Reasons Why You Would Need to Relocate Machinery
If you use heavy equipment at your location, there’s a very high chance you’ll need to move it at some point.
Whether you’re relocating a piece of equipment to another area in your plant or sending a machine to an entirely different facility, moving heavy machinery is a highly specialized process. The operation involves qualified personnel, careful crating and packaging, precise lifting with specific tools and transportation. These elements are critical in protecting the machinery from damage and keeping all the people around it safe.
Here’s a closer look at some of the reasons you might need heavy machinery relocation — and some of the steps you can take to prepare for it.
Who Needs Machinery Relocation?
Almost every manufacturing and distribution company uses heavy machinery of some kind, from industrial storage tanks to heavy-duty air compressors to printing presses. Several examples of the types of businesses that might require machinery relocation include:
- Packaging companies
- Tool and die makers
- Food processing and chemical companies
- Medical manufacturers
- CNC, milling and machining centers
- Commercial printers
- Plastics manufacturers
- Metalworkers
- Textile manufacturers
- Oil, gas and petroleum companies
While you can sometimes move smaller equipment with tools like machine skates, caster wheels or hand trucks, you’ll want to consider hiring a professional commercial mover for your large-scale, heavy-duty machinery.
Reasons to Hire Machinery Movers
Moving heavy machinery within your facility or to an entirely different site can be a significant undertaking. Some moves call for rigging with specialized loading and unloading. In these cases, professional machinery location is often the simplest solution.
Some reasons a business might need to hire a machinery mover include:
- Removal or replacement: If a machine is old, obsolete or unrepairable, removing it is key to maximizing your space. Having a dysfunctional machine sit idle can be hazardous to your workplace as well.
- Upgrades: When you have an outdated machine and need to improve your production capacity, your company can benefit from an equipment upgrade. You’ll need movers to remove the old device and bring in the new one.
- Rearrangement: Companies sometimes need to rearrange a facility’s layout to optimize production, especially when adding updated machinery or introducing new product lines. A business may also need to move equipment to expand its existing facility.
- Relocation: Moving to a new facility means disassembling heavy equipment, crating it and transporting it. Hiring professional machinery movers is beneficial whether you’re moving a few miles away or across the country.
- Equipment sales and recycling: If your company is upgrading, relocating or downsizing, you’ll most likely need to get rid of old equipment. If you sell it, you could be responsible for transporting it to the buyer’s facility. If your only option is recycling it, you’ll need to deliver it to the scrap yard. Either way, a professional moving crew can help.
How to Prepare for a Factory Move
Factory moves can present challenges for the most prepared companies. Early planning is essential to ensure that every facet of your relocation is covered before the moving date.
Here are 10 tips for planning your factory move:
- Talk with other industry professionals who have experienced similar relocations.
- Select a qualified team of experienced movers to work with.
- Develop a firm timeline.
- Create a detailed layout of your new facility with precise equipment locations.
- Consider potential improvements or upgrades before you move.
- Gather input and recommendations from your company’s machine operators.
- Determine whether you’ll need building modifications to perform the move, such as removing doors or enlarging passageways.
- Compile an inventory checklist of all your assets.
- Make arrangements with utility companies.
- Take appropriate precautions with hazardous materials.
Costs Associated With Moving Heavy Machinery
Many factors affect the costs associated with relocating heavy equipment. Sometimes the cost of disassembling a machine and reinstalling it outweigh the labor involved in transporting it without modifications. Aside from assembly and disassembly, some of the primary considerations movers will consider when preparing your initial estimate include:
- Weight: Weight plays a role in the type of equipment needed to load and unload your machinery, the kind of trailer required to transport it and the insurance cost.
- Distance: The distance of your move can also affect the type of vehicle needed — and it determines the amount of fuel necessary for the trip.
- Tools, equipment and crew size: While crews can use jacks and skates to move smaller machines, they need cranes and hoists to move heavier types of machinery. The size of the equipment and the move’s schematics can also dictate how many workers it will take to transport your machinery safely, affecting the overall moving cost.
Contact Equip Trucking for Your Heavy Machinery Relocation Needs
At Equip Trucking, we leverage three generations of knowledge and experience to offer high-quality transportation and storage services in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Whether you’re relocating a small machine within your plant or moving your equipment to another location, we can help. We’ll cover every step of the process, from crating and rigging to loading and unloading.
Contact us online today or call us at 610-557-1471 to obtain a free quote or request additional information about our services.
