Heavy Lift & Shift Services
AIS VIG Industrial has been providing lift and shift services since 1968. Regardless of the size of your project, we have the skill, resources, and experience to ensure that your heavy machinery moving or complex relocation project goes smoothly, safely, on time, and on budget.
What Does our Lift and Shift Service Do?
Our heavy-lifting services are designed to accommodate a diverse range of projects. Whether you’re installing new machinery or relocating existing equipment to a new environment (even a different country), we have the solution.
With over 3,500 tonnes of machinery moved every year, we have the equipment – including cranes, forklifts, and hydraulic jacks – to handle machinery of almost any size or weight. Our advanced hydraulic gantry equipment is capable of lifting, lowering, rotating, tilting, and moving loads up to 1,000 tonnes with precision, eliminating the need for cranes and the costly dismantling of roofs or steel structures.
Why Choose AIS VIG Industrial for Your Lift and Shift Project?
Every project is different, and we can provide the perfect bespoke blend of skill sets, experience, and state-of-the-art lifting machinery to solve the problem.
- 100% tailored solutions: Our team closely collaborates with you to understand your specific needs, equipment details, and new environment. Then, we customise a plan that will optimise our efficiency and keep your costs lower.
- Expertise: Our highly qualified workforce has decades of combined experience in every area of expertise that a project like heavy machine moving or complex relocations might need, ensuring a smooth lift, transport, and installation at your new location every time.
- Safety first: Safety is paramount at AIS VIG Industrial. We adhere to the strictest safety protocols and regulations, ensuring the well-being of your personnel and ours, and the security of your equipment throughout the entire operation.
- Minimal disruption: Our close working collaboration with you ensures that we keep disruption to your day-to-day operations to a bare minimum, with as little downtime as possible.
Benefits of Choosing AIS VIG Industrial for Your Lift and Shift Project:
When considering the complexities of relocating or reconfiguring your machinery, choosing the right partner is crucial. At AIS VIG Industrial, we offer a streamlined lift and shift service designed to deliver exceptional value and efficiency.
- Reduced costs: Lift and shift is a cost-effective alternative to complete system overhauls. You can leverage your existing machinery while reaping the benefits of a new location or environment.
- Faster implementation: Compared to implementing entirely new systems, the lift and shift approach offers a faster path to operational efficiency in your new space.
- Minimised risk: By using familiar equipment, you minimise the risk of technical challenges that might arise with new systems, contributing to a smoother transition.
Types of Life And Shift Services
We carry out several different types of specialist lifting & shifting services, depending on our client’s production layout and location.
- Rigging and Lifting
This type of service involves the use of specialised rigging equipment to safely lift and transport heavy items. This can include everything from cranes and slings to winches and hoists.
- Heavy Hauling
This type of service involves the use of specialised transport equipment to move heavy items over long distances using our own in-house transport fleet.
- Machinery Moving
This type of service involves the use of specialised lifting equipment and techniques to move large & heavy machinery. For machinery moves, we carry out full disconnections & dismantling, transportation, and reassembly by our team of mechanical & electrical engineers.
Our in-house experts are fantastic at developing innovative solutions for even the tightest, seemingly impossible moves.
Health and Safety
Ensuring safety is our highest priority for all lift and shift services provided to our clients. For each specific lift and shift need, a team member will conduct a site visit to assess the unique requirements of your machinery relocation. Following this assessment, our operations team will develop a comprehensive lift plan.
Our lifting teams and equipment are consistently maintained to meet the latest LOLER and PUWER regulations. Every lift and shift operation will adhere to a detailed lifting plan to guarantee the safety of your machinery, equipment, and personnel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What equipment is used for a professional 'lift and shift' of industrial machinery?
We utilise a suite of specialist equipment, all of which is wholly owned by our group. By owning our fleet, we can guarantee the highest standards of maintenance, immediate availability, and total reliability for every project.
Our equipment is specifically tailored to handle extreme weights within the unique constraints of industrial facilities. This includes Versa-Lift extendable-frame forklifts for heavy lifting in tight spaces, hydraulic gantry systems for overhead lifts where traditional cranes cannot reach, and machine skates or air-film movers to glide assets across factory floors without damaging the surface. For your peace of mind, every lift is meticulously planned and overseen by a LOLER-qualified ‘Appointed Person’.
To find out more about our unique capabilities and why we are the preferred partner for complex moves, please visit our Why Choose Us page.
What scale and complexity of projects is AIS VIG Industrial equipped to handle?
AIS VIG Industrial is specifically positioned to manage large-scale, high-complexity industrial projects that require intensive technical planning and specialist resources. Our core expertise lies in executing multi-faceted relocations—such as entire factory transfers, production line installations, and the movement of heavy-duty plant—where precision and rigorous risk management are paramount.
While standard, individual ‘lift and shift’ tasks or smaller workshop moves are typically handled by our group partner, Vanguard, AIS VIG Industrial is the designated choice for projects involving significant engineering challenges, intricate decommissioning, or complex cross-border logistics. By leveraging the combined strength and wholly owned fleet of the wider group, we ensure that every high-tier project is executed under a comprehensive RAMS (Risk Assessments and Method Statements) framework for total safety and efficiency.
How do you ensure the safety of a lift and shift in a live production environment?
Safety in a live environment is our priority. We create clearly defined exclusion zones using physical barriers and signage to separate our lifting operations from your workforce. By coordinating with your Floor Manager, we can schedule high-risk lifts during shift changes or low-activity periods, ensuring 100% compliance with LOLER and PUWER regulations without halting your entire production line.
The responsiveness and professionalism of the VIG office in managing the project, the crane company and issuing very comprehensive RAMS was extremely helpful in enabling the potentially high risk works to be approved by the safety officers within the end user client at this critically important site. Thanks to you and all your Team for managing the Lift & Shift and Crane Lift works professionally, safely and efficiently. I look forward to undertaking the next stage of works with you all.
Managing Director Health Sector