Collections Book
A 25-year journey to master the art
of manufacturing
Sussex has the coveted position of being vertically integrated entirely in Australia. Every product is created in-house: beginning with the vision of a collection to the casting in the foundry, all the way to the craftsman's workbench. The journey is completed using our LUXPVD® world-class finishing technology.
A collaboration of talents and skills that brings the visualisation of a new concept to the homes of our customers.
01
The Foundation of Design
02
The Power of the Foundry
03
The Dedication of Craftmanship
04
The Transformation of Technology
01
The Foundation of Design
Perfect function and beautiful form have always been part of the Sussex design DNA
With sketches guided by vision that embrace the Sussex design philosophy, our designers take the first step on a long journey to turn those lines into a workable concept. They collaborate hand in hand with our engineering and architectural managers to create high-end collections for Australian homes. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered and obsessed over again and again.
The heritage of creation
Our designers are always mindful of current tastes, but with one eye turned towards anticipation, they remain true to our heritage. This alchemy of the past, present, and future uniquely distinguishes the design of a Sussex tap.
Every detail is considered to create perfection
Australian imagined and designed
Throughout the creative process, we look at design trends, usability studies, and market feedback to guide our ideas. We then blend our passion for detail, decades of experience, ethical responsibility, and our unique spirit to create products that symbolise the essence of Sussex. This is the foundation of a product that is developed with both head and heart.
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The long, hard road from design research to prototype
Each collection is a result of our desire to simplify and the passion of our master designers and engineers. It's reflected in hundreds of sketches, extensive hours of iterative modelling, and decades of continuous development.
Balancing design and manufacturing expertise
The strength of our design studio is in finding the balance between artistic creativity and technical possibilities.
Designed by hand, guided with experience
02
The Power of the Foundry
At the core of every product is the foundry, where nothing goes to waste.
It's a rare privilege of having one's own foundry. From the beginning, our founder Nick knew the best way to create the highest quality products was to establish a foundry so he could control each step of the process where everything, including waste, has a use.
One hundred percent of our brass is processed in a totally closed cycle, under internal control. This allows us to make a more sustainable product and guarantees the ethical provenance of the brass used. This style of recycling brass is one of a kind in Australia.
Even as new technologies are employed, the human touch
remains critical
Our internal foundry is a key component in guaranteeing both the excellence of our manufacturing process and our commitment to long-term sustainability.
From the reused scraps to the ability to ensure the loop in the hands of our specialised foundrymen. With this rigorous process, we've been able to recycle our brass and create ethical, high-quality products.
This method is integral to how we manufacture. It keeps highest levels of purity, our process is a totally closed our traditions alive and ensures nothing to goes to waste.
This method is integral to how we manufacture. It keeps highest levels of purity, our process is a totally closed our traditions alive and ensures nothing to goes to waste.
Before we make our products, we recycle them
We've mastered the brass processing cycle:
Material Collection
The journey of our manufacturing starts with the material collection of brass waste. As a company, it's important to us that we carefully manage this usually overlooked aspect of the process.
The brass offcuts and scraps that are left after our machining and fabrication processes are collected directly from the machines and organised by type. The contents of these containers will become the main ingredients in the newest batch of brass bars.
The brass offcuts and scraps that are left after our machining and fabrication processes are collected directly from the machines and organised by type. The contents of these containers will become the main ingredients in the newest batch of brass bars.
Charging and Melting
As the foundrymen pour the precise quantities of the leftover brass into the induction furnace, it starts to melt. But skill and finesse are needed to carefully control this process. These specialised workers understand how to balance speed with how much to increase the temperature. If it's too hot too quickly, the quality of the brass will be at risk.
As they stir the molten brass and skim off the imperfections, the purity of the brass steadily improves. These impurities are stored and further recycled by third parties, furthering our commitment to zero waste.
As they stir the molten brass and skim off the imperfections, the purity of the brass steadily improves. These impurities are stored and further recycled by third parties, furthering our commitment to zero waste.
Pouring
As the foundrymen slowly pour the melted brass from the induction furnace to the holding furnace, any impurities that were at the bottom are also skimmed out of the molten brass.
This final step of the purification process ensures that our brass is at the best possible quality, and therefore creating the best possible product.
This final step of the purification process ensures that our brass is at the best possible quality, and therefore creating the best possible product.
Extraction and Cutting
Now purified to the high standards of the expert foundrymen, the melted brass is extracted into a water-cooled sizing die with caution and care. The die is adjustable, specifically set at a single measurement for use in multi-day, continuous production runs. It's a more efficient production process, and it gives us more control and guarantees quality.
Quality Control
The quality of our brass bars is still a key consideration, even after they leave the foundry. It's for this reason that we stamp a unique batch number on every brass bar to provide traceability.
