A Guide to Heavy Equipment Movers

The highest rates of fatal accidents are recorded while moving industrial objects to and from large-scale workstations. Most of these accidents happen while operating the Heavy Equipment Movers. Even a minor oversight can turn the situation from bad to worse. In a nutshell, the transportation of heavy equipment is a complicated task and performed only after gaining necessary awareness about the type of movers.

Which Heavy Equipment Mover should I Buy?

The most crucial part of the process while you move the heavy equipment is to look around the inventory and choosing the right equipment that suits the job. Every other thing comes later. If you are using the wrong equipment, your personnel are most likely to get injured or damage the equipment. Using the right inventory is essential to ensure stress-free and safe transportation. Here are some commonly used heavy equipment movers, along with some of their potential benefits.

1: Air Bearings/Air Casters

In a plain environment, there is often a need to move heavy machinery to either optimize the floor space or for maintenance purposes, this is where the air bearings come in handy. Also known as the air casters, the Air Bearings are zero friction lifting devices that work similarly to the hovercrafts. These air bearings are used to lift and move heavy equipment on non-porous surfaces. They use compressed air to lift the equipment and help to move them around a flat surface with minimal force.

Benefits

  • Easy motion: Unlike the wheel casters, the loads carried on air bearings are way easier to maneuver because of the minimal force that is required to move them around. You just have to apply force in the direction that you want to move.
  • Compact: Air Bearings can fit and move comfortably in tight and compact spaces, saving a lot of time and effort.
  • Minimal Damage to Flooring: Loads carried on air bearings are suspended into the air with no contact to the ground. There is no friction, which greatly reduces the chances of damaging the floor.

2: Machine Skates

The load-moving or machine skates are quite popular and most frequently used in nuclear workplaces. They typically use nylon or steel wheels. This is an economical equipment option. If your business goes ahead with this option, your personnel would only have to transfer the load on the skates by lifting it with jack, heavy machinery can be transported with minimum input.

Benefits

  • Easy to Operate: The machine skates are quite easy to use as no specialized training is required to operate them. There are, however, straightforward safety checks that you need to keep in mind. An added advantage is that the steering can be easily controlled by the steering bar.
  • Versatile: There is a wide range of machine skates available in the market. They are designed to carry overweight machines and other loads. Machine skates can also be combined in a setting to carry heavier loads or to make tricky moves.

3: Moving Casters

This heavy equipment mover contains a wheel and caster. It is fitted at the bottom of the machine or equipment that is meant to be moved, and then the force is applied. It is a straightforward device that is highly effective, especially when it comes to transport heavy machinery within the intended workplace.

Benefits

  • Time-effective: With the frequent need to move around equipment in a facility or a working space, moving casters save a lot of time as the loads can be moved faster using them.
  • Durability: The most notable advantage of a moving caster is the durability, and industrial casters can handle up to 100,000 pounds of weight. They are known to last longer than the alternatives.
  • Multipurpose: almost anything can be moved once a wheel is attached to it.
  • Frequent use: if you have a business where moving is a norm within your organization or to newer places, then this is the best option.

It is also a good idea to talk to a consultant or book or free appointment when you plan on investing in heavy equipment movers. They usually have trained staff, and often, certified personnel to look into these matters. Whether you plan on moving machinery from the construction industry, to and from a factory, a powerhouse house or anywhere else, it is always better to gain some insight about the weight of the objects you intend to move and then choose a mover. Not only do they have the right amount of knowledge, but they understand which equipment can be transported hassle-free with their complementary movers. Remember that heavy equipment movers are massive, of course, and prone to accidental damage. When your moving is in process, make sure the task is done with safety standards above everything.

The Use of Pneumatic Systems within Different Industries

Improving and supplementing manufacturing floor changes, pneumatic systems work to optimize processes. With profitability and productivity being the key concern for most industries, possessing heavy equipment movers is paramount for manufacturers. Assisting in completing production processes and logistical procedures, a pneumatic system seamlessly adapts to the ever-evolving manufacturing configurations. Loading off loads with their own footprint, pneumatic systems use compressed air to create a seal between heavy objects and the floor for moving around heavy equipment.

With today’s assembly and production plant floor becoming increasingly dynamic, it is important to adopt the use of reconfigurable manufacturing systems. Entailing the following benefits, a pneumatic system extends its functionality and flexibility across the board for different industries.

  • It runs solely on compressed air. Having no dependency on an electrical power source, they eliminate the fear of causing any sparks or facing down-time due to power outages. With certain industrial spaces facing frequent power outages, pneumatic systems allow manufacturers to continue working, without facing any negative impact on their productivity or manufacturing ability.
  • If operated in an appropriate manner, pneumatic systems are one of the safest systems for moving around heavy loads. Facilitating manufacturers to move around an awkward-shaped and uneven load, they don’t expose the operators to any toxic hydraulic fluid or lubricants. Eliminating the possibility of electrical shocks, equipment moving casters are an efficient and safe option for everyday use.
  • Helping the manufacturer incur a low-initial cost for setting up their facility, pneumatic systems don’t cost as much as other technologies. With small companies or industries being uncertain about their ROI, these systems are a cost-effective option.
  • Involving no significant troubleshooting or a consistent maintenance schedule, these systems spare the manufacturer the cost of having them repaired and looked after. Moreover, entailing no specialized training, such as required by forklifts, operators get to operate these systems with relative ease and convenience.
  • Working continuously with no hassle of overheating, these systems allow manufacturers to keep up their productivity. Designed in a simple and robust manner by Hovair, operators get to customize any configuration to fit the framework of their needs.
  • Being environmentally-friendly, such systems are optimal for clean-room operations, e.g., a food processing unit.
  • With their storage and utilization being easy, they seamlessly fit into a production unit. Moreover, unlike forklifts, they do not cause damage to the floor, leading the manufacturer to not incur any unnecessary renovation charges. Proving their efficacy through moving objects on uneven flooring, a pneumatic system is truly an ingenious invention.

