They roll silently and invisibly-not only in many elevators and in various machines- but also over the parquet in film studios. Imagine you buy a brand-new car, the one you have always dreamed of, or a new piece of furniture. But wait, a scratched and grooved lacquer surface may dampen the joy. Scene change: You watch a live broadcast on TV and suddenly, the image shakes because a bump let the tripod shake while filming. Yes, you guessed correctly: The production of rolls, rollers and wheels is not for amateurs.
Johannes Prinz received a profound education to become a plastic technician at asma plastics technology PUR in Weitra and completed it successfully. For some years now, he is responsible for the foundry, the centrepiece of the firm, where he completed his apprenticeship. “The processing of the products made from polyurethane is not only diversified and multifaceted but also interesting, challenging, extensive and extremely tricky,” Johannes puts in a nutshell. Professional experience is required to process the highly resilient plastic. “Many factors need to be taken into account. Not only the right ratio of components is important. Even the outside temperature and the humidity have a big impact,” Johannes explains and adds, “It is always exciting whether unexpected influences might probably make the product unusable and therefore it will fail at the quality assurance.”
According to application of the product, the right material has to be chosen, from extremely soft to hard. Just like the rolls and wheels mentioned at the beginning of the text, the castor is often invisible to the customer but bears a huge responsibility for the quality of the delivered product.