York Times will likely resonate with most people of a certain age. I loved it. Likely, it was the comfortable and familiar tunes of old ideals that seem to be fading like a Polaroid photo. This article used the recent imaginative and creative enveloping-pushing of the past five to ten years to illustrate how “the more things change, the more they remain the same.”

Some comforting verses:

“Facebook and Google reconceived themselves as technological powerhouses, rebranding as Meta and Alphabet, respectively. [and] sought broad capabilities that they could flex at will in the metaverse or with their “moonshot projects” when, in fact, they are prosaic (if extremely effective) advertising businesses.”

“What comes next? Hopefully, a revitalization of that great American tradition of pragmatism will follow. Speculative assets without any economic function should be worth nothing. Existing institutions, flawed as they are, should be improved upon rather than being displaced. Risk and return are inevitably linked.”

“Corporations are valuable socially because they solve problems and generate wealth. But they should not be trusted as arbiters of progress and should be balanced by a state that mediates political questions. “

“Embracing novelty and ambition in the face of huge problems is to be lauded, but the unhinged variety of these admirable traits that we have seen so much of in recent years is counterproductive. The fundamentals of business have not changed merely because of new technologies or low interest rates. The way to prosper is still by solving problems in new ways that sustainably deliver value to employees, capital providers and customers.” (Emphasis added)

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Caster Coincidence

With over 6400 items currently on the published website,  and tens of thousands more that Apollo Caster can offer, build and ship the same day, it is sometimes serendipitous how sales can surface.  (Nice alliteration, right?).    With such breadth of stock, naturally some less common configurations may not find a customer for weeks or months at a time.

Here’s what is odd:  A low-volume item goes, say, months without a sale.  Then, once a sale for that item is received, we will quickly receive another or multiple sales within an unexplainably short time period.

Is that the mystery of SEO or search history making its impact?  Or just plain  coincidence?

Unusual caster configurations often sell in spurts

It happens enough that this author’s right-brain thinking insists  that it is somehow related to search engine algorithms.

 

Regardless, the surge in traffic on these less popular items is interesting to see and every sale is appreciated.

Regardless of what caster you need, whether popular or not, Apollo Caster either has it ready to ship or can procure it for you and ship quickly.  Contact us for your specific needs.  Calling in will reach a human (M-F 8-5) and we will work with you as long as it takes.

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Retractable Casters

Frequently, the customer service reps at Apollo Caster are asked about the ability to retract a caster. To allow the cash or rise up out of the way and allow the application to sit firmly on the floor.

We have products in stock and on our website with the mechanisms to be able to retract. And there’s also some do it yourself projects that you might be able to add for your application such as the one shown in the link below.

If you’re interested in these products or interested in the do it yourself project and have some questions, give us a call. We’re here to help.

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The fun stuff! Arby’s fryers

Here at Apollo Caster, we work hard to respond to unique applications and hard to find solutions. A recent example was an unusual spec caster for a Henny Penny fryer used at Arby’s restaurants. Despite our initial doubts at having such an odd size/ configuration, we were able to find it and source it for under $10. An inexpensive repair to a high-dollar piece of quality equipment.

The customer was thrilled which is what makes it all worthwhile. A $40 sale? Not the largest of our day – but every bit as important to us and the customer.

We solve problems and save customers money. That’s how we roll.

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Helping customers – what else is there?

Apollo Caster received an email today saying this:

I got my casters today. Wow they really made a difference. My wife’s look at me chair never worked so good. Thanks for the prompt service and quality product.
Marvin S.

These emails and comments are not uncommon here at Apollo yet each one is appreciated. We offer something that many places cannot: personal service, a human answering the phone, and as much time as necessary to address your need.

A few days ago, I followed up with a supplier who had promised some information and was late. Not only was the information still not available but he gave the strong impression that he was just too busy for me and could not get me off the phone fast enough.

That will never happen at Apollo. If we’re not helping, what’s the point?

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Procrastination and customer service

Here at Apollo Caster and Apollo Land Co., we have several small construction / maintenance projects underway. Related to that, we have been working with a variety of companies and contractors for services such as roof repair, masonry tuckpointing and flooring. More times than not, the potential vendors have to be contacted multiple times to simply get their quote. These seems odd in two ways.

First, why is it that people feel they are doing their customer a favor to promise a delivery date and then miss it? Why not do everyone a favor by making a realistic promise of when the quote/ work can be completed and then meeting or exceeding it? To blow past it only undermines the customer’s faith about working with that vendor in the future. And it creates stress and non-value-added phone calls for the vendor. Further, if they put off doing the quote for two weeks, how many details have they forgotten about the original discussion?

Second, who is impressed by a supplier that cannot even build up the interest to try to earn some new business? At Apollo, we aim to respond to every quote request within a few hours. After all, if we give the impression that we’re too busy or uninterested to prepare the quote and earn the business, why would we expect the customer to be optimistic about our future service levels and why should they be excited about working with us?

Apollo Caster wants your business. We will say it and we will play it. Even when we’re busy; even when we’re short-handed, every veteran customer or new prospect has our attention and responsiveness.

It’s just not that hard.