Thales Ltd

Moving a variety of trailers around a manufacturing plant

Thales Ltd is a French company with a presence in over thirty countries, including the UK. Together, their teams design and manufacture electrical systems used by customers in the aerospace, transport, defence and security sectors.

Over 6,500 staff work at the UK depot in Bristol, a busy environment where many physical components of Thales systems come to life. In the manufacturing plant, all types of trailers are constantly on the move transporting raw materials to help workers put systems together. While the process helps increase production speed and efficiency, it also increases the risk of staff injuries due to the number of moving objects at any given time – equally hazardous to the person who manually pushes and pulls the heavy loads.

The Thales team contacted us to ask about a towing device that would accommodate different trailers, including one manufactured explicitly for carrying a cherry picker. Not only would the trailers differ, but so would their loads, from lightweight to heavy.

With such a wide-ranging brief, our team presented several potential options to the client at a site demonstration, bringing not one but four tow tugs along, all manufactured by market leaders Verhagen Leiden. Over several hours, we showed the V-Move XL-HD, V-Move XL, V-Move L and V-Move M tow tugs in action, hooking each one to various trolleys and all carrying different loads to show their capabilities.

Thales finally settled on the V-Move XL-HD model thanks to its being the most heavy-duty option of the four. With a towing capacity of up to 5,000kg, this hard-working unit is ideal for large loads and makes a breeze of lighter ones. With multiple fittings available, it is versatile enough to switch quickly from towing one trailer type to the next and has safety features to warn pedestrians whenever it’s close. While capable of handling big jobs, the tow tug is compact and stores away nicely when not in use or during its overnight battery recharge.

Thales have found their V-Move XL-HD electric tug a complete success, with staff now able to move all types of trailers and loads as required, safely and quickly, making their job easier than before its purchase. Another happy customer, all thanks to the UK’s primary distributor for Verhagen Leiden to tugs, Industar!