Industrial polyurethane wheels — non-marking, abrasion-resistant wheels for medium to heavy-duty caster applications. Four poly types: poly-on-iron (highest capacity to 8,000 lb), poly-on-aluminum (corrosion-resistant), poly-on-polyolefin (lighter, lower cost), and solid polyurethane (chemical-resistant). 2″ to 12″ wheel diameters. 100 lb to 8,000 lb capacity. Stocked at our Mansfield, TX facility for same or next-day shipping.
Polyurethane wheels pair a non-marking, abrasion-resistant poly tread with a core sized to the load: cast iron for the heaviest duty, aluminum for corrosion resistance, polyolefin for economy, or all-poly where metal contamination is not allowed. CasterHQ stocks 76 polyurethane wheels from 2 to 12 inches, 250 lb to 8,000 lb, most shipping same day from Mansfield, TX.
Matching load, floor, or chemical? Email info@casterhq.com or call 844-439-4335 for a wheel spec.
Match poly type to load, environment, and budget. All four types share the non-marking and abrasion-resistant advantages of polyurethane.
| Wheel Type | Core Material | Capacity Range | Sizes | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poly-on-Iron | Cast Iron | Up to 8,000 lb | 4 - 12 in | Heaviest manufacturing, towlines, dock plates |
| Poly-on-Aluminum | Aluminum | Up to 1,500 lb | 4 - 8 in | Corrosive environments, food, washdown |
| Poly-on-Polyolefin | Polyolefin Plastic | Up to 1,000 lb | 3 - 8 in | Medium-duty industrial, cost-sensitive |
| Solid Polyurethane | Solid Poly | Up to 1,000 lb | 3 - 8 in | Chemical resistance, no metal contamination |
Cast iron core (poly-on-iron) gives the highest capacity, up to 8,000 lb per wheel. Aluminum core: lighter, corrosion-resistant, 1,500 lb max. Polyolefin core: economy choice, 1,000 lb max. Solid polyurethane: used where metal contamination is unacceptable at 1,000 lb max. Pick the lightest core that meets your capacity requirement.
Wet, corrosive, or washdown: poly-on-aluminum or solid polyurethane. Standard manufacturing and warehouse: poly-on-iron. Cost-sensitive medium-duty: poly-on-polyolefin. Food and pharma: solid polyurethane for no-metal-contact requirement.
Smooth concrete and tile: 3-5 in works fine. Floor seams, expansion joints: 6-8 in for easier roll-over. Cracked concrete, debris, threshold strips: 8-12 in required. Larger wheels reduce push-force; trade-off is higher deck height.
Standard polyurethane is 90A-95A durometer, firm tread that resists abrasion and rolls efficiently. Soft poly (75A-85A): better grip and quieter, rolls with more effort. Hard poly (95A+): lowest rolling resistance, may chatter on rough floors. For most warehouse use, 90A-95A is the right balance.
First-hand from our Mansfield, TX warehouse and engineering desk.
We carry all four polyurethane constructions, poly-on-iron, poly-on-aluminum, poly-on-polyolefin, and solid poly, from Hamilton, Albion, Faultless, Colson, and Caster Concepts, so the core gets matched to the load and environment instead of defaulting to one line. Poly-on-iron shares the same hub bore and bearing options as cast iron, so it drops in bolt-for-bolt as a quieter, non-marking upgrade.
Tell us the load, floor, temperature, and any chemical exposure and we cross-reference durometer and core before you buy, polyurethane swells in some oils and loses capacity above 150 F, so the spec matters. Stock wheels picked before 3pm CT ship the same day from Mansfield.
Poly-on-iron: a polyurethane tread bonded to a cast iron core, high capacity up to 8,000 lb. Solid polyurethane: the entire wheel is poly, no metal core, lower capacity (1,000 lb max) but no metal contamination, required for food, pharma, and clean-room.
A corrosion-proof aluminum core with a polyurethane tread. Used in wet, washdown, food-processing, marine, and chemical environments where cast iron would rust. Capacity 1,500 lb vs 8,000 lb for poly-on-iron.
Typical industrial poly wheels: 5-10 years at rated capacity on smooth concrete. Wear accelerates when overloaded, exposed to oils that swell polyurethane, or run on debris. Inspect every 12 months.
Yes, all polyurethane wheels are non-marking on clean, dry floors. Standard 90A-95A will not streak tile, sealed concrete, epoxy, or laminate. Soft poly may transfer faint marks under heavy load; specify hard durometer for showrooms.
Standard polyurethane resists water, mild acids, mild alkalis, and most cleaning agents. It is sensitive to prolonged contact with strong oils, ketones, esters, and aromatic solvents. Specify the chemical at info@casterhq.com for a compatibility cross-reference.
Standard polyurethane: -20 to 150 degrees F continuous, brief exposure to 180. Above 150 sustained, capacity drops 30-50% and the tread can deform. For high heat, specify Hamilton Thermalite or Albion HT, or upgrade to phenolic.
Similar to rubber on smooth concrete, both run quietly, and much quieter than steel, cast iron, or phenolic. Poly does not thump on floor seams the way soft rubber can. For noise-sensitive use, specify 85A-90A.
Yes, poly-on-iron uses the same hub bore, bearing options, and mounting dimensions as cast iron of the same diameter. Replacement is bolt-for-bolt. Capacity is typically 80-90% of solid cast iron but adequate for most applications.
