UK – The new facility in Torrington Avenue will replace a 30-year-old operation in the same area and is aimed at meeting the needs of carmakers including Jaguar Land Rover and Vauxhall. A 90-metre assembly line has now been installed and is undergoing extensive commissioning.
The first phase of the development focused on relocating the sequencing and transport operations. The line which has just been installed has 11 fully automated workstations programmable for over 700 wheel and tyre derivatives. A second track will be de-commissioned, relocated and re-commissioned starting in July.
“The current operation, employing about 80 people, takes place in three buildings covering an area of 97,000 sq.ft. It consists of three production lines currently assembling 4,000 units a day,” explained Phillip Spencer, sales and business development director at Voith Industrial Services. “The new plant will house all aspects of the operation in one building covering 140,000 sq.ft. A wheel and tyre assembly will be completed in only 12 seconds – compared to 20 seconds on the current production line.”
In the UK, Voith Industrial Services now employs 2,600 people and has increased its turnover from €33m ($35.3m) to €120m over the past five years. It is headquartered in Warwick.