Factory relocation timeline: from 3 months before to start-up day

3 months before: survey and plan

• Appoint one move owner on the plant's side who knows the production lines and makes decisions.
• A site survey: a machine list with weights, dimensions, lifting points and connections, and a check of the new building: floor, openings, gate heights and truck access.
• A floor plan for the new building, with a marked spot for every machine, including room for service and forklift access.
• Check with the machine manufacturers whether the warranty requires dismantling and assembly by their technician.
• Decide what is not moving: old equipment, dead stock and idle machines. Sell or clear them before the move, not after.

2 months before: utilities in the new building

Power, compressed air, water, cooling and data in the new building must be ready before the first machine arrives. This is done by the plant's contractors and electricians, so start early: an electrician who finishes late stops the whole schedule. At the same time, the spot for each machine is marked on the floor per the plan.

A month before: production, customers and bookings

• Build up finished-goods stock, so customers keep receiving deliveries while the line is on the road.
• Tell customers and suppliers the move dates and the new address.
• Book electricians and technicians for the disconnection and connection days in advance.
• If a crane is needed on the street, check with the local authority whether a permit is required for the crane or a lane closure.
• Set the order of phases: what moves each day and what keeps producing until the last moment.

2 weeks before: packing and labelling

• Pack what is not in daily use: spare parts, tools, moulds and the archive.
• Every item gets a label with its zone or line in the new building.
• Raw materials and warehouse stock are labelled by destination location, so the new warehouse starts working in order.
• Each moving day has a machine list, with a disconnection time and a connection time.

Moving week: the order of work

Start with the warehouse, the offices and the less critical lines, while the main lines keep producing. On each machine's day the plant's technician disconnects and drains fluids in the morning, we secure, lift by forklift or crane and transport, and by the afternoon the machine stands on its mark in the new building. The main machines move last, usually over a weekend or a holiday.

Start-up day

• Every machine is placed on its mark and levelled initially.
• The plant's electricians and technicians connect, calibrate and run a trial.
• Go through the machine list with the move owner, and close anything open before the next phase.
• The plant's offices and server room move so that orders and shipments carry on as usual.

The plant's responsibilities

Disconnecting and connecting power, compressed air, water and gas, draining fluids, calibration and restart are done by the plant's electricians, technicians or the manufacturer's technician, under the customer's responsibility. We are responsible for mechanical dismantling and assembly, packing, lifting, transport and placement, and we fit our schedule to theirs.

More guides

• How much does a factory relocation cost?What drives the cost of a factory relocation: number and weight of machines, lifting equipment, distance, phased work and night shifts, and how to get an accurate quote.
• 7 common mistakes in a factory relocationThe mistakes that cost the most in a factory relocation: starting late, no floor plan, last-minute technicians, and moving everything at once.