BISALLOY® Armour Steel solution chosen by German Defence for quality and precision.

As Australia’s only manufacturer of Quenched and Tempered steel plate, Bisalloy has forged a strong local reputation for excellence in high performance steel solutions for mining, mineral processing, defence and structural applications.

On the world stage, Bisalloy Steels has also become the go-to manufacturer for international defence companies requiring consistently high-quality armoured steel solutions.

In a remarkable story of innovation and collaboration, Bisalloy has developed an armour steel solution that meets the highest standards of the German Defence Force, certified by the German Government and their testing authority, WTD91.

Bisalloy was the first company outside of Europe to qualify for the tough standards — and is one of only a handful of suppliers capable of manufacturing steel to the required quality.

To fulfil its recent contracts, Bisalloy chose a highly skilled partner — Smetec Services. They began operations in Europe almost a century ago and bring that long experience with metal forging to all of their projects with Bisalloy.

Enabling Innovation with Steel: Episode 2 – Smetec Services

Smetec Services – Specialised Material Processing Services.

Smetec Services are experts in specialised material processing and engineering services, and to partner with Bisalloy they invested significantly in state-of-the-art manufacturing tools, including High End Milling, 3D Scanning and Printing, Laser and Waterjet cutting.

As well as expertise in steel processing and engineering, the Smeets family brings a deep connection with Australian Defence to all of their defence work. Tim Smeets spent 13 years as an Avionics Engineer in the Australian Navy, while his wife Louise served as a Combat Systems Operator for six years. Their daughter is set to join the Australian Army next year.

‘We’re passionate about working on defence projects,’ said Tim. ‘To us, the key thing in defence is accountability, to be accountable for what we deliver.’ When that meant investing in equipment that delivers to specifications measured in microns, the Smeets didn’t hesitate. 

‘We want to be a centre of excellence,’ said Louise. Smetec have gone through the same multi-year journey as Bisalloy to qualify for exacting Australian Defence standards.

As partners, Bisalloy and Smetec are working together to produce armour steel products to the highest international standards, protecting lives in multiple countries. ‘Collaboration is the key for the future,’ said Louise. ‘Working with Bisalloy, we can see so many opportunities to grow exports for Australia.’

Tim Smeets has a clear goal. ‘We want to be at the forefront of sovereign capabilities in Australian manufacturing. We’re solution finders.’

Bisalloy chooses its partners carefully. Its reputation is on the line whenever their steel is specified for ships, submarines or fighting vehicles. Smetec impressed them from the start, with their resolve to achieve a standard of precision uncommon in Australian manufacturing.

‘Smetec are innovative, they’re accurate and they’re all about the highest quality,’ said Mr Huckstepp. ‘And they’re investing in their future capabilities.’

From their side, the Smeets never take Bisalloy steel for granted. It’s so hard and pure all the way through. It’s much tougher than other steels and it’s tough on tools — that’s why the water jet cutter is useful. It doesn’t heat the edges of the steel, which means it retains its amazing quality,’ said Mr Smeets.

Bisalloy Steels – 40+ years of armour steel excellence.

For Mr Huckstepp, the future of Bisalloy is bright. Having achieved US and German standards for BISALLOY® Armour Steel, he’s confident that Bisalloy can deliver whatever international customers need. ‘Bisalloy is a story of innovation and persistence. We’ve done the hard yards. We’ve got the talent, the skills and the experience to produce armoured steel that’s in high global demand.’

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