Flexible Material Handling in Heavy Plant Manufacturing

In the wake of a global pandemic and chip shortage, heavy equipment manufacturers are under pressure to clear order book backlogs and recoup lost production time. Additionally, manufacturers face challenges with fixed infrastructure failure, unplanned downtime, and lost time in material transportation.

Electric tuggers present a modular solution guaranteed to deliver flexibility and cost savings from day one, enabling you to meet demand and reduce downtime.  

Fixed infrastructure failure & lost productivity in manufacturing

Unplanned downtime is estimated to cost industrial manufacturers and heavy plant assembly $50 billion each year. The failure of fixed infrastructure and equipment breakdown is a major contributor to this.

In heavy plant manufacturing, sub-assemblies move through various workstations as part of the production process. Workpieces are moved from stage to stage, creating a material flow. Typically, the movement of workpieces and sub-assemblies is achieved through overhead cranes, floor winch systems, and forklift trucks.  

Within the manufacturing process, material handling is a non-value-adding process and, is often the greatest source of waste in production systems through over-transportation, idle time, and equipment failure.  

The failure and breakdown of fixed handling systems including overhead cranes and floor winches can, and do, stop the whole production system and material flow. An overhead crane breakdown prevents materials and sub-assemblies from moving through the production process, causing significant bottlenecks and downtime. Couple this with the time required to repair the unit and restart production, and it is clear why many manufacturers are searching for more flexible systems.  

Alternatives to fixed equipment in heavy plant

Reducing downtime through flexible material handling – a pipe dream? 

Material handling is a core waste in lean manufacturing, which manufacturers are continuously striving to minimize through reliable, flexible solutions to mobilize materials.  

Manufacturers need solutions they can rely on that will continuously deliver the flexibility they need. Electric tuggers provide you with the flexibility that fixed systems just can’t deliver.  

Electric tugs enable you to reduce downtime, increase throughput and scale up or down production as required. With a license-free operation, electric tugs enable any production operative to easily control and move heavy loads up to 154,000 lbs. (or more with MultiLink Technology, which connects multiple electric tugs and are controlled by a single operator). 

But what about if they break down? 

Unlike fixed infrastructure systems, electric tuggers deliver a cost-effective, scalable solution that even in the event of a breakdown, doesn’t result in production grinding to a halt.  

The scalable nature of electric tow tugs means that manufacturers can have multiple electric tuggers performing a range of jobs – such as the movement of sub-assemblies from building to building or the delivery of kits lineside.  

Having multiple electric tugger units enables you to keep production moving, scale up or down operations as required and implement flexible handling systems at the push of a button. 

This also means that in the unlikely event of a breakdown, other electric tuggers can step in and carry out the movement.  

How do electric tuggers work? 

You need flexibility, that’s why our range of electric tuggers has been designed around the needs of industrial manufacturers.  

Our electric tuggers and tows are available as pedestrian-operated, wireless remote-controlled, or, for where more future-focused systems are required as AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles).  

We use an array of coupling systems to deliver complete control and powerful performance, enabling you to easily maneuver heavy parts and sub-assemblies. 

Boasting an array of standard safety features, electric tuggers deliver the efficiency improvements you need, without compromising on safety.