| The Why, Where and How of Towing | |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
| When
the load is too heavy to push, you will need to use other ways. WHY TOW? There are limits to what a forklift can do. Basically it only moves one pallet, or load at a time. If there is a lot of material to be moved some distance, there's a good economic case for using more trolleys instead of more forklifts. In fact a forklift can usually tow a trolley, but for multiple trolleys in a train, a specialized tractor is needed. You've seen them in use at airports, docks, railway stations and heavy engineering works, and they're generally used whenever loads are to be continuously moved more than 100 metres. To add to their usefulness, trailers are often specially modified to contain loads more safely, or as to act as a jig or part of the work holding fixture. The load can then be wheeled to a work centre, worked on, and then wheeled away, without ever leaving the trailer, thus reducing handling time and effort. Trailers can also be matched to the height of a work table, so the load can be slid directly on and off the work area. |
 |
| WHERE
SHOULD YOU TOW? In short, anywhere. Modern wheels and castors are designed for many different surfaces, smooth or rough, indoors or out. Different systems of towing suit different environments, but in general, there is a system, and a wheel or castor, for every application. Tractors used indoors, in warehouses, factories, etc., are restricted by safety regulations to about 10km/hr. But even at this low speed, both the wheel and castor can suffer impacts from uneven surfaces, so the castors chosen must be strong enough to cope with this. Outdoor use can be even more severe, so we only supply larger diameters, with a thick cushion of polyurethane or rubber. |
   |
| HOW TO
TOW Tractive power can come from either fixed track chain towing, or free movement tractors. TRACTORS (FREE MOVEMENT) There are various types available - electric, petrol, diesel, LPG - and all allow much greater flexibility. However, they do require a driver, so the high cost of labour encourages the use of multiple trolleys to form a train. Usually, one tractor can handle three groups of trailers - one being pulled, one loading, and one unloading. Tractors to tow one or more trolleys have many advantages in flexibility. BUT they do mean that wheels and castors are often pulled at high speeds over unsmooth surfaces, and can hit grates, rails, weather lips at doors and so on. Therefore, castors for power towing must be especially strong. The rougher the use, the larger the wheel you must use. |