Moving industrial machinery: from disconnection to restart

Before anything moves

• Weight and dimensions from the manufacturer's plate or its transport instructions, including the centre of gravity and the marked lifting points.
• The route: openings, gate heights, ramps, floor load and the lift if there is one.
• The floor in the new plant: whether it takes the concentrated load, and exactly where the machine stands on the layout.
• The manufacturer's instructions: on some machines the warranty holds only if the manufacturer's technician dismantles and reassembles. Check this before setting a date.

Disconnection: who does what

Your electrician disconnects the machine from power and, where present, from compressed air, water, coolant and gas. Your technician drains oil and coolant, locks the axes and spindle per the manufacturer's instructions and removes tooling and loose parts. We do not touch electrical or utility connections, and we start work only once the machine is disconnected and cleared to move.

Securing and packing

• Axes, tables and moving heads are locked in transport position, with the original locks or with timber braces and straps.
• Doors, guards and loose panels are removed or tied down.
• The control cabinet and screen are padded, and if separate from the machine they travel as a separate item.
• Bolts, small parts and cables go in labelled bags that travel with the machine.
• The machine is wrapped against dust and moisture.

Lifting and transport

The equipment is chosen by weight and route: a heavy forklift, machine skates with a toe jack, a gantry or a crane. Load-spreading plates go down on sensitive floors. The machine goes onto a suitable truck, sometimes a low-loader, is chained and strapped to the marked points and travels a route checked in advance.

In the new plant

• The machine is placed on the marked spot in the layout, facing the right way, with room for doors, service and forklift access.
• Initial levelling on the machine feet or base, and preparation for anchoring if needed.
• Connection to power and utilities, precise levelling, calibration and run-in are done by the manufacturer's or your technician.
• We remove the packing materials and leave the floor clean.

How long it takes

One medium machine moves in a single working day: disconnection in the morning, lifting and transport at midday, placement in the afternoon. A whole line of several machines is planned in phases, one or two machines a day, so production continues on what has not moved yet.

Customer responsibilities

Disconnecting and connecting power, compressed air, water and gas, draining fluids, dismantling and assembly that require the manufacturer's technician, calibration and restart are all the customer's responsibility, carried out by the customer's technicians. We fit our schedule to theirs.

More guides

• Moving a CNC machine: what to do before the movers arrivePreparation checklist for moving a CNC machine: lock the axes, drain coolant, back up programs, check lifting points and level after placement.
• Moving a heavy safe: when you need a craneHow to move a heavy safe: check weight and floor load, stairs or elevator, and when it is better to lift it by crane through a window or balcony.
• Lifting equipment by crane: when you need it and how to planWhen an equipment move needs a crane: items that will not fit the elevator, high weight or narrow stairs. What to check in advance and how to plan a lift through a window or balcony.