For the purpose of convenient and productive movement of pieces of furniture in the conditions of one room, special wheels and rollers are used for them. The main and important property of tables and sofas, racks and bedside tables is their mobility. It helps to most effectively adapt the furniture to certain conditions, which is extremely important for limited spaces. But rollers can be used not only for movement - to save space, they can be responsible for the movement of locking elements on furniture (doors and sashes), so that they can move smoothly to the sides, and not open outward. So rollers are used in sliding systems, for example, in wardrobes.
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Wheel supports can be made from various materials, but it is worth noting that the operational life of the fittings and its cost will depend on the material. The most popular are rubberized and plastic models. The latter are installed on small-sized objects that are not subjected to intense loads. Their rotating element, as a rule, is made of the same material as the entire structure. Plastic wheels do not have a high price and are suitable for budget furniture sets.
Rubberized products have a metal rod enclosed in a metal case. They can be made of cast iron, aluminum or various alloys.Rubberized furniture wheels are perfect for rooms where expensive flooring is laid, such as natural wood or stone. Such wheels do not leave scratches on the surface, do not cause streaks and dark marks, and the furniture itself moves almost silently.
IMPORTANT! When choosing the material of furniture wheels, one should be guided not only by the floor covering, but also by the possible temporal intensity of movement of the furniture on it, including the calculation of the load.
Due to the use of roller structures, today it has become much more comfortable in everyday life to use not only transportation systems, but also to move the furniture itself directly. The ease of moving objects allows you to easily change the situation in the room, while not causing significant damage to the flooring.
A wide range of furniture items require the use of various types of rollers and wheels for movement. According to the type of construction, they can conditionally be divided into three classes:
In order to increase the wear resistance of furniture rollers and wheels, it is necessary to correctly select the method of fastening the moving part for them. Today's manufacturers offer several ways, the most popular of which are:
Most manufacturers use traditional materials for various structures - most often it is metal (ie aluminum or steel), less often reinforced plastics or hard alloys. All rollers are usually covered with a special outer rim, which is designed to protect the surface of the floor from scratches when the furniture moves. The protective layer of the moving support element can be made of Teflon, rubber or other high-strength polymer material.
To give greater mobility to large pieces of furniture, bearing rollers are best suited, which are characterized by reliability and almost silent operation. It is also possible to use articulated models that can provide easy turns and at the same time are characterized by smooth movement of objects. The guides of these rollers have a very narrow application, they are used for sliding elements of furniture objects, they are often made of steel.
Castors are an integral part of the sliding fittings of wardrobes and with their help it is easy to open / close the doors while maintaining a smooth ride. In order to prevent dust from penetrating into the interior of the castor structure, they use sealed type bearings. Aluminum bearings are able to provide silent movement, and their steel counterparts are characterized by increased durability.
For pieces of furniture with sliding elements, two systems are used:
When paying attention to a sliding system, one should take care not only of its type, but also of the quality of the parts used in it - from guides to rollers. It should be noted that most foreign (especially from European manufacturers) sliding systems are by default made only from high-strength materials, without using others. So, the lower wheels themselves are made of durable polyamide, which is not subject to delamination over time, and its bearing does not need periodic lubrication. Also, most European brands install a special device on the rails that prevents unauthorized descent of the door leaf from it.
The ability of the rollers to withstand a certain load, as well as their overall functionality, directly depend on the type of fastening and support, its dimensions, not excluding the material of manufacture. Thus, it is necessary to take into account the following technical features of the operation of these systems:
Stationary rollers can be fixed with rectangular or square plates. On rotary samples, the fixing plates can also be square or rectangular.
Considering that the base load in any design falls on fittings, a durable protective rim material is used for the wheels, which include:
IMPORTANT! In cases where the door leaf has a significant mass, the rollers must have metal bushings. If a heavy canvas weighing up to 100 kilograms is necessarily equipped with four rollers, then two pieces will be enough for a canvas up to 60 kilograms. Typical service life should be at least 70,000 open/close cycles.
As a rule, furniture manufacturers set the usual fixed supports on all items by default. Thus, any attempt to move a large closet or sofa is bound to result in scratches on the flooring. However, if you replace the fixed supports with rollers or wheels, then you can safely experiment with the arrangement of furniture objects in the room.
