Manufacturer and supplier of railway axles Swasap is a proudly South African-owned broad-based Black Economic Empowered company that is committed to expanding education and skills to develop individuals and the local community. This is achieved through sponsorship of young people in particular in fields of tertiary engineering education, learnership and artisan training programmes.

Swasap has a long-term commitment to the industries it serves, providing axles of a high quality standard with exceptional customer support.

Swasap manufactures and has been supplying railway axles for State-owned Transnet Engineering and other railroad operators, rolling stock builders and refurbishment workshops in Africa and overseas for over 60 years. The company conforms to every recognised international quality standard.

Manufacturing Capabilities

Axles are produced to customer specifications for locomotives, passenger coaches and freight wagons worldwide.

Axles are produced from steel billets by forging on a GFM forge, heat treated and finished on the latest CNC machines.

Swasap has a comprehensively equipped laboratory that includes a mobile spectrometer, microscopes and a tensile tester.

All axles are monitored at every stage of manufacture and inspection procedures are carried out at every key stage of operation.

Operational Standards

Management systems at Swasap conform to the highest international quality, safety and environmental standards.  

The factory is certified to: 

• SABS ISO 9001 - Quality standard
• ISO 14001 - Environmental standard
• American Association of Railways (AAR)  
• RISAS Approved - UK certification
• IRIS - International Railway Industry standard
• OHSAS 45001 - International safety standard

Swasap manufactures to the following specific quality standards:

• RS/ME/SP/002
• EN 13261
• UIC 811-1
• JIS E 4502
• BS 5892 Part 2
• AAR M101

Full certification on every axle manufactured is provided as standard practice.  The company’s manufacturing process and products are regularly inspected by internationally recognised independent inspection bodies (according to customer requirements).

A well-established customer base, developed over many years, is testimony to Swasap’s quality products and excellent customer service.