POSITIVE MOVING FOR GREENCORE HOMES

Greencore manufactures homes that set a new standard for low carbon construction, coupled with energy efficiency and low carbon living. The company has big ambitions for the future, aiming to deliver over 10,000 Climate Positive homes across the south of England by 2035.

Greencore recently moved to a new 30,000sq ft facility in Bicester, where it produces its innovative Biond closed timber frame panels, insulated with natural materials, the output of which is currently enough for more than 200 homes per year. The offsite manufacturing process enables the timber frame superstructure to be erected quickly and safely, and a home is airtight and watertight just two weeks after the first panel arrives on-site.

One of Factory Manager Rob Bresnahan’s early tasks for the new premises, was to find a forklift that was suitable for handling the diverse mix of incoming raw materials, as well as ideally being able to lift and move the sizeable and bulky finished panels around the factory and yard areas. Using just one truck for multiple tasks, in the storage, production and outside areas was obviously going to be a more efficient and cost-effective investment. And given the nature of the company’s homes – which are targeted to be better than net zero in terms of whole-life embodied carbon – electric power was a further prerequisite.

An evaluation of several truck brands on the market eventually led to the Irish forklift manufacturer Combilift, which has focused on expanding its electric range over the past five years or so. With a wide choice of models, Rob went for the Combi-CB4E - a 4t capacity compact counterbalance design truck. Its versatility enables it to handle pallets of the insulation materials, packs of timber which can be 5m long and weigh up to 3000kg, and the sizeable, finished wall, floor

New Trucks On Show At Ligna

and roof panels. Its multidirectional capability, which was one of the selling points for Rob, also allows for safe, low level sideways transportation of the largest loads, enabling widths between stacked products to be kept at a minimum. As production volumes increase, this space saving handling will become even more of an advantage.

Rob said: “A number of factors influenced our decision to replace an old LPG counterbalance truck with the Combilift. I’d had previous dealings with the manufacturer and was impressed with the quality of products, their reputation in the industry and the level of customer service. The CB’s size, lift capacity, manoeuvrability and emission-free operation is perfect for our handling requirements.”

For more information visit: www.combilift.com www.greencorehomes.co.uk

Images:

01. The Combi-CB4E is helping Greencore move its Biond closed timber frame panels around its new Bicester facility

As Combilift continues its 25 years in business celebrations, another new model truck, was launched in May at Ligna, the international timber and woodworking show in Hanover.

The new Combi-CB70E is a further addition to Combilift’s ever growing range of electric models which offers powerful performance, extensive battery life and unrivalled ergonomics. This model, in the vibrant Combi-green livery first seen on the recently launched Combi-CUBE product, boasts the distinction of being the shortest 7t capacity counterbalance truck on the market whilst also benefitting from multidirectional ability, enabling the versatile space saving handling of both long and bulky loads.

Design features incorporated into the high-capacity Combi-CB70E such as its large super-elastic tyres and compact wheelbase make it ideally suited for the operational demands of the timber industry. With a 7,000kg/15,500lb lift capacity, this model benefits from an impressively small footprint as well as exceptional manoeuvrability meaning that it can easily move bulky loads of timber around in confined spaces.

What sets the Combi-CB70E apart from other forklifts is its gas strut suspension cab, which uses components such as those found in large scale industrial machinery with cab suspension. Combined with the super-elastic tyres this guarantees the smoothest of rides over uneven or less than perfect ground conditions such as those typically experienced in timber yards. This mix of next-gen performance, extensive battery life and exceptional ergonomics combined with all the advantages of the Combi-CB range, makes this the most powerful compact electric multidirectional forklift to date.