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What are the pros and cons of plastic castors?
Castors with a plastic tread are used, for example, on small items of furniture or in industrial applications. The castors can be equipped with various bearing types such as plain bearings, ball bearings or castor bearings, which means that they have different rolling properties and meet a wide range of requirements.
Among the advantages of plastic castors is the hygiene aspect. TENTE castors with selected plastics, chrome-plated steel parts and stainless-steel components are washable and resistant to many cleaning agents. This means that they can be cleaned regularly without any problems, even in the long term, and thus comply with the strict hygiene regulations that apply in the food industry, for example, or in the medical and pharmaceutical sector.
A disadvantage of plastic, however, is that it is a non-conductive material. If the castors become charged due to friction, the resulting voltage cannot drain away and the next contact with the ground will lead to an electrostatic discharge, which can have dangerous consequences. To avoid this, TENTE’s plastic castors can be produced with additives to make them electrically conductive.
Different plastics for the tread: PA, PP, PUR
Suitable plastics include thermoplastics such as polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP) and polyurethane (PUR). PA is highly abrasion-resistant and hygienic and is also odourless and tasteless. PP is corrosion-resistant, completely non-marking, and absolutely harmless in terms of physiology. PUR is kind to floors, dampens vibrations and has a low rolling resistance. All of them are resistant to many aggressive substances and can therefore be used in a wide range of applications.