We even send small samples of every batch to an outside laboratory where they measure the amounts of the individual metals that make up the brass alloy. These reports verify that every Sussex brass product meets the official Australian Standards.
We even send small samples of every batch to an outside laboratory where they measure the amounts of the individual metals that make up the brass alloy. These reports verify that every Sussex brass product meets the official Australian Standards.
Product Allocation
The brass bars are now in the hands of our craftsmen, who cut them to size as required for each machine. As the machine runs, the offcuts and scraps are collected, organised, and stored. These old leftovers are now our new ingredients, and the brass production cycle is ready to start again.
Every step in our brass production is part of Sussex's closed-loop process, a commitment to and continuous exercise in recycling and sustainability.
Every step in our brass production is part of Sussex's closed-loop process, a commitment to and continuous exercise in recycling and sustainability.
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Our internal foundry
is a key component in guaranteeing both the excellence of our manufacturing process and our commitment to long-term sustainability.
03
The Dedication of Craftmanship
The heritage of craftsmanship
Our story of craftsmanship began over 60 years ago when our founder travelled from the Netherlands to start a business in Australia based on his talents for watchmaking. When he established Sussex in 1997, his intrinsic passion in traditional craftsmanship easily translated into tap making. That foundation of care and precision has been carried into the next generation, who continues his legacy of making timeless tapware crafted with soul.
A heritage of people who are masters of their craft
Our talented craftspeople take enormous pride in the products they make, working diligently with their hearts in every step of the process.
Every Sussex product you hold reflects decades of refinement and problem solving. These pieces are started with love, made with love, and delivered with love, founded on proven techniques and years of wisdom.
It's our craftspeople's humbling passion and endless pursuit of perfection that have created the reputation and beauty of Sussex's products today.
It's our craftspeople's humbling passion and endless pursuit of perfection that have created the reputation and beauty of Sussex's products today.
The quest for excellence flows through our craftspeople. It consistently drives everything that we do.
Everything that's crafted from Sussex passes through the skilled hands of our talented craftspeople. They masterfully combine their trained eyes and precision instruments to shape the brass and showcase precise workmanship, functionality, and design. Every detail is a mark of perfection, and each product is an outstanding example of tapware craftsmanship at its very best.
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The Spirit of Sussex Runs Through Our Craftspeople
Only human hands can fulfill the vision of our founder. Our expert craftsmen use proven techniques and years of wisdom in every product they touch.
Meticulously crafted
Every aspect of our products is scrutinised multiple times, with nothing left to chance.
A manual job that still has an artisanal side
04
The Transformation of Technology
We pursue excellence by using technology to strengthen our traditional skills.
The art of manufacturing is a long-term journey. For us, this means finding the balance between traditional techniques and the latest machinery, as well as the determination to compete on the world stage while remaining entirely in Australia. That's why it's necessary to constantly invest in new machinery for our facility. This standard is managed by well-trained and talented operators using the most modern and eco-friendly machines.
By pursing a business model of vertical integration entirely in Australia, we're able to maintain complete control of the process and therefore ensure the highest standard of excellence for our customers.
Setting the standards in technology
We're always working on new ways of thinking, new targets, and new processes. We use these ideas to keep driving us forward, looking for the next way to improve.
Because of those ambitions, we're one of the very few companies in Australia to implement robotics to achieve high standards of polishing and to have built an architecturally designed, state-of-the-art facility to house the world's best PVD finishing technology.
We're moving towards a fully automated process that ensures the precision and quality in the finishing of our products is perfect every time.
We're moving towards a fully automated process that ensures the precision and quality in the finishing of our products is perfect every time.
The world's best PVD technology is now in Australia
A next-generation PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) machine from Europe is now installed in our multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility.
The PVD coating technology achieves a supreme finish and exquisite colour. It is a brilliant process where a solid material is vapourised in a vacuum environment and deposited on a surface as a pure coating, creating a far more refined finish than other techniques. The coating that is achieved through PVD is extremely thin, ensuring that the product retains its original shape entirely.
The PVD coating technology achieves a supreme finish and exquisite colour. It is a brilliant process where a solid material is vapourised in a vacuum environment and deposited on a surface as a pure coating, creating a far more refined finish than other techniques. The coating that is achieved through PVD is extremely thin, ensuring that the product retains its original shape entirely.
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Our PVD facility - world class, elegantly integrated
As part of our ongoing investment
into technology, we are constantly
looking forward.
into technology, we are constantly
looking forward.
Investment in state-of-the-art technology and the brightest design talent is coupled with time-honoured Australian craftsmanship to make our company one of the most trusted, reputable brands for interior designers, architects, and homeowners.
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From the production of micro-components to fundamental development research for our materials,
our product specialists, finish specialists, and engineers are united under the same roof. Because of this collaboration, they can create exceptional tapware that pushes the boundaries of manufacturing.
