Purchased a used Fadal 4020 - shipping question

[MBX5]

Hello... I just purchased a used 4020 at auction today... It is a 1995 unit. I am going to be paying some riggers to load a truck for me. Is there anything I should know about shipping one of these as far as locking pins or other shipping preparations that I should be sure the rigger follows?

Many thanks!

[fizzissist]

You want to make sure that the locking pins for locking the headstock counterweights are in place.

[Superman]

Many transporters won't take a machine thats filled with lub. or coolant etc, so ask

All sliding parts should be locked down, a block of wood under the Z-axis before locking it down. This will stop the machine damage on the leadscrews. As fizzy says, lock or remove the counter weights

Cover all screens to stop accidental damage, and really protect the control box, bubble wrap and cardboard

If you are dismantling it before transport, take photos, great for re-assembly and claims against damage in-transit. Grab the manuals, software disks, datacards that the owner should have, before he tosses them. Take these yourself.

When ready to truck, cable tie the doors, and anything that may swing out, and then plastic wrap the whole lot to keep sticky-noses and light fingers out.

[scadvice]

BTY - If the machine is no longer under power you can still move the z axis by removing the spindle shroud or if you can see it, and hand rotate the z ballscrew to set the pins and then block up the wood to the spindle and rotate the load off of the chains slightly.
For sure... get the plastic wrap and stretch wrap it. Best stuff in the world, when you want to remove it, just cut it off with a pair of good tin snips. You can get the 24" roll at the local u-haul place.
Steve

[TRIMI]

CALL BELGER THEY REALY UN XPENSIVE I USE THIS SERVICE AND I ONLY PAY 1000 DOLLARS 316-6502044 BILL VEITH ,

MY NAME IS RODRIGO VAZQUEZ

[ThatguyDave]

Congrats. You're in pretty much the same senario as me. My riggers ran the head down onto a block of wood but I don't remember seeing them do anything with the counterweights. Defiantely get all the documentation you can find. I literally dug thru the entire shop to find the appropriate manuals for all the machines I bought. No one elso bothered and I wound up fielding calls from another buyer who couldn't get his bar feeder to work.

[MBX5]

Thanks for all the replies. I bought the unit at a Bidspotter online auction - it is in Eastern PA - I am in Western, however I will probably send one of my guys out to make sure it gets packed correctly... We integrate industrial robots (Fanuc, etc.) but I am a complete noob when it comes to CNC machining...we are wanting to do more of our machining in house to save a bit...

[Steve RFE]

Hi. I recently bought a Fadal VMC15 from a second hand machinery dealer. I had a Fadal rep check the machine before shipping and he instructed the machinery dealer how to secure the counter weight. The machine was shipped on a semi trailer about 500 miles to me. When it was fork lifted into position in my work shop we discovered the only thing the dealer had done was put a block of wood between the spindle and table. The counter weight apparently weighs 1/2 a ton and it had bounced on its 2 drive chains all the way. One link was broken and the other was pretty bent and hanging on by a prayer. If the second link had broken, the counter weight would have smashed the Y stepper motor directly underneath it and made a big expensive mess.
Regards Steve