January 2006
CHANDOS DIVERSIFIES INTO PRODUCTION OF FLOOR CASSETTES IN-HOUSE
CHANDOS Timber Engineering has added a new string to its bow by opening a floor cassette manufacturing facility at its headquarters in
Chandos’ factory HQ was recently expanded with the addition of two new buildings, to increase its production capacity by 50% for its core products of timber frames and roof trusses for house building.
Traditionally, Chandos’ craftsmen would design floors in-house and then build them from raw timber joists and decking on-site. The new method allows Chandos to build floor/ceiling cassettes in sections on its own premises, which allows tighter quality control and quicker build times.
Tom Wilcock, Chandos technical director, explains: “We can now build, in advance, the floor of an average-sized apartment in four sections of around 2.4metres x 12metres, and then deliver them to the site by lorry and install them the same day.
“This means buildings go up in two thirds of the time, which equates to two or three weeks shaved off the build time of an average-sized development of apartments.”
Chandos has created three new jobs for full-time joiners to manufacture the floor cassettes, plus the company will be conducting in-house training for its existing workforce to learn the techniques required.
The first contract to employ Chandos’ new ready-made floor cassettes is a development of apartments in