TDK Corporation has announced an £11.5m investment package to redevelop its TDK-Lambda manufacturing facility in Ilfracombe, North Devon. The investment will be staged over the next three and a half years to increase production capacity by 50%.
The original factory was built more than 50 years ago with further expansion in the mid-1980s. While the company has invested heavily in new equipment and building upgrades over these years, including the addition of a £1 million EMC Centre in 2019, it is now time to redevelop the site. The redevelopment will increase manufacturing space, expand R&D facilities and radically overhaul and automate the end-to-end material flow.
TDK-Lambda healthcare power supplies are used in critical medical and laboratory applications globally.
“Since the COVID-19 outbreak, delivery quantities to certain healthcare and bio-diagnostic customers have increased by six to tenfold,” says Geoff Wilby, managing director of TDK-Lambda UK.
Benefits of the investment will include:
- 50% increase in production capacity
- 46% manufacturing floorspace increase
- 10% floorspace increase and colocation of Technical areas
- Smart, lean storage facilities and AGVs for material handling implementation
- Improved employees’ facilities, addition of health and fitness centre
- Environmental improvements
The announcement is the latest boost to inward investment into North Devon, following Infrastrata’s £7 million acquisition of Appledore Shipyard and Premier Inn’s application to build a £6 million new hotel also in Ilfracombe.
Read Business Action’s interview with TDK-Lambda in the October / November issue of our North Devon business magazine.
• For details visit emea.lambda.tdk.com/medical.
