From its humble beginnings some 24 years ago as a plastic componentry machinist, Alternative Engineering Concepts (AEC) has grown into a comprehensive machining facility that today boasts 36 employees and offers a long list of services across a wide range of materials. 

CNC milling, turning and routing, laser and water jet cutting, punching, moulding and fabrication are all part of their repertoire for jobs of any size – from prototypes to production runs – in plastic, polyurethane, industrial rubber, aluminium, brass, copper and steel. 

"We used to be called Alternative Plastics," managing director Greg Bradley says of the name still prominently displayed on the building’s front-facing signage, "but, because we're now machining so many different materials, we've changed to Alternative Engineering Concepts to reflect the larger basket of goodies we now present to the marketplace."

Today, plastic componentry still represents the lion’s share of AEC’s work, and the workshop has grown a reputation as a market leader in fabricating change parts for machinery in the bottling and food industries.

“We do a lot of niche market business for local industries; urgent work that requires a fast turnaround, such as change parts for machinery that can’t afford any real down-time,” Bradley explains, adding that the workshop also performs large amounts of prototyping. 

“We do a lot of prototyping work and one offs – we probably have a customer in here every day wanting to make a prototype of some sort.”

For designers, AEC’s competitive advantage lies in the workshop’s ability to provide services at both ends of the scale – to act as a one-stop shop that can oversee everything from concept and design to finished fabrication. 

“Sometimes designers or architects come in with just an idea,” Bradley explains. “We've got AutoCAD Inventor here with draftsmen and technical engineers on staff, so we can talk about the projects, show the customers what's achievable, help them to design and draft it, show them how it looks and basically take their concept right through to a production model.” 

One area in particularly high demand is that of bending plastics, a key AEC specialty that can be performed in-house in a multitude of ways to suit different material specifications.

“We do a lot of work with acrylics, polycarbonates, polypropylene and HTPE polyethylene,” Bradley explains. “Depending upon the choice of material, we can heat bend by hand (a process that involves heating material over a table fitted with water-cooled heating elements until it is pliable enough to be bent) or cold bend in a brake press to form the shape. We can also arrange drape moulding if it is required.”

Asked about advantages of plastic as a prototyping material, Bradley extols the material’s various resistance qualities: “There are many reasons why one might use plastic over, say, metal,” he says.

“Plastic is easier to machine (in most cases); it has a high level of chemical resistance; it can be used to reduce noise; and, it is resistant to wear and tear. Of course, plastic won’t suit all jobs, which is why we expanded into other materials.” 

Alternative Engineering Components is located in North Melbourne, Victoria. 

Alternative Plastics, now trading as Alternative Engineering Components
Greg Bradley, general manager  
alternativeengineering.com.au
35 Boundary Rd, North Melbourne, Victoria
+61 3 9269 6591