Traditional Industries Combined With Advanced Technology
Israel has developed a broad range of traditional metal industries capable of manufacturing the most sophisticated products including machinery, and electrical and electro-mechanical parts. These are produced as components as subcontractors for leading global corporations, while also providing solutions for integral sub-assemblies. What distinguishes this broad range of industries which is capable of manufacturing the most sophisticated metal products is its ability to meet the highest standards of traditional production while combining innovative, value-added high-tech systems and processes.
Sales of metal, and electrical equipment amounted to $12 billion during 2006 of which $69 billion, was exported. Though Israel has developed a reputation for its high-tech industry, this traditional sector represents 20% of overall industrial production in the country and 25% of exports. Manufacturing industries were initially developed in Israel to serve the needs of the country’s defense and security forces. But in recent years products and components have been developed for civilian as well as military applications.
Raw Materials
About 10.5% of production in this sector is of basic metals in steel and iron foundries including hardened and stainless steel, metal processing, rods, coils, fencing, profiles etc. These metals are used for a diverse range of applications including electronics, consumer products, construction, infrastructure and agriculture as well as military industries.
The largest Israeli foundries include Urdan Industries, which through Associated Steel Foundries (ASF) and other divisions produces steel and ferrous castings, suspension parts for armored vehicles and steel fabricated products for industrial and military applications. United Steel Mills manufactures concrete reinforcing bars, wires and angles and reinforcing wire and mesh, while Packer Plada processes over 150,000 tons of steel each year including hot rolled, galvanized and pre-painted steel as well as aluminum, stainless steel, tool steel, brass and special alloys.
Iskoor Metals and Steels Ltd. processes carbon steel products and non-ferrous metals and Global Wire Group manufactures non-ferrous wires and conductors. Hod Metal Products and Manufacturing produces welded mesh for barbed wire and concrete reinforcing. Yetzikat Hamifratz is a major manufactrurer of gray and ductile iron while Vulcan Foundries produces ductile, ADI, gray iron, steel and stainless steel in a wide range of alloys, according to international standards and Yaari Metal Industries manufactures metal stampings, and sub and full assemblies. In the area of marketing Scope Metal Trading & Technical Services is a leading distributor of white metals, specializing in corrosion resistant steels, which include stainless steel, aluminum, nickel-based alloys and titanium.
Metal Products
About 40% of sales in this sector is comprised of metal products ranging from pipes and plumbing accessories to valves, containers, metalwork including milling, turning etc., building materials, tools, cooking utensils, metal furniture etc.
Leading companies in this sector include the Middle East Tube Company (METCO) which manufactures steel pipes for oil and gas for onshore and offshore pipelines, water, sewage, construction, agriculture and civil engineering. The company’s product range includes corrosion-protected pipes, external polyethylene or polypropylene coated pipes, external concrete coated pipes, internal cement mortar lined pipes and galvanized pipes. Another pipe producer is Zinkal, which manufactures aluminum products including a range of pipes and profiles for the construction, infrastructure, agriculture and energy sectors. Koor Metals makes pressure tanks and heavy bridge steel structures.
Klil Industries is a leading manufactuer and exporter of aluminum extrusions and systems. Klil casts its own billets and the design, production, extrusion and painting of extrusions for window, door and curtain wall systems are all performed in-house. Holis Metal Industries designs and manufactures window coverings including blinds, curtain tracks systems, roller shutters and mosquito nets. MUL-T-LOCK owned by the Swedish-based global lock maker Assa Abloy produces a range of high-security locking systems, while Rav Bariah has developed innovative security doors. Degania Silicone’s Industrial Division develops, manufactures and markets industrial silicone products for construction such as door profiles for ovens and window profiles.
Iscar is a world-renowned manufacturer of innovative self-grip cutting tools for the automotive and aerospace industries. Other Israeli tooling manufacturers include Carmex Precision Tools Ltd., a leading producer of high-quality cutting tools. Habonim Industrial Valves manufactures ball valves and pneumatic actuators, while Lordan produces coils for industrial, domestic and car air conditioning and Magma Magnets specializes in the production of magnets for A.C. and D.C. motors for both automotive and other applications. Merkavim Metal Works builds bus bodies, while Micro Tools has developed and produces special sintered capillary tubes and ceramic ferrules and sleeves for high-tech. Modgal Metal makes malleable, ductile and gray iron cast products.
Many Israeli companies offer a range of metal engineering services such as Ortal, a modern Zinc and Magnesium die-casting plant with the highest quality services such as design, complete development and prototypes. Kibbutz Ein Hashofet (Ein Hashofet Metal Industries) owns a group of companies engaged in the manufacture and marketing of cold-formed metal parts and electrical accessories, while Hagiva Metal Works makes heavy metal products. I.M.C. Segal is a subcontractor of custom made products of aluminum gravity castings (permanent mold casting) and low-pressure castings, with in-house sophisticated machining and assembly of the products. Ornit produces a range of blind rivets with a variety of industrial applications, while Shiluv-Baz Engineering & Metal works manufactures machining and sheet metal fabrication and assembly for airborne applications.
