How Bakeries Rely on Caster Wheels for Operation

The bigger your bakery demands are, the more you will rely on food service equipment to smoothly complete tasks. With a long list of baked goods to prepare, cook and arrange for display, anything you can do to keep the process moving will help your business succeed.

Bakery caster wheels are specially engineered with metal housings and load-bearing wheels that hold important types of heavy duty cooking equipment. Common bakery items using caster wheels include refrigerators, ovens, cooling racks, and display cases. These casters and wheels may be made with stainless steel plates, rubber tread, nylon wheels and other materials.

Casters wheels keep bakeries up and running as they are used for moving, storing, baking, cooling and cleaning items. The materials are made to protect floors, turn smoothly, roll heavy items, and stay securely attached to equipment.  Some wheels offer as much as 700 pound capacity. Many caster wheels can withstand extreme temperatures, ranging from 400 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the wheel. These can stand up to grease and handle caustic cleaning agents. Some wheels are made with brakes to keep equipment stagnant or be mobile, depending on restaurant needs. These wheels can steadily transport shelves, fridges, ovens and more from place to place.

 

Shop for bakery caster wheels, general food service casters and other applications at AccessCasters.com. 

Maintaining Food Service Equipment

Running a restaurant is a demanding job with a long list of responsibilities. One of the many tasks you must oversee is maintaining food service equipment. Proper maintenance helps protect the quality of food, ensure customer and employee safety, and meet food safety standards.  When you focus on the bigger picture of managing a business, it can be easy to overlook some of the minor equipment parts that require maintenance.

Here are 3 common types of food service equipment that require routine maintenance to help your business run smoothly.

Food and Beverage Pumps – If you have sauces, dressings or other types of food dispensed through condiment pumps, these require upkeep. It is essential to keep all parts of the pump clean and monitor calibration. Also, supervisors should ensure all pieces of the pumps are properly put together after cleaning.  

Caster Wheels – Food service casters play an important role in keeping back-of-house equipment stable.  Many of the heavy items that store, cook, and cool food items rest on caster wheels. For example, pizza ovens, refrigerators and freezers, shelves and fryers often use caster wheels. These must be replaced periodically to make sure equipment can continue to hold a large amount of weight and handle moving if necessary.

Soda Fountain Parts- Remembering to clean the outside of the soda fountain and rinse out the drain is often the first step in keeping this station sanitary. But, you also need to take the time to clean out the nozzles at the end of the day, and periodically check the syrup boxes and CO2 levels.

Overlooking minor tasks related to equipment maintenance can put people and products at risk. By routinely scheduling cleaning tasks, you can help provide the best restaurant experience for your business and clientele. 

Manufacturer Spotlight: Albion Casters

Access Casters sells stainless steel casters for a variety of light-duty applications. The stainless steel material makes these casters resistant to rust, steam, caustic solutions, and other corrosive agents. Albion Casters, founded in 1947, manufactures some of the high-quality stainless steel casters sold on AccessCasters.com.

Albion Inc. is a part of Colson Group USA, a caster company overseeing mobility brands worldwide. Colson Group has extended its reach to 15 countries with 25 facilities and 192,000 casters shipped daily. As a leader in caster innovation, Colson’s prestigious list of brands includes Shepherd, MedCaster, Rhombus, Jarvis, Imsa, Revvo, PEMCO, Faultless, and Bassick.

Albion also makes a variety of wheels, including metal, pneumatic, semi-pneumatic, nylon, propylene, and rubber tread. These caster experts also make parts and accessories that can meet custom requirements. This includes caster breaks, swivel locks, quick-release caster pages, leveling jacks, and more.

The Albion brand focuses on heavy-duty and material handling casters. It features a full line of industrial casters, including products holding more than 30,000 pounds per caster. It is the largest caster and wheel manufacturer in North America and creates unique and custom casters. Explore the Albion catalogue to view light, medium, and heavy duty casters. Shop now to find shock-absorbing casters, kingpinless casters, 310 and 410 Series casters, and pneumatic casters at AccessCasters.com.

