About Us
What we do, how we do it, the manner in which we conduct ourselves and our Values.
We are a South African Industrial Pressings and Manufacturing business, and our staff reflect the wide demographic of our Republic. As with many U.S. and Canadian citizens, a fair percentage of South Africans can trace their roots back to all parts of the world, and we have great familiarity with England, Holland, France, as well as the United States. Nonetheless, we are very much South African in our mannerisms and outlook on the world.
Our History
Almost 40 years ago Aubrey and Leslie Friedman, who still work in our business daily, started an industrial pressings business, with a single 30 Ton Raskin Eccentric Press. The business now shares part of a 30,000 m2 factory complex, of which 18,000 m2 is under crane. We have a loyal customer base, some with whom we have had relationships for more than 30 years. Although the majority of our customer base is in Southern Africa, we have many international customers, particularly in the Mining and Large Engineering sectors, but provide solutions for customers as varied as Agricultural and Aerospace.
Like any business we have faced our fair share of challenges, some of our own making, some just a fact of life, but after 40 years we have great optimism for the future.
Core Competencies
Reliable is a specialist manufacturer where Spring Steels and Alloys are required and has a dominant presence in the niche DIN-EN-16983 (DIN 2093) - Conical Disc Springs and DIN 6796 - Belleville washer for bolted connections .
We have core capabilities and domains of expertise that enable us to deliver world class manufactured products and components:
- Spring Steel and Alloy Applications - Working with very specific annealed metal and then applying appropriate heat treatment ( which is selecting the chemical composition of the steel (% Carbon, Vanadium, Silicon, Manganese etc) and deriving the types of micro-structure present, which we do through the heat treatment (and cooling) process.) to obtain specific desired mechanical properties (Bendability, Hardness, Ductility, Toughness etc which then make it useful for a specific application).
- Die & Tool making and workshop services - Our tool and die makers are specialist machinists who make dies, and tools used in manufacturing processes. They support our metal pressing service lines.
- Metal Pressing & Stamping - Stamping (also known as pressing) is the process of placing flat sheet metal in either blank or coil form into a stamping press where a tool and die surface forms the metal into a specific shape.
- Hydraulic Deep Draws - Deep drawing is the method of bending and moulding steel metal by pressing the material into the required form as hydraulic force is applied to the full tonnage over the entire length of the stroke.
- Project Management - allowing Reliable and its people to be organized and led so as to fulfill any commitments made to our customers and to meet both their expressed and unexpressed needs.
The Things we do
The core technical capabilities discussed above enable us to deliver world class manufactured products and components:
- DIN2093 / DIN-EN-16983 - Conical Disc Springs - Group 1, 2 and 3, and Series A, B and C and those that fall outside of the Series classification, with an emphasis on Group -3
- Both Plain and Slotted Preload Disc Springs
- A wide selection of Disc Springs used in Valves
- Both Single and Multi Turn Wave Springs
- Fasteners to secure bolted connections with high load demands DIN6796 - Heavy Load Belleville Washers
- Wedge Lock Washers
- Spring Steel Applications - Rail Wheel Arrestors, Retainer Clips, Conveyor Belt Hinges
- Non standard Specialty Washers - known in the fastener industry as Popular Specials. We have a die inventory that has been built up over 40 years, and we supply non-standard specialist washers from all materials to most of the fastener and engineering support services businesses in SA.
- Deep drawn Components - High Pressure Cylinder Heads, Wheel Rims, Exhaust Baffles etc
Our Gallery shows some examples of the types of things we manufacture.
Our Conduct
Our values are reflected in our behaviour and our attitudes and impact how we interact with all our stakeholders; customers, suppliers, regulators and staff alike, even a child in the street. If we do not live up to our values with behaviour that reflects a Noble Purpose, please challenge us, speak your mind, let us know and help us be better!
- We keep our word and we can always be trusted to act with integrity and decency.
- We don´t have to be asked something twice, and will act with enthusiasm and energetic purpose.
- We are interested and curious about our world and and our customer´ś businesses.
- We maintain perspective by always keeping in sight a Noble Purpose that provides meaning to our actions and helps us transcend the triviality of destructive self interest and pettiness.
- We are easy to deal with, we maintain balance and we remember to find time to laugh at ourselves and enjoy the smallest of life's pleasures.
- We do not shy away from difficult customer challenges solutions to which benefit our customers and from which we can further deepen our knowledge and skills .
These values reflect the manner in which we conduct ourselves. Everything we do must be measured against the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct and continually re-enforce the trust our customers place in us.
We maintain the opinion that as important as technical competencies may be, it is our Code of Conduct that is a key prerequisite to being invited to work with our customers on projects that matter. This code of conduct forms part of every Reliable staffś employment contract,
And where are we going?
We have embarked upon a journey and our horizons have expanded to providing solutions to customers beyond the continent of Africa. Through no intention of our own, and only by good fortune we have had a number of instances, where globally recognized firms sought our services in particularly pressured circumstances to deliver work for them on projects elsewhere in the world. We delivered where nobody else and had such positive feedback on the quality of our work, that we decided to make an effort in reaching out. We now have a representation in the U.S and Europe.