| 47 T T Rosa Watson Newmachinery changes the game Nelson’s IFC Steel is enjoying steady growth through investment in technology and continuing to expertly meet the needs of the market. IFC Steel REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Nelson-based IFC Steel is enjoying steady growth through investment in technology and continuing to expertly meet the needs of the market. The company, formally known as ET Engineering, has been under new leadership for seven years, with Charlton Brownrigg purchasing the company in 2018. It was renamed IFC, (Issued For Construction), and has since been through a period of growth and transformation that has continued to evolve. Charlton says he saw the potential to expand the company’s capabilities, particularly in structural steel for large construction projects. “Since we took over we’ve slowly grown the business, continuing on from the previous owner.” In a major investment, the firm purchased a Ficep Flex 1201 FRC CNC Beamline – a state-of-the-art machine manufactured in Italy that rapidly processes steel members for the fabrication process. This had been a game changer, Charlton says. One of its most impressive features is its multi-axis robotic arm, which can make precise cuts on all sides of steel beams. It is capable of handling steel profiles ranging from 80mm x 10mm up to 1200mm x 610mm, and can cut intricate shapes, slots, and holes. The large-scale machine is the only one in the Nelson/Tasman region and takes up close to half the company’s workshop space at its Hope facility, where the company moved to in January 2024.The machine allows the company to take raw steel beams and transform them into precise, construction-ready components with impeccable accuracy and speed. “It automatically feeds the steel through the machine and out the other end. This increases capacity to do work, and allows us to handle and process much larger quantities of steel.” It also provides cost savings by removing the human error in cutting. With the growing capacity of production, the team has grown from 10 last year to 15.While the company continues to carry out a lot of work for the general public, most of its recent growth has been with construction companies across the region, including some large nationwide firms such as Naylor Love. One large project underway is a large, two-storey Summit Richmond office block in the centre of Richmond. The project requires 20 tonnes of steel – one of the larger jobs that IFC has carried out. The company has also completed a number of school projects, including at Motueka High School, where a brand-new classroom was built, and a major renovation at Nayland College. Another is fabricating and installing structural steel for the new Nelson Hospital Emergency Department, which Charlton describes as one of the most intense jobs the team has carried out, requiring a very high level of quality control. Projects of this size are what the company is growing towards, Charlie says.. The new CNC beamline has enabled the company to tender for and win larger projects it could not price competitively in the past. “It has definitely helped our growth and it is a great advantage for the region. “We are hopeful that the CNC beamline will be a resource for any business in the area that needs to improve their efficiencies in high-quality steel fabrication. “By bringing this technology to Nelson, we’re raising the bar for what’s possible in regional engineering.” Industrial | Commercial | Architectural Design | Structural Steel Detailing | Drafting Steel Detailing & BIM Services NZ +64 22 306 7505 info@3dcad.co.nz 3dcad.co.nz www.airproducts.co.nz 03 548 5801 admin@airproducts.co.nz Pneumatics Compressors Air Reticulation Remote Grease Line Service, Design and Supply of all the above & a lot more PROUDLY SUPPORTING IFC STEEL Crane Inspec�on • Mobile Cranes • Truck Loader Cranes • Gantry, Goliath, Monorail Cranes Pressure Vessel Inspec�on • Boilers • Welded Pressure Vessels • Pressure Piping Non-Destruc�ve Tes�ng • Magne�c Par�cle Tes�ng • Dye Penetrant Tes�ng • Visual Inspec�on • Ultrasonic Thickness Tes�ng EWP 6 Monthly Inspec�ons EWP Major Inspec�on Welding Qualifica�ons Welding Procedures 03 922 9682 compliance@mecnz.co.nz www.mecnz.co.nz Professional compliance services you can trust Your local business finance team. Simon Harding p: 027 817 9731 e: simonh@financenz.co.nz w: www.financenz.co.nz
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