Our laboratory was established by Mr George Lambert in 1946 to support Hayes Metal Refineries Ltd (HMR) in its production of non-ferrous foundry alloys.
George or “Mr Copper”, as he was known within the local Foundry industry, believed strongly in using new analytical techniques and technologies to aid in the production of high quality foundry alloys – certified non-ferrous ingots that were unmatched in post-World War Two New Zealand.
George’s commitment to quality and analytical excellence lives on at the core of everything we do!
Our laboratory continues to adopt new, proven technology as it becomes available. In 1972, we purchased our first atomic absorption spectrometer, a Pye-unicam. This was followed with the purchase of a custom built ARL spark/arc Optical Emission Spectrometer (OES) in 1987. Both technologies represented a paradigm shift for the Laboratory and Refinery. The ability to analyse production samples in a matter of minutes, rather than days, allowed the refinery to adjust and correct the chemical composition of product while still molten. This innovation revolutionised ingot production at Hayes Metals.
The Laboratory later developed a metallurgy suite to further assist our foundry clients with any casting or manufacturing issues they may encounter. This service proved to be mutually beneficial, with the laboratory gaining practical experience with a variety of different casting and production problems while our ingot customers had their problems resolved. The Metallurgy Laboratory has since expanded in capability and capacity, now offering an extensive range of metallurgical services to a variety of clients representing many different industries.
In 2007, Hayes Metals relocated its scrap metal trading, refining and our laboratory operations to its newly re-developed premises in Onehunga, Auckland. We moved into a new, well-equipped, purpose built laboratory and never looked back. Our laboratory continues to grow in size and scope in order to meet increasing production and customer demands.