Most factory layouts were correct once. Then a line was extended, a silo went in where there was space rather than where it belonged, a mezzanine took the obvious route for a walkway, and now the forklift route crosses the pedestrian route twice, raw material travels the length of the building before it is used, and maintenance cannot reach a pump without a scaffold. Nobody decided any of that. It accumulated.

Layout work is about flow: material in, through and out, and people moving safely around it. Relocation adds a harder constraint, because the plant usually has to keep producing throughout. Machines come out, move and return to service in a sequence that fits the windows your production plan can genuinely offer, with utilities disconnected and reinstated correctly at each step. Both problems reward planning more than speed.

What the work involves

We start on your site, gathering spatial data, process information and the operational detail that never appears on a drawing. Where records are poor or the area is congested, 3D scanning gives an accurate picture of what is actually there. From that we develop layout drawings: site layouts showing buildings, plant areas, access routes and utilities; equipment layouts covering tanks, vessels, pumps and panels; and pipework layouts showing routing between equipment, across racks and into drains. Access and egress, maintenance clearances, working platforms and hazardous area zoning are designed in rather than added afterwards.

Alongside the drawings we look at movement. Raw material delivery, internal handling, work in progress and dispatch are assessed together, because a layout that suits one usually penalises another. 3D modelling and clash detection confirm that equipment fits and can be installed, which is cheaper than finding out during the shutdown. Compliance is checked as the design develops, including ATEX zoning and access requirements.

For relocation, the plan is the deliverable. Disconnection, transport, reassembly and recommissioning are sequenced against your production requirements, utility tie-ins are identified and mapped, and phased shutdowns and start-ups are coordinated with safety planning around all of it. A move is often the right moment to improve the asset, so we assess condition, obsolescence and compliance beforehand and design in upgrades such as new control panels, variable speed drives, instrumentation or interlocks while access is easy. Afterwards we verify that utilities, safety systems and process interfaces are correctly reinstated. Our work is delivered under a quality management system certified to ISO 9001:2015.

What you get

  • Measured site survey or 3D scan, with an accurate model of current constraints
  • Site, equipment and pipework layout drawings in 2D and 3D
  • Material and personnel flow assessment from delivery through to dispatch
  • Clash detection and installation studies before anything is ordered
  • Utilities mapping and tie-in schedules for power, air, water and drainage
  • A phased relocation and shutdown plan sequenced around production
  • Zoning, access, egress and maintenance clearance checks in the design
  • Post-move verification and as-built drawings of what was actually installed

When clients typically call us

  • A new line has to fit into a building that is already full
  • Production is moving to another site or another part of the same site
  • Handling costs and congestion are rising and the layout is the cause
  • Pedestrian and vehicle routes conflict and the risk assessment no longer holds
  • Equipment is being replaced or upgraded during a shutdown with a fixed window
  • Drawings of the existing plant are out of date, incomplete or missing entirely

Frequently asked questions

Can equipment be moved without stopping production?

Sometimes fully, more often partially. It depends on what the equipment feeds and whether buffer stock, temporary arrangements or a parallel installation are possible. We will tell you early what the move genuinely requires rather than promising a window that cannot hold.

Our drawings are out of date. Is that a problem?

Common, and manageable. A 3D scan captures existing conditions accurately, including the modifications nobody recorded, and gives a reliable base for the new layout. It also leaves you with an updated record of the plant.

Do you handle the physical move as well?

We manage it rather than carry it out. Specialist movers, riggers and installation contractors do the physical work. We plan the sequence, coordinate the parties, hold the CDM duties where appointed, and verify reinstatement before the plant returns to service.

Should we upgrade equipment while it is being moved?

Often, yes. Access is already open, the plant is down and the disruption has been paid for. We assess condition, obsolescence and compliance beforehand so any upgrade is a considered decision rather than something discovered mid-shutdown.

Related: Part of our engineering consultancy services. See also 3D laser scanning and modelling and project management.

If you have a layout that no longer works or a move that has to happen around production, the plan is worth more than the lifting gear. Talk to us about your project. Request a call