Rigging-Busters are CNC machine movers and riggers for machine shops and plants in Hamilton, Ontario, from the Bayfront to the business parks on the Mountain. We lock, skid, haul and set lathes, mills, machining centres and other machine tools, then re-level them for your electricians and the machine builder.
CNC machine moving has its own risks: axes that are not locked, a tall column that wants to tip, a coolant tank full of fluid and a floor that was never rated for point loads. We plan around each of them, whether the job is one toolroom lathe or a whole machine shop. If you run a machine shop in Hamilton, Ontario, we schedule the move around your production; we move machines, we do not machine parts.
Moving in Hamilton, ON and the surrounding area? Send us the machine details and we will plan the move.
- Industrial only: industrial equipment moving for machine shops and plants, with no household or office moves.
- One crew: rigging, transport, set-in-place, levelling and millwright installation.
- Quick quotes: replies within 2–4 business hours, and estimates are free.
- Service area: Hamilton, Halton, Niagara and Brant, plus the rest of southern Ontario.
Use our Heavy Lifting & Moving Calculator for a quick, rough price range before you ask for a quote.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Whether you need to transport a single machine or relocate an entire production line, our team of industrial machine and heavy equipment movers plans the job from survey to set-down.
Comprehensive CNC Machine Moving Services in Hamilton
Our CNC machine moving work in Hamilton and nearby cities covers relocation, transport and installation.
CNC Machine Relocation
Our CNC machine relocation service covers the whole move. We plan each relocation from the first site check to the final set-down, for example a machine leaving a unit in the Stoney Creek Industrial Business Park for a larger building in the Red Hill business parks on the Mountain.
CNC Machine Transport
CNC transport is handled by the same crew that rigs the machine. The machine is chained and blocked on a trailer matched to its weight and footprint, and the route follows Hamilton’s truck routes, with permits when the load is oversize.
CNC Machine Installation
In addition to moving and transport, we offer CNC machine installation: setting the machine on its footprint, levelling it and doing the millwright work, so it is ready for your electricians and the OEM technician.
Customized Moving Solutions
We plan customized moving solutions around the job: one machine over a weekend, a shop moved in stages during a shutdown, or a used machine collected from a seller and set in place at your door. That is how we plan CNC machinery relocation services in Hamilton.
How We Move a CNC Machine in Hamilton
A CNC move runs in seven steps, and each step has a named owner:
- Survey (our crew): weight, footprint and lifting points from the nameplate and manual, then a walk of the route: floor, trenches, doors and the dock.
- Plan and permits (our crew): method, crew and trailer, plus a City of Hamilton Oversize Permit or an MTO permit when the load is oversize.
- Control backup and draining (your team or the OEM): parameters, offsets and programs saved; coolant drained; chips and tooling cleared.
- Disconnect (your licensed electricians): power off and locked out, then air and coolant lines capped.
- Secure and skid (our crew): axes locked with the shipping brackets or blocking, spindle secured, then the machine raised onto skates or a gantry.
- Haul (our crew): a trailer matched to the machine, on a route that keeps to Hamilton’s truck routes.
- Set, re-level and hand over (our crew, then the OEM): the machine is landed on its marks and re-levelled, and the OEM technician restores the backup and checks accuracy.
Before Moving Day: Backups, Coolant and Chips
Most of the preparation belongs to your shop. Have your maintenance lead or the builder’s service team back up the CNC control in full, including the parameters, pitch compensation and tool offsets, and keep a copy off the machine. Drain and clean the coolant tank, empty the chip conveyor and pull the tooling, vises and fixtures. On a lathe the bar feeder comes off; on a horizontal machine the pallets travel separately. Book the OEM technician for start-up at the new site early, because their calendar often sets the moving date.
Rigging the Machine: Axis Locks, Skates and Gantries
On the day we lock every axis, with the builder’s shipping brackets if they were kept, secure the spindle and tie down the doors and covers. Then the method follows the building:
- Machinery skates and toe jacks for a level floor and a clear path to the door
- A hydraulic gantry where the machine must be lifted and there is no overhead crane
- Jack-and-roll to raise a heavy base in stages and roll it over a trench or onto a trailer
- A heavy-capacity forklift at the dock and in the yard
- Your building’s overhead crane when it is rated for the machine, or our crane or a licensed partner crane outside
Hamilton Oversize Permits and Truck Routes
An oversized or overweight truck on City of Hamilton roads needs an Oversize Permit. The City says standard oversize applications can take up to 5 business days, and overweight applications may need extra review (City of Hamilton road use permits). Heavy trucks keep to the truck route network and may leave it only by the most direct path to the site. Under the updated truck route rules, signed since October 2023, trucks with more than four axles are restricted on Main Street East, King Street East, the Claremont Access, Concession Street and parts of other lower-city streets (Hamilton truck route network). We plan the route before the trailer is booked.
