Long-Term Machinery Moving: Relocating Over 115 Spindle Machines

Long-term projects often require lots of planning, juggling moving parts, and flexibility. Fortunately, Omega Morgan has the capacity and expertise to handle complex logistics, and to deliver consistent results over a long period of time.

In mid-2021, an international manufacturing company reached out to our Seattle machinery moving team as they planned the relocation of multiple US locations to one facility in Lakewood, WA. They needed a reliable heavy equipment moving company capable of moving over 115 spindle machines and other smaller components into the new facility. The catch: the entire project needed to happen during active construction, and the work needed to be completed before the building leases expired. True to form, our team said, “we got this,” and got to work planning the long-term project.

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT MOVING

Our machinery moving team worked with the company for months to develop a strategic plan for receiving the machines from New Hampshire and Tacoma, WA, and then for the move to the Lakewood facility. The sheer number of machines and components to move presented a challenge, as did the timeline, planning around other contractors involved in the relocation, and ensuring our customer’s production value was not affected.

Over 115 spindle machines and a total of over 300 components were a part of this move. Most came from other facilities, though our client also purchased many of them newly. The smallest pieces included filter units and chillers ranging from 300 to 500 pounds. The largest machine was an Okuma MA-600, which weighed over 54,000 pounds.

EXECUTING THE LONG-TERM HEAVY HAUL

After months of planning, we received the first group of machines from a New Hampshire facility in September 2021. Our crew of three to nine machinery movers—depending on the day—got to work with our 15K, Hoist 40/60, and Versalift 60/80 forklifts. We also utilized our three and four-axle trucks, lowboy, step deck, and double drop trailers.

As our team received deliveries of the spindle machines and accompanying components, we delivered them to the Lakewood facility. However, we had to rely on our solution-oriented approach as we encountered challenges such as broken asphalt and limited access for forklifts and parking. Additionally, because these machines came from facilities with expiring leases, our expert logistics services proved essential. We ensured their timely delivery and our client’s production continued without pause.

Occasionally, when the number of machines that manufactured specific parts ran low, our team had to switch gears to install more machines of that type to keep production going smoothly. Also, as we began installing the components into the facility, our team realized that each machine needed to be anchored onto steel plates to disperse the load’s weight safely. Throughout this process, our crew needed to be aware of the other contractors working in the space, and plan our efforts around them. All of this required flexibility and adaptability from our team, and we rose to the occasion.

As of January 2023, this project is ongoing. While the majority of the components have been delivered, our crew completes about one move a week with the remaining equipment. Thanks to strategic planning, our team has stayed flexible throughout the months of moving, and our client has maintained their production value. They continue to be very pleased with our consistency and reliability over this long-term project.