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Key takeaways
Construction industry material handling concentrates constraints that rarely appear together in a single sector: loads of 10 to 100 kg handled dozens of times per shift, in outdoor or semi-outdoor environments, across workshop configurations that change between product series, with zero tolerance for surface damage on finished elements including glazed facades, architectural concrete and lacquered doors.
Neoditech addresses these demands with three fully mobile solutions: the SCARA manipulator arm (PARTS 50 kg / TITAN 100 kg), the Mobile Jib Crane (70 kg / 100 kg) and the Mobile Order Picker (50 kg / 100 kg).
All three operate without permanent infrastructure: no groundworks, no fixed power supply, repositioned in minutes between production stations. According to the HSE, MSDs account for 27% of all work-related ill health in Great Britain, with 511,000 workers affected in 2024/25: construction is consistently among the most exposed sectors.
Cougnaud, Bouyer Leroux, Saint-Gobain, Janneau Menuiserie Créateur, Stradal and Enercon rely on Neoditech equipment in their workshops to protect their operators while sustaining production output.
What construction and prefabrication production actually demands from operators
In prefabrication workshops and construction production lines, operators handle loads of 10 to 100 kg dozens of times per shift: doors, bricks, architectural blocks, facade panels, prefabricated floor slabs. Environments are frequently outdoor or semi-outdoor. Workshop configurations shift between series rather than remaining fixed. And finished elements carry zero surface damage tolerance: a scratched glazed facade, a chipped architectural concrete panel or a marked lacquered door means a replacement part and a delayed delivery. Prefabrication material handling is not a comfort upgrade. It is a direct operational response to the physical and quality constraints this sector places on its teams every single shift.
MSDs in construction: one of the highest-exposure sectors
The HSE reports that musculoskeletal disorders account for 27% of all work-related ill health in Great Britain, with 511,000 workers affected in 2024/25. Construction sits among the most exposed sectors nationally. The causes are structural: repetitive heavy lifting of doors, bricks and floor slabs, forced postures on production lines, constrained rack-picking gestures under low rails. MSD prevention in construction does not happen through awareness campaigns alone. It is decided at workstation design stage, by removing the manual load and mechanising the dangerous gesture. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 require employers to avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, then assess and reduce remaining risks. Every unassisted gesture is an MSD in preparation. For a full overview of ergonomic risk reduction, see our page on ergonomics and MSD prevention.
Workstation layouts that change between series, not between years
A prefabrication workshop is not a fixed automotive assembly line. The configuration changes between the door series, the brick series and the prefabricated floor slab series. A floor-anchored solution dimensioned for a single operation cannot cover this diversity. Ergonomic lifting equipment for construction must reposition in minutes, without tools, without groundworks, without internal project planning. That is the foundational principle of all three Neoditech solutions: mobility is built into the base architecture, not added as a paid option.
Protecting operators does not mean accepting slower output
Ergonomics and production rate are not trade-offs in construction and prefabrication. A correctly equipped workstation protects the operator and sustains output rate to the end of the shift. An operator fatigued by mid-shift slows down, makes errors and damages costly finished parts. An operator assisted by a powered manipulator maintains the same precision and the same pace at cycle one hundred as at cycle one. Protecting your people is also protecting your throughput.
Mobile by design: an architecture built for workshops that change
None of the three Neoditech solutions requires permanent infrastructure. Three base configurations are available according to the level of flexibility your workshop demands.
Autonomous electric wheel base. The operator moves the equipment alone, without effort, from one station to another or from a production zone to a storage area. Ideal for workshops whose layout changes with each manufactured series.
Pallet truck base. The Mobile Order Picker mounts directly onto the operator’s existing electric pallet truck. The equipment travels with the load, with no additional investment in a separate motorised drive unit.
Floor fixation. For permanent stations such as a fixed door-fitting line or a facade panel assembly post: the equipment is anchored, repeatability is maximised and every gesture is identical cycle after cycle.
This mobility is the base architecture, not a priced option. Your production evolves, your series change, your workshop reorganises: your handling equipment adapts without building work.
