Manufacturer invests £2m in European first
Derbyshire manufacturer CBE+ has invested £2m in developing and installing Europe’s first robotic automated electroless nickel plating line.
The investment will enable the family-owned company to undertake a range of projects at its Chesterfield base, including the processing of small, precision-engineered components in high volumes.
The automated line from Sidasa Engineering will also facilitate a repeatable surface treatment process, reducing the time it takes to complete and send large orders to customers and significantly increasing CBE+’s electroless nickel production capacity.
Marie Cooper, CEO at CBE+, said: “This is a significant investment for CBE+ and one that will bring many benefits to the business and our customers. The new plating line reduces the scope for human error by automating dosing control and deposition monitoring and measuring. This results in a consistently high-quality finish on the products we process.”
The company has invested £4m in the last 36 months and expects to double its turnover to £10m over the next few years. It has also increased its headcount from 65 to 88 in Chesterfield.
Cooper added: “Automating these tasks means we can redeploy skilled employees to projects that require higher levels of expertise. As well as freeing up time from the plating line, we are also automating parts of the jigging process in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). This will enable the team to use their skills and expertise on projects that will interest and challenge them, as well as helping to drive the business forward.”
