Polypipe Building Services has carried out a major programme of automation investment at its production facility in Aylesford, Kent.
The manufacturer, part of Genuit Group, now uses fully automated lines across key areas of its factory, integrating robotics and AI-driven quality inspection systems as part of a strategy to improve operational performance and address labour shortages.
Polypipe says that, with this increased automation, it has been able to meet its growth aspirations without increasing staffing levels. 聽The Aylesford facility, which operates on a 24-hour, five-day production cycle, has increased output and improved responsiveness to fluctuating demand.
Recent investment includes 拢1.5m in automation technology, alongside further investment of 拢3m in moulding machinery and 拢2.5m in extrusion technology.
It has installed automated systems using six-axis and Cartesian robots, allowing operators to oversee production processes that deliver finished products with minimal manual intervention.
Advanced vision technology, including a new IV4 AI camera, has also been introduced to support quality assurance. The system automatically counts parts and detects issues such as dimensional variation, ovality and moulding defects, helping ensure the plastic drainage pipes meet quality standards before being packaged by robotic handling systems.
Where processes previously required one operator per machine, production can now typically be managed at a ratio of one operator to four machines. This has enabled the business to redeploy employees. There have been no reports of significant redundancies resulting.
Ned Seale, tooling and automation manager at Polypipe Building Services, said: 鈥淎utomation is helping us respond to growing demand while maintaining quality and supporting our workforce. By integrating robotics and AI inspection technologies, we are improving production consistency, reducing waste and allowing teams to focus on more technical, value-adding activities.
聽鈥淲hile the initial investment can be significant, automated systems can deliver long-term operational benefits through improved efficiency, quality and resource optimisation.鈥�
Polypipe is continuing to expand its automation capability through workforce development, including the recruitment of an automation apprentice, and plans to further grow its engineering team. The next phase of automation investment is expected to focus on the fabrication department, where manual processes are currently used to manufacture prefabricated pipe systems.
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