Three solutions covering the full handling spectrum in construction and prefabrication
From precision door handling in confined assembly spaces to heavy brick and block transfer between production zones, from rack picking of prefabricated floor slabs under low rails to workstation supply on an electric pallet truck: handling equipment for prefabrication must cover operations that differ radically in weight, precision and spatial constraints. These three solutions address that full range.
SCARA manipulator arm
SWL up to
100Kg
Handling and installing doors, handling bricks and architectural blocks in confined spaces…
Mobile Jib Crane
SWL up to
100Kg
Handling heavy bricks and blocks between production areas, transferring parts between production lines…
Mobile Order Picking Arm
SWL up to
100Kg
Removal of prefabricated floors from the racks beneath the beams, handling, and installation…
SCARA arm, Mobile Jib Crane or Mobile Order Picker: choosing the right solution
| Equipment | SWL | Usage logic | Ideal for | Key advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
SCARA manipulator arm |
50 or 100 kg | Precision and fine movements: bringing a part to its exact position, working in confined spaces, custom gripper | Operations requiring precision and finesse, confined spaces, handling doors and fragile architectural elements | Compact design, millimetre precision, custom gripper, reproducible motion |
|
Mobile jib crane |
70 or 100 kg | Simple pick and place: lifting, moving and setting down heavy parts with a fully mobile solution | Simple pick and place of heavy parts (bricks, blocks, panels), transfers between production areas | Full mobility without infrastructure, 350° rotation, adjustable height 2.5 to 3.8 m, no external power supply |
|
Mobile order picker |
50 or 100 kg | Collecting parts from racks, under beams, and bringing them to the handling area loaded on the electric pallet truck | Picking parts from racks under beams, feeding workstations, handling prefabricated floor panels | Frontal gripper from 467 mm off the ground, 1,000 cycles per charge, compatible with all electric pallet trucks, 5 gripper families |
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Our account managers visit your warehouse, review your picking stations and recommend the right configuration.
Three applications, three precise answers
Funding your construction handling investment
Investing in ergonomic lifting equipment for construction qualifies for several established UK funding mechanisms. Understanding these routes before purchase can significantly reduce net capital outlay.
Capital allowances: Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) and full expensing. Ergonomic handling equipment qualifies as plant and machinery for UK tax purposes. The Annual Investment Allowance allows businesses to deduct the full cost of qualifying assets up to £1 million per year. Full expensing at 100% applies to most new plant and machinery for companies within the charge to corporation tax. Both routes reduce the net cost of investment in the year of purchase.
HSE improvement notice compliance. Investment in compliant ergonomic equipment provides demonstrable evidence of compliance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. Where an HSE improvement notice has been issued, documented investment in compliant solutions supports the compliance response and may attract accelerated tax treatment.
Insurance premium reductions. A sustained reduction in MSD-related absence and claims lowers employer liability insurance premiums over time. The financial benefit compounds: fewer claims, lower premiums, reduced administration costs.
Why Neoditech?
What construction and prefabrication manufacturers find at Neoditech
Neoditech has been designing and manufacturing in France since 2007. That positioning matters for construction and prefabrication clients. Cougnaud, Bouyer Leroux, Saint-Gobain, Janneau Menuiserie Créateur, Stradal and Enercon impose strict requirements on precision, surface quality and traceability that only a manufacturer controlling the full production chain can guarantee. The gripper is designed in-house by the engineering team, adapted to your specific part, documented and delivered with the equipment. One point of contact from design to delivery.
What you get in practice:
Free on-site workstation analysis, no commitment, to qualify your requirement before any decision
Custom gripper designed by the Neoditech engineering team for your specific part and operation
Manufacturing in France, controlled lead times, single point of contact from design to delivery
Installation in a few hours, operator training on site the same day
CE marking, Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC compliance, full technical documentation
What our solutions do not cover
Direct about limits.
Loads above 100 kg for the SCARA TITAN, Mobile Jib Crane 100 and Mobile Order Picker 100: the ERGO360° positioner (up to 200 kg) or a dedicated lifting system is better dimensioned for your application.
