Food and Beverage Industry News Sep 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021

Expertise - Passion - Automation

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SMC Energy Conservation Group help Fletcher International Exports

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letcher International Exports is one of Australia’s greatest agribusiness success stories. They operate from two facilities in Dubbo (New South Wales) and Albany (Western Australia).

Combined, these plants process up to 90 000 sheep per week. A notable increase in the average weight of a sheep carcass meant that Fletcher had to evolve to accommodate changing processing demands and costs. The more kilograms per animal, the more meat needs to be processed, packaged and refrigerated which in turn requires investment in additional capacity. processes at all levels, supported

“I don’t think we understood just

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by a site maintenance team

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progressive company like Fletcher

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32 years old, and the company

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our compressor load has been

had spent the past few years

consumption as the plant grows.

dramatically reduced. As the utility

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identifying and analysing where they could improve on energy

In addition, SMC worked to

production output follows suit, we

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have a responsibility to continue

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improving our energy footprint.”

reduction projects.

Gabrielle Ryan, Project Manager

Fletcher turned to SMC Corporation Australia New

at Fletcher

Zealand (ANZ) to help them along

Realising Savings

their energy saving journey.

SMC conducted a full audit on the

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Fletcher in a strong position

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Group Manager worked closely

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company exports over 95% of its

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on exact requirements of their

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sees more developments on this

compressed air usage. Most of

Fletcher is committed to providing

front in future.

the work was focused around

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factories and processes.

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www.smcanz.com SMC Corporation Australia | New Zealand Group

SEPTEMBER 2021

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wo months being locked down in my single apartment, as many of our readers in Melbourne would understand, gives you a lot of time to think.

Thankfully, I am one of the lucky ones.

I am fortunate to be writing about food and beverage, an essential industry, during a global pandemic. The virus has crippled so many industries, yet from my time speaking with stakeholders, industry leaders and experts, I’ve seen how they have responded to the challenges presented by the pandemic. Of course, the pandemic has presented a whole range of issues for the food and beverage manufacturing sector, from adaption of new PPE policies to limiting staffing numbers on factory floors.

But the sector has stepped up, each person I speak to is optimistic about the future and the sector’s ability to adapt and overcome the challenges before it.

Innovation is born of necessity, and right across the world our industry is experiencing rapid innovation to keep up with the demands expected in a post-pandemic world.

Major focus has always been put on hygiene and food safety, but now new innovations, both practical and software, are helping meet the lofty goals set out by the industry.

In the midst of an unprecedented event

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4 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

many companies have already met some of the sustainability goals, months or years in advance, all thanks to the desire to evolve and take on new innovations.

Digitisation has become the wave of the future when it comes to the supply chain; right down to the consumer’s experience at the supermarket, whereby shoppers have become savvier, and products are held to a higher standard than before.

With QR codes, for example, the ability for customers to track the path of the item in their hand has never been easier.

Digitisation’s impact on processing can’t be understated – every case study I’ve seen of a manufacturer adopting digitisation has returned staggeringly positive results, from better efficiency through to greater output and less risk of contamination. The applications are many.

I commend the industry for facing the adversity of the past 18 months and its resilence as it looks to the future.

We don’t know when this ‘post-pandemic’ world will be upon us, but we can safely say the food and beverage sector has already proven it is capable of navigating those waters, through innovation, adaptation and a dedication to the industry.

Have a great month.

CONTENTS INSIDE 6 NEWS

20

20 MEET THE MANUFACTURER Dillicious Pickles speaks about how the company became the thirds largest manufacturer of the product in only two years.

24 AUTOMATION An SMC report details some of the current trends and challenges being faced by the industry.

26 PACKAGING Heat and Control speaks about the rising popularity of online shopping and how it is impacting the sector.

28 COLD CHAIN Rittal details how its Blue e+ cooling unit helped PepsiCo reduce energy consumption in India.

24

34

30 COMPRESSOR TECHNOLOGY Caps Australia details the range of benefits from using oil-free compressor technology.

32 FOOD PROCESSING Bonfiglioli’s spiral freezer offerings continue to find success in the market.

34 SENSORS SICK has created new sensor technology which the market has been wanting for a long time.

28

38 AUTOMATION Ifm is encouraging the industry to go digital in preparation for the future.

40 DIGITISATION APS can help create extra value through plant modelling and simulations.

42 LUBRICATION John Sample Group has a new lubrication system which can increase machine maintenance efficiency.

44 FOOD PROCESSING Lumix details the advantages to purchasing its EBAKI horizontal slicer, which has a proven track record in the industry.

44

46 AIP Showcasing the winner of the 2021 Save Food Packaging Design category.

47 MARKETWATCH Ben van der Westhuizen breaks down corporate activity in the food and beverage sector.

48 DAIRY MARKET Details of the latest global dairy commodity update for August, 2021.

49 NEW PRODUCTS

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 5

NEWS

Pollination Small Grants supporting beekeepers T

asmania’s honeybee industry will be supported via the launch of a $90,000 Pollination Small Grants Program, supplied through the Tasmanian government.

The new program will aim to support projects that will increase the availability and viability of pollination services in Tasmania.

This program is part of the government’s 2018-19 commitment of $750,000 over three years to implement the Tasmanian Bee Industry Futures Report.

To help maintain Tasmania’s reputation for producing high-quality products, including honey, the government is also providing $20,000 to establish a “Honey Library.”

Tasmania’s beekeeping industry is recognised for its leatherwood honey, but it also produces a range of other varieties including Manuka, prickly

box, clover and gum.

In addition, the honeybee industry provides a vital pollination service for many of the Tasmania’s agricultural and horticultural crops.

The Tasmanian state government has a target to grow the annual farmgate value of agriculture to $10 billion by 2050. To help achieve this growth, an expansion of viable pollination services is essential for many pollination-dependant crops.

The Tasmanian Honey Assurance System is an integrated traceability system for honey produced in Tasmania.

It is being created through a partnership with the Tasmanian Beekeepers Association, the University of Tasmania with matching funding from the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Honey Bee Products. F

A $90,000 small grants program was launched in Tasmania to support beekeepers.

Food producers supported through a new water agreement T

he Western Australian government has reaffirmed its support of food producers in Carnarvon, after striking a new water-supply agreement to help fuel

horticultural expansion along the Gascoyne River.

The agreement between Water Corporation and Gascoyne Water Cooperative (GWC) will see a phased

A new water-supply agreement was struck by the WA Government to help grow the horticulture sector.

6 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

return to more cost-reflective pricing and encourage new enterprises across 300 hectares of prime horticultural land, released in January.

“This agreement represents an important step forward in further establishing the Gascoyne as one of Australia’s premier food producing regions,” said water minister Dave Kelly.

The land was made available under the state government’s Gascoyne Food Bowl Initiative to increase food production, improve sustainable water supplies for irrigated agriculture and facilitate new supply chain opportunities for local produce.

Gascoyne growers will be guaranteed supply of high-quality water via a new 25 kilometre pipeline and reliable electric-power supply, under a new agreement between GWC and the Department of Primary

Industries and Regional Development.

The new water-supply agreement, which replaces the previous agreement that expired in 2013, will see the Western Australian government continue its support for Gascoyne growers through subsidies on water charges of around $10.5 million over the agreement period.

It will also see a gradual transition towards more cost-reflective water pricing and enable GWC time to generate new income streams and reduce reliance on government subsidies.

“This agreement marks a new period of stability and security for Carnarvon growers, bringing to an end almost 10 years of uncertainty over water pricing,” said agriculture and food minister Alannah MacTiernan. F

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NEWS

GlobalData says Coca-Cola’s positive Q2 results a step forward G

lobalData says Coca-Cola’s announcement that its Q22021 net revenues grew by 42 per cent globally for its beverage’s performance, is a step forward for beverage manufacturers to achieve pre-pandemic volumes.

“Not only does growth reinforce the company’s stable market position but highlights recovery of the non-alcoholic beverages market across many parts of the world – although countries such as India continue to be impacted by COVID19,” said GlobalData consumer beverages analyst Holly Inglis.

Coca-Cola’s 14 per cent growth in Q2-2021 for sparkling soft drinks was an achievement, considering the category has seen a continually downward trend in recent years.

“According to GlobalData’s latest survey (Q2-2021), one in

four (38 per cent) of consumers are actively trying to reduce their sugar consumption, which has created a challenging landscape for soft drink producers,” said Inglis.

“Strong brand recognition, alongside continued innovations to core brands such as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, have helped stimulate this growth.

“For the remainder of 2021, the outlook is positive for both CocaCola, and the general non-alcoholic drinks market. However, revival will remain in the hands of how COVID19 develops.”

This data was obtained from a GlobalData Q2-21 Consumer Survey, “Extremely concerned, quite concerned, slightly concerned.”

