Steel Wheels — the Perfect Choice for Extreme Use
If you need to move heavy loads, particularly on guided tracks such as metal rails, steel wheels from Australia are the perfect choice. They’re highly resilient and can handle exceptionally heavy loads in a variety of extreme conditions.
Considerations when Choosing the Correct Steel Wheels
Careful selection is essential to get the correct wheels since a failure to operate as required will be very serious. Whilst practical tests may be necessary in some cases, certain factors have to be taken into account and will aid your final choice:
- Load capacity. Consider the maximum weight to be carried (tare plus load weight) and apportion this to the number of wheels to determine the required loading on each one. Since all wheels may not carry the load equally if the floor is uneven, you should allow for this by, for example, dividing by three rather than four wheels to determine the maximum load per wheel. Also note that specified capacities will be based on stated temperatures and speeds as well as on an even floor surface, so you should make allowances for this. Steel wheels have a very high load capacity. If the tracks cross or there are other sources of unevenness, this can cause impacts that exceed the load rating and result in damage. To avoid this, select wheels with a load capacity which exceeds that normally expected and so allow a reserve amount.
- Resistance. Both the tractive resistance (the force needed to start a wheel moving) and the rolling resistance (the power need to keep it moving) depend on the wheel’s size, bearing and the surface composition of the floor. Bear this in mind when choosing and be aware that steel wheels have a very low resistance that results in smoother rolling.
- Environmental. If wheels are required to operate in wet conditions, high temperatures or where chemicals are present, corrosion or other deterioration may result. Choosing wheels that are suitable for these conditions will avoid problems.
Get the Best Steel Wheels in Australia
By considering all characteristics and choosing correctly from our range of steel wheels, you can fit wheels that:
- are suitable for applications where there is exposure to chemicals or where sparks cannot be tolerated due to the risk of explosion
- are guided on tracks, beams or in channels
- are exposed to high humidity or are fully immersed in liquid
- have low rolling and tractive resistance so they start easily and run smoothly
- can operate in extremes of temperature, from -50 to +800 degrees Celsius
- suffer low wear and have a long working life
- can be run on a variety of tracks of different materials and profiles.
Our stock of steel wheels is so wide and varied that you can find the right ones, whatever the application and the conditions under which they are to be used. If you are unsure, we can provide advice and technical support to help you select the most suitable wheels. The hardness, tensile strength and build quality mean every wheel is extremely durable and able to withstand the most testing of working environments.