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| Company
History
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| Vancouver |
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R.A.S. Industries Ltd.
is a descendent of R And S Machine Works
founded in the spring of 1952. Eric Sutton and Stanley Ross took over a small
blacksmith and machine shop on Kent Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. Located on the Fraser river, the company was a neighbour to several
boat and ship manufacturers. The initial business focused on supplying parts
and machining services for fishing boats, tug boats and local sawmills.
During the late 1960's and early 1970's the company ascended to the
next generation with Alan and Robert Sutton taking control. Product lines
including conveyor pulleys, race car axles and custom machining and
fabrication were added to the scope of the business. |
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Fabrication |
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In the late 1960's, R
And S Machine Works repaired conveyors and fabricated
some custom pulleys for its industrial associates. It was a simple matter
to machine a piece of pipe and supply end discs, shafting and hubs. A
major breakthrough occurred when we began manufacturing
our own hubs and bushings. Up to this point, hubs and bushings had to be
supplied by a third party. Now, the company could provide complete cost effective
alternatives.
This marked the
entrance of R And S Machine Works into the pulley fabrication industry. We could fabricate complete conveyor pulley assemblies in-house
- pulley shells, end plates, shafting and hubs. Most
of our early products were manufactured for the local forest industry.
Many of our pulleys were put into operation on chip conveyors at saw
mills and pulp and paper mills. As well, our pulleys were used in gravel
pits on aggregate conveyors.
In the mid 1970's, R And S Machine
Works developed crown rolls to roll plate for pulley shells.
Until then, all of our manufactured pulleys had consisted of machined
pipe or fabricated cones. Now it was possible to manufacture larger, more durable pulleys
for many industries.
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The Mining Industry |
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In the early 1980's, we
moved our facility to its present location in Surrey, British Columbia
and incorporated under a new name - R.A.S. Industries Ltd.. The
little machine shop from Kent Street was poised to begin a new chapter
in its history.
Through a business associate, R.A.S.
Industries was
awarded the contract to supply pulleys for the Athabasca Tarsands
operations.
This was our break into the mining industry. We were now manufacturing
Engineered Class pulleys for some of the most demanding conditions in
the world. We continued to supply pulleys for many projects using the
design specifications provided by engineering consultants and mine
operators.
In the mid 1990's, R.A.S.
Industries developed our own design process with the aid of Conveyor
Dynamics Inc. software. Using
advanced computer techniques and over three decades of experience, we
could now meet every need in the conveying industry from design to
fabrication.
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R.A.S. Industries Ltd. Today |
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Today, R.A.S. Industries Ltd. is a
recognized leader in conveyor pulley technology. We continue to design
and manufacture world class engineered pulleys and components for the
mining industry worldwide. We are setting new standards for industry
through our innovation in manufacturing processes.
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The Future |
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We continue to be challenged by the need for products that
will meet the ever increasing demands of today's industries. We are expanding our market into the
South American mining industry and beyond. R.A.S. Industries Ltd.
is truly becoming a global leader in the mining industry.
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