Housebuilder invests in automated reach trucks

Four automated forklifts – along with eleven further pieces of material handling equipment – are part of a comprehensive product storage/movement solution that will serve TopHat’s new 650,000 sq ft facility at Corby, Northamptonshire.

The lean manufacturing and distribution centre will be the centrepiece of the Magna Park site being developed by GLP, a global leader in logistics developments. 

TopHat, which has just raised £70 million from new and existing shareholders, including FTSE 100-listed housebuilder Persimmon and institutional investor Aviva Capital Partners, expects to be delivering up to 16 sustainable modular homes per day from Corby by the end of this year. 

Linde MH’s intralogistics team helped in the design of the Corby site by simulating the future operation and confirming the quantity and type of equipment required.

The turnkey solution encompassed bespoke Combilift trucks, Linde counterbalance and ride-on trucks, and specialist racking systems to ensure safe handling and storage of loads, from rolls of insulation to fully built housing modules. The automated R-Matic reach trucks allow the site to store pallets up to 11m high, while automated L-Matic counterbalance trucks shuttle materials around the factory.

TopHat supply chain & logistics director Will Woods, said: “The team from Linde have been great to work with from the start. The scale of operation in our new factory and the nature of loads to be handled meant we were looking to source a broad fleet from AGVs, large capacity Combilift trucks, through to straddle carriers. 

“The team have been able to offer a full solution including layout and variety of racking options and I’m looking forward to working with them on the implementation.”

For more information, visit www.linde-mh.co.uk