GlobalData’s mission is to help its clients decode the future to be more successful across a range of

industries, including healthcare, consumer, retail, financial,

technology and professional services sectors. F

The data analytics and consulting company said the results were a positive sign for the post pandemic market.

Queensland study finds craft beer is scientifically unique U

niversity of Queensland associate professor Ben Schulz and PhD candidate Edward Kerr have found that craft beer is scientifically unique, through using mass spectrometry proteomics to identify, quantify and characterise

the proteins in 23 different styles and brands of beer.

“Craft beer was strikingly different to beer from multinational breweries,” Schulz said.

“Surprisingly, it was only when we targeted our analysis on a single

Proteins from the yeast are what make craft beers distinct and unique.

8 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

brewery to remove any variation, that we found any differences between beer styles. Proteins from yeast make craft beers distinct from beers from larger breweries – which may be due to different process scales, or to different styles of yeast.”

Proteins play an important part in forming a beer’s sensory properties.

“Crisp, malty and bitter flavours, and floral and fruity aromas, are perhaps the first descriptions that come to mind when describing beer, but other sensory factors are just as important,” said Schulz.

“An attractive, stable head of foam and smooth, creamy mouth-feel are also essential, but-often-overlooked, elements of a great beer.

“The ‘beer proteome’ – or the full set of proteins in a beer – is critical in controlling these factors and is dependent on the ingredients, the

yeast used for fermentation and the overall beer-making process.”

Mass spectrometry techniques enabled Schulz and Kerr to measure the beers’ complete set of proteins.

“Our research looked at what proteins are present and how much there is of each protein,” Kerr said.

“Essentially, a mass spectrometer measures the mass of a molecule, allowing us to then match these experimentally measured masses to a theoretical list of proteins, identifying which are present and measuring the abundance of each.

“When we considered these features, we could clearly distinguish the profiles of different beers and different breweries.”

With only 23 beers studied, there’s more research to do. But Kerr said the findings would prove beneficial for future beer-making processes. F

NEWS

Fine Food Australia postpones its Sydney event to March 2022 F ine Food Australia has postponed its Sydney event to run 8-11 March 2022 at the ICC, in response to the ongoing uncertainty in NSW and across Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Melbourne event will run 5-8 September 2022 at the MCEC, as planned.

“The health and safety of our community, visitors, exhibitors, sponsors, partners and staff, is our biggest concern,” said Fine Food Australia event and product manager Andrew Lawson.

“As a food industry, we have been through these challenges before, and whilst this is not a decision we have made lightly, we have considered the current situation facing the market, and the challenges you might currently be facing in your businesses.

Due to the recent Sydney outbreak, Fine Food Australia has been postponed until March 8, 2022.

We have therefore made this decision as early as possible.”

“We believe this postponement to be the most appropriate action, to wait for a period where there is more stability, and a chance to set

up all those involved in the event for success,” he said.

This will make 2022 a national offering of Fine Food, with opportunities for the entire industry to connect face-to-face in both Sydney

and Melbourne in the same year.

The Hospitality Unites initiative to Fine Food Sydney will also be extended, with a content offering dedicated to the foodservice sector once more. F

Frank Wise Institute of Tropical Agriculture celebrates 75 years G

rowers, the local Kununurra community and the Western Australian government celebrated 75 years of agricultural research and endeavour from the Frank Wise Institute of Tropical Agriculture last week.

“The Frank Wise Institute of Tropical Agriculture and its staff have achieved so much over more than seven decades, underpinning the transformation of this outback region into a valuable northern foodbowl,” said WA Agriculture and Food minister Alannah MacTiernan.

Descendants of those who helped establish the research centre – including former premier Frank Wise and the Durack family – and current farmers and civic leaders paid testimony to the vision and fortitude of those who helped realise the potential in the East Kimberley.

The Kimberley Research Station was originally established as a joint state and Commonwealth initiative in 1946, staffed by the CSIRO and the WA Department of Agriculture.

In 1986 the CSIRO sold its share of the research facility to the WA Department of Agriculture, who

renamed the facility as the Frank Wise Institute of Tropical Agriculture.

The former premier was instrumental in driving horticultural development in northern Western Australia.

The Department has continued research that laid the foundations for the development and expansion of the The institute leads a number of agricultural research projects.

Ord River Irrigation Area, which now spans 15,500 hectares.

Over the past 75 years, the Frank Wise Institute of Tropical Agriculture has led research into sugar cane, cotton, rice, sorghum, maize, winter cereals, safflower, linseed, peanuts, lemongrass, kenaf and other fibre crops.

In an average year, the area produces more than 33,500 tonnes of fruit and vegetables, including mangoes, bananas, grapefruit, lime, melons, pumpkins and beans, valued at almost $58.9 million annually.

Over the past four years, the Western Australian government has revitalised the Frank Wise Institute of Tropical Agriculture, with more than 20 project collaborations underway including hemp, quinoa, plantago, mangoes, safflower, cassava and cotton. F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 9

NEWS

Queensland scientists develop the first pan-genome for sorghum S cientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at the University of Queensland, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and BGI Genomics have developed the world’s first pan-genome for sorghum, in a breakthrough for crop improvement and gene discovery.

Sorghum is a drought-tolerant staple crop for half a billion people in Africa and Asia, an important source of animal feed throughout the world, and a biofuel feedstock of growing importance.

This discovery unlocks the genomic treasures to breed improved varieties of the ancient cereal grain.

The scientists announced their discovery in prestigious journal, Nature Plants. The Global Diversity Trust and the Australian Research

Council co-funded the project, which aimed to improve productivity in sorghum.

“This is exciting news for Queensland, where sorghum is a staple crop used mostly in the intensive livestock sector and worth more than $250 million this year,” said minister for agricultural industry development and fisheries Mark Furner.

Other genes were also identified for productivity and nutritional traits, such as grain colour, grain weight and seed dormancy.

“Until now, our knowledge of the sorghum genome has lagged behind other major crops,” said Furner.

“Armed with the pan-genome data, researchers can now tap into variation at specific genes to breed improved sorghum varieties.”

The new data is already being

used in breeding efforts to improve the yield and resilience of crop varieties in Australia, in the face of mounting challenges to production, including climate change and increased water scarcity.

The Queensland government supports a wide range of agricultural research through partnerships with industry, universities and through its research locations across Queensland. F

The world’s first pan-genome for sorghum has been developed by a team of scientists.

Good & Fugly delivers misshapen, nutritious fruit and vegetables to Australians G

ood & Fugly, a newly launched Australian grocery delivery service, is the first of its kind nationwide that rescues wonky, quirky and misshaped fruit and vegetables and delivers curated seasonal boxes to consumers’ doors.

With up to 25 per cent of all Australian produce not leaving the farm due to their imperfect appearance, Good & Fugly is on a mission to make saving the planet affordable, convenient and delicious.

Every box is filled with fresh, seasonal produce direct from farmers.

What’s in the boxes varies from week to week, but the team aims to include staples like potatoes, onions and leafy

greens in every order.

Good & Fugly deliveries are

10 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

expanding across the greater Sydney region and consumers across Australia The delivery service looks to repurpose imperfect looking fruit and vegetables.

are being encouraged to register their fugly fruit and vegetables interest via the website, so the team knows where to expand its offering next.

The Good & Fugly fruit and vegetables may be quirky in appearance, but it doesn’t impact its nutritional value – meaning consumers can eat well and fight food waste at the same time.

“We want Good & Fugly to be a nationwide offering, we can see the waste issue and we know consumers are keen to make a positive impact by jumping on board the fugly revolution,” Good & Fugly founder Richard Tourino said. F

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NEWS

Kerbside recycling pilot launched in Sydney A

ustralian recyclers, iQ Renew and CurbCycle, will partner with Mosman and Willoughby councils to facilitate a trial to recycle aluminium coffee capsules, which will help inform the development of a national coffee capsule recycling scheme, led by Planet Ark. A specially designed, bring orange bag will be sent to the 5,000 participating households in the trial areas to collect used aluminium capsules. The participants can then place the orange bags in their kerbside recycling bins for collection.

This Australian-first pilot will provide vital insights, with the potential to roll out the scheme across the country.

“It is great to see this trial occurring and we want to thank all the collaboration partners for making

this possible,” said Planet Ark CEO Paul Klymenko.

“By providing their communities with the additional option of kerbside collection, it will allow more people to recycle their coffee capsules and contribute to creating a circular economy.”

The capsules will be separated from other recycling at iQ Renew’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and transferred to the existing Nespresso recycling system in NSW for separating into coffee grounds and aluminium.

From here, the aluminium will go to aluminium producers, saving 95 per cent of the energy required to source aluminium from scratch, with coffee grounds going to local commercial compost.

Nicknamed the “Curby” pilot, the trial will provide a way to test how

capsules can be collected and sorted and assess household demand for the scheme, iQ Renew CEO Danny Gallagher said.