The Use within Different Industries- Pneumatic Systems

Formulated with aluminum by Hovair, these systems play a unique role in each unique industry. Moving at the speed of light, different industries produce different products. Hence, they accordingly use these systems to their advantage.

With the following tools assisting in differing scenarios, a pneumatic system is a cost-effective and time-effective solution for all industries.

  • Air Planks: This tool allows for the fast transfer of products with large variations in lengths and small variations in widths.
  • Air Pallets: This tool allows for the entire load to be loaded on top of the surface for moving around.
  • Rigging System: This tool is specifically used for equipment and machinery where height distribution, width, length, and load sizes fluctuate drastically. Being a key role within the aviation industry, this tool harnesses its excellent maneuverability and helps in moving a load of up to 100 tons and beyond.
  • Industrial & Vehicle Turntable: Specifically used by the automobile and exhibition industry, the industry uses this rotating platform to complete the production process or to exhibit vehicles during a convention. Equipped with a foot pedal and pedestal panel, operators get to rotate this system forward and backward accordingly.
  • Skate Machine: Outperforming an overhead crane or a forklift, a skate machine is ideal for moving around heavy machinery. Generating immense lifting power, these systems carry off loads with differing weight proportions.

Involving expedited processes and increased efficiency, the operator gains complete autonomy when operating moving casters.

What to Consider When Moving Heavy Machinery?

Have you ever moved from one house to another? If yes, then you must be aware of all the work that comes along with it. It involves moving heavy furniture, making sure that everything is moved safely, double-checking the fragile stuff, and a lot more. Now imagine the same, but it’s your business that is moving. The tasks just go multiplied by 100.

When you’re moving your business, is usually requires moving heavy machinery, and you can’t just throw all that stuff in a moving truck. You have to make sure that everything is moved carefully because these heavy machines could be your business’ most valuable and, at times, irreplaceable assets. Therefore, handling your heavy machinery adequately becomes a priority when moving your business.

If you’re moving your business for the first time, then you might consider the following things before moving your heavy machinery as you don’t want to take any chances.

Make a strategy

The first thing that you should do is make a strategy. You exactly need to know how things should be moving from one place to another. Make a plan a stick to it; what equipment goes in the first batch and goes in the later ones should already be decided by you. Make sure to transport the heaviest and most important machinery first, and what comes later will only make things easy.

Moving such heavy machinery will require heavy equipment movers, which you won’t find lying around. We advise that you contact moving companies as they will help you out with your transportation needs.

It is important to note that if you DIY everything, then there is a risk that you might end up mismanaging a lot of things. That’s why we advise you to contact a reputable moving company who are experts in moving heavy industrial machinery. Having people around who know what they’re doing is always a good idea, especially for first-time movers.

Time is money

Done with making a plan? Good, now let’s set some timelines for all the decided tasks. What you need to do is assign a time for every machine you move. The time should start the moment your machine is loaded in the truck until it is delivered to your location. Why are we emphasizing on time? Because most first-time movers make the mistake of allotting a single time slot for the entire transportation. This is where it all goes wrong; you could have many things that can up unexpectedly like a flat tire, traffic, or even setting up your machinery could take more time than you might’ve assumed. Therefore, assigning individual time slots for every machine movement gives you more flexibility.

Get to the details

If you think you’ve got it all figured out, then think again. After planning and allotting time for each transportation, you need to get into the details of how will you be moving your heavy machinery? The best way to do it by going through the manufacturer’s manual. It will guide you about everything that you should do so any and all accidents could be avoided while moving.

In the manual, you will find about how to safely remove the batteries, empty the engine fluids, secure loose parts, and other important things. Try to follow the manual as much as you can, as having an accident is the last thing you’d want.

Moving heavy machinery might also require special permits – this is where your transporter could help you. They are well aware of all the legal requirements and have the necessary Heavy Haul Equipment so your transportation could be without any trouble.

And lastly, you’ll need to cover all the sensitive parts of the machines. These parts are sensitive because there is a chance that they can be damaged by wind or rain. You need to remember that the heavy equipment will be transported in trucks, so the last you’d want is environmental damage.

We’re here for you

Transporting heavy machinery is a tough job, but with the right people, it becomes less troublesome. If you’re looking to get machines or services that could help you in moving heavy machinery, then you’ve come to the right place as Hovair Systems is in this business for more than 50 years. We have all the needed equipment like industrial and car turntables as they will ensure that you have a smooth machine moving experience.