THE NEW SITE
Page 13
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SB Components started life in a double garage in Levrington, Cambridgeshire, 12 years ago when Bushell left an accessories company to strike out on his own.
It wasn't long before the double garage proved restrictive and six months later the company moved into a 140m2 site nearby. Since then, SB Components has moved three times. the last of which was over Christmas into its current 1,900m2 facility in Wisbech, where it employs a staff of 40.
The latest move involved an investment of some 2750,000, but it had to be done.
-We'd have lost business if we'd stayed at our old premises," says Bushell. "We were already getting to lead times of seven weeks there." Increased production capacity at the new site means this is being cut to three weeks, and with 2.7 acres of land around the current production building there's plenty
of room for further expansion.
The factory processes aluminium sheet, cutting it to size and pressing it as needed before it is passed to one of 12 aluminium welding bays (three more are planned).
Separate areas weld the steel channels used for tank brackets and legs. Stainless-steel straps are manually applied and the finished tanks are fitted direct to vehicles or sent off to dealers.
Key to the line is the aluminium welding. Welders undergo rigorous training and are regularly checked by independent assessors. says Bushell.
All tanks are supplied with a year's warranty and the company takes service backup seriously. "It's the lifeline of our business," says Bushell. "So if we get a problem, we sort it out."
One of the problems is leaking, but it doesn't happen often. "We blow air in under 2 bar of pressure then use soapy water on the outside to check for leaks," says Bushell. Straps can also break, though a more common problem is straps loosening under the weight of the fuel as the tank beds in. "We have a sticker on every tank to remind users to check/tighten straps every two weeks." says Bushell. "But no-one does.