Century Homes has come a long way since its launch in 1990 and it predicts that the next few years will see equally impressive growth. Already billing itself as the biggest producer of timber frames in the UK and Ireland – and possibly Europe – the company has unveiled plans to more than double its capacity and workforce.

Century’s Irish plants in Monaghan, Longford and Waterford turn out 85 units a week, in addition to the 18 produced at the company’s UK operation in Cardiff. And the Welsh plant is very much seen as a bridgehead, with plans to open sites across the UK already afoot. “It is important to have a presence in the UK for many reasons,” said the company’s chief executive and co-founder Gerard McCaughey. “We are a major force in Ireland, but having a site in the UK has made UK housebuilders much more keen to talk to us.”

Optimistic forecast

Century employs 320 people and with the doubling of capacity to 160 units a week, that will rise to 550 in five years. Underpinning Mr McCaughey’s optimistic predictions, turnover for the first five months of 2003 was up 42% on the same period last year.

Timber framed houses account for 20% of the buoyant Irish housing market and Mr McCaughey expects that to reach 24% by the end of the year. One of the key reasons for this is timber frame’s ability to meet stringent Irish thermal performance demands, with U values of 0.27 required as standard. BRE tests have concluded that timber framed buildings can achieve these theoretical values on site, while masonry constructions often reach twice these values in practice.

“Many housebuilders are concerned that they will be exposed to the possibility of litigation if their houses fail to meet these requirements,” said Mr McCaughey.

In addition, he maintained, timber frame has enabled Irish housebuilders to break the stranglehold block layers had in the industry as they are no longer dependent on them to achieve a weatherproof structure.

Automated lines

Century maintains that a key to its success in this fast-developing market has been its willingness to invest heavily in automated lines at its flagship Monaghan plant. The development process has very much been a team effort with the company’s technology suppliers. In particular, it worked closely with fastening solutions specialist Paslode Duo-Fast (part of ITW Construction Products) which, as part of the package, offers customers the services of a “comprehensive portfolio of mill builders”. ITW Construction Products has a team dedicated to the Irish market and worked closely with Century Homes and the machinery manufacturers in designing and establishing the new lines, with a Randek machine installed in 2001 and a Weinmann line added last year.

Combined, the lines cost over €3.5m including the equipment and software, land and buildings. “In strictly financial terms, it’s difficult to say when they will pay for themselves,” said Mr McCaughey. “But in terms of conformity in the quality of product, they’ve already proved invaluable.”

Fast nailing

Included in the lines are four Paslode Duo-Fast nailers, each capable of firing up to 10 nails per second, with their “phenomenal accuracy and precision” reducing wastage of timber and nails.

Century uses Paslode Duo-Fast’s hot dipped galvanised nails and has set the automated lines to fire twice the amount required by law. It also uses only plastic collated nails instead of the more normal wire collations. This boosts safety, as fragments of wire are not ejected during nailing.

“The smooth release of plastic collated nails also helps the galvanised plating remain intact, which will probably increase the anti-corrosion life of the nail up to 20 times,” said Paul Mainwaring, automation manager for ITW Construction Products.

“Nails represent only a small fraction of the overall price of a frame but the cost of nails failing is immeasurable,” added Mr McCaughey.

The lines also dramatically reduce manual handling, with the automatic nailing also cutting the potential for accidents and downtime.

Software

Another vital element of the Century Homes plants is the software for frame design and production control. CAD-based HSB software allows it to work with customers’ AutoCAD designs and it is now developing ways to allow customers and its construction services team to access IT systems from site.

And developments at Century continue. A further e1m is lined up for automation investment at the Waterford plant this year and the company estimates that the production of its first factory-made closed panels, which include all services built in, is just 18-24 months away.