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Technical Tyre Types

Castor tyres come in a range of materials to suit different requirements and applications. These include vulkan, polyurethene, elastic polyurethene, rubber and elastic rubber.

Technical Tyre Types

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is the most commonly used material. It can be used across a wide range of applications, it’s hard wearing, relatively cost effective and extremely variable meaning it can be designed depending on the application.

Polyurethane tyres can be bonded to several wheel centres which means it can be used in a wide range of applications. Most commonly you will find it bonded to an aluminium centre or nylon.

The ability to vary the Shore hardness also means it can be used in a number of environments. We have polyurethane which ranges from 55 Shore D to 95 Shore A.

The excellent rolling resistance of Polyurethane (with high shore hardness) allows easy handling of heavy loads even with wheels of a smaller diameter.

Elastic Polyurethane Tyres

Elastic Polyurethane

Elastic polyurethane is the Daddy of tyre materials in our opinion. It has all the great characteristics of standard polyurethane as its hard wearing, strong and it’s extremely flexible.

The addition of the elastic gives the polyurethane a ‘bounce’ like quality meaning it can be used in towing applications up to 16km/h and works great in any industrial environment.

Offering a round profile version reduces the start-up coefficient and means as much as 25% reduction in forced required by the operator.

When coupled with the right brackets they guarantee excellent performance. Perfect for the automotive industry where a combination of manual/powered handling is involved.

This innovative product combines the loads capacity and the resistance to wear and tear of standard polyurethane. With the ability to overcome obstacles and to reduce noise and vibrations for the users.

The excellent rolling resistance allows easy handling of heavy loads even with wheels of a smaller diameter.

Vulkolan tyres

Vulkollan®

Vulkolan® is a special polyurethane used for specialist applications such as Rollercoasters, Oil Pipeline, Glass Manufacturing and Forklift trucks.

Vulkolan® offers the user enormous scope to use wheels in some of the harshest environments. It can be used for extreme applications like speeds of up to 40km/h and very high temperatures of up to 900oc. If you have an extreme environment, Vulkolan is the material for you.

Designed for industrial environments, even in the presence of alcohols, glycols and hydrocarbons.

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Rubber

Rubber is the cheapest material to use on a tyre, it’s soft, carries only light loads and won’t last as long as polyurethane. However, it’s great outdoors which is why you find it on refuse bins and the softness means it performs well on uneven ground.

Available in standard black or a grey non-marking

Other examples of applications would be Luggage trolleys, tool trolleys, and small mobile scaffolding.

Suitable for industrial and institutional environments, also in the presence of humidity and weak acids.

Elastic Rubber Wheels

Elastic Rubber

Elastic rubber is a material we will all be familiar with as it’s used to make elastic bands. The characteristic ‘bounce’ you get with rubber band balls is replicated on the castor tread. It’s a great material for many applications but still suffers from lower carrying capacity and durability than standard rubber.

Particularly good on even ground, in the presence of obstacles or for mixed indoor/outdoor usage.

Featured Categories

Take a look at our vast range of castors, our most popular ranges include: stainless steel castors, polyurethane castors and heavy duty castors.

Polyurethane Wheels and Castors - AUT
Polyurethane Wheels and Castors

Hard wearing polyurethane wheels and castors, perfect for all applications.

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Rubber wheels and castors - AUT
Rubber Wheels and Castors

Rubber wheels and castors; soft and forgiving, perfect for uneven floors and transporting fragile goods.

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Heavy Duty Castors - AUT
Heavy Duty Castors - Industrial

Used for heavy loads within industrial environments. Range incorporates a number of wheel centres, including, Aluminium, Cast Iron and Nylon.

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Get in touch

Don’t compromise on quality, contact AUT today to find the right solution for your requirements.

01457 837772