Funding for the trial will be

provided by Nespresso.

Participation in the trial will be limited to 5,000 households in Mosman Council and Willoughby City Council areas. F

The pilot trial is designed to test the viability of capsule collection and sorting.

Genomic Atlas of Soil-Dwelling Listeria created in the US C

ornell food scientists have created a new genomic and geological mapping tool to better identify Listeria monocytogenes in food recalls and similar investigations.

The national atlas will tell scientists where listeria and other related species are within the US, which could help to trace and pinpoint sources of listeria found in ingredients, food processing facilities and finished products, according to research published July 15 in Nature Microbiology.

Listeria mononcytogenes in foods can make people extremely sick.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that each year 1,600 people in the US get listeriosis – of those, about 260 die.

Knowing that listeria occurs naturally in soil, the Cornell group

Food scientists from the US have developed a new genomic mapping tool which they believe will help reduce recalls in the industry.

asked other US scientists to find soil samples from generally undisturbed places in the natural world, such as the off-trail areas of state and

12 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

national parks.

From these samples, the group developed a nationwide atlas of 1,854 listeria isolates, representing

594 strains and 12 families of the bacteria called phylogroups.

Lead author Jingqiu Liao, who worked in Wiedmann’s laboratory as a graduate student, is now a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University. She had supplemented the research by acquiring soil samples in her own travels and found listeria present across a wide range of environmental circumstances. This bacterium is controlled mainly by soil moisture, salinity concentrations and molybdenum – a trace mineral found in milk, cheese, grains, legumes, leafy vegetables and organ meats.

This work can serve as a reference for future population genomics studies and will likely benefit the food industry by locating listeria contaminations that may have a natural origin. F

NEWS

Mussels are deemed most sustainable superfood, experts say M

ussels are being hailed as the superfood that could improve Australians’ health while leaving an environmental footprint that’s lighter than vegetables, a recent study has found.

The report, published in March by senior health and environmental experts, found that instead of switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet, replacing land meats with seafood was the most sustainable answer, while keeping overall health and wellbeing high.

The report also found ropecultured mussels could be a good option for those looking to cut down on red and processed meats and to protect the environment.

Mussels contain nearly five times the amount of vitamin B12 as beef and over eight times more iron than chicken. They are also extremely high

in omega-3, selenium, iodine and protein.

The study suggested while animal protein is the highest quality protein to optimise muscle health, providing sustainable animal protein is going to be the biggest and most complex challenge as the population grows.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) said that when it comes to the environment and marine health, mussels are one of the best options from a sustainability point of view.

“The advantage of mussels from an environmental point of view is that you simply put the ropes into the water and they pretty much feed themselves,” said AMCS Sustainable Seafood program manager Adrian Meder.

“There are no fertilisers needed, land to be cleared, or trawling.”

Experts says switching from landbased to sea-based food was the most sustainable way forward.

EP Seafoods, which specialises in mussels, say that mussels are often

more sustainably cultivated than vegetables. F

OzHarvest and Monash report urges halving of food waste A

collaborative report between OzHarvest, a food rescue organisation, and the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) is encouraging national action to halve food waste by 2030 in Australia.

The joint report, Halving Food Waste: Australia’s progress on SDG 12.3, outlines the benefits of achieving this goal – the foundation work already undertaken – and makes key recommendations for national action.

Tackling food waste is an integral part of Australia’s efforts towards sustainable consumption addressed in goal 12.3, according to OzHarvest founder and CEO Ronni Kahn.

“OzHarvest is committed to halving food waste in Australia and knows the immense size of the challenge we still face,” said Kahn.

“This report aims to spark a

The collaborative report is designed to outline how food waste can be halved by 2030. national conversation on what needs to be done and with only nine years to go, the huge changes that are needed from policymakers, businesses and the public. We’ve collaborated with the brilliant team at Monash, who are experts in tracking Australia’s SDG progress.”

The Sustainable Development Goals are a blueprint for a better future,

14 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

including a focus on tackling food waste, MSDI chair Professor John Thwaites said.

“Australia still has an opportunity to forge collective action on goal 12.3 but will need to act quickly and at scale to see results before 2030,” said Thwaites.

“This report is Australia’s shopping list for the essential ingredients to achieve this target, which has great

social, economic and environmental benefits and contributes to other SDGs including Zero Hunger and Climate Action.”

The report launched this month to coincide with the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome, where the focus has been on the power of food systems to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). F

NEWS

PepsiCo and PAI Partners join to optimise portfolio P epsiCo has entered into an agreement with PAI Partners, a private equity firm specialising in the food and beverage sector, to sell select juice brands such as Tropicana and Naked across North America and an option to sell certain European juice businesses. This will result in combined proceeds of around $3.3 billion, while retaining a 39 per cent non-controlling interest in a newly formed joint venture.

PAI Partners will be the majority shareholder of the transferred business, with PepsiCo retaining exclusive US distribution rights to the portfolio of brands in its chilled Direct Store Delivery for small-format and foodservice channels.

The partnership between PepsiCo and PAI Partners will result in a multi-billion dollar proceeds.

“This joint venture with PAI enables us to realise significant upfront value, whilst providing the focus and resources necessary to drive additional long-term growth for these beloved brands,” PepsiCo chairman

and CEO Ramon Laguarta said.

“In addition, it will free us to concentrate on our current portfolio of diverse offerings, including growing our portfolio of healthier snacks, zerocalorie beverages and products like

SodaStream, which are focused on being better for people and the planet.”

PAI Partners is delighted to bring the storied beverage brands into its portfolio via the new partnership, managing partner Frédéric Stévenin said.

The juice businesses delivered approximately $3 billion in net revenue in 2020, with operating profit margins that were below PepsiCo’s overall operating margin in 2020.

PepsiCo expects to use the proceeds from the sale of these assets primarily to strengthen its balance sheet and to make organic investments in the business.

The transaction is expected to close in late 2021 or early 2022. F

Agricultural Produce Commission Act reviewed T

he Western Australian government’s laws to strengthen the Agricultural Produce Commission have passed through State Parliament, which will improve the function of important producer committees across the state.

A review of the Agricultural Produce Commission Act 1988 was carried out in 2006, however its recommendations were never implemented. The amendments will provide the Agricultural Produce Commission with powers to monitor and audit payment of charges, to ensure producers are complying with the Act and that all funds collected are used to support industry.

“Producer committees have delivered so much for growers over the past 30 years – from research into the performance of pigs after weaning, to the commercialisation of the Bravo-branded apple and paying compensation to Carnarvon banana growers after cyclone Olwyn,” said agriculture and food minister

Alannah MacTiernan said.

“We are committed to support the important work of producer committees, and these amendments deliver long-awaited improvements to their function and operations.”

Regulations will be allowed to provide for circumstances in which charges can be waived, refunded or reduced, if a producer wishes to opt out of a committee.

Amendments will also allow non-producers to be appointed to industry committees, in a non-voting

capacity to provide broader expertise, and allow the Agricultural Produce Commission to use weighted voting at a poll to establish a committee.

The amendment bill includes a provision to allow broadacre cropping and grazing industries to take advantage of the opportunities offered by producer committees, if they chose to do so, following a request from WAFarmers.

However, livestock enterprises on pastoral lands will continue to be excluded from the Agricultural

New laws strengthening the Agricultural Produce Commission was successfully passed by WA Government.

16 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

Produce Commission Act, following representations from some parts of the industry.

“The amendments will also allow broadacre farmers to form producer committees for the first time – although importantly, it will be entirely up to farmers whether to form committees or not,” said MacTiernan.

“We look forward to the Agricultural Produce Commission continuing to work with industry to deliver for our growers.” F

NEWS

National Trade Program to expand export capabilities A

new, bespoke $1.13 million National Trade Program will assist 15 South Australian food and beverage companies in expanding interstate and developing export capabilities.

“We have seen that scaled-up international expansion often starts with companies expanding into interstate markets – we understand that interstate expansion enables businesses to test their products in markets close by,” said minister for Trade and Investment Stephen Patterson.

“This then helps companies to fully understand the logistics, channel partner requirements, remote warehousing needs and how they manage receivables and invoices – all at a stone’s throw away rather than overseas.”

The National Trade Program will provide training, access to industry mentors and offer direct connections

to interstate buyers and distributors, to help company participants secure interstate sales.

“The program is for South Australian companies who are not already exporting overseas,” said Patterson.

“It is a bespoke program targeting retail ready products including food, beverage (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), wine, health and beauty.”

The South Australian government will sponsor all participation costs.

However, companies will be required to cover the costs of shipping samples interstate and any travel costs.

Shipping products interstate is a great way to increase volume and economies of scale, Adelaide Hills Distillery’s Steve Dorman said.

“Companies can test their brand outside of South Australia to see if it needs to be updated, changed or tweaked as it may be that those

outside of the state need something slightly different so they can relate to it,” Dorman said.

