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Can a skill rigger get a 98"H VMC in a 94"H opening?

Agfrvf

Aluminum
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
Shopping for VMCs and trying to figure out if it is possible to get the machine I want through the door. Could a skilled rigger get a 98" high machine through a 94" door by tilting it? Or am I looking at smaller machines or major renovations?
 
Shopping for VMCs and trying to figure out if it is possible to get the machine I want through the door. Could a skilled rigger get a 98" high machine through a 94" door by tilting it? Or am I looking at smaller machines or major renovations?

If they have any skill, yes most definitely. Might not like the price though, if you are talking garage or whatnot in a residential area...
 
Take it apart. Much easier to pull the Z axis motor or tool changer and put it in without tilting.

What machine is it?
 
I think couch may have the right idea. I found a thread where someone with a similar machine did it.
 
As MT factory reps we did similar many times in 2012, over 60+ machines per year.

Removing z motor, cable chain, usually got about 20 cm / 8".

Likewise, increasing clearance by 8" is usually quite easy, cheap, and fast, even if renting.
A rented industrial contractors diamond saw will typically easily and cleanly chop off a lentil or top edge, or a bottom ledge, in about an hour.

(removed detail and anecdotes).
 
The answer is so dependent upon the details.

What machine?

What opening?

I can get an extra inch taking the right meds.

An extra couple if I take the door jam off first.
 
I've been rigging for over 25 years. I've put things into places everybody else said wouldn't fit, but I don't think I'd take that job. It's not real easy to tilt a VMC, they have a very narrow base and can turn over easy, and you also usually have all that sheet metal to deal with. Also, depending on the machine design, it can actually be taller by tilting it. As has already been said, we've removed the motor on a bunch of them to decrease the height.

All that being said, a lot of things are possible if you throw enough money at it. I've told this to people who want to sometimes get a big machine through a small opening. At the end of the day though, it's usually cheaper to modify the doorway than to try to contort the machine to fit though a doorway too small.
 
If they have any skill, yes most definitely. Might not like the price though, if you are talking garage or whatnot in a residential area...


I would like the youtube link when done.

May want to make sure that scrap [price] is up before hand....




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Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
So riggers comming in the next 2 weeks. Its a Dyna-myte 3220, ways look good, leaves a nice finish, slow.

105" total. Having riggers drop it in front of door to pull z motor. Looks like a pretty big 5hp siemens drive.
 
Good news, I have a wapping 2.5" of clearance with z servo off. Just enough for the skates.
 
No but a half ass Carpenter can

^^^ THIS ^^^ usually.

Mind .. with an 18-foot wide, but only 6-foot tall "garage" door, then also a steel beam inside that was a foot or so short of clearing, it was EASIER for me to:

- lay a 4,400 lb Avoir ALzmetall AB5/S column drill press

- AND a 5,200+ lbs Avoir Quartet combo mill

.. over a full 90-degrees onto one side..

- atop the same field-fabbed "super hand truck" built of timber and 3/8" X 7" x 6' steel Ell "shoe" drilled and bolted to the base casting of each in turn, one at a time. I say again - the "hand truck" is first built right ONTO each machine whist still vertical.

- underside of it has 4-each of Northern's 4,400 lb-per-each urethane-roller skates.

- Used a FL, chains & straps for the tiltover outdoors.

- Pushed the first one in and well back with a timber "pushrod".

- re-erected it with an engine hoist.. and rigger-fu. Timber again. 6-Ton jackstands, adjustable. Chainfalls off that overhead beam. Stout cordage, etc.

- pulled the "hand truck" off.

- bolted and strapped it to the next - modified to again become an integral part of the load.

- repeated the operation.

Labour? Exactly ONE Old Fart, working alone. About six hours, end to end, resting ancient ass, often. VERY often. I did say "old"?

One overnight FL rental with drop & recovery. One steel ell, purchased, drilled to fit machine bolt-holes I'll have other uses for that in due course.

Timber, skates, straps, cordage, bolts, etc I generally have to hand anyway.

The take-away?

That "hand truck"!

It was sort of "built right ONTO" the most-favoured side of each load, in turn. Blocks, wedges, shims custom cuts of wood, then bolts, cinched-up heavy-not-puny ratchet straps, even CHAINS ....so as to make it near-as-dammit an "integral structure" with each machine in turn. No wiggle-room.

Useful in general, that approach as to making a solid "package", but..."no idea" if you can DOO that on yer VMC, even if shitmetal panels are pulled and asided.

What might you be missing that I HAD?

Massive and "naked" CAST IRON structure, both of my old machines.

OTOH? Your doorway is no real challenge atall to modify even if you have to place a demo-jack each side and pull a lintel.

My one - plus the structural beam, assuredly WAS beyond any reasonable means of alteration. Couldn't easily even cut a hole in a side wall for being partly buried.

"Plan B" was to cut a roof-hatch, then annex-attic floor hatch, drop them in from overhead with a crane. Close the roof, leave the attic hatch.

Plan A was far cheaper. In MY case. Saving the components of the "hand truck" means someday they can come back out, same method, reversed.

"Pull the upper part? No go. Needed FAR more vertical lift once indoors to get back ON again! Had already practiced exactly that, but outdoors in free air.


YMMV
 
Moved my 3 ton+ van norman 100% solo. Had it loaded on a pallet and jack on a tilting trailer. Strapped her down with 10ton straps. Drove home. Jacked the pallet as high as I could, tilted trailer, and used another strap as a clutch. Got machine where I wanted ot and smashed the pallet with the axe head of san angelo bar. Then used a pinch bar to rock the machine off the broken slats. Done.

A 11400lb cnc is much bigger and a completely different animal. Should clear with 4 screws and a coupler.
 
The obvious answer here is not a skill rigger, but a skill saw!

Damndest thing, the "sacredness" of structures, as if it were impossible to change even ignorant drywall on common studs, pre-hung door, even if we had personally built that very partition and hung the door ourselves, earlier in the same DAY!

Mind .. OP may be setting up shop in one of those prehistoric Maya temples, permits harder to come by..

:)
 
Shopping for VMCs and trying to figure out if it is possible to get the machine I want through the door. Could a skilled rigger get a 98" high machine through a 94" door by tilting it? Or am I looking at smaller machines or major renovations?

Any rigger can do it.....you can do it, just get a running start, prolly about 20 mph or so!
 








 
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