Earthmovers & Excavators issue 404

News

In this issue, Cat releases its 789 mining truck, Epiroc wins Minetruck MT65 haulers order, Leica Geosystems releases new excavator guidance control system, JCB develops a hydrogen refueller, FAE’s multitask miller is put to work on a road recycling project, the federal government announces a Housing Accord for home building, stats show drop in lending approvals, Bobcat completes largest North American facility, WesTrac installs new parts warehouse system, construction costs rise, FWO takes on Fair Work Act responsibilities, updates to National Training Wage, work begins on Australia’s newest city centre, Komatsu wins employer award, the construction industry continues to contract, Danfoss wins digitalisation project grant and fungi is used to recycle asphalt shingles 6–8, 22, 54–65

Features

Precisionscreen’s new 3000 and 6500 mobile precoaters make preparing aggregate for road laying a breeze 10

The Anaconda J12 jaw crusher has arrived in Australia, offering high-capacity mobile crushing to the industry 24 Ozland Group has been expanding its service offering, with the addition of three Hyundai HL740TM-9 loaders and a Hyundai HX300 excavator from Porter Group 28 BMES is expanding its range of earthmoving machinery with the Sunward SWL2820 wheeled skid steer loader 32

An ingenious turntable system allows operators to get the most out of the GTS range of diamond rock saws from GroundTec Equipment 34 Tilly’s Crawler Parts has an extensive range of equipment and attachments to meet your needs 35

Despite still being in its formative years as a business, LeRoi Machinery Parts has big plans for the future

A new McCloskey jaw crusher is heading Down Under by the year’s end

The largest Sany excavator in Australia has touched down at Brooks Equipment’s Welshpool yard in WA 46

Hydraulics focus

its hydraulic cylinder

experience, Rapid Rams can handle the largest machines with ease

Genuine Cat hydraulic system parts can help you get the most out of your Cat machinery

News

MINING

Low-cost loads

The new Cat 789 mining truck has been designed to offer a weight advantage to haul more material every load and deliver a cost-per-tonne advantage by moving more material with less fuel – reducing fuel consumption by up to nine per cent compared to the Tier 2 design.

An advanced powertrain increases engine life by 12 per cent and delivers better shifting and acceleration.

Two power selections offer 1,417kW (1,900 horsepower) to match performance of existing fleet trucks or 1,566kW (2,100hp) for faster cycle times.

Offering the highest horsepower in its class, this mining truck features 10 per cent more payload and is over five per cent faster on grade than competitive trucks, says Cat. The engine’s net torque has also been increased by 23 per cent to boost performance on steep grades and in rough conditions.

Offering smoother transitional shifting for a smoother ride, the 789’s Advanced

Power Electronic Control Strategy (APECS) transmission delivers productivity and efficiency improvements that can reduce cycle times. Forward momentum and torque are maintained while shifting with optimum gear selection, resulting in faster acceleration. It offers more continuous torque and rimpull to deliver more power to the ground, making it possible to use a higher gear on grade to optimise fuel efficiency.

A choice of multiple body style configurations allows mines to equip the 789 to meet specific site needs. The High-Performance Body maximises payload by reducing the weight by two to five tonnes or more. The Mine Specific body excels in mature mines, while the Combination body combines features of high volume and optional liners to haul both ore and overburden. The original standard Dual Slope body provides excellent load retention and the X body features the latest structural designs and

offers more volume at a lower weight.

The 789’s larger, more ergonomic and quieter next generation cab improves operator efficiency and productivity, with 34 per cent more operator space.

Two 254mm screens consolidate all machine data, controls, guidance information and applications. New speed coaching provides operators real-time feedback on truck operation to maximise productivity, while more accurate measurements on the payload monitoring system delivers improved load tracking. A 360-degree surround view camera with object detection to alert operators to hazards within the immediate vicinity increases operator and site safety. Simplifying operation and minimising cycle times, a new optional Auto Hoist feature automatically raises the body and controls engine speed.

Striking gold

The equipment order is valued at about SEK130 million (A$18.2 million).

Epiroc is also supplying production drills and consumables. The Granny Smith mine utilises Epiroc’s Mobilaris

Onboard solution – an advanced operator navigation system.

“Epiroc is proud to continue the multiyear partnership with Gold Fields to optimise their safety and productivity,” Epiroc president and CEO Helena Hedblom says.

Epiroc manufactures the Minetruck MT65 in Örebro, Sweden. The mining trucks will come equipped with Epiroc’s telematics system Certiq, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real-time, and will have Epiroc’s Rig Control System, RCS, installed, which makes them ready for automation and remote control.

Delivery is expected to begin in early 2023.

New Cat 789 mining truck offers greater efficiency, comfort and connectivity

Gold Fields, one of the world’s largest gold producers, has ordered a fleet of Minetruck MT65 haulers with automation features to be used at the Granny Smith gold mine in Laverton, Western Australia.

Epiroc’s Minetruck MT65 haulers will be delivered to a Gold Fields mine in Western Australia

The new Cat 789 mining truck has a next generation cab with more space for operators

The haulers will be used at the Granny Smith gold mine in Laverton

MINING

Hands free

The iCon site excavator solution system allows operators to control excavators from afar, meaning operations can still be executed with accuracy and with ease, even when space is limited.

By using the iCon site excavator, applications such as trenching, grading or moving material can be completed on a smaller scale, making use of three new components that have been introduced: a new software application, a new dual GNSS receiver and an optional communication device.

Leica Geosystems president of machine control Magnus Thibblin says the new iCon system will mean smaller excavators can now play a larger role in earthmoving and construction projects.

“The Leica iCon site excavator is a very flexible and easy-to-use machine control solution, which opens the door to digital construction for small- and mediumsized heavy construction companies,” Thibblin says.

“Now, compact excavators can contribute to small or large projects with efficiency powered by Leica Geosystems’ machine control functionality. This sets contractors on a path toward autonomy, enabling them to do earthmoving and detailed grading tasks more efficiently and sustainably.”

The iCon site excavator application is available as a standalone software, or as

an add-on within the existing iCon site platform, which has been available for excavators for some time. When used as an add-on, a new workflow is enabled for on- and off-machine tasks, meaning workers can perform several jobs with the same tools.

For example, operators can use the controller unit – which features a smart antenna – to stake out or create a design, then immediately mount it to the cab for the excavator to start grading out.

When the excavation or grading has been completed to the correct design outlined by the controller unit, the operator can use the system to perform checks, the company says.

“This new solution is not only optimising earthmoving tasks for compact excavators, but thanks to the iCon site platform’s unique versatility, operators can use it for both on- and off-machine applications, resulting in efficient equipment and personnel deployment,” Leica Geosystems says.

The iCon site excavator application will be available for a range of iCon field controllers in various sizes, however the new GNSS receiver and communication device are designed for compact machines.

It has not been announced if the iCon system will be made available in Australia.

JCB’s

REFUELING

Quick fix

The refueller, which was announced by the British manufacturer in late October, provides a quick and easy way for customers to refuel their machines on site.

JCB says approximately 97 per cent of construction machines have fuel delivered to them on site to minimise downtime on projects, meaning operators are already accustomed to transportable fuel where refuelling takes several minutes to complete.

The announcement of the mobile hydrogen refueller follows similar announcements made by JCB over the past year, which has shifted its focus to manufacturing hydrogenpowered machines.

The world’s first hydrogen-powered backhoe loader was unveiled by JCB in June, when it was paraded down The Mall outside of Buckingham Palace as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. In late 2021, JCB announced its Loadall hydrogenpowered telescopic handler.

In all, JCB has invested over $178 million on developing and producing hydrogen engines.

The hydrogen refueller means the fuel can be taken from on-site tube trailers and then distributed to machines on the jobsite.

JCB chairman Lord Bamford has hailed the mobile refueller as the answer to the future of machinery in the construction sector.

“This is no different to today when diesel is taken in bowsers to refuel machines,” Bamford says.

“Fossil fuels are not the future and hydrogen is the practical solution to powering our machines in the decades to come.

“Our British engineers are doing a fantastic job in developing this technology and there are many more exciting developments to come.”

JCB has created a hydrogen refuelling truck to support hydrogen-powered construction machinery on site

mobile hydrogen refueller next to its hydrogen-powered backhoe loader

Trenching, grading or moving material can be completed on a smaller scale

A new

guidance

compact excavators has been launched by Leica Geosystems

GPS

RECYCLING

Multitask miller

Used on two projects in Germany, the FAE multitask was put to work recycling concrete and asphalt

Franz Blum GmbH Tief- und Straßen bau, a private road repair company based in Ittenhausen in Germany, recently used an FAE MTM/HP multitask on two construction sites at an altitude of 800m in the Swabian Alb, a mountainous region between Stuttgart and Ulm.

On both construction sites the MTM/HP multitask was used to stabilise the soil and mill asphalt and concrete.

“On the first site, we had to recycle a municipal road made of 16cm-thick plain concrete and break it on site,” Franz Blum owner Lothar Blum says.

“The road had a lot of wear and tear, with potholes and subsidence that made for difficult driving. We had to break the existing concrete, stabilise the resulting material, and prepare it for the new asphalt surface. Because the concrete road was 16cm thick, it was necessary to loosen the concrete surface in advance using an excavator chisel in a grid of approximately 40x40cm.

“Afterwards, the MTM milling machine was able to break up the

concrete and crush it into a grit size of 0/60mm. We milled 1,500 square metres of concrete in all. We paired the FAE MTM/HP with our Fendt 936 tractor – a very powerful duo that allowed us to complete the job within the time allotted.”

On the second site, Franz Blum GmbH Tief- und Straßenbau recycled the asphalt surface from a municipal road.

“In this case, we were tasked with recycling 1,600 square metres of asphalt (approximately 10cm thick) on site,” Blum says.

“Again, we worked with the MTM/ HP attached to the Fendt 936 tractor to 40cm deep, at an operating speed of 0.2 to 0.6km/h. The grit size of the processed material was approximately 0/60mm. Here too, we were very happy with the work. Overall, or experience with the FAE MTM was positive for both job sites.”

FAE says that the ability to recycle road material leads to significant cost savings around material transport and disposal, as well as purchasing new material to replace it.

FAE’s multitask makes on-site recycling easier, with the one machine able to undertake a variety of jobs, with variable crushing abilities enabling the milling of slabs of rock and asphalt down to a depth of 40cm as well as rock cutting, road construction and soil stabilisation.

The FAE MTM/HP works with 300 to 360hp (224 to 268kW) tractors. Due to its compact size and manoeuvrability it can work on surfaces that self-propelled machines find difficult to access, as well as on small construction sites.

The variable geometry of the crushing chamber allows the machine to penetrate the soil with just the rotor because of the moving frame that can be hydraulically adjusted.

The mixing chamber’s volume is also variable, so as the depth increases, the chamber’s volume also increases, and so does the ability to manage the material being mixed. A high-flow water system suppresses dust and prevents overheating.

MTH multitask heads are available from FAE Australia Pacific

Precoat perfection

Expanding Precisionscreen’s range of precoater units for coating aggregate, the Precoater 3000 and Precoater 6500 are two newly updated mobile machines that have been designed for towing to road laying sites or between quarries to provide quick, easy and high capacity precoating.

Precisionscreen chief operations officer Jonny McMurtry explains to Earthmovers & Excavators that these two machines were designed to meet customer needs for a mobile and versatile precoating unit.

“We’ve been doing mobile precoaters for 10–15 years and we have a range of machines that we’re constantly updating,” he says.

“A lot of precoating is done at the quarry and then shipped out, but the Precoater 3000 and 6500 are an

option for businesses who want to undertake mobile precoating for road laying,” he says.

“These two mobile precoaters are pulled from site to site – they are road registered, towable machines – and offer a screening and precoating application in a highly mobile format.

“The operator can fill the tanks up with the precoat material, drive to a site with the machine, load the aggregate material into the machine, which then removes any dust or oversized product, and then it precoats the material as it passes through an onboard tumbler chute. The precoated material comes out the other end and this enables the material to be laid on the road as quickly as possible.”

The mobile options have

The Precoater 3000 has a throughput of over 120 tonnes an hour

specifically been developed to suit varying work practices across Australia, says McMurtry

“From the east coast to the west coast there are slightly different ideas around how precoating should be done,” he says.

“In Queensland and NSW there’s a lot of quarry-based precoating before the precoated material is loaded into trucks and sent out to the site it’s being used at, whereas Western Australia and the Northern Territory are where we sell about 85–90 per cent of our mobile precoaters because they prefer to do the precoating closer to where the road is going to be laid.”

Key features

The smaller of Precisionscreen’s new Precoaters, the Precoater 3000 has an eight by four-foot screen box, a

Designed and built in Brisbane, Precisionscreen’s new 3000 and 6500 mobile precoaters make preparing aggregate for road laying a breeze

3,000-litre tank, an over 4m high tail conveyor discharge point, 15 individually-controlled precoat spray nozzles across three bars in the Pre cisionscreen designed and fabricat ed tumbler chute, and is fitted with either CAT, Perkins or Deutz engines. Throughput of coated material is over 120 tonnes an hour.

The similarly-sized but higher capacity 6500 has a 6,500-litre tank and a 10x5-foot twin deck screen box, with a 4.35m extended discharge height, 15 precoat nozzles and a throughput of over 150 tonnes per hour.

Both precoaters have remote controlled operations, 650mm-wide feed and discharge conveyors, an oil and heat-resistant nitrile discharge conveyor and an engine shutdown protection system.

“They are very hard-working machines for the size, and you can be set up and screening and precoating within half an hour from landing onsite,” McMurtry says.

“No additional power or any facilities are needed as it’s a fully contained and self-sufficient unit. The onboard engine drives the entire unit and there’s the functionality of adding wash down hoses or extra precoating pumps, which again are all driven off the onboard powerpack.”

