JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #50 - July/August 2009 - 11

in partnership with JEC Composites E-letter Colan Australia: innovation over 50 years Thanks to its proactive innovation and quality policy, Colan Australia is now firmly rooted in its domestic market. This strong foothold enables the company to continue winning over clients overseas. olan is an Australian manufacturer of high-quality engineered industrial textiles. Established in 1954, Colan Australia is a privatelyowned and independently-operated business that produces industrial textiles for use in three principal industries: composite reinforcement, thermal & insulation materials, and safety & protective apparel. Composites account for 80% of the company’s business. Colan has a workforce of 50. The company is headed by Genelle Coghlan, the founder's daughter. C R&D department as meeting specific customer requirements is more than just a meaningless slogan at Colan. The company is also proof that location is not a serious handicap for growth, and that innovation, quality and market-watch are the best tools for success. The company headquarters, incorporating its production and management centre, are located in the outer west suburbs of Sydney. From this centre, Colan Australia services both the Australian domestic market (60% of its business) and the international market, selling products to over twenty-six countries. This is a sure sign of the quality of the Colan products and services, whose reputation is largely recognised beyond the Australian borders. To avoid supply chain delays, the company keeps two weeks of production stock and up to three months of finished products in its warehouses. Colan Australia consists of three management divisions: Finance & Administration, Operations (production, warehousing, quality assurance, and research & development) and Sales & Marketing (Australia & New Zealand, and International). One of its strengths in the market is its determination to make custom-designed products for specific applications. Four people work in the Colan has the capability to produce customdesigned reinforcing fabrics. A leading position Colan Australia manufactures an extensive range of composite reinforcement textiles. This broad, specialised range is used in the production of engineered laminates for all types of transport vehicles – air, sea and land. Projects range from mine sweepers, multi-purpose naval vessels through to sailboards, surfboards, powerboats and yachts. They feature in civil, defence and pleasure aircraft, and motor transport. Beyond the current financial crisis, the marine sector has always represented a major part of the company’s business, with the very first government orders for military boats having come in as early as the 1990s. Further applications include components for the automotive and electronic industries, dry freight and refrigerated semi-trailers and shipping containers, wind turbines, building façade and structural panels for high-rise construction, and pipes and storage tanks for both agricultural and innovative industrial uses for composites. The latter is experiencing strong growth which is why Colan is giving this niche market its undivided attention. Colan has the capability to produce custom-designed reinforcing fabrics from E-glass, S-glass, Innegra S for composites and ballistic, carbon fibre, aramid and para-aramid yarns, manufacturing them under approvals from ISO9001:2000 and to a range of domestic and international standards, including AS/NZS/ISO9001:2000, BS, ASTM and US MILSPEC. Colan has Lloyd’s Register of Shipping approvals for major woven roving styles. Its range of multi-axial fabrics also has approval from Det Norske Veritas (DNV). A comprehensive range catering to all needs All the composite multi-axial (non crimp) fabrics are manufactured using the latest weaving technology from the German-based company Liba Machinery, as well as Dornier machines. The range includes unidirectional (either 0 or 90), double-bias (+/-45), biaxial (0 & 90), triaxial (0 +/-45 or 90 +/-45) and quadriaxial (0 -/+ 45 & 90) fabric styles. No50 July-August 2009 / jec composites magazine 11

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #50 - July/August 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #50 - July/August 2009