NEW INVESTMENTS FOR NORCO
COMPOSITES SPRAY, CUTTING & KITTING MACHINE
NORCO
NEW INVESTMENTS FOR NORCO
Dorset-based NORCO Composites has invested in a larger spray booth and a new cutting & kitting machine, to enable the company to increase productivity in line with the growing demand from its marine customer base.
At the start of 2017 NORCO began working with Princess Yachts to manufacturer canopies for their V40 and V50 crafts. To improve efficiency, NORCO has adopted and amended the customer’ s previous procedures, resulting now in a seamless stream of products from lamination, finishing through to the paint shop. The new workflow has put NORCO in a position to deliver six canopies per month, which has given the business confidence to invest in its spraying facilities.
NORCO has installed a significantly larger spray booth, measuring 10m x 6m. This will allow the business to process both larger and multiple structures for initial priming. Painting of GRP and composite structures has increased significantly in recent years, as manufacturers seek to differentiate their finished products. Each structure will receive several layers of primer, paint and lacquer, taking between 75 and 150 hours to complete, to ensure the highquality finish demanded for luxury super yacht manufacture. In addition to marine applications, the larger spray booth will also enable NORCO to work on aerospace components including flight simulator hoods. The new booth will compliment NORCO’ s existing spray booth, more than doubling capacity.
To accommodate the arrival of the larger spray booth, NORCO has expanded its facilities with two additional units on the Holton Heath Industrial Estate in Poole. The current cutting facilities have been relocated into one of the new units and the company will shortly take delivery of a new cutting and kitting machine. The production of material kits for certain composite manufacturing applications is essential, enabling NORCO to guarantee consistency and maintain quality. Kits are produced from plywood, foam or GRP laminates. The addition of the new cutting machine will enable NORCO to produce kits both faster and more efficiently for customers within the marine and aerospace industries.
Mark Northey, MD of NORCO, is delighted with the new investments, commenting:
“ Adding this vital equipment will enable us to significantly increase our capability in two key areas of our process flow. We are seeing an increase in demand for painted components and the new spray booth will allow us to manufacture components quicker. The new kitting machine will improve our efficiency and allow us to produce kits to a tighter tolerance. We have invested in this equipment as we have seen a growth in demand across several market sectors and we are now positioned to take full advantage of this growth potential.”
About NORCO Composites & GRP
NORCO Composites & GRP was established in 1985 in Poole, Dorset and specialises in large composite structures and GRP mouldings for end users all across the globe. Operating from five sites with an overall capacity of 100,000 square ft, NORCO employs over 150 skilled workers. The company provides a complete service from inception and development of ideas through to plug and tool making to the final manufactured product which can include full assembly. NORCO is quality accredited to ISO 9001 and 14001 standards.
NORCO is active in many industry sectors including Leisure, Architecture, Automotive and Subsea Oil and Gas, but specifically targets the Marine, Renewables, Defence and Aerospace sectors. In 2018 the company is building 10,000 square feet of new manufacturing capability at its site in Poole, in addition to expanding into two existing smaller units.
For more information on Norco, and its capability, please visit: http:// www. norco. co. uk.