ACL Newsletter Issue 28

MAHLE’S FREE FLOWING
INFORMATION POLICY ASSISTS
AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING
years,Nigel unashamedly admits that starting
with the Repco Company and being part
of the Repco Brabham racing car project,
were two of his career highlights.
“I was lucky to work for the Repco
Brabham team in a junior capacity, and I
have looked after both the Repco Brabham
BT19 and Matich SR4 cars for many years
with continuous involvement with them
longer than anybody else. I started out as a
cadet and had the least contribution of
anybody, but made my intentions clear once
I knew they were building racing engines,
that I wanted to be part of it. Luckily Repco
‘broke the rules’and let me start in the engine
laboratory rather than in a factory as was
the custom with cadets.”
ACL’s Chief Engineer - Nigel Tait
he association between ACL and
‘‘T MAHLE has been fantastic,” declared
ACL’s Chief Engineer, Nigel Tait, when
asked how the new factory and relationship
was working out.“It’s brought a new level
of technology to us. Previously, we’d only
been involved in licensing agreements for
one product, now we’ve strengthened that
relationship to a joint venture.
“We have complete access with no
limitations for both pistons and rings, to a
degree we could never have contemplated
before. We’ve never had such a complete
open-door policy, and MAHLE’s technology
is by far the best in the world. Ian Veale and
I and many others here have visited various
MAHLE facilities and know what they’re
developing,and we know they’re ahead of the
rest.The new venture here with MAHLE has
allowed us to get the new Holden HFV6
business, and getting that business necessitated
our moving to a greenfield site in order to
better house the new MAHLE casting and
machining plant. Anybody who worked at
Maidstone has witnessed the huge improvement
we’ve had in working conditions.
“Mahle has a huge R&D capability in
Germany as well as a considerable resource
in America. MAHLE Technology Inc. (MTI)
in Detroit has in excess of 100 working on
pistons, bearings, and ring development.
That’s just their research lab.At their plants in
Mexico, Brazil and Tennessee, they undertake
research as well. So it’s an enormous R&D
Ian Veale
capability and it will provide MAHLE-ACL
with a wonderful opportunity for taking on
more ambitious projects in the future.”
The new ACL Technical Centre currently
being built at the MAHLE-ACL Laverton
site, is still owned by ACL.“The reason for
this,” explained Nigel,“is the continuing need
to provide ongoing engine and components
testing capability for ACL Bearing and
ACL Gasket Company projects as well as
for MAHLE-ACL Piston Products. With
Maidstone closing, the company felt the best
place to build a new technical centre would
be in Melbourne, as it’s the centre of the
Australian automotive industry. There was
sufficient room at the new MAHLE-ACL
site, so we’re building a facility that offers us
the same capacity and which will be up and
running before the commencement of 2004.”
Having been with the company for 38
The Repco Brabham BT19
Another milestone for the highly
experienced engineer, was when he was
sent to the UK to work a short time with
Brico, and Glacier Bearing Company, both
licensors of Repco manufacturing companies.
He was involved with development of a
petrol injection system at Brico, and bearing
design and testing at Glacier. “The experience
of working in an overseas environment and
with engineers at companies licensing us
was invaluable and paved the way for some
long-lasting and special relationships.”
When the Repco management buy-out
occurred in 1986, Nigel was invited to join
the fledgling ACL as one of the nine in the
buyout group and has held the position of
Chief Engineer for the past seventeen years.
“We’ve always agreed on everything, so it’s
been a terrific and good relationship,” he
said. “As far as management buy-outs go,there
aren’t too many that survive more than 3-4
years let alone 17 years. I have the greatest
respect for everyone I’ve worked with over
those years.”