It's important to know that not all polyurethanes are equal – the material is available with a tremendous range of characteristics. During fabrication, manufacturers have many different chemical compounds to choose from, and various manufacturing processes which determine characteristics of the resulting products. They choose different polyurethane compounds, based upon the intended application situation. Is it important that the caster be non-marking, or make no audible noise? Will it be operated at low speeds or high speeds? Will it be used continuously, or only occasionally? Each of these situations may require a different polyurethane formulation.
Non-marking
– while often considered to be non-marking and floor protective, polyurethane casters function better in this regard on some floors than on other floors. They work well on hard surfaces such as ceramic tile, concrete, or hardwood – but usually are not suggested for use on linoleum, vinyl or soft wood floors. Neoprene may be a better choice for softer flooring materials.
Low-speed versus high speed