Choosing Your Home Brewing Equipment

Brewing your own in-home craft beverages is becoming a major trend for hobbyists and beer drinkers alike. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can expand your brewing venture by adding to your set of home brewing equipment which will allow you to make larger quantities of beer.

Consider these equipment add-ons which are perfect for the burgeoning brewer to invest in:

• Get a rig. Take your brewing to the next level with a beer brewing stand that can maximize space and has the perfect amount of tiers to hold all your equipment. You may choose one with a locking caster wheel that keep the brew stand firmly in place. With the right locking mechanism, the wheel and swivel section will both be secure. 

•  Graduate to a 5 or 6 gallon plastic carboy. Instead of carrying heavy glass carboys back and forth, this lightweight alternative can improve your processes.

• Spring for the wort chiller. Wort chillers expedite the process of cooling down wort to the perfect yeast-pitching temperature. This can lower the risk of contamination and preserve a better taste while maintaining lower levels of Dimethyl Sulfide. 

• Purchase a kegging system. As you are making larger batches of beer and getting into the habit of brewing more frequently, a kegging system can help you better manage the carbonation and storage of beer. It also saves you lots of time that might be spent cleaning bottles.

The home-brewing adventure will include some trial and error, as you figure out what methods, ingredients, and flavors work best for you. Remember to have fun even when the finished product turns out far more sour than you ever expected.

Hospital Caster Wheel Essentials

Mobility is an important feature for many types of hospital equipment. Hospital tasks depend on casters wheels in order to safely move items on a daily basis. 

Beds, laboratory equipment, MRIs, IV poles, case carts and pharmaceutical equipment all utilize caster wheels designed for reliable transportation. When it comes time to replace the medical caster wheels, consider the environment equipment will be in and the tasks necessary.

Outfit your medical equipment using wheels engineered to exhibit the following qualities: smooth rollability, capacity for varying temperatures, capacity for heavy weight and non-corrosive parts.

Smooth Movement – Whether you are transporting patients, lab equipment or imaging machines, you will want to be able to smoothly maneuver through halls, and in and out of elevators. Swivel casters can be useful for bulky shapes and tight turns.

Temperature Capacity – Medical casters made be used in places where items must stay refrigerated or are exposed to extreme heat. Autoclave casters are sold by Access Casters and designed to withstand high temperatures.

Weight Capacity: Medical, laboratory and electronic equipment is often heavy and fragile. Choose wheels that can securely hold items without quickly wearing down wheels or jostling items.

Non-Corrosive Parts: Medical equipment may be kept in areas that are washed down and exposed to corrosive chemicals. Stainless steel and other materials can be used to make wheel casters that will not rust or weaken from being subject to chemicals.

Finding a caster wheel that is safe and suitable to meet medical needs is possible when you shop the large selection available at AccessCasters.com. Start browsing caster wheels for hospital equipment today.

Duralast Polyurethane Wheel Casters

Hamilton Casters manufactures Duralast polyurethane wheel casters that are made to wear like steel. Each wheel is created to provide tread adherence, floor protection and versatility.  

Hamilton Casters offers guarantees against tread separation. You can have confidence that you will be able to use these industrial wheels for years to come. The material on these wheels is chemically and mechanically designed to keep the tread bonded. This allows you to put extreme wear on wheels without needing to quickly replace them. One example of these wheels is the W-420-D-3/4 Duralast Polyutherane Wheel, made with green polyurethane bonded to a heavy-duty cast iron center.

The special green tread is composed of high-grade liquid cast polyurethane. The durable material has a hardness of 90-95 Durometers (Shore A) and a tensile strength of 7,000 to 7,4000 PSI. The non-conductive tread has a high chemical resistance to many substances. The wheels are designed not to mark floors and provide 5 to 10 times as much abrasion resistance as many other brands.

