This section provides an overview for casters as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 40 caster manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked caster companies as of November, 2024: 1.J.W. Winco, Inc., 2.Quantum Storage Systems, 3.Ashland Conveyor Products.
Table of Contents
A caster is mainly used as moving wheel parts attached to carts and shelves. Various types of caster exist, depending on differences in installation methods and tire materials, and they are used for different purposes.
Some of them are equipped with a stopper mechanism, which is useful when it is necessary to secure the cart during transportation.
Casters are mainly used for different types of terrain and different load capacities depending on the material of the tire. Typical materials and their main applications are shown below.
Since casters can move smoothly even if there are some bumps, they are mainly used in situations where casters need to be used on bumpy road surfaces. Typical materials include rubber, urethane, and elastomer. Some of these materials are susceptible to oil and chemicals and deteriorate over long periods of use, so care must be taken when selecting materials for factory carts. There are also casters that use tires filled with air, similar to automobile tires, and are often used for outdoor applications.
Compared to elastic materials, rigid materials have lower shock absorption performance and are prone to vibration on bumpy surfaces, but they have the advantage of being able to move even heavy objects smoothly and are used for transporting heavy objects in warehouses. Typical materials include "nylon," and "phenol." Compared to elastic materials, many of them have higher resistance to oil and chemicals, so they are sometimes employed for the convenience of the place of use.
Casters are mainly composed of three parts: the "mounting part," "the body part," and the "wheel part."
The type of mounting part should be selected depending on how to attach the casters to the object. The main types are "flat type with a plate fixed by screws," "type with a caster itself screwed in," "type inserted into a square pipe or round pipe," etc.
This part is used to connect the mounting section and the wheel section and is generally made by bending sheet metal. Since the load capacity varies greatly depending on the material and shape, special consideration should be given when handling heavy objects.
This is the key part of casters. Various materials exist, and the size of the wheel also affects performance. In general, the larger the wheel diameter, the less rolling resistance, allowing smooth movement even on bumpy, unpaved surfaces. For this reason, if there are no restrictions on the overall size of the equipment, it is advantageous to choose a wheel diameter. In reality, however, there are almost always restrictions on the overall size of the device after the installation of casters, so the optimal one is often selected by weighing ease of use and size.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Quantum Storage Systems, established in 1992 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, is an American manufacturer and supplier specializing in storage solutions. The company offers a range of products including heavy-duty plastic bins, cabinets, and containers, such as ultra-stack and hang bins, plastic drawer cabinets, and airport security style nesting bins. Its steel shelving systems provide dual-layer constructions and double-hemmed perimeters for strength and durability, whereas its wire shelving systems, which are rust-resistant, are designed for wet and humid environment. Additionally, the company’s Millenia brand features polymer shelving systems. These products address storage needs across personal workspaces, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and laboratories.
Terra Universal Inc. was established in 1976, headquartered in Fullerton, CA, and is a manufacturer of critical environment applications for designing and fabricating cleanroom- and laboratory-based industries. The company offers comprehensive lines of modular cleanrooms, desiccator cabinets, pass-through chambers, glove boxes, furnishings, and many more. The company also stocks thousands of these products for immediate shipment. Custom work is no problem; the company is also able to work to meet the requirements of its clients.
Ashland Conveyor Products, based in the USA, is a manufacturer of conveyor systems and related equipment. The company primarily serves industries that require material handling and conveyor systems. Its solutions are used in manufacturing, distribution, logistics, and other sectors where efficient material transportation is essential. The company offers a diverse range of conveyor products and related equipment, including conveyor systems, rollers and components, belts, accessories, and custom solutions. The company serves a broad customer base, including manufacturers, warehouses, distribution centers, and e-commerce facilities.
J.W. Winco was originally founded as Ganter in 1894 in Germany. Winco specializes in parts manufacturing. Parts offerings the operating parts segment including handles, adjusting, and positioning parts; clamping parts segment featuring tensioning, clamping, switching, and levers; and finally the machine parts segment with indexing, locking, mounting, connecting elements, guides, spindles, rollers, magnets, casters, and wheels. Winco’s complete catalog contains over 75,000 standard parts. Winco is also ISO 9001 certified. Winco offers free CAD downloads and technical documentation for many arts.