“It also enables companies to test their supply chain and systems, check that packaging is durable and helps to refine sales pitches and marketing collateral.

“Exporting nationally drives volume and may give companies

A new bespoke $1.13 million National Trade Program was introduced to aid in exports.

access into the bigger chains and wholesalers with national distribution, as well as driving efficiencies through the business,” he said.

“By exporting nationally, it broadens your experience, makes your business more resilient and changes your mindset as to how you service customers.” F

Science Week celebrates food and beverage production I n its 25th year, National Science Week 2021 will begin this weekend, recognising the achievements of Australia’s scientific community – including those related to food and beverage production.

Throughout the week, universities, schools, research institutions, libraries, museums and other organisations across the country will deliver a range of in-person or online events, ensuring everyone can participate regardless of COVID-19 restrictions.

National Science Week 2021 aims to spark the imaginations of the next generation of budding scientists, according to minister for Industry Science and Technology Christian Porter.

“This year’s National Science

The 2021 National Science Week will highlight importance of sustainable food production.

Week continues its tradition of excellence and I encourage all Australians to jump online and check out the range of opportunities to get

involved,” Porter said.

“Of course, National Science Week is also an important opportunity to thank our

extraordinary scientists and researchers for their hard work and their efforts to inspire and encourage the next generation of Australian leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

Specific events have also been organised for students, with the 2021 school theme Food: Different by Design providing insights into topics such as food production, sustainable agriculture, biosecurity, food technology and laboratory-developed foods.

The federal government has provided almost $500,000 to support public science projects as part of the National Science Week Grants, announced earlier this year.

National Science Week 2021 will run from 14 to 22 August. F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 17

NEWS

Ten water infrastructure projects funded to boost SA agriculture T

en water projects are being funded by almost $90 million under the National Water Grid Fund – Connections Pathway program in South Australia, to significantly boost the state’s agriculture industry.

The projects will enhance water security, help stimulate regional economies and create jobs, with funds provided by the South Australian government, the Commonwealth and program partners.

The projects range from delivering additional water to Barossa Valley wine producers, to supporting water efficient, high technology glass houses for growing vegetables at Virginia.

“We know water is a critical resource for a successful agriculture sector and these 10 projects across South Australia will grow jobs by delivering new and affordable

water, enhancing water security and helping stimulate regional economic development,” minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham said.

“These projects will both support existing primary industries

and allow for new and expanded agriculture to be undertaken in some of South Australia’s most important agricultural areas.

The 10 projects will lead to both economic and environmental benefits, according to acting minister for The ten projects will be funded by almost $90 million.

Environment and Water Stephen Patterson.

“These 10 projects will boost water efficiency in our agricultural sector, which is good for our economy and exports of food, wine and agriculture while at the same time being good for the environment as well,” said Patterson.

The South Australian government has also applied to the Commonwealth for funding for preliminary business cases for Clare Valley and Eden Valley water supplies.

“The projects are a key step in supporting the Clare and Eden Valleys, ensuring a more reliable and secure water supply for wine grape growers and primary industries in both regions,” said Basham.

“Ensuring long-term water security has been a priority for both areas.” F

Woolworths open first eStore in Maroochydore, Queensland W

oolworths has officially opened its first eStore at its Maroochydore (Big Top) supermarket in Queensland to meet increasing demands from local customers.

The 1,250 square metre space at the rear of the store uses microfulfilment technology to sort and move products from automated storage units, directly to team members hand picking customer orders.

The units can hold up to 10,000 of the most in-demand grocery products, while fresh fruit and vegetables and meat continue to be picked from the shop floor.

The micro-fulfilment technology dramatically improves the speed, efficiency and accuracy of the picking process. This will allow thousands of extra online orders to be delivered to

Sunshine Coast customers each week, including more on a same day basis.

Woolworths has appointed around 150 team members to help fulfil orders from the Maroochydore eStore, including 80 new to the business.

“The continued growth in online grocery demand has given us an opportunity to reimagine the future of our stores,” Woolworths director of eCommerce Annette Karantoni said.

“This technology will help our team of 150 personal shoppers pick orders with greater speed and accuracy, while keeping us close to our Sunshine Coast customers for faster and more flexible deliveries to the home. The new delivery capacity comes at a critical time as more of our customers turn to home delivery through the pandemic,” she said.

18 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

“Importantly, the eStore layout also helps reduce congestion in the aisles for our in-store customers, as our personal shoppers pick most items in the back of house.”

Woolworths reported annual eCommerce sales growth of 90.5 per cent in the quarter ended 4 April 2021. These now account for around eight per cent of total sales. F Woolworths has officially opened its first state of the art eStore in Queensland.

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MEET THE MANUFACTURER The next big step for Dillicious Pickles is securing distribution at major supermarket chains across Australia.

How a hobby turned into a thriving pickle business within two years Victorian couple James and Liza Barbour went from backyard pickle hobbyists to the third largest pickle producer in Australia. Here’s how they did it.

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ames and Liza Barbour recognised a hole in the pickle market in Australia and as a lover of American style pickles, expat James knew he could win over the Aussie consumer, and Dillicious Pickles was born.

With available alternatives largely grown and produced overseas the company got its start as a hobby for James to make his own American pickles but it quickly took on a life of its own. After just two years, Dillicious has become the third largest manufacturer of pickles in Australia.

From humble beginnings on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula in 2018, Dillicious has already sold more than 1 million pickles – and the appetite for their premium,

Aussie-made product is not slowing down.

“It started when I was looking for the kirby variety of cucumbers used for American pickles so I could finally make my own, when we gave them to friends and family the feedback was great,” said James.

The common response from people who tried the Barbour’s pickles was that they should produce a product line of their own.

“At first me and Liza thought it would make for a pretty great little side hustle and hobby. We started out at farmer’s markets and continued to get that feedback,” said James.

“Of all of my ideas to date Liza got excited about this one which was an important part of the process.

Funnily enough Liza hated pickles

20 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

before we made them.

“Pretty quickly after selling at farmer’s markets the brand continued to grow and I was fortunate enough to make it my full-time job to manufacture.”

James became the general manager of Dillicious Pickles and along with Liza the pair continued to nurture the company’s rapid growth.

James said the lack of American style pickles, pickled cucumbers to be exact, was something many Australians had no exposure or point of reference for, beyond American pop-culture, but he was also sure there would be a taste for them here.

“I am from America and over there the pickle really is a part of the culture, it is ingrained there, I would compare it to Vegemite in Australia.

Something that might be divisive to some while others love it,” said James.

“We started by selling them at small markets and giving them to friends and the feedback made us realise the demand for our pickles,” said James.

In a stroke of luck, when Dillicious was introduced to Calendar Cheese, the largest importer and seller of gourmet cheeses and speciality foods, the company had just lost its American pickle supplier.

“The company they were using went bankrupt, at that time Calendar Cheese had created a customer base here for the product and here were with a replacement. It was perfect timing for the partnership,”

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

James and Liza Barbour turned an idea into a hobby and then grew into Australia’s third largest pickle manufacturer.

said James.

“It was also a great fit for Calendar because they could promote Australian grown instead of imported, and a lot of consumers love to support locally grown produce.”

James already had experience working in the sector, having been a fruit and vegetable wholesaler for eight years himself and that experience has helped with the growth of Dillicious Pickles.

“Our aspirations for Dillicious are not small. To spread the pickle power even further we need to make our pickles accessible to everyone, on shelves in more retail stores and served by even more commercial kitchens. We want to be a household name,” said James.

Dillicious will be celebrating three years in the market this November and in that short period of time the product has already been picked up and stocked by over 400 wholesale customers throughout Australia, including Coles Local, Costco, Bar Luca, Easeys and Veggie Bar. The manufacturers have also been approached by some big names in the food industry, which will see their

growth increase even quicker.

Another critical factor in the development of Dillicious Pickles was Liza Barbour’s area of expertise as a dietician who teaches food sustainability at one of Australia’s most prestigious Universities, Monash.

“It was really important to Liza

that the product we created was a good product for people to eat so one of the biggest things that sets ours apart is they have no added sugar,” said James.

“Sugar is generally used to cut down on the acidity of the vinegar, but we wanted to make sure we weren’t doing that.”

Instead, the couple uses apple cider vinegar which still creates some sourness but with a combination of sweet.

“The end product is a very tasty pickle that differs from the competition,” said James.

The Barbour’s are excited for the future of the company and the

The company sources Australian-grown cucumbers for its range of pickle products.

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 21

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

possibilities created from its rapid growth.

“We have been super excited from the very beginning, we love being able to make products that people want and can make them smile,” said James.

“Now it is only a matter of how many people can we do that for.”

James said packaging was another part of the brand he felt was helping draw consumers in, which is why it hasn’t been changed in the last two years.