Duralast wheels are a versatile option with many applications. These are made with or without bearings. Choose from options such as those with precision ball bearings or precision tapered bearings. Duralast wheels can be used in a variety of environments, withstanding exposure to many chemicals and temperatures. These are made for intermittent temperatures ranging from 50 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and continuous temperatures ranging from 0 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.  Order long lasting caster wheels, engineered for the ultimate performance at AccessCaster.com.

Potential Shopping Cart Problems

Maintaining shopping cart casters is an important part of owning a business. Whether it’s a grocery store, hardware store, electronics store, department store or other business, shopping carts are a key element for providing a positive and safe shopping experience. Using quality shopping cart casters can result in less frequent wheel replacements, fewer accidents, and most importantly, a safer environment for shoppers and employees.

Broken or damaged shopping cart casters increase the risk of the following hazards:

Harming Customers and Employees – Shopping carts with busted wheels are difficult to steer. Trying to guide faulty carts, especially ones that are heavy or particularly unruly, can result in accidents. Users may strain muscles when attempting to pull or push carts, or lose control of the cart and run into bystanders.

Collisions with Items – Your products and property are at risk when carts cannot be steered correctly. With breakable items, it is important to ensure boxes are protected and not jostled around. A sharp turn or collision can result in knocking over items, breaking merchandise in the cart or damaging the aisles where products are stored. When wheels lock or are dragged against the ground, these can also end up scuffing the floor.

Damaging other cars – In addition to being a liability for your business, low quality or broken shopping cart casters can also become a nuisance, causing a domino effect of problem carts. One cart with a wheel askew can collide with other carts and incapacitate more caster wheels. Also, the life on low quality casters is shorter, requiring frequent maintenance.  

Quickly replace or fix loose and damaged shopping cart caster wheels before putting people, property and parts are risk.

Benefits of Leveling Casters

Certain tasks, especially those involving heavy equipment, require specialty casters to get the job done. Leveling casters carefully designed to provide stability when supporting a range of items. Common industrial and commercial applications for leveling casters include optical, clean room and medical equipment, computers, furniture, control panels, switch boards, woodworking and more.

Leveling casters offer the following advantages:

·         Flexibility: These wheels can be switched from mobile to stationary with the rubber foot pad. The footpad absorbs vibrations, which can be especially helpful on workstations that need to be firmly in place.

·         Quality materials: These are made with a combination of quality materials, including a plastic nylon wheel, steel inserted frame,  a chemically compounded rubber leveling pad and forged top plate.

·         Height adjustment: These can be kept low to the ground to provide more stability while transporting items. You can also change the height to level out areas where the floor is uneven.

·         Large load capacity: As many of these casters are used for heavy duty equipment, the casters are engineered to hold a great deal of weight. The 3P80F leveling casters sold by Access Casters Inc can hold up to 2,200 pounds.

·         Options with rotation handles

Start browsing the leveling casters sold by Access Casters.com today, including the 80 series adjustable leveling casters that come in multiple sizes with square top and hexagon plates.

The Benefits of Quality Hotel Caster Wheels

Running a hotel involves managing the upkeep of a large quantity of equipment. Many of these items utilize caster wheels, such as the bellman luggage carts, cleaning carts, storage racks, beverage service carts and more. 

Ordering high-performance caster wheels will provide the following benefits:

Improved Mobility – With caster wheels that are the right size and material, you will be able to smoothly transport items from place to place. For example, choose swivel casters for luggage carts that can move across hard floors and carpets. You don’t want guests to feel like the unlucky person on the grocery store who fights against their shopping cart caster to steer the cart. You want your guests to be able to easily maneuver items and not strain to turn the cart once it’s filled with luggage.

Move Without Disturbing Guests – Old or damaged wheels not only make steering difficult, but they can create loud noises that can be disruptive to the relaxing atmosphere of a hotel. New, properly assembled low profile caster wheels, designed to hold weight and handle multiple surfaces, should roll across the floor without causing a major disturbance.

No More Flats— With solid tread tires rather than pneumatic tires, which are full of air, you won’t have to worry about replacing a wheel after hitting a nail or snagging the tire. You should also choose a solid material that doesn’t mark up the floors.

