JP Engineering has long been manufacturing a variety of components and custom assemblies for the mining, aviation, transportation, military, industrial, robotics and automation, medical and commercial industries as well as cash-in-transit vehicles, using a variety of machines and processors used in the metal forming industry. They have also added value for clients with certain metal shaping processes, all with the intent of being a one-stop shop. Facing a necessary upgrade, the company had to consider adding new modern equipment, additional metal processing processes and expanding their shop floor space to improve production time and capabilities.
As the world navigated its way through Covid and all the uncertainties that went with that period in life that most of us want to forget, in a funny way, the period did have its positive aspects. The impact of the pandemic on morbidity and mortality, as well as on the social, behavioural and economic aspects of life have been well-documented. A brief search shows not much is written on the positive aspects. Positive themes include improved relationships, lifestyle changes, remote job flexibility, working from home and a host of new digital tools.
JP Engineering’s family Ricky and Jenny Camacho, Manny Peixoto, Eva and Jorge Peixoto
The positive impact in the industrial production and manufacturing sector has also not had much coverage even though, the resilience shown by many, would fill many books. What the crisis did do though is that it gave time for owners and managers to put some serious thought into company direction, workplace revision and workforce reorganisation.
There is no doubt that manufacturing has evolved toward data and technology-driven networks and digital ecosystems. Data analytics and Industry 4.0 allow for end-to-end visibility based on dynamically reconfigurable material flows and digital information flows. Machine learning, robotics, artificial intelligence and cloud computing all have crucial capabilities for improving manufacturing resilience.
But what about the ‘simple’ organisational actions of investing in new equipment, work space improvements and people organisation? JP Engineering has done this and are now fully in their stride to increasing their production figures to sometimes, beyond their comprehension.
Besides investing in new equipment, the focus of JP Engineering’s recent expansion was to renovate a 2 000m² building they had purchased in 2012
“Although Covid was not the chief influencing factor for our expansion, to a certain extent, it did have an influencing effect. Our expansion began near the beginning of the pandemic and it certainly heightened all our plans and made us pay attention. Like many we undoubtedly became agile and focussed,” said Jorge Peixoto, Managing Director of the family run business.
“The list of clients and companies that we deal with is relatively small but they are loyal clients. We respond with an emphasis on service and quality and through their organic growth we have grown organically. With growth prospects imminent we were approached by our clients to consider our capabilities and capacity. This approach triggered off our expansion and a sizeable investment in equipment and property, which has now been implemented. Our property expansion changes are expected to be finished next year.”
History
JP Engineering began operating in 1994 just before the South African elections. While still at school and in his early stages at university Jorge Peixoto had been helping his father in his fabrication business on a part time basis as his passion is working with animals and he wanted to become a veterinarian. Jorge started working at the Animal Anti-Cruelty League at the age of 13 and his passion was not short-lived – he still volunteers his time to help the League today, over 40 years later.
JP Engineering’s existing facility includes a 2 000m² building that houses two Bystronic lasers, two Bystronic press brakes and a CNC mill and lathe for added value processes
Dad Manny Peixoto, born in O’Porto, Portugal arrived in South Africa in 1962 and found employment at Henred Fruehauf Trailers where he became Production Manager and worked for 30 years.
The fabrication business was a hobby that became a business and was worked on over the weekends but soon grew enough for Manny Peixoto to extend the business into a full-time operation, which he started in 1992. Son Jorge realised that a sizeable amount of plate work was being outsourced to be cut and bent. This led to him establishing his own business and purchasing equipment to perform these processes.
“In those days you did not have the advanced equipment that we have these days. I purchased a guillotine, an oxy fuel torch and a couple of Promecam benders and got going on supplying already processed material to my father’s company. At the same time, I was able to source other clients and between the two businesses we were able to purchase the building and property where we are still located 31 years later.”
JP Engineering regards themselves as a job shop fabricator and regularly fabricate large fabrications
“The metal supply business is dominated by a few large companies who then either supply other companies who do some more processing of metal or they supply directly to service centres and fabrication companies like ours. Although there are some large companies operating in this space the industry is dominated by small businesses all adding value to metal in some form.”
