200-ton toting casters weigh 8,000 lb and sit 52 in. above factory floor

Hamilton Caster is well known for making heavy duty industrial casters – and now, one of the biggest. Hamilton recently designed and built four 100,000-lb-capacity casters for a federal contractor. Fully assembled, each caster towers 52 in. above the factory floor and weighs more than 8,000 lb. Together, they represent Hamilton’s highest payload capacity ever: 200 tons.

“Everything about this job was colossal,” said Ralph Stampfli, Hamilton Caster’s truck team leader. “From the springs to the ball bearings. We even had to use a 30-ton crane, 6,000-lb forklift and 3/8th-in. chain just to move it out of our factory.in.

Each Colossus caster was designed with a spring-loaded suspension system to absorb shock. The swivel construction consisted of 32 in. and 18 in. dia. raceways flame hardened to 55-60 HRC with a total of (96) 1-1/2 in. dia. bearing balls. Each caster also featured an eight position swivel lock for directional control, a huge 7 in. diameter oscillating axle to accommodate uneven surfaces, and a foot-operated braking system. The massive payload required 36 in. diameter by 20 in. wide extreme duty press-on tires with 4-1/2 in. dia. tapered roller bearings. Hamilton’s Cart and Trailer division designed and fabricated the integrated towing system weighing over 4500 lb for the two front casters.

“This is what Hamilton Caster does,” said Dustin Manz of Service Caster Corporation, the distributor that sold the casters. “They are the best out there as far as custom products go, and we needed that on this project. They really came through in a big way.”

“We’re very proud of Colossus,” said Mark Lippert, vice-president of marketing. “It embodies everything Hamilton stands for: innovation, durability, precise engineering, and, of course, Made in America.”