V Groove Wheels
V Groove Wheels offer a way to utilise low cost angle iron as a rail, which is easily cast into concrete or bolted to the ground. It does not typically provide a hazard for forklifts or other vehicles, making it ideal for factories and other shared work environments.
The tracks can be difficult to lay straight and parallel, and so a feature of the V Groove Wheels is to be able to self-locate. As an axial load is applied, the wheel will be pushed towards that direction and start to ride up the angle, the more it is pushed away from the center the more resistance it will encounter, it will always pull back towards the center.
As with Double Flange Wheels, it is not recommended to use V Groove Wheels on two parallel rails, as the variance in distance between them can cause the wheels to jam or seize. A common solution to this is to have angle track and V Groove Wheels on one side of the trolley, and a flat piece of steel with a flat profiled wheel on the other side. This solves the problem by only having one point of controlling the lateral movement, so the wheel will follow the track regardless of how much it bends.
All V Groove Wheels should have a recess at the bottom of the groove – this is to avoid contacting the sharp edge of the angle, which can damage the wheel.
In the example below the angle iron track is 90 degrees, the V Groove Angle is typically 92 degrees, which helps to counter any inconsistencies or defects in the track, and reduce the rolling resistance in the track.