In Arlington, WA, a manufacturing company planned to upgrade its telephone pole pressure treatment equipment to increase its production volume. This equipment comprised a 150’ long, 10’ in diameter autoclave weighing 160,000 pounds. Besides its massive size, the challenge of removing and replacing the unit from an underground pit meant the company needed help from an experienced machinery moving crew.

Looking for a full-service solution for the removal and installation as well as transport of the new unit from a manufacturing facility in Sandy, OR, the company contracted with Omega Morgan’s Seattle team.

STRATEGIC MACHINERY MOVING, HEAVY LIFT, AND TRANSPORT

Over several months, our machinery moving, specialized transportation, and crane teams worked independently and jointly to plan the heavy equipment move with as minimal downtime for the customer as possible.

Machinery moving completed site visits and worked with the customer directly during the construction of the new autoclave, measuring 10’ in diameter and weighing 230,000 pounds. The larger size component to be installed into the original location posed a challenge, while the pit’s location under a pole barn added complication to both removal and installation.

On the specialized transportation side, the team applied for superload permits well in advance for transport through Oregon and Washington. They were also tasked with determining the best method of transportation for the massive component. Fortunately, Omega Morgan has numerous custom-built trailers perfect for moving oversized loads.

TEAM GREEN EXECUTES HEAVY EQUIPMENT MOVES

Beginning with the three-day removal, Omega Morgan’s machinery moving team of four used jacks, skates, and cribbing to lift the original autoclave from the pit before pulling it out with the tri-lifter and SPMT. The transport and crane crews then convened at the facility in Sandy, where our 200 and 350-ton cranes lifted and placed the new autoclave onto a custom dual trailer for the three-day journey to Arlington.

Finally, over six days, the machinery moving installation crews used extreme precision and care to jack and slide the larger component into the original space. Safely, on time, and with minimal production downtime for our customer, Omega Morgan delivered another full-service solution.

Read our new case study for the full details behind this full-service machinery moving project.