Over the past year Clearview Intelligence has been working with Adapt EMS, a Hitchin based contract electronics manufacturer to successfully re-shore the production of the SolarLite Road Stud back into the UK.

Since 1996 when the first SolarLite was installed in the UK’s roads, Clearview have led the way in developing and producing the most reliable solar powered LED road studs, helping improve road safety across the road network.

In 2014 Clearview received investment from the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) with the aim of bringing together UK based companies to help repatriate the production of the SolarLite stud. Bringing with it easier R&D practices and closer quality control relationships with the manufacturers of the components.

Building on an established relationship with Clearview, Adapt EMS became part of the AMSCI project and set up a dedicated manufacturing facility in their Hitchin factory. The facility sources materials through a UK supply chain to build the new versions of the stud and over the course of the past year the production process has been reviewed and refined to ensure quality is of the highest standard.

With the ending of the AMSCI funding and the successful completion of the re-shoring project Nick Lanigan, Managing Director of Clearview Intelligence commented “It’s been a long term aim for us to re-shore the SolarLite production process and the AMSCI funding was central to successfully doing this. Adapt EMS has come on board as our new manufacturing partner and they have proven their willingness and flexibility to work alongside us and achieve the very high standards we demanded”.

Alongside the manufacturing work, the quality control and fulfilment processes have also been established within the Adapt EMS facility, with automated PC testing and cutting-edge 3D AOI technology.

Nick Fairhead, Adapt EMS Sales and Marketing Director summed up the new partnership by saying “Adapt were delighted to be a part of this project and it clearly demonstrates that with a collaborative approach and the right engineering solution we can offer a compelling argument to re-shore manufacturing”

The new facility is purpose built to meet the expected demand for Clearview’s next generation of active intelligent road studs and respond to Highways England’s UK SME supply initiatives as it moves into its RIS2 phase of investment.