Menatek Expands Supplier Portfolio by 18% and expands to 3 Continents!
At IDEF, Menatek Defence Technologies (Menatek), which focuses on the promotion of its various products and subsystems designed and produced for land vehicles, as well as its engineering capabilities, is also exhibiting a wide range of products that it manufactures through its supply chain. The company, which presents innovations to the sector at every IDEF, is participating in this year's fair with an 18 percent increase in the number of companies in its supply chain and with the composite armor solutions it has developed for the first time.
Menatek has recently taken a step into the armor sector by adding a new product to its product portfolio. The composite plates, which successfully passed multiple shots and near-edge shots in the shooting trials conducted with kinetic threats defined in STANAG 4569 level 3 and 4 standards, once again reveals the depth of the technical infrastructure of the company. STANAG 4569 level 5 tests are expected to be completed in the near future. The products, which were exhibited for the first time at IDEF, are preparing to take their place at the top of world standards thanks to their superior lightness and resistance to environmental factors.
Menatek is capable of producing all components in the suspension track equipment of a tracked vehicle. These include rotary shock absorbers, shock absorbers, suspension arms, track adjuster, torsion bars, directional forks and track shoe.
Domesticity and Nationality in the Forefront
As Türkiye's company with the largest supply chain in the defence sector, Menatek strives to share its experience in the development, production and testing of mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic components and subsystems for armoured land vehicles with local manufacturers. Kazım Ünal, General Manager of Menatek, describes the company's perception of localization and nationality as follows: "As we always emphasize, it is of strategic importance that critical parts are produced in Türkiye in the event of a war. We have clearly seen examples of this in recent events. We are doing everything we can in Türkiye's efforts to indigenize and nationalize its defence industry, and we are proud of the results we have achieved. We see this not as a job, but as a responsibility."
After America and Europe, Asia is Next
After America and Europe, the company has now expanded its customer portfolio to Asia. Ünal says the following about the feedback they receive from their growing number of customers: "What makes us most proud is that the demands we receive from our customers are shifting from lean production to value-added product development. The importance of our designs, which have managed to prove themselves in terms of reliability and quality, is undeniable. We take great pride in combining our designs, which require deep engineering expertise, with our domestic production capabilities. This pride is the biggest motivation for the priority we give to innovation and R&D studies with a young and dynamic team."
With more than 40 years of experience, Menatek is one of the most reliable spare parts manufacturers not only for the Turkish and American armies, but also for many NATO armies, and provides production and design services to leading land vehicle manufacturers in the international arena. The company, whose name is associated with the concept of trust in the sector, does not hesitate to bring its innovative vision to the forefront and take responsibility for challenging missions by signing many pioneering designs.
NAZ Bearing: The End Point in Long-Lasting Product
Menatek has always been in pursuit of challenging technologies. The company, which has made this obvious with the products it has exhibited at recent exhibitions, is introducing its NAZ Bearings and Torsion Bar design capabilities at IDEF.
From the very first day Menatek introduced the NAZ Bearings, it has been met with a great deal of interest. The cost-effective solution offered by Menatek, which is the second company in the world that can handle this type of engineering, has increased the awareness of the product very quickly. The company expects many of its stakeholders to visit its booth to examine NAZ Bearings.
The self-lubricating joints and bearings are designed to perform equally well in all environmental conditions and load types. Equipped with state-of-the-art sliding linings, they serve two main purposes: Vehicle survivability on the battlefield and smooth logistics. The most fundamental factor determining the quality of the product is the raw material. Menatek, on the other hand, starts processing all the raw materials used in this product after passing excellence tests.
NAZ Bearings and Joints have been tested both in the hydraulic test unit and in the field, proving that they can operate under all possible harsh conditions. Menatek has recently introduced a new technique, a lining composition with double lubrication properties that significantly increases the life of the bearing. Thanks to the micro-bearing particle system working together with very low surface friction, NAZ Bearings and Joints have already created their own place in the market. The bearing housing, based on armor design, is designed to have maximum crack resistance and withstand high dynamic forces thanks to the gradual increase in material hardness from the inside to the outside. Menatek manufactures this product as a Turkish product with its state-of-the-art machinery with a production precision of 5 microns.
Torsion Bars: Indispensable for Tracked Armored Vehicles
The torsion bars designed and manufactured by Menatek are another product that will reduce Türkiye's foreign dependence on spare parts for land vehicles. With its meticulous R&D efforts, Menatek has gained the capability to design and manufacture torsion bars.
As a product of mechanical ingenuity, torsion bars, which are an indispensable suspension system for tracked military vehicles that must serve in any situation for thousands of kilometers, seem to have a simple design, but this is not true. Even the best steels are inadequate for the production of torsion bars that are designed to operate continuously under dynamic cutting loads. This makes material selection a major challenge.
This is where Menatek's expertise comes into play. The company selects the material itself, and then starts the production process, which requires the use of knowledge and expertise in a very disciplined manner. A torsion bar goes through more than ten processes, including multiple heat treatments, forging, machining, shot peening and surface treatment.
Menatek never sacrifices precision throughout production. The company attaches great importance to reliability and conducts all kinds of tests on the product under its own roof, thus providing detailed technical information for its customers.
Menatek will launch a new product, the details of which have not yet been shared with the public, on the 2nd day of the fair. With this product, the company will put an end to Türkiye's foreign dependency.
Target New Collaborations
Ünal has the following message for prime contractors and component manufacturers in the sector: "As Menatek, we wholeheartedly support the indigenization and nationalization efforts of the Turkish defence industry, and we are working hard to do our best in this regard. We see this exhibition as a good opportunity for the sector to better unite and create more opportunities for indigenization and nationalization. We hope that our local companies will understand each other better and discover the points where they can support each other. Because if companies do not support each other in a sector that requires high technology, such as the defence industry, they increase the risk of falling behind the times. For this reason, we at Menatek have always been happy to use our experience and expertise to cooperate in the sector. We hope that we will come out of this fair with new collaborations."
Kaynak; savunmahaber.com