“A lot of star-ups say to not get distracted by the branding and labels but we knew we were appealing to a niche market so we put importance on getting the best design we could,” said James.

They hired a designer, gave him the brief, and the product was exactly what James and Liza envisioned.

“We knew pickles alone aren’t enough to draw people in, so you hit them with your key points and make it easier for them to see what makes your product different,” said James.

“Interestingly we are currently undergoing a minor brand refresh across all of our lines just to help bring everything together while still highlighting the differences.”

The last two years of rapid growth

Dillicious Pickles have created an American-style pickle, which has proved popular with consumers. for Dillicious Pickles is the result of hard work and dedication but also a genuine love of the product and a desire to see it appreciated by others.

The next major step for Dillicious Pickles, in terms of distribution, is to secure a place at one of the larger

supermarket chains to achieve one of its next most important goals.

“We want to become more accessible to the larger Australian consumer base, the families who are looking for a healthy alternative for their kids, or people who might have

given up on other product options,” said James.

“We know customers want affordability and quality which is one of our goals, we want to be more accessible without sacrificing on the quality of our product.” F

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22 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

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AUTOMATION SMC continues to work with the industry on emerging trends and challenges within the sector.

Why it’s important to be on the factory floor for automation SMC recently compiled a report which showcased the current trends and challenges within the food and beverage manufacturing sector. Food & Beverage Industry News looks at the report.

T

he SMC Corporation Australia New Zealand prides itself on understanding the challenges faced in food and beverage manufacturing, and it’s a philosophy that the company has adopted the world over.

A recent report compiled by Diego Mirabelli, industry manager

food for SMC Corporation in Europe showcased the current food industry trends and highlighted the challenges faced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It details SMC’s presence on the factory floor to identify the industry’s most pressing automation requirements.

24 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

What’s trending in food automation?

Surprisingly, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a positive uptick in automation.

“Companies are changing the way they work,” said Craig Sheppard, sales and marketing director from SMC Corporation Australia New Zealand.

“They’re focused on rapidly and continuously addressing challenges around productivity, downtime, energy savings, safety, hygiene and staying competitive in a tough climate.”

Food security remains an ongoing issue around the world, and Craig believes that automation will play a

AUTOMATION

SMC worked firsthand on factory floors to get a clear picture of how to overcome challenges and jump onto trends.

key role in addressing scarcity in the years to come.

“Other issues that needed to be addressed by manufacturers in the last 18 months is that of a reliable workforce, and perhaps workforce accessibility,” said Sheppard.

“Whilst labour is expensive, COVID enforced lockdowns taught some harsh lessons with respect to staff accessing workplaces and then the need for social distancing created its own set of challenges – especially in plants where productivity (both day and night) is crucial.”

Diego Mirabelli detailed a series of key drivers.

Most food plants operate 24.7, so a halt in food production can be costly and time consuming.

Most areas are arranged in a

continuous flow with one area being dependent on the activity of another, from primary material integration, to processing, and finally, packaging.

The OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) can be substantially improved by applying digital predictive maintenance solutions, training operators, and maximizing product reliability.

Diego explains that this fastpaced industry has traditionally been lagging in automation penetration.

Robotics, and its stemmed technology, cobots, have been seen as key drivers for enhanced productivity on the factory floor.

The next step is to introduce smart technologies combining flexible and quick format changes with high cycle rates and low life cycle costs.

Food factories are energy demanding; they represent up to 19% of the whole manufacturing industry’s energy consumption. “SMC’s ANZ energy saving task force can analyse your plant and help you realise savings and efficiency gains,” said Sheppard.

“Safety and automation work hand-in-hand, and safety valves form a fundamental part of our product range.”

What being on the factory floor can do Talk is cheap. SMC’s energy saving division recently helped successful

SMC sales and marketing director Craig Sheppard said lockdowns taught some ‘harsh lessons’ to the industry. agribusiness, Fletcher International Exports to save around $65 000 on their energy bill.

Fletcher operates from two facilities in Dubbo (New South Wales) and Albany (Western Australia); combined, these plants process up to 90 000 sheep per week.

“Our team conducted a full audit on the air systems at the Dubbo plant which gave insights into possible savings. In fact, the air compressor is now down from a 165kW compressor to a 110kW compressor following the improvements SMC and Fletchers have made on the site,” said Sheppard.

“SMC walked the journey with

Fletcher International Exports for two years.

“Big changes don’t happen overnight and our team – spearheaded by Bill Blyth – knew that they were in it for the long-haul.”

SMC energy saving components are embedded into the site processes at all levels, supported by a site maintenance team that is committed to retaining the efficiencies. The site also has an Air Management System (AMS) to ensure energy efficient compressed air consumption as the plant grows.

Components installed include: SMC EX600 Ethernet manifolds and sensor interfaces, many standard SMC ISO air cylinders and fit for purpose; MGPM, CG1, CG5 and CS1 air cylinders, including air preparation, flow and pressure monitoring, vacuum components, rod lock cylinders for precision positioning, analogue cylinder position sensing, SY valve manifolds and proportional control valves and smart valve positioners.

Additionally, there are SMC ANZ specially designed and manufactured guided rodless cylinders and vacuum components.

“Bringing together and applying these SMC products in a design tailored by SMC ANZ in conjunction with the client - in this case Fletchers -, become powerful energy saving tools,” said Sheppard. F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 25

PACKAGING

Choosing the right inspection equipment for fresh produce The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way Australians eat and shop for fresh produce, with significant changes in online shopping habits, Food and Beverage Industry News explains.

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onsumers are increasingly buying their groceries online and fruit and vegetables have seen a significant shift to pre-packed produce since the beginning of the pandemic, now representing more than half (53 per cent) of produce sales in major supermarkets, according to Nielson figures.

In response to this shift food retailing and distribution has had to evolve rapidly.

Growers and fresh produce companies are pursuing strategic partnerships in order to innovate their packaging and inspection processes and ensure the quality and safety of their products.

As a leading food processing industry supplier, Heat and Control understands the importance of

inspection equipment for the fresh produce industry.

Heat and Control’s packaging and inspection systems are designed to meet food industry safety standards and as the complexity of these lines increases, so does the technology needed to keep produce safe.

Having a metal detector, checkweigher and sometimes even an X-ray machine at the end of the production line is allowing Australian growers and fresh produce companies to easily comply with global safety standards and meet the demands of quality and safety conscious retailers and consumers.

Protect your customers and your brand “If the pandemic has shown us

A digital sorting system being used on frozen blueberries.

26 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

anything, it is that many things are out of our control. However, something that is in our control, is how we protect our brand and our customers,” said Phil Garro, senior sales executive of packaging and inspection systems at Heat and Control.

Inspection equipment plays a crucial role in preventing product recall.

“One safety recall is enough to ruin years spent establishing a good reputation. The costs associated with a product recall are much more than just loss, return or exchange of tainted produce. It can mean loss of brand rapport and customer loyalty too,” said Garro.

By choosing the right inspection systems you give yourself peace of mind. This equipment ensures that you have done everything possible to

prevent a foreign material from making its way into your product and gives you certainty that your product is safe.”

While accidental contamination is always a concern, Australian fresh produce suppliers are unfortunately no stranger to incidents of intentional contamination. It is these incidents that highlight the crucial role of inspection technology in protecting brands and ensuring food safety.

Inspection process explained Developing and maintaining an effective, verifiable inspection process is no longer an option for processors.

Innovative technology is available that can not only detect foreign objects but will operate simply, efficiently and at high speed while at the same time allowing for the collection and

PACKAGING

inspection while also saving on time and labour costs.

Weight control

The primary function of a checkweigher is to monitor end weight of a packaged product. retention of production run data.

Metal Detection The primary purpose of metal detection is to detect for metal contamination. This part of the inspection process can occur at several points throughout the production line.

“Think of it in terms of process, packaging and the product,” said Garro.

The metal can come from sources like contact parts in machinery or cutting knives that break during processing.

“Metal detectors perform differently depending on their application.

Choosing the right metal detector is important and should be based on the type of produce you intend to run,” said Garro.

“If it contains a high level of moisture, temperature, or high levels of salts, it will require multiple frequencies to reduce/eliminate the product affect it generates.”

Most metal detectors are only able to generate and inspect with one frequency at a time, which is not sufficient when the objective is to detect the smallest metal defect.

“There are several brands of metal detectors on the market that claim they can detect multiple frequencies, but not at the same time,” he said.

“However, cutting edge technology has seen the invention of a multispectrum system. This new generation of metal detector can eliminate false rejects without reducing sensitivity.

Using proprietary multi-spectrum technology, it is able to consistently detect smaller metal particles in difficult products like wet spinach.”

While metal detection in food processing is primarily about quality control and consumer protection, it also protects other machinery in the production line because even the smallest metal particle can lead to machinery malfunction, resulting in revenue decrease thanks to production downtime.

