The system, produced in Finland by Sleipner, effectively provides wheels for tracked excavators, enabling them to be towed up to five times faster than driving on tracks. Wear and maintenance needs are also reduced by roughly 80%, it is claimed. The exclusive distribution agreement covers the whole of the UK and Ireland and stems from the first introduction of the product, commonly known as 'skates', by Finning in late 2011. It was announced at the Hillhead quarrying equipment exhibition taking place in Derbyshire this week. Finning core industries business manager Greg Mulhearn said: "This is a significant deal for Finning, as we move further towards delivering complete equipment solutions to our customers. Bringing Sleipner into the Finning family is a natural choice, as we can answer the specific needs of quarry and mining customers when it comes to improving productivity and reducing maintenance costs.