05 / Workshop & engineering
Machine tools bought once, at the factory price
Lathes, mills, CNC, cutting and welding plant sourced direct. We spec on the work you actually take in — rigidity, the control system and your power supply — rather than on the headline travel figures that fill a brochure.
What we source in this line
Capacities below are the common bands. Tell us the biggest part you need to hold and the tightest tolerance you have to work to, and we'll size from there.
| Machine | Typical range | Worth specifying |
|---|---|---|
| Centre lathes | 300 – 1000 mm swing | Spindle bore, gap bed, DRO |
| CNC lathes | 6 – 12" chuck | Control brand, turret stations, bar feed |
| Milling machines | Turret & bed type | Table size, spindle taper, power feed |
| CNC machining centres | 3 – 5 axis | Travels, spindle taper, tool changer |
| Surface grinders | 300 – 800 mm table | Table travel, auto feed, coolant |
| Drill presses & radial arms | 20 – 50 mm capacity | Morse taper, column reach |
| Bandsaws | 200 – 500 mm | Mitre capability, feed control |
| Press brakes | 30 – 200 t | Bed length, CNC backgauge, tooling |
| Guillotines & shears | 2 – 8 mm plate | Blade length, hold-downs, backgauge |
| Plasma & laser cutters | 1.5×3 – 2×4 m | Power source, table type, fume extraction |
| CNC routers | 1.3×2.5 m upward | Spindle kW, vacuum bed, controller |
| Welding plant | MIG, TIG, stick | Duty cycle, phase, wire feed |
| Air compressors | 3 – 75 kW | CFM at working pressure, screw vs piston |
| Vehicle lifts & tyre equipment | 2 – 5 t | Post type, ceiling height, rim range |
Not on the list? Send a photo or a model number — most machine tools in this class are available.
What actually decides whether the machine earns its floor space
Travels and spindle speed are on every brochure. These are the specifications that determine what the machine can actually hold, and hold to.
Mass is the spec line nobody reads
Two lathes with identical swing and centre distance can differ by a tonne, and the heavier one will hold tolerance under a cut that makes the light one chatter. Compare shipping weights alongside capacities — it is the most honest single indicator of build quality on the whole sheet.
Confirm phase and supply before you order
South Africa runs 400 V three phase at 50 Hz, and Chinese-built machines are 380 V 50 Hz, which suits us — the motors turn at the speed they were designed for without conversion. What catches workshops is available capacity and starting current on a big compressor or machining centre. Check the amps you actually have.
Buy the controller your people already know
On anything CNC, the control system is what your operators live in every day. A cheaper machine with an unfamiliar or obscure controller costs you months of productivity and makes hiring harder. Tell us what your shop already runs and we will match it where we can.
Budget the tooling as part of the machine
Chucks, collets, vices, tool holders, press brake dies and a DRO are not extras — they are what turns a casting into a working machine. Left off the quote they arrive as an unwelcome surprise, so we include a realistic starter set and mark it clearly.
Work out how it gets in and what it stands on
A machining centre is heavy, awkward and often needs levelling on a proper slab. Check your floor loading, your door and whether a rigger and a crane are needed. It is far cheaper to plan than to discover on delivery day.
You're trading the dealer network for the price
That's the honest trade. There is no agent's technician on retainer. Budget for a relationship with a good machine-tool fitter and electrician, and buy with that in mind — which argues for mainstream controls and standard tooling interfaces.
Engineering shops ask these
Will it run on our power?
Yes, if specified correctly. We are 50 Hz, the same as China, so motors run at their designed speed — this is why imported machine tools suit us better than 60 Hz American plant does. We confirm voltage, phase and full-load current against your supply before anything is ordered.
Metric or imperial?
Specify it at order, because it is not something you change afterwards. Leadscrews, dials and the DRO can be supplied either way, and mixing them in one workshop is a steady source of scrapped parts. We will ask which your existing machines use.
Who rigs it in and sets it up?
Delivery to your door is in the landed price. Offloading, rigging, levelling and commissioning depend on your building and the machine, so they are quoted separately where they apply — stated on the quote rather than left out to make the number look better.
Can we get spares and consumables here?
Before we quote we check what is available locally — chucks, collets, holders, belts and filters in standard sizes usually are. Where a part is genuinely proprietary we say so and recommend shipping a spare with the machine, which costs very little in the same container.
Tell us the work, not the model number
The biggest part you turn or cut, the tolerance you work to, the material and your power supply — that's enough for us to come back with options, a landed price in Rand and a realistic delivery date.
- No obligation and no cost to quote
- Options at more than one build quality
- Landed price — duty, VAT and delivery included
- We reply within one working day