Casters In Motion, LLC, established in 2005, is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, USA, and is a manufacturer of casters and wheels. The company specializes in the design, development, and production of quality casters and wheels. It has received awards such as the Excellence in Mobility Solutions award in 2017 and the Innovation in Caster Design award in 2019. It holds industry certifications, such as ISO 9001:2015, to maintain standards in quality management systems. It serves sectors like logistics, hospitality, medical, and manufacturing.
Allied Electronics Inc., founded in 1991 with headquarters in the USA, is a distributor and supplier of fuel and vehicle servicing station equipment and accessories. The company's extensive product line of over 57,000 products includes forecourt controller parts, fuel dispenser parts, air compressors, and power conditioners. The company also provides rebuilt parts by brands that include Bennett, Daktronics, FE-Petro, and Gasboy. The company's services include equipment financing, primarily serving the retail petroleum industry, including car wash and price sign manufacturers.
Caster Warehouse Inc., founded in 1986 and based in Lilburn, Georgia, is a supplier of casters and wheels, and operates as a division of World Casters & Equipment Manufacturing. The company also sells carts and components such as bearings, brake kits, and spanner bushings, as well as specialty casters for high-temperature applications and food service. One of its products, the 4030-01-HR hard rubber swivel plate caster (3" x 1-1/4"), is ideal for coffee tables, plant stands, and shoe bins. It features a swivel with a radius of 3” and can support a capacity of 220 lbs. each.
DH Casters, Inc., established in 1985 is based in Ontario, California, specializes in the manufacturing and inventory of a full line of casters, wheels, and specialty hardware. The company supplies custom-made products, catering to multiple industries. Emphasizing on building and maintaining solid relationships with distributors and customers, it has been successful in exceeding customers’ expectations by complementing its procurement and supply teams. With a professional team of engineers, sales, purchasing, and customer service personnel, it works together to analyze customer’s caster and wheel needs, and then develop and deliver quality solutions.
Rotacaster, based in Australia and established in 2005, is a manufacturer of an omni-directional, multi-purpose wheel with full 360° mobility. It offers products including OMNI WHEELS, CONVEYOR, ROTATRUCK, and ROBOTIC. The omniwheels are designed with a full polymer injection-molded structure. It provides Omni-Wheels in five sizes: 35mm, 50mm, 90mm, 125mm, and 180mm. Its range of OEM applications includes automated, multi-directional conveyor sortation and transfer units for logistics and manufacturing. In 2021, the company changed its name to OMNIA.
Darcor Casters Ltd. (Darcor Casters & Wheels), established in 1931 and now a part of Tente Casters Inc., is a manufacturer based in Ontario, Canada, specializing in caster mobile solutions. The company offers a series of casters designed for specific weight capacities and applications. This includes heavy-duty kingpinless casters for automotive shops and factories, and medical casters featuring shock dampening and ease of motion for specialized uses such as diagnostic and operating room (OR) equipment. The company also provides washable casters, among other products, suitable for food processing plants and meat packing facilities.
Omnitrack LTD is an ISO 9001:2015-certified manufacturer of omnidirectional movement products established in 1909 in Stroud, England, UK. The company’s product lineup includes pneumatic ball transfer units for material handling or robotics applications, its Omnicaster brand ball multi-directional wheels for maneuverable conveyance, and custom ball transfer tables by project specifications. It also offers installation and maintenance accessories such as fixing clips and tools. The company’s products are commonly used in the defense, aerospace, and automotive industries.
Established in 1964, KURASHIKI KAKO CO., LTD is a manufacturer that specializes in producing and selling of automotive rubber parts, as well as anti-vibration, soundproofing, cushioning instruments, and equipment for industrial use. The company obtained ISO9001 certification in 1998 and continues to provide services for product development, evaluation/analysis, and research and development. Along with its range of products, KURASHIKI KAKO CO., LTD offers various items, including anti-vibration table/stage, building equipment components, flexible silencers, and other related products.
TAKIGEN MFG CO., LTD., founded in 1910, is a Japanese manufacturer of industrial hardware and equipment, headquartered in Shinagawa City, Tokyo. TAKIGEN provides a range of approximately 8,000 products, including handles, knobs, and pulls, as well as hinges and stays. They also offer catches, fasteners, latch locks, and interlock devices. Key switches, adjusters, casters, monitor arms, and slide rails are also part of their product offerings. These products are utilized in various industries, for example organically-friendly titanium and anti-bacterial handles, pulls, and knobs are installed in ambulance, care facilities, hospitals, and mobile healthcare units.
