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How Stainless Sanitary Ware Is Made in Western Sydney

From laser cutting to TIG welding and finishing: how SMC Stainless basins, drains and fountains are made to order in Western Sydney.

28 October 2026
4 min read
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How Stainless Sanitary Ware Is Made in Western Sydney

SMC Stainless products are made to order in Western Sydney, at OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group's facility at Emu Heights. Every product follows the same four steps: Specify, Fabricate, Validate, Supply. Here's what happens at each one.

Specify

It starts with the spec­i­fi­ca­tion: the product model, grade (304 or 316), finish (2B mill, brushed No.4 or bead blast), di­men­sions and options such as splash­backs, tapware or mounting brackets. Many SMC products are made to measure. Product pages in the SMC store list the available options, with a datasheet and DWG drawing to download, and a Request a Spec­i­fi­ca­tion & Quote form where you set grade, finish and di­men­sions.

For one-off fab­ri­ca­tion from your own drawing, talk to OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group, which makes SMC products in the same facility.

Fabricate

Laser cutting

Flat stainless sheet is cut on TRUMPF fibre lasers. Laser cutting produces accurate parts with clean edges, including cut-outs for wastes, tapware and fixings. Nesting software arranges parts to reduce waste, and offcuts are recycled through the OPIE Green Loop.

Folding and forming

Cut blanks are formed on CNC press brakes into bowls, troughs, channels, panels and housings. Accurate folding is essential for products like channel drains and troughs, where falls and fits matter.

Welding

Stainless sanitary ware relies on good welding. Joins have to be strong and wa­ter­tight, and in hygiene-critical products they need to be smooth and cleanable. SMC's fab­ri­ca­tors use TIG welding for stainless, and OPIE's broader ca­pa­bil­i­ty includes robotic laser welding for suitable com­po­nents.

Finishing

After welding, products are finished to the specified surface: 2B mill, brushed (No.4) or bead blast. Welds are dressed so the finished product is smooth and con­sis­tent. Fittings such as wastes, bubblers or access panels are then installed.

Validate

SMC operates within OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group's ISO 9001 quality man­age­ment system, which covers doc­u­ment­ed processes, training, internal audits and external audits. Products are checked before despatch.

For WaterMark-certified product families, including stainless urinals (Cert No. 25403) and WC pans and cisterns (Cert No. 2172), products are man­u­fac­tured to their certified designs (cer­ti­fi­ca­tions).

Supply

Finished products are packed and supplied for your project. Many can be pre-assembled or pre-plumbed. The SWB1 security hand basin, for example, can be supplied with tapware and pre-plumbed, and the DFTB drinking fountain comes with bubblers fitted and plumbed for a single con­nec­tion. That reduces work on site.

Why made-to-order matters

  • Fit: products are made to suit your di­men­sions and options.
  • Grade and finish: you choose what suits the en­vi­ron­ment and the design.
  • Made to measure: di­men­sions, grade, finish and options are set per order on the product page.
  • Ac­count­abil­i­ty: one man­u­fac­tur­er and one quality system from cutting to despatch.
  • Supply certainty: no reliance on overseas stock or shipping.

SMC Stainless has more than 60 years of man­u­fac­tur­ing ex­pe­ri­ence behind it. Founded in 1962 by James MacDougal Opie, it's still led by the Opie family, and now uses OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group's modern equipment, including TRUMPF laser cutting, CNC folding and advanced welding.

Fre­quent­ly asked questions

How long does a made-to-order product take? Lead times depend on the product, options and quantity. Contact SMC for current lead times on your project.

Can products be supplied pre-plumbed? Some can. The SWB1 security basin can be supplied with tapware and pre-plumbed, and the DFTB fountain comes with bubblers fitted and plumbed for a single con­nec­tion.

Can I get drawings before ordering? Yes. Each product page has a datasheet and DWG drawing to download.

Is every­thing made in Australia? SMC products are fab­ri­cat­ed at OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group's Western Sydney facility. Some fittings, such as tapware, come from spe­cial­ist suppliers.

What about one-off pieces that aren't in the catalogue? SMC sells made-to-measure catalogue products. For one-off fab­ri­ca­tion from your own drawing, talk to OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group at https://opiegroup.com.au/contact.

Watch OPIE's machines on OP-TV, then choose a product in the SMC store and use its Request a Spec­i­fi­ca­tion & Quote form.