Turning complex challenges into practical solutions
For more than 85 years, Flexible Drive has helped customers solve complex engineering, manufacturing and operational challenges across transport, defence, marine, aviation and industrial applications.
From supplying Australia's widest range of control cables to developing custom control systems, wiper systems, flexible shaft systems, cameras, mounts and safety solutions, we have built a reputation for delivering practical, reliable outcomes in demanding environments.
Our products and engineered solutions can be found operating on cars, buses, trucks, trains, trams, construction equipment, marine vessels, defence vehicles and specialised industrial machinery throughout Australia and beyond. Whether the challenge involves improving safety, increasing reliability, extending equipment life or developing a completely new solution, our team works closely with customers to turn ideas into dependable results.
The following case studies highlight some of the challenges we've helped solve and demonstrate how Flexible Drive combines engineering expertise, manufacturing capability and product knowledge to deliver solutions that perform in the real world.
Many assumed the end of the car manufacturing industry in Australia would also see the exit of manufacturing skills, but companies like Flexible Drive continue to reinvent its manufacturing expertise and we go from strength to strength...
Our customers trains have been successfully and safely delivering passengers across Australia for the past few decades. However, how hard is it to shut off a fuel line if needed? Extremely hard, it seems, if it’s under a train...
Melbourne’s E-class trams are manufactured by Bombardier in Dandenong. Along with hundreds of local and overseas supplier parts comprising the build, we supply wiper systems for the trams....
When a system fails the results can be devastating. According to the coroner, basic steps could have been taken to prevent the fire that broke out on the Australian Navy patrol boat HMAS Westralian in 2003...
According to Wikipedia, a control system is a device that manages, commands, directs or regulates the behaviour of other devices or systems. Every kid with a billycart knows the importance of control systems: the rope attached to the pivoting front axel for steering, the crude wooden lever (or failing that, the soles of expensive Nike sneakers) for braking...
And, one of our more unusual challenges was limiting vibrations in the University of Adelaide butterfly enclosure. In chaos theory, the butterfly effect describes the way in which a small change in one part of a system can result in large differences in a later state...