The primary function of a checkweigher is to monitor the end weight of a packaged product.

Technology used in check weighing allows for collection and retention of important production run data and creates a database of information.

In a perfect production world, every package would weigh the same. But weighing processes are not infallible and equipment issues, problems with base line zeroing, product or seasoning build up, or even product density causes variations.

Product characteristics, product piece weight, temperature and moisture can all affect accuracy of what is proportioned out.

Using a checkweigher allows for data informed decisions and identifies trends; periodically during production, or on a continuous live basis and companies using the “Average Weight System” (or AQS) to avoid packing over weights must use a check weigher to comply.

Seal checking Fruit and vegetable products are

often vacuum sealed for freshness and package leaks can stem from a range of issues.

Choosing the right leak detection equipment is an important part of the inspection process and different methods are available.

The ‘water bath’ is a simple method in which a sample package is submerged in water and if the package has leaks bubbles will become visible in the water.

Unfortunately, this method cannot reliably detect tiny leaks in packaging seals and of course any products with leaks must be thrown away.

In-line pressure testing units suitable for larger scale operations are classified as ‘gross leak detectors’ and can be used for packaged products with back or fin seals and work by testing for air in the package.

While this technology requires air in the package, there’s equipment that will detect leaks by creating a vacuum and then testing for air escaping. When using a vacuum test the package can to be returned to the line, after a green light result.

For more information, go to www.heatandcontrol.com. F

The unique leak detection technology from Oxipack is non-destructive.

Digital sorting Digital sorting systems can identify and consistently remove objects based on colour, structure, shape, and size at a significantly faster rate than manual inspection.

“Processors that are grading and sorting their produce manually, appreciate the cost and inefficiency that comes with hand sorting,” said Garro.

Digital sorting systems not only find contaminants in the bulk lines such as sticks, stems, stones or even mice, but they are also used to sort by size and shape and grade by discolouration.

“A wide range of systems are available to sort specific applications and they include colour sorters, smart laser sorters and there is even a new hyperspectral technology that sorts nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios and cashews,” said Garro.

With the use of these new technologies, fruit and vegetable producers can achieve consistent www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 27

COLD CHAIN

Rittal’s Blue e+ proves successful in India How PepsiCo successfully implemented Rittal’s Blue e+ unit to reduce energy consumption at its Indian-based plants.

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ultinational food, snack, and beverage corporation PepsiCo recently contracted the services of Rittal, a German owned manufacturer and pioneer in delivering energy efficient climate control solution for enclosures.

Rittal was contracted to work with PepsiCo’s Indian based headquarters in Gurgaon, Haryana, with a brief outlining the corporations desires to protect the environment, find more energy-efficient means of production.

The company was confident it could meet the brief given by PepsiCo with its range of innovative and technologically advanced products and services.

The first step for Rittal after being contacted by PepsiCo was to conduct a health check-up and detailed audit of the site’s enclosure climate control which had been installed in one of their six existing plants at Paithan (Aurangabad).

Director of marketing and IT sales, Rittal, Mark Roberts, said one of the first problems to overcome at the site was the local climate.

“The local climatic conditions would normally leave little room for reducing energy consumption,” said Roberts.

“With the Blue e+ unit, PepsiCo were able to run the cooling units in free cooling mode during the cooler nights in summer and months of the year with lower temperatures.”

28 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

Rittal engineers were able to diagnose the enclosure’s processes before handing down a detailed solution to install the correct climate control solutions.

The Blue e+ is the latest version of the highly energy efficient cooling unit with hybrid technology.

These cooling units have a longer

service life than ones that came before, coupled with an intuitive operation as a result of touch display and intelligent interfaces.

The audit was designed to demonstrate to PepsiCo that Rittal could bring the right solution to the table.

Before committing to the offering

Use of Blue e+ alsoincreases process uptime due in part to its ease of use.

COLD CHAIN

from Rittal, PepsiCo ran a proof of concept of the Blue e+.

Representatives from Rittal felt it was best to test the unit on the Beeta Conveyor because of how critical it is to the control enclosure.

The test measured and recorded the energy consumption of the Blue e+ model against a local manufactured model, using an energy metre to do so.

One of the unique features of the Blue e+ model is its heatpipe technology.

“It’s the only cooling unit in the world with heatpipe technology,” said Roberts.

“This enables the unit to operate in hybrid and full free cooling mode where the compressor and condenser do not run. This provides significant savings and reduces carbon footprint.”

The unit creates value for the manufacturer in a range of ways, most importantly with energy, as the customer desired.

“The Blue e+ provides the opportunity to reduce energy bills and carbon footprint, as well as increasing process uptime thanks to parts being used less and IoT connectivity alerting of potential issues,” said Roberts.

Rittal installed the non-Rittal cooling unit followed by its Blue e+ model for the course of an entire

month at the site. After which time the POC tenure results supported Rittal’s unit.

The non-Rittal unit was run for a total of 235 hours, in 27 days, and recorded a total energy consumption of 239.7kWh. Meanwhile, the Blue e+ unit was run for a total of 324 hours, in 19 days, and recorded an energy output of just 38kWh. Comparatively, the non-Rittal unit consumes 510 watts of power while the Rittal unit only consumes 55 watts.

The money saved between the two units is also a wide gulf, to run the non-Rittal unit for an entire year would cost $37,974, while the Rittal unit would only cost $4,095 per year.

Once installed on site, the Blue e+ saved PepsiCo 76.56 per cent on its energy consumption.

Shobhit Verma, PepsiCo India Holdings, was full of praise for the Blue e+ unit.

“After analysing both of the units, we found that the non-Rittal unit was not even comparable to Rittal Blue e+,” said Verma.

“The Blue e+ unit is very advanced and highly energy efficient. The Rittal unit was very reliable compared to the other unit, it was truly efficient.” F

The unit was run for 342 hours, in 19 days, and only recorded energy output of 239.7kWH.

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 29

COMPRESSORS

Using oil-free compressed air in production has a host of benefits.

Australia urges the industry to look at oil-free air compression William Chan, from Caps Australia, speaks with Food and Beverage Industry News about the benefits of oil-free compressed air and why companies should make the change now.

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aps Australia product manager for gas and special projects, William Chan, said CAPS is your complete solution provider for all types of oil-free air

equipment depending on your budget.

There are many ways you can achieve oil-free air, which is critical to comply with relevant standards

Oil-free compressed air can help a company avoid headaches in the production process.

30 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

but food and beverage manufacturers can reduce the risk of contaminating their product through lubricated compressed air by simply going oil-free at the point of compressing

the air rather than treating the air through a number of processes downstream.

“The reason why so many manufacturers are using lubricated compressors is mainly the cost factor, it costs less in terms of capital investment,” said Chan.

“Second to that is the higher efficiency of the compressor, also in terms of cooling. However, the main issue is the lubricated compressors run the risk of leaking lubricant into the compressed air stream which in turn contaminates the process downstream.”

Chan said contamination was something industries, especially food and beverage, can’t afford to endure because of the potential ramifications on a product designed to be consumed.

However, there are solutions available.

“One of the ways is using a true oil-free compressor, the longterm benefits associated with less ancillary equipment and servicing combined with the significant reduction of risk, could be a smart

COMPRESSORS

investment” said Chan.

When a lubricated compressor is used in the manufacturing process a range of requirements must be met to make sure the lubricant doesn’t contaminate the food, which requires a several machine pieces.

“A compressor is only one part of the whole jigsaw puzzle so after the compressor you need to include filtration and drying of compressed air to achieve the quality required,” said Chan.

“For example, if the compressed air will be in direct contact of the food product, then you must have dry and clean compressed air. That means the moisture level in the compressed air must be minus 40 degrees dew point.

Caps Australia is well equipped to achieve this.

“Clients don’t just require a compressor, they need a whole train of equipment to produce oil free air and every piece of equipment will contribute to efficiency,” he said.

Another selling point from Caps Australia is the ability to develop a tailored approach for each client’s individual needs.

“We want to offer the industry options to exceed the industry

Dry compressed air is critical to keeping moisture levels low. standards and requirements, so they are better prepared for future growth,” said Chan, “That is why we customise, through specialist in house

engineering.

All the installations for our clients to make sure we provide the equipment to not only meet their needs but exceed them.”

With a push towards mitigating contamination risks Caps Australia is well positioned to help any food and beverage manufacturer to achieve that goal. F

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FOOD PROCESSING

Bonfiglioli’s spiral freezer solution proves market success The spiral freezer addresses some of the bigger challenges in the sector, including corrosion and caustic washdown. Adam McCleery talks to engineering manager Eric Fourie about the product line.

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onfiglioli’s engineering manager, Eric Fourie, says the company’s spiral freezer offering already has a proven track record of success in the industry after being adopted several years ago.