Operators can use their own mix of precoat with the 3000 and 6500. To assist customers in meeting environmental standards and different site requirements,

Precisionscreen can modify the precoaters’ design to include additional filters or a modified spraying system for different kinds of precoat mix.

“Customers use anything from a rubber or diesel-based product through to an emulsion blend of precoat material, and the precoating machines and the precoating system that we use on both the conveyors and the mobile precoaters allow for the different types of precoating materials that our customers are using Australia-wide,” McMurtry says.

“We can adapt and modify these machines to suit customer preferences, and this is where Precisionscreen sets ourselves apart from other industry manufacturers. Where we come into our own is with that versatility and adaptability to meet industry expectations.”

Australian Made Precisionscreen designs and man ufactures a wide range of mobile screening, washing, crushing and recycling equipment, all built in Aus tralia. McMurtry says that this focus on Australian-built is a key part of the company’s philosophy.

“From the warehouse through the production line to our head office we’re all extremely proud to manufacture that the machines that we do,” he says.

“We take pride in the quality and being able to react to a customer’s

The Precoater 6500 has a larger screenbox and a throughput of over 150 tonnes per hour

demands and expectations. We are part of the Australian Made campaign and are probably the sole manufacturer included in this scheme for this type of equipment on the east coast.”

As well as the quality of build and mobile nature of the 3000 and 6500 precoaters, he says serviceability and reliability are a driving force for Precisionscreen.

“If it can’t be serviced, it won’t be serviced, so this is something that we pay attention to when designing and building these machines, to ensure there is full access to all of the serviceable parts,” he says.

“Because we manufacture in Brisbane, any parts that might be needed can be found in our Brisbane factory. We service Australia-wide and have systems in place to get parts to you within 48 hours.

“We had a bit of a reset button because of COVID-19, so now we’re focusing on that Australian Made aspect and offering a wider range of Australian-manufactured machines to the market such as pugmills, precoaters and screening plants that are manufactured wholly and solely in Brisbane.”

For more information on the Precoater 3000 and 6500, visit: www.precisionscreen.com.au

Events

bauma’s back

After two years of cancellations, the world’s largest construction and machinery trade fair returned last month

Bauma was last held in 2019 but returned this year to the exhibition grounds in Munich, Germany, with over 3,100 exhibitors from 60 countries.

Messe Munchen, the event organiser, says the event took up a total space of 614,000 square metres – the equivalent of 86 soccer fields –as exhibitors showed off the latest and best machinery and equipment.

Here were some of the highlights.

Liebherr hydrogen prototype engines

Two prototype hydrogen engines were shown by Liebherr at bauma, described as being for ‘tomorrow’s construction sites’.

The engines are suitable for crawler excavators, such as the Liebherr R 9XX H2.

Each engine employs different hydrogen injection technologies, a direct injection (DI) and a port fuel injection (PFI).

Liebherr says the production of hydrogen engines could commence by 2025. It is also looking into producing a dual-fuel engine that can run on hydrogen ignited by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) injection or fully on HVO.

Liebherr also won the bauma Innovation Award for its R 9XX H2 hydrogen excavator. For more information, see page 22.

Hitachi battery-powered excavator

As part of Hitachi CME’s 50th anniversary celebrations, a line-up of new machines was displayed, showcasing the company’s new technology systems.

Among the new equipment on show was Hitachi’s first zero-emission battery-powered excavator in Europe – the ZX55U-6EB, and the smallest wheeled excavator in the company’s product line, the ZX95W-7.

The ZX135W-7 was introduced to the European market in July this year and has a compact 360-degree swing radius, enabling operators to complete jobs in confined and tight spaces.

The machine also delivers up to seven per cent less fuel consumption than its predecessor – the Zaxis-6 range.

Yanmar electric mini excavator

Yanmar committed to electrification at this year’s bauma exhibition, with ‘Yanmar City’ transforming its stand into an interactive demonstration showcasing the company’s futurefirst mindset.

The company presented its first electric mini excavator – the SV17e – which features an open-centre hydraulic system with load-sensing hydraulic pump.

Yanmar also unveiled a working prototype of its all-new V8e compact wheel loader, which includes a 40kW (54.3hp) battery capacity as standard, making it highly productive across a range of all-terrain applications.

An electric version of Yanmar’s popular C08 tracked carrier was also on show, along with a host of new attachments, including quick couplers, buckets, tiltrotators and augers.

Carved by a lifetime of hard work, Rokbak articulated haulers are built to perform. Day after day. Decade after decade. From the heat of the desert to the cold of the arctic, you can rely on Rokbak.

Contact your local dealer for more information.

Bobcat electric mini excavator

Bobcat unveiled a new two-tonne electric miniexcavator at the trade show – the latest in the company’s expanding line of compact zeroemissions equipment.

The two-tonne machine was developed at the Bobcat Innovation Centre in Dobris, Czech Republic, and follows in the footsteps of the E10e – a onetonne electric excavator launched at bauma in 2019.

Also on the Bobcat stand was the T7X – the world’s first all-electric compact track loader.

XCMG electric mini excavator and loader

XCMG made its voice heard within the sustainability circles of the earthmoving industry with its own greener offering in the form of the all-electric XE35-E mini excavator and XC918-EV wheel loader.

The XE35-E boasts an operating weight of 4.3 tonnes and produces up to 28.6kN of bucket digging force. The

Hyundai hydrogen excavator

Hyundai CE’s focus this year at bauma was on the ‘future of excavation’ and centres around the worldwide premiere of the HW155H hydrogen excavator, which the company says combines the power and performance of its line of wheeled excavators with a hydrogen engine.

The HW155H emits only pure water and is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that is more

cost-effective than other battery-electric or diesel-powered machines, it says.

Hyundai also unveiled the electric 18E mini excavator that produces zero emissions and is ideal for working in dense urban environments. Hyundai says the machine delivers the same performance as a standard combustion engine machine and can work a full day on a single battery.

battery powered system produces 70.18kW of energy per hour while the machine comes standard with a 0.12 cubic metre bucket.

Similarly, the XC918-EV wheel loader has a rated powered of 40/24kW, a total cycle time of just 9.7 seconds and a rated load of 1.8 tonnes.

technology is based on an innovative sensor system and video technology that will aid operators with decisions in operation.

The

Wacker Neuson wheeled excavator

The big draw on Wacker Neuson’s stand this year was the EW100 wheeled excavator.

The EW100 is the company’s largest mobile excavator and features innovative hydraulics with load-independent flow distribution.

An eco-operating mode means the EW100 can save save up to 20 per cent of the fuel it would otherwise use.

A triple-boom provides greater manoeuvrability and is ideal for narrow spaces and the cab has been designed to provide excellent all-round visibility.

Wacker Neuson also had its ConcreTec assistance system for concrete consolidation on display, as well as its Kramer Smart Attach system for attachments.

The crusher has a feed capacity of 600 tonnes per hour for material feed sizes up to 900mm and a maximum total weight of 68 tonnes, depending on the equipment. Triple wind sifting and the over-belt magnetic separator are available as an option to ensure high purity of final products.

Austrian processing manufacturer SBM Mineral Processing debuted its new track mobile autonomous impact crusher.

Remax 600 features the brand’s first fully automatic production monitoring and control system. The

SBM autonomous crusher

Komatsu showed a plethora of electrified options at bauma in its huge display of 27 machines.

Its first fully electric compact wheel loader was unveiled, which it developed in collaboration with precision control manufacturer Moog. The machine is entirely electric, with no hydraulics.

Komatsu and Moog will conduct

further testing to prove the machine’s efficiency, operating time and comfort as well as highlight the loader’s extended operating cycle and innovative functions.

Komatsu’s stand featured a jobsite demonstration area of nearly 300 square metres, which included live demonstrations of over a dozen machines.

Hydrema electric dump truck and MX14 excavator

The Danish construction manufacturer showcased several new machines this year and, like with many, the big focus was on zero emission equipment – something which the company’s head of development

Palle Larsen says Hydrema has been working on for a number of years.

was a fully electric dump truck, which is the manufacturer’s first foray into the electric vehicle segment. The machine is built upon a new design that has been built from scratch on an electric platform.

Auger Torque’s distinct blue and yellow earthmoving attachments provided an eye-catching attraction at its stand, which was shared with hydraulic attachments manufacturer Kinshofer.

Among the highlights was a new cone crusher bucket, which is best suited to machines in the three to 10-tonne bracket.

The cone crusher bucket repurposes rubble into usable hardcore between

The cornerstone of the Hydrema stand 40–70mm in size. The bucket is suitable for excavators, telehandlers, skid steers and mini loaders.

Auger Torque also unveils its insite range of data tools that provide operators knowledge and insights while out in the field or onsite. The range is a plug and play tool, with one power cable, sensor plugs and a handheld touchscreen device.

Avant electric loaders

Avant launched two electric loaders at the event, with its new subsidiary Avant Power beginning to produce battery packs for fully electric Avant machines from 2023.

The Avant e5-27 and Avant e5-13 will be equipped with Avant OptiTemp batteries (27kWh and 13kWh) that

Hydrema also unveiled its new MX14 wheeled excavator, which is the smallest in the MX series.

Sennebogen has updated its range of waste recycling machinery with the new 824 G series.

Designed for smaller-scale material handing, the handlers have a 10–12m reach, can be equipped with a crawler or mobile undercarriage and have a special

deflection mechanism for sorting.

The load capacity has been increased by 10 per cent and the 118kW Stage V engine is both quieter and more fuel efficient than the previous generation. The new elevating cab means it can be raised to 2.8m for an improved view into shredders or presses.

feature a globally unique thermal management system.

With a fully charged battery in the Avant e5-27 you can, in most cases, work the whole day with one single charge as the battery capacity is twice the size of other manufacturers’ products, says Avant.

Auger Torque cone crusher bucket

Komatsu electric compact wheel loader

Sennebogen waste recycling handlers

Liebherr’s R 9XX H2 hydrogen excavator prototype was on show at bauma 2022

Herrenknecht AG’s continuous tunnelling system improves efficiency and accuracy

Furthering innovation

This year’s bauma Innovation Awards covered everything from alternative fuels to improvements in digital connection. Here we look at the final five winners

The 13th bauma Innovation Awards were announced in October, recognising technical innovations in the areas of construction, building materials and mining that focus on resources, the environment and people.

Across the five categories, the winners were as follows:

Climate protection: Liebherr France SAS – hydrogenpowered excavator

The first Liebherr crawler excavator to be powered using hydrogen, the R 9XX H2 is a prototype machine powered by a six-cylinder H966 hydrogen combustion engine.

Liebherr says this excavator produces 70 per cent less CO2 over its lifetime than a diesel excavator and is able to operate under high temperature and high dust conditions, with its 50-tonne operating weight making it suitable for earthworks and quarrying applications.

Liebherr’s components product segment plans to start with the series production of hydrogen motors by 2025.

Digitalisation: MiC 4.0 Machines in Construction – one common digital language

The Machines in Construction working group is made up of over

100 European manufacturers and construction companies that have developed a digital communication system for construction machinery. Manufacturer agnostic, this MiC BUS system is a universal interface that links attachments and machinery and shows the relevant uses in an effort to increase the digitalisation of construction sites and improve connectivity and productivity.

The MiC 4.0 BUS will be published and made available to all interested manufacturers, with the goal of becoming the standard in communication between attachment tools and construction machinery.

Mechanical engineering: Herrenknecht AG –continuous tunnelling

Herrenknecht AG has developed a continuous tunnelling system to improve efficiency and reduce the time taken to bore a tunnel.

Tunnelling with shield machines in soft ground is a stop/start process where excavation has to stop when a new ring is built. With Herrenknecht AG’s technology, excavation can continue as the thrust cylinders that push the machine forward during advance take over the force share of those cylinders that are retracted for ring building.

As part of this design, Herrenknecht developed a Center of Thrust (CoT)

system that controls the cylinder thrust and maintains the tunnelling machine’s alignment more efficiently and effectively.

Construction: Holcim (Germany) GmbH with CPC – carbon pre-stressed concrete Building materials producer Holcim worked with concrete slab manufacturer CPC to produce high-strength thin carbon-pressed concrete slabs where the concrete is reinforced with pre-stressed carbon fibres.

They say that this technology can reduce the amount of concrete needed by 75 per cent, which reduces the weight of the slab, transport costs and the CO2 footprint.

Research: Freiberg University –Deep Sea Sampling

Freiberg University’s Mining and Technology Mechanical Engineering Institute is part of the Deep Sea Mining Alliance and won the research award for its deep sea sampling project that will transform a compact trench cutter into a semi-automated vertical mining unit.

At a depth of 3,000m the machine cuts precisely where the ore is located and uses hydrocyclones to contain the mined rock within a closed system, which is then lifted and emptied on the surface.

The Alliance says that this system contains turbidity within the system and reduces the invasiveness of the mining process.

ROLLER

Roller roll-out

Ammann has announced the release of its ARP 75 pivot-steer tandem roller, which offers adjustable compaction width

A new symmetrical cab has 360-degree visibility from the operator station and integrates four rollover protection system posts directly in the main structure and near the doors.

The machine is equipped with Fingertip Steering (FTS), making it more operator-friendly and comfortable. The FTS replaces the traditional steering wheel and allows operators to keep both hands on the armrests for improved comfort. It also offers advanced palm support that prevents repetitive motion fatigue and injuries.

A new 10-inch touchscreen helps operators control all machine functions simply, safely and quickly. This includes vibratory parameters, lights and ACEforce – the advanced Continuous Compaction Control system.