Agam Metal Works designs, manufactures and markets all kinds of trailers, safes, ramps and conveyors and undertakes subcontracting projects of heavy metal work components and A.L. Filter. manufactures a broad range of filters including fuel injection filters, diesel filters, air and cabin filters for the automotive industry. Nordia Springs produces industrial springs for a wide variety of applications, and Superior Cables is a leader in copper and fiber optic cables and TelDor Wires and Cables specializes in high quality LAN cables. SHL Alubin manufactures aluminum products, Tadir-Gan produces aluminum pressure-die castings and Cabiran makes aluminum based alloy casting. Brand Industries is a leading metal fabricator and Englander Dies manufactures tools and progressive dies for precision metal stamping. Hanita Coating produces coated, laminated and metallized filmic products.
Machinery
The manufacture of metal machinery comprises 20.6% of sales in this sector and includes production, packing and weighing equipment, agricultural machinery and electro-mechanical devices such as elevators, lifting equipment, air conditioning systems, pumps, compressors, turbines, desalination plants and other electrical equipment.
In the military sector Israel Military Industries (IMI) is a world leader in the design, development and manufacturing of innovative, high performance defense and military systems producing a wide range of products from small arms to armored vehicles. The company also excels in the commercial sector – from satellite rocket launchers to advanced payphones, utilizing its state-of-the-art technologies and marketing network.
Electra Consumer Products manufactures central air conditioning systems as well as single air conditioning units, while its sister company Electra (Israel) manufactures and installs elevators. Hydro Noa manufactures a wide range of metal rescue systems including cutters, spreaders, bar busters, door busters, various types of pumps and more.
IDE offers three solutions for water desalination: small capacity low temperature Mechanical Vapor Compressors (MVC); large capacity low temperature Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) plants; and Reverse Osmosis (RO) units for sea and brackish water. Hundreds of IDE installations are successfully operating worldwide and the company also manufactures industrial water evaporators. Kav-Kor Automatic Controls develops, manufactures and markets temperature control products including a large variety of electronic controls and electro-mechanical thermostats, A/C protectors, de-icers and more.
Mescon Technologies designs, develops, manufactures and markets industrial control systems specializing in measuring and controlling devices, while Siron Microtech specializes in precision turned parts including complete sub-assemblies. Carmex Precision Tools manufactures high-quality cutting tools, while Hanita Metal Works makes cutting tools for metal machining. Modgal has a modern and highly automated casting and machining facility with an annual capacity of 10,000 tons. The company specializes in medium and large production runs of high quality, thin wall cast products weighing a few grams up to 10kg. Made of Ductile, Malleable and Grey cast iron.
Electrical Products
About 11.5% of sales in this sector are electrical products including control and command equipment, transformers, generators, batteries, switching gears, motors and related accessories.
Elco Industries manufactures a range of electrical infrastructure projects including power and distribution transformers. These transformers are installed worldwide within the framework of turnkey projects. AFCON (formerly Feuchtwanger) Industries also engages in turnkey projects, producing low medium and high voltage switchboards and other electrical switching equipment as well as control and automation fire and security systems. Battery manufacturers include Vulcan Batteries which produces car batteries and Tadiran Batteries, which is owned by Saft of the Alcatel Group in France, manufactures Lithium Thionyl Chloride batteries. Zika makes arc welding electrodes and Laor Industrial Batteries produces lead-acid batteries for industry. In addition TGM –Integrated Technical Solutions is a leading Israeli independent supplier and service provider in the field of electromechanical modules and packaging solutions. Hi-Cut (1985) Shilat is a leader in electro-erosion and wire cutting.
Other Materials
In addition to metal equipment, machinery and parts, Israeli firms produce a range of other materials for industry, construction, agriculture and components for vehicles. Phoenicia America-Israel (Flat Glass) Ltd. is Israel’s largest producer of float and pattern glass, as well as a wide variety of derived products including laminated safety glass, printed tempered glass and mirrors.
Sefen Ltd. manufactures decorative surfaces including laminates, impregnated melamine papers and drilling board and Negev Ceramics manufactures ceramic tiles. Merhav Ceramic & Building Materials also manufactures ceramic tiles as well as sanitary ware and faucets.
Close alliances in Israel between traditional industries and high-tech will continue to result in the incorporation of more advanced production technologies into manufacturing, more improved quality control procedures and the value-added smart-technologies which are often embedded in Israeli products.