JCB announces £8m investment in UK factories

STAFFORDSHIRE excavator manufacturer JCB has announced an £8m investment in its UK factories.

The Rocester company said the investment would ensure the business was able to maintain its future growth in global markets.

The money, which follows an order for £40m of equipment from authorities in Brazil, is being spent on new machine tools which will enhance component quality and production efficiency.

One of the biggest single investments is in £4m worth of machine tools in the Hydraulic Business Unit at the firm’s Rocester headquarters. The new equipment, which will be fully operational next month, includes CNC lathes, friction welders, robotic welding cells and an automated assembly cell.

The introduction of the new machinery will provide an additional 20% production capacity for hydraulic rams – the steel cylinders which are integral to JCB’s products and which, through hydraulic power, act as the machine’s ‘muscles’ when lifting, loading and excavating.

Other investments at the Rocester base include a new machining centre in the Backhoe Loader Business Unit and a new machining centre and robot welder in the Loadall Business Unit.  

Meanwhile, at JCB Heavy Products in Uttoxeter more than £1m has been invested in robot welding equipment to increase capacity and enhance quality at the tracked and wheeled excavator factory.

At JCB Transmissions in Wrexham, a new £2m fully-automated axle manufacturing unit capable of producing a maximum of 130 axles a day, has just been commissioned.

Alan Blake, JCB CEO, said: “JCB has ambitious plans to grow its business and investing heavily in our manufacturing capability to increase capacity and enhance quality is key to meeting our expansion goals.”