Haffner
Haffner GB is one of the industry’s best-known suppliers. Selling a complete range of new and reconditioned automation machinery, its reputation is for reliability and honesty.
About the company
Haffner GB was founded in 1990 by Dave Thomas, a former service engineer at Elumatec who saw a gap in the market for a company which supplied the fabrication machinery that was just about to revolutionise the manufacture of PVC-u windows of the time. The company sells a wide range of new automation machinery including the iconic SBA machining centre, plus a comprehensive range of reconditioned machinery that offers a cost-effective way for start-ups and established companies to improve their efficiencies. Dave’s recipe for honest advice and a commitment to service at every stage both pre- and post-sale has proved extremely successful and, in the face of the worldwide downturn, 2011 will see the company move into larger premises to support their ongoing business growth.
Product ranges
There can be no doubt that Haffner’s most famous product is the SBA machining centre. Like all of Haffner’s machines, it offers fabricators the ability to improve the quality and consistency of their output while simultaneously reducing overheads by speeding up production. First launched in 1994 as the SBA cutting and machining centre the fourth generation of this machine – the SBA-4S – was recently launched onto the market. Available in eight versions with routing and sawing stations that can be mixed and matched to meet individual requirements, it can be tailored to meet fabricators’ precise needs.
New features include a magnetic linear gripper movement that allows profiles to be fabricated with greater speed and accuracy than ever before and which can be programmed with an unlimited number of profiles, minimising set-up times. Automatic end milling with auto-cutter change reduces production time, a cut profile measurement function helps to prevent remakes and automatic arrow head adjustment ensures the accuracy of transoms and v-notching. Profile measurement and identification means that crashes due to the wrong bar being loaded can be avoided and additional manual feed and off load buttons makes the loading and offloading of profiles much easier. Windows XP technology offers reliability and compatibility with fabricators’ existing software while the latest Festo pneumatics offers fabricators the reassurance of German engineering.
Haffner’s range of new machinery is completed with the Vantage range of single, multi-head and cruciform welding machines, plus saws, milling machines and routers. There’s a similarly comprehensive range in Haffner’s reconditioned machinery offering. And while sales of new machinery remain steady, it’s this area of the business that’s proving attractive to fabricators – particularly start-ups – who are watching every penny in difficult financial times. Haffner’s package looks particularly attractive because it includes collection, repairs, refurbishment, delivery, installation, post-sales support and – most important of all – a no-quibble warranty, giving fabricators peace of mind that the machinery will add value to their business from day one.
Services and support
Dave takes great pride in the service that he offers, explaining, “Haffner was founded on offering practical and informed advice. When we say we want to sell customers the machinery package that’s right for their business, those aren’t just empty words. We want our customers to trust us so they return to us next time they need to invest and recommend us to others.” It’s this commitment to honest advice that means Haffner undertakes a full factory audit before recommending a machinery package that’s backed up with facts and figures on the savings the investment will bring. It’s something that countless fabricators over the years have valued and given Haffner its reputation for reliability and trustworthiness. Alongside the expert and honest support comes a genuine commitment to customer service and to going the extra mile before, during and – most important of all – after a sale. The service and support package is complemented by a range of finance packages that make investment in automation machinery a viable option when a capital investment isn’t an option.
The future
Haffner’s approach to business – quality, honesty and experience – can seem old-fashioned. Yet the company’s continuing success demonstrates that it offers what the industry needs.
Tel: 01785 814032
Fax: 01785 814034
E: dave.thomas@haffnergb.co.uk
www.haffnergb.com
