Metafox, your specialist in tube processing since 1971

Metafox has been a major worldwide player as a supplier of tube and profile parts in steel, aluminium and stainless steel. This family business truly stands out with its healthy vision of carefully targeted investment and looking after the interests of its workforce.

The most recent investment is the state-of-the-art powder coating line which will be fully operational early 2023. This will enable Metafox to provide even greater service. For the pre-treatment processes, the company will be applying the very latest nanotech in order to achieve maximum corrosion resistance. Powder coating will be a fully automated process, but it goes without saying that manual finishing is always an option. All the above will also be fully compliant with current environmental standards.

Metafox is active in a very wide range of industries. The company processes both unfinished structures as well as top quality precision parts. These may range from handles for off-road vehicles to parts for design furniture up to metal sections destined for the medical world.
The company must therefore comply with many different finishing grades and tolerance requirements.Specifications for each individual order are communicated by means of an ERP package which also offers the possibility of giving feedback. The system also includes a post-calculation facility to ensure accurate pricing.

VAST ARRAY OF POSSIBILITIES

“We are convinced that our modern fleet of machines will enable us to combat foreign competition. We use CNC controlled machines and automated processes as much as possible. This includes, for example, our welding robots, tube laser machines, 3D laser cell, CNC tube bending machines and profile rolling machines.”

“These highly efficient machines offer a vast array of possibilities. Let’s take a look at, for example, the full 3D tube laser Trumpf TruLaser Tube 7000 Fiber; this technology offers countless possibilities for cutting asymmetrical profiles. However, it is the in-depth and long-standing experience of our programmers and operators that enables us to stand out from the rest. The module for flow drilling holes and tapping threads with this machine too is yet another shining example of efficiency optimisation. The 9.3 m input length and 6m output length are also suitable for a wide range of applications.”

“The same goes for our Panasonic welding robots. Besides MIG/MAG welding of steel, we can also offer semi-automatic welding of aluminium. Robotic TIG welding of steel and stainless steel is all part and parcel of our daily routine. The main advantage of robotic TIG welding is that the polishing of welding slags can be kept to a strict minimum and can even be eliminated. On projects that still require polishing, we have even implemented solutions where the work can be performed by robots.”

ONE-STOP-SHOP

Due to that wide variety of technical options, Metafox can offer both individual parts as well as fully finished end products. So Metafox can definitely use the buzzword of a One-Stop Shop to describe its operations.

Furthermore, Metafox has its own engineering team to design and produce gauges, dies and tooling. This means that highly specialist, uncommon technical challenges can be completed in-house from start to finish. This very important factor enables the company to distinguish itself on the market. It also stands out from its competitors by combining the use of both CNC controlled and conventional machinery. These go hand in hand and ensure that the customer benefits from the most cost-efficient solution.

As previously stated, Metafox operates in a very wide range of industries. Besides being a supplier, the company also operates as a furniture manufacturer for the event industry and versatile spaces. This is actually how the family Devos established the business. It is only later that the sub-contracting branch was added. Both of these business activities now form the two strategic pillars for the further development of the company.

The fact that this is an inherently family-run business is and remains an important factor. Frederique Devos is currently the second generation at the helm. This family business attaches a lot of importance to human capital. The workforce therefore forms the strength of the company. This fact was highlighted not so long ago with a fun team building event.

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2020, Metafox decided to install a considerable number of solar panels on the roofs of the production halls. The company can now generate 62% of its electrical power requirements. This is no mean feat in the present economic climate.