What Force Engineering does

Force Engineering Ltd is a privately held UK specialist engineering company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Shepshed, Leicestershire, that designs and manufactures custom Linear Induction Motors (LIMs) and related electromagnetic solutions. The company's core technology is the LIM, a flat linear motor that produces thrust through electromagnetic interaction between a multi-phase stator winding and a conductive reaction plate, delivering thrust from a few Newtons to tens of kilonewtons at speeds from millimetres per second to hundreds of metres per second. Its product portfolio extends to Linear Synchronous Motors (LSM), Permanent Magnet Brakes (PMB), curved and tubular LIMs, custom electro-magnets, induction heating equipment, and bespoke control systems with in-house software. Over 30,000 motors have been produced cumulatively for applications spanning amusement rides, airport baggage handling, public transport, industrial equipment, medical imaging, and renewable energy systems.

The company operates on a build-to-order basis with no catalogue of standard products; every motor is custom-engineered to customer specifications, with pricing quote-based and project-specific. Force Engineering sells primarily through direct enterprise engagement and OEM partnerships, delivering full consultancy from initial consultation through design, development, and manufacturing, with multi-year contract cadences typical of large installations. The firm holds US Patent 8,400,044 and European Patent EP 2 074 691 for electromotive machine innovations, maintains CE and UL certifications, and ships globally to most European countries, the USA, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Asia, Australia, and Japan. Anchor customers include Heathrow Terminal 5 (6,000+ motors in baggage handling), ProSlide Technology (HydroMAGNETIC ROCKET water rides), Vectus Ltd (PRT systems), the Washington Senate People Mover, and an unnamed global CT scanner manufacturer. The Foster family maintains leadership, with Alan Foster as Chairman (founding director since 1979) and Neil Foster as Managing Director (rejoined 2008), supported by Academic consultants including Prof. Fred Eastham of the University of Bath.

Name

Force Engineering

Legal name

Force Engineering Ltd

Website

https://force.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Force Engineering is a privately held UK specialist engineering company founded in 1979 that designs and manufactures custom Linear Induction Motors and related electromagnetic solutions for OEM customers across amusement rides, airport baggage handling, public transport, industrial, medical imaging, and renewable energy applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Linear Electric Motors

NAICS

Motor and Generator Manufacturing (335312), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

AC Motors (Induction, Synchronous) (IMAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motion Control Controllers & CNC/Robot Drives (Motion Controllers, Multi-axis) (IMAGACAH), Brakes, Clutches & Couplings (Electromagnetic Brakes, Torque Limiters) (IMAGACAK), Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Linear induction motors
• Electromagnetic motor systems
• Permanent magnet brakes
• Custom motor manufacturing
• Linear motion technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Shepshed

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Linear Induction Motor Manufacturing: Bespoke design and manufacture of Linear Induction Motors, Linear Synchronous Motors, and permanent magnet products. Each motor is custom-designed to meet specific customer requirements, ranging from single prototypes to high volumes for large-scale installations. Motor sizes range from 30cm long/5kg weight to 2.5m long/750kg weight.
2. Consultancy Services: Full consultancy service providing advice and support for LIM and permanent magnet system projects. Includes analysis and problem-solving for third-party LIMs and their control systems, as well as design of replacement systems.
3. Control System Design and Software: Design of control system architecture and custom software for LIM systems. Software can be adapted if application requirements change following commissioning.
4. Permanent Magnet Brake Systems: Supply of permanent magnet brakes as standalone products or as part of larger motor systems, providing power-free, reliable braking solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Force Engineering designs and manufactures custom Linear Induction Motors (LIMs), Linear Synchronous Motors (LSMs), Permanent Magnet Brakes (PMBs), induction heating equipment, custom electro-magnets, and bespoke motor control systems with custom software. Every motor is custom-engineered to meet specific customer requirements—ranging from single prototypes to high-volume production—with thrust from a few Newtons to tens of kilonewtons, speeds from millimeters per second to hundreds of metres per second, and motor sizes from 30 cm/5 kg to 2.5 m/750 kg. The company also offers full engineering consultancy drawing on over 120 man-years of LIM and permanent magnet experience.