“Metal is everywhere. In construction, in all kinds of heavy and industrial equipment, in our cars, trucks, and vehicles used for recreation. It’s spread throughout the very infrastructure of modern society. A handful of companies simply can’t service it all efficiently.”
“Additionally precision sheet metal stands apart from plate fabrication. Tube and pipe fabrication is a separate animal, as is structural fabrication. The extraordinary mix of work in our industry is amazing. This allows for many players but you still have to be aware that you need to keep abreast of technology. We might show a sense of camaraderie that you don’t find in other industries. Fabricators share technical challenges in blanking, bending, welding, and assembly, but they don’t share the same mix of jobs on the floor. But you can quite easily lose a client to a company down the road if your service is not up to standard.”
The new Bystronic Xpert 650/720 is a large machine purchased to accommodate large sheet sizes
“We entered the laser cutting arena from an early stage when laser processing was introduced but they were CO2 lasers. We have upgraded the machines periodically and still have CO2 lasers processing our laser cutting requirements on our floor today. We have added more modern press brakes and to add more value to our service we invested in a CNC machining center and a lathe.”
“However, we never operated as a service centre. We have always been a job shop fabricator and will continue do so. Customer mix really defines the metal fabricator, and for most operations, that mix continually evolves. That’s partly why metal fabrication remains so resilient.”
“As I said a couple of clients had encouraged us to upgrade our equipment, add more processing capabilities, which would result in us growing with them. Their approach triggered off our expansion programme and we are very grateful to them. But then Covid shocked the world.”
Also new on the floor is a Bystronic Xpert 320
“Nonetheless we had begun implementing our major investment plans. The original factory is still fully operational and caters for its current needs. The office block and factory alongside was constructed in 2002 and there is no need to change this area, except for replacing our CO2 lasers with fiber lasers.”
“However, we did have the foresight to purchase the factory behind us in 2012. It stood empty since we purchased it but now this 2 000m² area, which takes us up to 6 000m² under roof, became the focus of the expansion. The building needed to be renovated internally and foundations and a new floor had to be laid to accommodate the new equipment we planned to purchase. As we were not pressed for office and production staff space the renovation of these areas are ongoing until 2026.”
“With the positioning of this building it allowed us to connect to the existing structures and made the flow between the three facilities seamless. This third building is however referred to as our heavy bay because of the type of equipment we have installed in it and the fabrications that we produce in it.”
The third press brake recently purchased is a Bystronic Xpert 150
New equipment
“We have been loyal to Bystronic equipment since we purchased our first laser in 2008, of which we have two on the floor. We have recently purchased three more Bystronic press brakes – a 650 ton, a 320 ton and a 150 ton.”
“The Bystronic Xpert 650/720 is a large machine and we purchased it to accommodate large sheet sizes because of the body panels that we are cutting and bending and then ultimately welding and assembling for a client’s cash-in-transit vehicles as well as water bowsers used in the mining industry.”
“The Bystronic Xpert 650/720 has a 650 ton press force and a width to allow bending lengths of up to 7 200mm. We can bend steel up to 25mm in thickness and carbon steel and aluminium up to 25mm on this machine, which gives us flexibility and places us in the large arena.”
“The other two new press brakes have smaller capabilities but they do add capacity to this department.”
JP Engineering have introduced a new process – plasma and profile cutting – into the processes that they offer with an investment in a Messer Element 400 equipped with a Skew Rotator Delta that is capable of making bevel cuts within an angular range from +45° to -45
New process – plasma and profile cutting with a Messer Element 400 equipped with a Skew Rotator Delta that is capable of making bevel cuts within an angular range from +45° to -45
“JP Engineering has always offered laser cutting, bending, rolling, shearing, welding and CNC milling and turning. We also do our own shot blasting and spray painting.”
“A major factor in our decision to expand with our clients’ growth was to add a new process to our capabilities – plasma cutting. This is the first time that we have ventured this way although you could say our torch cutting was a form of plasma and profile cutting.”
