I want to transport a CO2 150w machine from one workshop to another in the same city, but the issue I’m facing is that adjustments to the workshop entrance has been made after the machine was installed and now it won’t fit the door entrance that’s made of tempered glass, now the machine is stuck inside and the only way I can go through the door entrance is by tilting it to to the rear o left side.
The machine weight +400kg, I need some advise from you guys on how to tilt the machine to the side and which side is safe before I make a big mess:joy:, the tube is installed into the rear side of the machine.
I attached picture of the machine, any advise will be much appreciated as I never saw a CO2 laser machine sideways . Cheers
I’ve been there too, but with a smaller machine that couldn’t get into my workshop.
I have carefully peeled out the CO2 tube and transported it separately. It is also a good idea to “lock” your gantry with cable ties and remove all loose parts from the machine.
Ah, you must have missed the movers hauling mine down the basement stairs!
Unlike yours, mine split horizontally into the laser cabinet and a stand: four bolts disconnected them and made the move possible.
Check inside yours to see if the white bottom layer can be removed: it may have the same four bolts holding it to the upper cabinet. If so, you can lay the cabinet on its back atop a dolly and roll it out. In any event, you can certainly remove the four feet.
Other than draining the water lines, securing the gantry, and removing the honeycomb & platform blades, there wasn’t much preparation involved. I braced the laser tube with closed-cell foam, but in retrospect any impact moving the tube would have also wrecked the whole machine.
I had great luck using a flat bed tow truck, from your local towing supplier. They may even have a drop deck version that can be fully flat, then chain down the machine, then lifted onto the back of the truck.
Unless you want to disassemble it down to the frame, you going to have to tilt it so it fits through the door.
There’s no technical reason to have to remove the tube, coolant yes, but the tube should be held in place securely by it’s mounts.
There’s also no reason that you can’t remove it and hand carry it around… if you feel more comfortable doing that. Of course that’s more handling time and the tube is literally exposed to any kind of damage from anything while removing/installing and transport.
I don’t know how you will roll that thing over at that weight, you probably can’t get enough people in the room to assist in that rotation.
Figure out how the cabinet is attached to the frame, you want the weight to on the frame support areas…
As @bernd.dk advised, tie down anything securely that can or does move.
If it will fit within the door frame, it might be worth paying someone to remove the doors long enough to move the machine.
There are a number of youtube videos solving the same issue. Here’s one they have to move it on it’s side…
, the tube is installed into the rear side of the machine.
. Cheers
