Our New CNC Machine

With the studio coming together nicely, we went ahead and asked Laguna to ship the new CNC machine last week.  At 14 feet long and weighing a couple of tons, it was quite an adventure squeezing it through our loading bays and rolling it around the studio floor.  The process began when Steve called us from Laguna and sent us this picture of the machine being prepared for transport.

The new CNC at Laguna being prepared for transport

A day and half later, a semi pulled up in front of the studio with the CNC, and 30 minutes later, our rigging company pulled up their semi with a 35,000 pound capacity Versa-Lift.

One very LARGE lift

Knowing the CNC was wider than the loading bay, we had come up with a few strategies for getting it into the studio. Among these was a 9 foot shelf on which to lift the machine like it was being presented on a platter (my favorite) and a boom arm with rigging from which to hang the machine and swing it into position.  In the end, we settled on simply lifting it by 2 legs from one end and driving it into the loading dock.

In the end... the simplest approach is often the best

Tight squeeze

Just about the time our blood pressure started to drop to normal...

This is a real testament to how rigid Laguna makes these units.  At 14 feet long, the frame didn’t even budge.  Once in the warehouse, we found it surprisingly easy to roll the unit around the floor on 40,000 pound industrial skates until we got it in its final position.  Now, Chelsea is waiting patiently for us to get our 3-phase power issue straightened out so we can power it up!

Chelsea waiting patiently for 3-phase power...