Belle’s fine finish

28 September 2023

Altrad Belle has introduced a number of enhancements at its factory in Sheen, Derbyshire, to boost production as demand for its products grows.  

An earlier post reported how the company has installed its own plant to produce nitrogen needed to speed up welding and cutting processes, as can be seen here, and changes have also been made in the paint shop. 

“We have introduced a new technique in the powder coating process whereby we can apply both the undercoat and top coat as one operation before baking it,” MD Ray Neilson told me when I visited the facility. 

“This gives a more durable finish with even better quality and is faster overall, which is important given the growing demand for products like our DX 1000HT dumper (pictured above).” 

A new robotic welder has also been added at the factory which is sophisticated enough to cope with complicated welds that would otherwise have to be welded by hand. 

“It’s a game-changer,” said Ray. “Previously virtually everything had to be hand-welded.” 

Another impressive addition is an indoor rolling road which is used to test site dumpers. Indeed, every machine produced undergoes several hours of running prior to despatch. 

Hotter ambient temperatures can be achieved compared against testing outside and this makes hydraulic oil thinner so that, in the unlikely event of a leaking connection, the issue can be identified more easily. 

● While you're here, don't forget to check out the Site-Eco area of the blog for news of sustainable products and developments relevant to the world of hire.