December Month In Focus

A major aspect of the service we provide is our commitment to health and safety. For each project, our H&S Department, headed by an ex HSE inspector, provides customers with a suite of documents to evidence our credentials. These include method statements, risk assessments, lift plans, personnel training records and plant and equipment inspection certificates. This helps to ensure all projects will be carried out safely and in accordance with the required legislation.

The examples below highlight just a few of the heavy machinery and equipment moving projects that were completed in the past month.

OFFLOADING OF 5 x 40 FT CONTAINERS, REMOVAL OF MACHINERY, UNPACKING, AND POSITIONING WITHIN THE CUSTOMER’S FACILITY

This 2 day project was carried out for a major UK based manufacturer of surgical face masks. A total of 5 containers, consisting of 18 crates of surgical mask production machinery, were shipped to the UK from Japan. The heaviest crate was 8 Tonnes with dimensions of 4m (L) x 2.5m (W) x 3m (H). The containers were delivered to the customer’s site in South Yorkshire where Merritts carried out the following:

• Offloading of containers from others transport. The heaviest container was 13 Tonnes. We used our Versa-Lift 25/35 and our JMG MC160 pick and carry crane to tandem lift the containers from the transport vehicles.
• The containers were then devanned. We utilised one of our 7Te container specification forklift trucks to remove the crates from the containers. Where this was not suitable, the crates would be jacked up, placed on machinery moving skates, and towed from the containers with a forklift truck.
• Crates were positioned in a suitable area where we then carried out the sequential unpacking of the machinery using the necessary hand tools.
• The machinery was then jacked up, placed onto machine moving skates and towed into the facility with a forklift truck.
• Machinery was positioned as instructed by the client, on a pre-marked floor.

Following this phase of works, the client took over, carrying out the mechanical and electrical set up of the machinery.

Our client had this to say, following the project:

“Following our initial meeting, I was certain that Merritts would be the right company to work with. After meeting the personnel on site this week, I was very impressed with their professionalism and expertise. They have been an absolute breath of fresh air and they have worked faultlessly.”

DISMANTLING, TRANSPORT, AND REBUILDING OF WELDED MESH PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT

We were approached by a long-established British manufacturer of building and construction products to assist with the dismantling, relocation and rebuilding of welded mesh production equipment. The machinery was to be removed from a site in Barnsley and relocated to the customer’s site in Gainsborough. This project involved:

• 2 x mechanical engineers, lifting equipment and all required tools and tackle to assist the customer’s engineers on site in Barnsley, over a 2-week period, to dismantle the welded mesh production lines. Once dismantled, the equipment was loaded to Merritts transport.
• 4 x trailers were provided to safely transport the machinery from Barnsley to the customer’s site in Gainsborough, where Merritts then offloaded into the facility.
• Again, 2 x mechanical engineers, lifting equipment and all required tools and tackle were provided to assist with the rebuilding of the equipment at the customer’s premises, over a 2-week period.
• The customer’s engineers then carried out the commissioning of the equipment.

The client’s Project Manager had this to say, following successful project completion:

“We received a fantastic service from the Merritts team. They are a credit to your company. Absolutely everything went to plan, and all parties were happy with the service provided. We would certainly approach you again in the future.”

STORAGE, DELIVERY, OFFLOADING AND POSITIONING OF A NEW BOBST MACHINE FOR A PACKAGING MANUFACTURER

This project consisted of the receiving, storage, loading, transport, offloading and positioning of a new Bobst CL850 Laminator for a packaging manufacturer based in Derbyshire. Aspects of this work included:

• Offload machinery into Merritts storage facility in Nottinghamshire and store until the receiving site was ready.
• When the receiving site was ready; load machinery to Merritts transport and deliver to site over a 5 day period.
• Merritts worked with the OEM engineers to plan the correct sequence of machine delivery.
• Machinery was offloaded using a combination of JMG MC160 pick and carry crane, Versa-Lift 25/35, and 7te rated and 3Te rated forklift trucks.
• Machinery was transported into the facility and was positioned as instructed by the OEM
• Following the positioning of the machinery, Merritts assisted the OEM engineers with the building up of the Bobst machine.

A NUMBER OF DELIVERIES AND INSTALLATIONS FOR A MAJOR MANUFACTURER OF PRECISION METAL CUTTING AND BENDING MACHINERY

A regular customer of Merritts; we provide them with storage, delivery, and installation services for their machinery throughout the whole of the UK. A typical project would include:

• Receive machinery at Merritts and enter into our secure storage facility
• Load machinery to Merritts covered transport and delivery to their customer
• Offloading of machinery using Merritts Versa-Lift trucks
• De-crating of machinery and delivery into the customer’s facility on machinery moving skates
• Positioning of machinery as required
• Assist manufacturer’s engineers with the commissioning of the machinery
• Disposal of packaging and redundant machinery where required

As an added benefit, Merritts often provide out of hours or weekend working to ensure ongoing production schedules are not affected.

If you are considering a heavy machinery removal, relocation, or installation project, need to temporarily store new or redundant heavy machinery, or simply need space to carry out servicing and maintenance, please get in touch.

We’ll be back next month with another update, but until then you can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter for more regular news from our team.