What is the typical braking distance for casters?

There's no fixed standard for the braking distance of casters; it's affected by a variety of factors, including caster type and material, brake performance, travel speed, load weight, and surface conditions.

Generally speaking, under normal use, at low speeds (e.g., 4-6 km/h) and moderate loads, the braking distance for standard industrial casters with manual brakes can range from a few centimeters to over ten centimeters. For example, casters used in lightweight equipment may have a shorter braking distance of around 5-10 cm. Heavy-duty casters, however, may have longer braking distances of 10-20 cm or even longer due to their greater inertia.

Casters with electronic brakes have relatively short braking distances. For example, those used in AGVs and other equipment can achieve braking distances of less than 10 mm.

Additionally, casters with higher safety requirements, such as medical casters, often have more stringent braking performance requirements. Specific braking distance limits or braking effectiveness requirements may be specified in relevant standards. For example, European standard EN 12530 stipulates that when a caster is placed on a horizontal smooth steel plate and the brake device is activated, a vertical load and a horizontal tensile or rotational force are applied. There must not be more than 1° of wheel deflection or perceptible displacement of the brake mechanism, and the increase in wheel clearance after the test must be ≤ 15% of the initial value.