The QEW, Highway 403 and Highway 6 are provincial, so an oversize load there needs an MTO oversize permit, applied for at least 5 business days ahead. From March 1 to April 30, reduced load limits under the Highway Traffic Act can apply on designated roads, which matters for a heavy machine going to the rural parts of the city.
Set-In-Place, Re-Levelling and OEM Recommissioning
At the new address the machine goes back on its pads, and we re-level it with a precision level before anyone reconnects it. Your licensed electricians restore power; your team or the OEM restores the backup, checks the geometry and runs the first part. If the floor is a new slab, plan a second level check after the machine has run for a while; our millwrights can come back for it.
Moving more than machine tools? Our machinery movers in Hamilton handle heavy equipment moving services for whole plants, and industrial rigging services in Hamilton cover rigging-only jobs.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
CNC Machines We Move in Hamilton
Our Hamilton CNC movers handle the machine tools found in local job shops, fabrication shops and plant maintenance departments, including:
- CNC turning centres and heavy-duty lathes
- Vertical and horizontal machining centres, with pallet changers
- Horizontal boring mills and bridge mills
- Cylindrical and surface grinders
- Press brakes, plasma tables and other fabrication machines
- EDM machines and coordinate measuring machines (CMMs)
- Robot cells, bar feeders, chip conveyors and control cabinets
Moving heavy lab or test equipment instead? See lab relocation in Hamilton.
Industries We Serve in Hamilton
Hamilton produces 60% of Canada’s steel, and more than 750 manufacturing companies provide about 25,000 jobs in the city, according to Invest in Hamilton. Its manufacturing strategy builds on steel and metal, food and beverage and industrial machinery. We serve the machine shops that support those plants, along with automotive, aerospace and agri-food suppliers and plant maintenance teams moving their own machine tools.
Closures, Idled Lines and Auction Pick-Ups
When a shop closes or a line is idled, the machines usually have to be out by a fixed date. We rig out and load CNC machines for buyers and sellers within that removal window, and the same crew can set the machine in place at the buyer’s shop. For whole-plant work, see industrial plant removal and decommissioning in Hamilton.
CNC Machine Moving Cost in Hamilton: What Affects the Price
Every CNC move is priced per job once we know the machine and both sites. What changes the price:
- The machine: weight, size and centre of gravity, and loose units such as a chip conveyor, coolant tank or bar feeder
- Access: doors, docks, trenches, stairs or ramps, and the floor loading at both ends
- Method: skates, gantry, jack-and-roll or a crane lift (crane time is included in your quote)
- Route: distance, truck routes and any City of Hamilton or MTO permit
- Extra work: crating, storage between sites, millwright installation and re-levelling visits
- Timing: nights, weekends or a shutdown week
Two things lower the bill most: a machine that is prepped and disconnected before we arrive, and one quote for rigging, transport and set-in-place. Our Heavy Lifting & Moving Calculator gives a first range.
Why Hamilton Shops Choose Us for CNC Machine Moving
What Hamilton machine shops and plants get when they pick Rigging-Busters as their CNC moving company:
- Industrial work only: machine tools and plant equipment, never household moves.
- One crew from rig-out to re-levelling: our CNC movers rig, haul, set and level the machine.
- The right gear for the building: skates, gantries and jack-and-roll, with crane lifts by our crane or a licensed partner.
- Routes and permits handled: City of Hamilton Oversize Permits, truck routes and MTO permits.
- Work around production: nights, weekends and shutdowns, to move your machines safely and efficiently.
- Fast quotes: replies within 2–4 business hours.
- Insured: liability and workers’ compensation insurance (WSIB in Ontario), with a certificate of insurance on request.
A good fit: single machine tools, machine shop moves, new machine deliveries and installs, and machines bought at auction or from a closing plant.
Not a fit: CNC machining or programming, CNC rental, machine repair or calibration, used-machine sales, household, seniors’ or office moves, crane rental and scaffolding.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Contact Rigging-Busters Today
Ready to move your CNC machines?
Contact us for a free quote on CNC machine moving services in Hamilton: our CNC machine movers in Hamilton reply within 2–4 business hours.
Have These Ready for an Exact Quote
Add these details to your quote request and we can price the move in one go:
- Machine: make, model, serial plate photo and weight
- Footprint and loose units: chip conveyor, coolant tank, bar feeder or pallet changer
- Both addresses, with docks, door sizes and floor trenches, and whether either site is on the Mountain or in the lower city
- Your window: the last day of production and the day the machine must run again
- Prep status: control backed up, coolant drained and power disconnected, or still to do
- Photos of the machine and the path to the truck
Let Us Handle Your CNC Machine Moving Needs
Tell us what the machine is, where it is going and when it has to cut parts again, and we will plan the move around that date.
Quotes are in Canadian dollars (CAD), and we accept cash or cashless payment.
