Metal Casters

Metal casters in our catalog range from several hundred pounds up to 40,000 lbs per caster. Forged steel and ductile iron wheels at large diameters with heavy-duty bearings reach the highest ratings. Always calculate your required per-caster capacity by dividing total equipment weight by the number of casters and adding a 25-30% safety margin.

Standard steel casters operate continuously at temperatures exceeding 500 degrees F. Cast iron wheels rated for high-heat service can tolerate environments above 800 degrees F. These ratings make metal casters essential around furnaces, ovens, autoclaves, and hot-process manufacturing lines where polymer wheels would deform or disintegrate.

Yes. Steel and iron wheels are rigid and will crack, gouge, or pit softer flooring materials including tile, epoxy coatings, and standard concrete finishes. Metal casters should be used on reinforced concrete, steel plate, or industrial grate flooring. If floor protection is required, consider polyurethane or rubber tread casters as alternatives for lower-load applications.

Choose metal when your application involves any of the following: loads exceeding 5,000 lbs per caster, sustained operating temperatures above 200 degrees F, exposure to metal chips or sharp debris that would cut softer wheels, or environments where chemical and moisture exposure is constant and severe. For moderate loads on finished floors, polyurethane or nylon are better options.

Metal casters withstand continuous operating temperatures that destroy organic wheel materials. Steel wheels tolerate sustained heat well above 500 degrees F, and specialty cast iron wheels operate in environments exceeding 800 degrees F, making them standard equipment around ovens, furnaces, autoclaves, and heat-treat operations. Their rigid construction also delivers the lowest rolling resistance of any wheel material under heavy loads, meaning less force is required to initiate and sustain movement of multi-ton equipment.

The tradeoff for this extreme performance is floor impact: metal wheels will damage soft or finished flooring and generate more noise and vibration than elastomer alternatives. Metal casters are best deployed on heavy-duty concrete, steel plate, or grated flooring where surface protection is not a concern. Browse our selection of steel, cast iron, and ductile iron casters by load rating, wheel diameter, bearing type, and temperature rating to spec the right wheel for your heavy industrial application.