Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Normandy Caravans overcomes Space constraints with a Sterk System

Lack of space was the main issue when scaffolding specialist Sterk Systems supplied a bespoke access system to Normandy Caravans. The company manufactures caravan holiday homes and residential lodges and required a platform to simplify the ceiling and roof installation. Significantly, the system needed to not only fit into the limited space available but also comply with safety standards for working at height.


Normandy Caravans manufactures a range of models for both the UK and European markets, from affordable models to top-of-the-range all-season lodges. There are around 25 standard models, but the many different available options mean that the company must operate a mixed model production line. Normandy's Hull factory makes between five and seven caravans a week, ranging in length from seven to eleven metres and from 3.0 to 3.7 metres wide.

The company needed a scaffold system that was adjustable in both width and length to enable it to cope with varying caravan dimensions. Previously, a system of trestle and walk boards without handrails had been used. Together with its supplier Artilan, Sterk Systems produced a work platform comprising four separate mobile towers and two triangular bridges running the length of the caravans under construction. Also, two platforms were incorporated at each end of the installation. Sterk Systems' platforms are fully compliant with the latest Working at Height regulations and have the additional benefit of being fully mobile, which allows easy transfer between working bays.

Gary Cooper of Normandy Caravans is delighted with the new scaffold system: "Our criteria for this job were tough - we needed a lightweight, modular, mobile system which would fit into our somewhat confined working area. Sterk Systems worked closely with us to understand our problem and then produced the perfect solution. I'd have no reservations whatsoever in recommending them."

Normandy Caravans has been producing well-designed premium holiday caravans for more than 25 years. It has about 10°l0 of the UK export caravan market, sending holiday homes to Belgium, Holland and other European destinations. Whilst historically its focus has been on the export market, the company has recently begun to expand its UK business as well.

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