Machinery Slider™
Question & Answers

The single-directional Machinery Slider weights about 1 lbs (.6kg).

The multi-directional Machinery Slider with the 1″ hole weights about 1.3 lb (.45kg).

The multi-directional Machinery Slider with the 4″ hole weights about 13 oz (.39kg).

When using traditional dollies and skates which are between 4″ and 6″ (100mm to 150mm) tall when moving for instance a manual press brake or Haas turning center, they considerably change the center of gravity. Therefore if the dolly or skate would shift and come out from under the machine, the top of the machine would tilt past the tilt-point and tip over.

Because Machinery Sliders have a very-low profile at just 3/8″ to 1″ (9.5mm to 25mm) depending on which style is used, the machine would not pass the tilt-point which would not cause the center of gravity to shift to cause it to tip-over.

Machinery dollies and skates have wheels, made of steel, and many are quite heavy ( up to 120 lbs each); while a Machinery Slider is a machinery moving dolly or skate that does not have wheels and is lightweight (1 to 1.5 lbs each).

Obviously, the whole idea when moving heavy machinery across any type of floor or solid surface, is to understand how heavy that piece of machinery is, and how do I disperse the pounds-per-square-inch (psi) in order minimize the risk of damage to the floor or solid surface? Whether dollies, skates or Machinery Sliders are used, we multiply the number of those moving devices to disperse the weigh of the machine across a wider area of floor surface. Machinery Sliders are rated at 10-ton capacity each.

Example: Let’s say you are moving a 100 ton press in one direction using utilizing the single-direction Machinery Sliders. In this case we would put a 6″x6″ (150mmx150mm) timber across (perpendicular) to the front (lead) of the machine and put 16 Machinery Sliders under the timbers across the front with the forklift in the back pushing. Or keep the lead part of machine as just mentioned with the 16 Machinery Sliders under the timber and depending on machine design, put single-direction or multi-direction sliders in the rear (if there are pin or leveling holes) and pull from the front with the forklift.

This real-life example distributed the heavy weight across surface without damage.

The Machinery Sliders are made of a high-performance engineered plastic resin that is light-weight unlike steel dollies and skates.

Unlike traditional steel machinery dollies and skates with wheels and frame that are as high as 6″ (150mm), the Machinery Slider is very low profile with the single-directional model measuring only 3/8″ (9.5mm) in height, and the multi-directional model at 1″ (25mm) in height. So for instance if you loose a skate or dolly while moving a 100 ton top-heavy press it can easily cause it to tip over. However, when using a Machinery Slider, the machine will just thump the surface only dropping 3/8′ to 1″ down.

Machinery Sliders are semi-non-marking. Meaning, machinery sliders can leave marks on certain types of floor surfaces at times but marks can be removed.

For instance: If you use them on asphalt, asphalt is a very aggressive surface when sliding something over it. The aggressiveness of the asphalt will quickly grind the contact surface of the Machinery Slider leaving bits of resin in the asphalt. However, these can be removed with pressure washing.

When used on a tile floor, depending on the weight of the machine and how many Machinery Sliders were used to disperse the pounds per square inch (psi), they may leave a mark that can be easily be removed with the sole of your feet.

KN Industries introduced Machinery sliders in 2014 and since then have been used by machinery movers and riggers primarily on the East Coast of the United States which gave them a competitive edge. That is why it has been said often that Machinery Sliders are the best kept secret in the machinery moving and rigging industry. Machinery Sliders were first called “Skid Plates” when introduced in 2014.

Machinery Sliders do wear out in time depending on the surface they slide on, and the weight that is put on them. Obviously, when used on carpeting they last much longer; when used on asphalt, the life span is much shorter because of the coarseness of asphalt itself. In general, many moves can be made before replacing a Machinery Slider which are a fraction of the cost of traditional skates and dollies. Machinery Sliders are also recyclable or simply dispose of them in the normal trash.

Normally four (4) each of all three types of Machinery Sliders (single direction and multi-directional with 1″ and 4″ hole) are a part of each riggers gang box. When a large, heavy or long machine is being moved,  more Machinery Sliders will be needed to easily and safely move the machine or equipment. Larger machinery moving / rigging companies usually order between 200 to 300 at a time for their whole crew.

In an emergency if a machine does not have a bolt-hole to drop a pin/bolt into the 1″ (25mm) center-hole, you may router-out the center hole to about 4″ (100mm) wide by 1/2″ (13mm) deep so the machine’s foot-pad can fit in the Slider. A number of riggers and machinery movers actually have a set routered out just for this purpose. Of course, you can purchase them from us and save you the trouble.

Yes, they certainly are! View this video of a 43′ roll former being loaded onto an aluminum flatbed trailer utilizing Single Direction Machinery Sliders under a 8″x8″ timber.  Click this link and look for the video with this name: Loading Roll Former On Aluminum Flatbed Trailer

Yes, Machinery Sliders are safe and acceptable to be used in Clean Rooms. However, be sure to use new instead of Sliders that have been used on other projects. When scheduling a Clean Room job, plan ahead to have the necessary quantity of Machinery Sliders available for the job.