Moving heavy machinery across a workshop floor is a problem of control rather than brute force. This skate solves it twice over: every wheel swivels through 360 degrees so the skate can travel in any direction without being repositioned, and the top plate is a bearing-mounted turntable so the load can be rotated on the spot. Rated at 10 tonnes, running on polyurethane wheels that will not mark or damage a finished floor.
Key Features
- Every wheel rotates 360°: The skate travels forwards, sideways or diagonally without being lifted and repositioned, which is what makes tight manoeuvring possible with a heavy load aboard.
- Bearing-mounted turntable top: The load can be turned on the spot independently of the skate, letting a machine be aligned to its final position without repeated repositioning.
- Polyurethane wheels: Chosen to reduce the risk of damage to the floor, which matters in workshops, clean areas and finished installations where steel wheels would leave marks.
- 10 tonne capacity: Used as a set, capacity multiplies with the number of skates under the load, subject to correct weight distribution.
- Compact footprint: 218 mm wide, 576 mm long, 70 mm high with a 220 mm diameter turntable.
- Compatible steering handle: VRSHAN10 fits this skate for pulling and steering. Not supplied as standard.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Capacity (t) |
A (mm) |
B (mm) |
C (mm) |
d (mm) |
E (mm) |
F (mm) |
G (mm) |
H (mm) |
J (mm) |
K (mm) |
Weight (kg) |
| VRS10 |
10 |
218 |
576 |
70 |
697 |
120 |
60 |
25 |
20 |
ø220 |
R57.5 |
93 |
All dimensions in millimetres. J is the turntable diameter. Height C of 70 mm is the deck height, which is the figure to check against your available jacking clearance.
10 Tonne Capacity | 360° Swivel | Turntable Top | Floor-Safe Wheels
Rated at 10 tonnes with all wheels rotating through 360 degrees and a bearing-mounted turntable top. Polyurethane wheels selected to minimise floor damage. Supplied with a user instruction manual. Machinery moving skates are work equipment under PUWER and should be inspected before each use and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Suitable Applications
Machinery skates are the standard method for repositioning heavy plant where a forklift cannot reach or would damage the floor. Typical uses include machine tool installation and relocation, moving generators, transformers and compressors, factory reconfiguration, moving heavy plant through doorways and around corners where the turntable earns its keep, and positioning equipment onto foundations to close tolerances. Skates are almost always used as a set of three or four under a load, with the number determined by weight, footprint and load distribution rather than simply by dividing the total weight by the skate rating.
More About This Product
Material handling equipment solves the problem that most manual handling injuries come from: moving something heavy a short distance. Cranes handle the long lifts; the damage is done shifting a machine six metres across a workshop because it seemed too short a distance to be worth rigging.
The equipment is straightforward. The considerations that catch people out are the floor, the route and the momentum of something heavy once it is rolling.
The Route Is the Risk
A load on wheels behaves entirely differently from a load being lifted, and the risks move with it.
Point loading comes first. Wheel loads under a laden truck or skate concentrate onto small hard wheels, and the pressure at each contact patch is far higher than the load's own footprint would suggest. Slabs that carry the static load comfortably can crack, and floor coverings can be marked or cut.
Level changes are where control is lost. A multi-tonne load rolling at walking pace and stopping abruptly against a threshold, an expansion joint or a change in floor covering keeps trying to move. Anyone with a hand on it at that moment finds out how much energy is in it. The answer is to slow down before the change, not at it.
Gradients compound the same problem. Even a slight slope in a workshop floor will accelerate a heavy load on good wheels, and a load that gets away has no brakes.
Nobody walks alongside. The instinct is to have people at the sides steadying the load, and that is exactly where they should not be if it shifts or a wheel collapses. Push or pull from a position of control, keep feet clear of the wheels, and treat the route as part of the plan rather than as the bit between the lifting points.
How to Use the Moving Skate
- Calculate the load per skate honestly: Weight rarely distributes evenly. Assume the worst-placed skate carries more than its share, and size accordingly rather than dividing the total by the number of skates.
- Check the floor first: The floor must carry the point loading, which is far higher than the machine's own footprint imposed. Check for expansion joints, drainage channels, weak slabs and thresholds along the route.
- Jack and position carefully: Raise the load using rated jacks, position the skates under solid structural points on the machine base, and lower it under control. The 70 mm deck height sets your minimum jacking clearance.
- Load onto the turntable centre: The load should bear centrally on the turntable, not overhanging the edge.
- Move slowly and steer with the handle: Use the VRSHAN10 handle for pulling and steering rather than pushing the load itself.
- Watch for sudden stops: A 10 tonne load stopped abruptly against a threshold will try to keep going. Approach any change in floor level at a crawl.
Warning: Never exceed the rated capacity of any individual skate, allowing for uneven weight distribution. Never move a load on skates across a floor that has not been assessed for point loading. Never allow anyone to ride on or walk beside a moving load. Keep feet clear of the wheels at all times.
Safety Information
- Never exceed 10 tonnes on this skate, and allow for uneven load distribution across a set.
- Assess the floor for point loading before moving, including the full route.
- Load must bear centrally on the turntable and not overhang.
- Use rated jacks to raise and lower the load, never improvised packing.
- Keep feet and hands clear of the wheels and turntable.
- Move slowly and control the load at all times, particularly on any slope.
- Do not use on uneven, damaged or sloping surfaces without specific assessment.
- Inspect wheels and turntable bearing before each use.
Inspection and Maintenance
Polyurethane wheels are the wear item and the thing to inspect first. Look for flat spots from a load left standing in one place, cuts and embedded debris such as swarf or grit, and any separation of the polyurethane from the wheel core. A wheel with embedded metal debris will score the floor it was chosen to protect. Check that every wheel swivels freely through a full turn and that the turntable rotates smoothly under hand pressure, since a stiff bearing makes the skate difficult to control precisely at exactly the moment precision matters. Keep the deck and turntable clean, and grease the turntable bearing periodically in accordance with the manual.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many skates do I need?
Usually three or four, but the number depends on weight distribution and the machine's footprint rather than arithmetic alone. A 20 tonne machine does not simply need two 10 tonne skates: the load must be supported at structural points on the base, and the worst-loaded skate will carry more than an even share. Work from the machine's weight distribution, or ask us.
Q: What does the turntable actually do?
It lets the load rotate independently of the skate. Combined with 360 degree wheels, that means a machine can be turned to its final orientation in place rather than being manoeuvred round in a wide arc. In a tight plant room that is often the difference between the job being possible and not.
Q: Is the handle included?
No. The compatible handle is VRSHAN10 and is ordered separately. It is worth having: steering a 10 tonne load by pushing on the machine itself is both harder and less safe.
Q: Will these damage my floor?
The polyurethane wheels are chosen specifically to reduce that risk compared with steel. But point loading is a separate question: 10 tonnes through a small contact patch is a considerable load on a slab, and the floor needs assessing regardless of wheel material. Also check the wheels for embedded grit, which turns a floor-friendly wheel into a cutting tool.
