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First time moving a CNC milling machine

Firehunter

Plastic
Joined
Jun 20, 2020
There is a first time for everything. Well, this is my first post on this forum and it's about moving a CNC milling machine for the first time.

I have bought a Kunzmann WF7 CNC which needs to be transported to my workshop. The machine seems to be very similar to a Mikron WF..C. The weight is about 2000kg.

My question now is, what do I have to take into account when transporting such a machine? Are there parts that need to be fixed? I often see wooden blocks supporting parts of machines. But why and when are they used?

Is it better to take the front cabinet off, or just leave it on (and wrap it with foil)? I think it will be transported on an open trailer.

And how to lift it on and off the trailer? I've seen photos and videos of steel bars or slings through a hole in the frame. This machine has one hole in the frame. But I don't know of the balance will be right when it is lifted at this position. The machine isn't operational at the moment, so I can't turn it on and move the axis.
 

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Looks like you may have to just fork it underneath. It’s going to be really top heavy, so keep it level.
 
What you do is call in the people that do this for a living and let them do it for you. The headaches and worries saved will be innumerable.
 
There should be rigging diagrams in the factory manuals. The hole looks like it may be for securing a counterweight.
 
What you do is call in the people that do this for a living and let them do it for you. The headaches and worries saved will be innumerable.

Unfortunately my experience is that you can't always trust someone who says he knows how to do something. A transport company will be moving the machine, I won't do it myself. But not every machine can be lifted the same way. That's why I'm asking questions on this forum to make sure all the right precautions are taken and the machine doesn't get damaged during transport.

The seller has to search for the manual, I don't yet know if it is present.
 
"The seller has to search for the manual, I don't yet know if it is present."

I have good luck with Google, type make, model, and "PDF", often it turns up a manual.
 
I have searched, but unfortunately I couldn't find a PDF manual of this machine.

There should be rigging diagrams in the factory manuals. The hole looks like it may be for securing a counterweight.

I don't think this machine has a counterweight.

I found this video, that's why I thought lifting it with a steel bar through the hole would be a good idea: YouTube
 
Unfortunately my experience is that you can't always trust someone who says he knows how to do something. A transport company will be moving the machine, I won't do it myself. But not every machine can be lifted the same way. That's why I'm asking questions on this forum to make sure all the right precautions are taken and the machine doesn't get damaged during transport.

The seller has to search for the manual, I don't yet know if it is present.

But thats what riggers do. And they have the insurance to pay for the machine in case something gets messed up. Do you?
 
I don't think most of us have even seen one of those over here
much less moved one
haas, fadal, mits , morri, mazak you will get a load of first hand

I’ve moved that brand before, but I don’t recall if it was that particular machine. Best I remember, we forked it from underneath.
 
You can lift it through the hole
Perhaps you can turn the servo by hand to move the topslide so it is balanced
I always put a wooden block under the Z-axes so that during transport the Z-axe slide is not bouncing on the spindle and nut
And if it is strapped down over the table the load from strapping is not on the Z-axe spindle and nut

Peter
 
Peter, you are right. I got an email from Kunzmann just before the machine was picked up. They sent me the manual and said the hole is indeed for lifting the machine. They also said it is important to drain the oil from the top slide. They didn't say the reason, but I guess it is to prevent the oil from going into the bearing grease. And ofcourse I put wooden blocks under the Z-axis.

The transport went very well. The machine was already perfectly in balance, so I didn't need to adjust the Y-axis.
 








 
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