Sandretto UK & Ireland are able to provide Design and Build services. We will use our expertise in plant design, project management and technology to design and build your plant assembly.
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Click on any of our stories below to read more about how our customers have used our Design and Build skills:
ChromeCo
“WE GAVE THEM THE SHELL; SANDRETTO HANDED OVER A FULLY OPERATION MOULD SHOP” States CHROMECO
ChromeCo had specialised in providing a quality chrome plating service for the plastics moulding industry. Much of its work is for the automotive industry. Recognising the benefits, which would accrue, in terms of both production control and quality control, from having its own moulding shop, the Walsall based company turned to Sandretto for more than just the necessary moulding machinery.
“In simple terms” explains ChromeCo Operations Director, Chris Sharpe, “our brief to Sandretto was ‘We’ll give you the shell; you provide the mould shop’.”
EXTENSIVE FACTORY PLANNING SERVICE
For some years, Sandretto has offered customers a factory planning service, which extends well beyond a production layout. “In addition to wanting ancillary equipment and production lines to be incorporated in layouts” states Operation Manager, Jeff Taylor, “customers are now turning to us for a factory complete with all services. This is what happened with ChromeCo.”
As existing premises could not be expanded to accommodate even the short term requirements, new premises had been identified a few miles away at Chasewater Heath, near Cannock. It was at this stage when ChromeCo sought Sandretto’s experience.
The need to ensure that numerous building, consultant and local authority approvals would be achieved required that Sandretto proceeded with the project in advance of ChromeCo agreeing to take over factory buildings which had not been designed to accommodate capital plant and gantry cranes.
In a building complex capable of accommodating up to twelve moulding machines, Sandretto prepared full plans for six moulding machines – a 485 tonne, three 380 tonne, and one each of 200 tonne and 110 tonne clamp.
SURVEYS AND LIAISON
Whilst the floor proved well able to support the plant, it was necessary to remove some of mezzanine level which would have restricted siting of moulding machines below. The remaining mezzanine was strengthened to provide storage and to carry both the mould chiller and the central raw material feed units. Ground surveys and liaison with the building consultants were necessary before installing foundations and supports for the 5 tonne overhead gantry.
“This was perhaps the single most important factor in the project” states Chris Sharpe. “we were anxious to see the moulding plant in production, but could take no final decision on accepting the premises until it was certain that the crane could go in. Noise levels from the plant also had to be checked and satisfy the local authority.”
Sandretto also installed compressors and a full compressed air circuit and negotiated to upgrade the electrical power sufficient to run the injection machines. “Time was against us at this point and it was necessary for us to have a temporary service laid on so that production on the smaller machines could commence on schedule.
Jeff states that Sandretto has carried out much larger projects. “This was different; we took on an empty shell of a building and handed over a working mould shop. At ChromeCo’s request, we handled all negotiations; specified all of the building alterations and oversaw their completion, installed cranage, power, compressed air and drainage and the systems for raw material supply and mould chilling and finally delivered and commissioned the six Sandretto machines, one of which had been temporarily producing ChromeCo work in another factory.”
Since completion of this start-up project, ChromeCo have increased throughput with the introduction of de-mould robots on a number of the machines together with a system of conveyors to extend the conveyor installed by Sandretto. Further expansion is possible as only half of the floor area is employed for moulding production.
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