The Paint & Panel editor (me) had an interesting day last week looking at the posh ACM parts depot at Smeaton Grange and the dismantling facility at Smithfield. Thanks to CEO Mike Kirkman for showing me around, we have an interview with him discussing the company's achievements and goals in the next issue of Paint & Panel magazine.
I had never visited a dismantling facility before and, to be honest, I had some unrealistic expectations. I kind of had this image in mind.
Where as the reality was a little more mundane.
There's an area for grey imports and the aftermarket parts which have been tested by NSF. Then its rows and racks of doors, panels, tyres, seats and all the usual recycling suspects.
ACM has separated the storage and dismantling process completely, which make for a much cleaner parts storage facility.
All the parts from the dismantling facility at Smithfield - a facility ACM has bought and kept the staff and management in place - get shipped over to Smeaton Grange on daily runs. It's a one chance affair with each car in Smithfield as they don't have the space to keep cars in case a specific part is needed that they haven't salvaged from that model. The ACM facility in Queensland does have the space to allow for storage of stripped vehicles.
The dismantling facility smells fantastic - if you're a petrol head - oil and fuel perfume the air which all have to be drained from the vehicles before they are worked on.
The engines and transmissions are cleaned at Smithfield, although it looks like most the dirt transfers itself to the workers, my sympathies go out to their wives and girlfriends.
Over in Smithfield it's not just about pulling cars apart - although they are pretty swift and on a good week can despatch 50 vehicles to the great highway in the sky - there are creative souls there too. I loved the engine coffee table that even has LED lights and the seating was fun too. It almost made up for the lack of Terminator robots and dramatic music.
