Avanta Create Automation Platform for Next Plc

Project Objective

To Create an additional 22,000 square metres of floor space within an existing warehouse environment for NEXT Plc at their Dearne Valley Pallet Facility.

New mezzanine level built on top of an existing 2 tier mezzanine floor therefore significant reinforcement and bracing of the existing structure.

The project utilised over 1500 tonnes of steelwork and timber decking culminating in a space the size of 3 Premier League football pitches. You will see from the video from Geek+ the operational site as it is currently.

Avanta UK Ltd acted as principal contractor managing multiple trades on site whilst collaborating with:

GEEK+ who supplied the AMR’s

SAVOYE whom supplied pallet shuttles and conveyors

JBT – Supplier of automated pallet conveyors

Avanta mesh machine guarding
ROBOTFLOOR

The project was scheduled 47 week build based on 5 day week but completed in 33 weeks based on a 7 day working week (Days and Nights). Site was fully operational throughout the project. The site remained fully operational during the works.

Mesh machine guarding
warehouse robotfloor

Please see below from the starting point of creating an opening in the building for materials to be offloaded to the laydown area to practical completion.

Scaffold to enable access
Scaffold
Delivery of mezzanine steel work
First few steels of mezzanine floor
mezzanine area
Mezzanine build work in progress
Mezzanine steelwork build
Working warehouse site whilst mezzanine installed
Progress of build to plan
Mezzanine Purlins
Lifting large mezzanine steels
Spider crane employed
Connection of new mezzanine to existing
Erecting mezzanine steel work
Hoist decking boards to mezzanine
mezz boarding
mezzanine boarding
mezzanine decking continues
mezzanine floor build progress
Mezzanine staircase
top level of chutes
Spiral chute
Spiral warehouse chutes
work in progress
Mezzanine floor deck
ROBOTFLOOR
Avanta mesh machine guarding
Mesh machine guarding
warehouse robotfloor
mezzanine with perimeter mesh
fire rated chute enclosures
fire rated enclosures
Avanta top level of mezzanine
AMR vehicles on ROBOTFLOOR
mesh guarding in warehouse
Geek robots on grey resin mezzanine deck

Other highlights of the project include:

ROBOTFLOOR - 3mm heavy duty resin floor coating with Robot Floor Aggregate to prevent static build up. Offering an ultra smooth hard wearing flat surface for AMR and AGV robots to operate on.

Air Handling System - Sophisticated heating and cooling system to regulate temperature for employees & robots

Safety Machine Guarding - Removable mesh screening for robot containment in largest Geek robot installation (at the time) in UK. Complete with access control.

Special Enclosures - Fire enclosures for S20 Robots to deposit packages on to spiral chutes

QR codes - Positioning of QR codes in precise locations for robot operation.

Shelving bays - Unpack containers and build hundreds of shelving bays on the top floor.

To read more about our Avanta AMR and AGV Mezzanine solutions, please click the link.

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