Tire Manufacturing: The Perfect Casters
Most of our clients work with us because they have a specific issue they need to solve. However, as we begin working with them, we often discover that they have many different issues that a caster needs to solve. Because we've been working with tens of thousands of clients for over 30 years, we've designed casters that will solve multiple issues found in many different industries, including tire manufacturing. This was the case with one of our tire manufacturing clients.
INTERNATIONAL TIRE MANUFACTURING COMPANY RECOGNIZES A PROBLEM
This particular plant was having an issue with their KM Pan carts. When they approached us, the client's main goal was to make their carts easier to push with a weight total of 3,000 lbs. The wheel-caster configuration was a diamond-tilt pattern, meaning the fixed wheels in the center of the cart were larger than the swivels on each end, allowing the cart to pivot easily in a tight space. Because the wheels were built in, there was no room to change the dimensions.
ON-SITE COMPREHENSIVE CASTER ASSESSMENT
As we conducted a thorough assessment of their cart system, we discovered that there were many different issues with their carts. These carts were hard to push, created a tremendous amount of noise, and generated a lot of vibration on the components in the carts. The wheels also wore quickly, caused floor damage, and collected green rubber, which made all caster issues worse.
As with most companies, the on-site consultation in particular, performed by the Caster Connection Regional Solutions Manager, allowed us to identify all of the caster issues involved with our client's facility. The expert staff was able to review the application in person, gather all of the proper information with the associates on the floor, and meet with upper management to provide a well-informed solution.
CUSTOMIZED CASTER SOLUTION
Because of the weight requirements and because the cart would also be tugged at 5-7 mph, the wheel had to have a 12" diameter, be 3" wide, and possess a 1" axle bore. The Caster Connection RSM handling the issue chose the multipurpose solution, Caster Connection 12" x 3" CC APEX HD casters.
