Swapping an 8-Ton MRI in 48 Hours: Inside a Complex Medical Rigging Project

Six months after rigging two MRI machines, a CT scanner, a PET scanner, and their associated chillers and cooling equipment into a brand-new medical treatment facility, we got another call from the same medical imaging equipment manufacturer. This time, the project was different: an existing MRI machine needed to be replaced, fast. Time was of the essence.

The manufacturer's MRI machine was 12 years old and had reached replacement age. After several rounds of repairs, it was clear a new unit was the better investment, and one was already available. The challenge was getting the swap done as quickly as possible, and that's where R. Baker & Son came in.

The old MRI was a large model weighing a little over 8.4 tons. The new one was smaller, at 6.8 tons, but no less demanding to move. To make the swap efficient, our team first had to identify and confirm the exact route used to bring the original machine in years earlier, through the second-floor mechanical room louvers. Getting this right mattered: machines of this size and weight require careful structural point-load and live-load calculations, both coming in and going out.

The goal was to make the transition as clean and low-disruption as possible. Downtime on equipment like this is expensive, so the plan had to be executed in coordinated phases. Working closely with the manufacturer, our team planned the job to run in parallel wherever possible. New MRI machines are worth well over $1 million, and they're as delicate as they are heavy, so precision and safety drove every step of the process.

Day one: prepping for removal

First thing on a Friday morning, the R. Baker team prepared the removal route for the old MRI, running from the mechanical room to the exterior fresh air louvers. At the same time, the manufacturer's technicians worked to reclaim the cooling helium from the old machine and prepare it for shipment. They also disconnected the external chiller, the valve box system, the patient table, and the computer control system. Everything was separated, match-marked, packaged, and boxed, and the job was ready for phase two.

Day two: the swap

The next morning at 7 a.m., the new MRI machine arrived on site with its chiller, mixing box, and other accessories. An 80-ton hydraulic crane was already staged and waiting. Our crew carefully removed the old MRI and its associated equipment, loading it onto a separate 48-foot flatbed truck bound for Illinois, where it would be fully refurbished and put back into service elsewhere.

The new MRI was lifted from its 53-foot flatbed using a heavy-duty flat spreader platform with dual spreader bars and guide rails, then raised into position at the second-floor mechanical room opening. Once the load was secured and carefully guided into the room, our team used heavy-duty, low-profile hydraulic toe jacks with neoprene wheels to move the machine into its exact marked location. With the MRI set, we attached an extended jib to the 80-ton crane to lift the new medical chiller onto the roof, positioning it roughly 60 feet back from the parapet.

The patient table, control room computer equipment, and cooling valve mixing box followed shortly after. Our team assisted the manufacturer with unpacking, clearing away hardware packaging and plastic, and staging every component for assembly.

Bringing it all online

The manufacturer completed assembly within 48 hours, and helium was delivered and loaded into the machine right away. At the same time, the cooling chiller, valve box, and heat exchangers were installed, tested, and powered up, so startup, commissioning, and validation could begin without delay.

In the end, the hospital, the manufacturer, and the MRI technicians were glad to have the new machine up and running for patients. Everyone involved was impressed with how efficiently the old MRI rolled out onto a waiting flatbed while the new one, and a crane ready to go, moved into place the very same morning. Several members of the hospital and facilities team were on hand to watch, and many had helped plan the project from the start.

Have a time-sensitive equipment move on the horizon? Contact R. Baker & Son to see how our rigging team can help keep your project on schedule!

About R. Baker & Son Founded in 1935, R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services is the oldest and largest M/WBE-certified demolition and rigging contractor in North America. Backed by an unmatched safety record, significant bonding capacity, and extensive OSHA VPP Star experience, we specialize in heavy rigging, machinery moving, plant relocation, and crane support services across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Have a complex industrial project on the horizon? Learn more about our heavy rigging and dismantling expertise or contact our team today.