The choice of appropriate casters and movable supports for furniture objects should be based on the following indicators in order to ensure the durability of the service, reliability and safety of use of the products:
For the installation of storage systems based on sliding doors, special requirements apply to furniture. Thus, when using such systems, compliance with the following indicators must be met:
It is very important to calculate the future load on the wheel fittings in advance so as not to damage the wheels during use. From this it can be seen that for the calculation it is necessary to take into account the following factors:
Thus, knowing the potential load, it will be very easy to select the appropriate movable supports.
Before directly buying rollers and wheels for furniture, professionals recommend paying attention to the following points:
Following these simple rules, it is possible to pick up high-quality and full-fledged movable supports, while not paying extra money for them.
A small and simple roller, nevertheless, from a European manufacturer. It does not have the function of rotation and stopper. The platform mount is made of high quality steel, and the wheel itself is made of durable plastic. It can be used both for mounting on small objects for the convenience of strictly moving, it can also be used in sliding systems. The country of manufacture is Switzerland, the cost for retail chains is 14 rubles.
A high-quality and massive wheel support with a rotation function, however, without locking capabilities. It is perfect for large and medium-sized furniture objects, moving them equally well on any type of flooring. The soft but durable plastic of which the moving part is made can last for a long time. The support itself is mounted on four bolts, which increases its reliability. The country of origin is Switzerland, the recommended cost for store chains is 25 rubles.
Although this roller is positioned by the manufacturer as a model designed exclusively for retractable systems, if desired, it can also be adapted to small interior items, for example, to a rack for DVD discs. The roller itself has a minimum diameter, which indicates its narrow specialization. The fittings have a strong platform base, which allows them to be placed with a high level of reliability in any guide. The country of origin is Russia, the set price for store chains is 50 rubles.
This wheel has a swivel function and has an average diameter. It can be used for furniture objects weighing up to 75 kilograms.Installation is very simple and requires only four bolts per support. The support itself is made of durable steel. The device has a rubberized protective surface, which makes it possible to use it on decorative carpets. The homeland of the brand is Russia, the established cost for retail stores is 100 rubles.
Another representative from a Russian manufacturer. A very strong castor is characterized by excellent fastening properties, as it is mounted on a threaded base. The device has anti-slip features. The working surface has a rubberized base, which makes it possible to use on any surface. The country of origin is Russia, the recommended retail price is 145 rubles.
Extremely functional model of the wheel support. Equipped with a special brake, which is implemented in the form of a toggle switch. The plastic platform allows you to independently choose the method and number of mounting bolts. The sample is equipped with a rotation function. To enhance the adhesion force with a piece of furniture, a bronze lining can be used.Country of origin - Russia. The recommended cost for retail stores is 150 rubles.
This model is rotatable. The wheel is made of reinforced plastic, while its support is made of durable steel. The outer surface of the wheel is covered with a rubber base, which means that it can be used on any surface. Permissible weight, based on the declared diameter, is rather small and cannot exceed 25 kilograms. The country of origin is Russia, the established cost for retail chains is 155 rubles.
Extremely unique and functional caster, the moving part of which is made in the form of a ball. Great mobility and the use of a wide area of the ball allows you to install this model on large pieces of furniture and move them with ease. The roller itself is made of durable plastic, and its bearing part is protected by a rubberized base. The mounting platform is made of heavy-duty steel and is based on four bolts. The wheel itself is protected by a special rim against sticking of large fragments of debris.The country of origin is Russia, the recommended retail price is 180 rubles.
An excellent model, which is made of high-quality and heavy-duty plastic. Designed for medium loads. Fastening is implemented on a threaded basis. The manufacturer itself is positioned as the best equipment for a crib. Easy to move on both linoleum and carpet. According to the declared diameter, the support is able to withstand up to 50 kilograms of weight at a time. The country of origin is Spain, the established cost for retail stores is 230 rubles.
It is worth noting that most of the supports and rollers on the modern market are of Russian origin. At the same time, along with good quality, there is no sharp increase in their prices. Nevertheless, such accessories should be purchased only in specialized stores, because the analysis shows that in standard large building supermarkets the choice of these products is very small. The main difference between Russian samples and foreign ones is that the latest foreign companies often provide an extended warranty.