The standard machine operating width is 1.5m can be increased slightly to enable compaction around obstacles – or it can be expanded to a total machine working width of 2.72m to improve machine productivity on long, straight jobsites.

The standard machine is equipped with two large water tanks that provide capacity of 900 litres for drum surface spraying. Highly effective spraying bars, with two high pressure water pumps as standard, boost sprinkling system productivity and efficiency.

The machines are equipped with a 54kW (74 horsepower) Kubota V3307CR-T diesel engine with aftertreatment technology. The ARP 75 is not yet available in Australia.

LASER LEVELS

Laser focus

iMex unveils new look and laser level range

Laser levelling tool provider iMex Lasers, owned by Position Partners, has undergone a rebrand and released a new range of multiline lasers.

“We’re excited to reveal our newlook iMex branding, which builds on the already successful identity and commitment to be ‘accurate for life’, with a fresh, modern look that reflects the innovation, accuracy, and reliability of the product range,” Position Partners building business manager David Gentle says.

“iMex is expanding into new regions, with distribution growing rapidly across Europe and Southeast Asia.”

The LX Series II range includes the LX22 crossline laser level and LX25P line and dot laser level, both available in either red or ultra-visible green beam options.

With a sturdy, quick release magnetic bracket to hold the laser in place without screws, long lasting lithium battery packs and non-slip rugged housing, iMex has designed the new series to deliver maximum productivity gains on busy job sites.

Featuring one horizontal and one vertical laser beam and plumb up and down dots, these laser levels are

The new range has been designed to be rugged and long-lasting

a handy option for builders, cabinet makers, electricians and other tradies. The LX25P models also come with two horizontal dots, which is useful for glaziers and builders fitting doors and windows.

The premium LX3DG model is a multi-line laser that gives full 360degree horizontal and vertical laser lines, as well as PreciseAlign technology that enables the user to pivot the laser beam without moving the datum point.

“Feedback from customers on the new range has been extremely positive, with users saying that they do the job accurately and reliably, day in, day out,” iMex product manager Calvin Sandeman says.

“As well as precision performance, these lasers feel solid and reliable with their non-slip housing. Handy features like the quick release bracket and long battery run time are efficiency savers that make a big difference when you’re relying on these tools for that high quality finish.”

Ammann ARP 75 pivot-steer tandem roller

Tried and tested

Irish material handling and processing manufacturer

Anaconda Equipment has introduced a new jaw crusher and impact crusher to its portfolio of scalpers, screens, trommels, conveyors and feeder loaders, with the first Anaconda jaw crusher now available in Australia through distributor Onetrak.

The J12 jaw crusher is an aggressive and powerful mobile jaw crusher, which incorporates a 1,100mm x 700mm universal jaw crusher chamber from McLanahan. The J12 utilises a fuel-efficient hydraulic system and Cummins diesel engine that allows the machine to provide high levels of productivity in applications such as recycling, contracting and quarrying.

The J12 is powered by a 283kW Cummins engine with load sensing hydraulics and can crush up to 300 tonnes per hour.

The ability to switch between a doglead remote control or radio remote control makes transporting the machine easy and safe for operators, while a level sensor to start/stop the feeder when the jaw overfills is a handy standard feature.

Other standard factory features are a side dirt conveyor to remove fines from the feed before entering the jaw, a magnet to remove metal and protect downstream equipment and hydraulic raising/lowering of the main conveyor to provide superior maintenance access.

“The chamber comes with full hydraulic adjustment and hydraulic tramp release and reset as standard,” Anaconda CEO and group managing president Alistair Forsyth says.

“The direct hydraulic drive means the unit can also be run in reverse if needed.”

Sam Powell, Onetrak’s national sales manager for industrial material

handling, has been involved in the set-up of the new J12 and its introduction to Australia. He says that Onetrak has ensured that the new jaw crusher meets the industry’s needs, with the first unit put to work in a Melbourne quarry.

“From tracking off the float until the end of the testing the jaw impressed with its performance,” he says.

“The auto-run mode allowed the machine to begin operation at the press of a button. The prescreen handled the heavy fines feed flawlessly, with no leakage or overrun. The jaw never slowed or bogged, even with large feed sizes –primarily due to the J12’s factory level sensor that automatically adjusts the feeder speed to ensure the jaw never overfills, or even worse, runs empty.”

Crushing a 600mm sandstone feed down to 65mm, the J12 managed to keep the feeding 37-tonne excavator busy.

The Anaconda J12 jaw crusher has arrived in Australia, offering high-capacity mobile crushing to the industry

The J12 jaw crusher from Anaconda is now available from Onetrak

“It was very impressive how quickly and easily the jaw could transition from transport, to operating, to optimising, to ultimately packing back up for transport,” Powell says.

“This would be an ideal machine for a contractor as the set-up time is minimal, meaning production can commence quickly, ensuring you are maximising your production hours per week. The hydrostatic drive and full suite of factory standard options creates an incredibly versatile machine, capable of handling recycling applications, sticky or wet materials, and both soft and hard minerals.”

Jason MacDonald, Onetrak product manager for crushing & screening adds: “McLanahan’s universal jaw crushers division have been building crushers since 1906. During initial discussions with Anaconda about the crushing line, it was very reassuring to know that it was a proven jaw box being fitted with an impressive record and long heritage in the crushing industry.”

Onetrak purposely waited for the new crushing line from Anaconda to be tested out overseas before committing to bringing it to Australia. This was to ensure customers get a guaranteed tested and proved machine.

“The J12 jaw has impressed in its first trials at Melbourne Sandstone,” MacDonald says.

“In my experience distance and time zones can cause issues with new product releases. I’m pleased to say that after the standard Onetrak pre-delivery inspection process, the commissioning went very smoothly and the features will be of

great benefit to contractors, quarry operations, recycling operations and mining operations.”

Key features of the Anaconda J12 include three different jaw speeds for different products being crushed, reverse crushing to clear blockages, the ability to adjust crusher size settings during operation, loadsensing hydraulic pumps, a feed level sensor to maintain a 75 per cent full crushing level, a dirt conveyor, remote control and a 460mm discharge height from crusher box to belt (without deflector plate), giving it one of the best heights in its class.

“During the trials the J12 was teamed with the Anaconda DF410 scalping screen, and the mighty little screen running a 60mm punch plate top deck and 20mm mesh bottom deck was able to keep up with the feed from a 37-tonne excavator and the J12 feeder running at 60 per cent,” MacDonald says.

Anaconda Equipment is distributed by Onetrak in Australia. Onetrak’s national dealer network of service, sales and spare parts ensures all

Anaconda customers are well supported nationally.

Onetrak partners with its customers and ensures the support extends past the initial purchase. From enquiry Onetrak’s dedicated crushing and screening specialists can offer guidance and advice around what machinery will best suit the intended application. At the time of delivery Onetrak’s product specialists, together with the service department, will come to site to do a full commission of the new machine and ensure it’s all running at optimal levels so you can get the most out of your new investment.

Onetrak also offers flexible purchase solutions including Rent-To-Buy.

To learn more about Anaconda Equipment or to enquire visit www.onetrak.com.au.

The new crusher was put to work in a Melbourne sandstone quarry and impressed with its processing speed

The J12 was teamed with an Anaconda DF410 scalping screen to test its capabilities

PRESSEXTRA

Western Australian contractor Ozland Group has been expanding its service offering in recent years, with the addition of three Hyundai HL740TM-9 loaders and a Hyundai HX300L excavator from Porter Group expanding its fleet

Words Cat Fitzpatrick Images Ozland Group

Perfect fit

Based out of the Perth suburb of Forrestdale, Ozland Group has been involved in drill and blasting activities across Western Australia for the past 12 years. Established in 2010 by Greg Morris and Kevin Fitzgerald, Ozland has branched out over the past two years into mining services, covering aspects such as loading and hauling and mine site development and construction.

With this broadening of interests came an expansion of Ozland’s construction machinery fleet. With the recent addition of several Hyundai HL740TM-9 loaders and a Hyundai HX300L excavator from Porter Group, Ozland now has its equipment at work across eight sites in Western Australia, and over 350 staff.

“Over the last 12 months we’ve had three HL740TM-9 loaders

delivered and one HX300L excavator, just to try it out, with the most recent one delivered a few weeks ago,” Ozland maintenance manager Dan Fitzgerald says.

“What we’re finding, especially with the loaders, is that they the perfect size for what we’re using them for. They’re very affordable, cost effective and pretty versatile.”

Powered by a Cummins QSB6.7 145 horsepower (108kW) six-cylinder engine, HL740TM-9 loaders have a top forward speed of 39km/h and a top reverse speed of 25km/h.

With a 2.3 cubic metre heaped bucket capacity, the loader features variable shift control with four modes for various applications as well as a load sensing hydraulic system.

The HX300L is a 30-tonne crawler excavator with a Hyundai HE6.7 220hp (164kW) engine and 1.27–1.85

cubic metre bucket capacity. New variable power control improves fuel efficiency, with three work modes and attachment flow control to match site conditions.

The excavator also features Hyundai’s Advanced Around View Monitoring (AAVM) system, which provides all-round vision through nine camera feeds, while the Intelligent Moving Object Detection (IMOD) system detects people or objects in close proximity to the excavator. These innovative safety solutions feature throughout the HX range and are brought in by Porter Group as standard.

Currently, Ozland’s Hyundai loaders and excavator are spread out on different sites in Western Australia, from 120km south of Port Hedland in the Pilbara to Marvel Loch and Coolgardie, located between Perth and Kalgoorlie.

PORTERGROUP

“At Port Hedland the loader will be used as a stemming loader about 70 per cent of the time, and the rest of time it’s a workshop clean-up loader, so it’ll have a fork or jib on it and just help around the workshop,” Fitzgerald says.

“We sometimes put a bucket on it and tidy up around sites.

“For the stemming work, like what we have the loader doing at Marvel Loch as well, the loader will have a bucket on the front full of aggregate and small rock, and we fill holes up with stemming after we drill them and load them with explosive.

“At the Coolgardie site, about 90 per cent of the time it’s fitted with a fork and transporting parts or tidying up in the workshop there. We put the jib on it when we’re using it to change our pumps and cylinders, stuff like that.”

Operator feedback

When asked how the new machinery is settling in and what the feedback has been from operators using the loader on what can be very remote sites, Fitzgerald points out just how well the HL740TM-9 loaders have suited the work being undertaken.

“Operator feedback’s been good,” he says.

“The loaders are simple and easy to use and versatile – we can use them for anything. It’s the perfect size for a stemming loader on some of our smaller jobs. And it’s comfortable to operate.”

From his point of view as the maintenance manager located remotely from the various sites the machinery is on, he says the GPS function is particularly useful so he can see where the loaders are and what they are doing at any time.

This newly developed system is a function called Hi-Mate that allows

for remote monitoring of a machine’s performance, diagnostic information and location.

“For the guys on site it’s more the simplicity of operation that catches our eye and it’s pretty easy to train someone on them,” Fitzgerald adds.

The HX300L excavator is at the site south of Port Hedland, primarily engaged in rock breaking. Fitzgerald says that it’s the perfect size for the job and it’s driving a larger rock breaker than other brands of excavator in the same class.

“It’s an all-in-one machine, so it’s easy to flick the rock breaker off and put the bucket on, set the rocks up, flick it off and put the rock breaker back on,” he says.

“One person can do that all by himself, then go and hammer all the rocks, put the bucket back on and clean it up. It’s a great machine for the site we’re on.

Ozland Group’s HX300L 30-tonne crawler excavator is used as a rock breaker, with quick attachment changes being a stand-out feature

The loaders are simple and easy to use and versatile – we can use them for anything.

A

Hyundai’s Advanced Around View Monitoring system provides all-round vision through nine camera feeds and comes as standard on the HX range offered by Porter Group

B / C

Ozland Group uses a couple of its Hyundai HL740TM-9 loaders for stemming as part of its drill and blast work

PORTERGROUP

“They are very reliable; the service and support are good, and we haven’t had any issues to date.”

Fitzgerald says that this reliability and versatility are why he chose these machines for the Ozland fleet.

“A lot of it relies on value for money,” he says when asked what he takes into account when choosing new machinery.

“In this market, with the rising costs of parts and wages, you’ve really got to look at where you’re spending your money. So, what we get for what it costs – bang for your buck you might say – is important. And these machines fit that brief.”

Positive relationship

Ozland Group has been purchasing machinery from Porter Group for the past two years.

Porter Group provided the expertise to get the right machines supplied for the various jobs Ozland Group undertakes.

“We started talking to Porter Group a couple of years ago and just explained who we are as a company, what we do and what we need,” Fitzgerald says.

“They understood that and worked with us. In this day and age it can be difficult to source equipment, so they keep us up to date with timeframes, what they’ve got coming into the country, what they’ve got available, what lead times are. They keep us up to date with the current costs with the ever-changing market and US dollar.”

He says that having an honest and open relationship with Porter Group is a key reason why Ozland will continue to buy equipment from it, along with the high level of aftersales service and ease of parts ordering.

“When we bought our first machine from Porter Group, they got their sales guys in to set up our afterservice parts account,” he says.

“Pretty much we just flick them

an order when we need to and it gets taken care of the next day, easy as that.”

It’s this trust in Porter Group’s machinery and service that helps Ozland Group provide a high quality service to mining sites across WA, no matter how remote the location.

“Our strength is that, although we are a smaller company, we have a lot of experience,” Fitzgerald says.

“We can provide a more personalised service where we work with a client and understand their needs.

“If you work with us, it means you will have a close relationship with the people that actually own and run Ozland Group.”

For more details on equipment available for purchase through Porter Equipment, visit www.porterce.com.au

Multi-purpose machine

Brand new for 2022, the Sunward SWL2820 wheeled skid steer is the latest Sunward machine to be offered by Brisbane Mini Excavator Sales (BMES) and brings a compact but powerful loader to Australia.

