Professional Rigging: Why Equipment Installation Requires Expert Expertise

Comprehensive Rigging Services Across Industries

R Baker & Son's rigging teams collaborate with equipment manufacturers across virtually every major industry. This extensive experience spans pharmaceutical equipment, electrical gear, various HVAC systems, and custom manufacturing equipment of all sizes. This expertise also extends to equipment relocation projects, including plant relocations and consolidation initiatives where equipment is reused, relocated, or repurposed.

Precision Assembly Through Expert Coordination

During a recent rigging project, R. Baker worked alongside a renowned custom air handler manufacturer and a leading pharmaceutical process equipment manufacturer. This complex undertaking required on-site assembly and reassembly of equipment at predetermined locations established through Building Information Modeling (BIM) coordination.

The project involved bringing together multiple equipment sections using nuts, bolts, gaskets, and specific fittings—all requiring precise assembly techniques. Both manufacturers expressed strong appreciation for the organization demonstrated by R Baker's rigging crews and millwrights throughout the entire process: planning, organizing, receiving, lifting, and assembling all equipment components.

A Growing Industry Problem: Inexperienced Rigging Attempts

During this collaboration, the manufacturers' representatives shared concerning experiences from other projects—problems that are unfortunately becoming increasingly prevalent across the industry. The core issue: inexperienced contractors, maintenance personnel, and facility owners attempting rigging and assembly projects that far exceed their expertise and capabilities.

Real-World Consequences of Amateur Rigging

The manufacturers described several alarming incidents resulting from inadequate rigging practices:

Equipment Mishandling During Delivery

* Equipment picked up and dropped from flatbeds and delivery trailers, causing immediate damage

Improper Lifting Techniques

* Large equipment lifted without spreader bars, resulting in crushing or denting under the equipment's own weight

* Equipment lifted without using manufacturer-specified lift points

* Improper sling lengths causing equipment frames to twist and rack, resulting in severe structural damage

Critical Safety and Property Risks These amateur attempts create serious safety hazards for personnel involved and often result in significant property damage—consequences that extend far beyond simple equipment replacement costs.

Manufacturer Response to the Crisis

This issue has become severe enough that manufacturers are taking proactive measures to ensure proper equipment installation and prevent unnecessary damage. Their initiatives include:

* Detailed illustrated installation manuals with comprehensive rigging instructions

* Online resources including website documentation and instructional videos

* Direct technical assistance available by phone or in-person support

* Explicit recommendations in their literature to hire experienced riggers and millwrights for all installation work

The High Cost of Equipment Damage

For project timelines and budgets, damaged equipment represents a critical failure. When equipment that has taken months to procure, build, and ship arrives damaged or becomes damaged during installation, the consequences ripple throughout the entire project schedule. Manufacturers recognize this as a serious problem that threatens both their products and their customers' operations.

Professional Rigging: Not a DIY Project

Rigging and assembly work is not a hobby. This specialized field requires:

* Comprehensive professional training

* Years of hands-on experience

* Proper equipment and specialized tools

* Deep understanding of load dynamics and safety protocols

* Knowledge of manufacturer specifications and requirements

Attempting complex rigging projects without these qualifications puts equipment, property, and—most importantly—human safety at serious risk.

The Bottom Line

When your project involves valuable, custom-manufactured equipment with long lead times, the decision is clear: hire professional riggers and millwrights. The cost of professional expertise is minimal compared to the expenses, delays, and safety risks associated with damaged equipment and failed amateur installation attempts.

R Baker's experienced teams demonstrate daily why professional rigging services remain essential for successful equipment installation across all industries. Their proven track record of safe, precise equipment handling protects your investment and keeps your project on schedule.

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in six sites that received VPP OSHA Safety Awards). R. Baker & Son is financially strong, with bonding capabilities of over $20 million. Capabilities include industrial and commercial demolition, rigging, machinery- and plant-moving, dismantling, decommissioning, plant and equipment relocation, interior demolition, selective demolition, warehousing, wrecking and razing, millwright, plant reconfigurations, heavy rigging, salvage, environmental services, remediation, decontamination, abatement, and investment and asset recovery.

R. Baker & Son - Rigging & Demoliton Contractors
190 Boundary Road
Marlboro, NJ 07746
732-222-3553

https://www.rbaker.com/rigging-services.php