$2.5m to double circuit breaker production in Adelaide
Advanced manufacturing at Gepps Cross, South Australia, will receive a $2.5 million investment to double local air and moulded case circuit breaker production capacity.
The investment will help Schneider Electric establish a new smart circuit breaker production line at its Gepps Cross manufacturing site, expanding a capability currently operating from its Local Adaptation Centre in Ingleburn, Sydney.
It will also create new skilled manufacturing roles in Adelaide and follows the company’s recent 10-year lease extension at Gepps Cross.
“Demand for critical electrical infrastructure is growing quickly across Australia, and this investment gives us the local capacity to respond,” said Tim Pratt, Vice President Power Products, Schneider Electric.
“Gepps Cross has been an important part of our Australian manufacturing footprint for decades. Adding this capability in Adelaide means we can increase production, support more local jobs and strengthen our ability to deliver the energy technology needed for Australia’s next phase of growth.”
The new assembly line, spanning approximately 21 m, will use digital systems to guide production and quality control, providing a level of automation and traceability.
Product configurations will be digitally communicated to the line, providing operators with instructions including the required components, assembly sequence and torque settings. Interlocked production steps will prevent a unit from progressing where a stage has not been completed correctly.
The line will also include approximately $500,000 in testing equipment.
Once operational, the new capability will produce Schneider Electric circuit breakers, including the ComPacT NS and MasterPacT MTZ ranges, used to manage and protect electrical distribution in critical and energy-intensive facilities such as data centres and mining operations.
The new production line builds on Schneider Electric’s existing manufacturing presence. Gepps Cross is already home to Clipsal manufacturing and research and development, alongside Schneider Electric’s customer care, Digital Energy, Power Products, Power Systems, Industrial Automation, Power Services and logistics operations.
The latest investment strengthens the site’s role in Schneider Electric’s Australian operations while supporting advanced manufacturing skills and employment in South Australia.
“This investment builds on our established manufacturing capability at Gepps Cross, creating skilled jobs while increasing our capacity to meet growing customer demand,” Pratt said. “By bringing together advanced electrical products, automation and digital intelligence, we’re putting energy technology into practice while maintaining the quality and traceability our customers require.”
The new production line is expected to be operational by Q1 2027.
Originally published here.
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