When moving heavy equipment, you must be careful. One wrong move could cause life-threatening accidents or costly damage to the machinery. We also provide a convenient collection service for larger e waste recycling orders.
The right tools are essential for safely moving machinery. The most common are machine skates and hand truck dollies. These sturdier versions of pallet jacks allow you to roll the machinery over short distances.
Skids
If you’re thinking of moving heavy shop equipment, one option is to use skids or machine skates. Machine skates are sturdy wheels that you can attach underneath your equipment, so you can push it wherever it needs to go. You can find them in different sizes to fit various types of machinery, but they have a weight limit, so it’s important to check the manufacturer’s recommendations before using them.
Unlike pallets with bottom deck boards to support and stabilize their loads, skids only have top deck boards with stringers to hold them up. The lack of bottom decks makes skids less stable from a packaging perspective and more suited for storage than shipping, but they’re an excellent choice for transporting heavy loads.
Another benefit of skids is that they can be stacked together so that you can store them in less space. This is especially useful if you’re moving heavy equipment on a regular basis and don’t have much storage space. Skids are also great for dragging heavy equipment across difficult or uneven terrain, such as through sand.
A similar option is to use roller skids, which are specialty wheels that can be attached to your equipment. You’ll need to lift your machinery up with a forklift or toe jack before adding them, but they can help you move large and bulky machines easily and without risking damage.
Lift Buddy
For equipment and machinery that isn’t oversized but is extremely heavy, a hand truck dolly can help to make the moving process faster. These simple tools work by attaching a platform to the bottom of a hand truck and sliding it under the equipment or machinery you’re trying to move. This allows a single person to easily lift and carry the load without putting any unnecessary strain on their backs.
For more substantial loads, you may need a toe jack tool. This tool works slightly differently than the lift buddy and operates more like a car jack. It raises up the corner of a heavy piece of equipment so that skates or roller skids can be placed underneath it.
A lift buddy is a power-lift hand truck designed specifically for lifting and transporting heavy shop equipment. It has a powered, adjustable height platform that positions loads at a comfortable level to eliminate bending and stretching during loading, unloading, or moving from one location to another. It also has a linear actuator to ensure smooth lifting and lowering with no drift. The Lift Buddy is ideal for a wide range of applications, including warehouse, distribution, food service processing, equipment repair and maintenance, retail, manufacturing, and office environments. It’s lightweight, compact, and maneuverable with a base platen that protects the linear actuator and two 12V, 7Ahr maintenance-free batteries.
Toe Jack
Hydraulic toe jacks are heavy-duty lifting tools that help get underneath equipment to lift it up. They’re small, so they’re easy to move around and come in various lifting capacities, from 5 tons to 25 tons.
These heavy-duty tools are designed to be used in a variety of different applications, from industrial and rigging to agricultural and tractor lifting. They’re also great for getting under machinery to do maintenance work or when you need to get under it and jack it up to change a component or other important function.
The toe jack is more durable than the Lift Buddy and operates a little differently, as it acts like a car jack by using a hydraulic lever to do the lifting. Some models also have a swivel feature to help you position the equipment more precisely and can even lift up to 60 tons.
These heavy-duty jacks are a must-have for any workshop owner, especially if you have a lot of machinery. They can make it much easier to move large equipment, making the job a whole lot quicker. Plus, they’re perfect for getting under equipment in tight spaces where it’s hard to reach. The toe jacks at Power Team SA are equipped with a specialized base, toe, and pumping system, allowing them to work in confined spaces. Choose from various sizes, including 5.5-ton, 11-ton, and now an amazing 27.5-tonne capacity jacks.
Lifting Straps
Moving heavy equipment can be very strenuous, even on a small scale. Several different tools are available to make this process much easier for you and your team. These smart options will take the hard work out of moving your equipment so that you can focus on what’s most important, getting the job done.
A lifting strap is a simple tool that is very effective at moving heavy equipment and machinery. These come in many forms but generally feature two straps with adjustable loops on both ends. One person wears these straps over their shoulders or forearms while the other places the other end under the object being moved. This takes the strain off your back and helps with weight distribution while providing more stability for the mover.
A toe jack is another clever piece of equipment that can help you move your heavy equipment. This tool is more advanced than the Lift Buddy and operates like a car jack. This tool allows you to crowbar the equipment or machine and then roll it to where needed. A hand truck dolly is also an excellent option for moving heavy machinery over short distances.
Hand Truck Dolly
Dollies and hand trucks are tools that can help with almost any equipment move, as long as the item isn’t too big. Rather than lifting equipment with your hands, you simply slide the truck underneath and roll it to where you need it. This helps prevent back injuries.
Hand trucks, or trolleys, are often confused with dollies and can be difficult to differentiate. A hand truck typically stands upright, has two large wheels, and is L shaped. This makes it easy to slip underneath an object that needs to be moved. Some come with extra wheels that kick out to make a four-wheel carrier and can also have attachments for climbing stairs or laying the hand truck down horizontally.
The main difference between a hand truck and a dolly is that hand trucks are designed to hold objects on the bottom platform, while dollies can be used with various items, including containers, boxes, and other materials. Once you have your equipment positioned on the dolly or hand truck, you should center it for balance and use any tie-down straps you might have. Then, stand behind the handle of the cart, tilting it toward you, and slowly roll the heavy equipment to where it needs to go.
The right equipment for moving your heavy shop equipment is critical to protecting your team from workplace injury. Contact the experts at Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales for expert advice about what equipment can best help you get your work done safely and efficiently.
Air Bearings
Air bearings are a popular option for moving heavy equipment like flat panel display test & manufacture, photonics, metrology, and CNCs. They supply and continuously escape pressurized shop air from an integrated design on the linear bearings. The control console allows for a central shut-off and regulates the airflow to each load module.
Unlike contact roller bearings, air bearings avoid long-standing tribological problems, including friction and wear. They are also non-contact, which allows them to move more accurately than contact bearings. Air bearings also offer a great balance of stiffness and damping.
After the air is pressurized, it is routed through internal passages to the bearing gap. The bearings can have orifices that direct the flow directly into the gap or porous media, allowing the air to penetrate the bearing gap.
Once the air is inside the bearing gap it creates a fluid film that acts to center and average out small-scale errors in the components. This produces a smooth and predictable motion and eliminates the need for lubrication.
Air bearings are dependent on good floor conditions for their efficient operation. Floor cracks and holes, excessively high vertical floor projections, and large deflection under load can significantly reduce air bearings’ effectiveness. In addition, the amount of air used and pressure required will vary depending on the floor condition. The air bearings should be inspected and evaluated before use.
