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LARGEST FIVE STAGE TRANSFER PRESS IN EUROPE |
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Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK. (12/12/00) – A new Stamping Plant opens today at Land Rover’s Solihull site, representing an investment of £60 million. The five-stage transfer press at the heart of the plant, the largest of its kind in Europe, is to be officially opened by HRH the Duke of Kent.
The plant reached fruition in just 14 months from initial construction to initial run. The giant press, with a total force of over 8300 tones, will produce a peak of 58,000 steel or aluminum panels per week. Press changeover, involving the switching of the dies dictating the shape of the panel, can be accomplished inside ten minutes, an activity taking several hours on older equipment.
A £4 million try-out press, on which new tools and maintenance work can be carried out, stands alongside the main press, to ensure minimum downtime and disruption in the event of routine maintenance.
“We are delighted with the increase in efficiency that this new press will bring, ” said Land Rover Solihull Plant Services Director, Chris Packwood. “ The resulting panels have an unparalleled degree of accuracy and will make a valuable contribution towards boosting quality levels.”
The plant will begin pressing panels immediately and will also be used to supply other manufacturers. It will be staffed by approximately 120 people transferring into the plant from elsewhere on site.
The new stamping plant will be the first of several new facilities due to come on stream over the next year, following the announcement in September of a further £130 million investment in new plant and equipment at the Solihull site.
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