GreenMech Making Woodchippers...

[PeteB]

A short while ago, I took some "Arbtalkers" on a factory tour. A couple were GreenMech owners, the other guys owned other maakes. The GreenMech factory is - well, a factory where we make stuff! The visitors really found it an enlightening experience where they weren't baffled with sales bull dust or patter but got an insight into how we make woodchippers! Steel goes in a big door and circulates around inside a building (or two) until it comes out as a chipper.

 

With this in mind, we shall be offering more factory tours which will be open to just about anyone. Wether they are GreenMech users or not doesn't matter. The visit may incorporate a short period of time in our Training Rooms (when I get that copier shifted!), a walk around the manufacturing facility, a buffett lunch and a Q&A session which would give us an idea of what you (the customers) think, want, need. This factory makes stuff...it can be anything that involves steel or assembly or just a shot blast and powder coat!

 

These pictures are from a while ago, but they are a taste of what goes on...

[PeteB]

The laser cutter can cut upto 25mm and we have a water cutter available for future use too. The two presses, one which is a 220 tonne, the other at 100 tonne, were fitted alongside the laser bed only a couple of years ago when we also fitted a new shot blast and powder coat facility. This also incorporates a washing machine for de-greasing some parts, and automatic shot blast booth, a manual shot blast booth with a full recycling/recirculating set up, and a two powder coating booths and two ovens.

 

The powder coaters recently achieved the 1000 hour status from the industry body. To get this status, a piece of steel is shot blasted, then the two stage coating is applied. This is then scored back to steel and then sprayed with salt water for 1000 hours at which point the corrosion is measured. If this corresponds with certain criteria, you are awarded a certificate. Some car makers only go to a 250hr status!

 

During the summer, GreenMech expanded its floor space and changed the layout so that we now have 4 possible assembly lines, more fabrication areas, storage space for "goods in" and "goods out".

 

A few months ago, at a Sales Meeting, they sales teams from GreenMech.de and GreenMech.fr were teamed up with the British guys with the task of doing a presentation. This was about what else GreenMech could make, it did not necessarily have to be for arboriculture or groundscare, but it was predominately made from steel - the idea was "we make things - what can we make as well as chippers"

 

I'll post newer pictures when time and opportunities allow.

[TREE-SURGEON-ESSEX]

Very impressive shop how are the quadchips holding up after a few years use ?.

[Dean Lofthouse]

I was one of the non Greenmech owners who went on the tour and with my engineering background I found it very interesting.

 

I was very suprised as wasnt aware that Greenmech built from scratch, ie not import the parts and bolt them together and claim they are british built.

 

It is nice to see a truely British manufactured machine and can highly recommend the tour, although i would have like to have had a play on some of the machines.

 

The laser cutter was very impressive

[WoodED]

that looks an impressive set up..

[breffni]

Ah CNC machines, takes me back to my fitting days!

[geoff]

It realy is refreshing to see good british engineering & versatility moving forwards,superb!

[monkeybusiness]

If you have space on a future tour I'd love to come along for a nosey - it looks fascinating! I particularly like the numberplate attached to the toolbox/filing cabinet behind the chap with the gas axe...

[PeteB]

I'll let you know when Dan! The guy with the gas axe was Pete Brookes, talented artist, well read, intelligent, humorous, considerate and a first rate fabricator. He died of a brain tumour only a few months after the picture was taken. The factory closed for his funeral. RIP Pete.