.png)
Greencore has recently moved into a new 30,000 sq ft factory in Bicester where it manufactures its Biond naturally-insulated closed timber frame panels. The new factory has the capacity to build more than 200 homes per year.
Factory manager Rob Bresnahan was tasked with finding an efficient way of handling the diverse mix of incoming raw materials at the new factory, as well as moving the sizeable and bulky finished panels around the factory and yard areas.
Bresnahan finally settled on the Combi-CB4E, a fully-electric four-tonne capacity compact machine.
“A number of factors influenced our decision to replace an old LPG counterbalance truck with the Combilift,” said Bresnahan. “I’d had previous dealings with the manufacturer and was impressed with the quality of products, their reputation in the industry and the level of customer service. The CB’s size, lift capacity, manoeuvrability and emission-free operation is perfect for our handling requirements.”
The Combilift truck is now handling pallets of insulation materials and packs of timber up to five metres long and weighing up to three tonnes. According to Bresnahan, the machine’s multidirectional capability, allowing for safe low-level sideways transport of the largest loads, was a major selling point.
Combilift, based in Co. Monaghan in the Irish Republic, has been producing electric versions of its trucks for the past five years and is currently expanding its range.
Now established in its new Bicester factory, Geencore has big ambitions for its off-site panel systems and aims to deliver more than 10,000 ‘climate-positive’ prefabricated homes across southern England by 2035.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
