Caster Problems

Caster Problems: 10 Reasons Casters Fail

Although casters are one of the smaller parts that make up a material handling cart, they play an integral role in how that cart will move efficiently and safely. Also, premature caster failure can impact the company’s bottom line. Caster technology has come a long […]

Caster Questions & Answers from the Experts at Darcor

we are often asked many questions about casters. The Darcor team recently presented a ErgoExpo Webinar and we got some great questions. Our team is always happy to respond to questions about casters, and we do on a daily basis. We thought that we’d pull together a list of the best caster questions and answers to share including caster topics like: • Environmental considerations, • Locking functionality, • Caster inspection and maintenance, • Number of casters, • Positioning of casters, • Caster material, • Swivelling casters, and more.

The Hidden Ergonomic Risks of Manual Material Handling Carts

In the management of manual material handling carts, a common hidden and unknown factor is the stability or consistency of operating forces over the life of the cart. Operating forces are those forces necessary to initiate and sustain movement of the cart. Those forces will change as carts and casters wear. This factor can mean risk of injury for the company as, if the operating forces change, the risk of injury to the worker increases substantially. While we have good processes in place to measure the initial and sustained operating forces and to ensure that those forces are within safe limits, we are perhaps less accomplished in utilizing risk management processes to ensure that the required forces remain within safe limits over the course of time. How can we assure ourselves that a cart’s long-term operating forces aren’t hidden and that they remain within the desired performance envelope six months or a year from now?

Industrial Ergonomics: Best Practices for Cart Management

Manual material handling using carts is a prime example of an occupational push and pull task. Managing the risk associated with pushing, pulling and maneuvering carts in the workplace is a critical component of an industrial ergonomics program. As most facilities or organizations have fleets of carts, a systematic approach is useful in managing and reducing the risks associated with cart handling. While such a system will vary to suit the idiosyncrasies of different operations, there are some common components to these ergonomics cart management programs. So, what are some best practices for cart ergonomics?

The Importance of the Right Casters on Medical Equipment in a Healthcare Environment

To understand the importance of using the right casters on medical equipment in a healthcare environment, let us examine a scene in an archetypal hospital where patients, carts and sensitive equipment are constantly ushered to various rooms, crossing multiple floors and possibly traveling long distance. Since the environment is in flux, it is imperative to consider the performance and failure rates of casters when evaluating the design of medical equipment both using original casters and replacement casters. Since casters need to constantly perform at their peak and be durable to create a positive impact on ROI, the logical next step is to examine how to identify the right casters for intended applications. Here are a few key points to consider:

Designing Wheeled Equipment: Purchasing Considerations to Achieve Long-Term Ergonomic and Economic Success

For organizations that rely heavily on wheeled equipment in their day-to-day operations, the purchasing department is tasked with making purchasing decisions that impact the design and handling of equipment. The purchasing department’s main goal is to minimize purchasing costs. This goal can be in direct opposition of other departmental goals. It’s important to remember that a solution that has a low up-front cost is not going to give the long-term, maintenance-free performance and ergonomic benefits of a higher quality, better engineered and therefore more expensive product.

Ask a Workplace Ergonomics Expert

Questions and Answers about Workplace Ergonomics and its Impact on Organizations Workplace ergonomics is the interaction of humans and the equipment they use in the workplace. It is crucial to consider workplace ergonomics when designing tasks and equipment to support safety and efficiency in the workplace. To get a better understanding of workplace ergonomics, we’ve put together some questions and answers for you about ergonomics and how it impacts organizations.

Effects of Extreme Temperatures and Environments on Caster Performance

Casters are used on a variety of applications that range from rough terrain to debris ridden floors to ovens and freezers. Using the wrong caster for an application can seriously degrade the caster performance and, in extreme cases, may even cause injury to the user. Find out how high temperature and wet environments can impact the ideal performance of your casters.

Why Noise Reducing Casters Are Important for Workplace Ergonomics

Workplace ergonomics has become a vital initiative for many companies over the years and casters are at the forefront of reaching many of ergonomic goals. One initiative is the reduction of noise pollution on manufacturing plant floors. Ear protection is important in noisy environment. But choosing the right caster can also help in reducing these unwanted noise levels and maintain a safe working environment.

Blueprint to Design Medical Equipment with Operators in Mind

The industry needs to think about improving medical equipment design to support healthcare professional increased patient load. Here are 4 ways to improved medical cart and equipment design and ergonomic mobility. There are a variety of elements to consider in the design of a medical device to increase ergonomic friendliness. Let’s focus on cart design and mobility and see how mobility can be improved with environment-specific medical casters