The Revolution Blog

Ready to roll: new ergonomic casters put safety first

Monday, Jul 25, 2016

The world of casters is officially a safer place now that Hamilton’s new Ergo-X2 Caster Series has hit the market, bringing the final tricky issue with swivel casters to a halt: lockup. We’re conquering back injuries one pivot at a time by making it easier than ever for material handling operators to push and pull carts with confidence. Here’s why:

Swivel casters on carts normally have some offset—the horizontal distance between the centerline of the swivel and the wheel’s point of contact on the ground. When two or more swivel casters become misaligned as a cart comes to rest, a bind occurs when the cart operator tries to push it. In some cases, that bind can be significant—and unacceptable under strictly enforced ergonomic safety standards.

The Ergo-X2’s unique patented technology reduces these binding forces to get carts cruising again. Typical swivel assemblies in a caster only have one pivot point. The Ergo-X2 essentially provides a second pivot point—two precision machined ball races with the centerlines offset (traditional swivel bearing raceways share a centerline). Invisible from the exterior, this unique assembly gives the wheels more freedom to rock and roll like they were born to.

The release of the Ergo-X2 is particularly welcome news to safety managers hoping to prevent more push/pull workplace injuries, which cost employers more than $15 billion each year, according to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Since its common for safety managers to demand that push/pull forces not exceed more than 40 pounds, the Ergo-X2 paired with one of Hamilton’s ergonomic poly treads is the safer way forward.

Check out the new Ergo-X2 Product Page and take them for a spin.

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