Rolling loss of torque driven industrial truck wheels with polyurethane tread

Abstract

The use of wheels and castors with solid polyurethane treads in industrial trucks poses a challenging combination of requirements, but also complex operating behaviour due to the material properties. The transmission of driving and steering forces, load capacity and durability in terms of abrasion and cracking are key features in this application. However, rolling resistance or rolling loss is decisive not only for the energy consumption of an industrial truck, but also in terms of the self-heating of the treads, as the deformation energy caused by the rolling process is partially dissipated. Rolling resistance is a mechanical force acting in the opposite direction to the direction of travel. The theory of rolling loss goes further, allowing an energy balance on the basis of self-heating. While rolling resistance is measured on a torque-free rolling wheel, the results of self-heating based on a dynamic driving scenario with reference to rolling resistance values indicate that further research is needed.