Established 15 years ago as an importer of marine products, Lone Star Marine has evolved into a global manufacturer of advanced marine anchoring systems, supplying customers across Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
A key milestone in that journey was the decision to bring production in-house in Southeast Melbourne, giving Lone Star Marine full control over machining, assembly and quality assurance, while also developing a strong network of local suppliers and a tightly integrated supply chain.
Among the selected local partners is Bonfiglioli, a global supplier of gearboxes and drive solutions.
Its components are used across a range of Lone Star Marine’s applications, particularly in its drum-style anchor winches – the company’s flagship offering. “Bonfiglioli’s focus on consistently delivering high-quality products and engineering capability, aligns to Lone Star Marine’s philosophy of investing in the best components available,” says Malki Ary, Managing Director of Lone Star Marine. “Bonfiglioli take pride in their products and approach engineering with care and precision, which is critical given the complexity of our systems”.
High-Torque Drives Designed for Marine Duty
A key differentiator for Lone Star Marine has been its development of purpose-built drum-style anchor winches, engineered specifically for harsh marine environments.
“Drum-style winches are simpler, faster and generally more reliable. They offer improved performance, reduced maintenance and a longer lifespan,” says Malki. “Our systems incorporate high-grade stainless steel, IP68-rated DC motors, and a twin-bearing system. Extensive lab testing has demonstrated superior strength and durability compared to alternative solutions”.
For these systems, Bonfiglioli supplies Lone Star Marine with its robust VF/W worm gear drives, with customised bronze and stainless steel output bores, best suited to the corrosive marine environment.
According to Amit Shukla, Bonfiglioli Sales Manager: VIC/TA/SA, these gear drives offer the high torque density, broad speed selection range and high load resistance that drum winches require. “These drives are designed to deliver reliable load management and a long service life, with low maintenance requirements”.
With a compact right-angle design, the VF/W is ideal for applications where space is limited. Its wide range of mounting configurations and motor interface options makes it a versatile solution. It also delivers low-noise operation.
A Partnership Built on Quality and Responsiveness
Elaborating on the partnership with Bonfiglioli, Malki notes: “In the field, they're excellent – in the last 11 years since using Bonfiglioli, we've not had issues with their products. Over more than a decade of working together, they’ve demonstrated responsive, effective service and strong after-sales support. With a global footprint spanning 80 countries and a distribution centre in the USA, they’re well positioned to support our operations and customers worldwide”.
He adds that Bonfiglioli’s extensive distribution network is also significant in ensuring fast repairs and parts replacement. “The priority is always to minimise downtime, particularly for commercial operators”.
“The relationship is built on consistency, accountability, and a shared commitment to excellence. The Bonfiglioli team is proactive, detail-oriented and highly responsive,” he says. “Communication is clear and reliable, with consistent follow-through that ensures nothing is overlooked. This level of service gives us confidence and allows us to focus on delivering for our customers”.
Driving the Next Generation of Marine Control Systems
Looking ahead, Lone Star Marine will continue to invest in expansion and has recently acquired a third manufacturing facility and an additional 400m2 production space. They have also created a lab for manufacturing electrical components, PCB’s and motor controllers, right here in Australia. “Moving forward, we'll be able to create custom speed control, operating systems and firmware for a variety of motor control implementations,” adds Malki.
“We’re proud of our partnership with Lone Star Marine and will continue to support them with solutions that add value to their business and their customers’ operations,” concludes Amit.
https://www.bonfiglioli.com/australia/en
