The machine is en route — what about your side?

Buying a used machine in Germany is only half the job. The other half starts when an 18-metre trailer enters your yard — and it turns out the crane does not fit between the hall and the fence, the floor cannot handle the point load, and the electrician is "available in two weeks."

Hutnia coordinates not just purchase and transport but also preparation on the receiving side. This article covers what you need to organise at your facility — and when to start.

Site and access assessment — 4 weeks before delivery

Before ordering a crane, verify it can actually reach you. The most common problems:

Yard surface capacity — a 50-ton mobile crane with counterweight weighs 35 tons. Gravel surfaces can collapse. Solution: steel crane pads (Kranplatten) under the outriggers.
Clearance height — will the trailer with machine (combined height 4.2 m) pass under the gate, power line, or pipe bridge?
Turning radius — an 18-metre rig needs at least 12 m turning radius. Narrow industrial yards from the 1980s often fall short.
Crane reach to trailer — the crane must be positioned so the boom reaches over the trailer and over the installation point. Typical distance: 5-12 m from the slewing axis.

Hutnia sends the carrier and crane company a site sketch with dimensions (based on Google Maps or a drone photo). The crane company confirms feasibility and proposes the crane type.

Choosing the unloading method — crane, forklift, rollers

The method depends on machine mass, availability of an overhead crane in your hall, and yard configuration:

Mobile crane (Autokran)

Range: 3-100+ tons
Cost: EUR 800-2,500 for 4 hours (30-80 t class)
Requires: solid ground, sufficient reach, clear space above the machine
Setup time: 30-60 minutes

Overhead crane (if available)

Range: depends on your crane's SWL
Cost: zero (own equipment)
Requires: hall door wide enough for the machine on a transport dolly
Condition: valid inspection (in Poland: UDT certificate)

Heavy-duty forklift / sideloader

Range: up to 10-16 tons
Cost: hire EUR 300-600/day
Limitation: machine must be accessible for forks under the base frame

Transport rollers (Maschinentransportrollen)

Range: unlimited (given sufficient roller capacity)
Use: moving the machine from trailer to hall floor via ramp
Requires: ramp at trailer level or hydraulic platform

Floor and foundation — requirements for the machine

A CNC machine demands a floor with adequate load capacity and flatness:

Load capacity: 5-20 kN/m2 depending on machine mass and contact area
Flatness: tolerance 0.02-0.05 mm/m (for precision machine tools)
Concrete thickness: minimum 200 mm for machines up to 5 t, 300+ mm for heavier
Vibration isolation: precision machines need a foundation separated from the rest of the floor (expansion joint + damping elements)

If your hall has a floor from the 1980s, it probably does not meet the requirements of a modern machining centre. Floor verification is a task for 3-4 weeks before delivery — because any reinforcement (grouting, anchors, block foundation) needs curing time.

More on transport securing in our article about securing standards on the trailer, and on insurance in our guide to extending transport insurance.

Utilities and connections — prepare before delivery

The machine is in place, the crane has left — what next? Utility checklist:

Electrical supply: voltage (400V/3-phase is DE standard, older machines may require 380V or 440V), connected load (transformer?), plug type (CEE 63A/125A)
Compressed air: pressure (typically 6-8 bar), flow rate (l/min), quality (filtration, drying)
Cooling: closed circuit or mains water? Temperature, flow rate, water quality
Chip disposal: container, chip conveyor, coolant filtration
Extraction: oil mist, dust

Hutnia sends you the connection specification based on the technical documentation before purchase — so you can prepare the installation in parallel with transport.

Unloading day schedule — day X

Typical sequence for an 8-ton machine:

Time	Activity
07:00	Crane arrives, outriggers deployed
07:30	Trailer positioned
08:00	Lashings removed, slings attached
08:30	Machine lifted, swung, set down on foundation
09:00	Positioning on anchors / levelling shoes
09:30	Preliminary levelling (precision spirit level)
10:00	Crane and trailer leave the site
10:00-12:00	Utility connections, fine levelling

Total time: 5 hours from crane arrival to utility connection. For machines over 15 tons — plan the full day.

Hutnia coordinates delivery from A to Z

You do not need to search for a crane company yourself, calculate floor load capacity, or translate the transport manual from German. Under a Hutnia mandate, we: