In most sectors, there will come a time when complex and heavy lifting expertise is called for – perhaps for moving heavy machinery or transporting oversized or heavy loads.
For teams set to undertake these projects, the prospect can be daunting – particularly given the lift’s cost, complexity and safety implications and the impact of any potential project delays or errors.
Moving and relocating vast pieces of equipment or manufacturing machinery comes with a host of risks attached. But these can be anticipated and avoided when the correct approach is applied, supporting smooth and efficient project delivery.
Decades of experience delivering complex and heavy lifts in industries as varied as automotive, power generation, petrochemicals, and aerospace amongst many others, have helped the AIS Vanguard team define a successful project’s critical elements.
Here are four crucial ‘need to know’ insights from our experts to ensure projects are delivered on time, to budget and with safety always front of mind.
- Planning is everything
Complex and heavy lifting requires precision planning. And knowing where to start can be taxing, as each project has unique challenges. Whether that’s moving machines that are irregular shapes, or navigating seemingly impossible access paths, any one of these challenges has the potential to throw a proverbial spanner in the works.
Happily, there is a solution for even the most seemingly tricky heavy-lifting demands, which can be arrived at through professional planning.
Clarifying the project’s unique requirements is the first step. At AIS Vanguard, we appoint dedicated project managers to help clients identify project needs so the correct solution can be implemented. This requires a detailed understanding of the load that needs to be lifted, the distance it needs to be transported, the timeframe that needs to be met and the budget that needs to be applied.
At this stage, it’s also essential to ascertain whether hoisting, jacking or skating is required before a specific lifting plan is designed. This plan must be carried out according to strict but also operationally contingent parameters, and can have a huge impact on how the rest of the operation plays out.
Health and safety compliance is permanently embedded into each phase of the project plan to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
- The right equipment achieves the correct result.
Selecting the right equipment for each project is an integral part of the planning stage and the key to delivering efficiency and successful project outcomes. There are nearly countless options to choose between, each with nuanced merits and drawbacks, and in a lot of cases, getting the wrong equipment can have significant knock on effects.
One of the primary advantages of choosing AIS Vanguard to deliver heavy and complex lifting projects is because of our wholly-owned fleet of specialist lifting equipment. The variety in our fleet allows us to deliver successful relocation and installation projects under the most challenging conditions and in the most restrictive environments.
We can specify heavy and complex lifting equipment from a fleet that includes Megalift jacking systems, hydraulic gantry systems and a range of 2 ton to 21 ton Valla cranes, as well as transport vehicles including low loaders and trailers capable of transporting loads of up to 1000 tonnes.
- Health and safety is priority number one.
Strict health and safety compliance is always a top priority for our complex and heavy-lifting project teams. Not only can health and safety slip-ups and shortcuts cause a regulatory nightmare, but they can often result in unacceptable levels of increased risk to people in these often fast-paced, high-consequence workspaces.
All our complex and heavy-lifting projects are carried out in line with a risk assessment and method statement, which are compiled with specific consideration of the project site, equipment and personnel involved.
We also employ a highly trained, multi-skilled and professional workforce with the expertise and resources to execute projects precisely and safely.
- Experience counts
There is no ‘one size fits’ all for complex and heavy-lifting jobs. Knowing exactly what solution to apply in every circumstance can only come with decades of experience.
Even seemingly insignificant differences between two sites, like an entrance that’s 20cm narrower or a machine that doesn’t have the usual lifting points, can mean that a completely different approach with different machinery is required. Failure to integrate these changes from the very beginning can result in unnecessary delays at best, damaged equipment at worst.
At AIS, we have vast expertise in heavy and complex lifting and regularly work across various heavy industries. We use tried and tested methods and a broad range of advanced plant and equipment to complete even the most complex projects safely, on time and on budget. By leveraging our experience, we can streamline the moving process immensely, passing those time and financial savings onto our clients.
If you’re facing a heavy-lifting challenge and need our expert advice and support, please contact us.