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Local security technology manufacturer

Technoswitch, a South African manufacturer, importer and distributor of fire detection and suppression equipment turned 45 this year.

The company was founded in 1974 by JM Wachter with a focus on the design and manufacturing of fire alarm control panels. In addition to supplying its own manufactured product line to the fire industry, Technoswitch has also become the primary distributor of a number of leading international brands. These additions have resulted in Technoswitch having a product portfolio which is able to cover domestic, commercial, industrial and mining applications.

Despite the addition of these international brands, Technoswitch also designs and manufactures in excess of 50 different products for the fire detection and suppression industry at its headquarters in Honeydew, Johannesburg. The products being manufactured are conventional fire control panels, extinguishing control panels, power supplies, customised fire detection and control equipment, and numerous fire detection and suppression interfaces and peripherals. All these products are used in a variety of industries with the majority being installed in the mining and industrial environments as a result of their proven reliability.

At this point, Technoswitch is only exporting its locally manufactured products into sub-Saharan Africa, however its long-term goal is to also move into the European markets with the new products currently under development. This objective was also one of the main reasons the company invested heavily into a Quality Management System, and obtained an ISO 9001:2015 certificate in January 2016 – the first South African company to achieve ISO 9001 certification according to the 2015 edition of the standard.

Although Technoswitch always had an informal QMS in place, the ISO 9001:2015 certification has given its clients a lot more confidence in its product offering and it has helped streamline Technoswitch’s processes and made it more efficient; which is extremely valuable, especially in the current economic climate.

One of the main reasons Technoswitch has been able to continue its manufacturing presence is that it operates in a niche market and has years of relevant industry experience. This experience translates into the ability to develop products for its client base from concept stage, which will also comply with the relevant industry standards. Examples of products developed specifically on a customer’s request are:

• TEC601 19-inch Rack Fire Detection and Suppression Unit.

• COBRA SP1 Air Purge Unit with built-in flame and linear heat detection interfaces.

At the same time, Technoswitch remains flexible and is able to customise products when required. This is a significant advantage as most international companies tend to be more rigid in this regard and are not willing to perform any customisation on their products.

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