DELACOMBE manufacturer of Bendix brake pads, FMP Group, has brought a leading-edge piece of equipment into its research and design centre.<\/p>\n
Custom-built in Italy, a Comec Grinder worth more than $1 million has been installed with the aim of giving the factory\u2019s technicians and engineers opportunities to develop brake pads with more complex angles and edges, which can influence performance and noise.<\/p>\n
Head of manufacturing Tony Simmons said making automotive parts has become a \u201ctough gig,\u201d with many brands moving out of the country, so maintaining flexibility at the Ballarat site was key.<\/p>\n
\u201cBendix is a strong market leader in Australia, and part of that heritage is because we do manufacture and do all the research and design in Australia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re open to changing our plant so that we can be more flexible, and locally make to order, instead of mass production.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t got all the answers yet, but the grinder is one investment we\u2019ve made in that direction, and one of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle… so we can keep manufacturing in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n
A statement from FMP Group said there have been other efficiency upgrades to tooling and robotics in the last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cFMP Group will also introduce an on-line boxing system in the coming months, further increasing production efficiency,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther future programs are also well advanced and include expanding the company\u2019s ability to implement low volume, made to order products, and transitioning to digitised production.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 118 people are currently employed by FMP Group in Ballarat, and the company is one of only a few automotive aftermarket businesses that remain committed to manufacturing in Australia, retaining critical sovereign knowledge and local jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bendix has been operating in Ballarat since 1955.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DELACOMBE manufacturer of Bendix brake pads, FMP Group, has brought a leading-edge piece of equipment into its research and design centre. Custom-built in Italy, a Comec Grinder worth more than $1 million has been installed with the aim of giving the factory\u2019s technicians and engineers opportunities to develop brake pads with more complex angles and […]<\/p>\n