With a four-cylinder Stage 3 41.7kW Kubota engine and a 75-litre fuel tank, the 2.8-tonne Sunward SWL2820 sports a 4-in-1 bucket, auto levelling, a rollover protection system/ falling object protection system cabin, high-flow air conditioning and high flow hydraulics.

With a rated operating capacity of 750kg, the Sunward SWL2820 skid steer loader can be used in a wide variety of applications, from running a mixer to an auger or a variety of buckets and blades. A multifit pick-up means attachments can be quickly swapped out, making it a versatile multi-use machine on a site.

When BMES sales executive Steven Ragenovich spoke to Earthmovers & Excavators in mid-October, he said that another six units were expected to arrive mid-November following previous sell-out deliveries.

“We’ve worked with Sunward for around two and a half years now,” he says.

“They export around 5,000 units a year to Europe and not only do skid steers and excavators, they do digging rigs, cranes and tunnel boring machines. They’re a very good company to deal with.”

A stand-out feature of the new skid steer is that it comes with a 3,000 hour/three-year comprehensive factory-certified warranty, he says.

“They’re a great little machine –ideal for plumbers, electricians, for backfilling, lifting pallets of bricks, levelling, loading and trenching,” Ragenovich explains.

“They’re really unlimited in what you can do with them – they’re a good all-round machine.”

The ability to use high-flow attachments is also a key selling point, so if a customer needs to use a more powerful trencher for example, they can just swap it in with the multifit pick-up.

The SWL2820 has an industryleading lift height for its size as well as

an excellent air conditioning for long days on a job.

Ragenovich adds that Sunward is next to none in terms of reliability and maintenance accessibility, with the new skid steer built to a very high standard.

The sole distributor of Hercules machinery in Australia, Ragenovich says BMES prides itself on its dedicated sales team, efficient supply of spare parts and the comprehensive servicing and spare parts packages on offer.

Supplying machines and spare parts nationwide from its HQ in Queensland, he says that the high level of industry knowledge held within the teams means customers have that support on hand, 24/7, wherever they are.

“We’ve been here for over 30 years – we’re a company with longevity, experience and reliability,” he says.

“Whatever a customer is looking for, we strive to exceed their expectations.”

For more information, visit: www. brisbaneminiexcavators.com.au

Brisbane Mini Excavator Sales is expanding its range of earthmoving machinery with the new Sunward SWL2820 wheeled skid steer loader

A high-flow air conditioning system keeps the cabin comfortable

The Sunward SWL2820 wheeled skid steer, powered by a Kubota engine, is a great all-rounder for the job site

Cut above

GroundTec’s GTS diamond rock saws are suitable for excavators between 1.5 and 40 tonnes and can be used for applications such as excavating, demolition, boundary cutting, rock and stone cutting and trimming and cabling.

GTS diamond rock saws are specialised in cutting both abrasive material such as sandstone and non-abrasive material such as granite, dolomite and bentonite. The saws are built with GroundTec’s quality hydraulic drive system and are among the most versatile in its class.

The saws are built inhouse by GroundTec at its base in Strathfield South in west Sydney and have received acclaim not only across Australia since their introduction to the market a decade ago, but across the world.

Such is the demand for the GTS range that GroudTec general manager Wolfgang Reinhard and his team have received orders from places such as Finland, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam.

At the heart of the saws is the innovative turntable system that allows operators to rotate the head bracket by 180-degrees without the need to disconnect the saw from the excavator.

In tight spaces, such as cutting

through rock on commercial construction properties, the rotating head bracket allows the saw to access and cut rock in narrow or difficult to reach spots, Reinhard explains.

“It’s basically just like a turntable and all the operator has to do is unlock two locking bolts, which allows the diamond rock saw to flip from the left side of the dip arm over to the right side,” Reinhard says.

“If you don’t have this feature and you’re up against a wall or a boundary, how do you get to the other side?

“A skilled operator can rotate the head in as little as two minutes.”

The rotating head bracket is included as standard on GTS diamond rock saws compatible with excavators up to 14 tonnes – the GTS 1 and GTS 2.

To Reinhard’s knowledge, a system such as the rotating bracket is not available on any comparable diamond rock saw currently on the market in Australia today.

The GTS range was developed by GroundTec to address the lack of reliable rock saws available in Australia, says Reinhard. At the time, only a few options were available, but were poorly designed by what he says were ‘backyard mechanics’.

GroundTec therefore developed its own saw range with a focus on manufacturing saws that are

A 180-degree rotating head bracket is available on the GTS 1 and GTS2 models and provides rotation in as little as two minutes

user-friendly, safe to use on site and reliable.

“The GTS diamond rock saws were really developed over 10 years ago. It’s our design and we manufacture them; everything is done in house,” Reinhard says.

“We basically looked at what was out on the market and pinpointed how we think we could improve upon what was already available. We took our time before we launched our product to ensure that it was strong, robust and easy to use.”

Everything in the GTS range is manufactured in Australia by GroundTec, with the exception of the engine motors, which are sourced from Germany and France, and the blades, which aren’t available in Australia.

Reinhard says much of the success of the GTS rock saws comes from how GroundTec makes its engine body. Instead of welding together steel plates, GroundTec makes use of a proper cast, which means different motors can be inserted to suit the different types of excavators.

Reinhard says using casts to mould the engine body has two key benefits.

“Number one, the casts are super strong and they don’t crack. You have a good body to work with the engine fitting,” he says.

“The second is that it will be very easy to work on if something goes wrong and if there is any problem it can get very easily fixed.”

The GTS saws also features bi-directional blade rotation, which allows for cutting in both directions and ensures the water spray system isn’t facing the excavator and/or operator.

Other features of the RTS range are an instant brake for added safety, meaning the saw blade is stopped immediately, instead of letting the blade spin out. A heavy duty stand also makes the saws easy to store and transport.

For more information on GroundTec Equipment’s range of GTS diamond rock saws, visit groundtec.com.au

An ingenious turntable system allows operators to get the most out of the GTS range of diamond rock saws from GroundTec Equipment

Getting it right

From O-rings to near-new machines, and everything in between, Tilly’s Crawler Parts has an extensive range of equipment and attachments to meet your needs

Tilly’s Crawler Parts, based in Toowoomba in south-east Queensland, has been selling used earthmoving machinery for 38 years. However, its latest quality, genuine original equipment manufacturer (OEM) machines with low hours are taking Tilly’s offering to the next level.

The government incentives for instant asset write-offs introduced in recent years created demand from new segments of the market. Tilly’s recognised this opportunity and went about sourcing a range of quality low-hour machines that could be delivered to Australia within reasonable timeframes –something the last two years has not been known for.

The current range on the Tilly’s lot ready for immediate delivery includes the General Construction range of Cat 5–30 tonne excavators, 950 loaders and D6 to D8 ex-US machines. The zero tail-swing range of excavators is perfectly suited to metro construction sites.

Every machine is carefully assessed at the point of origin by Tilly’s overseas representative and is then fully assessed again upon arrival in Toowoomba. For complete peace of

Attachments on offer include rippers, blades and stick rakes

mind, Tilly’s offers various warranty options on selected machines.

A key driver in the decision to bring in these machines is the extensive range of attachments that Tilly’s stocks.

Attachments currently in stock at Tilly’s Toowoomba HQ include long-reach booms, ripper groups, scrub canopies, front blades, sweeps and stick rakes. Wheel loader forks and variations of quick hitch and thumbs suitable for a range of excavators round out the range.

Bedrock is one brand that Tilly’s stocks, which has a reputation as being one of the world’s largest construction machinery attachment manufacturers, providing costeffective alternatives driven by quality and built to last.

Any required attachments are fitted by Tilly’s qualified and experienced team in their onsite workshop prior to delivery.

Tilly’s innovative vertical lift warehouse solution holds an extensive range of over 40,000 new part lines in stock, guaranteeing customers quality, long-term solutions for their machinery maintenance and repairs.

Tilly’s team of 14 highly experienced parts interpreters do just that – take the information provided and translate it into the perfect solution.

From O-rings to undercarriage and fit-for-purpose machines, understanding the specific requirements of their Australia-wide customer-base and providing fast, efficient service and turn-around times is what Tilly’s has prided itself on for 38 years.

The ‘right part, right price, right now’ guarantee is fiercely upheld by the entire team, from the sales team to the workshop floor and everywhere in between.

Tilly’s account holders are also now able to access 24/7 online ordering of the majority of parts in stock, ensuring machine down-time is kept to a minimum.

The 70-strong team at Tilly’s is committed to keeping their customers on track, providing quality products with excellent service.

With insurance and finance options also available, Tilly’s welcomes enquiries about its range of machinery and parts. For more information, visit: www.tillys.com.au

Tilly’s offers a range of genuine, low-hour OEM machines

Disappointing decision

The Federal Budget was released last month and a lot of business groups were reasonably supportive of it. However, Queensland had a significant amount of funding for infrastructure cancelled, delayed, or not confirmed.

The Rockhampton Ring Road had combined committed state and federal funding of $1.065 billion. The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads had already spent approximately $104 million to the end of the last financial year and even more this financial year. The procurement process had short-listed two consortia, to a point where contracts were to be imminently awarded.

Cancelling or delaying projects at such a late stage is unforgivable. The number of resources, industry preparation and money spent is now wasted. Both consortia, comprising four contractors, had already allocated project teams and forgone tendering other opportunities in anticipation of being awarded this project. The lack of opportunity will be arguably more costly than the huge cost of tendering to date.

These decisions can break the spirits of contractors and eats into the credibility of government.

There is an argument that the delay of projects in the current market will take pressure off supply chains, and it will be better served from a cost basis and supply chain basis if completed later. There was a comment that, due to these factors, the Budget had been

exceeded and indicated that this was the reason for the delay. Noble but incorrect. Inflationary pressures were a contributing factor, but the state government’s own policies are a major contributor to cost increases. The Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPIC) was a key contributor. In addition, there was a requirement to meet a range of other State Procurement Policies that also contributed to cost increases.

State government policies such as buying local, commitment to training and inclusion of indigenous and other minority groups are positive policies, but they do come at a cost. By not supporting the project on a cost basis, it is denying positive social outcomes for regional areas in addition to the amenity the infrastructure will provide.

If the BPIC was removed, then this would provide significant savings on the project. It is interesting that on Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3A, when the costs increased some 20 per cent due to the inclusion of BPIC, the Morrison Government supported the project by providing additional funding. Something the current Australian Government could not do for the Rockhampton Ring Road.

Whilst it is not unusual for project priorities to change, it is unusual to cancel a project on the eve of awarding it. It is important to provide as much certainty around the pipeline of projects as possible. Providing industry with transparency and surety into the future provides opportunity for the industry and regional areas to gear up in preparation for the projects to be delivered. This provides far better outcomes for asset owners and particularly government social objectives.

Other projects which had funding withdrawn in the recent Federal Budget include:

• Urannah Dam: $483 million of com mitted funds cancelled

• E mu Swamp Dam: $126 million delayed or cancelled

• Hughenden Irrigation Project: $1 million delayed or reconsidered

• Hells Gate Dam: Cancelled – $5.4 billion of non-committed funding. Other projects at risk are:

• Beenleigh to Kuraby Faster Rail Project

• Beerwah to Maroochydore Heavy Rail Extension.

I expect clarity to be provided around these projects very soon.

A cynic would observe the flow of funds from Queensland to Victoria on the eve of a Victorian State Election is pork barrelling. Maybe this is why the Queensland Premier is confident that future budgets would be favourable to Queensland. After all, there is a Queensland State Election in 2024.

Another concern is there has been no mention of funding for Olympic Games infrastructure. This could be due to the lack of certainty around the actual infrastructure to be built or both governments can’t agree on the split and quantum of funding. Either scenario is concerning as the timeframe to deliver this infrastructure is reducing.

I have written previously that the next Queensland State Election will be fought on issues such as health, crime, integrity and the delivery of the Olympic Games. The Federal Budget has strengthened my position that the Olympic Games delivery will be front and centre of the campaign.

Damian Long, CEO CCF QLD

Queensland saw funding for a number of high-profile infrastructure projects cancelled or delayed – wasting money and raising questions around preparations for the Olympics

The recent Federal Budget has either cancelled or delayed significant amounts of funding for Queensland infrastructure projects

Supply support

Despite still being in its formative years as a business,

LeRoi Machinery Parts has big plans for the future

LeRoi was established in August 2019, but it wasn’t until late the following year that it commenced operation.

The business, located in the Brisbane suburb of Lytton, specialises in undercarriage parts for the mining, construction, forestry and farming industries.

As the distributor for Berco undercarriage parts across Australia, LeRoi says it hopes to make the Berco range prevalent and available to heavy earthmoving machinery owners across the country.

To do so, the business has outlined expansion plans to cater to its growing customer base. In addition to the main warehouse just southeast of Brisbane, LeRoi also operates branches in Perth and Melbourne – the latter of which is expected to open its doors in November 2022.

Further development opportunities include a Sydney warehouse planned to be operational by 2023, an Adelaide base by 2024 and a warehouse in the NT, expected to be up and running by 2025.

LeRoi Machinery Parts director Ziane Gouicem says the business is looking for dealers and sub-dealers in NSW, SA, Victoria and the NT, as well as northern and western QLD.

Gouicem also says LeRoi offers direct shipping from the Berco manufacturing plant in Italy to the customer as an added value option.

The significant business growth since its formation just three years ago has been driven by the popularity of Berco undercarriage parts around the country.

By providing and supplying end users with earthmoving parts both directly and through a subdealer network, LeRoi has fostered a business model that ensures fast delivery to its customers in an innovative way that cuts costs.

