Rubber caster wheels run from a 200 lb soft-rubber light-duty wheel to a 22,800 lb mold-on-rubber heavy-transfer build. Rubber's defining trait at every capacity is the cushioned, quiet, non-marking roll — it absorbs floor shock that hard wheels transmit straight into the load.
Two rubber constructions cover this range. Soft rubber (a tire on a core) is the light-to-medium choice — quietest roll, most cushion, but it can flat-spot if parked loaded. Mold-on rubber bonds the rubber tread to a metal core under heat and pressure — it can't delaminate, it holds far higher capacity, and it's what carries the 22,800 lb top end. The core material (cast iron, aluminum, steel) sets the ceiling.
Choose rubber when noise and shock absorption matter — hospital and lab equipment, finished-floor facilities, outdoor staging that crosses dock seams and broken pavement. Choose polyurethane instead when you need maximum capacity or lowest rolling resistance on smooth concrete.
Soft rubber can if parked loaded for long stretches. Mold-on rubber on a metal core resists it. For static-load equipment, spec mold-on rubber or polyurethane.
Most are — confirm the specific compound. Non-marking rubber is standard for finished-floor and institutional use.
Mold-on rubber bonded to a heavy steel or cast iron core. The rubber gives the cushion; the core carries the load.
Our US-based caster engineers will match the right build to your load, floor, and application.
Call 844-439-4335
