Investment and integration

Glazerite UK Group has completed the second phase of its £1 million investment programme, this time at its Glazerite East plant.

The Veka fabricator has welcomed new equipment at the Peterborough-based plant, which fabricates products from the Halo profile systems range.Following the investment, which has included the installation of a new Haffner SMR five-head inline welding machine, the site’s capacity is set to significantly increase, with the ability to fabricate 800 frames per week by the end of this year.

Glazerite acquired the site in February 2016 and has transformed its technical capabilities, aligning it with its other facilities in Bolton and Wellingborough. As a result,Glazerite East has increased its output, and shortened its lead-time from three weeks to five days.

Glazerite East has also installed a £100KStuga cutting and machining centre, which was relocated from the group’s Northwest division, as well as four new vertical tables, four door line tables, and a corner cleaner. The plant has also been reconfigured to optimise efficiencies and improve performance across all areas, the company said.

Matthew Thomas, managing director of Glazerite East, said: “The new equipment is part of a major overhaul of the site’s capabilities, which has also seen improvements to the flow of the plant and freed up space for frame storage. The five-head Haffner can weld two frames simultaneously, something we weren’t able to do before, and it has made set up time and cycle times quicker and much more efficient.

“Since Glazerite took over the site three years ago, our team has been working hard to improve our lead times and output. We’ve already upped production from 350 to 600 frames per week, and cut lead times of standard products to just five days, in alignment with the rest of Glazerite.The team here has undergone some major changes to work processes, and they’ve truly embraced the adoption of technology, moving from manual processes to automation on the shop floor. It’s been a big but important culture change, and with additional training and support, we’re seeing a real difference in how our team approach their work.”

Next on the agenda for the 45-strong Glazerite East workforce is the soon-to-be-launched mechanically jointed version of the Halo flush sash, following an increase in demand from consumers looking for more authentic-looking windows.