The six-figure investment in machinery increase production capacity from 500 homes per year to 3,500 homes per year on a single shift.
The development of the 350,000 sqft facility began in April 2020 and is set for an official launch at the end of summer 2021. Funding came from an Innovative Housing Programme (IHP) loan with Tai Tarian – one of the largest social landlords in Wales.
The new machinery includes a treatment tank, production lines, a biomass boiler, a Hundegger Turbo-Drive II aaw, a vertical saw and a factory blow insulation machine.
The optimisation software on the Hundegger Turbo-Drive II saw means that any offcuts it produces are automatically cut into smaller standardised pieces, which can then be used as other functional aspects of modular joist and cassette manufacture.
The biomass boiler will burn waste timber to heat the facilities and dry treated timber in the new in-house treatment tank.
The new treatment tank will allow high- and low-pressure treatments. It previously had to import all of its pre-treated timber.
Operations director Charlotte Hale said: “These new, efficient machines will go a long will in aiding us to establish a state-of-the-art, sustainable manufacturing facility in Wales. Furthermore, this acquirement will allow us to create new jobs in the area and provide even more affordable, low carbon homes to help the UK meet zero-carbon targets, protect the environment and address the country’s need for affordable housing.”
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