Among the range of parts supplied by Berco and distributed by LeRoi are parts for dozers, ranging from 4D type up to D11, excavators from 13 to 300 tonnes and drilling machines from manufactures such as Sandvik and Epiroc.

Other undercarriage products are also available for asphalt paving machines and apron feeders, for example. In the forestry sector John Deere, Tigercat and PrimeTech can all be serviced by Berco products, as well as some sugarcane harvesters, including those from John Deere and Case IH’s AusToft.

Examples of the products line offered by LeRoi include Berco’s range of all-weather dozer track

rollers, which can work at both high and low temperatures. The rollers are optimised for dozers between 36 and 99 tonnes and offer a unique solution for an extended temperature range via new improved seals, new compound rubber rings on each roller and a new synthetic lubricant.

For excavators, the Cat 390/385 track chain is perhaps the most exciting undercarriage solution on offer, says Le Roi. Berco describes the track chain as ‘completely revolutionary’ given its optimised link shape that permits less stress in the pin of the track link.

The 390/385 track chain is made of high impact steel and results in a longer joint lift, longer resistance, high structural durability of the chain and is also easy to maintain with improved serviceability.

The Cat 390/385 track chain is applicable for excavators in the 72–81 tonne class.

All LeRoi business matters are dealt with by Gouicem and the team, which boasts more than 20 years of experience in the earthmoving industry.

For more information about LeRoi Machinery Parts and the Berco undercarriage range, visit leroiparts.com

LeRoi is set to expand its operation of Italian-made Berco undercarriage parts throughout Australia

Forward thinking

Infrastructure projects in Australia continue to push ahead, with no sign of slowing down. Even some of the supply chain issues are beginning to ease, indicating that the time is ripe to review your equipment and prepare to meet the approaching needs of the market.

Planning is now well under way for the 2023 National Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo, which is being held for the third time at the Sydney Dragway, Eastern Creek, NSW. This premium venue has proved to be a winner with exhibitors and visitors alike, thanks to the wide range of well-known exhibitors on site.

“There are many reasons why exhibitors return year after year to participate in Diesel Dirt & Turf,” expo manager Marti Zivkovich says.

“Industry leading brands have embraced the Expo and recognise the value of this wonderful opportunity for face-to-face customer engagement.

“There is real enthusiasm shown by so many exhibitors, who look forward to participating each year and always renew their site bookings very quickly to ensure they don’t miss out on this integral part of their sales and marketing activity.”

Komatsu and Earthmovers &

Visitors flock from across Australia to see the latest construction machinery and technology

Excavators magazine are again the gold sponsors of DDT.

“Associate sponsorships are a great way to increase your visibility, so if you would like to join our associate sponsors Norm Engineering, Pickles, Earthmoving Equipment Magazine, What-If and Record Time, contact us now,” Zivkovich says.

“The Pickles auction has become a key drawcard of Diesel Dirt & Turf. Many visitors will come ready to spend on some of the great deals that Pickles will be offering at the Saturday equipment auction.

“If your business is in site preparation, excavation, installation of public works services, road maintenance or construction, public space management, turf care, specialised vehicles, site services, specialised tools and attachments or associated finance and services, you will benefit from exhibiting. Sites are now selling, so now is the time to commit.”

The Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo will take place April 21–23 at Sydney Dragway, Ferrers Road, Eastern Creek, NSW. To enquire or book to secure your exhibitor site contact the Expo manager Marti Zivkovich on 0411 648 465 or apply online at www. dieseldirtandturf.com.au.

Events will include demonstrations, with the chance to get up close to the newest machines on the market

Plan now for the 2023 Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo

Aussie debut

A new McCloskey J6 mining duty jaw crusher will soon be arriving at 888 Crushing and Screening Equipment’s (888CSE) premises in Oldbury, Western Australia.

The J6 is McCloskey’s latest offering in its jaw crusher range and builds upon the robust design and proven performance of the McCloskey name. However, operators will also benefit from a host of new features to boost productivity across applications.

The crusher was first announced for the Australian market in December 2021 but will make its longawaited arrival Down Under before the 2022 calendar ends.

Powered by a Caterpillar C13 engine, operators can make the most of Cat’s local service and support network across the country.

The J6 uses a 1,200mm x 864mm heavy duty bolted jaw with hydraulic wedge adjustment. The bolted jaw with wedge adjustment means the J6 is designed to handle most feed materials, including iron, nickel, lithium, and gold ores. 888CSE says the J6 is suitable for crushing highgrade material such as granite, basalt, diorite, and limestone, as well as other mine, quarried or recycled materials.

888CSE says the J6 was designed by McCloskey to withstand the toughest conditions across the globe, with the crusher delivering a high tonnage per hour due to its innovative jaw chamber design and enhanced material flow.

“The large, deep chamber has

proven to be particularly effective in hard rock applications, with an optional factory-fit rock hammer available,” manufacturer McCloskey says.

Whilst in operation, the J6 features a live pre-screen for high efficiency scalping prior to material entering the jaw crusher to improve efficiency.

The J6 weighs in at around 75 tonnes and can be fed with large excavators and front-end loaders, with optional extended hopper wings installed.

The main conveyor on the J6 is extended as standard, which provides operators with a large stockpile capacity. The conveyor can be lowered and raised as required via hydraulics.

In fact, most of the hydraulics on the J6 has been refined and made

easy to use by McCloskey, which has incorporated a simple set-up and control panel.

Operators are able to control the machine via an umbilical cord with removeable remote control for the J6’s long, three-speed crawler tracks. A push button on the remote enables the user to control travel speed.

Other features on the J6 include a reversible jaw to assist in removing blockages through crash stop, powerful hydraulic jacking legs that ensure quick set-up and dust suppression pump and sprays.

Transporting the machine is another feature McCloskey has made easier, with the main conveyor and side conveyor able to be folded for transportation.

With high capacity and typical McCloskey simplicity and reliability, the J6 adds another class-leading crusher to the 888CSE range.

888CSE is owned and operated by experienced members of the crushing, screening and recycling industry. 888CSE is the exclusive distributor for McCloskey equipment in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

For more information on the J6 mining duty jaw crusher, visit 888cse.com.au

A new McCloskey jaw crusher is heading Down Under by the year’s end

The J6 is designed to handle most feed materials, including iron to gold ore

A pre-screen improves material throughput

Mighty big tracks

Weighing in at an impressive 78.6 tonnes, with a bucket capacity of 5 cubic metres, the Sany SY870H has been built for heavy-duty mine-work ing conditions such as iron ore and rock mining.

Brooks Equipment first placed an order for two SY870H excavators in May this year and the machines were delivered by cargo ship to Fremantle in July. They are the first SY870H model excavators to reach Australian shores and the largest Sany excavators in Australia to date.

Under the bonnet

The Sany SY870H boasts a powerful Isuzu 6WG1X engine. Isuzu is a Japanese brand renowned for quality and longevity.

The 6WG1X model is a six-cylinder, four stroke, turbocharged engine with direct injection and water cooling. Operating on diesel, the

engine runs at a constant 377kW (512 horsepower) @ 1,800 rpm. Despite its obvious power, the Isuzu 6WG1X is a Tier 4 engine, meaning it has lower emissions that meet Environmental Protection Authority standards.

The SY870H also features a

Kawasaki K3V280 main pump that is fully upgraded to an electrically controlled positive flow control.

The benefits of the positive flow control are less flow loss from middle position reflux, increased response speed and reduced capacity loss. This means that the SY870H can fully utilise the pump’s flow and ensure that flow is always provided when it matters the most.

Structural capacity

This machine has been purpose-built for heavy mining but also takes oper ator comfort into consideration.

The 5 cubic metre heavy-duty rock bucket features a high strength bottom plate, forged from wearresistant steel. This mammoth bucket also has highly durable Daewoo teeth, made for cutting through the hardest ground. Pairing the optimisation of the work devices with the addition of pressurisation mode, this excavator can fully meet the requirements of mine operation.

The boom design features rear and centre support, which help to avoid concentrated loads on welds, avoiding weld stress and improving the boom’s durability.

The air-conditioned cab features upgraded seats with mechanical waist support, adjustable seat

The largest Sany excavator in Australia has touched down at Brooks Equipment’s Welshpool yard in Western Australia

The two Sany SY870H excavators were the first of this model to reach Australia

Brooks Equipment is the authorised dealer for Sany in WA and NT

depth, angle and inclination. It also features an intelligent 7-inch (17.8cm) touchscreen integrating Bluetooth, WIFI, USB charging, radio and air conditioning control.

Real-life application

Sany is the top selling excavator worldwide and the third top selling excavator in Western Australia, and it’s easy to see why. Pilbara-based company Utility Fusion Services currently has five Sany SY500H 54.5tonne excavators on its jobsite at FM Ironbridge. This is the largest diame ter high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping project in the country and is part of the 220km raw water pipeline system to FMG Iron Bridge.

“The units are currently being used to load and unload our 1,200mm HDPE pipes into our fusion welders,” Utility Fusion Services general manager operations Nathan Blackledge says.

“We have 22km of 1,200mm HDPE pipeline to be fusion welded and it is imperative that we have units that maintain hydraulic level and don’t ‘creep’ during the fusion process.

“The Sanys are performing perfectly thus far and there have been no issues whatsoever.’

Bigger, better, faster, stronger Brooks Equipment has two Sany SY870H excavators available for sale. Both machines are located at its headquarters in Welshpool and are available for delivery anywhere in WA and the NT.

There is also a fully stocked warehouse of OEM parts to support the running of these excavators. Finance and transport can be arranged. If you’d like to put one of these monsters to work on your job site, call the sales team at Brooks Equipment on 1300 276 657.

For more info, visit www. brooksequipment.com.au

Utility Fusion Services currently has five Sany SY500H 54.5-tonne excavators on site laying HDPE pipelines

The 5 cubic metre capacity bucket has highly durable Daewoo teeth

Hydraulics focus

Rapid Rams offers hydraulic cylinders from small skid steers all the way up to large mining machinery

Mooney says Rapid Rams’ expertise lies in being able to quickly build the cylinders to a customer’s spec, for a great price, as well as having a range of parts already on hand.

Excavator expert

With years of experience in manufacturing and supplying hydraulic cylinders for heavy machinery, Rapid Rams can handle the largest machines with ease

Rapid Rams owner Grieg Mooney has engineering in the blood, with his father being the original owner of hosing and fittings business ENZED, where Mooney began his working life after leaving school.

Branching out with his own hydraulics business in Belfast, he then moved into the mining industry in Scotland and northern England where the opportunity arose to supply hydraulic cylinders for 10-tonne to 400-tonne mining equipment.

Moving back to Australia in 2003, Mooney then converted an engineering business in Dandenong into a hydraulic cylinder manufacturer, building up the business until, as is a common story across the industry, COVID-19 hit.

“COVID basically extinguished the supply of raw material to us,” Mooney says.

“So, I thought, we’re just going to have to bring in completed cylinders, which is what we started doing. A couple of the big dealerships started buying a lot of cylinders off us. We went from being a manufacturer/repairer to a wholesaler and distributor of finished cylinders. When COVID slowly came to an end and supply started back up, we found that we had 300 or 400 cylinders – everything from a 1.7tonne Kubota all the way through to

125-tonne Komatsu bucket cylinder –in stock and I thought we better start offering these to the market.

“So, we’re probably the only company in Australia to have that size of range and the ability to build even bigger if required.”

That was the genesis of Rapid Rams, which offers a wide range of spare parts as well as repair and rebuild services for a huge variety of earthmoving equipment brands, as well as particular expertise in hydraulic systems.

While Rapid Rams builds hydraulic systems for many different machines, Mooney says its main focus is repairing excavators, damaged through the nature of the work the machines do.

“During COVID, there was pressure on us to be able to supply completed cylinders to the network of OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] so they could continue supplying their customers,” he said.

“And we’re just pushing now to expand that throughout the rest of Australia.”

With a factory in Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula and a storage facility in Melbourne, Rapid Rams offers repair services throughout Victoria and occasionally beyond, but supplies its hydraulic cylinders across Australia.

“We can build new cylinders more quickly and competitively than an OEM, and we have them in stock and a lot of the OEMs don’t. So, from a machine-down point of view, we can have a new cylinder on site the next day. This means that downtime on equipment is reduced or eliminated because we stock parts for large users and we can back them up, whatever their needs are.”

In addition to new parts and servicing, Rapid Rams also undertakes machinery rebuilds – offering a new cylinder to a company to keep it working while the old one is refurbished. It also offers H-bar and dog bone parts, with everything from 1.7tonne to 49-tonne in stock, both cast and fabricated. Brands that it supplies includes Cat, Case, Kobelco, Komatsu, Volvo, JCB, Bobcat, Hyundai and Kubota, to name just a few.

Mooney says a lot of Rapid Rams work comes down to repairing damage to hydraulic systems, mainly due to the demanding work a lot of excavators are used for, and that it’s an imperative to get those machines back up and running as soon as possible.

“What excavators do on a daily basis is some of the most punishing in terms of impacts on hydraulics of any machine manufactured,” he says.

“You’ve got to bear in mind that an excavator can load 10 trucks an hour, so when you lose an excavator, you just don’t lose that machine, you lose all that production that goes with it. The longer it’s down, the more money you lose.

“But, if you know that there are people around that are willing to back you up with products for your excavators, that’s what we’re all about. We are very focused on what we do –and we make it look easy.”

For more information, visit: rapidrams.com.au

Perform under pressure

A well-maintained hydraulic system is critical to achieving peak performance from your Cat® equipment. One way to help guarantee quality and longevity is to use genuine Cat hydraulic system parts

One aspect of machinery wear and tear that may be less obvious for needing maintenance is your machinery’s hydraulic system. Daily inspections, preventative maintenance and using genuine Cat® hydraulic system parts can help you maintain efficiency, extend component life, correct problems and avoid unnecessary repairs and downtime of your Cat equipment.

