Continued growth prompts move to larger and more advanced facility
PRESS RELEASE
Continued growth prompts move to larger and more advanced facility
4 February, 2014: Following impressive growth throughout the course of 2013, top liner plate expert Rio-Carb has spent more than R9-million on purchasing a 3000 m2 state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Johannesburg.
Rio-Carb director Martin Maine notes that the move was made in late 2013, as a result of a significant rise in demand for the company's innovative range of Chromium Carbide (CrC) liner plates, pipes and welding wire, which are proven to be highly effective in abrasive applications. “Our new factory is located on 4000 m2 stand, and has been specifically redesigned with new facilities in order to provide customers with the excellent quality of product that they have come to expect from Rio-Carb, in substantially reduced turnaround times," he explains.
Among the new additions is a computer aided design (CAD) plasma control centre, which is able to streamline the productivity of the company's plasma cutting machines, by ensuring more accurate sizing and nesting of liners. Maine reveals that the CAD system can be linked directly to the designer's CAD system to ensure the highest levels of precision and accuracy.
"This means that a chute designer can create a mirror image to the nearest millimetre of the eventual fit of the liners to ensure that the stud and holes mate, and that bolting fits correctly the first time. This reduces the complexities related to onsite assembly, and eliminates challenges further down the line. The plasma centre is operative on a 24/7 basis to cater for breakdown jobs and to eliminate bottlenecks in production. A 5 tonne crane assists with rapid assemblies, " he continues.
Another major benefit of the new Rio-Carb factory is the fact that it has been designed with environmental sustainability in mind. Maine says: “Great attention has been paid to reducing CO2 emissions. Bearing this in mind, more than 80 high bay lights with 400 W globes have been replaced with LED equivalents, which consume one just eighth of the original power.”
Maine points out that Rio-Carb has also committed itself to making its product line more environmentally friendly too. "Lasting eight to ten times longer than conventional liners, our CrC liner plates have always been more eco-friendly. We have, however, taken this one step further by following internationally recognised ISO 14000 certification for waste disposal and resource conservation."
Looking at the year ahead, Maine indicates that Rio-Carb will be launching a new line of Impact Resistant CrC liner plates, which will benefit the mining sector in particular. "Furthermore, we are currently in the process of developing a new product in our fabrication division. Although it is still in its early stages, I am confident that it will have an overwhelmingly positive effect on the cement industry."
Maine believes that Rio-Carb will continue to achieve measurable growth throughout 2014. "The unprecedented growth experienced by Rio-Carb in the past year can be attributed to the fact that all engineering services are undertaken in-house under one roof, thereby eliminating the risks of substandard work done by outsourced subcontractors. With our advanced new facility, this strength will only improve, and will enable us to expand our less established divisions, such as the fabrication business. With foreign investment continuing to pour into Africa, I am confident that the potential for growth in 2014 is tremendous," he concludes.
Ends
Notes to the Editor
There are numerous photographs specific to this press release. Please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Rio-Carb link.
About Rio-Carb
Rio-Carb manufactures wear-resistant Chromium Carbide clad liner plates for heavy materials handling applications in the mining and allied resources industries. The company was initially motivated by Martin Maine, who had experience in the welding and manufacturing industries. He was importing the current product from Australia, and saw the opportunity to establish local manufacture in 1982, when Rio-Tinto had ambitions to establish manufacturing companies allied to mining, and therefore, financed and capitalised the new Rio-Carb for local manufacture. After being in the Rio-Tinto (SA) stable for 16 years, there was a management buy-out by the existing and current share-holders.
Rio-Carb Contact
Martin Maine
Rio-Carb director
Phone: (011) 908 1014
Fax: (011) 908 4139
Email: info [at] riocarb [dot] co [dot] za
Media Contact
Bridgette Macheke
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 083 260 8214
Email: renay [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
Browse the Ngage Media Zone for more client press releases and photographs at http://media.ngage.co.za