“Both plasma and profile cutting have come a long way since it was first developed in the late 1950s. Today it is one of the most widely used metal plate cutting processes used for cutting plate in certain thickness segments for a large variety of industries. Fiber laser cutting has encroached with the 40kW and 50kW machines but they still do not give the cut quality of a plasma or profile machine.”
JP Engineering have added a 4-roll Davi MCB-F30 capable of rolling mild steel up to 25mm thick up to 3 040mm wide, equipped with the latest iRoll CNC console, supplied by Spectrum Machine Tools Africa
“We have invested in a Messer Element 400 equipped with a Skew Rotator Delta that is capable of making bevel cuts within an angular range from +45° to -45°, in other words both sides of the plate while still on the machine. From complex contours, holes or bevels for welding seam preparation, the new Delta has been developed specifically for use with the Messer Element platform and provides a very high degree of flexibility.”
“This is the first time Messer have supplied such a machine into South Africa that comes with this bevel cutting option and it could be a first in South Africa in general. More users than ever before are now utilising bevel cutting to create the finished parts they need.”
“Before purchasing the machine I visited Messer’s factory in Germany and we also sent two operators to Germany for training as this is a new process for us.”
JP Engineering has long been manufacturing a variety of components and custom assemblies for the mining, aviation, transportation, military, industrial, robotics and automation, medical and commercial industries as well as cash-in-transit vehicles
“The machine has a bed size of 14m by 3m. With our Promecans that we originally purchased when the company was established – they still perform bending tasks every day that are not cost effective to do on the Bystronics – we can now process material between 0.9mm up to 50mm.”
Plate rolling with a 4-roll Davi
“Plate rolling is a fundamental process in the metal fabrication industry. It involves bending and shaping metal plates and sheets to achieve desired geometries. We have always offered this service and with clear thinking we have decided to purchase an additional machine so if we have a break-down we don’t disappoint our clients.”
“We have added a Davi MCB-F30 capable of rolling mild steel up to 25mm thick up to 3 040mm wide, equipped with the latest iRoll CNC console, supplied by Spectrum Machine Tools.”
Components cut on the new Messer Element 400 plasma and profile cutter
“The four-roll bending machine features four rollers, usually arranged in two pairs – one pair vertically and the other horizontally. The plate passes between the upper and lower horizontal rollers, while the vertical rollers move to shape the plate into the desired curve.”
“We have also added five new overhead cranes – two 20 ton cranes and three 10 ton cranes.”
Family business
“Strong families make for strong companies. When owners of a company tell me that their employees are like family, I believe them. These owners feel responsible for the livelihoods of not only their blood relatives, but also their employees because so many families are dependent on those paychecks. It can be a huge burden to carry when business is slow, but the benefits can’t be overstated. If employees feel that sense of gratitude, they will show it with outstanding performances and a willingness to go the extra mile.”
A view of the new facility where processing and fabrication takes place
“Families also think in terms of generations, not quarterly performance. We know that serving our customers to the best of our abilities is the recipe for long-term success.”
“We are no different. I started out working for my father doing odd jobs and then supplying him. My sister Jenny also helped during her school days and the same year I started my business she joined me. It was not long after that that Dad’s business was incorporated into JP Engineering. He has only just retired and he is in his 80s.”
“My wife Eva, who is a qualified advocate and looks after our legal and HR departments, joined the company in 2001 and my brother-in-law Ricky, who is Jenny’s husband, joined the company in 2014. He comes from a coffee shop background and had no metal processing knowledge to mention before he joined the company but today, he is the Production Director.”
JP Engineering bevel cuts within an angular range from +45° to -45
“These family ties give us a real sense of security. We feel comfortable knowing that we are in firm control and don’t get distracted by the latest fads or let the bank meddle with our affairs.”
Level 2 BBBEE
“We might be a family run company but we are a level 2 BBBEE company. Keenan Jansen as a director and shareholder. He joined the business in 2015 as our financial and accounting advisor. He adds enormous value to our business and is involved in every aspect of the business and is valued by everyone within the organisation.”
For further details contact JP Engineering on TEL: 011 613 1729 or visit www.jpengineering.co.za