SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT: Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers

Several Changes Introduced in Updated Caster Standard

* By Stephen Murdoch *

The Institute of Caster and Wheel Manufacturers (ICWM) Industry Group of MHI announced updates to the ANSI ICWM-2018 standard in mid-July, titled “Vocabulary, Performance and Testing Requirements for Casters and Wheels.” The standard, originally released in 2004, provides manufacturers, specifiers and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, structural adequacy, and technical requirements for group-specific casters and wheels

Natacha Smith, engineering manager at MHI member TENTE Casters Inc., is excited about the new standard. “The standard is designed to be used by caster and wheel manufacturers as well as those that specify casters and wheels and end users. The hope is that end users have peace of mind knowing that the casters have been evaluated per the criteria that was defined by the industry experts. The standard can also be used by end users as an educational document about casters and wheels. If a company publishes that an Institutional caster has a load rating of 200 pounds and it has been tested to the requirements of the ANSI IWM standard, then the performance requirements are clear. The standard should result in less customer complaints, quality problems and safety concerns,” she explained.

The 17-year industry veteran contends that the goal of the ANSI ICWM standard has always been to define performance and testing requirements for casters and wheels. “The standard is structured into three sections. The first section contains definitions that are relevant to the caster and wheel industry. The second section contains test equipment that is required for evaluation of casters and wheels. And the third section contains the procedures and acceptance criteria for casters and wheels by different industry types,” Smith said.

Read More…