The twenty-seven year old manufacturing solutions company, Fabrinox, has embarked on the latest phase of its development journey with its consolidation from two manufacturing facilities into one.
Moving its manufacturing division from its original Jan van Riebeeck Drive home, to a company owned and expanded site on the corner of Drie Bergen and Drommedaris Street, Paarl, which previously concentrated on projects management and installations, took place during October and was not without its challenges.
“The original consolidation date was 1 August 2020, which was delayed by 3 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown” explained Group Sales and Marketing manager Pieter King.
“As might be imagined, moving a 27 year old facility into similar sized factory in just one month, while maintaining production schedules was going to be challenging – a bit like trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot – but there was method in the madness !” he said.
He described the initial experience as the first phase of a three phase expansion project. The first involved the move consolidating the company’s manufacturing division – which concentrates of components and sub-assemblies – with its projects management and installations operations.
“Phase 2 is scheduled for 2021 and involves the construction of additional under roof space, while the planned third phase involves a further 2 500 m2 of factory space, despatch areas and parking bays on recently acquired land, adjacent to the original Drie Bergen premises” said King.
This planned expansion is the cornerstone of the company’s future growth strategy, building on its success as a world class fabrications specialist offering services of sheet metal and tube fabrication solutions, which includes custom tailored project management, global installation, procurement, technical advice along with manufacturing design and documentation, within an ISO 9001, ISO 3834 & EN 15085 environment.
Flexibility and customer centric
CEO Andre Visser explained: “Our reputation for quality and expert work is built upon the experience and skills of our team and has earned us the Approved Supplier Status with customers such as General Electric, ABB, Heat and Control, DeLaval, ( a 25 year relationship ),Orica, Howden, Gibela/Alstom, Wabtec & SABMiller. Our mantra has always been to invest in our people through on-going high calibre training programmes for our skilled workforce, the latest manufacturing techniques and service solutions, all of which has enabled Fabrinox to deliver on each customer’s precise and specific fabrication needs.”
By securing long term contracts with these high profile manufacturers has enabled Fabrinox to organise its factory space into dedicated yet flexible bays, almost like having a factory within a factory yet having the flexibility to quickly meet the customer’s requirements, as the need arises.
“A major differentiator with our competitors both locally and internationally, is speed of delivery of high quality components, sub-assemblies , projects and installations – the four ‘heartbeats’ of the Fabrinox operations. Being able to offer customers ‘express delivery’ – at a premium price – is part of our strategy and has influenced the way we have planned our factory space, dedicating bays to particular customer’s products” commented King.
The company’s forward thinking has taken into account the move to automation in the manufacturing processes and its investment in latest technology laser, fibre and bending machines allows it to compete on the world stage.
The forecast expansion in manufacturing capacity particularly with state of the art machines means a highly skilled and motivated workforce, which currently stands at around 150 to 200.
A South African success story
Fabrinox is a South African success story providing custom manufacturing, project management, procurement, technical advice, drawing office services and documentation of manufactured metal products to OEM multinational companies across six continents.
The manufacturing arm of Fabrinox produces high quality, high accuracy components from sheet and metal sections using bending, tube laser cutting and surface finishing. These components are delivered to OEM’s or assembled into added value sub-assemblies using processes such as precision welding, cold forming and bead blasting.
The projects and installation business undertakes under licence manufacturing, project management, commissioning and spare parts to OEM’s and the division’s six global installation teams get deployed to literally every corner of the globe including China, Russia, Poland, the rest of Europe and to North and South America.
Andre Visser explains: “Our manufacturing landscape is comprehensive – we serve industries as diverse as agriculture with milk harvesting equipment, food and beverages dispensers, components and assemblies for water treatment installations and transportation with specialized railway rolling stock.” The latest water treatment plant will be delivered to a customer in Amsterdam within the next few weeks and commissioned before Christmas.
Internationally recognised quality management systems
Its decision to commit to internationally recognised quality management systems really opened the door to global markets and Fabrinox manufacturing and assembly procedures comply with:
- ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification.
- ISO 3834-2 welding.
- EN 15085-2 welding certification for railway vehicles and components.
- SAIW Pressure Vessels certification (SANS 347:2012 Appendix C).
