Once fully operational, Ibstock’s Nostell site, near Wakefield, will be the UK’s first fully automated brick slip manufacturing centre, it is claimed, producing around 50 million brick slips per year.
The new brick slips centre at Nostell is progressing in two phases. Phase one is nearing completion and focuses on driving pace and scale of brick slips through automation. Phase two focuses on technology that will expand the brick slips product range from 2025 onwards.
Ibstock said that the investment in brick slips “will not only continue to provide customers with a traditional authentic brick finish but also enable a more modern installation approach.”
Ibstock says there is growing demand for brick slips not just in the mid-to-high rise new build sector but also from retrofit and the low rise modular offsite sector.
Project and operations director Adam Foster said: “We are incredibly excited by what the development of our brick slips manufacturing centre at Nostell means for Ibstock as a whole – unleashing speed, scale, flexibility and precision in fast growing markets. The investment will increase our overall brick slip capacity by 10 times more than what it is today, which is testament to our commitment to innovate for the construction industry.
“Not only do brick slips provide an authentic brick finish that will support planning applications but also enable a more efficient installation for the targeted markets. Its light weight, promoting easier installation, manual handling, less waste in construction, as well as time efficiencies on construction sites.’’
