60 years of compression fittings Innovative engineering: the next best thing to rain

The original RN fitting that started the poly revolution

60 YEARS OF COMPRESSION FITTINGS

It’s 60 years since Philmac pioneered the first poly compression fitting. That innovative pioneering spirit continues today throughout Philmac as they continue to manufacture the only range of poly compression fittings made in Australia.

Philmac, the manufacturer of the only Australian made range of poly compression fittings is celebrating another milestone in 2022 - 60 years since the first plastic compression fitting was made by Philmac. As polyethylene (PE) pipe became widely available for use in agriculture in the early 1960’s Philmac pioneered new technology. The Philmac RN fitting changed the way water was distributed on farms across Australia, suddenly joining poly pipe became faster, easier and more economical. This led to the next revolutionary step in joining poly pipe. In 1982 the Polygrip fitting was launched with the insert-based fitting so versatile it could connect poly pipes of different diameters. Having the ability to join imperial pipe to the new metric pipe was a game changer for Philmac. This insert style fitting concept quickly evolved to become the iconic terracotta insert rural fitting that is the preferred joiner on farms across Australia. In 1995 when Philmac were developing the version now known as the rural fitting, the team worked closely with farmers. Valuable feedback and insights were gained and this part of the reason why this fitting has been so successful. It also paved the way in the UK and Ireland as only the insert needed to be modified to adapt it to UK imperial and Irish Gauge pipe. From this one brave idea in 1962 a whole range of inventive ideas have flowed ever since. As metric pipe became more popular in the 1990’s Philmac kept pace and in 1995 the Australian Design Award winning 2G metric fitting was launched. This innovation allowed the range to expand and include sizes up to 110mm making it ideal for use in irrigation and mining applications. A short time later in 1997 another Australian Design Award winning fitting was released. The UTC (Universal Transition Coupling) quickly became known as the Swiss Army knife of compression fittings. The UTC fitting can join a wide range of pipe types such as copper, lead, galvanised iron, PE, PVC, ABS and stainless steel in various size ranges. It’s the go to fitting for plumbers and water authorities when a fast repair of old style pipe is required. Taking advantage of the expanded use of metric pipe in both agriculture and plumbing, Philmac in 2005 launched the 3G metric fitting with the innovative “Slide and Tighten” technology, making joining metric pipe simple and easy. Creating simple and reliable solutions for a wide range of applications is what drives everyone at Philmac. You will benefit from Philmac’s decades of technical development and innovation that has produced a range of products that are reliable and easy to use, TA variety of projects are in the pipeline at Philmac, and the Philmac Product Development team are working relentlessly. Our philosophy will always be the advice our founder Mac Phillipps said in the early days of Philmac “There’s always a better way”.

Today’s range of fittings and valves provides reliable easy to use solutions for a variety of applications

FIVE COMPELLING REASONS TO WEIGH CATTLE THIS AUTUMN

Monitoring the weight of livestock during the autumn months helps measure performance and informs decisions that will impact herd health and profitability.

As autumn sets in and daylight hours become shorter, now is the time to prepare your livestock for winter to ensure they maintain body weight and optimal condition over the cooler months. Actively monitoring the weight of individual animals within a herd allows producers to identify good and poor performers and support informed decisions that can have an immediate impact on profitability and animal health. There are five key reasons why weighing livestock over autumn will bring longterm benefits to your operation.

1. PREPARE STOCK FOR SPRING

Knowing your mob’s weights now, as well as target weights for spring, helps with planning an effective feeding regime for the winter period. You can also identify if supplements will be needed to achieve those goals. Start thinking now about how much feed will be available through winter.

2. SET YOUR HEIFERS UP FOR SUCCESS

Monitoring a replacement heifer’s average daily gains over autumn and winter means you can ensure she is racking to reach her target weight and will be ready for joining in spring. The benefit of ensuring a heifer is within her optimal weight range prior to joining have been well documented and are shown to influence health and fertility for the remainder of her life. Regular weighing allows you to make real-time decisions about supplementary feeding requirements that will have long-term effects on animal health, productivity, and profitability.

3. FOCUS ON YOUR TOP PERFORMERS

Improve your bottom line by identifying top performers early. Focusing feeding efforts on these individuals to leverage their superior weight gains means you can turn them off quickly to make way for more stock. The remainder of the mob with slower growth planes continue to graze, reducing high-value inputs for your operation and improving potential profitability.

4. MONITOR FOR INTERNAL PARASITES

During the autumn and winter period, cattle can be at higher risk of gastrointestinal worms. Weighing your herd regularly helps in identifying ambiguities in individual animals and any downward weight trends that could signal potential health issues, such as worms.

5. MEASURE FOR CARBON EMISSIONS The red meat industry has an ambitious goal to be carbon neutral by 2030. Weight is a critical factor when determining an animal’s efficiency in the production of beef and is an important part of the process of measuring and calculating methane. The more accurate your data, the better decisions you can make to improve your herd’s carbon efficiency.

With no need to muster your herd to yards for weighing, your animals will be less stressed and will conserve valuable energy over the cooler months.

TRU-TEST REMOTE WALK OVER WEIGHING

Tru-Test by Datamars Livestock offers a range of weighing solutions, including walk over weighing systems, as well as in-paddock four- and two-foot weighing options, to capture liveweight at the individual animal level, without the need for human intervention or contact. The data is processed and delivered via cloud technology and used to generate daily online weighing reports that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. These powerful insights help to identify trends and better manage your herd. With no need to move stock to the yards to collect weights, animals will be less stressed and conserve valuable energy over the cooler months. Importantly, you will have more time to reassign labour and resources to other parts of the business. Hear from producers Warren and Meg Salter from the Darling Downs, Queensland, on how they use Remote Walk Over Weighing in their beef operation here. To find out more about Tru-Test in-paddock weighing systems give the team a call on 1800 248 774.