Fabrum Solutions And AFCryo Merge To Create Fabrum, New CEO Appointed

Leading engineering innovator Fabrum Solutions announced today that it has merged with AFCryo, a world leader in cryocooler and liquefiers, and now operates as Fabrum. The company has also appointed Dr Ojas Mahapatra as Chief Executive Officer. The new corporate identity and appointment follow a period of accelerated growth for Fabrum, fuelled by demand for its mission-critical technology solutions across a broad range of global industries, including green hydrogen systems.

Fabrum, established in 2004, has earned a global reputation as a leading innovator in the design, development, and manufacture of composite cryostats, superconducting motors and cryogenic systems. Its world-leading cryocooler and liquefier systems, produced by Fabrum joint-venture company AFCryo since 2017, will now be designed and manufactured by Fabrum and marketed under the AFCryocooler brand.

Christopher Boyle, Managing Director and co-founder of Fabrum, says the company’s changes and new identity reflect its future vision and purpose.

“We’re excited to launch our new identity, Fabrum. Over almost two decades, our business has transformed as we respond to customers’ future needs in diverse industries, which are more challenging and complex than ever. For example, our green hydrogen technologies, which combine our cryocooler technology and innovative engineering, will power the future and provide decarbonisation solutions for industries including heavy transport, aviation and marine.

“The Fabrum team thrive on developing advanced technologies for our constantly changing landscape. While we now have a new name and a long list of disruptive technologies, our commitment to treading lightly to leave the world a better place hasn’t changed since we formed.”

Boyle says with the significant growth in the business, he and co-founder Hugh Reynolds identified the need to build out the leadership team’s capability.

“We’re proud to welcome Ojas as chief executive to lead our high calibre Fabrum team. He will be critical in spearheading the company’s technology delivery. His entrepreneurial, forward-thinking mindset and business management experience, combined with an in-depth understanding of disruptive market strategies, complex business issues and financing, will be a real asset for the company,” he says.

Boyle, a power systems engineer and world-leading hydrogen expert, will remain as Fabrum’s Managing Director and focus on new business applications for Fabrum’s technology. Hugh Reynolds will remain as Fabrum’s Technical Director.

Dr Ojas Mahapatra has a B.Tech in Biotechnology from SRM University and a PhD in Nanotechnology from the University of Canterbury. He says, “I’m thrilled to join such an innovative and ambitious company. Fabrum has gained global attention for its world-first technology solutions and counts some of the most innovative blue-chip companies as customers. Fabrum is on a rapid growth trajectory and has enormous potential in many high-value markets; and is also well-positioned to have a significant decarbonisation impact with its green hydrogen technologies.”

Fabrum’s mission-critical solutions include waterjet profiling, CNC machining, composite solutions, cryogenics (gas separation and liquefaction), green hydrogen technologies and magnetic systems.

Fabrum’s expertise and technology have led to numerous leading-edge projects. One NASA project for the Mars Lander focussed on CO2 Sublimation to create both breathable air and carbon-based fuel. Another involved creating reliable liquid air for use by NASA technicians as they assisted with rocket launches. Other customer projects include a system design for ETNZ’s prototype Chase Zero boat powered by hydrogen and electric and superconducting aerospace motors for Europe and US customers.

Customers globally use Fabrum’s cryogenic technologies to liquefy and recondense nitrogen, oxygen, methane, argon, neon, biogas and hydrogen for animal science, food and beverage, research, medicine and energy applications.

2021 was a pivotal year for Fabrum as it applied its world-leading cryogenic technology for gas separation and liquefaction to hydrogen. In conjunction with UK company CPH2, the company unveiled a green hydrogen production system to enable hydrogen production on-site in a decentralised, containerised system for point of use refuelling. The revolutionary system splits water into pure hydrogen and medical grade oxygen without the polymer membrane used in common electrolysers by combining Fabrum’s AFCryocooler with unique and patented Membrane-Free Electrolyser™ technology from CPH2.

Boyle adds, “Liquid hydrogen is the future - it opens up new possibilities for long-distance transport, marine and aviation. The world faces significant decarbonisation and energy security challenges and hydrogen is one of the most scalable and viable options to help the energy transition to a lower-carbon economy. Hydrogen fuel production also represents an opportunity for New Zealand to be self-sufficient and creates an export opportunity.”

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