Inside SBKJ Production

How SBKJ controls production end to end

SBKJ runs an integrated production operation: galvanised steel coil, hydraulic valves, gearmotors, PLCs, frequency drives and structural steel come from long-standing supplier partners, so SBKJ controls quality and lead time end to end rather than depending on a single outside vendor. Every machine is built, wired and fully run-tested before it ships.

How SBKJ production is laid out — one continuous flow

SBKJ production runs as connected stages. The first stage handles incoming steel: coil storage, sheet shearing, plasma and laser cutting, structural steel preparation and welding. The second stage is machining and sub-assembly, where forming heads, fold stations, cassette holders, decoiler bodies, hydraulic units and electrical cabinets are built up as discrete sub-assemblies before they reach the main line. The third stage is integration and test, where the sub-assemblies are bolted together into the finished machine, the electrical cabinet is married to the mechanical structure, the PLC is loaded, and the machine runs its first powered cycle. The layout is deliberately one-directional: a machine enters the first stage as raw material and never doubles back, which keeps work-in-progress visible and makes scheduling far easier than the back-and-forth flow common in older legacy workshops.

The five production stations every machine passes through

SBKJ production is organised around five named stations. Each one has a fixed location, dedicated tooling, a responsible foreman, and a sign-off step before work moves on. None of the five can be skipped.

1. Structural steel preparation and welding

This is where the machine's skeleton is built. Heavy-gauge structural steel is shot-blasted, cut to length, drilled and welded into the base frame of the line. Welders use jigs to lock alignment so that the long base rails of an SBAL-V auto duct line stay straight to within a small fraction of a millimetre over the full machine length — alignment that the buyer never sees but that determines whether a finished duct comes off the line square or twisted. After welding, the frame is stress-relieved, primer-coated and inspected against the drawing before it leaves the bay.

2. Machined surface preparation and sub-assembly

Forming rollers, fold heads, cassette holders, drive shafts, gearbox mounts and pneumatic cylinder brackets are all built as discrete sub-assemblies in the second stage. Critical surfaces are CNC-machined to drawing tolerance, then fitted, lubricated and bench-tested before being released to the main line. Sub-assemblies that fail bench inspection are reworked or scrapped at this stage rather than discovered later when they are buried inside a half-built machine. This is one of the most important quality steps in the process because it catches defects when they are still cheap to fix.

3. Electrical cabinet build

SBKJ builds its own electrical cabinets in-house. The cabinet bay holds the inventory of branded electrical components — Schneider, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, Delta and other major-brand contactors, drives, PLCs and HMIs as the project specification calls for — and a panel-build station where the wiring loom, terminal blocks, cable trays and component mounting are completed against the schematic. Every cabinet is point-to-point continuity tested before it leaves the bay. This in-house build is why SBKJ can guarantee genuine branded electrical components on every machine: the cabinet is never sub-contracted to an outside panel shop.

4. Final integration and powered run-up

The integration bay is where the structural frame, the sub-assemblies and the electrical cabinet come together. The mechanical assembly is completed first — rollers, drives, hydraulic and pneumatic plumbing, guarding, sensors. Then the electrical cabinet is craned into position and the wiring loom is connected to the field devices. The machine is then energised for the first time, the PLC program is loaded from a checksummed master copy, and the integration team runs a no-load motion sequence to verify that every axis moves in the right direction and every sensor reads correctly. Only when the no-load run is clean does the machine move to the test bay.

5. Test bay and FAT preparation

The dedicated test bay is the last production station. Here the machine runs the full forming program at no-load and at full design load using SBKJ stock galvanised coil. Cycle times, motor currents, hydraulic pressures, seam quality and dimensional accuracy are all measured and recorded. When the test bay is satisfied, the machine is cleaned, touched-up, photographed for the build record, and made ready for the buyer's factory acceptance test (FAT). The FAT itself is run in the same bay, against the buyer's nominated coil and target program, with the buyer's authorised engineer present.

