Product Catalog
Heavy AGV Casters — Payload-Class Configuration, Precision Requirements and How to Qualify a Wheel
Updated 2026-11
A caster under an automated guided vehicle is not a cart caster with a robot on top. Published industry guidance is blunt about the difference: AGV platforms dock to ±5-20 mm and ordinary caster flutter adds 10-40 mm of positional noise; rolling resistance converts directly into battery runtime, with a 10% resistance delta consuming roughly 10% more energy per meter — about 48 minutes of runtime per charge on a mid-size AGV with an 8-hour battery. The same guide refuses to cross-shop retail casters for AGV service, because premium manual-cart casters typically lack the precision raceway and bearing tolerances AGV platforms require.
The published sizing frame is a payload-to-configuration table: light AMRs (500-1,200 lb) on four single wheels rated 300-500 lb per caster; medium AGVs (1,500-2,500 lb) on larger 6-8 inch singles at 700-900 lb; heavy AGVs (3,000-4,000 lb) on four dual or six-wheel configurations at 1,200-1,600 lb per caster; load-handling AGVs with lift preferring dual wheels at 1,500-2,500 lb; and heavy tow AGVs up to 10,000 lb on 6-8 wheel dual configurations with 8-12 inch wheels. Our own production plus outsourcing path covers the configuration space; the RM-Heavy and RM-Extreme series bands are the tenant first-party ratings, and per-configuration ratings are confirmed at quotation.
Specifications
| Tenant series bands | RM-Heavy 500-1,500 kg per caster; RM-Extreme 1,500 kg+ per caster (heavy-duty family line specified to 2,000 kg; above that engineered per application) |
|---|---|
| Heavy AGV class (industry reference) | 3,000-4,000 lb payload AGVs: 4-wheel dual or 6-wheel configurations, 6-8 in wheels, 1,200-1,600 lb per caster — per-class table rows, never merged into one rating |
| Heavy tow AGV (industry reference) | Up to 10,000 lb payload: 6-8 wheel dual configurations, 8-12 in wheels (published table row) |
| AGV-grade construction (industry reference) | Poly-on-forged-core tread at 92-95A, ABEC-3 or precision needle bearings vs the ABEC-1 of manual-cart casters — the published construction delta for automated duty |
| Kinematics (industry reference) | Caster positions typically swivel; heavy tow-AGVs use rigid trailing casters; differential-drive AMRs run 4 swivel, steer-wheel AGVs 2 swivel + 2 rigid |
| Energy rule (industry reference) | A caster adding 10% rolling resistance consumes ~10% more energy per meter — on an 8-hour mid-size AGV, ~48 fewer minutes of runtime per charge |
| Published qualification practice (industry reference) | TIR on five samples (new and after 500 miles of rolling), load-sweep rolling-resistance test, swivel play at install and after 200 h of duty, vibration emission at operational speed |
| Lead time | 15–20 days (custom configurations 30–40 days) |
| MOQ | 200 pieces (custom/OEM programs 500–1,000 pieces by item) |
| Warranty | 18 months |
The RM-Heavy and RM-Extreme bands are owner first-party data. The payload-class table, construction deltas and qualification recipe are published industry references — each is a third-party class description, not a tenant rating. The rating and vibration behavior of your configuration at your docking speed is stated on the quotation.
Applications & Selection
Why automated duty is a different spec
Three published factors drive the AGV caster spec, and none of them is raw load. Navigation precision comes first: an AGV stops to dock within ±5-20 mm, and caster flutter adds 10-40 mm of positional noise — enough to cause mispicks and dock retries on every lap. Battery economy comes second: rolling resistance is consumed per meter, so a wheel that drags 10% more costs a fleet-proportional slice of runtime. Uptime economics come third: published guidance estimates an unplanned AGV failure at 10-50x the cost of a manual-cart failure, which is why the caster is treated as a specialty spec rather than a commodity.
The published construction delta follows from those factors: polyurethane on a forged core at 92-95A, pre-loaded kingpinless swivels, and ABEC-3 or precision needle bearings instead of the ABEC-1 grade of manual-cart casters. Configuration follows kinematics — caster positions are typically swivel so the platform can turn, but heavy tow-AGVs commonly run rigid trailing casters, and the published table pairs heavier payload classes with dual wheels in the same footprint for stability and distributed load.
Our supply path is own production plus outsourcing: AGV-grade builds across the published configuration space are deliverable. Where a platform needs spring-loaded, dual-wheel or stainless variants, those are family pages of their own — the load-band logic of the RM-Heavy and RM-Extreme series still governs the tenant rating.
Qualification and RFQ points to settle first
Ask how a caster was qualified, not just what it is rated. The published qualification recipe is concrete: test TIR (total indicated runout) on five samples, both new and after 500 miles of rolling; run a load-sweep rolling-resistance test; measure swivel play at installation and after 200 hours of duty; and verify vibration emission at the platform's operational speed. Reputable kingpinless manufacturers can provide this data on request — and if your AGV integrator did not specify a caster class, published guidance says to confirm with the OEM before deploying.
State the platform variables that change the answer: payload and wheel count, docking precision requirement, speed, floor condition, and whether the route crosses dock plates or expansion joints. Two quotes with the same load rating can differ by a factor on vibration emission — the number that actually stops a fleet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a caster "AGV-grade" instead of just heavy duty?
Precision and consistency, not the load number. Published guidance states that even premium manual-cart casters typically lack the precision raceway and bearing tolerances AGV platforms require: AGV-grade builds pair poly-on-forged-core treads at 92-95A with ABEC-3 or precision needle bearings and pre-loaded kingpinless swivels, because docking accuracy (±5-20 mm) and battery runtime are as important as capacity.
Single wheels or dual wheels for a heavy AGV?
The published class table pairs heavy AGVs (3,000-4,000 lb payload) with 4-wheel dual or 6-wheel layouts at 1,200-1,600 lb per caster, and load-handling AGVs with lift on 4-6 wheel dual-wheel-preferred layouts at 1,500-2,500 lb per caster. Dual wheels put more capacity in the same footprint and stabilize platform pitch — but the right layout follows the platform's kinematic design, which the OEM defines.
How much does caster rolling resistance really cost an AGV fleet?
Published guidance treats it as near-linear: a caster that adds 10% rolling resistance consumes approximately 10% more energy per meter, which on a mid-size AGV with an 8-hour battery is about 48 fewer minutes of runtime per charge. Multiplied across a fleet, the resistance spec becomes a capex and opex lever — which is why the quotation states measured rolling behavior, not just a load rating.
Ordering & Documentation
Documents
Every order ships with a packing list and commercial invoice. Dimensional drawings (top plate, bolt pattern, mounting height) are available on request for platform integrators, and bearing/raceway class for the batch is stated on the quotation so it can be checked against the OEM mobility spec.
Quotation
A quotation needs: payload and wheel count, target docking precision, speed and duty cycle, floor profile, and quantity. The confirmed quotation states the rating and rolling behavior for your configuration — the published class table is a sizing frame, the quotation is the commitment.
Sample & supply
Standard builds are produced to order with an MOQ of 200 pieces (500-1,000 for OEM programs); smaller trial quantities of catalog items can ship in some sizes — ask with your RFQ. Lead time is 15-20 days standard, 30-40 days for custom geometry. The published validation practice applies to samples too: run the TIR and swivel-play checks before committing the fleet.
Storage & shipping
AGV casters ship with raceways greased and bearings protected; store flat in dry cartons and keep precision bearing faces covered until installation. Before mounting, spin each wheel and check swivel play by hand — published practice measures play at install precisely so later drift has a baseline.