World class materials testing facility on your doorstep

Boatbuilding and team sports have one thing in common: you’re only as good as your weakest link. Inasmuch as one missed tackle can sink a rugby match, a bogus composite or resin could undo several months in the boatyard.

This explains the growing interest in One Eighty pty ltd, a local materials testing company currently celebrating its twentieth anniversary.

Boatbuilding and team sports have one thing in common: you’re only as good as your weakest link. Inasmuch as one missed tackle can sink a rugby match, a bogus composite or resin could undo several months in the boatyard.

This explains the growing interest in One Eighty Pty Ltd, a local materials testing company currently celebrating its twentieth anniversary.

“We’ve had a very positive response from a lot of boat builders,” says One Eighty Business Development head Rob Burns. “But there’s still a huge opportunity in the marketplace.”

One Eighty, which already works with the likes of Southern Wind and Veecraft, is looking to expand their footprint in both the local and international market. Historically it has worked predominantly in the commercial sector, particularly marine oil & gas, but is eager to make further inroads into leisure boating.

The company runs Africa’s most scoped ISO 17025:2017 metallurgical and materials testing laboratory, and is uniquely Bureau Veritas M&O approved. It is also the only materials testing lab in Africa that is a SASSDA (Southern African Stainless Steel Development Association) Member. In addition it is a member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

“Our exposure is quite significant,” says Burns of the company’s track record. “We have an international footprint with metals, but also work with a wide range of non-metals including polymers, composites, and new types of glues.”

“A good example would be a company using a new glue to attach a deck onto a hull. We could give that company peace of mind that their product meets the minimum standards,” he says.

Market analysis confirms a need for more materials analysis in the leisure sector, particularly in relation to composites, according to Burns.

One Eighty was founded in 2002 by University of Cape Town PHD graduate Janet Cotton who was then just 28-years-old. She and her colleague Dr Mark Yeoman initially achieved great success with orthopaedic companies and at one stage secured a sizeable research fund to develop ceramic materials for orthopaedic devices.

In 2005, as a result of Janet’s work in orthopaedics and the funding she has worked so hard to receive, she was able to recruit her first employees. As One Eighty grew and received more funding, Janet was able to recruit additional staff members and expand operations.

In 2010, One Eighty had grown to the extent that the business moved into new premises in Observatory. In 2012, Janet raised money from the National Industrial Participation Programme of the DTI for One Eighty’s state-of-the-art metallurgical testing laboratory and moved into bigger premises, also in Observatory, and the company took on more staff.

Today, One Eighty solves a broad range of real-life engineering problems in industries that include Oil and Gas, Mining, Marine, Fabrication, Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace, Defence, Food and Beverage and Power Generation.

Sign In

Register

Reset Password

Please enter your username or email address, you will receive a link to create a new password via email.