Fourie said one of the major benefits of the company’s spiral freezers was the international standards they are all made to meet.

“This means clients can expect international best practise on these applications,” said Fourie.

“The solution is strongly influenced by the local industry and equipment manufacturer’s needs, and hence there are some variations between the regions and customers.

However, the underlying principles remain the same.”

Fourie put a focus on the 300 series as a product which is a particularly good fit for a range of freezer applications.

“Spiral freezers run at speeds typically less than 2 r.p.m,” says Fourie.

“The low speed and high torque density of a planetary drives makes it ideally suited to this application.”

The machine consists in a spiral conveyor driven by a centrally

mounted gearmotor and operates at very low temperature (down to -40°C / -40F).

One of the big problems in food industry applications is obviously corrosion and caustic washdown. To address this, Bonfiglioli configures the drives, not just to content with caustic wash-down, but the consideration is also extended to solvents at both high temperatures and pressures.

“We have developed coating systems that vary from Polyurethane to Zinc based systems in response to the operator’s preferred method of cleaning,” says Fourie.

To prevent corrosion the drivers are periodically cleaned by sanitizer liquid which are corrosive for exposed surfaces, seals, and unprotected surfaces.

In some machines the sanitizer liquid is hot water or vapour up to 120°C, causing problems to common paint and protection.

Some of the key elements offered

by Bonfiglioli’s spiral freezer solutions include a review of each individual application before being configured to suit.

“We also incorporate physical changes to drive components and

The 300 series is described as a perfect fit for the company’s freezer applications.

32 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

Bonfiglioli’s engineering manager, Eric Fourie detailed the extensive advantages of the company’s product offerings.

also carefully choose the auxiliary items from our current product portfolio to meet the demands of the particular spiral freezer,” said Fourie.

“Oil seals are selected, allowing for both chemical stability and low operating temperatures. We typically flood fill the units with an oil able to operate at very low temperatures.

“The position of the lubrication tank and subsequent transfer of lubrication between the tank and gearbox is carefully considered and matched with the correct breather.

We are able to configure the drives with oil level sensors and drain valves to minimise oil spillage and enable easy maintenance.”

The application is characterised by a range of features, including a

wide range of ambient temperatures and high humidity, extremely low operating temperature of gearbox and it is food industry compliant for lubricants, UH1 food grade lubricants that is USDA/FDA approved.

“Bonfiglioli products allow spiral freezers to operate continuously and maximize processing uptime through high manufacturing standards,” said Fourie.

“Most importantly, our gearmotors can safely operate in the extremely low temperatures necessary in the freezing process and can durably withstand the demanding cleaning procedures.”

Local stock and assembly of these units are available from the Bonfiglioli head office in Sydney. F

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SENSOR INTELLIGENCE

New sensor technology is helping to solve long standing labelling issues Sensor intelligence company SICK was able to come up with an ideal conveyer detection solution for a client with challenging packaging conditions. Food and Beverage Industry News reports.

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hen Aztro reached out to long-time partner SICK Sensor Intelligence about line detection issues a client was facing, SICK took the opportunity to introduce a new sensor with capabilities the market had been asking for.

SICK Australia sales engineer Kevin Zarczynski was on site within hours of the call to help come up with a viable solution for Aztro’s client.

The client in question specialises in the labelling of slimline clear trays for products such as single slice cheese and prosciutto. However, the ultrasonic sensor which were originally installed to detect the packaging for accurate labelling wasn’t meeting the desired result.

Aztro managing director, Niall Lynch, said the Aztro Labellers are designed to work within a plus-minus of 1mm labelling tolerance, with this type of product ultrasonic sensors couldn’t keep up with variations in the packaging dimensions.

“The customer came to us for a solution, and we then turned to Kevin at SICK,” said Lynch.

“We get the vast majority of our sensor solutions from SICK so when we have a need for a new solution or to do something different, we will always contact Kevin and ask him to have a look at the alternatives available to us.”

Lynch showed Zarczynski a sample of the low profile packaged products the following day and he was able to identify a solution within a very small window of time.

Amazingly the solution the team came up with was the very first of its kind for the sector.

“We came up with a sensor that

Sensor technology experts SICK developed a new sensor which the market had been asking for.

didn’t even exist the week before.

It seemed like the ideal solution.”

Zarczynski said.

That new sensor is the SICK WTB4 Double Line photoelectric sensor.

34 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

"We came up with a sensor that didn’t even exist the week before.

It seemed like the ideal solution"

SENSOR INTELLIGENCE

The sensor can accurately read products made with clear and very thin packaging.

"The type of conveyor this customer was using has little holes in it, so the sensor had to be able to read only the product while ignoring the gaps in the belt."

The WTB4 Double Line is also an easy-to-use piece of technology for any company.

36 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

“It’s a multi-tasking product delivering the features our customers have been asking for and we were finally able to bring it to market. It is the best for reading glossy, shiny products with a small height moving along the conveyor belt,” said Zarczynski.

The sensor is also able to overcome any issues created by conveyor belts that don’t have a completely seamless surface.

“The type of conveyor this customer was using has little holes in it, so the sensor had to be able to read only the product while ignoring the gaps in the belt,” said Zarczynski.

Another big selling point of the WTB4 Double Line is its ease of use, from installation to daily operation.

“Aztro was able to mount it before we even had a chance to demonstrate the how-to, it is a very easy to use technology and it solves our customers’ problems. It will help improve efficiencies and throughputs in the Australian packaging industry,” Zarczynski added.

After arriving on site, Zarczynski and a SICK application engineer helped demonstrate the capabilities of the double line sensor. The client then requested the commissioning of sensor installation onto their

production line and got the exact result they were looking for.

Solving the packaging detection issue with the new sensor also results in several benefits along the line, from affordability to an ease of set up through Blue Pilot, no reflector, it can work within short ranges and on the thinnest of objects.

“There was a lot of downtime because you would have to adjust the ultrasonic sensors any time the product on the line was changed, some lines might have five to ten separate products a day,” said Lynch.

“A lot of time would be spent each day on getting the sensor right but this new sensor from SICK allows for one set up for the entire product line to run through, and that was something we reaffirmed with our client.

“They came back to us extremely happy with the end result because the sensor has given them a continuity of production.”

For Lynch, the affordability, and the practicality of the new SICK WTB4 Double Line are equally matched and has the potential to be a ‘huge boost’ for the packaging industry.

Innovation and adaptation continues to be the most critical component to future-proofing your business. F

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AUTOMATION

ifm encourages sector to go digital in preparation for the future Automation experts ifm will present a webinar on its moneo software and TCC temperature sensors which promise to improve efficiencies. Food and Beverage Industry News reports.

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utomation technology specialists ifm, are aiming to teach the industry about their latest software suite, moneo, and temperature control sensor technology which is designed to streamline and mitigate risks across the production process.

Accuracies in food production are of supreme importance however, various brands of temperature sensors already in use can cause large issues if they experience a fault or have

temperature drift, Glenn Thornton, product manager for ifm told Food and Beverage Industry News.

“Often, it can be difficult for current sensor technologies to notify a system that there are production issues which can introduce inefficiencies and produce a substandard end product,” said Thornton.

“It can also contaminate the food products which can create a public health issue and cause brand damage.

Which happens more than

"The simplest form of this is the smart sensor technology coupled with an easy and intuitive software which gives a clear and clean dashboard, bringing the company into the digital era." people know.”

This is exactly the scenario ifm’s TCC offerings were designed to address.

“Our TCC temperature technology actually checks itself,” said Thornton.

An ifm seminar covers Moneo and the company’s TCC sensor offerings for the digitisation space.

38 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

“This doesn’t mean you remove the calibration and verification procedures in place. The TCC temperature sensor monitors its own settings and health 24/7 between calibrations. This gives you peace of mind that you can trust your production runs at the optimum and safe level. This is also where the moneo software steps in.

“The moneo software suite can capture the information and display it on a really intuitive dashboard on more or less any device anywhere in the world.”s Ifm national IoT business manager, Freddie Coertze, said the moneo software offered a better solution to automation and factory checks, with many plants still reliant on pen and paper.

“The reason moneo is the way to go is everybody wants to move away from doing paper check lists onto something more sophisticated,” said Coertze.

“You have to ask, what happens if during those checks they miss a number or lose that sheet of paper, there is potential for human error.

That could be entered into a database, but it could take time for them to see the mistake.

“Moneo offers a real time update right there and then with no losses, no paperwork in the middle, it streamlines the process.”

Another critical aspect of the moneo software is its ease of use.

Many software applications have unexpected cost blowouts once

AUTOMATION

purchased, however, ifm’s moneo is basically “ready to use” right from the start.

“The simplicity and ease of use of the ifm moneo software means that you can set up an application dashboard in a matter of minutes and anyone can do it,” said Coertze.