Production capability — what SBKJ can actually deliver

Capacity is not a single number because SBKJ runs a mixed-output production operation. High-volume product families — TDF flange machines, lockformers, beading and grooving machines — can be built in batches of ten or more in parallel because they share tooling and electrical cabinets. Lower-volume, higher-complexity lines — SBAL-V auto duct, SBEM rectangular duct line, SBTF-1602 and SBTF-2020 spiral tubeformers — are built one or two at a time because they need dedicated bay space and longer test cycles. SBKJ delivers several full SBAL-V lines per quarter alongside continuous production of the higher-volume product families. SBKJ Group has shipped 5,000+ machines to 100+ countries since 1995, and the production schedule is published quarterly so the sales team can give buyers a realistic delivery date at the moment of order confirmation rather than a marketing promise.

Export packing and dispatch — getting the machine to your port

Export packing is its own discipline at SBKJ and is handled by a dedicated packing team in the dispatch bay. Every machine is shrink-wrapped, foam-padded around fragile assemblies, bolted to a custom-built timber base, and either crated or loaded directly into a container depending on the destination. Containers are stuffed under SBKJ supervision, sealed, and trucked to Melbourne port. The shipping documentation pack — commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, fumigation certificate where required, certificate of origin, and the machine document pack inside the electrical cabinet — is prepared by the SBKJ export team and sent to the buyer's freight forwarder. SBKJ has shipped to 100+ countries and knows the documentation quirks of the major destination markets, including LC-payment-driven jurisdictions in the GCC and Southeast Asia, AS/NZS-stamped paperwork for Australia and New Zealand, and EU CE conformity files for European buyers.

Visiting SBKJ — what to know before you travel

SBKJ welcomes buyer visits at every stage of the project — pre-order for a machine demonstration, mid-build to see your specific machine on the assembly line, or for the FAT to sign off the completed line. Most visits are scheduled to coincide with the FAT because it is the most informative use of the buyer's travel budget: you see your own machine running on your own coil, you sign the FAT report, and you meet the SBKJ engineer who will travel for commissioning. SBKJ can arrange airport pick-up from Melbourne Tullamarine or Melbourne Avalon, a hotel near the office, an interpreter, and meeting space at the office. Visa support letters are issued on request. SBKJ machine demonstrations can be arranged year-round; spring (September–November) and autumn (March–May) are the most comfortable times to visit Melbourne.

Frequently asked questions

Does SBKJ run its own production?

SBKJ runs its own production and has built HVAC ductwork machinery since 1995. The Australian office is in Box Hill North, Victoria — 20 minutes from Melbourne CBD and 35 minutes from Melbourne Airport.

How big is SBKJ?

SBKJ production covers structural steel fabrication, machine assembly, and a dedicated test bay. The footprint supports parallel build of multiple full duct lines, including the SBAL-V auto duct line and the SBTF-2020 spiral tubeformer.

How many machines does SBKJ produce per year?

SBKJ Group has shipped 5,000+ machines to 100+ countries since 1995. Annual output varies by mix — SBKJ can deliver high-volume runs of TDF flange and lockformer machines alongside the lower-volume, higher-complexity SBAL-V and SBTF-2020 lines.

Can I see the SBKJ machines in person?

Yes — SBKJ welcomes buyer visits at any stage of the project. Most visits are scheduled to coincide with the FAT (factory acceptance test) so you can see your machine running on your nominated coil. SBKJ can arrange airport pick-up from Melbourne Tullamarine or Melbourne Avalon and a hotel near the office.

What documents come with the machine when it ships?

Every machine ships with a sealed document pack containing the FAT report, CE Declaration of Conformity (where applicable), ISO 9001 certificate copy, operator manual, electrical schematic, hydraulic and pneumatic schematic where applicable, spare parts list, lubrication chart and warranty card.

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