Castors are used for the manual movement, of light or moderately heavy planters, over reasonably fair surfaces. Where the planters are extremely heavy, and/or the ground is very rough, then mechanical means of movement are necessary [generally pallet trucks or fork lifts], and design options for those situations are described here: Moving Planters with Pallet Trucks or Fork Lifts >>
The ability to move planters with castors, quickly and easily, has a wide variety of applications – for example:
A wide range of castors are available to suit every requirement, and IOTA will recommend an appropriate castor solution during the design detailing phase of production.
There are generically two kinds of castors – Lockable and Non-Lockable – and each have their pros and cons:
Non-Lockable [or freewheeling] castors are cheaper than Lockable castors, and they are invisible. Assuming a fair surface underneath, like paving, the planter clearance from the ground can be as little as 5-10mm. Therefore on both cost and aesthetic grounds, Non-Lockable castors are to be preferred, in all cases where there is not an absolute requirement to lock the movement.
Lockable castors are used where there is an absolute requirement to restrict any risk of unwanted movement.
Typical situations where Lockable castors would be specified include:
The principle downside with Lockable castors is that the braking mechanism must be accessible, and this generally means that the planters must have a clearance from the ground of 70-100mm [i.e. the castors will be visible, and there is thus a negative aesthetic impact]. The only solution to disguise the castors is to have a removable access panel – this adds to cost, and also makes the movement operation more time-consuming.
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