Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers announces new standard

The Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers (ICWM) Industry Group of Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) announces the release of ANSI ICWM: 2012 The ICWM Performance Standard for Casters and Wheels. The Standard is revision of ICWM: 2004.

Developed under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) canvass method and approved by ANSI, the Standard provides manufacturers, specifiers and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, structural adequacy, and technical requirements for group specific casters and wheels including furniture casters, industrial casters and institutional and hospital bed casters. The Standard defines industry terms, specific tests, equipment/methods that can be used, the conditions of tests, and minimum acceptance levels to be used in evaluating these products.

The Standard can be used by OEM engineers and plant operations personnel to identify ideal caster and wheel design for maximum performance.

“The biggest change to this Standard deals with dynamic test of industrial casters under 2.5 mph.,” says Chuck Harris, engineering manager for Colson Caster Corporation. “The objective of this test is to establish operational load capacity for industrial casters at or under 2.5 mph and to establish the maximum load that can be carried during operation and pass with no functional impairment to the caster.”

“Another major change was to separate the endurance testing for the smaller wheels,” adds Ken Otmanowski, Director of Engineering/QA, Albion Industries. “Previously we differentiated our testing for wheels at or below 6” diameter and above that. Now we have tests for wheels 0 to 3”, 3” to 12”, and above 12” diameter. We also reduced the total amount of impacts that the wheels must endure to be considered a good wheel. It was 10,000, but now it’s 5000 obstructions.”

ANSI ICWM: 2012 The ICWM Performance Standard for Casters and Wheels is available at a cost of $50 for an electronic copy at http://www.mhia.org/vango/Core/orders/product.aspx?prodid=5.

Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers (ICWM) members are the Industry’s leading manufacturers of casters, wheels, bearings, industrial trailers, platform trucks and towline trucks. They supply caster and wheel solutions worldwide and in virtually every major manufacturing and distribution sector. The association was formed in 1933. Learn more about ICWM at http://www.mhia.org/icwm.