Forklift Wheel Types: Why PU Wheels Are a Critical Choice

Introduction of PU wheels

1.Polyurethane (PU )

PU is the full name of polyurethane for short. Strictly speaking, PU is also a kind of plastic. But additives are added during the production process which makes its performance superior, and of course the production cost also increases. In the application, you only need to simply modify the formula to obtain different physical properties such as density, elasticity, and rigidity. At present, it has replaced a large number of glass fiber insulation materials, wood, traditional rubber products, etc.

2. Rubber

Rubber refers to a highly elastic polymer material with reversible deformation. It is elastic at room temperature and can produce large deformation under a small external force. It can return to its original shape after the external force is removed. Rubber is divided into two types: natural rubber and synthetic rubber. Natural rubber is processed from the gum extracted from plants such as rubber trees and rubber grass; synthetic rubber is obtained by polymerization of various monomers. Rubber products are widely used in industry and life.

3. Nylon

Nylon is the first synthetic fiber in the world. Nylon is a name for polyamide fiber (nylon), which can be made into long or short fibers. It has good comprehensive properties, including mechanical properties, heat resistance, wear resistance, chemical resistance and self-lubrication, and has a low friction coefficient, a certain degree of flame retardancy, and it is easy to process. It is suitable for filling and reinforcing modification with glass fiber and other fillers to improve performance and expand the scope of application.

All-electric warehouse trucks are mainly made of PU (polyurethane) materials, and a few are made of rubber materials (environmentally friendly wheels);

Manual transport trucks are mainly made of nylon and rubber. PU is also used, but the polyurethane content is lower and the texture is harder.

Note: PU wheels will leave black wheel marks on the ground when operating in the factory. According to the requirements of the factory floor, some customers will use rubber wheels, but the hardness and wear resistance of rubber wheels are poor, and the wheels are easily damaged. Therefore, most of the fully electric transport trucks on the market are mainly PU wheels.

Classification of PU wheels

Forklift bearings

Bearings are an important component in modern mechanical equipment. Their main function is to support the mechanical rotating body, reduce the friction coefficient during its movement, and ensure its rotation accuracy.

Bearing classification: can be divided into sliding bearings, spherical bearings, rolling bearings, linear bearings and many other types.

Deep groove ball bearings are the most representative rolling bearings. Compared with other types of bearings of the same size, this type of bearing has a small friction coefficient, a high limit speed, a simple structure, a low manufacturing cost, high precision, and does not require frequent maintenance. It also has a wide range of sizes and a variety of forms, making it the most widely used type of bearing.

How to accurately measure wheel size

1、Driving wheel: outer diameter * width (wheel surface width) / width (core width) * inner diameter (number of holes)

Example: 230*75/82*45 (5 holes)

 2、Balance wheel: outer diameter * width (wheel surface width) / width (core width) - inner diameter (or bearing model)

Example: 127*57/60-40 (6203 bearing)

 3、Load-bearing wheel: outer diameter*width-inner diameter/groove depth (or bearing model)

Example: 80*70-47/14mm (6204 bearing)

PU wheel common problems

1、Wheel installation does not match

First, check whether the bearing can be replaced; pay attention to what kind of vehicle the wheel is on and whether it is used frequently .

2、When measuring the wheel size

When customers measure the wheel size, they should pay attention to whether the measured size is the size after wear.

3、Ways to reduce tire wear

1) Choose a flat area for parking

2)Avoid sudden braking

3) Do not turn the steering wheel after parking

4) When turning the vehicle, it is generally necessary to slow down appropriately to avoid accelerated tire wear due to inertia and centrifugal force.

In short,skystone forklift PU wheels have selling points such as wear resistance, high load capacity, reduced noise and vibration, no traces, and chemical corrosion resistance, which can improve the performance and service life of forklifts. Not only that, PU wheels can also be applied to various ground surfaces, such as warehouse floors, concrete floors, and uneven floors, ensuring that forklifts can operate stably in various environments. If you want your forklift to be more versatile and more applicable, then you must consider replacing it with PU wheels!