Fred Flottmann
Fred
Flottmann’s achievements support his philosophy- you don’t need large amounts
of capital and sophisticated technology to compete globally in the manufacturing
market. Fred started his career as an apprentice fitter at the Midland Railway
Workshops in 1938 and is well known in the engineering industry for his
motorised hose reels. For the last ten years he has been involved with
manufacturing a product used extensively throughout Australia, and exported to
Indonesia, Africa and New Zealand.
The Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA) is one
of the original customers of the reels which are designed so the hose can’t
become disconnected from the water supply. John Lambrichs, FESA’s Manager for
Fleet Maintenance explained the benefits of the local product. "Fred
Flottmann’s reels have been used extensively by FESA in different applications
and configurations - both motorised rewind and manual rewind. The design is
basic which makes them very reliable and because they are locally produced,
parts are readily available. Fred has also been more than approachable to take
on board our ideas and special FESA needs and requirements."
Some of the reels require such long hoses that they have to be mounted on trolleys. They are also used on ships (where they are made of stainless steel) and mines for compressed air hoses. Telstra uses them for Optic cables and they are even used by suppliers of olive oil where the oil is pumped directly into restaurants.
Fred is currently working on the prototype of a motorised four wheeled scooter for people with mobility problems. It will be designed with a simple drive shaft and differential, with gears cast by a moulder rather than being machine cut. The simplicity reduces wear and tear on components, and therefore maintenance. Comfort, appearance and flexibility are Fred’s other main considerations. The seat, which will turn 45degrees so people can easily get out, will be a padded version of those used on old tractors. Fred aims to begin production at a rate of around five a week next year. He is confident that they will sell by word of mouth because he can retail them for about $500.00 less than the cheapest imported models.
His method of production, which is one he has always used, helps keep over-heads down. He sets up a tradesman with a lathe in his own workshop to produce the required components independently and at the same time get started in his own business. For many years Fred worked in third world countries with the International Labour Organisation and strongly believes people are more motivated when they are independent.
During his lifetime he has assisted many to get started within the industry. In 1958 he joined Technical Education as a maintenance fitter, then went on to become an instructor in Fitting and Machining. He attended night school to gain his Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and became the Officer in Charge of Fitting and Machining at Collie and Wembley Technical Schools. He has gathered several qualifications along the way but the one he values most is his Railways Apprenticeship Certificate, which he says: "has enabled me to do everything".
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