Case Study: Eliminating Downtime and Boosting Efficiency in Manufacturing with Caster Connection
A boat manufacturer was losing 5–6 hours of productivity per week due to failing casters in a fiberglass-heavy production environment. Swivel casters were seizing from debris buildup, causing costly downtime and frequent maintenance. Caster Connection provided a simple yet effective solution—enclosed kingpinless rigs that eliminated debris issues, reduced maintenance by 40%, and kept production moving. Read the full case study to see how the right casters transformed their efficiency.
The Challenge
A manufacturer specializing in tube and joint part carts for a well-known boat manufacturer was facing ongoing mobility issues in its facility. The carts needed to withstand the harsh conditions of a fiberglass-heavy production environment, but its existing casters weren’t holding up. The biggest issue?
- Swivel casters kept seizing up due to debris buildup in open raceways.
- Carts were chattering and challenging to turn, slowing down production.
- Frequent maintenance was required, such as cleaning the raceways weekly to keep things moving.
- Downtime was piling up, leading to 5 to 6 hours of lost productivity per week.
The manufacturer knew they needed to change. Constant maintenance and downtime cost them money and impacted their ability to meet production demands.
Caster Connection's Solution
When Caster Connection was called in, we immediately saw the problem: debris from the fiberglass production floor collected inside the open raceways, making the casters prone to failure. Our solution? A simple but highly effective upgrade:
Enclosed Kinpinless Rig (Alpha Series)
No more exposed raceways, meaning no more debris issues.
Stronger Load Capacity
The new casters allowed the carts to carry more weight, improving efficiency.
Reduced Downtime
Production could keep running without interruption by eliminating constant maintenance.
The upgrade came with a slight price increase—about $10 more per caster—but the benefits outweighed the cost. The manufacturer realized that spending a little more upfront would save them thousands in the long run by cutting labor costs, reducing downtime, and extending the lifespan of their carts.
