Jenera’s investment in high-powered fibre lasers from Applied Machinery will further expand its fabrication capabilities
Established in 1974 and trading as Jenkin Bros. Engineers until last year’s 50th anniversary, the new trading name Jenera pays homage to the company’s founders, Bob and Graham Jenkin, while looking forward to a new era in its evolution.
Some key developments in the company’s history occurred with a buyout of management in 2004 by a group including Frank Taranto and Jamie Macaulay, the current business directors and owners. The acquisition of Arthur Ward, a fabrication business, in 2009 significantly boosted the company’s capabilities. The transfer of around two million dollars worth of Kenworth parts business from Australian Engineering (previously Elliott) in 2013 significantly increased turnover. Simon Bowen is the current CEO, and staff numbers today are around sixty.
Operating primarily in Melbourne, Jenera’s key services include precision CNC machining, laser cutting, welding, bending, thread rolling, folding, and painting. A dedicated finished assembly area connects manufactured components, providing customers with a one-stop shop for all their sheet metal needs.
Its machining centre features nine CNC lathes, five VMC mills, and two CNC saws. On the fabrication side, its equipment includes press brakes, welders, laser cutters, brazing, and painting capabilities.
The company operates under the ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system and has experience across numerous industry segments, including transport, defence, mining, construction and energy.
Its specialised products for the defence industry include vehicle roll bars, handrails, valves, brackets, and pipe fittings, with a commitment to delivering these projects to specifications, on time and within budget.
Understanding the mining industry and the requirement for products that can endure the harshest environments has led Jenera to be contracted to manufacture a number of metal engineering services, including fabrication, repair, and refurbishment.
However, Jenera’s main business is metal fabrication services for specialised products in the transport and logistics industry.
As a wholly Australian-owned and operated company, Jenera is dedicated to collaborating with and supporting local businesses. This commitment is evident in the company’s long-standing and successful partnership with Kenworth Australia, a subsidiary of Paccar’s global truck manufacturer.
Kenworth is Australia’s leading heavy-duty on-highway truck manufacturer, built at its manufacturing facility in Bayswater, Victoria. Jenera supplies Kenworth with around 2,000 parts, including body and cabin panels, chassis parts, specialist engine components, engine mounts, gearbox supports, clutch levers, and more.
Nearly a decade ago, purchasing a 2.5kW CO2 laser allowed for faster cutting speeds, combined with the precision and accuracy only a laser can offer. This expanded the company’s ability to do more complex and extensive metal fabrication, such as whole cab sections for Kenworth.
The performance of the initial machine led the company to upgrade to a 6kW fiber laser and, more recently, purchase a high-power 12kW Yawei HLF series machine.
“We conducted extensive research before deciding on the Yawei brand, particularly the high-powered 12kW HLF model,” stated Senior Engineer Kevin Youliang Yi. “It was a significant investment for us, and we wanted to ensure the laser we selected would meet our current requirements and remain suitable in five years.
“Applied Machinery took us to China to view the Yawei plant and see the fibre laser in action. The impressive machine and Yawei’s willingness to provide an extended warranty really gave us the confidence to proceed. Yawei’s very competitive price was obviously an important factor for us, too.”
“Dealing with Applied Machinery has been a pleasure. Daniel Fisher, their Sales & Marketing Manager, is extremely knowledgeable, very helpful and, most importantly, understands things from a customer perspective. Likewise, Applied’s technicians have been quick to respond to any issue or question – that’s one of the benefits of having a relationship with an Australian-based supplier who has been around for many years,” Kevin added.
The number of options available for the fibre laser’s laser source and cutting head also significantly attracted Jenera, who chose the German brand Precitec for the auto-focus cutting head.
“Given laser cutting is such an important part of our business, we also wanted to protect ourselves against downtime for planned or unplanned maintenance. The new Yawei gives us that security and ensures we can maintain delivery times and not let our customers down,” Kevin said.
After just a few months, the new Yawei fiber laser has demonstrated its value by reducing cutting times, enhancing productivity, and enabling Jenera to broaden its product portfolio and capabilities further.
Over the past 50 years, Jenera has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the precision machining and fabrication sector. With a focus on customer service and investment in cutting-edge equipment, Jenera’s new era is assured.