Custom Industrial Carts & Dollies
A part or an assembly that moves between stations rides on custom industrial carts and dollies, and the frame has to hold it in the position the next operation needs. K-Display welds the frames and forms the decks in carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum to your drawings.
Industrial carts and dollies we build
We build custom industrial carts and dollies as welded frames with formed decks and shelves, push handles, and plates for the casters, in carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminum. A cart ships as a rolling assembly with the casters and handles installed and the frame powder coated, or as a kit of finished parts to assemble at your plant.
Frames and shelves that stay in one place are parts racks & shelving, and a fixed operator position is a workstations & work benches build.
A swivel caster sweeps a full circle beneath its plate as the cart turns, and the frame near that corner stays outside the circle. Where the plate sits on the frame follows from that sweep.
Cart and dolly parts we make
- Cart and dolly frames
- A cart frame is a welded base with uprights, and a dolly frame is a low base and deck with none, built around the payload's shape and support points.
- Decks and shelves
- Formed platforms and shelf panels with retaining edges around the part they carry.
- Handles and part stops
- Push handles, part stops, and retaining brackets on the frame.
- Caster mounting plates
- Plates for your casters, welded to the frame.
- Bin cradles
- Formed cradles that hold a bin or container on the deck.
How the load reaches the casters
- Payload on the casters
- An offset load puts more weight on some casters than on others, and the frame, the deck, and the casters carry the payload together, so the most loaded caster can pass its rating while the others sit well under it. We build the deck around the payload's support points and weld the caster plates into the frame under them.
- Caster plate and height
- A caster's plate pattern and mounting height fix where its plate sits under the frame and how high the deck stands. We cut each plate to the caster you name and set the frame height from it.
- Handle mounting
- A push or a pull at the handle loads its brackets, and a bracket welded to thin deck sheet flexes under it. We weld the handle brackets to frame members.
Weld the frame, coat it, fit the casters
The caster holes are masked before the powder coat and the wheels go on after the cure, so no coating lands on the wheels or in the mounting holes.
Cut the frame and deck blanks
We laser cut the frame plates, deck blanks, and caster plates, and form the decks and shelves on the press brake.
Weld and grind
We MIG or TIG weld the frame, the caster plates, and the handle brackets, then grind the welds smooth.
Fit hardware, coat, and ship
We install studs and handle hardware, powder coat the frame, then fit the casters and pack the cart assembled or as a kit.
Leave room to load and unload
A part can fit on the lower shelf and still be difficult to load. The clear opening between uprights, the shelf above, and any retaining edges determines the path into and out of the cart.
Show the payload in its carried position and during loading, including any projecting feet or fittings. Identify how it is handled and where it needs support so we can review the shelf, handle, and frame layout together.
The dashed outline shows where the case rests; the arrow shows the separate space needed to unload it. Shelf spacing and upright positions must accommodate the case's projecting feet along that route.
What to send for a cart quote
- Payload
- Weight, dimensions, and the points where the payload rests.
- Cart envelope
- Footprint, height, and the aisle width and turning space the cart moves through.
- Casters and handles
- Caster and brake part numbers, handle type and height, and who supplies each.
- Floor and movement
- Floor surface, thresholds, slopes, and whether the cart is pushed or towed.
- Finish and quantity
- Powder coat color, carts per order, and delivery date.