In which scenarios are rubber casters unsuitable?

The shortcomings of rubber casters (poor wear resistance, weak weather resistance, limited load-bearing capacity, and susceptibility to corrosion) make them significantly less suitable for use in many scenarios. These factors can lead to frequent damage, safety hazards, and increased maintenance costs. The following core scenarios are absolutely not recommended or require caution:

1. Outdoor and semi-outdoor scenarios (the most typical unsuitable scenarios)
Outdoor exposure to ultraviolet light, rain, temperature fluctuations, and rough surfaces can directly accelerate the aging and degradation of rubber casters. These include:
Long-term outdoor exposure: Examples include outdoor storage areas within factories (outdoor racks and open-air material bins), outdoor transfers at docks/industry parks, and outdoor construction equipment (temporary tool carts). Ultraviolet light can cause the rubber to harden and crack within 1-3 months, while rainwater exposure can cause mold and delamination. Sand and gravel can quickly wear through the wheel surface, resulting in a service life typically exceeding 6 months.
Semi-outdoor exposure: Examples include unenclosed parking lots and balcony storage racks. Even without direct rain, humid air and scattered ultraviolet light can slowly erode the rubber, reducing wheel elasticity and requiring replacement every 6-12 months.

2. High-Wear, Rough Surface Applications
Rubber casters have a low hardness (Shore A50-70) and cannot withstand the friction and scratches of rough surfaces, including:
Rough industrial surfaces: such as unpolished cement workshop floors, machinery/auto repair shop floors (with residual metal debris and sand), and temporary cement surfaces on construction sites. Ground debris can directly scratch the wheel surface during movement, causing "flat wear" within 1-

2 months, leading to equipment jamming and uneven force distribution.
Unhardened outdoor surfaces: such as lawns, gravel roads, and dirt roads. Rubber wheel treads are easily embedded with sand and gravel, which not only accelerates wear but can also cause the wheel axle to become stuck due to debris and even cause wheel deformation.

3. High-Load, High-Frequency Motion Applications
Rubber has limited physical strength and cannot withstand heavy loads or long-term, high-frequency use. Specific examples include:
Heavy equipment applications: such as mold transfer carts, heavy-duty racking (single-wheel load ≥ 300kg), and industrial material bins (fully loaded over 1 ton). Overloading rubber casters can cause permanent deformation (flattening of the wheel surface) or even separation between the wheel core and the wheel surface, posing a risk of equipment tipping.

High-frequency movement scenarios: Examples include production line conveyor belts (moving ≥20 times per day) and warehouse picking carts (moving over 100 meters per day). High-frequency friction can quickly wear out the rubber wheel surface, requiring replacement every 3-4 weeks. Maintenance costs far exceed those of nylon and polyurethane casters.

4. Chemical Corrosion Scenarios

Ordinary rubber has extremely poor resistance to oils, acids, alkalis, and solvents, and deteriorates rapidly upon contact. These include:

Oily environments: Examples include machine repair shops (oil on the floor) and kitchen equipment (oil spills). Rubber absorbs oil, swells, and softens, losing its load-bearing capacity within 1-2 weeks, and even causing the wheel surface to dissolve.

Acid/Alkali/Solvent Environments: Examples include laboratories (acid and alkali reagent leaks), electroplating plants (corrosive waste liquids), and printing plants (ink solvents). Chemicals can corrode the rubber's molecular structure, causing spots and damage to the wheel surface, rendering it completely useless in a short period of time (only specially modified rubber can be used for short-term use, but at a very high cost).

Summary: The Core Logic of Rubber Caster "Contraindications"
Rubber casters are not suitable for any application requiring long-term durability, high load-bearing capacity, resistance to outdoor environments, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. They are only useful in narrow applications requiring smooth indoor floors, light loads, low-frequency movement, no chemical corrosion, and high requirements for shock absorption, quietness, and floor protection (such as office carts and hospital ward transfer carts). For applications outside of this range, more suitable materials such as reinforced nylon and outdoor-grade polyurethane should be prioritized.