Engineering technologies business Renishaw has completed the first phase of a £70m expansion at its Miskin facility in South Wales, increasing manufacturing capacity to meet rising demand for its precision measurement and additive manufacturing technologies.
The development, first announced in 2022, forms part of a long-term investment programme that will ultimately double the size of the site, west of Cardiff, establishing it as one of the UK’s largest advanced manufacturing facilities.
The completion of Hall 3 has increased the site’s usable space to 617,000 sq ft (57,350 sqm). Once Hall 4 is completed and operational, the facility will cover 880,000 sq ft (81,765 sqm). The expansion coincides with the 15th anniversary of Renishaw’s acquisition of the 193-acre site from Robert Bosch Ltd in September 2011. From an initial operation employing around 25 people when the facility officially opened in October 2012, the site now employs approximately 950.
Renishaw has invested around £150m at Miskin to date, covering the site acquisition, refurbishment of existing buildings, new construction and the installation of advanced manufacturing equipment.
Meeting demand for advanced manufacturing technologies
The latest development will help Renishaw increase production of its precision metrology, additive manufacturing and position measurement products, with growing demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment creating an immediate requirement for additional capacity.
Hall 3 houses manufacturing operations for the company’s metal additive manufacturing (AM) systems and AGILITY co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs), alongside a multimillion-pound automated storage and retrieval warehousing system.
Hall 4 was initially constructed as a shell building, allowing Renishaw to bring the space into use as customer demand and production requirements evolved. Exceptional demand for the company’s position encoders, driven by the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), means part of the building will now be occupied over the coming months.
The Miskin facility currently operates 134 CNC machine tools, producing around one million parts per month, alongside three printed circuit board (PCB) assembly lines, robotic assembly systems and automated warehousing. Further equipment is on order to support customer requirements.
Our long-term commitment to manufacturing is exemplified by the investment that we have made in Miskin over the past 15 years and I would like to thank the many people from across our business who have supported the development of this world-class facility.
Jim Long, Director of Group Manufacturing at Renishaw
Sustainability and workforce investment
The expansion has also been designed to improve the facility’s environmental performance. Both new halls have been designed to achieve Net Zero Carbon in Operation, supporting Renishaw’s commitment to reaching Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions across Scopes 1 and 2 by 2028. The company’s longer-term ambition is for all buildings at Miskin to operate at Net Zero.
Alongside the manufacturing investment, Renishaw has developed an employee wellbeing centre incorporating a restaurant and fitness suite. Improvements to the wider site include landscaped outdoor spaces, picnic areas and a 2km perimeter walking route.
The investment underlines Renishaw’s commitment to South Wales, with additional manufacturing space intended to support future growth in demand for advanced engineering technologies.
“The significant ongoing investment by our Board to increase our production capabilities demonstrates a huge vote of confidence in our manufacturing operations and people, at an exciting time for the business,” Long added.
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