Architectural
aluminium systems by Kawneer are helping a unique fellow UK manufacturer
realise ambitious business plans.
Kawneer's AA®100
zone-drained curtain walling and series 190 heavy-duty commercial entrance
doors have been used on the £20 million new global headquarters and R&D,
training and production facility for Rayner
Intraocular Lenses in Worthing, West Sussex.
Rayner designs and
is the only UK manufacturer of intraocular lenses (IOL) and proprietary
injection devices for use in cataract surgery. When Sir Harold Ridley designed
the world's first IOL in 1949, he chose Rayner to manufacture the
ground-breaking invention. Now the company's product range is available in more
than 80 countries.
Its new HQ, The
Ridley Innovation Centre, is a state-of-the-art, dedicated IOL production
facility with the capability of manufacturing three million IOLs each year.
Manufacture is supported by a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) quality
system which enables the company to trace every lens, from source materials to
a patient's eye.
The new flagship
centre was designed by BakerHicks, a multi-disciplinary design and engineering
company, to optimise production efficiency, allow for significant future
expansion in production, facilitate on site research and development, comply
with current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and minimise energy use.
To achieve these
objectives, BakerHicks undertook a series of detailed studies in conjunction
with Rayner, including a review and implementation of lean manufacturing
principles. The design features large flexible production spaces, including a
series of interconnected cleanrooms on the ground floor and research/training
facilities on the first floor. This enables Rayner to engage with surgeons and
academics in new product development.
Testament to this
culture is a product pipeline of 11 new products in three years, planned to
transform Rayner into one of the leading manufacturers of IOLs worldwide.
Tim Clover, CEO,
explained the significance of the new building: "The opening of The Ridley
Innovation Centre marks a significant step in what we plan to be an exciting,
transformative period of growth ahead for Rayner. This major investment will treble
our manufacturing capacity and put us in the best position to support the
company's ambitious business expansion."
The Kawneer systems
were installed on the building and included an atrium that was curved on plan
to a 2,950mm radius, by JPJ Installations for main contractor TSL Projects.
