Factory Relocation Checklist – 42 Points to Review Before Moving Production Equipment

Maintest Grupp has compiled a practical 42-point checklist to use before relocating a single machine, a production line or an entire factory. The earlier these questions are worked through, the lower the risk of unplanned production downtime, additional costs and start-up problems.

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1. Project Scope and Responsibility

1. Define exactly which equipment will be relocated
   Draw up a list of all machines, auxiliary equipment, electrical cabinets, conveyors, filters, robots, workbenches and other components that form part of the system.
2. Define what will not be relocated
   Inventory from the old factory, equipment to be scrapped and utilities that are not part of the relocation must be marked separately.
3. Appoint a person responsible for the project
   Both the client and the company carrying out the relocation must have one person who makes the final decisions.
4. Set the acceptable production downtime
   The most important question is not always the total duration of the relocation, but how long production has to be stopped.
5. Prepare a preliminary schedule
   Plan the equipment shutdown, dismantling, transport, installation, electrical connections, start-up and production restart as separate stages.
6. Identify critical equipment
   Not all machines need to be moved in the same order. Equipment on which the entire production process depends requires its own schedule.

2. Documentation Before Dismantling

7. Make thorough photo documentation of the equipment
   Photograph the machine as a whole, as well as all electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, extraction and other connections.
8. Back up PLC and HMI programs
   Before disconnecting the equipment from the power supply, make backup copies of PLCs, HMIs, robots, frequency converters and other programmable components, where possible.
9. Save equipment parameters
   The parameters of frequency converters, servos, controllers and other configurable components can be critical when restoring the machine.
10. Label the cables
    Both ends of each cable must be clearly identifiable. Photos alone may not be sufficient later.
11. Label pneumatic and hydraulic lines
    Hoses, valves, manifolds and connection points must be marked before disconnection.
12. Gather all existing drawings
    Electrical diagrams, pneumatic diagrams, layouts, foundation drawings and operating manuals should be available to the project team.

3. Technical Condition Before Relocation

13. Record the machine’s operating condition
    Where possible, the machine should be test-run before dismantling.
14. Document existing defects
    It must later be possible to distinguish problems that existed before the move from those caused during the move.
15. Record the machine’s zero points and settings
    For CNC, robot and precision equipment, references, offsets and other operating parameters may be required.
16. Inspect worn components
    A relocation is often a good time to replace bearings, belts, hoses, cables or other parts that are difficult to access once the machine is installed.
17. Check whether transport locks are needed
    Moving axes, gantries, counterweights and other components may require mechanical securing.
18. Prepare a condition report if necessary
    For particularly valuable equipment, it is advisable to document the machine’s condition before the move.

4. Equipment Weight, Dimensions and Lifting

19. Verify the actual weight of the equipment
    Do not rely on estimates alone. Use manufacturer documentation or verified data.
20. Determine the center of gravity
    The center of gravity of an irregularly shaped machine may not be located at its geometric center.
21. Identify the lifting points specified by the manufacturer
    The machine’s housing or frame is not automatically suitable as a lifting point.
22. Check the equipment’s transport dimensions
    The machine may require partial dismantling before transport.
23. Measure all passageways
    Check doors, gates, corridors, columns, ceiling height, piping and other bottlenecks.
24. Check the floor load capacity
    This is especially important for heavy lifting equipment and machines weighing several tens of tonnes.
25. Plan suitable lifting equipment
    Cranes, forklifts, hydraulic lifting systems, machine skates and other auxiliary equipment must be selected to suit the specific machine.

5. Preparing the New Location

26. Finalise the equipment layout
    The machine’s position must be decided before it arrives.
27. Check the maintenance space
    Leave enough space around the machine to open doors, replace components and carry out future maintenance.
28. Check the electrical supply
    Voltage, power, fuses, cables and connection points must meet the equipment’s requirements.
29. Check compressed air and other utilities
    Compressed air, vacuum, cooling water, gases, hydraulics and any other required connections must be ready.
30. Check extraction and ventilation
    Equipment that generates dust, smoke, vapour or hot air may require new ducts or modifications to the existing system.
31. Check the foundation and floor
    Some machines require a separate foundation, anchoring or very precise levelness.

6. Dismantling and Transport

32. Dismantle systematically
    The dismantling sequence must support later reassembly. Components should not be removed in a random order.
33. Pack sensitive components
    HMI panels, sensors, measuring systems, servos, electronics and optics need special protection during transport.
34. Create a transport plan
    Plan which part goes on which truck and in what order the trucks must arrive at the new factory.
35. Check whether special transport is needed
    Loads exceeding dimension or weight limits may require special transport and additional route planning.

7. Installation at the New Location

36. Position the machine according to the layout
    Before final fixing, check the machine’s position relative to other equipment and the material flow.
37. Level and align the equipment
    For CNC machines, production lines and precision machines, correct levelling and alignment can directly affect machine performance.
38. Restore all technical connections
    Electrical, automation, pneumatics, hydraulics, extraction, cooling and other systems.
39. Check the safety systems
    Emergency stops, safety guards, interlocks, light curtains and other protective systems must be checked before production starts.
40. Carry out a controlled test run
    The machine should not be put into full-load production straight away. First, check the functions, movements, signals and safety circuits.

8. Handover and Production Restart

41. Test the machine with real product
    Where possible, the final check should be carried out in the actual production process, not just with the machine idling.
42. Prepare the handover documentation
    Record the work carried out, problems found, changes made, recommendations and the final condition of the machine.

The things most often forgotten

When relocating a factory, the crane or the truck is usually not what causes the most problems. Bigger delays tend to occur when the required power supply is missing at the new location, cables are unlabelled, machine parameters have not been saved, or an auxiliary unit was left off the old plant’s equipment list. For this reason, a relocation project should begin not with lifting the machine, but with technical planning.

Who should plan the relocation?

Relocating a single small machine can be a relatively simple project. For a production line or an entire factory, however, it is worth involving a company at the very start of the project that can assess the whole scope, including:

• mechanical dismantling and assembly;
• electrical work;
• automation;
• pneumatics and hydraulics;
• lifting and transport;
• equipment alignment and levelling;
• commissioning and troubleshooting.

If this work is divided among many independent parties, it becomes especially important to define responsibilities and scope boundaries very precisely.

Maintest supports you from planning to start-up

Maintest Grupp relocates industrial equipment, production lines and entire factories in Estonia and elsewhere in Europe. If required, the project covers: survey → relocation plan → dismantling → labelling → lifting → transport → assembly → electrical work → automation → setup → test run.

Related services

• Factory Relocation
• Production line relocation
• Industrial machinery relocation
• Industrial Equipment Installation

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