Renishaw has completed the first phase of a £70 million expansion at its Miskin manufacturing site in South Wales, bringing a new 193,000 sq ft production hall into full operation.
The wider development will ultimately add 463,000 sq ft of space and double the size of the site, which has become one of Renishaw’s principal UK manufacturing centres since the company acquired the former Bosch facility near Cardiff in 2011.
New Production Capacity In South Wales
The first new manufacturing hall, known as Hall 3, is being used to produce Renishaw’s metal additive manufacturing systems and AGILITY coordinate measuring machines.
More than 900 people now work at the Miskin site, which currently includes 134 CNC machine tools producing around one million parts each month, alongside three printed circuit board assembly lines, robotic assembly equipment and automated warehousing.
The expansion is designed to give Renishaw greater flexibility as demand changes across its different manufacturing markets.
Semiconductor Demand Drives Further Expansion
A second manufacturing hall, Hall 4, has initially been constructed as a shell, allowing the company to fit it out as demand develops.
Renishaw now expects some of the space to be brought into use sooner than originally planned, following increased demand for position encoders from semiconductor equipment manufacturers.
Position encoders provide highly precise feedback within machinery, helping control systems determine the exact position of components and moving parts. This level of accuracy is particularly important in semiconductor manufacturing, where even small variations can affect production performance and yield.
Renishaw says investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure is contributing to increased demand across the semiconductor supply chain.
Automation And Advanced Manufacturing
The Miskin expansion also includes automated storage and retrieval equipment, helping improve the movement of materials, components and finished assemblies throughout the plant.
The additional capacity will support production across metrology, additive manufacturing and position measurement, with Renishaw continuing to manufacture a significant proportion of its own equipment and components.
Further investment is being directed towards machine tools, electronics production and automated assembly as the company responds to rising orders.
A More Energy Efficient Manufacturing Site
Energy efficiency has also been incorporated into the design of the new halls.
Hall 3 uses electric heat pumps for heating and cooling, while heat recovery equipment captures more than 84% of the heat contained in extracted air. More than 150 energy meters have also been installed to monitor building consumption separately from manufacturing processes.
The development includes 920 square metres of roof-mounted solar panels and a further 285 square metres of panels on the walls. Renishaw estimates the photovoltaic installation will generate around 199MWh of electricity each year.
Enhanced insulation and glazing have also been introduced to help reduce the energy required for heating and cooling.
Miskin Continues To Grow
The Miskin site has expanded considerably since Renishaw began production there in 2012 with around 25 employees.
The site now has approximately 617,000 sq ft of usable space, with this expected to increase to around 880,000 sq ft once Hall 4 is fully operational.
Renishaw plans to monitor the performance of Hall 3 over its first five years, assessing energy consumption, renewable generation and building systems. The findings could help shape the eventual fit-out of Hall 4.
The latest expansion gives Renishaw additional manufacturing capacity while maintaining flexibility for future growth in semiconductor equipment, additive manufacturing and precision measurement.
Source: Industrial News
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