When it comes time to replace damaged or broken swivel casters and wheels, make sure you invest in hotel-ready wheels that are made for each item and the task it will be used with.

Paying Attention to Caster Wheel Diameter

Did you know that wheel diameter impacts how well you can move items with caster wheels? Without putting thought into what size of wheels are used on your equipment, you can end up relying on caster wheels that can cause problems rather than making tasks easier. Low profile casters are one type of wheel with a smaller diameter and many industrial uses.

Choose a diameter based on factors such as the equipment weight, task needs and type of flooring. Each of these factors can disrupt how well your wheels work and cause problems. For example, using a wheel in the wrong size can cause your wheels to brake, get stuck on small ground obstacles or allows items to roll away when stability is necessary or demand extreme exertion to get moving.

Small Caster Wheels

Wheels with a shorter diameter are important for items meant to be kept in place. These smaller wheels may be appropriate in cases where you do not need to move items often. Certain items require stability, like laboratory equipment and fragile medical equipment.

Small wheels perform well when used with heavy, cumbersome or delicate items. These have a lower center of gravity, which helps anchor items. Low profile casters can also hold extreme weight and prevent items from rolling away too easily. You may encounter this kind of wheel in applications such as copiers, refrigerated displays, computer storage devices and vending machines.

Large Caster Wheels

When you choose a larger caster wheel, it’s a bit like having shocks. There is less of an impact when you encounter uneven surfaces, obstacles in your path or moving from one type of flooring to the next. The larger surface area allows you to smoothly maneuver through surface changes and use less force.

For soft surfaces, a larger wheel can work well, as it distributes weight around the entire wheel. For extremely heavy items, a larger wheel helps prevent employees from injuries because it demands less force. 

The Importance of Clean Floors with Caster Use

Caster wheels are often used in offices under chairs, desks, carts and file cabinets. Cleaning floors regularly is a discipline that can lengthen the life of your floors and caster wheels, as well as protect employees.

Protecting Floors and Employees

Maintain floors and ensure surface areas are smooth by removing debris and repairing damaged areas. There should always be a clear path, which will allow chairs, cabinets and other furniture with wheels to be easily maneuvered. 

If you are in an office or warehouse where the floor is continually littered with debris, pneumatic caster wheels have shocks that make for easy maneuvering. Pneumatic caster wheels demand less exertion to move. As an added bonus, this type of wheel will roll well if you need to take any equipment outdoors and move over different types of terrain.

Problems Cause by Debris

Small items on the ground often act as brakes and require more physical exertion to roll over. The first instinct when running over small items may be to use more force to roll over the item. Depending on how heavy of a load one is pushing, this can result in adding serious strain. By making sure nothing is in the way, you protect employees.

Preventing Caster Wheel Scratches

Moving into an office with beautiful flooring is exciting.  You look with around the glossy surface and picture how the room will look with desks and chairs. You want the gorgeous sheen to last as long as possible. You may start to worry about whether chairs will damage the expanse of flooring in front of you. Here are some tips for avoiding caster wheel scratches.

Be Picky About Caster Wheels

When you have hard floors, choose office chairs with caster wheels that are soft. Some examples of soft wheels include rubber, neoprene and urethane. Avoid hard wheels, like those made from plastic or nylon. Soft wheels will help prevent scuffing on various kinds of hard flooring. Whether it’s a hardwood surface, tile or laminate floor, soft wheels work better.

Add Some Extra Protection

If you want to be extra careful and preserve your floors as long as possible, considering putting something between caster wheels and the floor. Chair mats are designed to prevent scuffs and cover just the area by your desk, so you can still see the rest of your room.  Another option is putting a small rug under the chair. With the protection of a thick rug, you won’t have to get soft wheels. Hard wheels can roll on thick rugs without harming the floor underneath.

A final pro tip for preserving floors is to add a layer of duct tape to the edge of your wheel. If you can’t replace soft wheels with hard wheels this trick can help save your floors.

