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When a major UK logistics business was developing a 900,000 sq ft automated facility, the electrical installation behind its conveyor system couldn’t become the part of the programme that held everything else up.
With 4,500 metres of automated conveyor spread across nine PLC-controlled areas, the project required conveyor installation contractors who could work at scale, keep pace with the mechanical installation and work closely with the systems integrator through to testing and commissioning.
Add changing site priorities, multiple contractors and a demanding programme, and this wasn’t simply a case of putting more electricians on site.
It needed a team that understood large-scale warehouse and logistics automation, could flex resource as the programme changed and keep each area moving towards commissioning.
Conveyor Installation Contractors: See how Hills Electrical Group delivered 4,500m of automated conveyor installation across a 900,000 sq ft UK logistics facility.
Large automated logistics projects have a lot of moving parts.
Mechanical installation, electrical infrastructure, control systems and commissioning all rely on each other. If one area falls behind, the impact can quickly move through the wider programme.
On this project, the scale added another layer of complexity.
The electrical installation needed to support:
All of it needed to be installed safely, consistently and in the correct sequence.
The challenge was to complete the electrical work in step with the wider installation.
For the systems integrator and wider project team, the electrical installation needed to be ready when the next stage of the programme needed it.
On a project of this scale, priorities can change quickly. Areas can become available earlier than expected, others can be delayed and additional resource may suddenly be needed in another part of the facility.
The client needed an electrical partner capable of responding to those changes without losing sight of the wider programme.
Hills Electrical Group worked alongside the systems integrator and wider project team to deliver the electrical infrastructure behind the automated conveyor system.
Hills worked area by area as sections of the facility became available.
The team completed electrical installation, testing in each area as the programme progressed, then supported commissioning when that area was ready.
Hills used Procore to track its work and share progress information with the wider project team.
As sections became available, Hills could move with the programme rather than waiting for the entire conveyor installation to reach the same stage.
Across the nine PLC-controlled areas, Hills installed approximately 75,000 metres of cable, connecting the conveyor equipment and associated control infrastructure.
The installation included:
With this volume of work, consistency was essential.
The standards applied to the first area needed to be maintained throughout every subsequent stage of the project, while ensuring each section was ready to move into testing and commissioning when required.
A fixed electrical team wasn’t going to work on a project where requirements changed from one stage to another.
Hills scaled resource around the programme.
When installation activity increased, additional electricians could be deployed. As areas progressed into testing and commissioning, resource could be moved to where it would have the greatest impact.
Across the project, Hills delivered approximately 3,200 man-days.
That flexibility meant the systems integrator had an electrical team capable of responding as the programme changed, rather than continually having to source additional resource or risk electrical works becoming a bottleneck.
Hills delivered the core electrical installation for the conveyor programme over approximately four months. Its overall involvement lasted seven months, including additional electrical works and commissioning support.
Automated conveyor installation involves much more than simply providing power to equipment.
The electrical infrastructure has to work with the controls and automation architecture designed by the systems integrator.
Hills worked closely with the systems integrator throughout the project, ensuring the electrical installation progressed in line with the control strategy and that completed areas were ready when required for testing and commissioning.
This collaborative approach meant issues could be addressed as individual areas progressed rather than accumulating until the end of the installation.
By late May, one area was ready for commissioning. Each area followed its own programme and progressed according to site readiness and project priorities.
By 11 June 2026, the principal installation works had been completed.
The completed project included:
The core electrical installation took approximately four months. Hills continued to support additional electrical works and commissioning, bringing its overall involvement to seven months.
For the client and systems integrator, the result was more than a completed electrical installation.
They had an electrical partner with the resource, processes and flexibility to keep moving as the project moved.
Large-scale warehouse automation depends on the electrical infrastructure behind it.
Automated conveyors, PLC control systems, control panels and warehouse technology all need reliable power, controls and communications to work together.
Hills Electrical Group works alongside systems integrators, automation specialists and logistics businesses to deliver the electrical infrastructure behind complex warehouse and conveyor projects.
Our experience across conveyor systems, control panel design, electrical control system installation and warehouse automation means we can support projects from initial electrical installation through to testing and commissioning.
Whether you’re installing a new automated conveyor system, expanding an existing logistics facility or delivering a major warehouse automation project, Hills Electrical Group can provide the electrical expertise and scalable resource needed to support the programme.
If you need conveyor installation contractors who understand the pressures of working on large, technically demanding automation projects, speak to our team about your requirements.
Whether you’re installing an AutoStore system, expanding your warehouse or investing in a new ecommerce fulfilment centre, Hills Electrical Group can provide the electrical infrastructure needed to support your automation project.
Call 01384 671660 or email info@hillsgroupuk.com
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