What are the disadvantages of TPE casters compared to rubber casters?

Main Disadvantages of TPE Casters Compared to Rubber Casters

Although TPE casters excel in adaptability across multiple scenarios, due to their material properties, they still fall short of traditional rubber casters (especially specialized modified rubber casters) in some extreme environments and under specific performance requirements. These disadvantages primarily focus on the following four dimensions:

1. Weaker tolerance to extreme high temperatures

The upper temperature limit of rubber casters (especially specialty rubbers such as silicone rubber and fluororubber) is much higher than that of TPE casters:

Ordinary nitrile rubber casters can withstand temperatures of 120-150°C, and silicone rubber casters can even withstand short-term use in environments of 200-250°C. However, the typical upper temperature limit for TPE casters is only 125°C, and even modified heat-resistant TPE casters struggle to exceed 150°C.

In environments such as metallurgical workshops (near furnaces and slag areas) and high-temperature baking workshops (around oven floors), TPE casters are prone to softening and deformation, sticking to the floor, and even melting. Rubber casters (such as silicone rubber wheels) maintain structural stability in these high-temperature environments, and rolling performance is not significantly affected.

2. Insufficient Resistance to Oil and Solvents

Rubber casters (especially nitrile rubber and fluororubber wheels) are recognized in the industry as being "excellent at oil and solvent resistance." However, TPE casters are at a significant disadvantage in these environments:

Nitrile rubber casters are extremely resistant to mineral oils, animal and vegetable oils, and will not swell or crack even after long-term contact with motor oil and gear oil. Fluororubber wheels are even more resistant to highly polar solvents such as gasoline and diesel, and even some chemical reagents. TPE casters (even oil-resistant modified TPE) can only withstand small, short-term exposure to non-polar oils (such as a small amount of lubricant dripping). Long-term exposure to highly concentrated oils or strong solvents (such as engine oil in auto repair shops or solvent-based reagents in chemical plants) can rapidly cause the wheel body to swell, lose elasticity, and even decompose, rendering it unable to properly bear loads.

3. Worse Load-Bearing Capacity for Ultra-Heavy Loads
For ultra-heavy loads, rubber casters (especially industrial-grade hard rubber wheels) offer superior load-bearing performance compared to TPE casters:
Industrial-grade hard rubber casters (such as high-hardness nitrile rubber wheels) have a rated load capacity of 500-1000kg per wheel. With a reinforced frame design, they can even handle tonnage-class loads (such as heavy material handling vehicles) and are less susceptible to permanent deformation under long-term pressure. TPE casters, however, lack material rigidity. Even with reinforcing materials like glass fiber, the rated load capacity per wheel is typically under 300kg. Forcibly used with excessively heavy loads (such as moving heavy machine tool parts), the wheel body can quickly dent, crack, or even break at the connection to the frame, posing a safety hazard.

4. Wear resistance on rough surfaces is slightly inferior to that of professional rubber casters.

On rough, impure surfaces (such as construction site gravel or unpolished concrete), some rubber casters offer better wear resistance than TPE casters.

Professional wear-resistant rubber wheels (such as natural rubber wheels reinforced with carbon black) have a high surface hardness and strong scratch resistance. They are not easily scratched by sharp stones and metal debris, and their surface remains flat even after prolonged use. However, TPE casters (even those with high-hardness modified TPE) have a slightly less ductile surface. When rolling on rough surfaces, they are easily scratched by sharp impurities. These scratches gradually accumulate dirt, increasing rolling resistance and accelerating wheel wear. This shortens the lifespan by 30%-40% compared to wear-resistant rubber casters used in the same scenario.

In summary, the disadvantages of TPE casters primarily focus on their suitability for extreme environments and their demand for ultra-high performance. When faced with high temperatures, strong oils, heavy loads, and rough surfaces, specialized modified rubber casters are more reliable. Therefore, in these specific scenarios, rubber casters should be preferred over TPE casters.