Metal manufacturing (Thomastown)
Tait was founded in 1992, by husband and wife Gordon and Suzie. Now, with over 40 full-time staff they design and manufacture furniture for A Life Outside. Each and every piece in their collection is made in Australia. A claim that is increasingly rare and frequently misused. A matter that Gordon is doing his best to redress. Two years ago Tait launched TaitForm, opening up their first class metal production to other designers and makers, supporting the growth of locally made furniture–a service we think requires greater recognition.
Guiding us through the workshop, Gordon enthusiastically shared his 40+ years of expertise. He proudly showed off his staff and of course some pretty sexy machinery; from powder coating, tube bending, welding, laser cutting, rotary sanding and more. Whilst it was the box cutter that won my heart (more on this later), the ‘Rolls Royce’ as described by Gordon was clearly the Nissin tube bender. The only one in the country, the simplicity of its operation belied the significance of what it could achieve. The Nissin follows a CNC program to bend tubes effortlessly into organic, fluid forms in minutes.
TaitForm combines age-old metal-forming techniques with advanced manufacturing technologies, such as the six-axis robotic welding arm. Emitting an almost alchemical green light, the machine moved methodically to reveal an immaculate weld. It transformed an industrial process into something unexpectedly mesmerising. The hardest part was following Gordon's advice not to look directly at the light of the weld. As we all know, the moment someone says don't look, the first instinct is to do exactly that. And when what you're witnessing is such a feat of manufacturing, it's even harder to look away.
Although our eyes stayed fixed just beyond the welding arc, Gordon's expertise was impossible to overlook, revealing itself in every corner of the factory. Machinery can only take you so far. It is the minds and hands of the team at TaitForm that distinguish the practice. As we walked around the factory we witnessed craftspeople whose depth of knowledge transformed complex metal designs into reality.
But for me, it was the humble box-cutting machine that spoke to how technology can radically reimagine systems of waste and economy. Gordon explained that Tait once held thousands of dollars worth of cardboard boxes in varying shapes and sizes, with packaging occupying almost a third of the factory floor. Enter the box-cutting machine: programmed to produce a custom box to any dimension, it transforms a flat sheet of cardboard into perfectly fitted packaging in minutes. Hallelujah. A Tait product or perhaps your own design, is boxed and ready to leave the factory floor. Whilst you wouldn’t bring your design to TaitForm for the box cutting machine alone, it is emblematic of their approach to efficiency, waste reduction and problem solving at every step of the design process.
At the heart of Tait and TaitForm is an unwavering commitment to exceptional craftsmanship, Australian manufacturing and sustainability (evidenced by a factory roof covered in solar panels, diligent recycling systems, and a full-time sustainability advisor). As we left the workshop, we were deeply buoyed by what we had just witnessed. While Gordon and Suzie may be rare gems, they are by no means alone, and certainly not gate keeping their expertise. Our visit was a reminder that behind seemingly ordinary factory doors lies an extraordinary world of design and manufacturing capability–one that we at Shared Practice are inspired to explore further.
Words by EK, photographs by JH
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