Federal-Mogul South Africa’s Port Elizabeth business unit, specialising in vehicle component solutions, is putting the needs of its customers first by investing in cutting-edge technology to produce heat shields, gaskets and seals, among other products. The Port Elizabeth operation is geared to meet both local and global demand, exporting about 60% of its output, including heat shields, cylinder head gaskets, multilayered steel, manifold and exhaust gaskets, and kit packing. “To say we are leaders in technology is a fair statement,” says Warren Inglis, Sealing Systems Division Plant Manager in Port Elizabeth. “We don’t just implement new technology for the sake of it – if we haven’t invested in a particular technology that is available in other markets and customers enquire about such a technology, we perform a cost-benefit analysis of implementing the technology. If there are benefits to the customer, we will then initiate a process to bring us in line with customers’ needs and expectations.”
Federal-Mogul South Africa has invested in laser welding, robotics, CNC knife cutting, presses, silk screening, embossing, perforation and gluing. “These are some of the technologies that are critical in ensuring that the company continues to produce world-class products that can stand up to quality scrutiny, including the ISO 9001, ISO/TS 16949, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 accreditations that the company already boasts,” says Inglis. The same obsession that Federal-Mogul South Africa has with the quality of its output is also applied and expected in the quality of its materials, including rubber-coated steel, stainless steel, fibre, paper, cork, and ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
“Due to the reliability, standard and quality of our products, Federal-Mogul South Africa has secured contracts to supply original equipment manufacturers for leading global companies such as Daimler, Land Rover, Ford, GM, BMW, Aston Martin, Cummins, CNH, Volvo and CAT,” says Inglis. The company is also a significant player in meeting the aftermarket demand for the automotive and mining industries, as well as supplying components to catalytic convertor companies, including products for commercial and industrial applications.