Valor Specialized Rigging recently completed a challenging air handling unit installation, lifting a 15,000 lb Nortek Air Solutions unit onto a mezzanine and moving it into its final position.
At 12 feet by 25 feet, the unit required a plan that accounted for its size, weight and the reach needed to make the set. Winston Robertson and the Valor team used their Hoist FR 40/60 extendable counterweight forklift with a 15 foot horizontal boom extension supplied by Forklift Exchange, along with a lifting ring, remote control and a Foxtrot Solo 20 machinery skate.
For a move like this, getting the equipment off the ground is only part of the job. The crew also needs to reach the placement area, control the load through the lift and plan how it will move once it reaches the mezzanine.
The air handler’s footprint made positioning an important part of this project. Valor needed additional horizontal reach for the lift, followed by a way to move the unit into its final location. Those were separate stages of the move, each calling for a different piece of equipment.
Winston contacted Forklift Exchange ahead of the project because his team needed more reach from their forklift. We supplied one of our 15 foot boom extensions just in time for the job.
Valor paired the extension with their Hoist FR 40/60 and a Forklift Exchange lifting ring to lift and position the Nortek unit onto the mezzanine. The boom extension addressed the reach requirement, while the lifting ring provided an additional rigging point along the boom.
This is a good example of why the attachment setup matters in machinery moving. The forklift, boom extension and rigging arrangement all need to suit the application. Rated capacity must be checked for the actual machine and attachment configuration, not assumed from the forklift’s model designation.
Visibility was another important part of the move. Valor used the Hoist FR remote control system to improve the operator’s view while positioning the air handler.
Remote control allows the operator to choose a suitable operating position outside the cab with a better view of the load and placement area. On a mezzanine installation, that perspective can be especially useful when judging the relationship between a large unit and the area where it needs to be set.
Once the air handler was on the mezzanine, Valor used their Foxtrot Solo 20 machinery skate to move it into its final position.
The Hoist handled the lift and placement onto the elevated level. The Foxtrot handled the movement that followed. Using the two together allowed Valor to address both parts of the installation with equipment suited to each stage.
Credit goes to Winston Robertson and the Valor Specialized Rigging team for completing this move. We appreciate the opportunity to support them with the boom extension they needed.
At Forklift Exchange, we work with machinery movers, rigging companies and millwrights on extendable counterweight forklifts, boom extensions, lifting rings and remote control solutions. If your next project calls for additional reach or a different attachment setup, contact us to discuss the application.
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