Send the machine details to get your CNC move quoted.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Service Area: Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara
In Hamilton we work across the employment areas the City lists: the Bayfront and East Hamilton Industrial Areas on the harbour, the Stoney Creek Industrial Business Park, the Red Hill North and Red Hill South business parks on the Mountain. We also work in the Airport Employment Growth District, the Ancaster Industrial Park, the Dundas Industrial Area and the Flamborough Industrial Business Park.
Nearby, we cover Burlington, Oakville and Milton in Halton, Grimsby and St. Catharines in Niagara, Brantford and Haldimand, and Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph. Same-service pages next door: CNC machine movers in St. Catharines, CNC machine movers in Brantford and CNC machine movers in Milton.
Key Cities We Serve Around Hamilton
| City | Province | Country |
| Hamilton | ON | Canada |
| Burlington | ON | Canada |
| Oakville | ON | Canada |
| Milton | ON | Canada |
| Brantford | ON | Canada |
| Haldimand | ON | Canada |
| Cambridge | ON | Canada |
| Mississauga | ON | Canada |
| Guelph | ON | Canada |
| Halton Hills | ON | Canada |
| Brampton | ON | Canada |
| St. Catharines | ON | Canada |
| Kitchener | ON | Canada |
| Waterloo | ON | Canada |
| Grimsby | ON | Canada |
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Other Services in Hamilton
Related services from our Hamilton crew, or browse all our services in Hamilton:
- Heavy Equipment & Machinery Movers in Hamilton, ON
- Heavy & Industrial Rigging Services in Hamilton, ON
- Factory & Plant Relocation Services in Hamilton, ON
- Lab & Medical Equipment Movers in Hamilton, ON
- Forklift Moving Service in Hamilton, ON
- Electrical Transformer Moving Services in Hamilton, ON
- Millwright & Machinery Installation in Hamilton, ON
- Hospital & MRI Equipment Rigging in Hamilton, ON
Location of our sales office:
170 Charlton Ave E, Hamilton, ON L8N 1Y9, Canada
CNC Machine Moving in Hamilton: FAQ
The cost to move a CNC machine varies with the size and weight of the machine, the distance it needs to be moved and the complexity of the rigging. We give a custom quote for commercial machinery moving on each project, after we know both sites, the method and any permits. Our Heavy Lifting and Moving Calculator gives a rough range, and estimates are free.
The main risks are a machine damaged because its axes were not locked, a top-heavy machine tipping on uneven floor, a cracked slab or trench cover, coolant spills, and lost accuracy after a rough set-down. A good plan removes most of them: locked axes, a secured spindle, a checked route, a blocked and chained load, and re-levelling before the machine runs again.
A professional CNC machine mover brings the planning and the gear: skates, gantries, jack-and-roll and the right trailer, plus the permits and the route. One crew rigs, hauls, sets and re-levels the machine, so there are no gaps between separate riggers, truckers and installers, and the work is timed around your production.
We survey the machine and the route, and your team or the OEM backs up the control and drains the coolant. Your licensed electricians disconnect power. We lock the axes, secure the spindle and skid the machine out, haul it on Hamilton truck routes with any City or MTO permit it needs, then set it in place and re-level it for the OEM.
Only when the truck and load are oversized or overweight. On City of Hamilton roads that means an Oversize Permit, and the City says standard oversize applications can take up to 5 business days. The QEW, Highway 403 and Highway 6 need an MTO permit, applied for at least 5 business days ahead. We apply for both and plan the route.
Yes. Heavy trucks must keep to the City truck route network and may leave it only by the most direct path to the site. Trucks with more than four axles are restricted on Main Street East, King Street East, the Claremont Access, Concession Street and parts of other lower-city streets, and some downtown routes are open to trucks in the daytime only. We plan around these limits.
Your maintenance team or the machine builder backs up the parameters, offsets and programs and drains the coolant before moving day. Your licensed electricians disconnect power and reconnect it at the new site. We lock the axes, secure the spindle, move and re-level the machine, then the OEM technician restores the backup and checks accuracy.
Yes. We rig out, load and haul machine tools from closing shops, idled lines and auction sales in Hamilton and nearby cities, within the removal dates the seller sets, and we can set the machine in place at the buyer. For whole-plant work, see industrial plant removal and decommissioning in Hamilton.
All of Hamilton, from the Bayfront and Stoney Creek to the Red Hill business parks, Ancaster, Dundas and Flamborough, plus Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Grimsby, Brantford and Haldimand. For Niagara, see our CNC machine movers in St. Catharines. Send the site address with your quote request and we will confirm the route.
No. We move CNC machines and other industrial equipment, but we do not machine parts, write programs, rent machines or repair them. For CNC machining, contact a machine shop in Hamilton. If you are a shop owner moving, adding or replacing machines, we handle the rigging, transport and set-in-place.
