Orange, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/02/2012 -- Peter McKinnon, Managing Director of Australian-based Rotacaster, insisted, “Omniwheels are a fantastic alternative to traditional conveyor wheels currently on the market. The Rotacaster wheel is made from a fully injected molded, web-like frame and over-molded polyurethane rollers. This means that the axles are fully encapsulated and there are no seams, joints, or inserted pins and significantly less downtime due to lost rollers and maintenance.”
Thomas R. Cutler, leading manufacturing journalist, recently authored a feature for the International Food Safety and Quality Network, titled, “A Whole New Wheel: Food Safety Implications.” Cutler concludes emphatically there are new and different wheels that caused a careful examination of this assertion.
Replacing damaged or defective traditional rollers occupies fully ten percent of the repair time in a food processing environment. Beyond conveyance, the technology for these multi-directional wheels was developed primarily as an industrial and commercial floor wheel.
The fixed orientation of the main wheel, allow forward and reverse movement without fighting a swivel offset, while the peripheral rollers facilitate turning, rotational, lateral, and diagonal movement.
With 360 degree maneuverability without turning or swiveling wheels, food plants are able to achieve better directional control and tracking, precise positioning - without swivel offset correction. There are obvious safety benefits including reduced injuries, lower workers’ compensation claims, because there is no resistance due to misaligned swivel castors.
McKinnon talked at the MODEX material handling event about the importance of load stability - a static center of load relative to wheel base as well as load distribution - the ability to use multiple wheels without swivel offset resistance. Interestingly these wheels are remarkably robust because the combined wheel frame and roller axles provide a web like structure with over-molded rollers and because they are manufactured from engineering grade polymers, they are rust free - full polymer construction means no steel pins.
The threats to safety and quality in food businesses are more serious than any other. In the effort to utilize ISO 22000 standards, lean manufacturing methodologies, and kaizen event feedback, continued process improvement might well start by congratulating those firms that have had the insight to re-invent the wheel.
An exclusive arrangement has been formed between Rotacaster Wheel Limited and Magnus Mobility Systems Inc. Magnus is the leading, worldwide provider of motion control solutions including casters and wheels, gas springs, levelers, bearings, and accessories. Magnus combines the best of single-source convenience with the benefits of a global network. Strategic distribution and service centers enable Magnus to provide timely delivery of Rotacaster products.