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Pharmaceutical Manual Handling Equipment

Achieve safe, controlled movements of sensitive loads and equipment in biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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Electric tug applications in the biopharmaceutical industry

Across biopharmaceutical manufacturing, electric tugs are used to move a wide variety of stainless steel cleanroom equipment such as: 

  • Buffer & media totes
  • Bioprocess containers
  • Chromatography columns
  • Single-use mixers & skids
  • Reactors & agitators
  • Vessels & tanks

Benefits for pharmaceutical manufacturing

Compact - icon

Compact machines for precise movements

Space constraints and large equipment make load movement challenging. Compact electric tugs allow precise positioning in tight spaces.

Eliminate manual handling - icon

Eliminate manual handling

Make moving 15,000kg loads a one-person job, without compromising on safety – reducing the risk of injuries and boosting productivity.

Improve flexibility - icon

Flexible processes, maximum uptime

Unlock the flexibility to reconfigure cleanroom suites and process trains to maximise uptime. 

Cleanroom - icon

Ideal for cleanroom suites

Electric tugs can be used in cleanroom environments, enabling the safe movement of loads in controlled environments.

Stainless Steel SmartMover SM100+ moving a tote bin in food manufacturing

Stainless Steel Range

Seamless integration into your cleanroom suite

Safely move your pharmaceutical process equipment without compromising your cleanroom.

Our 316-grade stainless steel electric tugs are used in cleanrooms by leading pharmaceutical manufacturers in upstream and downstream processing to deliver the safe and controlled movement of equipment in the most stringent environments.

Explore our stainless steel tugs

Experts in pharmaceutical material handling

In pharmaceutical manufacturing, we understand that maximising suite uptime and creating flexible processes are crucial - but safety should never be compromised. 

When selecting a moving solution for your operation, consider the following: 

  • Size – Space is limited in biopharmaceutical cleanrooms and our electric tugs are designed with a compact footprint, making them ideal for tight spaces. 
  • Security – Moving high-value loads requires a safe, controlled process. Our machines feature hydraulic coupling systems, ensuring a secure and unbreakable connection to your equipment. 
  • Safety – Handling heavy process equipment can take a toll on lab staff. Our electric tugs eliminate manual handling, making load movement safer and freeing up staff to focus on higher value tasks.
  • Suitability – We understand the importance of working in controlled environments. Our equipment meets the stringent standards of the industry, including high-grade 316 stainless steel and excellent protection from contaminants with superior IP ratings. 

We're the recommended AxiChrom moving solution

Cytiva recommends MasterMover stainless steel tugs as the ideal solution for moving Axichrom 800–1600 columns. Engineered for cleanroom environments, our tugs ensure safe, precise, and efficient handling for their customers.

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Industry blog

Ergonomics in biopharma shouldn’t be an afterthought

The biopharma industry’s shift toward mobile and modular facility designs offers increased flexibility and reduced costs, but it also presents ergonomic and safety challenges, particularly when moving heavy equipment. Electric tugs provide the ideal solution, allowing staff to safely and precisely move large, mobile equipment like bioreactors and chromatography columns. By reducing manual handling, electric tugs enhance the benefits of modular designs, improving efficiency and safety in modern pharmaceutical facilities.

Read our biopharma modular facility article

Trusted by the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturers

Leading pharmaceutical manufacturers and contract manufacturing organisations trust MasterMover’s compact electric tugs to safely move high-value equipment.

gsk-logo-2
astrazeneca
pfizer
boehringer-ingelheim
Amgen - logo
Wuxi Biologics - logo

They are high-quality, reliable and easy to operate, and furthermore, they offer fantastic control and movement in tight spaces – so they are ideal for use in the biopharma industry

John O'Reilly
Managing Director, Strikebox Engineering

We're here to help 

If you’re looking to improve safety, remove the risk of injury and unlock greater operational efficiency, we’re here to help. Speak to our team to discuss your application. 

Your Questions, Answered - FAQs

I’m moving high-value, sensitive equipment, do electric tugs connect securely to the load?

Yes, electric tugs create an unbreakable connection to the load. Whether you opt for our SM100+ SS to move buffer totes, or our MT20-1500+ SS to control large chromatography columns, you can be confident that your equipment will be securely moved using our electric tugs.

Hydraulic coupling systems maximise load security and manoeuvrability, enabling large, heavy equipment to be precisely moved in even the tightest of spaces.

Can they work in tight cleanroom environments?

Yes – all of our stainless steel electric tugs and tows can push, pull, manoeuvre and stop mobile process equipment in tight spaces.

We know space is at a premium in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and that size is a key consideration when it comes to material handling equipment.

Our electric tugs are compact but powerful, meaning they’re adequately powered to move the heaviest of loads, without taking up valuable space. The flexible steering on our machines also enables them to rotate loads on their corner axis. This unparalleled range of movement means that our electric tugs can move loads in even the tightest of cleanroom environments.

What grade of stainless steel is used?

All of our stainless steel electric tugs are constructed with 316 high-grade stainless steel.

A pickle and passivation process is undertaken to assist with the formation of a continuous chromium-oxide passive film and to remove contaminants.

Finally, a 180 grit polish is applied to provide a durable finish. This makes them ideally suited to biopharmaceutical cleanrooms.     

What IP ratings are available? 

The Stainless Steel range encompasses a number of different machines, with varying ingress protection (IP) ratings. Individual IP ratings can be found on the Technical

Specification Sheets for each model, though as a guide, IP ratings range from IP42 - IP55, with higher ratings available as a custom solution.