Founded in 1894 as a mechanical workshop in Furtwangen in the Black Forest, Ganter presented its first standard elements catalogue as early as 1912 – five years before the founding of the German industry standard (DIN). Today, the company, which is now managed by the fourth generation of the family, is a leader in the development, distribution and manufacture of standard elements, with well over 70,000 standard elements available from stock. To ensure that this remains the case in the future, Ganter relies not only on state-of-the-art production and logistics, but also on the consistent further development of its product portfolio.

Completely new category for wheels and castors

This is how a completely new category of wheels and castors was created. It is a new main catalogue group, 3.10, which shows that the mobile makers among the standard elements are given the space they deserve. This is only logical, after all, the wheels and castors complement their static, proven relatives, the levelling feet, which are available in a wide range of versions.

Clear structure according to practical use

As always, Ganter is focusing entirely on practical requirements: the classification of the individual types is based on the relevant ISO test methods, which allows a clear assignment to the most important configuration parameters. The range differentiates between light-duty castor wheels, transport castors for industrial use and heavy-duty castors designed for high dynamic loads and faster movement.

What a standardised castor wheel should look like

Castors are ready-to-install elements consisting of a wheel and a housing, which is usually made of bent sheet steel – or, in the heavy-duty variants, of a welded steel construction. The housing forms the wheel receiver and at the same time the interface for mounting; it is available as a swivel housing or as a fixed, so-called fixed castor. The fixed castor provides lateral guidance and thus a high level of driving stability for straight and curved lines. Ball bearing swivel housings allow maximum manoeuvrability through 360-degree rotation and movement in any direction – a feature that is particularly useful in confined spaces. Optionally integrated wheel locks fix the wheel in place while also preventing movement around the swivel axis – variants with extendable levelling feet provide an even more secure stand.

All wheels can also be ordered individually

Because complete castors are not always needed – and because wheels and their treads are subject to wear – all wheels can also be ordered individually. The Ganter portfolio lists thirteen different wheel types, differentiated by material, load capacity, diameter, tread and ergonomic maximum load.

The relationship between maximum load and manoeuvrability

Ganter explicitly states the ergonomic maximum load, which is relevant for the manual handling of wheeled devices or equipment, where the pulling or pushing force should not exceed 200 newtons. The ergonomic maximum load thus quantifies the load pick-up until this limit is reached, which is almost always below the maximum dynamic load. Incidentally, the type of tread also influences manoeuvrability and pushing resistance: the softer the tread, the more cushioning is provided, but at the same time, friction when moving also increases.

Easy selection based on various criteria

Ganter highlights all these factors – you can read about them in the compact highlight brochure ‘Wheels and castors’. It presents all types and the most important parameters in a clear and concise way. In addition, the new product group is available on the website with numerous filter options that allow for easy selection according to various criteria.

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