Sony said it would boost production from 18,000 units to 80,000 units per week to cope with the expected demand for the next-generation Raspberry Pi 2. The company expects to add an additional 30 employees to its workforce to fulfil the projected order requirements. It has also invested significantly in its equipment and techniques with the inclusion of automated product testing and automated packing.
Steve Dalton OBE, managing director of Sony UK Technology Centre, said: "The Raspberry Pi is a fantastic example of UK innovation, design and engineering, at its best. From the day the product launched we knew the Raspberry Pi would be a success and we wanted to be part of it. With new developments to the product continuing to evolve we have risen to the challenge to meet the level of demand across the world for this extraordinary product."
He added: "We're excited to be manufacturing the latest Raspberry Pi model and we look forward to continuing to work with the Foundation and distributors Premier Farnell and RS Components."
Eben Upton, co-founder of the Raspberry Pi, said: "Sony UKTEC's expertise in rapid prototyping and production engineering has allowed us to proceed from first prototypes to full mass production over a period of less than four months, with an unprecedented level of confidence in product quality and delivery schedules.
"This is our sixth project with Sony UKTEC since 2012, and we look forward to working with the company through 2015 and beyond to bring more exciting Raspberry Pi products to market."
The Raspberry Pi 2 Model B has upgraded capabilities, with faster processor cores and double the amount of memory capacity (1GB). The product's new processor makes it more than six times more powerful than the first generation Raspberry Pi Model B+. This increased capability will enable Pi enthusiasts to create more powerful applications that will run faster, be more reliable and more robust.
Since Sony UKTEC began working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation in August 2012, the site has manufactured in excess of 3.5 million Pi's and created thus far 70 jobs.
