Useful Terminology

Bolt hole: A hole in a mounting plate that allows a castor to be attached to the item to be moved.

Bolt hole pattern: The way that the bolt holes are configured.

Castor: A small wheel (usually used in sets) that can be attached to the bottom of a larger / heavier item to allow it to be moved easily.

Castor brake: A brake that is fitted to a castor which stops it turning when locked.

Ergonomic: Ergonomic means that something has been designed to be effective, efficient, safe and comfortable for a person to use in the workplace or elsewhere.

Hydraulic: Hydraulic means that a device is moved by pressure from water or another liquid.

ISO: ISO is a rating which specifies requirements for a quality management system in an organisation. The organisation needs to meet a number of criteria in order to become accredited. BIL are ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 accredited.

Modular: Modular means that something is made up of different parts. BIL’s AluTruk is a completely modular system that is fixed together using nuts and bolts. This means that different components (handle, frame, toe plate, wheels, accessories) can be chosen to create bespoke hand trucks.

Parking jack: A parking jack is normally used in conjunction with heavier duty fabricated castors and is not designed to lift any load but to act as a brake mechanism.

Pneumatic tyre: A pneumatic tyre is a tyre that is inflated with air.

Polypropylene: Polypropylene is a type of manufactured plastic.

Puncture proof tyre: Puncture proof relates to solid tyres which are not filled with air and so will not puncture.

Retrofit: Retrofit means to add parts at a later date typically once a product has been built.

Shore hardness: Shore hardness is a scale that measures how hard or soft a wheel is. Rubber will have a lower shore rating than polyurethane or nylon which are much harder.

Swivel castor: A swivel castor contains a wheel and an assembly unit (to attach it to the product you want to move). It is designed to rotate 360⁰, thus moving in any direction and so are ideal when equipment needs to be manoeuvred around corners or in tight spaces.

Top plate: A metal plate that allows the castor to be bolted to the product.

Weld: Weld describes the joining together of metal parts by heating the surfaces and then pressing or hammering them together.