Hamilton Caster designs new inline caster
What began as a simple inquiry for a wheel spawned into a new Hamilton innovation. The end result was a custom engineered all stainless inline caster for a major aerospace part supplier. The aerospace company ordered two of these special casters designed for a clean room environment and each with an impressive carrying capacity of 15,500 lbs. The caster stands 10 1/8” tall and 21” long equipped with two 8 inch diameter by 2.2” inch wide double flanged track wheels. Four 40 millimeter double sealed precision stainless steel ball bearings were press fit into each wheel with 1-1/4 inch axles. The pivot block used axles 1-1/2 inch in diameter.
The application required the load remain completely level to compensate for floor irregularities. So unlike a conventional dual-wheel caster that features wheels side by side, this caster was designed with inline wheels that support each other with a pivot point in the center of the caster. So when the front caster encounters the irregularities in the floor, the back wheel would keep the load level.
Unlike industry-standard 303 or 304 stainless, Hamilton engineers selected ultra-durable, high-grade 316L stainless steel for all major components. 316L stainless has superior corrosion and pitting resistance and performs extremely well under continuous use. 316L stainless also contains less carbon than 303 or 304 stainless that reduces contamination during the welding process.
