Image: Sony UK TEC

Raspberry Pi's chief manufacturer, the Sony UK Technology Centre, has hit a pretty sizeable milestone.

Five years ago, Sony UK was approached to make 10,000 Raspberry Pi units per year -- that's a tiny 27 a day -- but today it churns out up to 15,000 a day and recently rolled the 10 millionth unit of Britain's best-selling computer off its production line.

To commemorate the milestone, Sony TEC UK has detailed key figures illustrating the remarkable growth of its contract manufacturing business since making its first Raspberry Pi in 2012.

The 30,000 square metre Sony UK facility, based in Pencoed, South Wales, has scaled up so that its peak Raspberry Pi production capacity can reach 100,000 units per week.

The facility has made professional A/V Sony equipment for decades, but took on Raspberry Pi manufacturing for element14 in 2012, which has become a key part of its contract electronics manufacturing business.

Prior to this, the Raspberry Pi was made in China; some models are now also made in Japan.

"Our growth has been intrinsically linked to the success of the Raspberry Pi and we are delighted to reach the 10m manufacturing milestone," said Steve Dalton, Sony UK TEC's managing director.

Raspberry Pi founder Ebert Upton also announced that 14 million Raspberry Pi computers had been sold now. That's up from 12.5 million units over five years in March.

"We are particularly delighted that the Pi has set the benchmark for utilizing innovative and progressive manufacturing right here in the UK, as it was always our wish to make the computers in this country," said Upton.

Sony UK today employs 540 local employees, up from 340 five years ago, and has expanded its product line to 10, including the Raspberry Pi 2, Pi Cameras, Pi NoIR Cameras, B+, I/O Boards, Compute Modules, A+, Compute Module 3s, Pi Zero and the Raspberry Pi 3.

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