Moving heavy equipment or industrial machinery can be a complicated process. While some equipment may be relatively straightforward to transport, larger, heavier, or difficult to access machinery can require specialized equipment, planning, and expertise. A professional rigging company helps your business safely move, lift, relocate, and position equipment with reduced risks. From moving machinery within a facility to relocating equipment across the country, our professional rigging services provide the specialized knowledge, tools, and equipment needed to complete the job. But how do you know when a project requires professional rigging?
When Do You Need Professional Rigging Services?
You need to hire a professional rigging company when a piece of equipment is too heavy, oversized, difficult to access, or valuable to move using standard transportation equipment. Examples of common situations that may require professional rigging include:
- Moving heavy industrial machinery
- Relocating manufacturing equipment
- Installing or positioning large equipment
- Moving equipment through narrow or difficult access points
- Lifting equipment to elevated floors or locations
- Relocating equipment as part of a plant or business move
- Moving machinery within an operating facility
- Dismantling or repositioning large machinery
- Moving expensive or sensitive equipment that requires careful handling
Professional rigging isn’t limited to one type of industry. Manufacturing facilities, hospitals, laboratories, universities, industrial facilities, construction sites, and many other organizations can benefit from our specialized heavy equipment moving services.
What Does a Professional Rigging Company Do?
Rigging projects often involve a lot more than simply lifting an item. Our professional rigging company specializes in lifting, moving, positioning, and relocating heavy or difficult-to-handle equipment. Rigging is a complex process that can range from moving individual pieces of equipment to relocating an entire factory or assembly line. Depending on the project, our team will determine how equipment will be accessed, lifted, maneuvered, transported, and positioned at its destination. We use specialized equipment and technology along with in-house engineers to develop solutions to each project’s specific requirements.
Is Your Equipment Too Heavy or Large to Move Normally?
The clearest signs that you need professional rigging services can be weight, size, or shape. Heavy machinery can quickly exceed the capabilities of standard moving equipment. Even equipment that isn’t exceptionally heavy may have an unusual shape or bulky size that makes it difficult to move safely. A professional rigging company has specialized tools and equipment designed for heavy lifting and moving large machinery. If you’re unsure whether your equipment can be safely moved using conventional methods, it’s worth consulting a professional before attempting the move yourself.
Does the Equipment Have a Difficult Access Point?
Weight and size aren’t the only considerations. How the equipment needs to get from one location to another can be just as important as how much it weighs. Ask yourself if it will need to pass through:
- Narrow doorways
- Tight hallways
- Small loading areas
- Multiple floors
- Elevated spaces
- Windows or other nontraditional access points
- Areas with limited maneuvering room
When standard pathways aren’t an option, a professional rigging company can find solutions to safely access and maneuver your equipment and machinery. At Rowe Transfer, we have a lot of experience moving large equipment through challenging spaces, such as lifting a two-ton piece of medical equipment through a high-rise window.
Are You Relocating Manufacturing or Industrial Equipment?
Equipment relocation is another common reason to hire a professional rigging company. Moving a machine within a manufacturing facility may sound relatively simple, but large machinery requires careful planning to avoid damaging the equipment, building, flooring, and surrounding operations. Professional rigging services are especially helpful when relocating:
- Production equipment
- Manufacturing machinery
- Medical equipment
- Industrial machinery
- CNC machines
- Entire production lines
- Large vessels
- Specialized equipment
Our rigging services include the planning and execution of all types of complex projects. We have completed projects involving individual machines as well as much larger industrial relocations.
Does the Move Require Specialized Lifting Equipment?
Some equipment simply can’t be moved safely with just a forklift or standard transportation equipment. Depending on the project, professional rigging often requires specialized equipment, tools, and technology designed for the load’s weight, dimensions, location, and route. This is especially important when a piece of equipment or machinery must be:
- Lifted vertically
- Lowered into a difficult location
- Positioned precisely
- Moved around obstacles
- Removed from one location and installed in another
Using the wrong setup can lead to property damage, equipment damage, and injury. Our professional rigging company will evaluate the project and determine what methods and tools are appropriate.
Is the Equipment Valuable, Sensitive, or Difficult to Replace?
The more valuable or sensitive the equipment, the more important proper handling becomes. Industrial machinery and specialized equipment are significant investments. Damage during a move can result in expensive repairs, replacement costs, project delays, and lost productivity. Professional rigging services can help your business plan the move around your equipment’s specific needs and schedule rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. For particularly complex projects, Rowe Transfer’s in-house engineers work closely with you to design rigging solutions that meet your project’s unique specifications.
Does the Move Need to Be Completed with Minimal Downtime?
For manufacturing and industrial businesses, equipment downtime can quickly become expensive. A poorly planned equipment move can delay production, disrupt employees, or create scheduling problems. Professional rigging can help your business approach the move as a carefully planned project instead of simply another transportation task. Planning the move in advance can help identify potential obstacles before they become costly problems. Our team at Rowe Transfer has completed many relocation projects with minimal disruption to operations.
Do You Need More Than Just Equipment Moving?
Is rigging only one part of a larger project? Heavy equipment relocation sometimes requirea:
- Rigging to lift and move the equipment
- Crating to prepare equipment for shipment
- Transportation to move it to another location
- Warehousing for temporary storage
Coordinating each service separately can add unnecessary complexity and costs to an already complicated project. That’s why we offer The Extra Mile, combining rigging, crating, warehousing, and transportation in one turnkey service. This approach gives customers one point of contact for projects that require multiple services.
Benefits of Hiring a Professional Rigging Company
Hiring a professional rigging company can provide several advantages for businesses handling heavy or complex equipment.
Improved Safety
Heavy equipment presents significant risks when it isn’t handled correctly. Our professional rigging team has the experience and equipment needed to plan and execute difficult moves with safety in mind.
Specialized Equipment
Our rigging company has equipment designed specifically for heavy lifting and precise machinery movement.
Project Planning
Complex moves require more than physical strength. They require planning around equipment dimensions, access points, lifting requirements, transportation, and precise placement at the destination.
Reduced Risk of Equipment Damage
Professional handling can help protect expensive machinery and equipment throughout the moving process.
Greater Efficiency
Our experienced rigging team can identify potential obstacles and develop a plan before the move begins, helping projects progress more efficiently.
One-Stop Project Support
When rigging is combined with services such as crating, transportation, and warehousing, your business can simplify project coordination and reduce the number of vendors you need to manage.
Hire the Best Rigging Company for the Job
Heavy machinery, oversized equipment, difficult access points, specialized lifting requirements, and valuable equipment can all make a project more complicated than it may seem. The right professional rigging team can assess the job, develop a plan, and determine the equipment and services needed to complete the move safely and efficiently.
For more than 140 years, Rowe Transfer has provided rigging, transportation, crating, and warehousing services for businesses in Knoxville and around the world. Our team combines specialized equipment, technology, experienced professionals, and in-house engineering to develop the best solutions for complex moves. Whether you need to move a single piece of heavy machinery or coordinate a larger industrial relocation, Rowe Transfer is here to help! Contact us today to discuss your project and request a quote for professional rigging services.