Salchain, of Industries East, in Germiston, on Gauteng’s East Rand, is said to be the country’s largest manufacturer of medium- to heavy-duty conveyor and elevator chains. Established 40 years ago, the company, a subsidiary of Baughan, serves a diverse range of markets, including sugar mills, coal mining and process industries like steel, fertiliser, cement, timber, pulp and paper and bottling.

Chains manufactured by Salchain are used in industrial markets on equipment used for conveying bulk materials. The company employs some 58 people. Extensive use of in-house computer-aided design facilities contributes to Salchain’s ability to supply products perfectly matched to the client’s applications. Installed equipment includes a range of presses, computer numerically controlled machines, profile-cutting equipment and heat treatment facilities.

The company’s well-equipped facilities and equipment are located on a 3 500 m2 covered factory area. Test facilities include a mobile spectrometer, ultrasonic and magnetic particle inspection, and tensile, impact and cold-bend testing. A comprehensively equipped laboratory is maintained for the calibration of measuring equipment and metallurgical testing. The quality assurance system complies fully with ISO 9001. Salchain turns over about R60-million a year.

Its products are also used in Australia, Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland, Uganda, the UK, the US, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

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