GRiD Defence Systems is going up and going green. From site expansion to enhancing sustainability credentials, GRiD is beginning an exciting new chapter that includes facility expansion and exploring new environmental initiatives. This blog explores the journey the company is on and its aspirations for the future.
GRiD is growing
GRiD is highly motivated to expand its UK industrial footprint. This commitment is supported by a growing team as well as new initiatives that promise to make our facilities greener and more sustainable well into future. This benefits our colleagues, our customers, as well as our local community and wider society.
Driven by a 50% increase in order volume and customer requirements since 2023, GRiD has expanded its team by over 20% in the last two years to boost capacity.
Significant expansion underscores the company’s momentum, with the team’s workshop doubling in size and GRiD’s stores increasing by 50%. This growth not only meets incoming orders but has also enabled the expansion of communal spaces for colleagues to enjoy. These newly expanded areas are now fully supported with recycling facilities, actively encouraging and supporting the team’s commitment to our green initiatives.
In total GRiD’s site has increased by 50% in square footage, a significant expansion for a UK-based SME. GRiD has also committed to ensuring that this growth is matched by sustainable practices. For example, a key environmental highlight is the replacement of less efficient lighting with modern LED lighting across the premises, which now means three times more efficiency over previous technology.
Testing times: a new era for GRiD
To effectively meet the growing customer demand for our capabilities, we have expanded our internal capacity, particularly in areas such as product testing.
One such example is our new environmental chamber, which allows more rigorous testing to be performed in-house at both the subcomponent and full system levels. This has several benefits including accelerated product development, faster troubleshooting, as well as building even more confidence in our products.
GRiD has always tested its subcomponents and devices to the strictest of criteria relevant for the environment in which they will be used, although until recently this was carried out by third-party partners.
Environmental testing compliance is critical to the development of rugged devices. This can be for variables such as temperature, vibration, shock, water/dust ingress or impact, and depending on the requirement from the customer, devices must be tested to, and accredited to, certain levels in line with these criteria.
This is why we made the decision to bring temperature testing in house and acquired a test chamber that enables us to troubleshoot problems, enhance designs, conduct root cause analysis, rapidly turn around specific environmental requirements, and carry out confidence testing.
GRiDCASE 1590 during sand and dust testing
Environmentally friendly
GRiD has always been committed to sustainable practices, especially in areas such as hazardous waste and chemical risks. We take our responsibility seriously in ensuring the limitation of hazardous materials in electronic and electrical equipment to protect human safety and the wider environment.
For example, GRiD is compliant (with exemptions) with the EU-directive of Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). Dedicated to the weight range of ten substances, such as lead, and mercury, where weight must be no greater than 0.1% while cadmium must be lower than 0.01%.
Moreover, GRiD strictly adheres to REACH regulation, which forms the foundation of our chemical management approach. We ensure the responsible use of chemicals throughout the entire product lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal.
We maintain a proactive stance, regularly re-evaluating chemical risks and prioritising safer alternatives. We readily provide substance declarations (REACH Article 33) and update them immediately when new substances of concern are identified. GRiD is also dedicated to the transparent and limited use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
Our attentiveness also covers Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). As a registered small EEE producer, we provide information on safe product disposal and continuously seek to improve our product design to facilitate the recycling and reuse of components and materials. This is aided further by the fact that our rugged products are built from aluminium and easily recyclable.
The GRiD Approach
We believe that responsible business practices and sustainability initiatives are fundamental to our success. This commitment is the foundation upon which GRiD is developing its operations and supporting its workforce now and well into the future.
Sustainability will be a key pillar for GRiD moving forward, and comprehensive recycling schemes and the installation of energy-efficient LED lighting, are just some of the ways we will be environmentally responsible as our growth journey continues.
This operational excellence ensures we remain focused on our core mission: prioritising our people and upholding the continued commitment to delivering high-quality rugged products for our customers.
If you want to learn more about GRiD’s product range, please see here, or if you would like to discuss how GRiD can support your operations or upcoming requirements in more detail, please get in touch sales@griduk.com.
