Siemens has opened a 7,000m² high-tech Global Service Operations Centre (GSOC) to house small gas turbine parts and store engines on the same site as its overhaul centre in Teal Park, Lincoln (these items were previously stored at a site two miles away) (www.siemens.com).

£13 million was spent fitting out the GSOC, including racking for up to 72 engines weighing between four and eight tonnes. Since Siemens moved to Teal Park in 2012, more than £48 million has been invested in the site.

The GSOC will feature a number of innovative systems, including an SAP system to locate parts in the warehouse, a Kardex machine to ensure accurate picking of parts, and six LEO ‘locative robots’ for moving stock.

LEO works by following a track around the factory, using a bar-code system on the floor to determine where to go, where to stop and when to sound its horn, as it crosses the fork-lift truck area. About 120 people are employed in the GSOC, with another 20 based in the warehouse.

Neil Corner, managing director of Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery, said: “We’re pleased to have built a new ‘state of the art’ facility for our employees to work in; it is also sustainable and has strong environmental credentials.”