One of Australia’s largest and leading manufacturers of specialised fasteners such as bolts, nuts, screws, washers, studs and cages has secured its future in a competitive world with a heavy capital investment in the latest CNC machines and bar loaders from Okuma Australia.
A third-generation family business based in the Gold Coast suburb of Carrara in Queensland, Prendergast Fasteners is a long-term user of Okuma’s range of high-tech manfacturing equipment, having commissioned its first CNC machine back in 1996. Most recently the company commissioned five new Okuma CNC lathes with OSP-P300LA control and four LNS ALPHA SL65-S Bar Loaders.
While the new machines are in many ways similar to the existing Okuma machines in the Prendergast Fasteners workshop, they also provide for enhanced consistent accuracy and increased speed of production, thereby allowing for shorter lead times and improved efficiencies. For the company’s Managing Director Nat Prendergast, the new machines have had a clear impact on operations at the company’s Carrara facility, further bolstered by the aftersales support provided by the team at Okuma Australia.
“Okuma has been a standout for us,” said Nat. “The performance of these machines is outstanding as we are already achieving improved cycle times from 12 minutes down to two minutes, and the back-up service, training and ongoing advice is excellent. With all operators in direct contact with Okuma personnel, any problem we might experience is always quickly resolved.”
Founded by Robert and Patricia Prendergast in 1969, Prendergast Fasteners started life in the New South Wales (NSW) market, before it relocated its operations north of the border to Gold Coast in 1989. The company’s commitment to excellence soon earned it a solid reputation for exceptional high-quality output, resulting in an early manufacturing deal for specialised screws for the Sydney Opera House.
A second generation of the Prendergast family – Nat, Debbie and Kelly – have subsequently joined the company, and today the trio continue to set the same high standards in the industry. They do this with the help of the latest cutting-edge technology and a team of some 20 personnel, including four third-generation members if the Prendergast family.
While specialising in a broad range of fasteners, the company today also produces parts for a number of industries including energy and resources, such as components for slurry pumps for the mining sector. With a diverse client base that includes the likes of Caterpillar, the company continues to ensure it is not totally reliant on any one industry for its flow of work and revenue.
This quality-assured, 100% Australian company offers a diverse product range that includes anchor and square head bolts, metal thread screws, speciality fasteners and much, much more, with letters of conformity specifying that the product is compliant with relevant Australian and international standards. Additional capabilities such as mill certification, chemical analysis, heat treatment, galvanising zinc coating, electroplating, phosphate coatings and mechanical testing are also available as Prendergast Fasteners strives to meet its customers’ specific requirements.
Whilst servicing the broader Australian market as a manufacturer with a reputation for reliably high quality, investment in the latest technology has enabled Prendergast Fasteners to increase direct and indirect export sales amid a highly competitive and ever-changing global market place. For Nat and the rest of the Prendergast Fasteners team, having the latest state-of-the-art manufacturing technology from Okuma at their disposal means the company is well equipped to meet any challenge.
“Operators on the floor are over the moon with the new machines, which they see as securing their future as the company continues to grow and prosper,” says Nat.