Warren and Brown
Encyclopedia
The company of Warren and Brown was founded as a partnership in 1921 by Mr Andrew C. Brown and Mr William H. Warren, commencing at this time as “jobbing” engineer
s, specializing in tool making and gear cutting.
The business was gradually extended with the development of a number of production lines suited to automotive reconditioning equipment.
In December 1930 the partnership was converted into a proprietary company.
the factory's resources were used to aid the war effort and apart from manufacturing its normal range of products, the company took a leading part in production of tools and gauges for military purposes and was largely responsible for the more important tooling associated with .303 ammunition.
The company was next approached by the United States Government's Director of Machine Tools and Gauges and requested to undertake the manufacture of a range of “self centering chucks”. These chucks had never been manufactured in Australia before and information regarding overseas manufacturing procedures was not available. Warren and Brown commenced an extensive design and tooling programme and after many initial problems made their first deliveries of chucks to Government in February, 1942.
By 1949 the continuing business expansion stretched the company's financial resources to the limit and in May, 1949 Warren and Brown Pty Ltd became part of the Repco organization and with the added resources available the company expanded into the heavier equipment field, adding products such as clutch rebuilders, spring testers, boring bars and other machines to its range.
In 1948, Warren and Brown took out patents on what has now become known as the “Dual Signal” trip mechanism for their world renowned range of torque wrenches. The first wrenches were released onto the market in 1949 and to this day still hold the major share of the Australian market despite an onslaught of cheap imports. Warren and Brown torque wrenches are recognised as the bench mark to where other similar products aspire to be and have been sold extensively around the world and can be found in the toolboxes of some of the biggest names in world motorsport.
As a result of a significant change in ownership and corporate direction by the parent Repco Group in 1985, Warren and Brown was finally purchased by five of its management team in 1986 and relocated to its present site in Maidstone.
Renamed Warren and Brown and Staff, the company became a privately owned Proprietary Limited company.
Under this structure the company has continued as a manufacturer and supplier of specialized tools to the automotive, industrial, electrical and electronic industries.
When the company applied its electronics expertise to its long established clinical air pumps, this resulted in the first switch mode circuit being designed and patented in Australia. This circuit, which can operate on either 12Volt DC or 90 to 260Volts AC enabled suffers of asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis and other respitory ailments to be fully mobile as the pump could operate in a car and aeroplane or from any domestic electricity system around the world.
As a tool designer and manufacture. Warren and Brown were approached by Telecom Australia (Telstra) to design and produce coax cable stripping tools. This has led to the development of many other tools for Telstra and other major companies and has provided a vehicle for Warren and Brown to enter the telecommunications industry with their widely accepted Optic Fibre Management System.
Warren and Brown is established in export markets throughout the world with its traditional range of automotive tools and equipment. Global markets include the United Kingdom
, Europe
, Russia
, the U.S.A. and Asia
.
The company changed its name from Warren and Brown and Staff to Warren and Brown Technologies in 1997.
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s, specializing in tool making and gear cutting.
Extension of work
After carrying out work of this nature for several years, the Company's production focus shifted to the manufacture of tools to service the motor trade which was then in its infancy.The business was gradually extended with the development of a number of production lines suited to automotive reconditioning equipment.
In December 1930 the partnership was converted into a proprietary company.
World War II
At the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the factory's resources were used to aid the war effort and apart from manufacturing its normal range of products, the company took a leading part in production of tools and gauges for military purposes and was largely responsible for the more important tooling associated with .303 ammunition.
The company was next approached by the United States Government's Director of Machine Tools and Gauges and requested to undertake the manufacture of a range of “self centering chucks”. These chucks had never been manufactured in Australia before and information regarding overseas manufacturing procedures was not available. Warren and Brown commenced an extensive design and tooling programme and after many initial problems made their first deliveries of chucks to Government in February, 1942.
By 1949 the continuing business expansion stretched the company's financial resources to the limit and in May, 1949 Warren and Brown Pty Ltd became part of the Repco organization and with the added resources available the company expanded into the heavier equipment field, adding products such as clutch rebuilders, spring testers, boring bars and other machines to its range.
In 1948, Warren and Brown took out patents on what has now become known as the “Dual Signal” trip mechanism for their world renowned range of torque wrenches. The first wrenches were released onto the market in 1949 and to this day still hold the major share of the Australian market despite an onslaught of cheap imports. Warren and Brown torque wrenches are recognised as the bench mark to where other similar products aspire to be and have been sold extensively around the world and can be found in the toolboxes of some of the biggest names in world motorsport.
As a result of a significant change in ownership and corporate direction by the parent Repco Group in 1985, Warren and Brown was finally purchased by five of its management team in 1986 and relocated to its present site in Maidstone.
Renamed Warren and Brown and Staff, the company became a privately owned Proprietary Limited company.
Under this structure the company has continued as a manufacturer and supplier of specialized tools to the automotive, industrial, electrical and electronic industries.
When the company applied its electronics expertise to its long established clinical air pumps, this resulted in the first switch mode circuit being designed and patented in Australia. This circuit, which can operate on either 12Volt DC or 90 to 260Volts AC enabled suffers of asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis and other respitory ailments to be fully mobile as the pump could operate in a car and aeroplane or from any domestic electricity system around the world.
As a tool designer and manufacture. Warren and Brown were approached by Telecom Australia (Telstra) to design and produce coax cable stripping tools. This has led to the development of many other tools for Telstra and other major companies and has provided a vehicle for Warren and Brown to enter the telecommunications industry with their widely accepted Optic Fibre Management System.
Warren and Brown is established in export markets throughout the world with its traditional range of automotive tools and equipment. Global markets include the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the U.S.A. and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
The company changed its name from Warren and Brown and Staff to Warren and Brown Technologies in 1997.
Achievements
- Exertech Exercise Monitoring Equipment, in conjunction with Repco Research and the Australian Institute of Sport.
- Electronic Switch Mode Circuit for Multivoltage Air Pumps.
- World's first Cylinder Head machine.
- World's first modular design Dynamic Wheel Balancer.
- Development of Synchronized Valve Seat Honing System.
- Development of tooling and methods to extrude fire-retardant plastics.
- Development of factory service tools for Ford, GMH and Nissan.
- Victorian Small/ Medium Enterprise Exporter of the Year 2000 and a National finalist.
- ISO 9001 Quality Accreditation
- UL2024A listing for halogen-free optic fiber ducting