Metric offers advantages aplenty. From job creation and cost-effectiveness to environmental sustainability and foreign exchange conservation. South Africa’s diesel engine component remanufacturing capability is a strategic national asset.

Andrew Yorke is the operations director at Metric Automotive Engineering. Metric is the country’s most comprehensively equipped remanufacturer of large diesel and gas engine components. With a half century of experience, Metric is the benchmark for excellence when expertise and innovation is prioritised.

Leading Technology

Keeping abreast of leading technology and global trends, Metric Auto boasts one of the leading crankshaft grinding facilities in Africa. Yorke says this equips the firm to grind shafts up to 4,7 meters long and weigh up to two tonnes.

Its workshop includes seven state-of-the-art, three-axis CNC machines. They are the only units in Africa, capable of performing line-boring, surfacing, and blue-printing of engine blocks up to six meters long.

World class expertise

“We assure our customers’ loyalty with our world-class expertise and equipment, applied to meet strict international quality systems,” Yorke says. “The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of these diesel engines expect that Metric can remanufacture their components for long term lowest cost of ownership, and we achieve this by meeting OEM standards.”

He highlights the valuable opportunity that the remanufacturing sector offers for skills development and employment – now required more than ever, in the light of soaring unemployment. The industry could absorb many more skilled employees if a renewed commitment to policies and practices supported local procurement.

“The remanufacturing of these components represents an important recycling activity. It helps governments and customers to meet carbon-reduction targets,” Yorke continues. “At the same time, retaining this vital function within the local economy strengthens economic capacity while reducing the country’s need to spend foreign exchange on imports.”

He warns, however, that OEM pricing of aftermarket parts is making remanufacturing less viable. If we lose the skills required for large diesel engine component remanufacture and assembly, engine testing skills suffer the same fate.

“If we ended up only importing new large diesel engines instead of remanufacturing components, we would need to import the skills to maintain them,” says Yorke. “SA must be strategic about our economic choices. For instance, supporting automotive engineering that focuses on engine component remanufacture.”

Remanufacture to save money

Metric Automotive Engineering is an inspiring example of what local engineering can achieve. They have with modern workshop facilities for testing, grinding, reprofiling, reboring, surfacing, and other specialised engineering services

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