TRUMPF helps Designplan see punching in a new light

03 February 2020

Designplan Lighting Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of robust lighting solutions for demanding environments, has invested in a TRUMPF TruPunch 3000 to replace two older turret punch machines supplied by another machine provider.

The move has led to a plethora of important benefits, not least a significant increase in productivity, a reduction in the amount of manual labour required, fewer secondary operations and lower noise levels.

Designplan commenced operations in 1963 with an idea for a great product: an extra strong light fitting engineered to withstand the most severe environmental conditions, including those found in transport, social housing and custodial settings. Just to prove the strength of that idea, the company today has over 120 staff and a turnover of circa £18 million.

In 2011, the company was acquired by the Sweden-based Fagerhult group, which was followed three years later by relocation to a purpose-built factory. This intense period of change spurred growth at Designplan, as Production Engineering Manager Rob Aldred explains.

“I joined the company seven years ago, when turnover stood at around £11 million,” he says. “Since then, this figure has increased by an impressive 64 percent. Investment gave us more aspiration to grow and more scope to diversify.”

Read the full article in the February issue of DPA.