Bhullar Group Gains AS/NZS ISO 3834 Certification

Australian owned and operated, the Bhullar Group specialises in a range of welded and fabricated works, with expertise in road and bridge projects, civil works and construction, and pre-engineered products. The company also delivers skilled labour services to Australian industry through the Bhullar Industrial Training Program, which demonstrates the company’s strong focus on upskilling and ongoing professional development. The Bhullar Group recently gained certification to AS/NZS ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials, to advance its workforce capabilities and open the door to new opportunities.

According to Michael Bhullar (Managing Director, Bhullar Group), “We supply to fabricators when it comes to welded sections and other processed items. For our fabrication works, we have a diverse range of clients, including tower crane companies, civil contractors and first tier companies like JHG, CPB, and Lendlease.”

In 2010, the company commenced the manufacturing of welded sections, and five years later it began fabrication works. Today, the Bhullar Group is widely recognised as a consistent achiever of high standards within the local steel marketplace.

“We offer a range of in-house facilities, including manufacturing and processing, and fabrication and installation. Our products and services are high quality and remain highly competitive on a local and global scale,” Bhullar said.

Centralised Facilities for Nation-Wide Work The Bhullar Group is committed to supplying steel that meets quality requirements for the construction, manufacturing, building, and mining industries. However, they are also committed to processing steel that meets specific customer requirements.

According to Bhullar, the company’s dedicated workshop space in Auburn, New South Wales provides an array of opportunities to work on any type of project. “We have a fabrication workshop and a dedicated welded section manufacturing workshop. Together, we have over two hectares of yard space. Our facilities have the capacity to profile cut steel that is up to 5m wide and 21m in length.”

“The workshop also features advanced manufacturing equipment, like CNC machinery to ensure we provide solutions as per the job requirement. This minimises the lead time and overall cost for our customers,” Bhullar said. Not surprisingly then, Bhullar Group has worked on a variety of high-profile projects across the nation. At Sydney’s busy Martin Place train station, the Bhullar Group provided welding and fabrication works for parts of the platform. Their team is currently working on the Sydney Metro Barangaroo Station Box, which features an underground rapid transit station that will transform Sydney’s train network.

The Bhullar Group are also experts at sea, with their expertise on show at the 235m Thevenard Jetty in Ceduna. This $14.1 million upgrade gave South Australia’s busiest regional port much-needed facelift.

“We even recently supplied over 1,500 tonnes of plunge columns for two of Australia’s most iconic buildings: Crown Resort in Sydney, and the Spirit Tower on the Gold Coast,” Bhullar said.

International Training Program The Bhullar Industrial Training Program links education with practical training pathways and covers trade and non-trade positions. It provides pathways to a wide range of occupations within the welding and fabrication sector.

In 2012, Hunter TAFE in Newcastle signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhullar Educational Services, which is part of the broader Bhullar Group. The MoU facilitates collaborative practices across several areas of education, and offers support for international students interested in taking up a trade.

Bhullar Group is currently in the process of establishing a Registered Training Organisation to deliver tailored and in demand qualifications within the Metals and Fabrication Qualification Package without reliance on third party certifying institutions.

Bhullar believes that the sudden influx of projects across the nation has led to an urgent need for

specific and tailor-made short trade courses, which will meet the demand of the industry in a short period of time. “It will offer a great opportunity for fresh talent to enter the high demand industry with incentives to earn good money without the need for going through a full apprenticeship which could take up to three years,” Bhullar said.

Certification to AS/NZS ISO 3834 The Bhullar Group was recently certified to AS/NZS ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials, which will enhance their workplace practices and present new opportunities for the company.

“We started the certification process in 2018 but then placed it on hold as we were constantly competing with imported products,” Bhullar said. “However, when COVID-19 first broke out in Australia, we decided to take advantage of the slow market and work towards Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) prequalification.”

Bhullar described the certification process as “transparent and concise” and urged other likeminded companies to consider the same. “In my opinion, the industry bodies need to drive certification. They need to highlight just how vital

Image: The Thevenard Jetty under construction in Ceduna. Image: Sydney’s Metro Barangaroo Station Box.

certification is to industry, with a particular focus on communicating with first tier contractors, who should take certification on board when selecting their favoured fabricator for a project.”

“This would encourage a lot more companies to have the required certification because they can see a more level playing field rather than just competing on cost,” Bhullar said.

An AS/NZS ISO 3834 certification focuses on the quality requirements associated with fusion welded products. When companies, like the Bhullar Group are certified, it opens new opportunities on the global supply chain, and ongoing business. Additionally, it increases the technical knowledge of all welding personnel within the organisation, which leads to increased productivity and profitability.

“Our AS/NZS ISO 3834 certification has been a huge benefit. Firstly, it assisted in achieving AS/NZS 5131 certification for the fabrication and erection of structural steelwork. This means that we are now close to achieving RMS prequalification,” Bhullar said.

For further information, visit: bhullargroup.com.au