Alternative Heat Ltd., a UK-based offsite fabrication specialist, has taken a decisive step toward automation—achieving a notable 700 meters of additional welds per week across two shifts. The adoption of Novarc’s Spool Welding Robot (SWR™) has enabled the company to meet increasing project volumes and tighter deadlines without sacrificing weld quality. This shift has allowed the business to bring more work in-house, reduce downtime, and handle more complex projects with confidence.
Established in 2005, Alternative Heat serves sectors from data centers to healthcare, delivering lean, prefabricated MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) solutions across the UK and Europe. The growing demand for spool welding, especially for larger diameter pipe spools, led the team to seek ways to boost productivity and standardize results. With manual TIG welders producing around 100 meters per week, the SWR’s automated precision represented a significant leap forward in both speed and consistency.
About SWR from the company's YouTube channel
The rail-mounted SWR has proved adaptable to pipe diameters from 125mm to 500mm, with weld lengths up to 4.5 meters. Two trained MIG welders now operate the system on day and night shifts, ensuring minimal setup time and steady throughput. This integration has surpassed return-on-investment expectations, enabling Alternative Heat to confidently meet schedule demands and maintain their strict quality benchmarks.
Strong local support has also been a factor. With a dedicated Novarc engineer based in Ireland, any operational issues are resolved quickly—often within hours—keeping productivity on track. By blending automation with skilled operation, Alternative Heat has positioned itself for scalable growth while reinforcing its role as a trusted provider of high-quality, prefabricated MEP solutions.
Source:
Admin
Discussion