FP McCann- Investing Today for a Stronger Tomorrow
FP McCann one of the UK’s leading producers of precast concrete fencing, has just completed a second major investment programme at its Leicestershire based manufacturing plant.
The family run business which has seen continued growth across all of its precast concrete divisions, has injected £3.8 million into its Cadeby factory near Nuneaton to meet the growing demands of the concrete fencing market.
It has been only five years since Cadeby last saw a £2.5million overhaul of its casting capabilities when new Coote production lines and state of the art automated stacking and palletising robotics lifted output to new levels. This latest round of investment has increased production capacity by a further 40%.
Included in the latest capital expenditure project is a brand new building housing three modern Semi-Automated dry cast fencing post and gravel board lines and an extension to the on-site stocking capability as a result of an additional 22 acres acquired for hard standing.
Northern Ireland based design and manufacturing specialist Coote Engineering Ltd has once again supplied and installed the new semi-automated lines. These include a manually operated Rotascreed, a dry cast filling unit which has been modified specifically to suit FP McCann’s production requirements.
The unique design of the finishing unit on the Rotascreed has greatly enhanced health and safety for the operators by eliminating the need for manual screeding; this in turn has had a significant impact, eradicating Hand Arm Vibration (HAVS) exposure to production operatives. In recognition of this, FP McCann was a nominated finalist in the 2022 Mineral Products Association (MPA) “Safer Production” category of the Health and Safety awards.
An in-depth study and redesign has resulted in a reduction in the dB levels produced by the vibration system. The result of this, is to make the working area much quieter place to work in. The fully automated demoulding of the filled mould and the handling of the steel pallets minimises the need for operators on the machinery and allows for maximum production.
Greater flexibility is achieved by having two of the three new lines being able to switch effortlessly between the producing and handling of concrete gravel boards and slotted posts. The third line is completely dedicated to the manufacture of precast slotted posts. It is completely unique in the fact that it is casting 20 off 9ft slotted posts at a time. This is the first of its kind for this level of slotted post production.
Handling and stacking of the finished product is fully automated. It is carried out by either a specialised grab in the handling machine, or by a robotic arm coupled with a specially designed vacuum head system which is capable of switching seamlessly between a 6” gravel board and the 12” gravel board.
In addition to the increased production output and the significant improvements in finished product quality at Cadeby, the new Coote manufacturing/stacking lines have greatly reduced the requirement for on-site manual handling.
As a result of the latest investment, the extensive precast concrete product range that FP McCann now has on stock at Cadeby, enables the commercial team to effectively manage the natural annual ‘peak and trough’ demands, particular to the UK fencing products market.
Katie McGorty Commercial Manager Fencing & Building Products says. “Providing quality precast concrete products straight from stock at a competitive price is key to the continuing growth of our fencing business. Additionally, we have further strengthened our national sales team to ensure we provide our customers with a service to match our commitment to be a ‘Supplier of Choice’”.
Working alongside Katie are National Sales Manager Jack Wheldon, Area Sales Manager Lisa Mackett, who is responsible for sales in the south east and the latest addition to the team, Area Sales Manger Julie Leigh, covering the south west of the country. “The team has a wealth of experience, all having a strong track record of working in the fencing and building products sectors”, adds Katie.
The Cadeby operational and commercial teams are well positioned not only geographically, but with a bank of skills and knowledge gained from years of experience being backed by an FP McCann willingness to invest in its business divisions, it will ensure the company is at the forefront of the precast concrete fencing sector in years to come.
For Further Information on FP McCann’s Fencing Solutions, contact: 01455290780 or sales@fpmccann.co.uk