British Offsite, a specialist business in modern methods of construction (MMC) and part of the Weston Group has announced the launch of its new automated factory. The Horizon factory in Braintree spans 137,000 square feet, representing a £45 million investment. It is designed to produce light gauge steel panel systems. The company aims to capitalise on the flexibility offered by its system. This provides greater design freedom than traditional box-like volumetric designs.
Bob Weston, Chairman of British Offsite & Weston Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the Horizon factory. He stated that it boasts one of Europe’s most automated light gauge steel panel assembly lines. Furthermore, it is the most extensive single production line in the UK. The factory is equipped with eight robots, enabling automated production to support the delivery of up to 4,000 new homes annually.
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Construction of the Automated Factory for Light Gauge Steel Panel Systems
Once fully operational, the factory will operate on a two-shift system, five days a week, and employ around 180 people. It has been designed with exceptional flexibility. This enables it to supply many buildings, from traditional housing to high-rise structures and schools. While the initial focus will be on providing Weston Homes, the group’s house-building business, British Offsite, is set on serving local and regional house builders.
Shaun Weston, managing director of British Offsite and son of Bob Weston, highlighted the advantage of Horizon’s new robotic production line. It allows for consolidating the work of up to five trades into a single panel, streamlining the traditional residential construction process. Under the UniSystem brand, their MMC products have been developed to integrate into existing projects seamlessly. Thus, it provides rapid integration into conventional building designs. The product range includes light gauge panels, walls, roofs, and floors, with windows, doors, insulation, vents, fire-stopping, and external cladding.
Additionally, British Offsite manufactures internal fit-out modules under their BOS Fitout brand. These modules, including bathroom components, kitchen fixtures, and bedroom products, are designed for easy integration into existing projects. This is with thorough quality control testing conducted before on-site delivery.