Using Caster Wheels For Outdoor Tasks

Manufacturing, construction and other industries use caster wheels on equipment made for completing everyday tasks. Completing tasks outside comes with different demands than indoor activities. Whether you’re using rolling carts, dollies or other vehicles that have caster wheels, the type of wheel and caster will influence the smoothness of moving items.

Pneumatic casters work well for maneuvering through grass, pebbles, sand, gravel and other soft surfaces. These wheels are filled with pressurized air and are able to move quietly and transport fragile cargo safely. As you move from pavement to gravel, these wheels absorb shocks, protecting cargo. If these tires do get heavy use, make sure you maintain them by monitoring air pressure and checking for flats.

Another option, especially useful for heavier loads, is polyurethane wheels, which are made with a hard surface. These wheels work well on smooth surfaces and do not have tread that wears over time the way pneumatic caster do.  If you’re on a smooth surface outdoors, polyurethane wheels may be appropriate. But it you are looking for a versatile wheel that can handle multiple types of services, a pneumatic wheel may be a better option.

When you are indoors, the terrain is often predictable. For a smooth or soft surface, like carpet, hard tread wheels, like polyurethane wheels, can work well. For rough and uneven surfaces, like you typically encounter outdoors, soft tread wheels work best. Make the ride even smoother by choosing a wheel with a larger diameter to provide stability on those uneven surfaces.

Evaluating Swivel and Rigid Pneumatic Casters

Swivel

Choosing the correct type of casters for carts in your office or warehouse can help protect your cargo and make the physical task of moving items easier. Factors such as the floors you are pushing items across, the weight of the item, the space you are maneuvering through and how fragile items are will help you determine if swivel or rigid pneumatic casters are the best options for you.

All Swivel Casters

Using swivel casters for all four wheels will allow you to move around and make sharp turns. When space is tight and your path demands maneuvering, this is appropriate. However, the flexibility can make routes that are straight for long-distances difficult.

All Rigid Casters

An alternative, using all rigid casters, will prevent you from being able to turn a cart but allow you to drive straight. Depending on the purpose of a cart, this may be appropriate. When cargo is lighter, this basic structure for single facing wheels can work well.

A Mixure of Caster Types

Having a mixture of swivel and rigid pneumatic casters, two and two, provides more control and some flexibility. When you have a far distance to travel with a few turns and mostly straight paths, these casters will work best. Because you have more control with this combination, you can handle more weight without having to strain to compensate for turning too sharply or other problems you would encounter with all swivel casters.

Shopping List For Your First DIY Oil Change

You’re finally learning to change your car’s oil yourself – congrats! With a little practice, you’ll get this routine down in no time. All you have to do is hit up your neighborhood auto store to get your supplies. It’s a DIY task that can save you money and get you set for the next 3,000 to 5,000 miles.

For your very first at-home oil change, there will be some items you will need to purchase. Once you have these tools and supplies, you will be able to re-use them for future oil changes and other car work:

·         Car jack and jack stands– These lift up your vehicle and keep it securely raised.

·         Wheel chocks – Put these brakes behind the back wheels to hold your vehicle in place.

·         Creeper – This board with plate casters is made for smoothly rolling under the car.

·         Filter removal wrench – Use to remove the drain plug.

·         Oil drain pan – Use to disposing of the old oil.

·         Funnel – Use for adding new oil after the old oil is removed.

·         Safety glasses, latex gloves and rags –These can help keep you safe while you’re working.

Once you have those items you will be able to regularly change your own oil. Some people change the oil without using a creeper, but crawling underneath a vehicle can be difficult without the plate casters and wheels that make maneuvering easier.

There are a few supplies you will need to each time you do an oil change – oil, an oil filter and a replacement drain plug washer (for some cars). As you head home from the hardware store, you will be all set to go. You should save around $25-$75 for each time you do this yourself.

Growing Your Moving Business

Owning a small business is a lot of work. But as you experience success, it eventually becomes time to expand your business to meet the demands of your customers. This looks different, depending on what industry you work in. It could mean taking on larger liability with moving more rooms. It could mean getting better equipment, like furniture dollies with heavy duty Albion casters, to move big items faster and with ease.

