Right in the heart of Zug, inside the new building of SHL Medical—the world’s leading manufacturer of auto-injectors for the pharma and biotech industries—we were tasked with bringing in six new production machines. More specifically, the six injection molding machines, weighing approximately 16 tonnes each, could not simply be rolled in at ground level; they had to be lifted directly to the upper floor using a mobile crane and a landing platform. It was a project that demanded careful planning, tight coordination, and the right equipment.
The machines arrived by truck and were lifted individually onto the landing platform by a mobile crane. This was followed by the lift of the platform including machine up to the opening in the façade on the first floor. Once the platform was secured, these heavyweights were pulled off using heavy-duty skates and then transferred onto air cushions. This allowed us to maneuver the machines to their destination with high precision while protecting the floors. All six units were positioned strictly according to the layout plan, lowered onto their machine mounts, and pre-aligned.
On the final day of this project, various additional systems and components were brought in via the ramp. To accommodate crane operations, a complete road closure with dedicated traffic management was set up for two days.
Equipment used:
- 20t landing platform
- Air cushion system incl. compressor
- Heavy-duty machinery skates
- Mobile crane
- Aluminum sheets, steel plates, and hardwood
Team: Daniel B, Martin B, Silvan S, Dominik W, Marc K, Erich O, Uwe S
Pictures and film: Lukas Pitsch proimagehub.ch