BUSINESS
way to finished machines that crush rock.”
This is the largest division within Osborn,
employing approximately 160 people out
of the total workforce of 240, managing
the workflow of material coming in, its
preparation, fabrication, welding, machining,
assembly, paint and finally out the door and
logistics.
“We’ve kept abreast with global best
practices in terms of quality and technology:
Our facilities are well equipped with the
required machinery and lifting capabilities
to ensure the work is undertaken to produce
quality products through a safe and efficient
process. We have full test facilities for all of
the machines we manufacture – and every
machine we manufacture goes through a
full test run before it leaves.” It is assembled,
tested for a minimum of four hours under
factory conditions by means of a full
simulation of the machine going through all
its fatigue cycles. Finally, it is disassembled
into its components for shipping, bearing in
mind it can weigh 70t.
Osborn runs an apprenticeship
programme that has produced more than
50 technicians into the market, unless they
are directly employed. “Especially in the
operation and maintenance of the older
equipment, those skills are not readily
available, so we have to develop them
inhouse. Some of the older OEMs do not
even exist anymore, and Osborn has had to
learn how to do the predictive maintenance,”
says Raman.
The company also maintains large
warehousing capability and is looking to
reconfigure some of this capacity to support
its after-market function, “to more actively
satisfy the needs of the customer”.
for the client.” While driving into Africa is a
focus of the company, Surajlall says that the
company structure contributes greatly to its
international success, including the CIS and
South American regions. We have recently
appointed a dealer in Australia which has
proven to be the right strategy of which we
are already experiencing a high level; of
engagement in that region.
Surajlall says that Osborn’s understanding
of customer needs is what differentiates the
company from its competitors. “We make it
a point to understand the latent pains within
the client’s operations, and work together
with him to create a solution. And we achieve
this by aligning our various activities such
as capital and after-sales into a single unit so
the client has one point of contact that brings
everything together for him. It also means
we know where we are with each client and
speak with a single voice.”
Osborn Engineered Products MD,
Johan Goosen.
Rigorous testing of all
manufactured machinery
Etienne Swanepoel, Sales Manager –
Capital Equipment (sub-Saharan Africa).
Osborn manufactures a number of brands
within the Astec stable under licence, as
well as its own product line. Astec has 20
companies within the group and sales bodies
within various countries which sell products
which could be made anywhere in its global
supply chain based on what application
is best suited to the client’s requirements.
That is how Osborn can sell product into
Turkey, for example, when Aztec has its own
operation in Turkey.
Trevor Raman, General Manager:
Operations, says: “We pride ourselves
on being actual manufacturers – not just
assemblers – from raw material all the
Dave McKenzie, Engineering Director.
14_QUARRY SA| JULY/AUGUST 2019
Director of Product Development,
Martin Botha.
Vinesh Surajlall, Director of Sales and
Marketing.
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