Blickle Räder+Rollen GmbH u. Co. KG, established in 1953 and headquartered in Rosenfeld, Germany, is a manufacturer of wheels and castors. The company's product range includes E-mobility solutions for intralogistics, featuring electric drive systems like ErgoMove. It also offers wheels and castors with polyurethane tread wheels, stainless steel castors, spring-loaded castors for shock absorption, and guide rollers for precise movement. These products find applications across various industries, including machine engineering, conveyor technology, mobile equipment, and more. It holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications for its adherence to quality and environmental responsibility.
Hamilton Caster is an American manufacturer of casters, wheels, and trailers that was established in 1907. Based in Hamilton, Ohio, the company's product range includes forged steel and nylon wheels, industrial heavy-duty casters, carts, and auto-steer trailers. Their products are primarily used by clients in the heavy manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and automotive industry. Hamilton Caster also offers custom engineering services, as well as design consultation, cost reduction, and pressure velocity and quality testing for clients with demanding specifications.
KML WHEELS, established in 2022 and based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, is a manufacturer and supplier of caster wheels. The company's product range includes UHMW PU Rollers, Heavy Duty Caster Wheel, PU Caster Wheels, Fabricated Caster Wheels, and Pronier Spring Loaded Caster. These wheels find applications in sectors like aerospace, automotive, and various industrial settings, facilitating smooth mobility and durability of equipment. The company offers specialized solutions such as custom casters, aerospace casters, automotive casters, and swivel casters.
Item America LLC is a manufacturer and distributor of modular building materials established in 2007 and located in Hagerstown, Maryland, USA. The company offers cobots mounting plates for integration of collaborative robots in a facility or line, profile tube systems for construction of transport trolleys or stable racks, and suspended conveyor systems for lean production operations and saving facility floor space. It also offers equipment organization utilities such as industrial work benches, machine cabins, and enclosures. The company’s products are commonly used in machine shops, industrial manufacturing facilities, and automated factories.
Hoshimoto Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer and supplier of industrial hardware for manufacturing operations that was established in 1971 in Osaka, Japan. The company offers distribution board assembly hardware such as earth terminals and copper bars, as well as access control hardware for electrical cabinets and coin operated machinery. It also offers various machining services for customer projects, including press machining and NC lathing. The company chiefly serves its clients in Asia’s consumer electronics, machine tooling, and automation industries.
Princess Auto Ltd., founded in 1933 and based in Winnipeg, Canada, is a supplier of an assortment of tools and equipment with over 50 stores across Canada. In 1977, it opened its first store in Edmonton, Alberta, and became a retailer. The company serves several workers, including inventors, farmers, and tradespeople and stocks products such as outdoor power equipment, hand tools, and hydraulics. It sells items from several brands, such as Dealer’s Choice, Braber Equipment, and King Canada, and it also has a foundation that provides financial assistance to trades students enrolled at Canadian colleges.
C & C Lift Truck Inc is a distributor of lifting and weighing equipment founded in 1977 in Edison, New Jersey, USA. The company offers various products for lifting, transporting, and weighing pallets and products at onsite locations or storage facilities.These include pallet jacks, forklifts, and scales from brands such as Genie and Komatsu. The company also offers training, rental or leasing, and repair services. It chiefly markets to its clients in the food and beverage, logistics, and construction sectors.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | J.W. Winco, Inc. |
6.7%
|
2 | Quantum Storage Systems |
6.4%
|
3 | Ashland Conveyor Products |
5.0%
|
4 | Terra Universal. Inc. |
5.0%
|
5 | Durable U.S.A. Inc |
4.4%
|
6 | KML WHEELS |
4.1%
|
7 | Rotacaster Wheel Pty Ltd |
4.1%
|
8 | Casters In Motion, LLC |
4.1%
|
9 | Allied Electronics, Inc. |
4.1%
|
10 | Omnitrack LTD |
3.5%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the caster page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 11 | 47.8% |
Japan | 4 | 17.4% |
India | 2 | 8.7% |
Australia | 1 | 4.3% |
Canada | 1 | 4.3% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 4.3% |
Germany | 1 | 4.3% |
Taiwan | 1 | 4.3% |
China | 1 | 4.3% |