ALAA for Industry (AFI) is expanding its fabrication facilities to provide more space for fabricating industrial vacuum loaders, vacuum and jetting tankers, lubrication trucks, containers and other equipment.

The expansion is in keeping with the Saudi objective to manufacture locally and will be completed in the third quarter, the company said.

The machines utilise advanced technology to yield higher productivity, it said.

The company has acquired eight machines including a CNC plasma cutter, a rolling machine, a press brake, a CNC turning centre, a radial drilling machine, a welding manipulator and a straightening press.

These machines will help expand capabilities – from manufacturing regular cylinders and mobile equipment to doing other jobs such as fabrication and assembly of super suckers, pipe containers, pipe racks and skids and the precise machining of motors, pipe supports and shafts.

The expansion will increase productivity, make possible timely deliveries, improve quality and lead to an increase in turnover and profits, said factory manager Amjad Khan.

ENERPAC CENTRE
In other developments, AFI set up a service and repair centre for Enerpac products in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

An Enerpac audit team headed by Ibrahim Hassan, the company’s technical engineer, visited AFI to check service and repair procedures and declared he was impressed. Later Enerpac formally approved the centre for repairs of equipment including hydraulic cylinders, pumps and torque wrenches.

It has a testing capacity of up to 500 tonnes of hydraulic cylinders. There is also a test bench for hand pumps and small hydraulic cylinders.