Hydraulic pump testers have been deployed for important work
around Health and Safety compliance. FPD’s mobile service.
“I’m constantly overseas talking to suppliers and OEMs and
finding out what they are developing now, and where they
see things going. Then we’re looking to how we’d like to be
positioned, what do we need to be doing to be sure that
when this comes on, we’re right at the forefront. after that. I’ve been to factories in China, Korea and Europe
which are quite interesting.
“If the OEM specs aren’t known, or we can’t get that
information, then we will test to the closest comparable
model. We’ve also spent the last year upgrading all our
equipment to digital.” The company has also expanded to include Kawasaki as
part of the drive toward OEM products which Andrew says
has also had its own challenges.
“Often pricing forces customers to go to the aftermarket option,
but we really try to push for the genuine parts. The thing that
“We want to be seen as struck me about some of the manufacturing
“We want to be seen as leaders in the industry leaders in industry rather facilities was that the equipment was sometimes
as old as the ark, but also that manufacturers
rather than just following.”
than just following.”
seem to rely on their own suppliers to get parts
How will this happen? Andrew believes that
in, so there’s a real variance of practices and that’s why we
supplying OEM parts is one solution to ensure quality, or at
decided to pursue the quality route.”
least when repairing hydraulics, to test to OEM specifications.
“This has been positive; we’re supplied from the factory right
out of Japan, however everything’s made-to-order which a lot
The manufacturing processes Andrew has seen overseas
of people are still coming to grips with. I’m currently ordering
have been eye-opening too. As part of his travels, he’s
three-to-six months in advance which means I need to have
become interested in the differences between OEM and
a crystal ball of what I think may be in demand and I’ve got
aftermarket manufacture, which in turn has
given insights into steel quality, something “When you travel to the to have those orders stacked forward so it can
that has been in the national news recently as site where the products be a little tough because you’re dealing with
impacting a range of sectors, particularly the are made you also get to a lot of unknowns. It’s not a case of one day
transport infrastructure sector. However the see the test procedures waking up and thinking ‘I’d like a new hydraulic
wider implication of steel provenance—and the after that. I’ve been to pump today,’ it’s more a case of things suddenly
happening without warning
testing processes—has shaken confidence in
factories in China, Korea
and Europe which are In this sense we’ve invested a lot into stock, so
we buy a lot of pumps and sell a lot of pumps.”
“When you travel to the site where the products quite interesting.”
other sectors too.
are made you also get to see the test procedures
Other projects include proprietary work through
w w w. c a m m a g a z i n e . c o . n z
CAM July 2018
69