Designing Manual Carts: Selecting Casters, Reducing

Workplace Injuries, and Improving Productivity

Tom Albin
High Plains Engineering Services
Yohann Printer
Darcor
Carts and Mobile Equipment are used in
every industry
Ergonomically designed carts and casters:

• Reduce the risk of injury

• Reduce risk of damage to material
• Support productivity
• Maintain operating characteristics over time

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 2

 “We Run On Carts”
On a typical day, an operator:

1. Lifts materials and loads them onto

cart
2. Pushes cart to start it moving on
path
3. Turns cart at 2 corners
4. Positions cart at production line
5. Stops cart
6. Lifts and unloads material from cart
7. Starts cart moving
8. Pushes cart back to starting point

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 3

Operating force capabilities do not
overlap perfectly
75 % capable for each 75% Lift

operating force 75% Push

1. Lift box and place on cart

2. Push cart to start it ~ 56 % capable of all 3

moving operating forces

3. Turn cart 90º at corner

75% Turn

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 4

 Standard Protocol for Measuring
Operating Forces
Annex D of ISO 11228-2 (clarification)
• Measure starting force: accelerate cart from rest to velocity of 1.08 ft/s (0.33m/s),
acceleration ≤ 0.36 ft/s2 (0.11m/s2)

• Measure sustained force: maintain cart at velocity of 1.08 ft/s (0.33 m/s) over a
distance ≥ 39.4 in (1 m)

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 5

 Sources
Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Liberty Mutual MMH tables
Compensation https://libertymmhtables.libertymutual.com/CM_LMTables
https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/employer/programs/safety/PushP Web/taskSelection.do
ullGuide/PushPullGuide.aspx

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 6

Cart Design: Visibility
Must see to steer!
• Avoid damage to cart and
materials
• Avoid injuring other
operators
Eye Height (USA)
• 55.7 inches (small woman)
• 68.6 inches (tall man)

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 7

Cart Design: Handles at Waist Height

Best push strength is

at waist height!
Waist height (USA)
• ~ 35.9 inches (small woman)
• ~ 45.6 inches (tall man)

Shoulder moments?

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 8

Cart Design: Braking Force

No current guidelines
Work around:
Use opposite force guidelines:
– Pull force equal to sustained
push force
– Push force equal to sustained
pull force

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 9

Cart Design: Caster Effects

➢ Caster material
➢ Caster diameter
➢ Caster offset
➢ Caster positioning

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 10

 Debris Embedded in Casters; Increases
Operating Forces

• Embedded debris affects

shape of caster
• Out-of-round casters requires
more force
• Caster material should resist
debris embedding

March 28, 2018 Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 11

Caster Diameter Affects Operating Force
During Movement
𝑊𝑏
Operating force: 𝐹 = 𝑟

W = Weight supported by
wheel
b = Rolling resistance
coefficient (length units)
r = Radius of caster

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 12

Caster Offset Provides Benefit When Turning
Carts

Offset is:
• The distance between the
center of top plate and the
center of wheel

Benefit:
• Offset provides a mechanical
advantage when turning

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 13

Weight on Caster Affects Turning Force

Load
Less

Load
More
Load
Equal

Load
Equal
Load
Equal

Load
Equal

Load
More
Load
Less
Load
Equal

Load
Equal

Load
More
Load
Less
Center
of

Equal weight on all casters, Less weight on swivel casters,

Higher turning force Lower turning force
Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 14
 High Load Applications
Benefits of dual and triple wheels Benefits of a Kingpinless™ (KP) Caster

• Reduced mobility forces (Start and swivel) • Reduced swivel forces

• Better load distribution for heavy loads • Better load distribution on bearing races
• No kingpin / kingbolt point of failure

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 15

Case Study – How Casters Affect
Ergonomic Performance
Site Details: Corporate Ergonomic
Performance Targets:
• Several corporate • Reduce sustained push/pull forces
manufacturing facilities in below 42 lbs
Wisconsin
• Caster must remain debris free
• Concrete floors; many • Long caster economic life
have metal debris and • Durability/Longevity – maintain
some unlevelled surfaces targeted force reduction throughout
life of casters

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 16

 Case Study - Casters’ Ergonomic
Performance, Example 1
Distribution Carts

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 17

Case Study - Casters’ Ergonomic
Performance, Example 2
Metal Chip Hoppers

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 18

 Case Study - Ergonomic Performance
Plant Push / Pull Forces (lbs.) Ergo Caster Project 2017
90 70%
Old New %
80 60%
Reduction 70

% Reduction
50%

Force (lbs)
60
A 62 38 39% 50 40%
40 30%
B 48 24 50% 30
20%
20
C 82 42 49% 10 10%
0 0%
D 47 18 62% Plant A Plant B Plant C Plant D
Old New % Reduction

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 19

Conclusion
• When selecting carts, casters, and wheels considering
the task requirements, operating environment, conditions,
and the people that will perform the work will result in a
major pay off

• Surprisingly heavy loads and equipment can be manually

moved safely, and efficiently by proactively thinking about
cart and caster design

Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 20

Please subscribe to Darcor’s Monthly Blog on Proactive Ergonomic Solutions at www.darcor.com

Recommended References:

• Darcor White Paper – The Ergonomics of Manual Material Handling: Pushing and Pulling Tasks available at
www.darcor.com
• Darcor White Paper – Managing the Financial Risk of Workplace Overexertion Injuries: The Economics of
Ergonomics in the Manual Material Handling Industry available at www.darcor.com
• Liberty Mutual Tables - Snook, S. & Ciriello, V.; The design of manual handling tasks: revised tables of maximum
acceptable weights and forces, 1991
• Ohio State Tables – Eric B. Weston, Alexander Aurand, Jonathan S. Dufour, Gregory G. Knapik
& William S. Marras (2017): Biomechanically determined hand force limits protecting the low back during
occupational pushing and pulling tasks, Ergonomics, DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2017.1417643
• https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e766/aaa1b65e0b449f7cfb98864251cbcd1aabde.pdf

Contact Details:
Tom Albin Yohann Printer
High Plains Engineering Services, LLC Darcor Casters & Wheels
Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 21
612-724-6978 647-951-5341
Proprietary Property of Darcor Limited Page 22