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PRECAST CONCRETE ELEMENTS192 CPI %u2013 Concrete Plant International %u2013 5 | 2025 www.cpi-worldwide.comAt the forefront of the UK%u2019s precast concrete sector, FP McCann harnesses cutting-edge machinery and software from Progress Group to revolutionise production. One of the UK%u2019s largest manufacturers of precast concrete elements is leveraging automation and digitalisation to enhance production efficiency and quality. Setting new standards FP McCann operates 13 precast plants all over Great Britain and Northern Ireland and provides an extensive range of concrete solutions for the industrial, commercial, structural, and infrastructure markets. Six of their plants now feature state-ofthe-art reinforcement machinery and software from Progress Group, enhancing their production capabilities and setting new industry standards. State-of-the-art reinforcement machineryThe manufacturing facility at the Byley site showcases the benefits of the integrated M-System Evolution. This mesh welding plant stands out for its dual bending system and integrated handling mechanism. The bending system exemplifies FP McCann%u2019s commitment to cutting-edge technology enabling the production of huge reinforcement cages for heavy precast elements. %u201cHaving the ability to bend both entire sheets of mesh as well as individual bars allows us to decrease the time required to fabricate cages,%u201d shared David Norry, Production Manager at the precast plant in Byley. This capability significantly reduces the amount of reinforcement required, resulting in cost savings and reduced material waste. %u201cOne of the biggest benefits of the machinery is the integration. It saves a significant amount of time to have continuity across the design processes by using the same machines. But of course, also the quality of the product is a key benefit.%u201d Andrew Slaven, Design Support Manager for FP McCann, explained that with Byley and Littleport as two of the main sites for structural and architectural work, having the automation provided by Progress machinery has been invaluable. %u201cIt%u2019s been an amazing tool to have as part of our design portfolio and how we design products %u2013 it is all based around the machinery and the machinery%u2019s output.%u201dEnhancing operational efficiency with software solutionsThe profitYC software from Progress Group has been a gamechanger for FP McCann%u2019s reinforcement production. profit allows both machine operators and production teams to see FP McCann as a driver of innovation in precast concrete productionProgress Group, 39042 Brixen, ItalyThe M-System Evolution mesh welding plant in Byley boosts operational efficiency. Two separate bending systems enable the production of huge reinforcement cages for heavy precast elements.