The Client: Complete Engineering Pty Ltd.
Complete Engineering (CE) is a Queensland-based Mechanical and Fabrication workshop that has been performing high-quality machining, fabrication, and welding in Australia for 20 years. The workshop does a mix of work in engineering metals and industrial plastics. Their specialty is reverse engineering; the team is able to reproduce existing parts with exacting precision when original drawings are not available, and with drawings they can quickly and accurately build parts and systems from the ground up.
The Challenge
Karle Vogt took over as General Manager of CE last year. He had been with the company for six months when he was tasked with creating a series of bushes for an excavator bucket arm that would be used in heavy earth moving applications. Due to the heavy loads the mechanism would be required to lift, and the difficulty of providing access for greasing points, achieving adequate lubrication was likely to be an issue. The customer being aware of this; and having done their research, specified sintered bronze as the material of choice.
Why Sintered Bronze?
Sintered bronze is made from 90% copper and 10% tin. As well as having high fatigue-and corrosion-resistance and high durability, one of the outstanding properties of sintered bronze is that it is self-lubricating. Due to the sintering process used in the manufacture of the bronze, The material has a higher level of porosity than regular bronze, which means a special oil can be applied during fabrication and stored in the alloy. As the material heats up in application, the oil stored within the bronze is forced out onto the mating surface, as the material cools following use, the oil is then absorbed back into the bronze providing continuous lubrication. This quality makes it popular for use in demanding settings and where future access is not possible, such as marine and mining applications.
The Solution
This customer’s demand was complicated by an extremely tight turnaround and the fact that the amount of sintered bronze required was not currently available in Australia. Karle put out the call for a supplier who was able to deliver the necessary sizes of sintered bronze within the specified timeframe, and he received responses from Kormax and one other supplier. Using our extensive global networks, we managed to quickly source the correct sizes of high-quality sintered bronze. In the end, it was Kormax who were able to offer the most competitive quote and the fastest turnaround. In fact, by the time it took the other supplier to get back to Karle with a quote, our delivery was already on the way.
The Result
Karle couldn’t have been happier with how it went. Thanks to our speedy service, he was able to deliver the bushes to his customer on time and within budget.
“I was very impressed with my experience dealing with Kormax, they really pulled through on this job. Their service was excellent. They were very responsive, got back to me quickly with a quote, and delivered the material within the timeframe they promised. The pricing also turned out to be very competitive compared to other suppliers who provided quotes. I would definitely use them again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.” Karle Vogt, General Manager at Complete Engineering Pty Ltd.
Contact Kormax Today
At Kormax, we have been supporting manufacturers with design and supply of materials and components for over 70 years. We have earned our place as an industry leader when it comes to providing fast, reliable engineering solutions. To speak to someone about finding solutions to your engineering challenges, head to the contact section of our website and get in touch by phone or email today.
