Abrasive tool manufacturer Lukas South Africa (LSA), which will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary in July, is creating capacity to manufacture custom-made belts locally at its Germiston plant.

LSA MD Isabel Cheney says the company is currently focusing on a product expansion project that will enable it to manufacture the belts, previously imported from Germany, locally.

The belt conversion manufacturing equipment is expected to be delivered at the end of June. The equipment is sourced from LSA’s coated abrasives partner, Hermes Schleifmittel, in Germany, which will send a machine instructor to train LSA’s staff in using the technology.

“There is substantial demand for belt conversions in Southern Africa and having the capacity to locally manufacture the products will enhance our market position in the industry,” she says.

Currently, LSA has manufacturing facilities for resin-bonded abrasives, as well as tungsten carbide burrs, for which it is the only manufacturer in Southern Africa.

With the recent acquisition by LSA’s parent company, Lukas-Erzett, of German bonded abrasives manufacturer Rottluff, the support and knowledge within the group have grown even further. “We get ongoing support from our parent company,” she adds.

Further, this anniversary signifies the strong presence that LSA has in South Africa and, since most of its products are used in almost every applica- tion, its customer base keeps growing.

“We sell consumable goods and the growth opportunities are never ending. Training is an important part of our sales offer- ing, and safety a major focus with all our customers,” says LSA national sales and marketing manager Justin O’Brien.

One of LSA’s biggest success stories is the IQ series product range. These high-performance flap discs are designed and patented by Lukas-Erzett. They are primarily used in the metal- working industry, where they have proven very effective when replacing standard conventional grinding disc applications – in particular, weld preparation and removal applications.

There are four types of discs available in different variations of coated materials to suit a range of applications. They have been tested and shown to reduce vibration and noise by up to 50%, compared with standard conventional grinding discs.