About Us
Established in 1976, SAIC has been serving the industry for almost half a century. The business has developed greatly over the years and family ethos is still at the heart of the company.
Starting in an old carpenter’s workshop in Monks Gate, West Sussex under the name Southdown Abrasives and Industrial Clothing, the business stayed here until 1987. With the growth of the company, SAIC moved to Shoreham-By-Sea and in the year 2000 the company name was changed to Southdown Abrasives and Industrial Chemicals. This was a better reflection of how the company had changed its business model over the years, progressing from protective clothing and further specialising in surface finishing and more.
Expanding even further, in 2012 SAIC purchased a larger unit in Lancing, from where it still operates today with services including site visits, tool servicing, specialist advice on production process improvements and the promotion of tool safety with information surrounding Hand Arm Vibration (HAVS) and dust extraction to name the least.
As a company we choose to take a macro-level approach with our customers; we believe there are greater savings to be made in improving efficiencies and production times rather than just supplying a lower cost abrasive. To this end, we look at processes as a whole, starting with the quality of air supply and the set-up of air lines, to minimise loss of power to the tool while maximising its performance and in turn saving energy costs, followed by the tools themselves and whether they are right for the application.
One of the final things which we analyse is the consumable itself and if it is the ideal solution, or whether there is a more beneficial product available that could reduce production times, reduce the need for refinishing or improve the overall result.
Additional factors which we consider are the health & safety implications for our customers, most commonly relating to the exposure of production operators to potential dangers such as hazardous dusts and high vibration levels of hand tools.