Largest hollow-core producer in UK and Ireland invests in Progress equipment

Creagh, one of the UK’s largest producers of concrete products, invests in new machinery from Echo Precast Engineering, a Progress Group company, and with that in its own progress. Creagh is always at the forefront of innovation. Due to market demand, they require a higher level of output from their factory based in Scotland, so they decided to purchase two new Extruder X-Liner to boost production, increase quality, reduce waste, and enhance health and safety.

Same roots – same drive for innovation

Formed by the McKeague family, from small beginnings in 1974 making concrete blocks, Creagh have grown into a large precast and prestressed producer and supply these products throughout the UK and Ireland. Progress Group, of which Echo Precast Engineering is a part, has the same story with them starting the family business in the 1960s as brick producers. The two groups of companies are also connected in their constant drive for innovating their products; Creagh, for example, with products such as Spantherm, a thermally efficient flooring, and Rapidres, an offsite fast-track build system. As the leading producer of hollow-core elements, Creagh is committed to quality and excellence and thus is constantly investing in innovation. Just like Creagh, Progress Group is one of the leading companies in their field and thrives to engineer the most fitting state-of-the-art machinery and software for the precast industry.

Automation for progress

Creagh operates within a wide range of markets, including education, residential, commercial, and custodial. They operate three quarries to produce their own aggregates, which are used to make the concrete elements. The hollow-core elements produced are used for many different projects from house building to larger commercial jobs such as apartments and schools. With a capacity to produce more than 600,000 m² per year, Creagh is the largest producer of hollow-core flooring in the UK and Ireland. They began manufacturing hollow-core products in the 1990s when they purchased a large site which had a slipformer installed by the previous owners. The company then met with Echo in Belgium and purchased another slipformer to enable them to produce high-quality hollow-core slabs. This is why they got back to hollow-core machinery producer Echo for more equipment for the extension of the factory in the subsequent years, with which the process became much more efficient.

The new machinery – saving time and money while also reducing waste

The reliability of the extruder machines is even better than that of the slipformers while curing time is quicker and there is less chance of delamination.

“The Extruder X-Liner consistently makes a very good slab,” states Joan Belton, Sales and Marketing Manager at Creagh, and adds: “We have noted a considerable reduction in waste, which is good for the environment and a cost saving.” The semi-automatic production has reduced their labor costs by 10%. The hollow-core units produced are lighter by 30 kg/m², which provides a further 10% saving on transport. These are significant savings, and the product is of a superior quality. In terms of health and safety, there is less noise and less risk of strand slippage creating a safer environment.

“We have chosen Echo as we have had a long-standing relationship with the company. We know that they offer the best customer service and quality machinery,” says Mrs. Belton and adds: “We would recommend the Echo machines to any hollow-core producer. The benefits in cost savings, quality, efficiency, and health and safety have been great for the company.”