Page 35 - Energize August 2022

ADVERTORIAL

Unprecedented development

for South Africa

Information from Allbro

o say that we have the most advanced range of industrial
enclosures in the world is a bold claim. While there is no hard-
Tand-fast international ranking for enclosures, there are some
features built into the DNA of this nation’s only home-grown range
that would arguably make it worthy of taking first place.

The price of steel
Low-cost imported steel has had a large impact on the South African
market. The majority of electrical enclosures used in South Africa
are coated mild steel. Standard off-the-shelf sizes used to be locally
manufactured, but the tide of low-cost imported steel products has
almost completely displaced local steel manufacture in this sector.
The probability of any local content in the boxes bought from South Figure 2: The Allbrox® range comes in grey and
African electrical wholesalers is close to zero. orange, with 14 sizes available
The quality of these enclosures is often subpar, and their
performance leaves a lot to be desired. Before the pandemic, the many consumer products which require durability greater than
economics of these enclosures made them acceptable, and they that which steel can provide.
became standardised. As the price of shipping and steel have sky- Historically, SMC enclosures were about three times more
rocketed and continue to do so, these enclosures have now become expensive than steel enclosures. Through local mould manufacture,
less desirable. local raw material sourcing and compounding, local labour, and local
Allbrox® enclosures are NOT made from steel. Allbro energy costs, Allbro has managed to change the price position of SMC
compounds a special version of glass reinforced polyester (GRP) enclosures. This makes Allbrox® the only SMC composite enclosure
known as SMC (sheet moulding compound). This well-known range which can compete with cheap steel imports on price.
composite material is used in the manufacture of critical structural It goes without saying that the benefits of using SMC over steel
parts for truck body parts, manhole covers, car parts, jet skis and are profound when overseas end users are able to justify paying
three times more for the benefits that SMC provides. Through the
efforts of Allbro, it is no longer necessary for South African end
users and equipment manufacturers to compromise with steel
enclosures. The vastly superior SMC technology is now generally
cheaper than steel.
Allbrox® is without question the most durable SMC enclosure
available anywhere. A unique coating process allows the enclosure
to withstand decades of the harshest weather conditions. It is
important to remember that the material underneath the coating is
also able to endure decades of abuse from the elements. There is no
enclosure in the world that will last as long as an Allbrox® enclosure.
With Allbro’s in-house tooling, the range has grown significantly
over the last five years. Industry is rapidly recognising the benefits
of this home-grown solution and more and more specifications are
being changed to support the introduction of Allbrox® enclosures as
a plant standard.
The local fan base for this breakthrough is a fundamental aspect
for the success of the product range on a competitive world stage.

Contact Allbro, Phone 011 894-8341,
Figure 1: The Allbrox® protects against water, dust, chemical spray new@allbro.com, www.allbro.com
and shock hazards.

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