Leading manufacturers of insulating glass units are adopting laser distance sensors to monitor and precisely adjust glass panel positioning during automated assembly. Dimetix D‑Series laser distance sensors, supplied locally by AMS Instrumentation & Calibration, provide non-contact measurement over several metres with millimetre-level accuracy, enabling closed-loop control of panel spacing and alignment. For mining and industrial plant glazing, this level of positional control reduces rework, improves seal integrity in multi-pane safety glass, and supports consistent thermal and acoustic performance in harsh environments.

Plastic pipe manufacturer Polypipe Building Services has invested £1.5m in automation, £3m in moulding machinery and £2.5m in extrusion technology at its 24-hour, five-day Aylesford plant, moving key lines to fully automated operation. Six-axis and Cartesian robots now handle production and packaging, while an IV4 AI vision camera counts parts and flags dimensional variation, ovality and moulding defects before dispatch. Operator loading has shifted from one operator per machine to typically one per four machines, with staff redeployed and further automation planned in the fabrication department.

Breedon has completed its acquisition of Booth Precast Products in Abbeyleix, County Laois, adding a long-established sand and gravel quarry and processing plant that has supplied the Irish construction market for over 25 years. The deal, agreed in December 2025 and cleared by the Republic of Ireland’s Competition Authority, secures additional mineral reserves to serve the growing Dublin market. Integration of Booth’s concrete operations gives Breedon Ireland a more vertically integrated aggregates-to-concrete supply chain for regional infrastructure and building projects.