Moving a small factory or workshop: how to plan the move

What counts as a small factory

A factory or workshop with one production hall, a few and up to a few dozen machines, a raw-material store and a small office. For example a joinery, a metal shop, a print shop or a small packing and assembly plant. There are usually no machines of tens of tonnes, but there are many different items, and each one needs its own plan.

Machine and equipment list

• Every machine goes on the list, with its weight and dimensions from the manufacturer's plate, and a note if it needs a manufacturer's technician for disassembly and reassembly.
• Equipment that moves without disassembly: workbenches, tool cabinets, trolleys and small shelving.
• What does not move: old machines, scrap and material that is not in use. It is better to sell or clear them before the move, and not pay to move them.
• Raw materials and finished goods: how many pallets there are, and what has to arrive first to start working.

Layout plan and marking

Draw the new building and mark each machine's place on it, with a number. Put the same number on the machine in the old factory. Before moving day, mark the places on the new floor, and every machine comes off the truck straight to its spot. That way no machine is moved twice, and you do not find out on moving day that it blocks a walkway or has no power nearby.

Preparing machines for transport

Disassembly for transport is not a full teardown of the machine. Only what is needed to move it safely and get through the openings is removed: guards, infeed tables, short conveyors and loose accessories. A separate control cabinet travels as a separate item, and bolts and small parts are packed in labelled bags that travel with the machine. When a machine's warranty depends on the manufacturer's technician, the technician disassembles and reassembles it, and we coordinate the schedule with them.

Moving in stages

• Stage 1: what is not in daily use, such as surplus stock, moulds, spare parts, the archive and the office.
• Stage 2: shelving, workbenches and small machines you can work without for a few days.
• Stage 3: the main machines, together with the raw materials they need, at the pace at which the electrician and technicians can disconnect and connect them.
• Finally: the finished goods and whatever is left, and a check that the old building is empty.

How to shorten downtime

• Build up stock in advance for orders due during the move.
• Prepare power, compressed air and lighting in the new building before the first machine arrives.
• Book the electrician and technicians for the days the machines arrive, not for the week after.
• When there are several machines of the same type, move one first, so production continues in the new building too.

Who does what

An electrician on the factory's behalf disconnects and connects power, compressed air and water. The factory's or the manufacturer's technicians prepare the machines for transport, draining fluids and locking moving parts, and after placement they calibrate and start them up. We pack and move the stock, shelving and workbenches, and lift, move and place each machine on its marked spot, with a forklift, machine skates or a crane, according to what the machine and the route need.

What it costs

The price depends on the number of machines and their weight, the lifting equipment needed, the distance and the number of working days. On large jobs a survey at the factory is arranged, and for a small workshop you can start with the machine list and a video of the place on WhatsApp.

More about factory relocation

• Factory relocation timeline: from 3 months before to start-up dayA factory relocation timeline: 3 months before, a month before and moving week, how to limit downtime, who disconnects machines and what to check at start-up.
• Moving industrial machinery: from disconnection to restartHow an industrial machine is moved: weight and lifting-point survey, power disconnected by your technician, axes locked, forklift or crane lift, placement and levelling.

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.
• Factory relocation timeline: from 3 months before to start-up dayA factory relocation timeline: 3 months before, a month before and moving week, how to limit downtime, who disconnects machines and what to check at start-up.
• Factory relocation: what to check in the new building before signingBefore signing for a new factory building: truck and crane access, gates and height, floor load, power and compressed air, permits and a layout plan. The checks that prevent costly surprises on moving day.