Focussed investment has seen Esprit Electronics reinvent its assembly capabilities in direct response to customer projects and requirements.
Following a period of consolidation and planning, electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, Esprit Electronics, has implemented its investment and expansion plans with new assembly equipment and extended manufacturing floor space.
The company’s plans dictated expenditure of almost £500,000 during 2015 to finance a number of initiatives, all driven by a common goal; to meet requirements set out by customers in discussion and thereby pave the way for a strong performance in the coming year.
Sales director, Russell Otter, explained: “Investment at Esprit Electronics has continued throughout 2015 and has seen the organisation finish the final phase of expansion at our Swanwick facility. During this time we have achieved several strategic goals, which have helped to lay the foundations for what we anticipate to be an excellent 12 months.”
Assembly upgrade
Capital investment in new machinery has been at the heart of Esprit’s undertaking. A Kolb PSB500-H50 printed circuit board (PCB) cleaning tank, Cencorp BR1000 automatic router and Iemme Plus 14 reflow oven all featured on the shopping list.
Russell said: “The cleaning tank may not seem ground-breaking, but the acquisition was driven by some very specific customer requirements regarding PCB assembly cleanliness and demonstrates a key Esprit philosophy: where there’s a need, we’re always willing and able to invest to support our customers.”
The final phase of expansion at the organisation’s Swanwick facility is another milestone. With an additional 1,800ft² of manufacturing floor space, Esprit now boasts enhanced general assembly and box build capabilities.
Russell added: “We believe from conversations with customers that there is demand for general assembly and we foresee significant opportunities.”
During this period of growth, Esprit has also invested heavily in its workforce. Russell continued: “EMS providers often overlook the importance of telling customers about employee training and development, yet training shows a commitment to staff and to maintaining best practice. Earlier this year, Esprit put 20 of our staff through J-STD-001 training. We believe that investment in the intensive three-day course is an integral part of the teams’ continued professional development.”
Future proofing
In addition to the 2015 expenditure, Esprit has also finalised the £400,000 purchase of two new Yamaha I-Pulse S20 surface mount machines. These will form part of a new line and are due to be installed early in the first quarter of next year. The company expects to be the first contract electronics manufacturer (CEM) in the UK to take delivery of this type of equipment, which will not only add capacity but also capability, with the ability to place components on curved PCBs.
The significant capital expenditure over the last few years has been part of the Esprit growth story and has been driven by a changing market place and the strategic vision of the management team.
Russell concluded: “As a direct result of our investment, we anticipate in the region of £1million of new business coming on stream in 2016 from customers that have been in research and development and pre-production moving into full production.
“After several years of hard work we are cautiously optimistic for 2016 and believe that we have positioned ourselves well to benefit from the competitive economic landscape ahead of us.”