Thwaites site expansion: warehouse design and logistics lessons for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Thwaites has completed a 4,000 m² expansion at its main site, co-locating dumper assembly and a dedicated parts warehouse in the largest single infrastructure investment of the company’s 88-year history. The warehouse uses demand-based positioning, custom sized-to-fit bins and QR-coded genuine components to reach a reported 96% first-time pick accuracy, supported by integrated digital weighing systems to tighten package sizing and outbound freight. Tim Frost, Commercial Manager, says the live transition involved repositioning tens of thousands of stock lines, with the new layout allowing headroom to double parts inventory capacity.
Technical Brief
- Factory expansion adds 4,000 m² to the main Thwaites manufacturing facility footprint.
- Co-location of production and parts warehouse teams is intended to cut on-site material handling distances.
- Refreshed warehouse layout is explicitly driven by component demand frequency rather than legacy storage groupings.
- Custom “sized-to-fit” bins are configured to maximise volumetric utilisation and reduce wasted racking space.
- QR codes on each genuine component enable station-based traceability and reduce manual data entry in picking.
- Integrated digital weighing systems feed directly into packaging selection to minimise void space and freight cost.
- Transition was executed live, while operating, involving physical relocation of tens of thousands of stock lines.
- Layout has been future-proofed with structural and racking headroom to accommodate a twofold increase in parts inventory.
Our Take
A reported 96% first-time pick accuracy for Thwaites in the United Kingdom suggests AI-driven or data-assisted fleet management, which aligns with Infrastructure coverage where artificial intelligence is increasingly tied to plant utilisation and safety systems rather than just office workflows.
Thwaites’ expanded Cubbington production facility, completed in 2025, means that higher-accuracy digital selection or dispatch tools can be backed by increased manufacturing capacity, reducing the risk that smarter fleet allocation is constrained by physical unit availability in the short to medium term.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
