Inside the manual received with your new centrifugal blower is instructions on how to offload, unpack, position, and install the blower, but nothing in there about sending it back to the manufacturer or repair shop for service. Looking at this odd shaped, overweight, cast iron monster, you begin to wish you had some more guidance. Here is where we'll try to alleviate some of the fears and provide some answers.
There are basically 2 types of shipping: short-term--less than 2 hours across town; and long-term-out of state, even across country. International shipping is governed by the trucking company, with all their own regulations, so I won't go into that here. Depending on the size of the blower, you could simply put it in the back of your pickup truck, or larger type dump truck, and move it a short distance across state. All this would require is placing a bare blower on the flat surface/bed of the truck, or trailer, tying it down to prevent tip over and/or sliding, and you can be on your way. However, you first need to determine how heavy it is. It is not safe to carry a 2 ton blower in a ½ ton pickup!
Each manufacturer has a listing of their bare blower weights, which includes the baseplate and motor pedestal, on their web pages. The motor weights are often listed on the motor nameplates. Once you know the weight, you can determine how strong to make the lifting pallet. Most repair shops and factories have overhead cranes to lift blowers on & off an open bed(trailer or pickup). Most customers only have fork trucks, so you may need to build a pallet to rest the blower on and lift it onto the trailer bed, or into the common freight truck. Bolting the bare blower, or blower & baseplate, onto the pallet is best. Then you still need to strap it down to prevent it from moving.
The inlet and outlet head openings don't usually need to be covered, but a simple cardboard circle duct-taped to the head opening will prevent any road "dust": stones, rain, snow, leaves, etc... from entering the blower. Covering the blower with plastic or canvas is only necessary if you want to protect the blower paint job, or the electric motor, from the weather. When we return ship repaired & freshly painted, blowers, we often wrap them in plastic "saran" wrap.
Instructions for lifting the blower is in the manual, and varies somewhat for each manufacturer. In general, straps or chains wrapped around the main center section of the blower is the safest way. Some size blowers can be lifted with straps or chains around the shaft & bearing housings, but balance is key. A fork truck would lift the bare blower from the underside of the main sections. A blower mounted on a baseplate could be shipped without a pallet, but would need to be positioned on 4X4 boards to allow the forks to slide under for lifting. This is where tie down straps are most important.
So other than fastening the blower to a good solid wooden pallet base, there is no other preparation to ship the blower. There is no special prep for the motor, coupling, shaft, or other components. Obviously, you will want to drain the oil from the bearing housings. Now that it is ready for shipment, be sure to select a qualified repair shop. It will save you money!
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