Here at AIS Vanguard, we are often asked about the cost of moving heavy machinery. As heavy equipment movers, we know that the cost of heavy machinery moving can be a factor in decision making about factory reconfiguration, asset replacement strategies and asset realisation programmes. However, there is no simple answer.
It is impossible to provide a price for machinery removals or equipment installation based on the size and weight of the assets alone. Factors including the operational conditions, the location, access arrangements, any logistics involved and the scope of the project must all be factored into the price. Moreover, it’s essential that you don’t simply ask how much does it cost to move heavy machinery, but also, how risk can be avoided and value can be generated by the project.
Here are some general tips for helping you assess the costs of machinery moves on a like-for like-basis, taking into account what your industrial moving company can offer you and the value you stand to gain – or lose – from the way in which your project is delivered.
Understanding how operational conditions affect the cost of equipment moves
Heavy machinery moving in an operational environment involves more risk than factory dismantling or decommissioning because it often involves carrying out complex lifts while enabling other machines to continue working on a business-as-usual basis.
As a result, when reviewing the cost of heavy machinery moves, it’s important to consider any additional services and safeguards being offered by your industrial machinery movers. For example, does the quote for heavy machinery moving include machine installation, robot installation, complex lifts or electrical engineering? At AIS Vanguard, for example, we often provide a turnkey service that includes diverting electrical and mechanical services, decommissioning the asset and creating temporary access to minimise disruption to your operations.
The benefit of avoiding complete operational shutdown can be profound in a lot of circumstances, and is often worth the additional investment. It shouldn’t take long to calculate the potential losses you’d suffer from closing down for a certain period, compared to the additional expense necessary for a competent turnkey service provider, and that simple ROI can be a convincing argument to show your accounts department.
The effect of location on the cost of machinery moves
Many companies find that their location affects the cost of their heavy machinery moving projects, perhaps because it is in a remote location or because it is at some distance from their usual industrial moving company.
At AIS Vanguard, we have a branch network right across the UK in Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Rotherham, Newcastle, London and Wigan and our sister company, AIS EURELO, has branches throughout Europe too, so we are always local, wherever you need us, which could reduce the cost of machinery moves for your site, wherever it may be.
If, however, your company is further away from urban centres, or more difficult to access, then it’s likely that you’ll have to pay a slight surcharge compared to more accessible, ‘conventional’ centres. Access complications can make the logistical elements of heavy machine removal a lot more difficult to take care of, and it’s necessary that this additional cost is passed on.
How access arrangements can affect the cost of machinery moves
If ingress and egress arrangements are available to carry out machinery removals without any dismantling of your machine, this could help keep costs down. Often, however, this is not the case.
At AIS Vanguard, our heavy machinery moving experts will advise you on the most cost-effective approach to lifting and moving your machine. This may involve making temporary modifications to your building and AIS Vanguard can manage this process, taking full CDM responsibility, ensuring any temporary apertures are safely and efficiently created and removed.
In some cases, dismantling machines may be the best approach to removing them and our mechanical and electrical engineers can take the machine apart before it is moved to its new location or loaded to transport for onward travel.
Where space is tight, we often deploy our hydraulic jack system to carry out heavy machinery moving and complex lifts on a tight footprint. Once again, this can reduce the cost of machinery moves, as well as reducing the programme and the risk of downtime.
To get a more accurate idea of how much this will actually cost in practice, you will have to arrange for a service rep to attend your premises, examine the access requirements and machinery that will need to be temporarily decommissioned and taken to pieces, and any specialist equipment and operators that might be required to take care of the job.
How do logistics affect the cost of heavy machinery moves?
When assessing a quote for the cost of moving heavy machinery, it’s important to understand whether it includes logistics. At AIS Vanguard, we don’t just carry out machinery moves and complex lifts, we can also deliver, install, decommission, and remove equipment, as well as providing the logistics support to transport your machine anywhere in the UK, Europe or across the world.
Arranging complex lifts and logistics separately can increase the cost, so it’s worth checking that your industrial moving company can offer a turnkey approach that includes all your needs.
The scope of the project will determine the cost of heavy machinery moves
Of course, the number of assets, size of the machines and number of complex lifts will affect the cost of your heavy machinery moving project. Additional elements such as whether you require machinery installation services, factory relocation or factory dismantling will also have an impact.
At AIS Vanguard, as an industrial moving company with a 40-year track record, we have the expertise to ask the right questions at the earliest stages of your heavy machinery moving project so that we can offer you a full method statement and cost. And if things change during the course of the project – which sometimes cannot be helped – we’ll update the cost so that you are up-to-date with how any changes in scope affect the price. Transparency is important in these kinds of projects, and we pride ourselves on complete accountability across the board.
Don’t forget to consider the value of your heavy machinery moves
The cost of heavy equipment moves is not the only financial criterion you should consider when selecting a supplier – it’s also important to think about the value your machinery relocation or equipment installation project will deliver. It may help you increase throughput, enhance efficiency, reduce waste, drive down your carbon footprint or manage your risk of unplanned downtime.
Considered in this way, any project becomes part of a much wider value strategy and the cost of heavy machinery moving from a trusted industrial moving company like AIS Vanguard is a sound investment.