This guide is for press-room managers, maintenance teams and buyers who need casters for reel trolleys and other equipment in printing and labelling plants. A trolley that carries a full reel is a heavy load, and a wrong caster means a stopped trolley. Here is how to work out the load and what to send us.
Weigh the whole load, not just the reel
Start with the full weight of what the trolley carries. Add the reel, its core, the trolley frame and anything else on it, such as a shaft or a lifting arm. Use the heaviest reel you will ever load, not the average one.
Then divide by the number of casters. Leave margin below the top of the rating, because one caster can carry more than its share when the floor is not flat.
We do not give reel weights, because they differ from site to site. If you are not sure of the weight, ask your reel maker for the heaviest reel weight, and weigh the empty trolley yourself. Send us both figures.
Heavy duty casters in our catalogue
The HOD 72 and 73 range is our heavy duty series, listed at 120 to 505 kg per caster. It comes in six wheel materials: YUPA, PU, Iron Core PU, PA, ER and TPR, and every option has double bearings. Models are listed as swivel top plate, swivel top plate with brake, and rigid top plate.
The rating follows the wheel option, so one material does not give you one figure. Check the load for the exact code you plan to buy. The product block below shows every group.
Tell us the load per caster and we will confirm which series to quote. You can also compare series in our caster finder.
Heavy low gravity series
If your reel trolley has a low frame, measure the gap between the floor and the underside of the frame.
Our catalogue has a heavy low gravity series, HOD A2, rated at 400 to 500 kg, with PA wheels and double bearings. It is listed as swivel, swivel with brake and rigid top plate casters. The catalogue gives no caster height for this series.
So we cannot promise that it fits your gap. Send us the height you have, and we will confirm which series to quote.
Swivel, rigid and brake
A reel trolley has to be steered into place, and then it has to stay there. Rigid casters track straight. Swivel casters turn. A brake holds a caster still.
Decide where the trolley must stay put, such as beside the press while a reel is loaded. Then tell us how many casters need a brake, and whether the trolley stays at one press or travels between several. In our catalogue the rigid casters are listed without a brake. Both of our series above are listed with brake models.
Follow the equipment maker's instructions and your site safety officer for moving and securing heavy reels. We do not give safety rules here.
The floor and the route
Tell us what is on the floor, and what the wheels meet along the route.
- Ink, oil, water or cleaning liquids on the floor.
- Joints, drains, ramps or thresholds in the route.
- A floor coating or an epoxy finish that you want to protect.
- Whether the trolley is moved by hand or pulled by a tug.
Wheel material affects noise and floor marks. If a coated floor matters to you, say so, and we will confirm the wheel options. Our caster finder filters by mounting, wheel material, brake and load.
What to send us for a quote
- What the trolley or machine is, and what it carries.
- The heaviest total loaded weight, and the number of casters.
- Height available between the floor and the frame.
- The fitting on your frame: top plate or another fitting. A photo of the old caster helps.
- Swivel, rigid or brake, and how many of each.
- What is on the floor, and what the route includes.
- How the trolley is moved: by hand or by tug.
- The quantity you need.
Request a quote on our website or message us on WhatsApp, and we will confirm the right series for your reels.