Drivetrain supplier sets up facility in Western Australia

Flender, a supplier of mechanical drives and a subsidiary of Siemens, has announced plans for a expansion into Western Australia with a new facility in Tonkin Highway Industrial Estate in Bayswater that will target wind energy and mining sectors.

The investment will include a new purpose-built 3,500 square metre facility set for completion in September. When complete, the new premises will have a 1.5 MW test bench capable of testing complete drive systems up to a voltage of 6.6KV.

Kareem Emara, CEO and Managing Director at Flender Australia, said that relocating to Tonkin Highway Industrial Estate will allow Flender to centralise operations and get closer to customers in Western Australia: “Flender has been renowned for high performance, innovation, quality, and reliability of mechanical components for over 120 years. We have been growing exponentially the last few years and now have the biggest installed base in mining and wind 

turbine

 gearboxes compared to any other OEM in Australia.”

“Regardless of where we are, being close to our customers is the cornerstone of our business model. Western Australia has been an excellent market for us in the recent years. It’s only natural for us to reinvest in this key market and be where our customers are to offer them the combined brains trust of over 50 facilities worldwide through this new state-of-the-art centre,” said Mr. Emara.

Flender's installations have been in operation since the 1970s and are in service today in mine and port locations across the Pilbara and other regions of WA. The facility will also be designed to cater for projected growth in ‘geared’ wind

turbines

 over the next couple of decades. The new facility will enable Flender to combine sales, project delivery, engineering and training in one location.

“Whilst COVID-19 has presented challenges to Australian economy, we take a long-term view and are confident in our expansion plans to help set up the right support structure for the nation’s critical energy infrastructure and industry. Having been in WA for over 40 years, our view is and always has been long-term. We are supporting critical industries such as mining now and are preparing for future growth in other industries,” added Mr. Emara.

This announcement follows the $5 million investment into Rockhampton service centre in 2017.