Motion Transfer & Rolling
Load, speed and constant rolling break standard wheels and rollers. Custom-engineered polyurethane parts keep going.
— The Recurring Problems
Flat-spotting
Load-bearing rubber or plastic wheels and casters can take a set when parked under load, adding vibration, noise and lost traction
Tread debonding
Injection-molded plastic wheels or rollers can debond from their metal cores under sustained load
Drive-wheel slip
Drive wheels need traction and dimensional stability at speed without slipping or marking
Noise and vibration
Roller-guide and ride-quality parts must run quiet and without vibration, since any noise or play result is system failures
Rising push-pull force
Continuous-duty wheels and rollers wear and raise push-pull force, noise and maintenance
Catalog parts don’t fit
Each application needs its own durometer, geometry and traction
— The Differentiator
Where standard wheels and rollers fall short
The usual answers are rubber, plastic, or metal wheels and rollers – nearly always catalog parts. In high-performance systems, they each fall short:
- Rubber and plastic flat-spot when parked, then squeak and lose roundness
- Plastic treads can debond from the core and drop units out of service
- Plastic and metal rollers run loud, grip poorly and mark the riding surface
- Worn wheels raise push-pull force, impacting system performance
- None can be customized to the load, durometer, traction and geometry required, and stock suppliers offer no engineering support
— Solution Spotlights
How MPC solves it | The products that solve this problem
Rolling components are critical to a system’s motion control and performance. For complex applications where components experience tough forces, harsh chemistries, or constant wear, MPC manufactures custom components to keep your systems in service.
Custom Wheels & Casters
Load-bearing wheels and casters cast in custom-durometer polyurethane with low compression set, so they don’t flat-spot when parked and roll quiet and non-marking. The urethane can be bonded to a metal core so it doesn’t debond like injection-molded plastics. Dual-durometer construction adds a soft contact surface over a hard core where needed, and conductive polyurethane control static buildup for ESD applications.
Custom Rollers
Drive, transport and roller-guide rollers manufactured to the traction, durometer and dampening the system needs. Bonded to steel cores and machined to tight tolerances, they run quiet without vibration where rubber can take a set and goes out of round.
Talk it through with a polyurethane expert who’ll tell you what’s achievable and what is not.
— featured case study
Robotics OEM Doubles Roller Life, Boosts Uptime
A continuous-duty robotics automation line was losing rollers to flat-spotting and lost dimensional stability under sustained load and start-stop cycling. Plastic and rubber rollers couldn’t hold up.
MPC cast a custom roller with optimized compressive strength and low compression set, bonded to a steel core and machined to tight tolerances.
THE RESULT
Passed ISO cleanroom particulate testing
Reduced vibration and fewer unplanned maintenance events
Roller service life
Across multiple platforms
— Industry Applications
Where this problem shows up
The same rolling problem shows up in any application where a machine or system carries a load. For common examples of motion transfer and rolling solutions across different applications, check out the below industry pages:
Roller-guide wheels and step and escalator rollers for quiet ride quality
Quiet, non-marking casters that resist flat-spotting on parked equipment
— Technical Specifications
The specs that matter for motion transfer & rolling
Property
Range for this solution
Hardness
ASTM D2240
- Shore 20A–70D — solid polyurethane
- Customized per part
Mechanical properties (Durethane® S)
- Tensile strength 250–7,800 PSI
- Tear strength, Die C 30–800 PLI
- Elongation 160–850%
- Compression set 5–40%
Heat, aging, hydrolysis and chemical resistance (Durethane® XL)
- Shore 70A–90A
- Tensile strength 3,000–5,000 PSI
- Tear strength, Die C 225–375 PLI
- Elongation 425–575%
- Compression set 17–20%
Abrasion and surface finish
High abrasion resistance with tolerance to tight surface finishes
Customizable properties
- Hardness, elongation, tensile, tear and compression set are formulated to the part
- Any shape component, or machined to precise specifications
- Cast onto machined metal cores and hubs; dual-durometer construction available
Relevant technical downloads
Document
What it gives the engineer
Conductive polyurethane material specifications, including volume resistivity ranges and material properties.
Polycarbonate polyurethane material specifications — formulated for heat, aging, hydrolysis and chemical resistance.
Solid polyurethane material specifications: hardness 20A–70D with tensile, elongation, tear and compression set.
General chemical resistance guideline for MPC’s thermoset polyurethanes.
— HOW IT WORKS
From concept to scaled production
Connect With Us
Share your application, performance needs, or a part you want to improve.
Collaborate on Design
Our engineers will help optimize materials and geometry for manufacturability.
Prototype & Refine
We produce samples using our proprietary polyurethane formulations for testing.
Move to Production
Once approved, we move to scalable molding with full quality assurance.
That’s exactly the conversation we like to have – get a polyurethane expert on a quick call to pressure-test your idea before you commit.
— PROOF
Case studies & white papers
Case Studies
Automation OEM Launches Cleanroom Robotics On Schedule
An automation OEM needed cleanroom-rated wheels that were also tough enough to last. This case study shows how MPC developed a custom conductive wheel that met the ISO cleanliness requirements with extended wear life and validated the part in time to keep the customer’s launch on schedule.
Robotics OEM Extends Roller Life Under Heavy Loads
A robotics OEM was losing rollers prematurely under heavy, continuous loads. This case study shows how MPC’s heavy-load cast roller stood up to the punishment and extended service life, cutting the premature failures that were driving downtime.
White Papers
Engineering Urethane Wheels and Rollers for Robotics and Automation
Wheels and rollers are among the hardest-working parts in any automated system. This white paper walks engineers through designing them for load, wear, traction, and reliability in heavy-duty robotics, so they last instead of becoming the weak link.
Engineering Polyurethane Components for Heavy-Duty Applications
Modern automation pushes mechanical parts past what standard materials can handle. This white paper covers the material, process, and design choices behind heavy-duty polyurethane components for robotics and precision systems, so they hold up under continuous duty.
— Design Guide
How to specify custom polyurethane wheels, casters and rollers to solve motion transfer and rolling problems
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What wheel or caster material stops flat-spotting and goes the distance under continuous load?
Custom cast polyurethane with low compression set. MPC customizes the durometer and compression set so a loaded wheel that sits parked doesn’t take a set, and it outlasts rubber and plastic under continuous rolling.
How do I keep the tread from debonding from the metal core under sustained load?
Cast the tread directly onto the core so it chemically bonds during cure. MPC’s bond is stronger than the polyurethane itself, so the part wears down rather than separating from the core.
What rolls quieter and lasts longer than rubber or plastic for roller-guide or ride-quality parts?
Custom cast polyurethane customized for dampening. It runs quiet and low-vibration and holds its shape where rubber takes a set and goes out of round, so ride quality and wear life both improve.
What lowers push-pull force and noise on continuous-duty wheels?
A custom wheel customized to the load and duty. Cast polyurethane that resists flat-spotting and wear keeps rolling resistance low, so push-pull force, noise and maintenance stay down over a long service life.
— Keep Exploring