Electric tugs for engineering & manufacturing
Move heavy plant and products without a forklift.
From trailer frames moving between welding and finishing bays to heavy plant being repositioned across the factory, Tractive Power electric tugs give one operator control of the load. Battery powered and built in the UK.
2,000–300,000 kg
From trolleys on castors up to the heaviest loads on rails.
TT100 to TP3000
1 person
The operator walks behind and steers. The tug does the pushing.
Regardless of load
0 forklifts
An agricultural trailer maker took the forklift out of its tight production bays.
TP250 case study
Forklifts and cranes are the wrong tools for short, heavy moves.
Engineering sites move heavy frames, fabrications and plant between bays every day, often in tight spaces.
A forklift needs room and a certified driver; a crane needs time and slinging. Pushing by hand needs several people and still leaves nobody in control of a heavy load.
Why traditional handling doesn’t fit
Forklifts struggle in tight production bays and bring the risk of a heavy vehicle working among people on foot. Overhead cranes are precise but slow for moving a load along the floor.
Manual pushing is common, and it is where people get hurt: uneven force, no controlled stopping and no clear method.
Where Tractive Power fits
A pedestrian electric tug gives one operator full control of the move. An agricultural trailer maker now moves each frame from welding to finishing with one operator and a TP250, with no forklift in the bays.
For the heaviest loads, the Extra Heavy range moves up to 300,000 kg on rails.
Where our machines work in engineering & manufacturing
From the weld bay to dispatch.
Assemblies on the line
Excavator boom assemblies moved along the production line by one operator.
Heavy plant
General heavy plant repositioning across the factory.
Furnace units
Large furnace units pulled across the factory floor on castors.
Bar & stock trolleys
Bundles of steel bar moved on trolleys between machines.
Applications
Engineering & manufacturing: what our tugs move
Recommended for engineering & manufacturing
Tugs from the TT100 to the TP3000.
Not sure which machine you need? Start from your load.
Engineering & manufacturing couplings
The right connection for your load.
Engineering loads come in every shape. Every tug is fitted with the coupling that suits yours, and if none of the standard options fit, we design one around your load.
Adjustable pushpad
Straight-line pushing of railed and wheeled loads.
Roll cage coupling
Up to 250 nested cages, pushed as one
5th wheel channel
For wheeled loads, stillages and A-frames.
Quick latch
Standardised across your trolleys
Paper roll
Rolls and drums moved on their circumference.
None of these fit? We design the coupling around your load. Designed in-house around your load, to your drawing.
Built for engineering & manufacturing handling
Safe, controlled, single-operator handling.
Single-operator control
One person walks behind and steers at walking pace. The tug supplies the force, so nobody has to push.
Battery powered
No fumes and quiet running indoors. A full recharge takes 8 hours, so it charges overnight.
Backed by a UK service team
Built in the UK, with a 2-year warranty and a UK service team for servicing and repairs.
Engineering & manufacturing handling FAQs
The questions engineering teams ask us.
Can an electric tug replace a forklift?
For moving wheeled and railed loads along the floor, often yes. An agricultural trailer maker took the forklift out of its production bays and now moves each frame with one operator and a TP250.
How heavy a load can you move?
The TP250 moves up to 4,000 kg on castors and 20,000 kg on rails. The Extra Heavy range goes up to 300,000 kg on rails with the TP3000.
Do I need rails?
No. Every tug moves wheeled loads on castors. Rails let the same machine move much heavier loads.
Does pushing a heavy load by hand count as manual handling?
Yes. Pushing and pulling count as manual handling under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, so the risk has to be assessed and reduced as far as reasonably practicable. A tug takes most of the push force out of the job.
Can you build a coupling for our load?
Yes. If none of the standard couplings fit, our design team makes one around your load, in-house.
Can you look at our site first?
Yes. We visit, walk the routes and look at your loads before recommending a machine and coupling.
Will a Tractive Power tug move your load?
Tell us what you’re moving, how heavy it gets and what it runs on. We’ll tell you which tug and coupling will do the job.
Rather talk it through? Call 01538 360372.
