Wheelchairs Photographs

A quick tour of the factory

The premises at Wangara are in the heart of a busy, light industrial area about 20 kilometers north of Perth, Western Australia. We acknowledge and thank the West Australian Government for covering our rent. Rotary and the Christian Brothers provide the other overheads.

Click on any image for a larger version

Manufacture starts with the raw materials, aluminium tube and bar, wheels, fasteners,assorted rubber and plastic for handles and brake parts and new plastic seats.

Parts such as wheels are imported in container loads and create a storage problem. Our workshop is a decent size, but we are always looking for new ways to stack things away. Even finished chairs take a lot of space when waiting for transport.

Aluminium tube and bar is cut to various lengths and then drilled and bent to make components.
Our base tube is 19mm square section aluminium tube delivered in 6 metre lengths. Careful planning in the mix of different sizes almost eliminates any wastage - and even then the wastage becomes redeemable salvage.

Many of the operations involve bending tubing and then fastening parts to form subassemblies.

Components are made from the cut lengths of tube or bar by smoothing, drilling and bending to create the shelves of parts for the assemblers.

Because we have a volunteer workforce operating to an irregular schedule they all become "jacks of all trades"
To control quality every stage of conversion from the tube or bar uses jigs to ensure accurate drilling and cutting.

Sheet aluminium is also used to make the footplate. Here it is being cut to shape prior to folding and rivetting to the frame.

Parts are stored temporarily in the assembly area where side assemblies and footplates are to be made into complete chairs

And finally the components start to look like a wheelchair - even at this stage without wheels.

To conserve shipping space boxed chairs have wheels removed. Each box includes simple instructions, and maintenance tools to allow the recipients to perform the few easy steps to re-assemble the chair.

There are occasions when our distributors can accept wheelchairs in bulk, to be packed straight into a shipping container.

Most often the wheelchairs have been boxed and stacked ready for shipment, waiting for transport.

Click to return to the Gallery

A quick tour of the factory
The premises at Wangara are in the heart of a busy, light industrial area about 20 kilometers north of Perth, Western Australia. We acknowledge and thank the West Australian Government for covering our rent. Rotary and the Christian Brothers provide the other overheads. Click on any image for a larger version
Manufacture starts with the raw materials, aluminium tube and bar, wheels, fasteners,assorted rubber and plastic for handles and brake parts and new plastic seats.	Parts such as wheels are imported in container loads and create a storage problem. Our workshop is a decent size, but we are always looking for new ways to stack things away. Even finished chairs take a lot of space when waiting for transport.	Aluminium tube and bar is cut to various lengths and then drilled and bent to make components. Our base tube is 19mm square section aluminium tube delivered in 6 metre lengths. Careful planning in the mix of different sizes almost eliminates any wastage - and even then the wastage becomes redeemable salvage.
Many of the operations involve bending tubing and then fastening parts to form subassemblies.	Components are made from the cut lengths of tube or bar by smoothing, drilling and bending to create the shelves of parts for the assemblers.	Because we have a volunteer workforce operating to an irregular schedule they all become "jacks of all trades" To control quality every stage of conversion from the tube or bar uses jigs to ensure accurate drilling and cutting.
Sheet aluminium is also used to make the footplate. Here it is being cut to shape prior to folding and rivetting to the frame.
Parts are stored temporarily in the assembly area where side assemblies and footplates are to be made into complete chairs	And finally the components start to look like a wheelchair - even at this stage without wheels.
To conserve shipping space boxed chairs have wheels removed. Each box includes simple instructions, and maintenance tools to allow the recipients to perform the few easy steps to re-assemble the chair.	There are occasions when our distributors can accept wheelchairs in bulk, to be packed straight into a shipping container. Most often the wheelchairs have been boxed and stacked ready for shipment, waiting for transport.	Click to return to the Gallery