Eaton daedalus factory design & development
Business challenge
Digital Transformation
Growth & Scaling
Process Innovation
Sector
Aerospace
Technology or capability
Automation & Robotics
Digital Manufacturing
Industrial Transformation
Simulation & Modelling
Project Challenges
Eaton Corporation plc, a global leader in aerospace fuel systems, is relocating its long-standing Titchfield site to a new, purpose-built 176,000 sq. ft facility near Solent Airport - Eaton Daedalus. This move presents a unique opportunity to modernise operations, adopt new technologies, and future-proof the business.
However, the transition also brings challenges:
- Ageing equipment requiring replacement or upgrades
- A need to design the new factory layout to meet future demand
- Rising customer expectations across both OE and MRO activities
- Ensuring uninterrupted delivery during the move
Eaton turned to MTC to help shape the vision for the new factory - exploring technologies, optimising layout, and de-risking the transition.
MTC's Solution
The MTC team spent time onsite with Eaton to understand their current operations, identify improvement opportunities, and co-develop a roadmap for the future.
We brought together a range of capabilities to support Eaton’s transformation:
Industrial Transformation & Robotics
Using MTC’s structured approach, we helped Eaton explore and prioritise technology opportunities. This included:
- Reviewing and selecting 12 emerging technologies
- Assessing readiness for Industry 4.0
- Creating a phased implementation roadmap
Technologies explored included robotics, smart assembly systems, digital measurement tools, and paperless workflows.
Factory Simulation
To validate the factory design, we used Discrete Event Simulation (DES) to model the new factory in 3D and predict future performance. This allowed Eaton to:
- Visualise factory flows, operation, and supporting activities
- Assess robustness under different demand scenarios
- Identify potential bottlenecks and risks
The simulation, delivered using Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation, became a powerful decision-making tool – helping plan resources and avoid costly late-stage changes.
Scale up and expansion are two key themes challenging the aerospace sector in the UK - in this project we have been able to provide the customer / EATON with the tools, information and confidence they need to make sure their new factory meets their needs and has capacity to meet future production targets. We were also able to plan for the migration into the new site to make sure delivery schedules can be maintained throughout the move.
Nandini Chakravorti, Director, Digital Engineering Group - MTC
The Outcome
Eaton now has a clear, data-driven strategy for its new facility. Key outcomes include:
- A validated factory optimised for flow, scalability, and flexibility
- Prioritised technology upgrades aligned with business goals
- A digital twin of the factory to support ongoing planning and optimisation
- A robust transition plan to ensure continued customer delivery
The simulation also supported internal communications - helping Eaton’s leadership and engineering teams make confident, informed decisions. It was used to present options to the board, justify investment, and align stakeholders around a shared vision.
Benefits to the Client
By partnering with MTC, Eaton has:
- Future-proofed its manufacturing operations
- Highlighted opportunities to shorten lead times by 8%.
- Pin-pointed requirements to achieve >88% on-time delivery performance
- Identified high-impact technologies for adoption
- Minimised disruption during the factory move
The insights gained have strengthened Eaton’s internal business case for investment and positioned the Daedalus facility as a scalable, resilient hub for future growth.
An insightful collaboration which brought fresh eyes to our future factory and helped set the roadmap of technologies to implement and opportunities for operational process improvements
Tim Dibben, Continuous Improvement Lead - Eaton