Machine moving is pivotal in various industries where heavy machinery and equipment is involved. These services help relocate to new work sites or installing new equipment. Proper storage and transport of heavy machines is crucial for maintenance, especially since they are costly. Hiring machine movers is not the be-all-and-end-all solution, though. Successful industry applications require a combination of finding reliable service providers and choosing solutions that match your needs and requirements.
This guide explores successful case studies of machine moving and how you can apply their lessons to your own industry or company.
Scenarios When Machine Moving is Required
This section breaks down the common scenarios wherein machine moving is essential and how it can be valuable.
1. Relocation
Businesses in various industries occasionally relocate to a new site, either to facilitate expansion or for cost reduction. Relocating involves moving heavy machinery and equipment. Therefore, hiring machine moving services is essential to dismantle the equipment and transport it to the new site. It involves meticulous planning for a seamless and efficient setup to minimize disruptions to business activity.
2. Expansion
Even if you’re not moving to a new location, most companies require upgrading new equipment to facilitate their growing production needs. In most cases, companies add new equipment to the factory or work site, but it might also involve moving out old equipment. Precision planning facilitates the smooth transition of the equipment into the new site without disrupting the production lines and processes.
3. Maintenance
Maintaining heavy machinery and equipment requires the use of machine movers. Most machines are maintained on-site, but some require special equipment, so they must be moved into their respective maintenance locations.
When transporting your machines and equipment to and from the maintenance locations, you want to keep them in optimal condition. This cost-saving step will avoid productivity delays and eliminate unexpected breakdowns.
4. Repositioning
Moving heavy machines and equipment within the same facility is sometimes required to accommodate production line changes. The flexibility of machine moving within the same facility increases productivity by adapting to production capabilities. It eliminates the need to invest in and install new equipment since you can reposition the same equipment to meet your changing needs.
Case Studies of Successful Industry Applications of Machine Moving
The best way to understand the importance of machine moving services to various industries is to look at real-world examples.
1. Toyota Relocates Toyota Tundra, Sequoia Production to San Antonio, Texas
Before 2006, Toyota’s production of the Tacoma was headquartered in Fremont, California, which Toyota shares with General Motors. However, Toyota decided to expand production of the Tundra and Sequoia models, prompting them to move into a new manufacturing plant in San Antonio, Texas, to accommodate their expanding production line.
Moving the manufacturing plant to a new site, especially one in a different state, required tremendous planning and coordination. Machine moving services were pivotal in this successful relocation, ensuring that heavy equipment was transported safely and securely into the new Texas plant while minimizing production downtime.
The successful relocation, with the help of machine moving services, allowed Toyota to ramp up their production. It enabled the automaker to meet the increasing demand for the Tacoma and Sequoia vehicles, which was made possible by the strategic planning and coordination of machine movers as they moved into a new plant.
2. Major Plant Upgrades for Ford Motors in Dearborn, Michigan Facility
Another real-world example of the successful use of machine moving services in the automotive manufacturing industry was in Ford’s Michigan facility. In 2023, the company implemented major plant upgrades valued at over $8 Billion.
The Ford plant upgrade accommodated new automation technology that would boost the production efforts and capacity of the plant. Machine movers stepped in to relocate existing equipment within the facility and to accommodate new robotic machinery. The successful machine moving process increased efficiency in the F-150 production while reducing the overall setup costs, allowing Ford to optimize their competitive advantage.
3. Nestle Purina Facility Relocation
Nestle is another global brand that benefited from machine moving services as they relocated into a new facility for expansion. The company faced tremendous challenges in moving bulky and heavy food processing machinery. This Nestle facility relocation project aimed to consolidate production and minimize operational costs. They successfully did so with careful planning and with the help of professional machine moving to mitigate the risk of damage to their expensive equipment. The company enjoyed increased supply chain efficiency and reduced labor costs.
4. Boeing Moves Production in One Roof in Renton, Washington
Boeing rounds off this list of successful industry applications of machine moving services. Called the “Move to the Lake” project, Boeing intended to build a hybrid office factory where workers and engineers could work under one roof. The aim was to speed up the production process and make collaborative work easier.
The move to a synchronized production plant allowed Boeing to build the 737 under one roof and eliminate the inefficiencies of stockpiles of parts. The assembly line improved efficiency, and Boeing was able to hit the production targets in its Renton factory.
5. GE Expansion in Stafford, UK
GE is a global energy company that has expanded its Staffordshire facility in the UK as part of its global expansion project. This state-of-the-art facility is just one of many that the company has expanded to, allowing it to meet the demand for HVDC transmission systems that power renewable projects across the world.
The expansion project required moving energy equipment and manufacturing machinery to two key sites. Tapping into machine moving services made this expansion seamless and efficient.
Conclusion
The real-world examples and case studies highlight the value of machine moving services in various industries. These services allow companies to achieve greater flexibility in adapting to their needs. Whether relocating to a new plant or factory or expanding existing production capabilities to cope with a growing demand, machine moving services are vital in maximizing operational demands and enhancing their bottom line.
