The customer

… is a specialist in the field of plastic extrusion and a leading global provider of plastic panels and plastic profile systems for windows, doors and roller shutters based in Germany. The company sells its products in almost 40 locations, and has over 5,600 employees worldwide.

The challenge

As part of the manufacturing process for glass door profiles, the customer transports its products internally using transport units. These transport units are moved two at a time, using either forklifts or other towing equipment. The tugger trains cover long distances on industrial concrete cover floors at speeds of up to eight kilometres per hour.

Previously, the transport units were carried by four cast iron brackets with cast iron wheels supplied by a competitor. These wheels frequently collapsed, damaging both the transport unit and the ground.

The customer wanted to find a castor solution which was more fit for purpose in order to reduce the risk of accidents and further damage. They also didn't want to spend any more than they had on the previous setup. The customer also required the solution to be smooth-running and have a long service life.

Our solution

We performed extensive driving tests using the heavy duty bracket of the LH series in combination with a variety of Blickle wheel series to find the solution which best met the customer's requirements. While keeping an eye on costs, Blickle developed an optimised version of the POTH wheel series with a reinforced nylon wheel centre, a larger ball bearing and a moulded 98 Shore A polyurethane tread.

The robust LH series heavy duty bracket with hardened bearing seats was added to round out the optimal castor system. Blickle matched the hole pattern of the top plate fitting to make the castor easy for the customer to install at no additional cost.

Compared to the cast iron castors which the customer was using before, the Blickle LH-POTH solution is smoother and much easier on the floor. It is also much quieter when in motion.

The result

By using the reinforced Blickle LH-POTH heavy duty castors, the customer significantly lowered their costs by greatly reducing the wear on the castors, decreasing subsequent costs and removing the need to repair the floor. The new system is also considerably better from an ergonomic perspective.

The customer

Bedrunka+Hirth is one of Germany‘s leading manufacturers of equipment and manual workstation systems. The SME employs around 120 people and sells its products across Europe through specialist traders.

The application

The manufacturer uses bolt hole swivel castors for mobile workbenches, drawer cabinets and mobile workstations. The modular mobile tool cabinets can be individually configured by the end customer. Because of this versatility, the tool cabinets come in a wide range of weight classes and provide a wide range of load-bearing capacities. Depending on how the end customer uses the workbench, the castors can be configured so that they are placed under a constant load, or capable of handling obstacles like thresholds or expansion joints.

The customer was not satisfied with a competitor’s castors, which had a wheel diameter of 100 millimetres. These castors used a standard grey non-marking solid rubber wheel, and had a limited load-bearing capacity while still having a relatively high level of rolling resistance. The rubber tread frequently deformed under heavy loads, drastically reducing operational comfort.

Our solution from the standard range

By using the LER-POEV series bolt hole swivel castor from Blickle‘s standard range, the equipment manufacturer is able to cover a much wider range of products than with the previous competing castor. Blickle’s solution has a wheel diameter of 125 millimetres with non-marking grey solid rubber tyres. It provides a higher load capacity, increased operational comfort and a far lower level of rolling resistance. Depending on requirements, it can be used with or without a rear “stop-fix” wheel and swivel head brake for optimal stability.

The result

Due to the versatility of the Blickle LER-POEV series, the customer can order large quantities and benefit from attractive price arrangements. Deliveries can be made quickly and at short notice. The higher load capacity of the swivel castors with elastic solid rubber tyres also provides greater stability and scope to accommodate additional customer requests.

The customer

… is Austria-based manufacturer of vehicles and machinery used for urban hygiene, with a focus on street cleaning and sewer cleaning. The company was established over 50 years ago and currently employs around 50 people. Its product range includes road sweepers with capacities of between 1 - 12 m³, street washers, special equipment like rail groove cleaners and a wide range of specialised accessories.

The application

Many of the sweepers provided by the vehicle and machinery manufacturer are fitted with Blickle wheels and castors. One particularly interesting item is a specially developed rail groove cleaning device which can be attached directly behind any vehicle with a trailer coupling and an existing pneumatic, hydraulic and water system. The attachment was designed specifically for cleaning along tramway tracks, and is already in use in a number of cities across the world, including Stuttgart, Saarbrücken, Riga and Doha/Qatar.

The device is lowered onto the rails using a pneumatic system. The trolley of the rail groove cleaner uses four Blickle SPK 250K flanged wheels with ball bearings. With two running wheels which can be pneumatically extended and retracted (Blickle PS series heavy duty pneumatic wheels), the system is guaranteed to run at speeds of up to 25 km/h.

Our solution from the standard range

The two PS series running wheels with a wheel diameter of 420 mm are perfectly suited for outdoor applications. They are particularly good at preserving floors and reducing noise levels, while also being resistant to a wide range of aggressive substances. The PS 430/30-90K heavy duty pneumatic wheels provide a load capacity of 500 kg at a speed of 25 km/h. As this application does not make full use of the load capacity on offer, the customer has stated (at its own risk) that the system is capable of operating at speeds of up to 40 km/h. The extremely wear-resistant SPK 250K flanged wheels, made from robust grey cast iron, keep the system secure and stable on the rails. The cast wheels have a low rolling resistance and can resist temperatures of up to 120 °C. Considering the heat which can be generated by the friction with the rails, this is a significant advantage.

The result

The cleaning machine manufacturer can use a single supplier for all of the wheels and castors which they need. Outstanding Blickle quality and quick delivery times are guaranteed, reducing administrative costs and expenses related to complaints and returns to a minimum.

The customer

… is a major player in the semiconductor technology industry and develops and manufactures equipment used in the production of microchips. The international company had a turnover of 972 million euros in the 2015/2016 financial year. The firm has around 2,800 employees worldwide, around 30% of which are involved in research and development.

The challenge

The customer required trolleys capable of handling heavy loads as part of its manufacturing process for semiconductor lithography lenses. The lenses are produced in a cleanroom environment, i.e. a room with a very low level of particulates. As a result, all of the equipment and materials used in a clean room environment have to meet special criteria: special surfaces, antistatic, low abrasion, low maintenance, easy to clean.

A series of airlocks removes particulates from the air all the way up to the entrance to the cleanroom and through to the so-called “ultra-cleanroom”, where the level of particulates in the air is particularly low. The special cleanroom castors for the transport trolleys can only be fitted in one of these cleanroom air locks.

As part of the production process, the trolley is guided by guide rollers and has to pass through a U-shaped corridor. A high level of manoeuvrability is required due to the limited space. The lens manufacturer also requires a low mounting height, a high load capacity and a foot guard.

Our solution

Blickle used its LSDFE-POTH series heavy duty spring-loaded twin wheel castors as the foundation for the special castor in order to meet all of the customer’s requirements related to load capacity, hygiene and manoeuvrability.

Under cleanroom conditions, all components must be handled in such a way that they release as few particles into the air as possible. As a result, all of the bolts are made from stainless steel. The entire bracket is nickel-plated to ensure a smooth surface. In addition to providing improved corrosion protection, this also makes dirt particles easier to recognise. Specialised grease is used to lubricate both the bracket swivel head and the ball bearings of the POTH wheels. The wheels themselves have a thermoplastic polyurethane tread and use a high-quality nylon wheel centre. The polyurethane springs are also specially treated to prevent outgassing.

The castors are assembled and packaged under special conditions in a particularly clean environment.

The result

Emission tests confirmed that the Blickle special castor meets all cleanroom criteria. The trolley can be manoeuvred easily by a single person, while the foot guard provides peace of mind. This provides a very high level of safety and ergonomics, which will ultimately save the customer money.