Heavy Machinery Movers – March 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 we completed last month.

RELOCATION OF ENGINEERING AND LABORATORY EQUIPMENT FOR A MIDLANDS UNIVERSITY

The university were looking to consolidate machinery and equipment from numerous multifloored buildings to another location on campus as part of a major relocation project. Relocation works were carried out over an 8-week period. Main aspects of the project included:

• Detailed project planning to ensure there was no disruption to the students’ lesson schedules.
• Removal of both heavy machinery and sensitive laboratory equipment.
• Provision of portable transit crates for the efficient removal of smaller items. These were loaded to our specialist vehicles for safe delivery.
• Creating suitable access. This included increasing the size of doorways, the erection of scaffolding and the use of specialist gantries.
• Professional packaging services to ensure adequate protection of items.

Following the move, our client had this to say regarding our services: 

“The project was planned meticulously, ensuring the works remained on track throughout. All equipment was relocated safely, and the site team were extremely helpful from start to finish. I would certainly approach Merritts again in the future”.

BONDED STORAGE AND DELIVERY TO OLDHAM OF A LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PRESS

We were appointed by a Japanese printing press manufacturer to receive a lithographic printing press and store it securely in our HMRC bonded storage facility. After the storage period, we were required to deliver the machinery, and assist with the installation within the premises of an Oldham based printing firm.

The new print machinery was delivered to Merritts where we offloaded it into our HMRC approved bonded warehousing facility. A lorry mounted crane with 30Te capacity was used to offload the shipping containers to floor level. The machinery cases were removed from the containers using a Versa-Lift 40/60 fork truck. The items were condition checked and photographic evidence was taken before they were then entered into the bonded facility. Merritts handled all relevant paperwork including customs clearance documentation.

When the installation site was ready to accept the new lithographic print machinery, Merritts completed the following over a 5 day period:

• Loaded print cases to Merritts transport and secured for transit
• Delivered machinery to the customer in Oldham
• Offloaded machinery using Versa-Lift
• Unpacked and removed print units from transit frames
• Skated items into the facility and positioned as required
• Worked with manufacturer’s engineers to assemble machine sections
• Cleared site of packaging material and transit frames

STORAGE AND DELIVERY SERVICES FOR A LEADING FIBRE NETWORK INFRASTUCTURE PROVIDER

Merritts were approached by the fibre network infrastructure provider to receive, store, and deliver 15 of their data modules. The modules were 14 Te in weight with dimensions of 12m long x 3.6m wide x 3.2m high, and were accompanied with ancillary items which included, generators, batteries, and air conditioning units. The items were destined for numerous sites throughout the UK. A breakdown of this project included:

• Receiving the items into Merritts stores: A 60 Te mobile crane was utilised to offload the main modules. Forklift trucks were used to offload the ancillary items and move into Merritts stores.
• Goods were inspected on delivery to check for any damage.
• A storage area was provided exclusively for the use of the customer. This allowed access for the customer’s engineers to carry out install works on the modules.
• When the receiving sites were ready to accept the modules, we would load items to our transport and delivery to the destination.
• Highways notifications were arranged due to the out of gauge nature of the modules.
• The modules were offloaded at site with mobile crane and the ancillary items were offloaded with forklift truck.

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.

OFFLOADING AND INSTALLTION OF EQUIPMENT FOR A MANUFACTURER OF GLASS PROCESSING MACHINERY

This project consisted of offloading glass cutting machinery from transport and positioning at a customer site in London. Main machine and ancillaries were offloaded with a 7Te rated forklift truck and transported into the customer’s facility. Machinery was unpacked and Merritts assisted the manufacturer’s engineers to assemble the machinery. The machine was then positioned accordingly and bolted down to the floor. Merritts safely disposed of all packaging materials.

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.