SMF, Inc. needed a 110,000-pound machine replaced, but space inside the facility was tight and business operations needed to continue. SMF, Inc. hired our team to manage this machine move. We accomplished the move in ten weeks’ time. Here’s the full story.
SMF, Inc., a metal manufacturing facility, needed a 110,000-pound Toyoda Bridge Mill installed in a space with only 3 to 5 feet of clearance. Even a centimeter error could have a substantial impact. SMF, Inc. team members worked with our team on machine installations at prior sites. They were confident we could handle the precision this job required. And we accepted the challenge.
THE SOLUTION
Our team ensured no details were missed by managing the entire project from start to finish. The new machine needed to sit inside a two-foot-deep, 50-by-26-foot-wide pit. To begin we:
- Arranged a safety team to observe all operations
- Installed plastic to prevent contaminating SMF equipment or operator areas
- Cut out a wall to bring in our excavating equipment and avoid impeding production at the plant
- Removed the old machine
- Hired and supervised Honch Concrete as they cut the concrete floor, removed it, and built the new concrete base
- Offloaded the machine from the truck, removed it from its crate, and dismantled the crate outside the facility
- Ensured they accounted for each part, brought inside, and assembled in order
Once the machine was fully inside, we used a two-machine tandem lift to manipulate the parts inside the pit. With just one foot of clearance planned above the machine, our crane boom operated mere centimeters from the roof during this machine manipulation.
The SMF machine move required large enough equipment to handle the weight of the parts, while still allowing for adequate reach. We ensured the floor could handle the weight of the hauling equipment, forklifts, cranes, and the new machine simultaneously for a successful machine installation.
THE RESULTS
We operated under the tightest of spaces and navigated extreme weather and the holidays during this machine move. We accomplished the install in just 10 weeks, all while ensuring the facility’s operations continued with minimal interference from the project.
When inches matter, all calculations and angles must be precise. A centimeter of calculation error could translate to six inches or a foot in real measurements. We never needed to readjust during this machine move and our picks were on target every time. You can watch the machine installation for SMF from demolition to the final build.
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