Tools of the Trade – Machinery Skates

What are machinery skates?

One of the most frequently used tools by professional machinery handling teams, alongside the hydraulic toe-jack, these wheeled platforms are placed underneath machinery to facilitate its movement.

They are available in various configurations to suit the load and floor surface, but are most usually fitted with either nylon, polyurethane or steel castors. These can either be fixed-wheel, swivel or a combination of both.



In the right hands and in combination with other ‘ground handling’ equipment, the humble skate can be used to move any manner of machine through areas and restrictions that would appear impossible to the untrained eye.

Common types of machinery skate

Fixed Wheel (inline) Skates:

This type of skate has no turning ability (without the use of a jack to reposition the skates) and is typically used at the rear of the load as a trailing skate to the main steering skate (below). Normally used in pairs, they will usually employ a tie bar to lock the pair together and prevent one from ‘running away’ from the other on uneven floor surfaces.

Steering Skates:

Usually equipped with a turntable on which the load rests, the steering skate can rotate underneath the load and therefore, provide a change of direction during a machine movement.

The steering skate is typically attached with a handlebar or a trailer hitch, depending on the application. If equipped with a trailer hitch, this skate can be connected to a forklift or other plant to provide pulling assistance (although we do not favour this approach, as there is a danger of pulling the skate out from underneath the machine).

Usually, a steering skate is used as the front skate of a set, paired with two fixed wheel trailing skates. This 3-point skate configuration is the safest way to ensure all skates remain fully loaded throughout the movement.

360-degree swivel skates:

These highly manoeuvrable  skates can literally swivel in all directions, making much tighter turning circles than a conventional skate set, but are generally restricted to lower machine loads than those available with a conventional set.

Electric / Hydraulic skates:

Like the conventional steering skate, electric skates are usually equipped with a rotating turntable upon which the load rests. The primary difference is that the skate is equipped with an electric motor and therefore, doesn't require a handlebar or additional plant to pull/push the load.

Additionally, there are systems available that have a hydraulic lifting turntable, which in some circumstances could negate the need for a toe-jack to place/remove the skates.

Hydraulic skates are similar to the electric skate, however, they use hydraulics and a wheel mounted gearset to provide motion, rather than an electric motor. The advantage over electric skates is they are more rugged and can be used for extended hours. Their drawback is they need to be connected to an external hydraulic supply, which limits the reach of the system and causes new potential hazards during a machine movement in the form of trailing hoses.

Safe use of skates

Heavy machine movements should always be carried out by trained and competent professionals, like our team at Novatec Engineering. If you do intend to carry out your own movements (or just want to make sure your machinery contractor is up to the task), the following basics should be followed:

• Ensure your skates are well maintained, with undamaged casings, axle bars, wheels and bearings. Any damage or other weakness in these items could cause a skate to fail under load.

• Make sure the correct wheel has been selected for the floor surface, for example, steel or nylon wheels outside or on uneven concrete floors, polyurethane wheels on painted or other delicate finishes.

• Make sure the combined capacity of the skates is suitable for the load. This includes consideration of load distribution to ensure a single skate is not overloaded compared to the others in the set.

• Consider the centre of gravity of the load to ensure it will remain within the area of the skate set when in motion (particularly when making turns), as this could lead to toppling (especially when combined with the route hazards below).

• Walk the movement route prior to using the skates (and continue to monitor during the movement) to ensure the floor surface is clear of any debris that could interfere with the operation of the skate wheels or cause them damage. Also take this opportunity to check for other route hazards, such as drains, potholes and cambers.

• During the movement, ensure competent personnel are stationed with visibility of each skate. There is always a risk of skate slippage from underneath a moving load, so it is essential that the operation can be stopped and skates adjusted as soon as there’s a sign of something being wrong.

If in any doubt, it is always recommended you use a professional machine mover to ensure the safety of your personnel and equipment. If you need advice at any time, feel free to get in touch with the team at Novatec and we’ll be happy to help.

The right tools in the right hands

Our team are highly experienced machinery movers and know everything there is to know about using skates and other handling equipment, safely.

Furthermore, with years of machinery handling and rigging experience, we have the expertise to ensure the whole lifting operation is carried out to the highest standards and with minimal disruption to your operation, from start to finish.

If you have a challenging lift, machinery removal or machinery installation coming up, whether it’s for a single machine or entire facility, please get in touch with the team at Novatec to discuss further – we’re always up for a challenge and love to help!

Don’t risk your machinery or the safety of your personnel - Trust Novatec’s experience and expertise to get the job done properly

Over the years, our team has handled everything from a single machine to complete factories for a variety of different clients and in all industries from food production to waste recycling (and everything in between).

Regardless of the size of the project, our team follows the same strict procedures to ensure your machinery is handled safely and efficiently and is back in operation to suit your requirements.

Trust us to look after your machinery needs in every aspect, from planning and management to decommissioning, movement, re-installation and commissioning. Get in touch with our friendly team and we’ll be only too happy to advise on the next steps for your project.

Call 01634 757455 or email the team at office@novatec-engineering.co.uk