Full automation without an operator. Neoditech solutions keep the operator at the centre of the process: they guide, position and control. For fully autonomous lines with no human intervention, a robotics integrator is better positioned.
Continuous SWL above 100 kg. An overhead crane or motorised hoist is more appropriate for loads exceeding this threshold on repetitive cycles.
The choice depends on the nature of the operation. Choose the SCARA arm if your operation requires positioning precision: door fitting, handling fragile facade panels, picking parts in confined assembly spaces. Its compact articulated architecture accesses spaces where a jib crane cannot manoeuvre. Choose the Mobile Jib Crane if your operation is a pick, place or transfer of heavy parts (bricks, blocks, panels) between production zones, with no millimetre precision requirement: total mobility, no infrastructure, immediate deployment. Choose the Mobile Order Picker if your primary constraint is picking parts from multi-level racks under low rails, with onward transport to the workstation on an electric pallet truck. All three solutions are complementary and frequently coexist in the same prefabrication workshop.
Yes. That is precisely one of the advantages of the custom gripper designed by the Neoditech engineering team. The gripper is dimensioned for the exact geometry of your door, with contact materials matched to the finish: low-pressure suction cups, non-abrasive pads, protective foam. The trajectory is controlled by the arm architecture, with no uncontrolled contact with the surface. Zero scratches, zero marks, reproducible gesture at every cycle, regardless of door finish.
Yes. The Mobile Order Picker is designed to mount on all electric pallet truck models available on the market, without modification to the truck and without additional investment in dedicated equipment. Mounting takes a few minutes. The operator keeps their existing pallet truck and gains a handling arm capable of picking loads up to 100 kg from 467 mm above floor level, under the low rails of prefabrication racks.
That is exactly the constraint these three solutions are designed for. None of the three requires permanent infrastructure: no groundworks, no mandatory floor fixation, no external power supply for the Mobile Jib Crane. The SCARA arm and Mobile Jib Crane move on an autonomous electric wheel base or via pallet truck. The Mobile Order Picker follows the operator’s electric pallet truck. Series change, workshop reorganisation, new product line: the equipment repositions in minutes, with no internal project planning required.
Three main routes apply. Capital allowances (Annual Investment Allowance up to £1 million, or full expensing at 100%) allow businesses to deduct the full cost of qualifying plant and machinery in the year of purchase, reducing net capital outlay immediately. HSE improvement notice compliance investment supports a documented compliance response under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, which may attract accelerated tax treatment. Employer liability insurance premium reductions follow from a sustained reduction in MSD-related claims, compounding the financial benefit over time. Consult your tax adviser and insurer to quantify the combined impact for your business.
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Conclusion :
take action
Your production line deserves better than manual handling!
Your operators handle doors, bricks and prefabricated floor slabs dozens of times per shift. Every unassisted gesture is an MSD in preparation, and every surface contact without a controlled gripper is a risk to a costly finished part. Neoditech visits your site, analyses your workstation at no charge and with no commitment, then proposes the solution matched to your load, your space and your production rate.
Neoditech: your partner for construction and prefabrication material handling
Since 2007, Neoditech designs and manufactures in France powered manipulator arms and mobile handling solutions for industry, construction and prefabrication. Our solutions combine ergonomics and production performance: protecting your operators does not come at the cost of your output rate, and sustaining your output rate does not come at the cost of your operators. Active in France and across Europe, we work with the major names in construction and prefabrication manufacturing. Protect your operators. Sustain your production rates.
We design solutions that combine ergonomics and productivity. Our equipment enables manufacturers to improve operator safety while optimizing their production processes. Neoditech is also :
Customers supported in France and Europe
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Manipulators sold in France and elsewhere
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Useful sources
HSE: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders statistics, Great Britain 2024/25: prevalence data showing 511,000 workers affected and MSDs accounting for 27% of all work-related ill health in 2024/25.
HSE: Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, guidance and resources: employer duties to avoid, assess and reduce hazardous manual handling, with specific guidance for construction environments.
GOV.UK: Capital allowances for plant and machinery: Annual Investment Allowance and full expensing rules for qualifying business equipment purchases.