High temperature rubber casters

Strostkovy · May 3, 2021

We have a powder coating operation and the solid metal or phenolic wheels cause a lot of vibration and rough rolling, which causes parts to swing and in extreme cases bounce off the rack and hit a bunch of other parts on the way down.

We have soft rubber casters on our work carts and they roll extremely well. Our current racks can't fit more than a 4" diameter wheel.

It seems like silicone would be our only soft option but I can't seem to find any for a 400 degree oven. How much would silicone soften in an oven? And des anyone have a source for smoother wheels like this?

DDoug · May 3, 2021

Strostkovy said:
We have a powder coating operation and the solid metal or phenolic wheels cause a lot of vibration and rough rolling, which causes parts to swing and in extreme cases bounce off the rack and hit a bunch of other parts on the way down.

We have soft rubber casters on our work carts and they roll extremely well. Our current racks can't fit more than a 4" diameter wheel.

It seems like silicone would be our only soft option but I can't seem to find any for a 400 degree oven. How much would silicone soften in an oven? And des anyone have a source for smoother wheels like this?

Modfiy the oven so the wheels are outside.
"Car bottom furnace" is common where the wheels can't take the heat.

sfriedberg · May 3, 2021

Kitchen silicone implements are usually rated for 500F, although I don't know if they can take that continuously.

Not all silicone rubber is the same, however! Just because the stuff intended for kitchens is good for oven heat doesn't mean the stuff intended for caster tires also is. But it might be worth buying a set and running an experiment.

D Bronson · May 3, 2021

Strostkovy:

Blickle has heat resistant casters rated to 500F; 1,100F if you can go to all metal.

Wheels and casters at a glance | Blickle

Probably best to call them to verify the casters will work for your application.

Regards,

DB

Strostkovy · May 4, 2021

digger doug said:
Modfiy the oven so the wheels are outside.
"Car bottom furnace" is common where the wheels can't take the heat.

We considered a few variations, one of which being wheel-less racks that are pallet jacked into the oven. Unfortunately costs get high once we have to insulate the racks.

DDoug · May 4, 2021

Strostkovy said:
We considered a few variations, one of which being wheel-less racks that are pallet jacked into the oven. Unfortunately costs get high once we have to insulate the racks.

Jack up the oven 8", add an insulation board to the bottom of the carts (above the wheels)

BoxcarPete · May 4, 2021

Strostkovy said:
We have a powder coating operation and the solid metal or phenolic wheels cause a lot of vibration and rough rolling, which causes parts to swing and in extreme cases bounce off the rack and hit a bunch of other parts on the way down.

We have soft rubber casters on our work carts and they roll extremely well. Our current racks can't fit more than a 4" diameter wheel.

It seems like silicone would be our only soft option but I can't seem to find any for a 400 degree oven. How much would silicone soften in an oven? And des anyone have a source for smoother wheels like this?

Silicone is not your only option, FKM/Viton will do the job if you want something a little firmer.

A proper industrial grade silicone should lose no more than 25-30% of its tensile strength and elongation, and no more than 10 points shore A change in hardness after 70 hours at 225°C (437°F). It should be available from 40 to 70 shore A.

I hope that helps, and though I figure you're looking for an off the shelf solution, you can PM me if you want to discuss something a little more custom.

Edit to add: would it help to groove the hard wheels and throw a couple fat o-rings around the circumference?

Hightemp · May 4, 2021

How about a track or rail system instead of the floor?

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High temperature rubber casters

Strostkovy

Titanium

DDoug

Diamond

sfriedberg

Diamond

D Bronson

Aluminum

Strostkovy

Titanium

DDoug

Diamond

BoxcarPete

Stainless

Hightemp

Aluminum

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