AT L A N T I S F O U N D R I E S
ATLANTIS FOUNDRIES
Combining Age-Old Arts With
Constant Innovation PRODUCTION: William Denstone
Part of a global supply chain and of one of the largest foundry networks for engine parts in the world, Western Cape-based Atlantis Foundries is a global leader in the development and production of heavy-duty engine blocks. The company continues to garner awards in recognition of its industry-leading endeavours to modernise practice, operating from the newly-designated Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which it has called home since 1979.
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Atlantis Foundries produces automotive castings for the commercial vehicle industry, and in addition, operates a full machining facility. The firm also continues to specialise in off-road installations for export to engine manufacturers in the UK, USA, Brazil
and China, and in the past has produced castings for the passenger car market. The iron age in Africa dates from roughly 500 BC to 1400 AD, when people began making tools and weapons from iron and steel. An ageold art, shaping iron has been forced to evolve into the complex and intricate
cast products of today. “We are continuing with this ancient craft of working with cast iron,” says Atlantis Foundries, tirelessly bringing it into the modern age, “and have perfected it by achieving the modern requirements of precision casting and machining of grey iron.”
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INDUSTRY FOCUS: MANUFACTURING
MODERNISING ANCIENT ART Atlantis Foundries was recognised at South Africa’s inaugural ‘Factory of the Year’ award, launched in the country in 2018 by A.T. Kearney in partnership with the department of trade and industry, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Manufacturing Circle and Manufacturing Indaba. It is a global annual competition that has been running for over 25 years; recognised as the toughest benchmarking test for companies in the production arena, it draws on best practices from over 2000 factories across all industries. Atlantis Foundries was decorated with the Excellence in Digitisation award, a real testament to its work to modernise this most ancient of arts. “The current dynamics of the globalising world presents a challenge for all manufacturing operations,” said Igor Hulak, a partner at A.T. Kearney, “and specifically within the South African manufacturing environment where a strong sector has immense downstream impact.” To ensure Atlantis Foundries remains at the peak of the industry, a strategy of continuous and ongoing improvement has been adopted. But this is not easy for a foundry business, as CCO, Sally Redshaw explained previously. “Foundry technology is
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old and established, and involves very complicated processes,” she stressed. “There simply aren’t the same technological advancements as there are in other industries. For improvement, we have to look internally to focus on standardisation, optimisation of layout, continuous maintenance and preventative maintenance. In terms of capacity, it’s difficult to increase in small increments in the foundry business, it’s generally a very large jump. “What we try to do is make processes more efficient so that we can get more output with the same or less input.” While not quite reaching the iron age, the history of Atlantis Foundries still dates back impressively to 1979, when it was founded by the South African Government and licensed to manufacture Mercedes Benz and Perkins diesel engines. Daimler/Mercedes-Benz South Africa, then DaimlerChrysler, took control in 1999 and incorporated Atlantis Foundries into the Daimler Trucks Powertrain business unit. The 1999 takeover sparked a period of exponential growth, seeing casting production increase from 30,000 to 69,000 net tonnes per year, before its 2015 sale to German metal casting group Neue Halberg-Guss GmbH and today, its 1200 people contribute to a reputation as one of the best heavy-duty engine block foundries in the world.
SPECIAL LOCATION Atlantis Foundries is based in the town of Atlantis in the Western Cape, around 50 km from Cape Town Port and 55 km from Cape Town Airport in a strong location logistically. On 6 December 2018, the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) was officially launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa, designating it a priority development node. The president described Special Economic Zones as manufacturing hubs for the entire African continent, capable of reaching and servicing a rapidly growing market for goods and services. The Atlantis SEZ is specifically expected to grow the greentech sector in the Western Cape more broadly, and
// WE HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION LOCALLY, WE HAVE A LOT OF HISTORY AND WE’RE CRUCIAL TO THE WESTERN CAPE, THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOUNDRY INDUSTRY AND THE COMMUNITY OF ATLANTIS //
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revitalise Atlantis as a key industrial node in the region. Green technologies like turbines, solar panels, biofuels and green building materials reduce or reverse the impact of people on the planet. Situated on South Africa’s West Coast, the Atlantis SEZ capitalises on the Western Cape province’s already booming renewable energy and green technology sector, and taps into the $3 trillion global clean technology market. R700 million has already been invested in the Atlantis SEZ, including by manufacturers of wind turbine towers, geotextiles, double-glazed windows, wind tower internals and acetylene gas. More than 332 new jobs have been created in the zone to date, with the majority of the positions filled by Atlantis residents. Atlantis Foundries is supremely well-
BLUE by nature GREEN at heart
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equipped with the latest technology, development and expertise to challenge the future. Making use of modern equipment in all departments ensures demands are met for high quality and on-time delivery, while a culture of continuous improvement, practiced by every employee from bottom to top, helps to provide the competitive edge and advantage over the competition in the global market. “We have a great reputation locally, we have a lot of history and we’re crucial to the Western Cape, the South African Foundry Industry and the community of Atlantis,” Redshaw concluded on the remarkably strong foundations Atlantis Foundries’ has forged. “To reach the next level Atlantis needs to secure new business, both locally and in export markets. This will in turn allow the company to justify investment into
expansion and build on its already sterling reputation while creating jobs and further benefitting the economy. “We are always looking for innovation, efficiency and different ways of doing things to keep our competitive advantage,” was Redshaw’s conclusion, and it is clear that this remains a top priority for the business. “We’ve been in the game for many years, we have a lot of experience and that helps to carry us through. From our perspective, the future is bright. We think we have a sustainable future. There are many opportunities for growth and new business.”
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December 2019
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