This guide is for procurement officers and maintenance managers who buy casters for hospital beds, medical carts and clinic trolleys. A wrong caster means noise in the ward, carts that roll when they should not, and early replacement. Read this before you place your next order.
Start with the floor and the noise
Most hospitals and clinics have smooth, hard floors in corridors and wards. Wheel material affects noise on hard floors, so tell us about your floors. Noise matters to patients, and it matters to staff on night shifts.
Also think about the path. Does the trolley cross door thresholds, lift gaps or ramps? Tell us about them. The wheel size and the wheel material both affect how the trolley rolls over these.
Think about how the trolley is used. A bed is pushed by one or two staff, often with a patient on it, and often turned in tight spaces. A medication cart is pushed many times a day.
Brakes: decide what must be locked
A brake on at least two casters keeps a trolley from rolling on a slope. For a bed or a cart with a patient or equipment on it, decide if you need brakes on all four. Decide this before you order, not after.
Be exact about what the brake does. Some brakes lock only the wheel. Some also lock the swivel. The medical casters in our catalogue are swivel casters. Each is listed with or without a brake, so you can match the brake to each position on the frame.
Check the mounting and the load
The caster has to fit the frame. The catalogue shows top plate, threaded stem, bolt hole and other stem fittings. Measure your current caster, or the frame where it fits.
If you are replacing a caster, see our caster finder to filter by mounting type. Send us a photo of the old caster if you are not sure. A caster that almost fits can mean a wrong order, and a trolley out of use while you wait for the right part.
Add the weight of the trolley or bed, the equipment on it and the patient or goods, if any. Divide by the number of casters, then leave some margin. Do not size by the trolley weight alone.
The medical series in our catalogue is listed at 50 to 80 kg. If your total load per caster is higher, tell us and we will look at another series. You can also browse all caster wheels.
Plan for cleaning
Medical equipment is wiped and washed often. Clinics and wards also clean between patients, so the wheels get attention every day. Dirt, hair and thread collect around wheels and axles, so ask how easy the caster is to clean. Cleaning chemicals and wet floors also affect which wheel and bracket material you need.
Tell us which cleaning products your staff use, and whether trolleys are wiped or washed. We will confirm the right series. If you need a certificate for a product, ask us for the product documents.
When stainless steel makes sense
Where wet cleaning is frequent, a stainless steel series may be worth asking about. Our catalogue lists stainless steel casters in SUS 304 and 316L. The light duty S-Series is described for medical equipment and chemical labs. The medium duty MC / M-Series is rated up to 250 kg each.
Tell us the cleaning conditions and we will say if a stainless steel series fits.
What to send us for a quote
- What the casters are for: hospital bed, medical cart, clinic trolley or other.
- The total loaded weight and the number of casters.
- Mounting type, and a photo or measurements of the old caster.
- Fixed, swivel, or swivel with brake, and which positions need brakes.
- Floor type, cleaning method and cleaning products.
- Any product documents you need.
- The quantity you need.
Request a quote on our website or message us on WhatsApp, and we will confirm the right series for you.