From its early beginnings as a sub-contract manufacturer on London’s Fulham Road in 1959, TDK-Lambda is now recognised as one of the leading power supply manufacturers in the world, with 77% of sales exported to Europe, North America and Asia. As explained by Phil Scotcher, General Manager of TDK-Lambda UK (Configurable Products), power design advancement over the last half century has been fast and continuous: “Ever since those early days of replacing valves with transistors, TDK-Lambda UK has remained at the forefront of power supply innovation.”
To date, the level of innovation by the Research and Development team at TDK-Lambda in Ilfracombe is recognised by nine patents. The newest product innovation is the EFE series of Embedded Front End power supplies with full digital control. These power supplies essentially replace analogue circuitry using a small microcontroller resulting in a 30% saving in components compared to earlier designs. As well as the impressive technical performance, TDK-Lambda’s design brief for environmentally responsible products means that its digital power supplies consume less energy in manufacture and use, having fewer parts, weighing less and having a long life expectancy.
Reviewing the last 50 years Scotcher attributes TDK-Lambda’s success, “to our very loyal and experienced team of employees in Ilfracombe with expertise in a multitude of disciplines”. He continues: “Our people and products, underpinned by the commitment to the continued investment in skills development, ensure we will maintain our leadership position in the global market.”