How the right wheel material improves your way of working

Fact: The hardness of your forklift or pallet truck wheels has nothing to do with their level of quality. This is a common misconception, so let's start this blog by throwing that idea straight out of the window.
The only factor that should dictate your choice of material and, with that, the hardness of the wheels is their application. 
When shopping for wheels, such as traction wheels, roller wheels and castors, it’s important to choose a material that prevents unnecessary wear and gives you optimal comfort. So, let’s have a closer look at what hardness means and how to choose the right material for your wheels.

In short, hardness is a material’s resistance to deformation such as scratches. It’s measured with a durometer and uses a small probe to determine the result. Depending on the size and shape of the probe, results are interpreted on different Shore scales ranging from 0 to 100.

• Shore A measures flexible materials. This ranges from extremely soft rubbers to hard materials with minimal flexibility.
• Shore D is a scale reserved for testing hard and semi-rigid materials.

• Rubber (Shore A 65-70) wheels are soft and ensure a smooth ride, perfect for delicate articles. Just keep in mind that regular black rubber leaves marks on the floor. Choose non-marking rubber to avoid this. Antistatic rubber wheels are essential in hazardous environments where electrostatic discharges must be avoided. They’re ideal for the oil and gas industry or ESD-sensitive electronic workshops.
   
• Soft PU (Shore A 75-80) wheels offer excellent driving comfort and traction and make less noise than standard PU wheels. This shock-absorbing material is also a great alternative to non-marking rubber wheels.
   
• Soft Vulkollan (Shore A 75-80) is ideal for intensive use and offers more traction than standard Vulkollan.
   
• Standard PU (Shore A 90-95) wheels are cost-effective and easily cope with standard 8-hour shifts. A popular choice with pallet trucks.
   
• Vulkollan (Shore A 95) is a heavy-duty material suitable for working around the clock and in varying temperature conditions, while high-density Vulkollan is perfect for extremely hot and humid environments. Vulkollan Quartz offers traction on greasy and slippery floors. Antistatic Vulkollan is essential in hazardous environments where electrostatic discharges must be avoided. They’re ideal for the oil and gas industry or ESD-sensitive electronic workshops.
   
• Tractothane (Shore A 95) is perfect when dealing with wet floors and cold environments.
   
• Nylon (Shore A 95-100) wheels are light and can carry a heavy load. They are resistant to water and chemical cleaning agents and leave no marks on the floor. On the other hand, they can be noisy and have less grip than other materials.
   
• Steel (Shore A 100) wheels withstand almost anything but can be noisy.

Usually, wheels get replaced with the exact same model. You can easily refer to your maintenance manual and order wheels with the original part number. However, a wheel unfit for its application can cause it to slip, crumble, melt, or even come off the rim.
That’s why choosing the optimal wheel material for your application not only improves comfort but also increases productivity.

Take the following factors into account when choosing your wheel material:

• Surface: Different floor surfaces require different solutions. Check out our dedicated articles that help you choose the best solution for flat, tiled, gritty or damaged floors.
• Comfort: Softer wheels provide a more comfortable ride, but wear faster. Harder materials usually last longer but are less comfortable and noisier. 
• Load: Harder wheels can take more load and will transport heavier objects around with ease on an even surface.
• Frequency of use: Some materials are better suited for working around the clock, while others perform better when only used occasionally.
• Speed: Equipment that travels at a higher speed will develop more heat. A heat-dissipating material is your go-to choice in that case.
• Environment: Humidity, temperature and dirt levels in the workplace play a part when choosing the right wheels.