Self-lubricated polymer bearings and bushes manufacturer Vesconite Bearings will next month add three computer-numerically controlled lathes and machining centres to its machine shop.

The new equipment includes a Mazak slant turn lathe with a C axis, a Gate ECL 550 gap bed lathe and a Haas HS-1 horizontal machining centre.

“We are excited to be adding these machines to our machine shop,” says chairperson Dr Jean-Patrick Leger. 

“We want to have additional capacity to allow for our ambitious growth targets.” 

The new machines will give the company an additional 10% capacity to increase its production by ten times in the next ten years and to achieve the objective of gaining 10% of world market share of niche polymers within ten years.

Vesconite Bearings’ extensive, globally renowned machining capacity, increasing to 70 machines next month, allows for the manufacture of precision machined custom wear parts made from various polymers, as well as finished moulded products.

With a factory floor space of 20 000 m2, Vesconite Bearings houses polymer compounding, extrusion and moulding shops in addition to its extensive machine shop.

The company makes rods, machined plates and bushings as stock parts, as well as high-quality finished parts for the agriculture, railways, mining, pumps, heavy transport, hydro, renewable, earthmoving and marine industries. 

The polymer bushings and wear-materials manufacturer prides itself on fast production, turnaround and delivery, with an average global delivery time of three to seven working days and an even shorter delivery time of two to three working days, for South African clients.

The company focuses significantly on training and skills development, currently mentoring 23 young people as part of its apprenticeship programmes. 

Vesconite Bearings boasts customers in more than 100 countries, exports over half of its total sales, and dispatches large orders regularly to the US, China, South America and Australasia.