What distinguishes polyurethane flanged wheels
Polyurethane elastomers have become established in the industry as the standard tread for demanding wheels and castors. Compared to steel or cast iron, a wheel with a vulcanized PU bandage runs significantly quieter, protects the floor, and elastically compensates for small unevennesses. Compared to rubber, polyurethane offers significantly higher abrasion resistance, better cut and tear resistance, and higher load capacity with the same bandage thickness.
We use a high-quality MDI-based polyurethane, which is vulcanized onto the steel or stainless steel core. The strong, durable connection between the core and the tread prevents detachment even under dynamic loads, frequent load changes, and many years of use.
Typical areas of application
Flanged wheels with PU treads are used wherever economical, low-noise guidance is required:
- Conveyor systems and roller conveyors with track guidance
- Transfer platforms and overhead cranes in internal operations
- Lighter AGV and FTS applications
- Forklift truck track guidance, warehousing technology, and picking systems
- Gate rollers for sliding and industrial gates
- Shelf systems and mobile shelving units
- High-volume applications where Vulkollan® would be too expensive
Technical properties
Hardness: Standard 92 Shore A – the industry standard for load wheels. Offers the optimal combination of load capacity, floor protection, and rolling resistance. Special hardnesses between approx. 75 and 95 Shore A available upon request.
Temperature range: -20 °C to +80 °C in continuous operation, briefly up to +120 °C. For high-temperature applications or deep-freeze areas, please consult us.
Chemical resistance: PU-MDI is resistant to mineral oils, lubricating greases, vegetable and animal fats, gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and briefly to water and road salt solutions. Prolonged contact with hot water, steam, acids, or alkalis can hydrolytically attack the material – in such cases, we recommend a stainless steel core with Vulkollan® bandage or a special design.
Rolling resistance and running characteristics: PU wheels are characterized by low starting and rolling resistance, which reduces energy consumption in driven applications and facilitates manual operation of pallet trucks and trolleys.
PU or Vulkollan® – which coating is right?
The choice between polyurethane MDI and Vulkollan® is essentially a question of load and application profile:
- Polyurethane MDI is the economical solution for intermittent operation, medium to high loads, and standard applications in industry and warehousing.
- Vulkollan® is the premium choice for 24/7 continuous operation, highest dynamic loads, high-frequency acceleration and braking cycles, and applications where flat spotting after downtime must be prevented.
In our "Flanged wheels with Vulkollan® tread" category, you will find the premium version. If you are unsure, we will be happy to advise you on the right choice for your application.
Combinations – bandage and core material
Our PU flanged wheels are available in two material lines:
Steel core S355 – the economical choice for industrial and warehouse environments. High strength, easy to machine, immediately available in all standard sizes.
Stainless steel core V2A (1.4301) – for corrosive, damp, or hygienically critical environments such as food, pharmaceutical, brewery, outdoor use, or cleanrooms. This version is manufactured to order; price and delivery time upon request.
Both material lines are supplied with standard ball bearings. For drive applications, you will find the suitable version with a hub keyway according to DIN 6885 in our category "Flanged wheels with hub keyway / feather keyway".
Standard program and custom manufacturing
Our standard program includes running diameters of 50, 60, 75, 80, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 mm – each with an adapted flange diameter and a material-appropriate tread thickness (typically 8 to 20 mm, larger with increasing wheel diameter).
Special diameters, deviating tread thicknesses, customer-specific axle bore tolerances, longer hubs, or special hardness grades are manufactured on request. Antistatic or ESD-compliant PU variants with an electrical resistance below 10⁹ ohms are also possible as a special design.
