TO SAY Bendigo manufacturer Hofmann Engineering is doing big things is an understatement.
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Being named Fabrication Company of the Year 2022 at the Welding Australia Excellence Awards is a big enough achievement in itself, but what the staff create on their factory floor is even bigger.
The 53-year-old company bought the workshops from Thales in 2010 to establish its Bendigo site and has forged ahead since.
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General Manager of Hofmann Bendigo David Hubbert said the company's main production focuses on key parts of machinery for the mining and transportation sector.
"We make big stuff with steel," he said. "A lot of what we make is for trains, trams and mining parts. Some of it has quite complex welding."
Among some of the things Hofmann produces are what is called a tub for mining draglines.
These huge machines, weighing 4500 tonnes sit on a base, called a tub, when they are moving coal.
Each tub they make weighs over 350 tonnes and measures over 19 metres across.
"We made one and sent it up to Queensland at the start of this year," Mr Hubbert said. "We have another one which we're making at the moment, which is due out in March and we just got a contract for one which is due at the end of next year."
Hofmann has also established itself as a key manufacturer in bogie frames - an important piece of train and tram equipment.
"Bogie frames are actually the frame which holds the wheels, the axles, the brakes, the motor, the gearbox," Mr Hubbert said.
"It's got the weight of the train on it. All the acceleration and deceleration forces or suspension forces, the lateral force of the train - all of that cyclic fatigue loading is transferred down through the bogie frame."
Despite being a lead manufacturer, Mr Hubbert said the company is working to recruit as locally as possible.
"We are a family owned, 100 per cent Australian business here in Bendigo. Part of our problem is that people don't know who Hofmann Engineering actually is," Mr Hubbert said.
"Some people think we're a boring, dull fabrication shop with simple plate cutting and welding. The reality is we're a modern manufacturer using some of the best technology around. To us, things like robotic welding, laser scanning and welding hardened thick steel plates are everyday activities.
"The guys and girls here build a career because we can't just get anyone off the street to do the work we do. We're especially proud of our 15 apprentices. It's critical to us to invest in our people to keep our future bright."
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