Plessey- Lighting Casing

Travel north out of Plymouth, and you cannot fail to see the headquarters of Plessey Semiconductors Ltd at Roborough, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Built in the 1980s, this landmark building is home to a company with a 100-year history of innovation, internationally respected for its semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

Plessey’s mission is to enhance people’s lives by applying its leading-edge technologies to healthcare sensor solutions, integrated and intelligent GaN-on-Silicon solid-state lighting, and horticultural lighting applications. The company has won numerous awards for its innovation and efficiency, particularly in reducing the cost while improving the efficacy of LED lighting using standard silicon manufacturing techniques.

One of Plessey’s key developments, the Hyperion™ LED lighting system, was designed to improve efficiency in commercial food production. As consumers increasingly expect fresh fruit and vegetables year-round, growers must extend seasonality, improve crop yields, and enhance flavour, all while keeping energy costs under control. The Hyperion™ system offers lower energy consumption than traditional high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights, reduces the shadowing effect in greenhouses, and provides customisable light spectrums that can be adapted for different crops.

In August 2017, Plessey approached Aldermans to manufacture a metal casing as part of the Hyperion™ lighting assembly. This casing was required for a 20,000m² greenhouse extension project at a major Belgian lettuce grower. The project aimed to boost the total cultivation area to 49,000m² using a unique conveyor system that moves plants beneath the LED lights over a five-to-six-week cycle. With tight deadlines to meet, Plessey needed a trusted manufacturing partner capable of delivering precision-engineered parts at scale within a short timeframe.