MACHINE skates are convenient and efficient for transporting heavy machinery across the factory floor, especially in confined areas. Dollies, machine-moving skates, and roller skids are all names for the same thing. Considering the instruments serve the same purpose—to “slide” under the weight, “lower drag forces,” and “make a motion quick, efficient, and safe—the terms are mostly interchangeable.
Machine skates come in various designs and specs to accommodate machinery relocation needs. However, using improper tools to move a massive load can cause serious injury or even fatality to you, your staff, and the equipment. Once you have determined the weight of your load and made a list of your individual needs, picking the correct choice becomes simple.
Frequency
It may not be cost-effective to purchase your equipment if you plan on rearranging your factory floor once. It’s important to remember that load skates have other potential applications inside your company, such as in material handling or relocating things within a warehouse. The good news is that you can acquire what you need because most load skate manufacturers offer various individual skates and pre-configured combinations.
Forms of Flooring and Rolling Resistance
You must use machine moving skates with the right rollers if minimizing floor damage is a top priority. Metal rollers are viable for heavy lifting but can readily scratch certain flooring types. Polyurethane rollers are often supplied for light to medium-duty machine movement scenarios. Besides, they work wonderfully on smooth surfaces, including hardwood, tile, vinyl, and carpet.
As an alternative, nylon rollers offer superior wear resistance, protection from setting under static loads, and floor damage prevention. They are safer around the house because they don’t leave sticky residue or get pierced by sharp objects. Because of this, they work well in sterile settings like hospitals, laboratories, and other types of clean rooms.
There should be as little resistance as possible when transporting big machinery. Selecting a layout with high-quality bearings and the most appropriate roller material can help keep rolling resistance to a minimum.
Furthermore, nylon rollers are far more durable than polyurethane rollers, allowing for smoother movement and greater weight capacities under load.
Footprint & Manoeuvrability
There are machine-moving skates for projects of varying sizes. The three-point arrangement, in which the front skates are steerable, and the rear skates are dual trailing skates, is widespread. Adjustable to fit a variety of foot sizes, the dual trailing rear skates are joined by one or more bars. The bar maintains parallelism between the two back skates during the relocation process.
In addition to moving the cargo in a straight line, you may also need to maneuver it past other pieces of machinery or other obstructions on the job site. It’s crucial to swivel the burden to the degree that doesn’t jeopardize command or security (the last thing you need on the sales floor is a 10-ton load acting like an unruly grocery cart).
In confined places, steerable load skates with 360 degrees of rotation may be necessary; however, they can be kept under control with a metal pin that locks the rollers when axial rotation is not required. The key to a smooth and risk-free equipment relocation is to use a combination of fixed and steerable skates under the weight.
Tonnage
Individual load skate capacities might be as little as one ton and as high as thirty-five tons. Therefore, you must know the load weight to equip yourself properly. If you’re utilizing a set of load skates and your load weighs 70 tons, the weight will be distributed evenly between the pair. Here, front and back skates with a minimum 35-ton load capacity apiece will do the trick.
Skates for Machines With Chains & Rotational Skates
Chain rollers, often called roller skids, are a type of industrial load skate made out of a chain of steel rollers. The high capacity, low price, and compact size are all advantages. Besides, load leveling plates and swivel turntables are available as attachments.
Wheel boxes in a castor design allow for full rotation of this type. Typically, they come with nylon wheels and can carry loads of 3, 7, or 9 tons. The flooring is well-protected, and the wheels are easy to maneuver due to their low rolling resistance. Keep in mind that the weight capabilities of these skates are typically lower than those of other load skate kinds and that the handles and connecting bars are often sold separately.
Its function and operation are implicit in its name. The cargo can be steered in any direction using steerable front skates, which include built-in turntables for precise maneuverability. In addition to being easily maneuverable, minimal displacement force and rolling resistance are further benefits. When used with trailing rear skates, they create a stable three-point moving system and are often placed in the front of the load.
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Conclusion
Machine skates are usually used with other lifting instruments. It’s necessary to raise the load first so the load skates may be slid under it. Spreading wedges, low-height hydraulic cylinders with hydraulic pumps, and toe jacks are common instruments for this purpose. If the weight to be moved is too heavy for load skates (such as a transformer), a portable hydraulic gantry can lift the load safely and efficiently. Then, other machinery like skidding systems and turntables can transport the cargo to its final destination.
