Roboplant: the 4.0 Pre-cast Concrete Segment Factory

The first robotic factory to produce pre-cast concrete for tunnel linings of railway lines was built and inaugurated by Webuild in Sicily. A robotic, safe, and environmentally friendly 4.0 plant, an innovative factory model conceived and designed by Webuild. 

The "Roboplant" factory is the result of collaboration with Milan's Polytechnic, is set to supply most of Sicily's rail construction sites with precast concrete segment production. The factory employs high-efficiency robotic technology in which innovation, efficiency, circular economy solutions are synergistically integrated to reduce the impact on the environment.

The first Pre-Cast Concrete Factory was built in  Belpasso, Catania, in consortium with Pizzarotti. The Group plans a second factory in Dittaino, in a consortium with Pizzarotti and Ghella, for a total investment for both plants of about €70 million and an estimated employment of about 200 people. The Group is engaged in the construction of 2 more plants with similar characteristics in Italy, to meet the needs of ongoing projects and build about 300 km total of tunnels, which will process about 3.5 million m3 of concrete.

Roboplant: sustainability and innovation that benefits a premium Italian supply chain

The first of its kind in Italy, the factory is able to produce a pre-cast concrete segment every 4 minutes, increasing productivity by 250 percent. Robotics and automation are used for all "heavy" and potentially dangerous operations during the production, curing, handling, and the initial storage of the concrete segments.

The 5 pillars of an automated factory with an innovative footprint 

1. robotic production line, which avoids the most wearing and dangerous operations for workers;
2. complete automation in the operations of de-laying, turning, transporting and pre-stacking of pre-cast concrete segments for greater efficiency and safety;
3. automation of formwork cleaning, and thus easier maintenance of equipment and better sustainability performance;
4. implementation of sensors and digital systems, to reduce consumption, ensure traceability of raw materials and finished products;
5. safety with laser detection of personal presence in danger zones and automatic plant shutdown.