Casters Add Movement Flexibility to Industrial Containers
Posted on Jul 24, 2023
A forklift or pallet jack isn’t always needed to move containers and certain other storage units throughout a facility. When these products are equipped with casters, or designed to allow placement on a flat manually operated dolly, workers gain flexibility in how items are moved.
Normally, industrial containers – also called bins, are outfitted with fork tubes, crane hooks, or lift lugs so they can be moved by a forklift or crane. But manual movement is an alternative that many facility operators like to have available.
“Outfitted with heavy-duty swivel casters and a push handle, Steel King containers can be easily maneuvered throughout a facility, adding flexibility to the movement of parts, products, and scrap,” said Craig Heil, Container Sales Manager for Steel King Industries.
Use as a Scrap Hopper or for Parts Movement
Wheeled containers are especially ideal for use as scrap hoppers, but they can be designed and manufactured for many other uses that require parts or assemblies to be moved throughout a production floor.
These mobile containers are commonly built with two-way-entry fork tubes so they can be tipped to dump their contents. Another accessory option is crane hooks that allow the containers to be lifted and moved.
Steel King’s Scrap Hopper standard containers have a 4,000-pound capacity, but with the right container casters and an evenly flat floor surface, the bins can be easily rolled around, Heil said. The empty weight of a standard Scrap Hopper is 292 pounds.
Scrap Hoppers are constructed of durable corrugated steel sides and steel decks, and have rounded corners.
Heavy-Duty Casters Handle Big Loads
These containers commonly have 6×2” casters made with a hard, phenolic material that facilitates movement on smooth or rough surfaces, and which are quieter than metal container casters when moved. The phenolic material resists grease and oil, and will not leave marks when moved. For higher container capacities, 8×2″ or 8×3″ casters could be used, but there is a very wide variety of caster sizes and types that can be specified for different requirements.
A caster plate secures the heavy-duty swivel casters to the bins. The casters, which can be lockable, require little maintenance, other than occasional greasing. Common container sizes offered by Steel King are 32″ x 40″ x 24″, and 40″ x 48″ x 24″, but they can be built to custom sizes and with customized accessories to suit a user’s storage or movement requirements.
Steel King’s Stac-King stackable racking units also can be outfitted with heavy-duty swivel casters.
Dollies Also Allow Container Movement
Another option for moving industrial containers is via a dolly manufactured to accommodate specific container types. Cradles also can be manufactured to move Steel King’s Stac-Racks and its bar racks, which hold steel, bars, rods, tubing, extrusions, and other long products. A forklift operator places the unit on the dolly.
The use of dollies for containers, Stac-Rack, and bar rack movement allows those storage items to be stacked and lowers costs since casters don’t need to be attached to each unit.
Contact us today and learn more about Steel King’s mobile casters here