Genuine Cat hydraulic system components are designed and manufactured to meet the unique demands of Cat equipment and help deliver maximum performance and value over the life of a machine.

Using high quality materials, genuine Cat parts are manufactured under carefully controlled conditions and rigorously tested to ensure that they can meet the demands of the harsh environments Cat machinery is operated in.

Hoses and couplings

Designed and manufactured by Caterpillar, Cat hoses and couplings dispel the notion that ‘a hose is just a hose’. Since Caterpillar began designing and manufacturing its own hose products in the late 1960s, Cat hoses and couplings have earned a global reputation for offering

superior hose performance and reliability.

Cat hoses and couplings are tested together as a system to help provide maximum performance in a wide range of applications.

Cylinders, rods and seals

Cat cylinders and cylinder seals are bore-skived and roller-burnished for optimum sealing performance.

Caterpillar uses these manufacturing processes to help produce a highly symmetrical bore with a surface

finish that provides optimum seal life. Cat cylinder seals feature proprietary materials and continuously improv ing designs matched to Cat hydraulic system needs.

Pumps and motors

Precision manufactured for peak system performance, Cat pumps and motors are built to tight tolerances and are tested to match stringent Cat hydraulic system performance and endurance requirements. Cat pumps and motors are tuned to unique controls and settings to optimise machine performance and maximise equipment productivity.

Machine maintenance

Leaks, excessive noise and vibration and damaged or loose parts can significantly impact productivity and lead to unplanned downtime.

To get the most out of your Cat equipment, changing and monitoring oil, performing daily inspections, looking for signs of wear and tear and understanding the causes and effects of contamination are key. By choosing genuine Cat hydraulic system parts for your machines, you ensure that you are using the best parts available to keep your Cat gear in top condition.

In addition to the improved reliability, durability and quality of genuine Cat hydraulic system parts, the 12-month Caterpillar parts warranty on hydraulic system components and assemblies covers installation by dealers or customers, plus resultant damage and labour in the event of a dealer-installed parts failure, no matter where the failure occurs. Contact your Cat dealer for full warranty details.

Cat dealers have the expertise and capability to repair and test hydraulic systems and are always available to answer questions and provide ongoing monitoring of your Cat equipment, with a range of services including scheduled oil sampling (S•O•S SM ) fluid analysis and periodic inspections.

To find out more, speak to your Cat dealer or visit cat.com/hydraulics-au

HOUSING

Building boost

The 2022 Housing Accord announced in the new federal Budget is a welcome signal to the construction industry that the government is addressing housing affordability barriers and supply constraints, says Master Builders CEO Denita Wawn.

“Struggles around housing affordability have persisted over many decades. These difficulties have arisen because the supply of homes has not been able to fully keep up with growth in housing demand,” she says.

“Over the next three years, Master Builders Australia forecasts that new home building starts will fall significantly short of 200,000 per year, the volume of output that will be needed to meet demand. Our forecasts indicate this threshold will not be exceeded until 2026.

“As a signatory to the Accord, Master Builders Australia will work constructively with governments and industry to deliver the joint housing target of one million new, well-located homes over five years from 2024.”

The National Housing Accord includes an additional $350 million to build 10,000 affordable homes over five years from 2024, on top of the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, which will build 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties.

State and territory governments

have also committed to building 10,000 homes under the Accord.

Working alongside the Accord’s signatories, the overall target is for one million new homes to be built in the next five years, with the government looking to kickstart and enable this investment by the market.

The federal government says that the funding will incentivise superannuation funds and other institutional investors to make investments in social and affordable housing by covering the gap between market rents and subsidised rents.

Further points listed in the Accord to address long-term housing supply and affordability include:

• states and territories to expedite zoning, planning and land release for social and affordable housing

• t he Commonwealth to provide financing options to facilitate institutional investment in social and affordable housing

• working with local governments to deliver planning reforms and free up landholdings

• i nstitutional investors to leverage investment that delivers for their members’ interests and for the national interest

• construction sector peak bodies to support high energy efficiency rating construction, training more apprentices under an extended Australian Skills

Guarantee and work to make housing more responsive to demand.

“The Accord has the potential to be a gamechanger for housing affordability, which has spiralled out of control with devastating consequences for so many Australians,” says Kate Colvin, a spokesperson for national housing campaign Everybody’s Home.

“Bringing the states and federal government together with local government and super funds unlocks enormous potential. We hope this new collaboration will lead to continued growth in social housing alongside growth in affordable housing, to meet the enormous need from people on the lowest incomes.”

Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew adds: “Engineers Australia welcomes measures to boost the economy including the Budget commitment of $55 billion over the forward estimates for new and existing infrastructure projects.

“Addressing the engineering skills gap will be important for the successful delivery of these projects and Engineers Australia looks forward to working with the government to overcome this challenge. Engineers Australia looks forward to the newly-funded Jobs and Skills Australia developing a detailed scope of future skills supply and demand.”

To

address

the issues of affordability and available housing stock, the latest federal Budget states an ambition to build a million new houses in the next five years

The latest Budget is supplying funding to kick-start a huge increase in house building in Australia

FINANCE

Lending drop

The release of the latest building approvals and lending figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) are showing signs of ongoing decline in economic activity.

“The number of loans fell back again during September 2022 both to owner occupiers and housing investors. This coincides with weaker building approvals which dropped by 5.8 per cent compared with August,” Master Builders CEO Denita Wawn says.

“Australia’s building and construction industry is one of the most sensitive parts of the economy to interest rates rises and the figures for September underline the delicate state of the new home building market.”

Detached house building approvals saw a much sharper drop of 7.8 per cent compared with medium/high density dwellings. In previous months, there had been signs that new detached house building approvals had steadied out.

Despite the big interest rate increases, average loan sizes are still bigger than a year ago for most categories. Loans for major home renovations works are still well higher for both owner occupiers and housing investors at +13.6 per cent and +12.4 per cent respectively.

Interestingly, there was a big gain in approvals for apartments in high-rise buildings of nine plus storeys. The strengthening picture for high-rise may be related to the anticipated recovery of inward migration to major cities.

“The building and construction industry continues to be impacted by product cost pressures and a shortage of tradespeople.

“Any significant government policy changes, like the government’s proposed industrial relations legislation, needs to be carefully considered against this backdrop,” Wawn says.

Bobcat boom

Bobcat has completed construction of its new A$111 million manufacturing facility expansion in North Carolina

The expansion makes the Statesville facility Bobcat’s largest manufacturing facility in North America.

Following the completion of the 55,000-plus square metre expansion, Bobcat now has facilities in West Fargo, North Dakota – the company’s HQ, and in Dobris, Czech Republic –its European manufacturing plant.

The Statesville facility – located 66 kilometres from Charlotte – will see the Bobcat workforce expand to as many as 600 workers, which includes 250 jobs that will be added across the next five years.

Doosan Bobcat portable power global vice president Lance Mathern says the new facility brings a new level of excitement for the company moving forward.

“It has been exciting to see these additions and enhancements to our facility take shape, and we greatly appreciate the support of our employees, partners, officials and the community during this process,” Mathern says.

“We are ready for the future and look forward to the benefits this expansion brings.”

Among the new additions to the manufacturing plant includes more space for manufacturing and warehousing, an automated paint line, parts control and storage, shipping and receiving docks and space for product testing and quality control.

The manufacturing space includes new technologies that Bobcat says will improve production efficiencies to streamline operations – something which is consistent across the company’s facilities in North America.

Production of Bobcat’s mini track loader (MTL) will move to the new facility, the company confirmed, with the change from its existing production at Bismark, North Dakota, expected to happen by late 2022. The new MTL production lines will mean a new MT100 loader will finish production every 10.8 minutes.

Building and construction industry reflect current economic volatility

The facility will be Bobcat’s largest in North America

Detached house building approvals dropped 7.8 per cent in September

FACILITY

Next level

The system is being installed at the Caterpillar distributor’s parts distribution centre in Tomago, NSW, and will maximise the use of space and speed up the locating and storing of parts.

Dubbed the ‘Autostore system’, the new warehousing solution will mean faster turnaround times for parts distribution and a boost in productivity for customers, WesTrac warehouse operations manager Natalia Trewin says.

“We’ve got an 8,000 square metre indoor footprint and we do about 40,000 lines out the door each week, which is quite a high volume,” Trewin says.

“The new system allows us to optimise our existing footprint to increase our stock inventory and increase efficiencies in our workflow.”

The existing warehouse at Tomago is now a decade old and while it was fit for purpose then, total inventory has expanded by 30 per cent while the customer base has also grown. As a result, WesTrac identified the warehouse – which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week – as needing a new system to fulfill orders.

In the end, WesTrac decided on Autostore after evaluating numerous automated solutions.

“The Autostore system is a bit like a

large Rubik’s cube with very densely packed totes – essentially plastic tubs – that can be divided into large or small sections depending on what parts are being picked,” Trewin says.

“The totes sit on top of each other in a big cube and robots use memory technology to understand where we want to store our parts, then run up and along the very top of the system on aluminium railings, and they dip down into the cube to pull out whatever part the system is telling them to pull out.

“Over time, the locations will be optimised to ensure our fastest moving parts are at the very top, so the retrieval time is reduced.”

Parts will be determined based on historic consumption data initially, with an AI-powered robotic system adjusting locations based on live usage data. The system will

also keep a precise count of parts being distributed and will be able to integrate with ordering systems.

Given the quicker turnaround on delivering times, other warehouse tacks can be reprioritised from a staffing perspective to maximise efficiency even further.

“At present, small fast-moving parts are the most labour-intensive, but a lot of that work can be automated so we can redeploy people to some of the more complex work such as kitting and inventory control” Trewin says.

“It also allows us to offer greater diversity in the tasks people are carrying out and, for those that are interested, more technology-focused roles, which is good for attraction and retention of staff.

“But, at the end of the day, the most obvious benefits will be in the time it takes to fulfil parts orders.”

A faster turnaround for parts distribution will soon be a reality for WesTrac thanks to a new automated warehousing system

WesTrac’s Tomago parts distribution centre will have faster turnaround times thanks to the new Autostore warehousing system (diagram below)

AUTOMATION

Construction costs

CoreLogic’s Cordell Construction Cost Index (CCCI) for Q3 2022 showed national residential construction costs increased at a record rate in the year to September 2022, rising by 11 per cent, while the quarterly figure of 4.7 per cent was nearly double that of the previous quarterly figure of 2.4 per cent.

The most recent quarter’s figure was also above the 3.8 per cent surge recorded over the three months to September 2021 when lockdowns were having a more significant impact on domestic supply chains.

CoreLogic Construction cost estimation manager John Bennett says the Cordell costings team was continuing to see costs rise, especially across timber and metal materials, which was affecting framing and reinforcing.

“In particular we are recording significant volatility in pre-fabricated framing and the range of products affected by higher building material costs is only growing, with many suppliers having little choice but to pass on price increases,” he says.

“This quarter has also shown a larger increase in the cost of wall linings, including plasterboard and fibre cement, which previously had been relatively stable. It will cost you more to get into your house too, with the price of doors showing a sharp rise in the last quarter.”

He says that while some suppliers have noted a stabilisation

in sea freight prices it was the increasing cost of raw materials, labour and fuel that continues to place upwards pressure on residential construction costs.

“We’re also seeing this flow into other sectors. We’re seeing a large increase in waste disposal fees across most states, and volatility in professional fees and services, with Victoria and Queensland showing the highest cost increases,” he says.

The quarterly index change ranged from a low of 3.3 per cent in Western Australia and 3.8 per cent in South Australia to 4 per cent in NSW, 5.8 per cent in Queensland and 5.6 per cent in Victoria. Construction costs over the September quarter were the largest increase on record excluding the September 2000 quarter, which was impacted by the GST. Annually, Victoria recorded the largest growth rate of all states, with residential construction costs increasing by 12.3 per cent over the 12 months to September 2022.

CoreLogic Research director Tim Lawless says that while the rising cost of construction was not new, the persistent increase in construction costs would continue to have a big impact nationally.

“This is an industry facing tough workload pressures against a backdrop of low labour supply, material shortages, rising interest rates and inflationary pressures,” he says.

CoreLogic says that there has been significant volatility in pre-fabricated framing

“This new high in the cost of construction flows through to margins, unexpected costs for consumers and potentially lengthy delays to homeowners who are waiting on the sidelines, often in rental or short-term accommodation, for the completion or possibly the start of their project.

“We also forget the impact to existing homeowners and the insurance industry, as they struggle to reassess existing policies in a timely manner to make sure they are adequately covered in the event they need to make a claim.”

Lawless says that ongoing labour shortages and supply issues meant it was likely conditions in the construction industry would remain challenging with little reprieve expected in the short to medium-term.

“The backlog of construction approved during COVID-19 is still being worked through and on top of that is the rebuild and repair work following this year’s major weather events, with more forecast this month. The demand and pressure for construction materials and trades is expected to continue,” he says.

“There’s no quick solution for providing additional materials and fuel costs remain elevated. All of these factors have an impact and are likely to push building costs higher for some time yet.”

CoreLogic’s latest reports shows residential construction costs have risen significantly over the year

LAW Legal moves

From 10 November 2022, the Australian Building and Construction Commission’s (ABCC) role enforcing the Fair Work Act 2009 in the commercial building and construction industry has transferred to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO).

The FWO is responsible for enforcing the Fair Work Act as it applies to all Australian workplaces, including the building and construction industry. The Fair Work Act includes provisions on:

• wages and entitlements

• right of entry

• general protections under the Fair Work Act, including freedom of association

• discrimination

• industrial action

• sham contracting, and

• strike pay.

