Background
Following Nissan’s decision to cease manufacturing at its Zona Franca plant in Barcelona, the last vehicles came off the production line in December 2021. As part of the decommissioning plan for the factory, the automotive manufacturer wanted to remove a number of machines and pieces of equipment for redeployment to the UK.
With AIS Eurelo’s track record in the automotive sector, wholly-owned fleet of equipment, and expertise in moving machines and assets across borders, AIS Eurelo provided the ideal combination of EU-based resources and experience to work in partnership with AIS Group sister company, AIS Vanguard, on the project. The AIS Group partnership was an ideal choice to remove the equipment, arrange all transportation for the assets, including semi-low loaders and Euroliners, and convey them to storage facilities in the UK.
Customer Requirements
Timing of the project was mission critical to align with decommissioning of the plant, so Nissan required an industrial services partner that could deploy the correct skills and equipment to site to complete the transfer of equipment to the UK as quickly as possible.
The assets that needed removing included 23 CNC Gear Cutting machines, along with complete heat treatment and shot blasting plants. The remit for AIS Eurelo included:
- Match marking for every machine and piece of equipment
- Disconnection of hydraulics and electronics
- Dismantling each machine for removal
- Removal of each machine from the factory
- Loading to transport
- Packing for transport to the UK
- Generation of all Customs documentation
- Shipping arrangements for transport to Liverpool
- Storage arrangements in Liverpool pending redeployment of the assets to Nissan, Sunderland
The Response from AIS Eurelo
All planning, skills and equipment in place within three weeks of the first enquiry from Nissan, with a site to enable effective planning for the project, including specification of the equipment and skilled personnel, and mapping of a programme of works aligned to Nissan’s requirements.
Equipment from AIS Group’s in-house fleet of lifting gear was shipped across to Spain to deliver the project. This included:
- A 40/60 Versa-Lift
- An Ormig 9t Electric Crane
- A 7t fork lift truck
- A 2t Valla Electric Crane
- A MEWP
- A wide variety of ground tackle including shackles, slings, jacks and skates
Nine skilled operatives from AIS Eurelo worked alongside four colleagues from AIS Vanguard, collaborating with Nissan and the OEMs for each machine. The team ensured match marking and documentation were accurate to aid ease of re-installation in the UK and provide a detailed asset register for the complete consignment.
Due to continued volatility in the transport and shipping sectors, the AIS Eurelo team worked flexibly, including unsocial hours where required, to align activity with transport availability and provide smooth project delivery. All machines and equipment were successfully removed from site and placed in storage in Liverpool within six weeks of start on site.
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