Moving and Relocating Machinery and Equipment

The equipment used in today’s manufacturing environments is usually computerized, sophisticated and expensive.  It is extremely important to make certain the equipment is properly disconnected, prepped and blocked prior to shipping.  If this is not done correctly it can cost you thousands, or in some cases, tens of thousands of dollars in repairs.  In a worst case scenario, the damage can be so bad as to be a total loss that has to be scrapped.

CNC Equipment is made up of turrets, tables and head stocks that all travel on ways and ball screws; in most situations these are so perfectly fitted that a 500 lb. turret can be easily moved by hand with a turn of the ballscrew.  Due to this fact it is imperative to secure the axes prior to shipping – if you do not, you may end up with a table or turret that and slams from one end of the machine to the other as it travels down the road on the back of a truck for 2,000 miles.  This can damage, bearings, ballscrews, motors and castings.

Spending a few hundred dollars on the front end to make certain a machine is properly prepped may save you tens or hundreds of times that on the back end.  Below is a checklist that we like to use to make certain that a machine will show up in the same condition it left:

·         All coolant has to be drained prior to loading.  If not your trucker will not (and cannot) take it over the road.

·         The machine axes should be blocked.  In the best situation you will have the original shipping brackets from the manufacturer; if not a tech will sometimes be able to fabricate something.  If this is not possible the most common methods that we see is the use of wood blocks, zip ties and/or nylon straps.  The key is to find a good sturdy way of securing the tables, headstock and turrets on the equipment.

**Whenever blocking a spindle DO NOT put the block directly under the spindle bearings, this puts undue pressure on the bearings and can damage or destroy them.

·         We recommend placing cardboard or bubble wrap in front of the CRT and control panel for protection and then shrink wrapping in place.  Whenever possible, it is advisable to shrink wrap the entire machine to protect it from tarp damage (the nicer and newer the machine the more important this step may be)

·         Box up all manuals, books, keys, spare parts and additional tooling together so that it is in one place and travels together with the machine.

·         Only ship CNC machinery on Air-Ride Trailers!!!  This is a must.

·         Confirm that your trucking company will be tarping the machinery.  There is usually a $75 - $150 tarping charge but it is money well spent. 

**We had a friend that shipped a 5 axis router from Washington State to Minnesota in the dead of winter.  The trucker did not tarp the machine and turned a $150,000 ‘state of the art’ piece of equipment into a $2500 pile of scrap metal.  

If you have any questions on the above or we can assist you in any way please do not hesitate to contact us.