ABAX Vision AI: Integrated dash cams for a safer fleet
ABAX Vision AI: Integrated dash cams for a safer fleet
How Orbital Fabrications tracked 500+ assets and protected £30k welding plants with ABAX
Discover how UK-based specialist welding company Orbital Fabrications partnered with ABAX to track 500+ high-value assets, streamline compliance, and save thousands of pounds in equipment replacements.
Contents
Company overview: specialist welding across the UKThe challenge: tracking 500+ tools across multiple sitesWhy ABAX: automated asset tracking built for the fieldKey features used: fleet and asset tracking in one platformThe results: near-zero missing tools and simpler complianceLooking ahead: scaling asset tracking as they growCompany overview: specialist welding across the UK
Orbital Fabrications is a specialist welding and high-purity fabrication company based in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Serving highly demanding sectors including the semiconductor, pharmaceutical, chemical, and dairy industries, the company provides both in-house manufacturing and on-site installations across the UK. Orbital Fabrications operates with an extensive site team, managing five supervisor vehicles and over 500 pieces of high-value equipment - including specialist welding plants valued at up to £30,000 each, weld heads, and critical safety assets.
The challenge: tracking 500+ tools across multiple sites
Before partnering with ABAX, Orbital Fabrications faced significant difficulties in tracking equipment across multiple active sites. With typically three to five projects running simultaneously nationwide, expensive tools and safety equipment like harnesses and ladders were constantly moving between sites. This lack of location visibility meant that equipment frequently went missing, resulting in high replacement costs. Furthermore, the logistics of retrieving items for mandatory safety compliance - such as electrical PAT testing, calibration of weld plants, and three-monthly ladder inspections - was incredibly time-consuming, with supervisors spending hours manually searching for tools rather than focusing on project delivery.
Why ABAX: automated asset tracking built for the field
Orbital Fabrications turned to ABAX for a reliable, automated tracking solution. To address their operational layout, they installed vehicle trackers on their supervisor vans and deployed portable, plug-in hubs on key long-term secure sites, such as their portacabin in Manchester and their cleanroom project in Newport. These hubs automatically monitor nearby assets without requiring manual scans. The setup was highly collaborative, with the ABAX support team, including Account Manager, Jack Fowler and Product Manager, Marta Swierczewska, working closely with the company to configure the system, refine reporting, and adapt the portal features to match their requirements.
“From a service point of view, every time we’ve ever asked to have a meeting or to come and look at something, Jack has been on site with me. The support and customer service have been brilliant, and we’ve worked closely to make sure the system meets our needs.”
“Our relationship with Orbital Fabrications highlights how we support our clients directly on the ground. By visiting Gregg on-site, we were able to quickly address initial teething issues and tailor the platform to support their complex operational demands. It's a true collaborative partnership.” — Jack Fowler, Account Manager, ABAX
Key features used: fleet and asset tracking in one platform
Orbital Fabrications now actively utilises a comprehensive tracking suite from ABAX:
ABAX Fleet vehicle tracking: Installed on five supervisor vans to monitor vehicle locations and provide clear visibility over business mileage.
ABAX Locator asset tracking: Fitted across 500 pieces of equipment, including high-value £30,000 welding plants, specialised weld heads, and safety gear.
Plug-in tracking hubs: Portable hubs that are easily moved and plugged into new locations as projects finish, automatically scanning for surrounding tracked assets.
Custom geofencing and area zones: Specialised geographic zones set up inside the portal to differentiate and track equipment across separate units and operational areas.
Maintenance and compliance lists: Simplified tracking reports exported to Excel to coordinate with their internal digital database for PAT testing, calibrations, and safety inspections.
“Reporting is a valuable tool for our off-road customers and getting it right requires understanding complex, real-world environments. Working with Gregg helped us refine the ABAX portal to better support asset tracking. We added a geofence layer on top of our reports, so that customers can see which assets are missing from the operational area and where they were last seen. This is especially relevant for the high-value items that Orbital Fabrications works with.” — Marta Swierczewska, Product Manager for the Off-Road Team, ABAX
The results: near-zero missing tools and simpler compliance
By partnering with ABAX, Orbital Fabrications has significantly modernised its asset management and realised several key benefits:
Reduced replacement costs: Missing equipment lists have been virtually eliminated, saving thousands of pounds in tool replacement costs.
Increased productivity: Supervisors and subcontractors no longer waste valuable hours performing manual inventory lists or searching for lost tools, keeping on-site labour highly efficient and focused on project delivery.
Simplified compliance: The logistics of scheduling mandatory PAT testing, regulator calibrations, and safety inspections have been streamlined, as administrators can instantly pinpoint the location of any asset.
Enhanced accountability and trust: The system acts as a natural deterrent for missing equipment, fostering a culture of mutual trust and care for tools without micro-managing field staff.
“Before ABAX, we would never know where certain tools were, which was a logistical nightmare. Now, if someone says they don’t know where a piece of kit is, I can look at the system and say, 'Well, I do - it's there.' Our clients wouldn't have us on site if we couldn't keep control of our equipment, so the peace of mind and safety compliance ABAX provides is massive.” —Gregg Mason, Site Projects Coordinator, Orbital Fabrications
“Orbital Fabrications is an ideal partner to work with. Gregg and his team provide invaluable feedback that helps us refine our asset tracking technology. Collaborating on-site has allowed us to tailor our geofencing and reporting to support their highly specialised, high-consequence operations, ensuring their critical equipment is always accounted for.”
Looking ahead: scaling asset tracking as they grow
As Orbital Fabrications continues to grow and prepares for an upcoming relocation to a larger facility, the company plans to expand its usage of ABAX. Future opportunities include scaling the number of tracked assets and vehicles, exploring business vs. private mileage analysis for financial planning, and leveraging ABAX’s open API to seamlessly link live location tracking directly with their internal digital maintenance management system.
“ABAX has benefited us enormously in knowing exactly what is where. We very rarely miss anything now, which has saved us thousands of pounds in replacement costs and freed up our team to focus on their work rather than hunting for tools.”
