Medical Trolley Load Capacity: How Static and Dynamic Ratings Are Tested

Quick answer: A medical trolley sold as a 60 kg static rating is usually safe to 40 kg dynamic, because rolling and braking loads add stress that a parked test does not capture. Buyers who order on a single headline figure end up with carts that fail at the castor rather than the shelf.

What Static And Dynamic Ratings Mean

Two numbers describe the same cart. Static capacity is the load a frame carries while parked, and dynamic capacity is the load it carries while moving, cornering and braking. A 60 kg static cart holds about 40 kg in motion, and the difference sits in the castors, the brake pads and the frame joints rather than in the shelf surface.

• Static rating: measured with the cart parked on a level floor.
• Dynamic rating: measured while rolling over a 10 mm threshold.
• Brake hold: measured on a slope with the full rated load.
• Drawer rating: measured per drawer, not for the whole cart.

How A Load Test Is Run In The Factory

A trolley test sheet is short and repeatable. Weight plates are loaded evenly, the cart rolls a set distance, and the frame is measured before and after. The sequence below reflects powder-coated steel carts with 100 mm castors.

Castors, Brakes And The 100 mm Rule

Castor diameter sets rolling effort. A 100 mm castor rolls a 60 kg load with noticeably less push force than a 75 mm castor, and hospital staff feel the difference within a week of use. Two castors should carry brakes on a four-castor cart, and the brake should be a total lock rather than a directional lock if the cart parks on a ramp.

Wheel material matters as much as size. Polyurethane tyres protect vinyl flooring and resist flat spots, while hard nylon tyres roll easier but mark soft floors. A hospital that mixes both materials along one corridor will replace castors more often than frames, and castor replacement sits in the maintenance record rather than the purchasing file.

Specifying Capacity For A Tender

Tender documents should state four values separately: static capacity in kg, dynamic capacity in kg, per-drawer capacity in kg and castor diameter in mm. A cart quoted against a single figure invites substitution, and a substituted castor can cut the dynamic rating by 30 percent without changing the frame at all.

Two controls keep the specification alive. Ask for the test sheet with the batch number on it, and require the packed carton weight on the packing list so a lighter build becomes visible before delivery. On multi-cart orders, re-test the first 10 units of each production run against the approved sample and photograph the castor mounting plate, which is where most substitutions appear.

A receiving check closes the loop. Weigh the first carton of every delivery against the packing list, roll one cart over a 10 mm threshold with the rated load, and compare the castor plate against the approved sample photo. The check takes 20 minutes per delivery and catches a substitution before the carts reach the wards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Buyers comparing frames before a tender can review the range on medical trolleys and the drawer and accessory choices on trolley accessories and configurations. Brake and lock hardware maintenance sits in the note on trolley lock cylinder maintenance. Independent test methods for medical carts follow the inspection practice published by SGS.