Cutting Edges Equipment Parts Thrives Under Local Ownership

21 December 2006

Wearplate being manufactured at Cutting Edges Equipment Parts Pty Ltd’s Sydney plant

A year after acquiring Cutting Edges from its UK based owner, Delta plc, former Managing Director Richard Andrews, now owner and CEO is showing that the company has the "right stuff" to succeed as an Australian manufacturer operating in a global market.

Cutting Edges is Australia's largest aftermarket supplier of equipment parts for earthmoving machinery and heavy duty diesel engines and is constantly expanding its range with more products specifically for the mining industry. Companies throughout Australia and overseas have relied on Cutting Edges for more than four decades.

The change of ownership and a change of name from Cutting Edges Ground Engaging Tools and Stiles & Hicks Replacement Parts to Cutting Edges Equipment Parts (www.cuttingedges.com) has marked a dynamic time for the business with the introduction of the latest technology and system designs.

Mr Andrews said. "We cover 25,000 product lines for earthmoving machinery including, Caterpillar, Case, Komatsu, John Deere, Allis Chalmers with engine components for Cummins, Detroit, Komatsu and Caterpillar"

"Since the acquisition we have had the opportunity to be even more focussed on innovation, quality, value and service. The work we had been doing with our patented products is starting to bear fruit and as a result we have strengthened our position in the mining industry."

The company also makes extensive use of XLERPLATE® steel from BlueScope Steel for Ground Engaging Tools which have won a reputation for durability and value.

"We are Australia's largest supplier of Ground Engaging Tools, with a national distribution network and our own manufacturing facility in Sydney where we produce the cutting edges which are crucial to so many mining activities," said Mr Andrews.

The Cutting Edges Equipment Parts manufacturing centre at Revesby is equipped for the production of CC1500 Chromium Carbide Wearplate, cutting edges and end bits. It undertakes profiling, drilling, punching and induction heat treating.

"We make edges for scrapers, dozers, excavators and graders and we manufacture our Wearplate product using a Chromium Carbide overlay on a Grade 250 XLERPLATE® steel base," he said.

"We have exported Wearplate to many countries around the world for over 30 years. Cut to various shapes and sizes it is suitable for applications such as chutes, screens, dump truck liners, dozer mouldboards, bucket liners and anywhere there is high abrasion."

While growth in the construction sector may have slowed, Cutting Edges' mining industry customers are busier than ever and their requirements, particularly for wear parts, have increased.

Mr Andrews said "The impression that the current resources boom had somehow made it simple to sell anything to mining companies is far from the truth. The mines are still very conscious of price and operating efficiency. Downtime is critical to them, so anything they can do to extend the working life of components improves their productivity and is taken very seriously."

"I believe the product we make here is generally better than any similar product from anywhere in the world. Our products are tailor made for local conditions and are not a compromise to suit all markets. The steel in a global product, for instance, is designed to handle temperatures down to minus 40 degrees centigrade and its properties make it unsuited for Australia's high abrasion, high impact environment."

Cutting Edges Equipment Parts designed its edges and end bits after extensive research and development and close liaison with BlueScope Steel.

"We were looking for a grade of steel with very specific properties," Mr Andrews said.

"In conjunction with BlueScope Steel we came up with the specifications for a grade of XLERPLATE® steel which is unique. We ran production trials to ensure that we could heat treat it satisfactorily and we have used it ever since.Our technical discussions with BlueScope Steel through their Account Manager Mr Alan Church are ongoing."

"If we have any questions over quality, specifications or if we want to research new grades they have been extremely helpful and very responsive. The XLERPLATE® grade which we use now gives us higher toughness for the hardness that we are aiming to achieve. There's always a balance between the characteristics which you require to deal with abrasion on one hand and impact on the other."

"The products in which we use XLERPLATE® steel are a growth area for our business. We've got a great future. We have over 100 employees, have been around for 46 years and are a key player in the market."