Hanging out at SaMASZ
FarmShop Lead mechanics, Jeff and Scott have recently returned from a trip to Europe to visit our international key partners. An absolute highlight was their time spent at SaMASZ in Poland.
The pair were picked up in Warsaw and taken to the SaMASZ factory in East Poland near the Belarus Border. This well-established company is a huge employer for the local town, with two shifts running every day.
The guys were blown away by the sheer size of the factory, which produces 4000+ machines per year and supplies over 60 countries. They found the mindset of its workers to be very positive, and the town was busy and progressive.
While SaMASZ was established in 1984, this factory is just 5 years old, and in that time SaMASZ has seriously invested in automation. At 10 levels high, it’s an impressive building, with large test paddocks on either side for prototype machines and a forest behind them – all SaMASZ-owned.
The laser and plasma cutting machines are all automated, demonstrating their commitment to precision. Steel sheets arrive and go straight in for cutting. There is very little downtime or wastage. Robotic welders do a fair chunk of the easier work, with plenty of manual welders completing the difficult pieces.
There are dozens of manual two-aside welding bays, where every worker has their own welder, workbench, air supply and extraction. Decades of talent and experience reside in these bays.
Once cut out, fabricated and press welded, the mowers move to an area where the ‘backbone’ of the machine is completed. When the guys visited, it was the end of their mowing season and SaMASZ were moving onto snow equipment – painted orange to differentiate.
All SaMASZ mower modules are made in-house and measured for accuracy. Each assembly line has its own bay with a dedicated worker. Staff rotate across the bays to become skilled in the full plant. The entire process is incredibly fast and efficient.
Once the mower bar has been assembled it is pressurised in a solution bath to ensure there are no imperfections, cracks or leaks.
Scott mentions the factory ‘toolboxes’, “enormous, automated racks with a control box, where the worker keys in the coordinates for a tool and a robot fetches the right drawer and delivers the tool to the worker, returning it when finished.”
The paint system is impressive. After each component has been welded and sandblasted, they are dipped in about 12 different baths, mimicking the automotive industry to achieve full coverage. Next is a dedicated painting booth where each piece is robotically powder coated, with a person inspecting the effort and touching up any hard-to-reach areas. It’s an in-depth process that sets SaMASZ apart from its competitors.
Finally, an innovative hitch system sees that every mower and its hydraulic functions are thoroughly checked. Crating and storage of the machines is a big area too – ready for export.
Hanging out in the SaMASZ factory for three intense days has given Jeff and Scott enormous respect for the manufacturer and outstanding product knowledge. The pair are looking forward to sharing their knowledge on mowers, rakes and tedders with FarmShop customers.
What an experience – what a company! And yes, the beer tasted great too.
If you are interested in a SaMASZ implement with outstanding finance terms - get in touch with us today!