Laing O’Rourke’s planned Advanced Manufacturing
Facility, to support its residential business, will feature extensive use of robotics, head of infrastructure Declan McGeeney has told CM.
“The facility will use robotics for 90% of the precision process work,” he said. “We are working with ABB and the University of Sheffield to develop the technology.”
The plant, which will be located next to the group’s Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction in Steetley, Nottinghamshire (formerly Explore Industrial Park), will aim to manufacture 10,000 homes a year. It is currently at “business case stage”, McGeeney said.
“We need to deliver faster, and with fewer people,” he added. “Already we use robotics for cutting pipework at our Crown House factory in Oldbury and at our GRC plant near Doncaster we use 3D printing for mould production.”
