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  • A legend retires!

    In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi coastlines.  Pope Benedict XVI succeeded John Paul II.  The Irish Republican Army declared an end to armed conflict.  And Penny Haight joined CasterDepot.

    In the decade and a half since, Penny has worn multiple hats for the company, filling key roles that ranged from administrative to customer service to accounting.   Most recently she was the first voice you’d hear when you called our corporate offices.

    A Michigan native, Penny grew up in (what was at the time) the small town of Grandville.  At just 19 years old, she enlisted in the US Army, a decision she credits with instilling her sense of direction and self-discipline.  Penny’s life changed drastically when her husband tragically passed at a young age, and she suddenly found herself raising her three young children by herself.  But her resolve and dedication ensured her girls were always taken care of.  To this day, family continues to be her priority, love and passion.

    Loyal to a fault and always willing to help, Penny has been the epitome of what you would hope for in an employee and colleague.  When asked about why she loved working at CasterDepot, she replied, “I’m the tour guide; I lead people to what they need to know and where they need to go.  And I’m in charge of documentation, so in an odd way, I’m also the historian.”  Pretty cool.

    Friday was Penny’s last day before retirement, and she is now looking forward to relaxing, schedule free days.  And while she may or may not join her daughter in Oregon to fill up the days with reading and whatever else comes her way, one thing is for certain.  She will always be CasterDepot’s tour guide.

     

     

  • How to determine a caster's load capacity.

     

    People tend to throw around terms with reckless abandon. 

    Adenosine triphosphate. Allotropy. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.  Load capacity. 

    Sometimes it’s nice to know what one of them means.

     

    Load Capacity

     

    Simply put, a caster’s load capacity (sometimes referred to as its weight capacity) is the maximum amount of weight a caster or wheel will safely hold. 

     

    And for the most part, there are three different ways to measure load capacity:

       

    IMPACT LOAD 

    The temporary load that is exerted on the wheel or caster by shock or vibration.

     

     

     

     

     

       

    STATIC LOAD

    The load that is imposed when the wheel or caster is stationary 

     

     

     

     

     

     

    DYNAMIC LOAD

    The load that is imposed when the wheel or caster is in motion.

     

     

     

     

     

    But, here in the caster stratosphere, when talking about load capacity, we’re almost always referring to dynamic load capacity.

     

    Some useful info when researching or purchasing wheels or casters.

     

    A wheel or caster’s load capacity refers to the amount of weight each wheel or caster can support.  It is not referring to the total load capacity of the truck, trailer or cart.  For example, if you purchase four casters for a cart that have load capacities of 500 lbs each, the total load capacity for the cart is 2000 lbs.  Pretty straightforward, right?

     

    And remember the impact load we mentioned earlier?  Because of that and other factors, when figuring out how much load capacity is needed for an application, it is important to build in a safety net.  

     

    The following equation is a good rule of thumb.

    Load Capacity Equation

     

  • Metal wheels: Spinning sensations or caster catastrophes?

     

    Make no mistake, metal wheels can be the perfect choice for some applications.  Their high capacities allow for the movement of heavy loads.  And because of the hardness (and corresponding low deformity) of the wheels, there is less rolling resistance.  This makes carts easier to push or pull, which is good news for ergonomics and employee safety.  Metal wheels are resistant to debris, long-lived, temperature and chemical tolerant, and can be economical. 

    But metal wheels can be the wrong choice, too.  The hardness that increases rollability can also be damaging to floors.  And they can be louder than other wheel types.  And since metal wheels don’t offer the cushioning that softer tread wheels do, they can have a disastrous effect on more delicate cargoes.

    So, is a metal wheel the right solution for your application?  The short answer is: maybe.  The world of casters is surprisingly complex.  And whether or not you’re ready to purchase, the experts at CasterDepot are here to teach, advise and make things easy.  

     

              Forged steel offers some of the highest capacities available.

    Albion’s FS Series

     

              Ductile steel provides excellent impact resistance.

    Albion's FR Series

     

             Cast iron combines strength and affordability.

    Colson's 5-8 Series

     

              Stainless is ideal for high capacity corrosive or washdown applications.

    Hamilton's Series S

     

  • How To: Make a Cart or Hand Truck Roll More Easily

     

    Ever wonder why some carts/floor trucks are harder to pull/push than others?  Basically, it comes down to rolling resistance.  The greater the rolling resistance, the more force it takes to move the cart.

     

       

    So, what causes rolling resistance?  

       Three things:

       - The load (weight)

       - The flooring surface 

       - The wheel

       We’ll assume that load is a non-consideration.

       (ie. it would stay constant) 

     

     

    Flooring surfaces naturally deform under weight, and this plays a significant role.  Compare sand to concrete, for example. Obviously, sand will deform quite a bit more than concrete, and therefore will create greater rolling resistance.  The other thing that should be considered is the surface’s condition, ie. it’s unevenness, slope or cleanliness.

    As far as the wheel is concerned, the greatest impact comes from the diameter of the wheel and the amount the wheel deforms.  As a general rule, a soft tread wheel (like rubber) will deform more than a hard tread wheel (like steel).  

     

    Ok, so how do I make my cart or hand truck roll more easily?

    Assuming that nothing can be done about the load or the flooring surface (other than keeping it clean), that leaves the following options:  

    - Use a larger wheel

    - Use a wheel that has a harder tread

     

    Hmmm.  That’s too simple, there must be a catch.

    It is, and yeah.  Like everything else in life, there are upsides and downsides to focusing only on rollability.  Among other things, harder tread wheels can be loud and damage flooring.  Larger wheels often cost more, can make the cart impractical or even make it less maneuverable.  

