Production Machines Installed at £9m Manufacturing Facility in Derby

The new £9m facility will begin manufacturing later in 2019, supplying trade extrusions. Garnalex is then looking to launch an aluminium window system by the end of Q1 2020.

Merritts were appointed to provide lifting equipment and a mechanical installation team to offload and install a SMS HybrEx extrusion machine and a OMAV furnace. In total the Aluminium extrusion press weighed over 170 tonnes.

The OMAV furnace, run out, handling unit and ageing oven installation works were completed over an 8 week period and the SMS Hybrex works were carried out over a three week period.

We assembled an Enerpac Superlift Gantry outside of the facility in line with the access door to offload the two main sections of the SMS press. These sections were placed onto machinery moving skates and moved into an internal holding area. The Enerpac Superlift Gantry was then reassembled inside the facility over the machine pit and Versa-Lift 40/60 forklift trucks used to transport other machine parts into position. The assembled machine was then lowered over the machine pit where Merritts and SMS engineers worked together to level and bolt down the machinery ready for commissioning.

The OMAV furnace and its ancillary parts were offloaded from transport using Merritts Versa-Lift 25/35, 60/80 and 7Te fork lift trucks and moved into the facility. The Versa-Lifts were then used in tandem to position the main sections of the OMAV machinery. Merritts mechanical engineers worked with the OMAV engineers to assemble all machinery and equipment including the OMAV furnace, run out, handling unit and ageing oven. OMAV engineers carried out final commissioning of the machinery.

A method statement, risk assessments and lift plans were all provided to the customer for approval before works commenced.

Commenting on the machinery installation project, Ross Hartshorn, Garnalex Technical Production Director said, “We are very excited by the purchase of our new equipment and cannot wait to get the facility up and running. Merritts have been the perfect partner to work with throughout the project. Their machinery installation knowledge has been of great value and they have cohesively worked with the OEM engineers to complete works well within the expected timeframe. Their attention to health and safety issues and professionalism when on site has been exemplary and we look forward to working with them on future projects.”

Garnalex is a new aluminium extrusion house that was formed in March 2018 by Roger Hartshorn, who is best known for founding, growing and selling two leading PVC-U systems companies, Eurocell and Liniar.

The £9 million investment into the 100,000 sq ft factory will allow Garnalex to extrude 4 tonnes of aluminium an hour on the SMS Hybrex Press.