Growing global demand for power-generation for electric cars and AI\u00a0is driving a 300% surge in orders for an engineering company in North Wales.<\/p>\n
Continental Diamond Tool (CDT), based in\u00a0Kinmel\u00a0Bay, manufactures custom-made precision tools, including those used to make components for gas turbines.<\/p>\n
The company says the sharp rise in sales is tied to growing electricity needs created by technologies like AI data centres and electric vehicles.<\/p>\n
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has accelerated investment in data centres worldwide, adding to global electricity use.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile,\u00a0the increase in EV\u00a0charging points for electric and hybrid cars\u00a0is\u00a0creating\u00a0additional\u00a0pressure on the grid as drivers look for faster, more convenient\u00a0charging.<\/p>\n
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and\u00a0Traders says\u00a030 per cent of new cars sold in UK are now electric while a further 12.5 per cent are\u00a0plug-in hybrids.<\/p>\n
The take up in other parts of Europe is higher with Norway reaching a staggering 95.9% market share for fully electric cars in 2025.<\/p>\n
Diamond-encrusted grinding wheels and dressing tools made by CDT are used in the manufacturing process for critical parts within turbine systems used for land-based power generation.<\/p>\n
The firm is predicting that sales of these tools could triple again by the end of the decade as demand for turbine technology continues to grow.<\/p>\n
The sales boom comes just a year after\u00a0CDT moved\u00a0to a purpose-built factory\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0three times the size of its original premises half a mile away on the Tir Llwyd Industrial Estate.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been made possible by a \u00a34 million investment from the firm\u2019s American owners, Indiana-based Continental Diamond Tool, which\u00a0acquired\u00a0and rebranded the company in 2018.<\/p>\n
With\u00a0the\u00a0expansion,\u00a0the company expects to see its workforce double to 80 over the next few years.<\/p>\n
Production manager Justin Hughes said the emergence of artificial intelligence is contributing to one of the most significant periods of technological and industrial change in generations.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThere has been a significant\u00a0increase in orders\u00a0for larger turbines, partly driven by the number of data centres being built around the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time,\u00a0the\u00a0charging\u00a0infrastructure for electric and hybrid cars needs more power \u2013 the network needs to deliver more electricity, particularly at peak times.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0seeing much more business for products used to build the power-generation systems needed to support superfast EV charging.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe momentum is going in one direction as\u00a0more\u00a0people adopt these technologies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0living in a changing world, and\u00a0developments\u00a0such as AI and electric vehicles are influencing industries and manufacturing supply chains in ways that are not always obvious.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor CDT,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0about making sure we\u00a0keep advancing the tooling solutions\u00a0our customers will need in the years ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur diamond-encrusted precision tools are used by our customers to profile conventional grinding wheels that grind precise sections of turbine blades that help anchor the blade securely within the engine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are\u00a0predominantly supplying\u00a0to customers in Europe and America, but their blades complete turbine systems that may\u00a0ultimately be\u00a0installed anywhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe increase in orders is helping us invest in the business, creating new jobs and pumping money into the local\u00a0economy\u00a0here in North Wales.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Hughes added: \u201cRunning in parallel,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0also seeing\u00a0activity\u00a0take\u00a0off from the aerospace industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s\u00a0partly due to the number of new planes being ordered \u2013 there have been some massive orders of late.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0also a crossover between aerospace and power generation because some of the turbines used to generate electricity started out as\u00a0aircraft-engine technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn some cases, older\u00a0aircraft\u00a0engines are being refurbished and adapted to drive generators, giving them a new use providing backup or\u00a0additional\u00a0power for sites such as data centres.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur diamond rotary dressers are used in the manufacture of new turbine components and also have a role when those parts are refurbished.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u00a0the same technology and\u00a0know-how\u00a0that support aerospace feed into the power-generation market as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat growth means\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0adding new skilled positions here in\u00a0Kinmel\u00a0Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company said that, in addition to growth from land-based power generation and aerospace, the rest of the business also remained busy, particularly among customers in the automotive industry.<\/p>\n
It said orders from one of its largest automotive customers had risen\u00a0by\u00a078%\u00a0this year.<\/p>\n
Mr Hughes added: \u201cWe like to think that reflects the way we look after this customer and consistently deliver products of the highest quality. The tools\u00a0have to\u00a0be\u00a0absolutely spot\u00a0on.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur diamond rolls are wearing parts, and over time we have made significant improvements to their durability for this\u00a0customer’s application. That has extended their lifespan and provided even better value for money.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith this longstanding customer, it used to be considered good to get around 400,000 parts out of one tool. Now some are lasting for more than a million.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose improvements have been made incrementally because we\u2019re constantly looking for ways to make the product perform even better.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderpinning all our success is our highly skilled and motivated workforce, who deliver high-quality products time after time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat, in turn, brings in more work because our industry still relies heavily\u00a0on physical skills and manual dexterity at\u00a0a very high\u00a0level.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody understands what they need to do and the level of\u00a0precision\u00a0required for a tool to be acceptable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe companies coming to us are part of\u00a0fast-growing, global\u00a0industries, and that growth is creating\u00a0exciting\u00a0opportunities here in\u00a0Kinmel\u00a0Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n