Rotacaster Provides Multi-Directional Omni Wheel Solves Transport Solution in Amusement Park

Tighes Hill, NSW -- (SBWire) -- 05/30/2012 --Applications for the Rotacaster range from material handling equipment (hand trucks, trolleys, dollies, carts, skates) to shopping carts and luggage; from conveyor transfers, pipe rollers, and other inverted applications to robotics and patient lifts in medical settings.

According to Peter McKinnon, managing director for Rotacaster, “This innovative design can overcome issues associated with trying to move and handle materials. Rotacaster makes manual movement of loads safer, faster and easier. The most important message communicated by safety managers is the concern and need for workplace ergonomic improvements whenever and wherever possible. Especially when workers compensation, lost work days and insurance premiums can be reduced while improving productivity.”

Recently a leading amusement park faced a problem. Deploying umbrellas within the park the company used a dolly to transport the six umbrellas and stands used two rigid and two swivel casters. The swivel casters would get stuck on railroad tracks and other irregular surfaces within the park as the load was not balanced. With a load weighing close to 500 lbs., it was difficult for one person to move the umbrellas where needed. Building a dolly with more swivel casters was explored, but was still very difficult to move as all the swivel casters were not going in the same direction.

The solution was the multi-directional Rotacaster. The amusement park designed and had built a dolly employing the Rotacaster multi-directional wheel. The design used eight Rotacasters so that the dolly would not tilt and get stuck on railroad tracks or driveways.

Fabricated from aluminum extrusion and assembled with Fath hardware, the dolly has four Rotacasters in the center of the platform mounted slightly lower, less that 1/16”, than the Rotacaster in the corners. This design provides great maneuverability since the dolly rotates on center.

The Rotacaster solution is easily maneuvered around the park without getting stuck on the obstacles the former swivel caster dolly.