Matters that were being investigated by the ABCC have been transferred to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

You can still contact the ABCC for advice and assistance with:

• an existing ABCC legal proceeding

• an unlawful picket (as defined in the Building and Construction Industry (Improving productivity) Act 2016 )

• any issue related to the Building Code 2013

• any issue related to the amended Building Code 2016, and

• any issue related to an examination you have attended as a witness including reimbursement of witness expenses.

REMUNERATION

Changes to the National Training Wage schedule

From 1 November the Building Award’s National Training Wage schedule (Schedule D) has been updated with a new tailored schedule.

Key changes to Schedule D include:

• adding minimum weekly rates for trainees, previously found in clause 19.10

• deleting some training packages and adding others, and

• removing references to Wage level C, which has never applied in the Building Award.

Schedule D now includes minimum weekly pay rates for trainees in civil construction, general building and construction, metal and engineering

construction and residential building and construction.

The new Schedule D only lists the training packages and Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) certificate levels that are relevant to the Building Award. Some training packages have been added and others have been deleted.

For a new list of training packages and the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool, visit www.fairwork.gov.au/newsroom/ news/changes-national-trainingwage-schedule-building-award

The Fair Work Ombudsman is now enforcing the Fair Work Act

Updates to the National Training Wage schedule in the Building Award are now in place

The Fair Work Ombudsman will enforce the Fair Work Act, which covers provisions such as industrial action

standard

Komatsu Australia chief executive and managing director Sean Taylor says the award win highlights the efforts Komatsu has gone to to develop its staff.

“It has never been a more competitive landscape for trying to attract the best employees, and we take pride in making sure that each and every candidate, across the diverse roles we have on offer, are given a really great Komatsu brand and candidate experience.”

Paramount to Komatsu’s success in recruitment is the Apprentice Development System (ADS) program, which has seen more than 600 apprentices and trainees participate in the program.

In addition to a program that Komatsu says extends beyond the traditional education training framework, the ADS seeks to equip trainees and apprentices with life skills such as public speaking, road safety, mental health awareness and fatigue management – something that has been facilitated through partnerships with companies such as Toastmasters, STEMPunks, NextWorld and local police agencies.

“In 2009 we ran our first pilot of our ADS program, designed around our commitment to train, develop and engage apprentices nationally, despite the fluctuations brought on by industry peaks and troughs,” Komatsu national technical capability manager Matthew Tosolini says.

“The first intake of the new program completed their qualifications in 2013 and many of them continue with the business today.

“We have received feedback that this program has become a benchmark for training nationwide. It has produced measurable results and a higher standard of learning outcomes.”

CONSTRUCTION

Bradfield begins

Work has begun on the Bradfield City Centre project, which covers 114 hectares in western Sydney.

The NSW government says that the aim is to build a world-class city centre development that will create over 17,000 jobs and be a hub for advanced manufacturing, research and innovation.

The first building being constructed is a 3,840 square metre multi-purpose building that will house office, exhibition and event spaces, Hitachi’s Kyoso Creation Centre and the first stage of a manufacturing and research facility.

Further developments include public facilities such as parks, retail, dining and leisure facilities, a new metro station and a new national security quarter for the defence sector.

The Taylor Construction Group is undertaking the first stage of work, due to be completed in late 2023, with the NSW government issuing a list of industry partnership opportunities

Work has begun on the new development

across the defence and aerospace, manufacturing and logistics, future transport construction technology and new energy and circular economy sectors.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says the 114-hectare Bradfield City Centre development is backed by a $1 billion investment from the NSW government and will unlock a further $10 billion in private investment.

“We are building a world-class city centre that will supercharge the creation of jobs and economic opportunities across Western Sydney,” he says.

“This first building is the start of a game-changing and job-generating city centre that will transform Bradfield into a hive of economic activity for businesses and offer new services and attractions for residents across western Sydney.”

Komatsu has been named the Large Employer of the Year at the 2022 New South Wales Training Awards

The NSW government is looking for industry partners to work on Australia’s newest city centre

Komatsu national technical capability manager Matthew Tosolini at the NSW Training Awards

Stalled in spring

The prolonged contraction across the construction industry is set to continue into the following months, according to the Australian Performance of Construction Index (PCI), produced by AI Group and the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

Two of the four construction segments recorded falls in activity over September as builders and constructors continue to be hindered by the interest rate rises made by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).

The September figure in the PCI fell by -1.4 points to 46.5. Any measurement in the index above 50 suggests the industry is still expanding, while numbers below that mark indicate contraction.

Across the month, construction activity in the housing (-5.8 to 27.5) and apartments (-12.5 to 25.0) sectors both continued their plunge into contraction and have been most affected by the interest rate rises.

Engineering activity also fell by -9.1 points and is now teetering on a state of contraction at an even 50.0.

Commercial construction, however, has enjoyed somewhat of a

renaissance across September, with a 13.3-point rise returning the sector to a state of growth following several months in the negative.

Chief policy advisor for AI Group Peter Burn says the PCI was damaged as a result of interest rate rises, along with the number of new orders which dropped eight points to 43.0.

“Australia’s construction industry contracted in September with activity and new orders both lower than in August. Performance was uneven across the industry with activity in the residential sectors worsening at a faster pace while commercial construction lifted and engineering construction was flat,” Burn says.

“Higher interest rates are clearly having a negative impact on the residential sectors and the lagged impact of recent increases is likely to drag these sectors lower over coming months as suggested by the sharp fall in new orders in these sectors.

“Against this background the RBA’s decision to slow the pace of its normalisation of interest rates will be of some comfort to house and apartment builders.”

Housing construction is being affected by higher interest rates, with the contraction trend expected to continue

Burn also noted that employment has regained ground from earlier in 2022, rising 7.2 points to 54.9, as conditions and worksite availability for labour continues to improve.

Input prices fell 4.0, yet its PCI figure of 88.6 still remains higher than selling prices, which rose 8.7 points to 77.2.

HIA senior economist Nicholas Ward says that while overall activity is lowered, the pipeline of projects and demand for construction activity will continue to drive the industry for some time.

“Recent RBA interest rate increases are clearly having a negative impact on demand in the residential construction industry. Australian PCI data indicate new orders for houses have contracted sharply in recent months,” Ward says.

“But because builders built up a large pipeline of work during the pandemic, it will take a significant period of time for weaker demand to translate into weaker activity on the ground. Capacity utilisation amongst builders remains at very elevated levels, as they work through the pipeline.”

Australia’s high interest rates have once again thwarted construction with overall activity in the sector contracting for the fourth consecutive month

INDUSTRY

Natural approach

DIGITISATION

Digital decision

Hydraulics and electric powertrain systems supplier Danfoss Power Solutions has secured a grant worth £407,112 (A$724,000) from the UK government to accelerate the electrification of construction machinery.

The UK Department for Business Energy and Skills awarded the grant through its Red Diesel Replacement competition, which has been providing funding for the development of low carbon alternatives to diesel in construction, mining and quarrying.

Danfoss plans to combine electrification with its Digital Displacement technology, which digitally controls hydraulic pumps, controlling each piston individually. Reducing energy consumption by as much as 50 per cent, Danfoss says this technology can dramatically decrease the size of batteries needed to power machines and the amount of energy needed to charge them.

Danfoss is currently constructing a £25 million (A$44.5 million) state-ofthe-art manufacturing, research and development facility in Edinburgh, Scotland, to commercialise its Digital Displacement technology and Editron electric drivetrains.

“The majority of large machines still use diesel engines, and we

Danfoss is building a research and development centre to further expand its electrification and digitalisation capabilities

calculate that, worldwide, construction machinery emits around 400 megatons of carbon dioxide annually,” Danfoss Power Solutions senior director of R&D – digital displacement Niall Caldwell says.

“Electrifying construction equipment is not straightforward. For a large excavator, the daily power consumption is so high, the batteries required are the equivalent to as many as 10 typical electric car batteries, which could cost as much as the machine itself. The key is efficiency.”

Danfoss says that its research has shown that as much as 70 per cent of an excavator’s energy is wasted in the hydraulic system between the engine and the working functions. Significantly reducing this energy loss enables future machines to use much smaller, and therefore cheaper, batteries.

Danfoss’ computer-controlled Digital Displacement technology can already deliver a 24.8 per cent lower capacity battery to complete eight hours of typical operation. This grant will be put towards further developments to reach 50 per cent improvement.

In an effort to decarbonise construction and demolition waste and prepare it for recycling, real estate and investment group Lendlease, waste and recycling digital solutions business Rubicon Technologies, cleantech company Mycocycle and construction waste recycling company Rockwood Sustainable Solutions undertook a successful pilot to apply mycoremediation technology to waste diverted from landfill.

After seeing the large percentage of waste that was generated by used asphalt roofing shingles from a re-roofing project a solution was proposed to reuse it.

“Every asphalt shingle from those 214 homes would have gone to a landfill,” Lendlease Americas head of sustainability Sara Neff says.

“There was simply no viable use for them. After teaming up with Rubicon, Mycocycle and Rockwood Sustainable Solutions, we came up with an innovative idea using mycoremediation technology – combining mushrooms and shingles to break down waste materials and create a new byproduct that could ideally be reintroduced for reuse, furthering a circular economy.”

Shingle samples were gathered and transported to Rockwood Sustainable Solutions’ facility in Lebanon, Tennessee where Mycocycle, an environmental remediation company that uses fungi to decarbonise waste streams, mixed the sample with three strains of fungi, a process called mycoremediation. The fungi then break down the waste using enzymes into material that can then be reused for other products.

Mycocycle says the resulting biomaterial can be used as a substitute for Styrofoam, insulation, packaging, building materials and other applications.

A UK grant will be used to expand Danfoss’ hydraulics, digitalisation and electrification efforts

Fungi has been used to break down asphalt shingle waste

construction events

WA Major Projects Conference – Perth

Attracting over 250 attendees from across Australia, the event continues to be the premier infrastructure event in the State providing a platform to discuss the progress, challenges and share best practice solutions for WA’s infrastructure sector.

WHEN: November 29–30, 2022

MORE INFO: waconference.com.au

AusRock Conference – Melbourne

A vehicle for information exchange between various industry experts and academia, AusRock2022 will focus on new technologies and developments, industry needs, operational problem solving and practical case studies for the resources community.

WHEN: November 29–December 1, 2022

MORE INFO: www.ausimm.com/conferences-andevents/ausrock

Future of Mining Australia – Sydney

This two-day event brings together over 500 members of the mining industry and 40 exhibitors to discuss exploration and development, sustainability and optimisation, innovation and technology, strategy and planning, connectivity and digitisation, and people and leadership.

WHEN: February 20–21, 2023

MORE INFO: australia.future-of-mining.com

Sydney Build, Sydney Infrastructure and Digital Construction Australia –Sydney

Sydney Build, Sydney Infrastructure and Digital Construction Australia are held alongside one another, making it a huge event for the construction industry to get involved with. Free to attend, Sydney Build has over 500 exhibitors and over 400 speakers covering everything from safety to sustainability, Sydney Infrastructure has a wide range of speakers covering infrastructure projects and innovation in construction, and DCA brings in speakers to discuss trends in digital technology use in construction.

WHEN: March 6–7, 2023

MORE INFO: www.sydneybuildexpo.com

South Australian Major Projects Conference – Adelaide

The South Australian Major Projects Conference returns for its 13th year and will profile the latest updates on major infrastructure projects across the state alongside providing fantastic networking opportunities with key industry stakeholders. Attracting well over 150 attendees, this conference is a must attend for industry professionals seeking the most up-to-date information on the State’s infrastructure projects, policy issues, research findings and best practices.

WHEN: March 22–23, 2023

MORE INFO: www.saconference.com.au

Transform 2023 – Sydney

Focusing on the sustainable built environment, Transform 2023, organised by the Green Building Council of Australia, will explore decarbonisation, nature and biodiversity, electrification, low carbon materials, circularity and more. In addition to the conference speaker agenda, breakout sessions will take place on subjects such as delivering best practice, renewable energy and the circular economy.

WHEN: March 22–23, 2023

MORE INFO: hopin.com/events transform-2023/registration

Diesel Dirt & Turf – Sydney

Diesel Dirt & Turf is Australia’s premier earthmoving industry event that continues to attract support from all market sectors in earthmoving, infrastructure, residential development, public works and public space management. With a new location at Sydney Dragway, it will be bigger than ever and include the operators challenge and Pickles auction.

WHEN: April 21–23, 2023

MORE INFO: www.dieseldirtandturf.com.au

DesignBuild – Sydney

DesignBuild brings together Australia’s architecture, building, construction and design communities in one event. Hear from renowned industry experts about the trends and strategies shaping your industry, meet suppliers and manufacturers, and visit the Digital Building Zone to explore the latest solutions in construction technology and smart buildings.

WHEN: May 9–11, 2023

MORE INFO: designbuildexpo.com.au

Brisbane • Newcastle • Melbourne

CRUSHING & SCREENING

Crusher & Screen Sales Pty Ltd (CSSH) are the IMS distributor for Australia since 2012 and have been instrumental with IMS in developing plant for Australia conditions and requirements, there has been a strong emphasis on high quality plant for blending and pugging material for the quarry, construction industry, remediation of contaminated soils and blending of recycled products. The plant has been designed with large feed hoppers and capacity to service small to large operations with manual controls that in most cases have the ability to be fully automated insuring constant and accurate blending and reducing operator errors. IMS also manufacture a large range of wheel and track conveyors with production up to 2000 tonnes per hour and up to 45 meter long and screening plants.

