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Vision for Quality |
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THE COMPANY
Founded in 1958 by the present chairman, a chemical engineer,
as a precision engineering and engine reconditioning workshop. A hard chrome plating
plant was added shortly thereafter, specialising in the chroming of crankshaft
journals. Located in Virginia a gold mining town in the heart of the Free State
goldfields of South Africa. Originally registered as Virginia Engineering Services
(Pty) Ltd, abbreviated as Vesco, hence the name VescoPlastics for the engineering plastics
division started in 1968 to complement the company's engineering activities.
VescoPlastics is the oldest operating manufacturer of engineering plastics materials in
Africa.
The development of Vesconite started in 1968 in an attempt to find a bearing material suitable for use in the surrounding ultra deep mines - mines that extract gold up to 3.5 km (2.2 miles) below the surface, with exceptionally harsh conditions.
| First exports started to Finland in 1975. The first use of Vesconite in marine applications was with the harbour pilot vessel, RP Jackson in Durban in 1977. |  |
| The Johannesburg Sales Office acquired its own premises in 1980 to service the main industrial region of South Africa more directly. |
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Today the factory is established over 9 industrial sites in Virginia, covering over 10,000 m² (110,000 ft²) of workshops on 35,000 m² (375,000 ft²) of ground.
THE ORGANISATION
Both the present chairman and managing director are qualified
chemical engineers, with the emphasis throughout the organisation on personnel with
technical qualifications in mechanical engineering. Some 60 persons are employed in
the company.
FACILITIES
The company is highly integrated and includes the following
departments most of which occupy their own individual sites:
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Compounding and production of own raw materials
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Extrusion of rods, bushings, and plates
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Injection Moulding up to 3000 grams (106 oz), mainly of parts for final machining
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Machine Shop for finishing up to Ø 800 mm (31.5")
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Stores and warehouses
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Construction of own processing machinery
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Laboratories for development and quality testing
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Direct mail and promotions
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Customer Service and Internal Sales
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Administration and Accounts
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Johannesburg Sales Office
PRODUCTION RANGE
The compounding, extrusion moulding, injection moulding and
machining of Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube make up most of the
production.
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Solid rods are produced from 8 to 180 mm (0.31" to 7") diameter.
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Bushing is made from 35 to 715 mm (1.4" to 28") diameter in lengths up to 3m (10').
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Plates are made from 3 mm (0.12") thickness up to 50 mm (2"), in widths up to 600 mm (23.6") and lengths up to 3m (10').
A wide range of standard ready-to-use bushes is also made, while a great variety of custom made finished components are machined from stock and moulded shapes.
Vesconite Hilube was introduced in the late 1980's. It is a further enhancement of the self lubricating properties of Vesconite. Vesconite Hilube is an extra low wear and low friction premium grade.
VescoPolycap, Vescolene PE and Vescolene PP are produced as extruded rods, as well as moulded and machined.
Other high performance bearing materials such as Hilube 10, Hilube 20 and Vescoflex are also compounded and moulded for special applications
APPLICATIONS
VescoPlastics specialises in polymeric materials for bearing
applications produced in heavy sections. These
materials are designed for many applications where relatively high loads are carried at relatively low speeds, with little or no
lubrication, in often dirty or immersed
conditions. Custom components include small and large bushes, wear pads and strips, and many parts subject to friction and wear,
in many industries including railways, shipping, heavy
transport, earth moving, mining, and manufacturing.
In summary, VescoPlastics' special formulations and custom components find application in any industry with moving parts where there is a desire for longer life wear parts with the added benefits of less greasing and less maintenance.
FOREIGN ASSOCIATIONS
VescoPlastics has exported its products for over 25 years and
the Vesconite trademark has been registered in most
parts of the industrialised world, including the United
States.
It has been the company's policy to expand abroad mainly through independent, well trained distributors fully dedicated to Vesconite. These include:
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VescoPlastics (Australia), Melbourne, Australia www.vescoplasticsaus.com.au
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VescoPlastics (South East Asia), Singapore
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Vesconite Sales, Northampton, England
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VescoPlastics (Mauritius), Mauritius
The company also has distributors in Argentina, France, Finland, Greece, Namibia, New Zealand, Zambia and Zimbabwe
DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING POLICY
The specialised nature of the product range requires that it
should be sold on the basis of its cost effectiveness
in particular applications. Thus a well informed technical
approach, related to the needs of a particular client or market, is generally required for success. This is a general requirement for
selling high performance materials. The
management devotes much of its time to the study and proposed solutions of such needs.
The education of the market and the solution of technical problems in as cost effective a manner as possible have been basic to the growth and success of the company. Coupled with this is an emphasis on client service and fulfilling promised deliveries.
PROMOTION
Promotion by means of the Internet and direct mail aims to
inform the engineering and designer community and to
encourage enquiries. Such enquiries are carefully studied, recommendations made and prototype trials initiated when
the application and the economics appear
promising. Use is also made of advertising and editorial engineering publications with a high readership of design
engineers.
MATERIAL ADVANTAGES
Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube can claim after over 30 years
of extensive usage to offer one of the best all round
non-metallic bush and bearing materials, readily available,
made of the only modified polymers of their kind, which combine low friction, low wear, self lubrication, good dimensional stability,
very low water absorption, suitability for both dry
and immersed applications, good load carrying ability,
easy machinability - all at greater cost effectiveness than traditional bearing metals.
PRODUCTION ADVANTAGES
VescoPlastics is possibly the only company in the production
of engineering plastic materials and finished
components which also formulates, develops, compounds
and produces its own raw materials.
This results in an intimate knowledge of its products and their capabilities and an ability of offer more cost effective solutions. Where an application is of sufficient scope, and requires a bearing material with special characteristics, VescoPlastics will consider the development of a custom formulation.
COMPANY ADVANTAGES
VescoPlastics' main focus on engineering plastic applications
as related to friction and wear problems gives it a
great deal of effectiveness in solving existing
problems and developing new applications.
Its technical approach is less concerned with possible short term returns than with the need to satisfy the long term needs of its clients through a cost effective answer to their problems - by providing components and materials that last longer, with little or no greasing.
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Member, International Association of Plastic Distributors (USA) |
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Updated Apr 11 2005
