Electrically Conductive Castors

Advantages of Electrically Conductive Castors

Electrically conductive castors are designed to safely channel static electricity away from equipment and discharge it to the ground, protecting sensitive electronics, measuring devices, and other components from electrostatic discharge damage. Unlike antistatic castors, which only reduce the build-up of static charges, electrically conductive castors provide a defined, low-resistance path for electricity, ensuring reliable protection in critical environments. TENTE electrically conductive solutions combine this essential electrostatic discharge protection with smooth rolling performance, long-lasting materials, and precision engineering - making them indispensable wherever equipment mobility meets the need for static control.

TENTE electrically conductive castors offer various benefits:

Reliable Electrostatic Discharge Protection – They provide a controlled, low-resistance path for static electricity, ensuring it is safely dissipated to ground and preventing damage to sensitive electronics.

Improved Workplace Safety – Our electronically conductive castors safeguard the application operators from electrostatic shocks.

Cost Saving - Improper electrostatic discharge protection can result in high consequential costs for the entire production process. In the worst case, it can also lead to massive failures of electronic components such as control units, resulting in recalls!

Consistent Conductivity Over Time – The wheels used in our conductive castors are manufactured with integrated conductive compounds rather than surface coatings, ensuring the electrical path remains stable throughout the castors’ service life.

Types of Electrically Conductive Castors

Electrically conductive castors come in a variety of designs, each tailored to specific performance needs and environmental requirements. While they all share the ability to provide a safe, low-resistance path for static electricity, their materials, load capacities, and mobility features vary to suit different applications. Before we can explore different configurations of conductive castors, we must point out different degrees of electrostatic discharge protection in our products.

Conductive Castors

Conductive castors ensure moderate electrostatic discharge protection. These castors achieve an electrical resistance of less than or equal to 10 kiloohms (104 ohms). Therefore, they are only suitable to a limited extent within sensitive environments like the automotive industry. They should only be used for the transport of electronic components that feature a low level of sensitivity. Conductive castors are tested according to the DIN EN 12530 standard. Any castor that meets these standards is labelled with a yellow mark on the wheel or a yellow housing component - such as a yellow covering cap or yellow clips.

Discharging Castors

Discharging castors – also referred to as ESD castors - provide ideal electrostatic discharge protection for sensitive devices. Their electrical resistance ranges from 10 kiloohms (104 ohms) to 1 gigaohm (109 ohms). Voltage peaks may be a hazard for sensitive electronic devices. By means of our ESD castors, these peaks are discharged in a controlled manner by their own internal resistance. Castors using wheels that fulfill these conditions, are marked with the symbol for ESD protection on the wheel. These castors are suitable for moving sensitive electronic devices within the EPA (electrostatic protection area) in accordance with IEC 61340 standards. Our discharging (ESD) castors are certified by ESD-AKADEMIE – Germany's leading electrostatic discharge specialist in Großmaischeid. This ensures that they can be used confidently in regulated environments such as electronics manufacturing, cleanrooms, and healthcare facilities without risk of non-compliance.

Our discharging castors are frequently installed within an application beyond our control. Consequently, all aspects of the application must be tested to ensure complete electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. Accordingly, the manufacturer of the particular application needs to inspect the entire system according to the ESD regulations prior to delivery.

Below, we explore commonly chosen types of conductive castors available, highlighting their key benefits and typical application areas.

Electrically Conductive Swivel Castors

Designed for maximum manoeuvrability, conductive swivel castors combine electrostatic discharge safety with fully rotational swivel housings to allow for directional changes even in confined spaces. TENTE electrically conductive swivel castors are available in a variety of configurations, different sizes, and load capacities. Our smallest conductive swivel castor - Lumina – impresses with an overall height of just 54 mm. Available with either a bolt hole or stem fitting, our conductive Lumina is capable of handling loads of up to 40 kg per castor. Another example is our Alpha series, featuring either a steel or stainless steel housing. It is available with wheel diameters between 80 mm and 200 mm, can be fitted with a locking mechanism, and depending on the configuration offers a load capacity of up to 400 kg per castor. Alpha stainless – featuring a stainless steel housing - is commonly used for professional cleaning carts or machinery and workshop equipment.

Heavy Duty Electrically Conductive Castors

When high load capacity meets the need for static control, heavy duty conductive castors deliver both. Robust housings and wheel materials ensure safe performance under heavy weights. One example is our Kappa, featuring a welded solid steel housing it can be combined with either an elastic rubber, a cast polyurethane or a polyamide wheel. Our Kappa series offers, quick maintenance - as its swivel bearings are lubricated with long-life grease and fitted with grease dispenser for easy maintenance – and, is suitable for transporting sensitive electronic cargo. Depending on the configuration, these castors can handle loads of up to 1.200 kg.

Conductive Rubber Castors

Conductive rubber castors offer quiet operation, vibration damping, non-marking movement and secure static dissipation. Some TENTE castors are available with our Elastech plus rubber wheels, which excel with outstanding manoeuvrability and mobility due to the high-performance tread material. Conductive rubber castors are especially suitable for environments – like hospitals - where protecting sensitive electronics is just as important as ensuring a quite and comfortable working or patient environment.

Fields of Application for Electrically Conductive Castors

Electrically conductive castors are essential wherever mobile equipment must be protected from electrostatic discharge. It must be pointed out again, that not all fields of application have the same requirements for electrostatic discharge protection. Depending on the environment you are working in, conductive castors might be enough, while in other fields of application discharging castors which comply with the DIN EN 61340 standard might be needed. Our electrically conductive castors should only be used for the transport of electronic components that feature a low level of sensitivity, while our discharging castors are suitable for more sensitive application cases.

Many industries work with sensitive technology requiring electrical conductivity. The automotive industry and electrical industry are two such areas that benefit from discharging castors. In electronics production, discharging castors are a key component in maintaining electrostatic discharge protected areas, safeguarding both the manufacturing process and the finished components. Uncontrolled electrostatic discharges can cause total damage to electronic components (semiconductors) as well as hidden defects that can generate high costs. These castors are equally valuable in cleanroom technology, where static control supports strict environmental requirements, and in pharmaceutical production, where protecting electronic monitoring and control systems is just as critical as maintaining hygiene standards. However, discharging castors are also essential in businesses with a risk of explosion. These include pyrotechnic factories, mineral oil factories and chemical plants. Here, electrostatic charges can not only have severe consequences for the equipment but can also be dangerous for people.