MEMBER FEATURE
THRIVING IN THE WINDS OF CHANGE ADRAD has been manufacturing radiators in Australia since 1985 In the 35 plus years that have passed since they first opened their doors, the team at ADRAD have successfully navigated the winds of change on numerous occasions. Today, ADRAD is still a proudly Australian owned family company specialising in the manufacture, importation and distribution of quality radiators, automotive air-conditioning parts, other heat exchange products, plus a growing range of automotive service and replacement parts. “Our range of radiators available in copper, brass, aluminium and steel is the most extensive in Australia and New Zealand,” ADRAD Business Development Manager for Aluminium Performance Products, Darren Duncan, said. “The quality of our range and our commitment to the highest levels of service continues to raise the industry benchmark. “Our products are diverse and meet the needs of automobiles, light trucks and commercial vehicles, heavy on-highway vehicles and heavy off-highway vehicles; but my passion lies in our customised aluminium products for racing and performance vehicles.” In May this year, Darren will celebrate 20 years of working in the radiator industry, and 38 years in the automotive industry. “I’ve seen the industry evolve significantly during that time. Still, the one constant has been the value of maintaining a range of quality products that match the shifting range of popular applications,” he said. When the ADRAD leadership team needed someone with experience to develop their range of aluminium performance products, Darren took the opportunity. “It quickly became a passion of mine, and to this day, I still get a buzz when I work with customers to develop a bespoke heat transfer solution,” Darren states. During his time managing ADRAD’s aluminium performance division, Darren has witnessed massive change and innovation. ADRAD’s founder, Gary Washington, and the company’s talented manufacturing team have invested in significant upgrades to enhance their design and manufacturing capabilities. “In the last five years, we’ve seen the evolution of 76
Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine February 2022
aluminium radiator configurations advance at an ever-increasing rate,” Darren explained. The significant increases in engine performance have been the driving force behind this new era of innovation in the range of aluminium products for racing and performance vehicles. “Five or six years ago, a streetcar with 500 horsepower under the hood was considered a beast,” Darren described. “But today, more and more cars are pushing out in excess of 1000 ponies at the rear wheels, and more horsepower means more heat, and this has driven innovation across our entire range.” It is a challenge to develop new products to help tame these high-performance thoroughbreds. “Back in the day when all we had was the old
copper and brass radiators, the only way to keep performance engines cool was to keep adding rows of tubes which made them thicker and thicker and thicker,” Darren explained. “But these days, there’s not much room in modern engine bays. That, along with the increasing trend towards LS and Barra engine swaps, means that the space between the engine and the radiator support panel is at a premium and as a result, building thicker radiators is no longer an option in most applications.” Armed with these insights, ADRAD’s design team focused on innovating within the core and experimenting with fin profiling and design. From the outside, any radiator core looks pretty simple; it just consists of water tubes and cooling fins. But in reality, selecting the right combination