    Truly, there are a lot of factors to consider.  And whether or not you are ready to purchase, CasterDepot is here to help you make sense of the surprisingly complex world of casters and wheels.         

     

     

  • DIY - Add casters to your smoker

    What’s better than smoked short-ribs?  No seriously, we really don’t know.  Especially when they look as ridiculously delicious as this…

              

    Recently, one of our clients reached out with a dilemma.  He needed his Backwoods Smoker to be mobile when needed, but to stay put when not.  Bill (from our Chicago location) stepped in and found the perfect solution: Two straight casters to create stability, and two swivel casters to allow for easy rolling and mobility. Using rigs with integrated total lock brakes ensured the smoker will stay right where it’s supposed to.  Want to learn more?  Give us a shout and ask about part numbers C001.549 and C001.491, an economical, durable, and non-marking caster.  Or pick some up at any of our stocking locations. Unfortunately, we don’t stock the short-ribs.  At least not yet.

       

  • 2020 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For Winner

    Who says hard work doesn’t pay off?  For more than 40 years, CasterDepot has made it a priority to take care of our employees.  And once again, our commitment to effective communication, work-life balance, and employee retention has been recognized throughout the region.  

    CasterDepot is honored to have been named one of 2020’s West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®, a prestigious and select honor that is awarded to “organizations that display a commitment to excellence in their human resource practices and employee enrichment.”

    Best and Brightest 2019 National Winner     Best and Brightest 2019 Winner     Best and Brightest Winner 2020

    We raise our collective glass to the clients, partners, and employees that helped get us here!

  • CasterDepot Critical Supplier Designation

    March 24, 2020

     

    To our valued partners,

    First and foremost, CasterDepot stands with those that have been most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.  Our hearts and prayers go out to those who have realized sickness or loss. Secondly, we are taking our responsibility to curb the spread of the virus seriously.  Please be assured that we have been at the forefront of monitoring all governmental recommendations and guidelines. We have taken quick and effective action to implement them and we will continue to do so.  

    We find ourselves in an unprecedented time of uncertainty.  Although it can feel as if the landscape is shifting by the minute, we hope to offer an anchor in the storm.  CasterDepot has been identified as an essential supplier and key partner to many within today’s most crucial industries (including those within the medical, food service, and defense sectors).  As Critical Infrastructure Workers, our employees will be permitted to continue working, including traveling to and from work. Please be assured that we remain committed to delivering reliable, dependable, and timely service.

    To our clients, we are grateful for all you are doing to keep our communities safe, healthy and strong.  To our employees, thank you for your hard work and commitment to excellence. What we do is important. Together we will get through this, and once through, we will be stronger for it.  

    Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our offices or experts if we can be of assistance.

     

    Sincerely,

    Jason S Popma

    President, CasterDepot

     

    Main Office    cs@casterdepot.com    616.877.0805
    Chicago, IL    egv@casterdepot.com    847.616.0492
    Detroit, MI    dt@casterdepot.com    734.522.1885
    Grand Rapids, MI    gr@casterdepot.com     616.877.0829
    Indianapolis, IN    indy@casterdepot.com     317.423.3490
    Jacksonville, FL    jax@casterdepot.com    904.701.5930
    Richmond, VA    va@casterdepot.com     804.798.0088

  • Christmas Spirit at CasterDepot

    Joe inside his gingerbread House

    It all started out with a Christmas tree on Joe Kaminski's (one of our Grand Rapids sales team members) desk.  It was small, but festive— working lights, ornaments, a star on top.  Well, Kristen Vereecken, our Sales Coordinator, decided her office should be festive, too.  So she strung up some lights and went back to work, content that all was right with the world.  A couple of days later, Joe’s monitor was encased in a wrap that made it look like a chimney.  The two red stockings that hung on either side were too much.  Kristen saw it as a challenge.  “Game on,” she told Joe, as she filled her office with more Christmas décor, more knick-knacks, and more holiday cheer.  It sure seemed that Kristen had gained the upper holiday hand.  There were high fives and celebrations.  But on the morning of December 16th, she walked in to find a gingerbread house encasing Joe’s desk.  “Don’t compete with my Christmas Spirit,” said Joe.  Sorry Kristen, game over.

    Tree, Stocking and FireplaceOutside Joe's Gingerbread House

    Moral of this story: if we care this much about winning at something as ridiculous as holiday decor, think how much we care about helping find your solutions.  At CasterDepot, we go the extra mile to deliver on our “Expert. Easy. Every time.” promise.  And we just might throw in a little holiday magic for free.

    Don't forget the snowman

  • CasterDepot Completes Acquisition of Bastian Solutions' Caster and Wheel Division


    As part of its agreement to purchase Bastian Solutions' caster and wheel business,  CasterDepot, Indianapolis has moved to a new permanent location.  Continue reading

  • Top 5 Casters and Wheels for Carpeted Flooring








    We’ve all experienced that moment of disappointment when attempting to roll an office chair on the wrong surface. The chair wheels catch on some high-pile carpet and you fall over in a lump of agony. Or maybe it’s not that bad. Maybe the mail cart just thunders and wobbles along down a carpeted hallway on the wrong type of wheel for the application.

    Both scenarios are not acceptable.

    For furniture like office chairs and mail carts, the wrong caster on carpeted flooring can slow down and annoy even the most resolute. So don’t let the wrong casters get you down.

    CasterDepot carries all the best casters and wheels for easy rolling on carpeted floors. Here are some of our favorite casters and wheels for carpeted flooring.


    Continue reading

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