July 2014
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TVBEurope 13 Workfl ow
Sony’s UK Technology Centre in Pencoed, Wales
on-screen to guide them through the process: as Morgan admits, “there are a lot of failsafes. Everything we do on-site is about protecting the next bit of a process.” This applies at the test station too, where each camera’s unique barcode is scanned, identifying who has tested it, and when. One operator can test six cameras at one station as well as automated testing taking place, at the end of which, the camera is weighed “so there’s no way a faulty product gets through.” At the QC stages, there’s “more hands-on checking,” continues Morgan, with employees manually testing the
of cameras and peripherals, as well as the management of processes throughout the production line. At the site, circuit boards are created, camera parts manufactured, end products tested and, with a service centre on-location, it is “the only service in the world where a customer can bring a product back to the factory for service and repair,” explains Rob Wilson, general manager at the Technology Centre.
Personal and individual Visitors to the Sony Technology Centre may be surprised at the level of human involvement in the manufacturing process. “Camera build is very individual,” says Ian Morgan, senior manager, supply chain. “Low-volume, high-skilled work
is again the human intervention at this stage that helps ensure the quality of the products so keenly stressed by the company.
Camera builders receive the exact number of parts available per build, as well as on-screen instructions
is very personal and means ownership and effi ciency.” The build stations “are all about fl exibility, effi ciency and quality,” says Morgan, each manned by a single person. Typically, there are 400 parts to be assembled per camera and builders will receive the exact number of parts available per build, as well as instructions
way a camera’s parts function. The human element in QC has its benefi ts, especially when it comes to testing circuit boards. There are up to 2,000 parts per board, with an estimated ten parts in every million having a defect. When checking for these defects, “with machines”, Morgan explains, “there is one problem — it is only a 2D check.” As such, it
More than just cameras In addition to cameras and peripherals, there are other, more unexpected products leaving the Pencoed site. The credit-card sized computer, Raspberry Pi; energy- effi cient LED street lighting destined for Canada; and the Cyden hair removal device, are also produced at the Welsh site, as part of Sony’s Collaborative Manufacturing Solutions. The production of the fantastically popular Raspberry Pi relocated from China to Wales, where 22 operators now produce 60,000 units per week — more cost-effective than in Asia. The basic unit allows children to learn and explore computing easily and, having been developed by University of Cambridge students, is now a fully UK- designed and produced device. At Pencoed, the management team stresses both the Centre’s UK ties, as well as those with Sony’s homeland, Japan. “Being close to your market is really where your advantage comes,” says Kevin Edwards, head of engineering. “The parts we use here aren’t necessarily the same as we use in our Japanese markets. The sheet metal, for example, is procured locally.” 38 per cent of the material used in Pencoed is European, which as well as supporting businesses closer to home, has the “extremely
important” advantage for Sony of reducing lead time for orders. In addition, the on-site Business Incubation Centre has offi ce space for start-up companies, and is intended to promote the country as a desirable place to work, and demonstrate collaboration with local educational institutions. However, this does not mean that the company’s Asian roots have been forgotten. At the Technology Centre, Edwards mentions the Bridge Project, which involves Japanese employees visiting Wales, and vice-versa. “We’ve revitalised that communication with Japan,” he says, and the Pencoed Centre maintains “a very close collaboration with our Japanese design offi ce and our sister factory in Japan,” adds Wilson. A snapshot of the factory fl oor exemplifi es this partnership, as photos of Sony president and CEO Kazuo Hirai hang on the walls, while metres away teams of local Welsh employees assemble Asian and European components into high-end products.
Looking forward
Technology and rigorous testing at the Sony Technology Centre results in the output of high-end products and high standards of customer service. Yet, as Steve Dalton OBE, managing director at the Centre, summarises, “Our key asset is our people, and that’s what drives our business.”
www.pro.sony.eu
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