Caster Mounting Types
There are two main ways of attaching your caster to your cart or project: with a plate or a stem. Both of them have their advantages or purposes and work in specific situations.
PLATE-MOUNT CASTERS
Plate-mount casters are much stronger than stem-mount casters and are normally the first option when you need a caster for heavy industrial settings. The “plate” in plate-mount casters is simply a flat piece of metal that uses bolts to attach to a cart. Because of this flat piece of metal, you have great stability and durability.
Plate-mount casters come in a few different dimensions that are worked into CAD drawing plans. We commonly work with three different sizes.
PLATE-MOUNT CASTERS FOR 1.25" WIDTH WHEELS
Measured distance from one edge of the top plate to its opposite side and the distance from the other edge of the top plate to its opposite side.
The top plate shown has dimensions of 2.38" x 3.63".
PLATE-MOUNT CASTERS FOR 2" WIDTH WHEELS
Measured distance from one edge of the top plate to its opposite side and the distance from the other edge of the top plate to its opposite side.
The top plate shown here has dimensions of 4" x 4-1/2".
The top plate shown here has dimensions of 4-1/2" x 6-1/4".
STEM MOUNT CASTERS
Stem mount casters use a stem to connect to a cart, shelving, or other project. This means that there will need to be a hole of some sort that matches with your stem, and stems come in many different shapes, sizes, and configurations.
Stem-mount casters are in general not as strong as plate-mount casters, so for most industrial applications, you will not use stem-mount casters. Stem-mount casters are excellent for DIY projects, healthcare, hospitality, food processing, and quite a few other industries.
The two main mounting types for casters normally offer you everything you need. In most cases, the type for you, either plate or stem, is pretty straightforward. Once you decide the type of mount, you need to get the specific type of plate-mount rig or stem-mount rig.
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