Elias Custom Metal unveils first Ontario-built E-House

The first E-House took about three months in engineering and fabricating time at the ECM facility. The metal used was a combination of structural steel, mild steel, and stainless steel.

On March 4th, Elias Custom Metal (ECM) unveiled the first ever Electrical House manufactured in Ontario, as well as news of an upcoming $2 million investment in a new laser tube cutting system, as well as other equipment. On hand for the unveiling was City of Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, local MP Francesco Sorbara, and Steve Chomyc, GM of ABB in Brampton.

The utility grade Electrical House (or E-House) was built for Enersource Mississauga, and custom-designed and engineered in partnership with ABB Canada using 50 per cent recycled materials (about 30,000 lbs). E-Houses are a newer trend in the energy, mining, gas and oil sectors. The pre-fabricated structures are key components of the energy chain. They help create distribution efficiency and enhance safety.

The first E-House took about three months in engineering and fabricating time at the ECM facility. The metal used was a combination of structural steel, mild steel, and stainless steel. It measures approximately 56 ft. long, 30 ft. high, and 17 ft. wide, with a full surface area of around 1,100 sq. ft. On Monday, March 7th, the unit was shipped to ABB in Brampton, where all of ABB’s equipment would be installed in the unit.

“There was over 140 drawings with parts and assemblies,” noted company president and CEO Fadi Emeid. “Every assembly could have as many as 10-30 separate drawings. It was a complex project and we’re very proud to be part of it.”

This enclosure is really only a departure for ECM in terms of size. The company produces everything in their 80,000 square foot facility from fixtures for high-end department stores to a variety of electrical enclosures. The ECM team includes expertise all along the development chain, from engineering to fitting. In fact, Emeid considers this key to the company’s success - diversity.

“When I say diversity, I mean diversity of knowledge,” said Emeid. “We’ve scouted to hire the best talent.” In his address to the assembled dignitaries and guests, Emeid stressed how his engineering team, along with the company’s highly-skilled fabricators, welders and assemblers made the success of the job possible.

ECM is also making a $2 million investment in, among other things, advanced laser tube cutting equipment that will bring additional manufacturing capabilities, stimulate the economy and create around 10 new highly skilled jobs in the community, according to Emeid.

"We are pleased to deliver this sophisticated e-house to our local partners,” said Emeid. “This E-House innovation, in addition to our $2 million investment in state-of-the-art equipment, will allow us to enhance our best-in-class advanced manufacturing to clients all across North America.

"Previously, Canadian companies often had to purchase E-Houses from abroad. Now ECM has brought the capacity and skilled knowledge home to be manufactured here in Ontario, for Ontario and abroad."

This E-House is also unique in that it comes as a single welded unit which requires complex and very accurate calibration and trade expertise. By comparison, other E-Houses are usually modular and require assembly on-site.

The single welded unit makes it ideal for power plant upgrades as it can be built and tested off-site to minimize risks in the field.