During the open day on August 2, Rotable Repairs senior management and staff were on hand to show customers, colleagues and industry journalists the recent improvements, investment in equipment and new processes within the new and improved 49,000 sq. ft wheel and brake workshop.
The day was a hive of activity with facility tours, entertainment, refreshments and networking opportunities throughout. Additionally, an evening social event took place at a local sea-side venue providing drinks and dinner for guests and staff.
The company is now set to take triple its capacity, strategically planned, the wheel and brake facility now houses a flowed and intuitive production line, new spring testers, wheel greasers, nitrogen system, inflation cages, automatic wheel inflation and new spray shop/oven eight times the size of their original. This equipment complements the company’s existing build up rigs and torque loader which all adds to the workshop’s ability to process volume.
The dispatch department at the new facility ships a volume of 7000 wheels and brakes around the world every year. Although most of the products are shipped to the UK and mainland Europe, many others are in Africa, the Middle East and the USA. As per customer demands the majority of this is in ATA300 compliant packaging consisting of wheel covers and specialist packing crates. The experience and commitment to detail are such that 99% of deliveries are sent out in exceptional condition and without incident, the company reports.
As well as using international shipping agents for road and air deliveries Rotable Repairs have a fleet of their own vehicles.
The company has invested in several parts of the business in every department but none more than the wheel bay. In the months leading up to the move Rotable Repairs purchased a Bauer build up rig, and a computer controlled torque loader, prior to this, it required one engineer to build and one to assist, taking 40 minutes to build a 737 main wheel, the Bauer Rig and Torque loader now completes the process in ten minutes with one technician. They will be adding another build-up rig as the torque loader is designed to move between two stations. This means they can have a 737 crown on one rig and an A320 on the other. The company has also purchased two automatic greasing machines, meaning manually greasing bearings is now a thing of the past.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Desser Holdings is the parent company for Rotable Repairs.
Speaking to the crowd of guests Bryan Croft, Commercial Director at Rotable Repairs said Desser Holdings had given the company the means to expand and take on the new building. He thanked the loyal customer base, many of whom attended the event as well as the hard work and dedication of staff. “The business now has enormous potential. We have great relationships with the OEMs, the customers and even our competitors. We see this building as the beginning of something big,” said Croft.