CSSH and IMS together continual to improve their plant with feed back from clients and adjusting or adding new plant and ideas particularly in the blending of products to make previously discarded and recycled products into a sellable item, there is a strong desire by departments to add recycled concrete and other products into construction materials to reduce waste, landfill and raw material demands.

The IMS-PM1050-16Tb Track Pugmill is now the largest selling pugmill In Australia with capacity of up to 500 TPH, available in manual adding only water / liquids or fully PLC computer controlled and recording system adding cement, lime, or most powders etc. The PLC can be controlled by an iPad in the loader operating all the functions including client or batch mix changes, loading truck and multiple trailers direct, stopping automatically once each item had been loaded with the correct tonnes and then restarted off the remote to repeat on the next truck or trailer. The recording system displays all batchers for the day and filing into projects or client names along with a summary of the total products used for the day for management control. All reports can be sent to the office or client showing the programmed percentages of each product compared to the actual results including a graph combining all the products processed. The control system can be integrated with other IMS products including electric modular blenders and pugmills offering up to four raw materials and multiple powders and/or liquids all blended at once.

KOMATSU

Price Our Ref

4 x Idlers D475 $7,000 IDL59

6 x D375A/2 Segment Group $1,800 SPK143 10 x D355A/1 DF Rollers $990 RLS102 4 x Idler assy D375A/2/3 $4,500 IDL79 4 x PC1100/1250 Link assy $13,000 LAS145 6 x PC1100/1250 Sprocket assy $2,400 SPK142 8 x 475A/2/3 DF 198.30.00432 $2,150 RLS127 9 x 475A/2/3 SF 198.30.00421 $2,000 RLS41

LIEBHERR 994 B 204 x Shoes suits LH1316/850 $600 PLT38 2100 x bolt / nut pair $50 NBS26 2 x Rollers LH1786 $4,000 RLS132 1 x Idler LH1320 re-con $25,000 IDL148 1 x Idler LH1704 re-con $25,000 IDL172 2 x Sprocket assy LH1680 $7,000 SPK96

HIRE IT WHEN YOU NEED IT

Depending on the jobs on hand, renting attachments can be an economical and low cost way to excavate, demolish, quarry or mine.

Ability to hire an attachment enables our customers to quote or tender for jobs that require specific equipment they may not have.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

An attachment can be rented with the view to purchase new equipment. The rental charge will be refunded should a purchase take place. Conditions apply.

FOR ALL YOUR ATTACHMENT NEEDS

Our rental equipment features over 100 latest hydraulic attachments that are regularly serviced and professionally maintained to ensure a troublefree and productive hire period. Our experienced staff will help you choose the correct attachment to suit your application and specific job.

RING ALL HOURS

NEW AND S/H PARTS

ALLIS-CHALMERS/HANOMAG/MASSEY

JOHN DEERE INDUSTRIAL

PARTS FOR Dozers, Loaders, Drotts, Graders, Scrapers

WRECKING DOZERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: Model “M”, HD5, HD6B,E, HD7W, HD7G, HDIIB, EP, HD15-16, HD16DC, HD16DP, HD19-21, HD41B

FIAT: 451C, 555, 605, 50CI, 70CI, AT7C, 8B, BD10B, FD10E, BD20

HANOMAG/MASSEY: 2244, 200, 300, 3366, 400, 500, L400C, L600C, D600D Super, D700C JOHN DEERE : 1010C, 850

LOADERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: TL12D, TL14, TL20, 545, 605B, 645, 745B,C

FIAT: FR20B LD3, LD5, LD7 & LD9 Scoopmobile HANOMAG/MASSEY 22,33C,44, 55, CL55C,66C-D, 77

GRADERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: D, DD, M65, 65B, AD30-40, 45, 145, M100A, B, FG95

DRMCO/CHAMPION 562, 600, 720, 740 JOHN DEERE 570, 570A, 670A, 770, 770A, 772A ALLIS WHEEL TRACTORS

ALSO AVAILABLE

MAMMUTEXPLORER4WDROUGHTERRAINFORKLIFT

dif,4.5mliftingheight,JapaneseKubotaV240350HP dieselengine.3stagecontainermastwithsideshift, 2280mmoverallheight.S6. TA985863.

$46,500IncGST

SUMMITH202ton4WDRoughTerrain 50HPdieselengine,constant4WD,2000kgcapacity, 3300kgoperatingweight,2speedpowershift,2stage 3.5metermastwithsideshift.S14. TA1101875.

$295,000IncGST

FORKLIFTSLIPPERS

1.8m,3tonne,Class3 S10. TA985906. $440/PAIR

HYDRAULICFORKLIFTBUCKET

ASSORTED HYDRAULIC HAMMERS. 100 tonne – 1 tonne, new, used & hire. Includes HAMMER HS8000, HS4500, Indeco HP9000, UP7000, MES5000, MES4000, 3000, HP2000. New Sandvic BA 2323 BR3088, S21, S22, S23, S25, S27, S83, S54, S86, E68, Rammer, Atlas Copco, HBC2500, MB1700, MB800, SB150, RFG, MONTABERT V55, V45, BRH501, BRH250, BRH125, Star SH1400, SH992, SH200. Stanley, TNB, Promove. GTX. MUSTANG, Rockram, Rockhammer, Furukawa, GB, KRUPP, SOOSAN SBI00TS, SB70. Can demo, cheap Austwide freight. Photos emailed. Ph: 03 9719 7483, 0433 372 416. (EMP-340--02)

BLUE METAL. 230acre property for sale, large amount of quality metal Test reveal material is suitable for concrete aggregate, road base & ceiling aggregate. Land zoned white, close to rail, plenty of water, 3 phase power. Lowmead area. Ph: 0427 135 554 or 07 4312 1010 QLD. (EMP-343-01)

BUCKETS. New, used & hire. 250ton-1ton, includes 4 in 1’s, loaders, tilts, sorting, rake, clamshell, grapple, trapezoid, telehandler, hammer buckets. MISU screening buckets. Flipscreens, M.B crusher buckets. Photos emailed. Cheap Austwide freight. Ph: 03 9719 7483, 0433 372 416. (EMP-340-03)

LONGREACH BOOMS. 45ton, 30ton, 20ton & 8ton excavator. Also 20ton extension sticks & 7.5ton hydraulic extension booms. Genuine Cat 30 Ton Longreach. Cheap Austwide freight. Photos emailed. Ph: 03 9719 7483, 0433 372 416. (EMP-340-04)

SOLAR POWERED Variable message boards. Techroad 8600, Ditchwitch JT820. Also light towers, trailer mounted. Wacker, Almand Bros. Free rolls. Hire & sale. Photos emailed. Cheap Austwide freight. Ph: 03 9719 7483 or 0433 372 416 (EMP-340-08)

PARTS FOR SALE

ASSORTED PARTS. Lots of rubber tracks. 950 R.O.P.S. Rock Buster 1220, New D155 triple bar grousers, 26.5 x 25 x 28 ply tyres. D65 rollers, combination roller, concrete saws, loader rims & diffs, ZF & Hamworthy, track bases 20 & 30ton. Cheap Austwide freight. Ph: 03 9719 7483, 0433 372 416. (EMP-340-05)

HYDRAULIC EQUIPMENT. Hydraulic motors and pumps, power packs Defence Force, electric & diesel with piston pumps. Many reco piston pumps, elect valve banks, control banks & rams etc… Cheap Austwide freight. Ph: 03 9719 7483,

Making the grade

Brendan Hunt, of

has had plenty to do since the new and used parts supplier started stocking John Deere construction parts.

“We’ve worked very hard at stocking as many John Deere machines as we can. We’ve got a significant number of John Deere graders already dismantled, and just recently we purchased a brandnew John Deere grader for the Dry Hire component of our business.

“We believe in the John Deere product so much, we’re prepared to invest our own hard earned on a brand new grader – We’re putting our money where our mouth is.”

Hunt says the Hunt Plant Hire division of the business has been a slow burn over the past two years, but adds that the purchase of the new grader is another step towards developing this further.

“We have a good relationship with our local council and have helped them with Parts for their John Deere graders in the past. There’s potential for us to provide a Grader on Hire whenever they pull one into the workshop for maintenance, or their workload demands an extra grader”

The business also supplies parts from a range of other manufacturers, including, Allis-Chalmers, Fiat, Hanomag, Clark, MF Industrial, Galion and Mitsubishi Graders.

“We specialise in Champion Grader parts as well, and we’ve now secured access to genuine and aftermarket new parts.”

As graders become more popular, Hunt says he is seeing more operated by small contractors or farmers.

“We like to think that we do a pretty good job of supplying a new and used option. And we’re the only business in Australia that does that.”

With continuing heavy rainfall and flooding affecting large parts of NSW, including in the regions surrounding Phil Hunt Parts, he says graders are in high demand, fixing damaged roads once the waters recede.

“As you can imagine, the second it dries up, everybody’s in their graders trying to tidy up roads so they can gain access again. Anytime there’s rain around, graders are hot to trot and we’re in a position to cater for any machine breakdowns, that may occur.”

Phil Hunt Parts has been buying and wrecking a large number of machines to keep its stock of used parts high, as supply chains continue to suffer delays.

“Importing new stock and the lack of new stock worldwide on the back of COVID, has been challenging,” Hunt says.

“Because we had such a huge volume of stock here pre-COVID, we’ve been able to service our customers without a hitch. I’ve been pleasantly surprised how well we’ve coped and pleased our customers haven’t had to suffer long waits on incoming overseas parts, as others have had to.”

To see what parts and attachment Phil Hunt Parts has available, visit: www.philhuntparts.com.au

Nationwide Training, based in the Perth suburb of Osborne Park, provides training courses and accreditation for businesses to do with forklift and order picker operation and dangerous goods handling and storage, among other workplace training.

For more than 10 years, Nationwide Training has used Toyota forklifts, with Nationwide Training CEO Gavin Trim saying that he rates them above other brands.

“We’ll go out to sites and they obviously have their own brands of machines as well, but even with all the different machines I’ve used, Toyota has been hands down the best machine,” Trim says.

Currently, Nationwide runs two 8-series gas forklifts and a Toyota order picker.

“There’s lots about the machine I like – the reliability is fantastic,” Trim says.

“The machine also has the system of active stability, which other manufacturers don’t have. The new machine has even got a steering wheel indicator and mast leveling feature on it – the layout, design and ergonomics of the machine are great.

“People laugh at me because I love my machines so much!”

For Nationwide Training, another reason to stick with TMHA has been the service and aftersales support offered by area sales manager Tony McGuire and his team.

McGuire says he was acutely aware of how important it is for any business to have their forklifts in prime working order.

“If the forklift doesn’t start you lose a class, and he’s got six or eight a day,” he says.

“You don’t want to put them off to the next day or the day after because you’re doublebooking yourself.”

Trim says the machines he has invested in have been worth every penny.

“Not everyone wants to pay the money for a Toyota, but I’m sure that if they realised how good they are they’d soon make it one of their first priorities to buy one,” he says.

“Every time I’ve needed anything or wanted something or considered getting a new machine, things like that, they’ve always been there to support us and make things happen.”

Demand for graders and new, used or reconditioned grader parts will be high this summer. Phil Hunt Parts is covering all bases.

Tamworth-based Phil Hunt Parts,

The new John Deere grader acquired by the hire division of Phil Hunt Parts will be put to work wherever it is needed over the coming months.

Gavin Trim swears by TMHA forklifts

Nationwide Training uses forklifts from Toyota Material Handling Australia for its safety training courses

Teacher’s pet

GENIEGS3268RT

SNAPPYMOBILE

SNORKELPRO66RDZ

HAULOTTEHA260PX

HAULOTTECOMPACT14

NEW AND S/H PARTS

ALLIS-CHALMERS/HANOMAG/MASSEY

JOHN DEERE INDUSTRIAL

PARTS FOR Dozers, Loaders, Drotts, Graders, Scrapers

WRECKING DOZERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: Model “M”, HD5, HD6B,E, HD7W, HD7G, HDIIB, EP, HD15-16, HD16DC, HD16DP, HD19-21, HD41B

FIAT: 451C, 555, 605, 50CI, 70CI, AT7C, 8B, BD10B, FD10E, BD20

HANOMAG/MASSEY: 2244, 200, 300, 3366, 400, 500, L400C, L600C, D600D Super, D700C

JOHN DEERE : 1010C, 850

LOADERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: TL12D, TL14, TL20, 545, 605B, 645, 745B,C FIAT: FR20B LD3, LD5, LD7 & LD9 Scoopmobile HANOMAG/MASSEY 22,33C,44, 55, CL55C,66C-D, 77

GRADERS

ALLIS-CHALMERS: D, DD, M65, 65B, AD30-40, 45, 145, M100A, B, FG95

DRMCO/CHAMPION 562, 600, 720, 740 JOHN DEERE 570, 570A, 670A, 770, 770A, 772A

ALLIS WHEEL TRACTORS

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Brisbane Mini Excavators (QLD) 40

Brooks Equipment Sales Pty Ltd (WA) 61

C/O Freshlime (VIC) 87

Eyre & Smith Rebuild Welding and Tracks (NSW) 88

Fin Engineering Pty Ltd (QLD) 100

Ground Tec (NSW) 93

Hastings Deering (QLD) 78

Heavy Equipment Australia (NSW) 90

ITR Pacific Pty Ltd (QLD) 163

Porter Equipment Australia Pty Ltd (QLD). 9, 19, 81

Precision Screen Pty Ltd (QLD) 164

Private Advertising Coupon 161

Rapid Rams (VIC) 39

Screenmasters Australia P/L (NSW) 94

Southern Equipment Sales and Rental (NSW) 99

Terex Trucks (UK) 15

Tilly’s Crawler Parts Pty Ltd (QLD) 52

Toyota Materials Handling Australia (NSW) 17

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