Here are some steps you can take to expand your moving business:

1.       Graduate from a small truck to a large moving van to assist with multi-room homes and complete moves with fewer trips.

2.       Expand your list of employees to have more bodies to carry items, take on more jobs and increase hours of availability.

3.       Double check your licenses, insurance and permits for your region. If you’re taking on more work without proper licensing, you are putting yourself at risk for fines and possibly needing to put your business on hold.

4.       Make sure you have long-lasting, quality equipment. You want moving equipment that is safe and in good condition. For transporting wooden furniture, Albion casters can be used to hold extreme weight. 

5.       Increase your insurance liability. If you’re transporting more bedrooms and filling a larger truck, you may have to change your insurance plan to account for the greater liability.

6.       Take your advertising online. When you have positive reviews and the right equipment, put time into your marketing efforts. Getting information about your business in front of potential customers will be essential for long-term growth.

6 Things to Look for When Buying a Toolbox

Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or a shop owner, the right toolbox can make all the difference. The

following is a list of top toolbox features to look consider.

1.       Size and storage capacity. Because a quality tool box is a long term investment, you'll want to be sure the toolbox is large enough to neatly store all your tools — even your bulky ones.

2.       Gauge of steel. Toolboxes made from higher gauges of steel are able to support heavier loads. Not only that, but they tend to last longer. Net weight is often an indication of steel gauge, with heavier gauge steel resulting in heavier toolboxes.

3.       Quality casters. The whole point of having toolbox casters is to allow your toolbox to be moved quickly and easily to wherever you need it. The type of floor and debris your toolbox will have to move through as well as how much weight it will carry will both affect the type of casters you'll need. If you find a toolbox you love but with inadequate casters, you can always buy better casters separately and replace the existing ones.

4.       Drawer slides. Make sure the toolbox's drawer slides are made with ball bearings. This will allow the drawers to easily slide open and closed, even with heavy loads. Speaking of heavy loads, don't forget to check each drawer's load capacity as well.

5.       Color and design. Toolboxes come in a variety of colors but more importantly, in a variety of layouts. Be sure to choose a toolbox with drawers laid out in a way that makes sense for your needs and work habits.

6.       Extras. There are several features and accessories that may appeal to you such as drawer liners, safety latches, protective covers, drawer guards, and more.

Keep these things in consideration and you're sure to buy a toolbox that's right for you.

5 Things to Look for When Choosing Shopping Cart Casters

Anyone who's ever pushed a shopping cart knows how frustrating it can be when the wheels don't work properly. The shopping cart casters you choose have a big impact on customer experience. Here's a list of things to look for:

1.       Effortless glide. The quality of casters determines how smoothly a cart glides through the aisles. It's worthwhile to spend a little more money on higher quality casters to ensure your customers have the best possible experience.

2.       Non-marking. The great thing about casters that provide an effortless glide is they are also non-marking. Polyurethane wheels are an excellent choice when you want to protect your floors from scuffs and marks while also delivering optimal performance.

3.       Anti-microbial. Because shopping carts come into contact with food, Albion casters with anti-microbial properties are a must. Anti-microbial wheels help suppress the growth of microbes which in turn helps control not only bacteria but also fungi, mildew, mold and odors. The anti-microbial compound is part of the wheel material itself, not simply a coating, so the caster wheel maintains anti-microbial properties throughout the lifetime of its service.

4.       Durability. Shopping carts are pushed over a variety of surfaces both inside a store and outside in a parking lot. Because of the heavy use a shopping cart receives, durability is extremely important. Investing a higher quality, more durable wheel means having to replace those wheels less frequently.

5.       Anti-static. No one likes to get zapped with static electricity while shopping. You can spare your customers a shock by using anti-static wheels on your carts. With anti-static wheels, the static electricity is discharged with every rotation of the wheel, ensuring a zap-free shopping experience for your customers.

Keep these five things in mind when selecting shopping cart casters and your customers will be sure to appreciate it.