Three Mistakes Companies Make with Casters

VelocityEHS’ Blake McGowan interviews Dr. Elmer Lee of Caster Concepts on some common mistakes companies make when purchasing casters.

Video Transcript

Blake: Hi, my name is Blake McGowan, and I’m a certified professional ergonomist with Humantech (now VelocityEHS Ergonomics). Today, I’m in Albion, Michigan, at Caster Concepts, and I’m joined by the head of engineering, Dr. Elmer Lee. Hello!

Elmer: Welcome to Caster Concepts.

Blake: Thank you, great to be here. Now, one of the things I see a lot of times when I go through organizations is people making bad decisions or investing poorly in casters. So, what would be the top three things or top three mistakes that companies make when they invest?

Elmer: Well, the top one is always not understanding the total cost of a caster. So, a lot of people choose casters primarily by what the cost of the caster is, but you’ve got to factor in maintenance costs and production downtime, and that tends to be the bigger chunk over the life of the caster. So, it makes a lot of sense to purchase a caster that’s built with quality and with good components.

Blake: Alright, so price seems to be a factor. What’s the second factor?

Elmer: Noise. A lot of plants generate a significant amount of noise through their cart system, and a lot of that noise comes from the casters meeting the road. A poor-quality caster generates a lot more noise.

Blake: So, noise is the second mistake. And the third?

Elmer: Ergonomics. Having a good understanding of the ergonomics requirements of your carts and matching them with the proper caster. Choosing the right caster gives you the best push force.

Blake: Wonderful. So, in order to avoid the top three mistakes, make sure to consider price, noise, as well as push forces. Thanks for having us.

Elmer: Great. Good to be here.

Blake: Take care. Have a great day.