Product overview

Force Engineering is a specialist engineering company that develops, designs, and manufactures Linear Induction Motors (LIM) and related electromagnetic solutions. The core product is the Linear Induction Motor (LIM), a flat linear motor that produces thrust through electromagnetic interaction. The product portfolio includes Linear Synchronous Motors (LSM), Permanent Magnet Brakes (PMB), custom electro-magnets, induction heating equipment, and associated control systems with bespoke software. The company operates on a build-to-order basis with all motors customized to specific customer requirements. Force Engineering has produced over 30,000 motors for applications spanning amusement rides, baggage handling, public transport, industrial equipment, medical scanners, and renewable energy systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Linear Induction Motor (LIM) Custom-designed Linear Induction Motor producing linear thrust through electromagnetic interaction between a multi-phase stator winding and a conductive reaction plate. Available in single-sided and double-sided configurations with thrust from a few Newtons to tens of kilonewtons and speed from millimeters per second to hundreds of metres per second. Sold as custom solutions to OEMs and end customers in amusement rides, baggage handling, public transport, industrial, medical, and renewable energy applications.
• Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) High-efficiency linear motor system using synchronous operation rather than induction for improved performance characteristics. Developed for applications including baggage handling.
• Permanent Magnet Brake (PMB) Contactless fail-safe braking system using permanent magnets to produce braking force proportional to speed on a moving reaction plate. Available as standalone product or integrated with LIM drive systems. Requires no external power supply or control equipment and is virtually maintenance free.
• LIM Control Systems Custom-designed motor control systems ranging from simple supply switching to advanced inverter control, including bespoke software for LIM control with seamless integration into the customer's overall control architecture. Provides real-time feedback on motor performance and supports speed, positional, and force control.
• LIM Consultancy Services Professional engineering consultancy drawing on over 120 man-years of LIM and permanent magnet system experience. Includes analysis and problem-solving for third-party LIMs and their control systems, design of replacement systems, and full guidance for customers' LIM and permanent magnet projects under development.
• Induction Heating Equipment Custom electromagnetic equipment for industrial induction heating applications, part of Force Engineering's broader product portfolio alongside LIMs and permanent magnet solutions.
• Custom Electro-Magnets Bespoke electro-magnet designs and permanent magnet solutions developed for specialized industrial and research applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• LIM systems consume one third of the energy of conventional conveying systems while operating at three times the speed
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ProSlide TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForce Engineering collaborated with ProSlide Technology in 2005 to create a replacement for conveyor belt systems on their ROCKET rides using LIM solutions developed for roller coaster launch systems. The resulting HydroMAGNETIC ROCKET technology is now used across many different rides globally.
• Vectus LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForce Engineering developed LIM track drive and permanent magnet braking systems for Vectus Ltd's Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) system. The PRT system utilizes Force Engineering's technology for drive, braking, and sophisticated asynchronous control for optimal performance during high load conditions.
• Bath UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with Prof. Fred Eastham (Emeritus Professor of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Bath University), who has been actively engaged in machines research for over 50 years and is widely regarded as one of the leading experts in linear machines.
• University of SussexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with Dr. Denis Edwards from University of Sussex, who worked on NASA projects for electromagnetically assisted spacecraft launching and has written user documentation for electromagnetics design software.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Kollmorgen: Kollmorgen manufactures servomotors, linear actuators, and motion control components for industrial automation — comparable to Force's offerings but from a larger, more diversified motion-control catalogue.
• Siemens (Motion Control): Siemens offers SIMOTION linear motors and servo drive systems as part of its broad automation and motion control portfolio, addressing overlapping applications in transit, baggage handling, and industrial automation that Force Engineering serves.
• Bosch Rexroth: Bosch Rexroth provides linear motion products including linear motors alongside its extensive factory automation, drive, and controls portfolio, serving similar OEM and industrial customers as Force Engineering but at much larger scale.
• Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin's Electromechanical & Drives division offers linear motors, servo drives, and motion controllers for industrial and aerospace applications, addressing adjacent customer needs to Force Engineering's LIM business.
• Beckhoff Automation: Beckhoff is a major automation supplier offering linear motors, servo drives, and motion controllers as part of a broader industrial automation portfolio — overlapping with Force's LIM and control system offerings but from a wider catalogue approach.
• ABB (Motion): ABB supplies industrial motors, drives, and motion control products for manufacturing, transportation, and infrastructure — competing with Force Engineering on large transit and industrial applications where ABB's scale and service network are key advantages.

Direct peers

• LinMot: LinMot is a specialist manufacturer of linear motors and linear motion components serving industrial automation, with a product range and customer base directly comparable to Force Engineering's LIM offerings.
• Tecnotion: Tecnotion produces ironcore and ironless linear motors and torque motors for high-precision industrial automation, directly competing with Force Engineering in linear motor technology for OEM and machine builder customers.
• H2W Technologies: H2W Technologies designs and manufactures linear motors, voice coil actuators, and related electromagnetic positioning products — a direct specialty competitor in custom linear motion solutions for industrial and research applications.

Emerging players

• Moog (Motion Control): Moog produces high-performance motion control components including linear motors and electromagnetic actuators for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications — comparable to Force's higher-spec, custom-engineered LIM work for specialty applications like CT scanners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/forceeng
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/force-engineering-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Force Engineering