“But if you take the same solution with another brand of software, you only get the core and have to develop software applications and pay for a software engineer to develop these types of solutions.

Thornton reiterated the benefits of going digital in an increasingly digitised world.

“It means companies are protecting their entire business, we all know the future is coming and we also know people want to have smarter production,” said Thornton.

“The simplest form of this is the smart sensor technology coupled with an easy and intuitive software which gives a clear and clean dashboard, bringing the company into the digital era.”

A strong message throughout ifm, is, monitor what’s important so you can protect what’s important.

“Our software allows for the information to be seamlessly monitored and reported upstream immediately,” said Thornton.

“It protects product, brand reputation and even general image to the market. And of course, protecting the public from potential contamination. A small company could be destroyed by a mistake in the production process.”

In Coertze’s experience in dealing with business problems at customers premises, he has found that most are eager to digitise as quickly as possible and ifm makes sure the customer doesn’t spend money on the wrong solution.

“We have the big players in the sector who try to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of product to the client which creates a perception that your company has to make a huge up front investment,” said Coertze.

“However, we discuss the solutions in a meaningful way that makes sense to the customers production facility.

We work on having a tailor made solution for the customers application.”

The key for ifm is making it clear to food and beverage businesses that it is best to start small and ‘grow as

The Moneo software suite is touted as a one-stop-shop for a fully comprehensive system.

"It protects product, brand reputation and even general image to the market.

And of course, protecting the public from potential contamination." you know’.

Thornton said the move towards automation will benefit the entire industry, not just now, but well into the future.

“Australian manufacturing is under a lot of pressure from local and global competition. Future proofing with automation technology will provide stability and growth opportunities for those that adopt the new digital era,” he said.

“Building reliable and efficient production facilities will improve product quality, improve throughput enabling Australian industry to become more robust.” F

The future of food and beverage manufacturing is a digital one and ifm is helping lead the charge. www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 39

DIGITISATION

Create value by implementing plant modelling and simulation Steven Sischy, from APS Industrial, speaks with Food and Beverage Industry News about the benefits of digitisation and digital twins in manufacturing.

APS Industrial knows first-hand the benefits and importance of digitisation in the manufacturing process.

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or a long time, the industry standard with digital twins was to leave it until the end of the digitisation process but Steven Sischy, from APS Industrial, believes the sooner a manufacturer implements it, the better off they will be.

Sischy said one of the major benefits of digitisation and digital twins was saving time and money through efficiency, and being able to design and simulate a machine or plant, without any physical hardware All plant or machine improvement can be fed back into the module for further optimisation. Thus, allowing customers tighter control and improvement, of their entire manufacturing processes.

In this context, a digital twin means a digital copy of a component of a machine line, a single machine, a production line or even a whole plant, making for faster commissioning

and deployments.

“The product is also able to get to market quicker,” said Sischy.

Most food and beverage companies must face big challenges like shorter time-to-market, cost reduction, better quality, and increased flexibility to adapt to market changes.

Digitalization seems to hold the answer to these challenges. Through new, disruptive technologies like digital twins, AI, edge computing and cloud services, traditional workflows can be shortened.

APS Industrial help companies with digitisation and the implementation of digital twins, with a host of positive case studies to highlight the benefits.

When it comes to cost, a barrier to most changes, APS offers a way for clients to see how digitisation would impact on production.

“At APS we can actually simulate a complete machine with very little up

40 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

front investment,” said Sischy.

This allows the company to demonstrate the outcome of digitisation and digital twins to a potential client, resulting in minimal financial risk.

“If we find any problems we can go and do the adaption, like changing the mechanical design, for example,” said Sischy.

“We can then start take that and put that straight back into the digital twin and test to see that it will actually work.”

The digital twin has impact and relevance for the entire life cycle, from the early design stages onward through commissioning, operations and retrofit.

Another critical outcome of digitisation is the increased security it can bring to the manufacturing process.

“From a security perspective you are building the infrastructure

around the core components and the block chain, which is a way of securing recipes or components that are critical to a process,” said Sischy.

“Your IP is retained and there are other ways of validating who is doing the changes, RFI readers for example, without the right tags, will be unsuccessful.

“It is hierarchy based and if you are a plant operator you will have the ability to change some components but not the entire recipe.”

There is also a series of security levels created, including certificate validation, which means every person who has been granted access to and used the machinery is known.

The advantages to digitisation are extensive and only a small portion of them have been touched on here, however the message from Sischy and APS Industrial is clear, digitisation is the way forward for the food and beverage industry. F

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LUBRICATION

Improving chain lubrication in the food and beverage industry Supplied by JSG Industrial Systems, the SKF Lincoln ORSCO Series 170 is a lubrication system that is increasing machine maintenance efficiency. Food and Beverage Industry News reports.

Roller chains are used across the food and beverage sector but are critical in meat production.

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he beef industry is a pillar within Australia’s economy and the equipment used to produce the meat is no less important than the final product. Roller chains are a key component of this industry, functioning in many abattoirs across Australia and New Zealand.

To be able to function to the best of its ability, these chains need to be

consistently maintained; the pins, bushings, sliding surfaces and any rolling element that are exposed to consistent wear, need to be regularly lubricated to continue functioning with high volumes, at an efficient rate.

This is where the SKF Lincoln ORSCO series 170 lubrication systems come in; with particular success being found in roller chains

42 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

used in abattoirs across Australasia, the demand for this product is forecasted to increase.

The system was created by SKF Lincoln, whose distribution rights are held by JSG Industrial Systems in Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. SKF assists equipment manufacturers and production facilities worldwide with an aim to improve equipment, such

as roller chains, reliability and total cost of ownership and energy.

How it works What differentiates the SKF Lincoln ORSCO series 170 system from others is the use of air to propel the lubricant at a low pressure yet high-velocity rate. This increases the system’s accuracy - despite the small amount released, it penetrates to a

LUBRICATION

The SKF Lincoln ORSCO series 170 lubrication systems are ideal for keeping roller chains performing at a high standard. high degree.

Through using this compressed air to deliver the lubricant, the roller chains are greased faster than previous method’s such as the drip and brush techniques. The system works through producing a continuous thin stream of lubricant onto the chain, specifically the pin and bushing, which is the primary wear point of a chain.

It is able to do so with pinpoint accuracy due to the use of air. This allows the lubricant to move between these two points while also coating the roller and bushing surface as well. This amount of lubricant is released on a continuous and controlled basis that helps coat every chain link.

Once the stream of lubrication is co-ordinated with the specific chain requirements, the application will be equal with the rate of consumption.

Factors such as the chain length, speed and consistent temperature will affect how the system will be set up.

According to SKF Lincoln Industrial, application of lubrication through the ORSCO system reduces the consumption rate of lubrication by 60 to 80 per cent.

The lubricant not only greases and moisturises the primary wear points, but also provides a cleaning effect through the spray nozzle. This nozzle is also patented by SKF and works to remove contaminants and debris left over from production. Looking at the nozzle specifications, SKF provides three tip lengths and spray patterns that can change the lubrication stream from continuous to pulses.

The benefit of this is the ability to

custom design the nozzles bespoke to the application or machinery.

Benefits Utilising ORSCO is important in increasing the overall life of the chain. Through consistent lubrication, overall downtime including the frequency of general maintenance is reduced. This means, in abattoirs, more meat can be produced and exported.

The 170 series also reduces machinery oil consumption producing cleaner conditions.

SKF Lincoln previously installed an ORSCO Model 170 series for a large soft drink bottler. This company found that there was a decrease in oil usage and spillage on the factory floor and within six months the company reported that it was able to pay back its initial investments.

Design The ORSCO series 170 comes as an easy-to-install system that is made up of combining controls, valves stack and a reservoir. The series is also available as a modular packaging including a Valve Stack series (VS) or a Valve Stack-Reservoir (VSR) series. At maximum capacity, the Series 170 system can lubricate up to 16 points with an ability to vary the lubrications patterns.

It features a compact, modular design with low amounts of external piping designed for OEM use; in addition to these benefits, specific parts can be removed and serviced if needed. The fixed volume system increases control of the amount of lubricant released, decreasing

Increasing machine maintenance and efficiency creates better end results. oil waste and overhead costs. The injector rate functions at 1 Hz meaning that it can also be applied to systems that require large amounts of consistent lubricant. On larger doses, the system can deliver up to four drops per second.

In addition to the ORSCO series 170 system recent success in abattoirs, it is also used effectively across a range of industries including beverages, food processing and baking, as well as materials handling. F

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www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 43

FOOD PROCESSING

Heavy-duty horizontal slicers are needed to keep up with meat demand As Australians continue to buy meat at increasing rates many companies need innovative equipment to keep up with the market changed. The EBAKI 3 is a model of choice for achieving that goal.

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eat consumption in Australia continues to grow with poultry easily proving to be the preferred choice of consumers.

Keeping up with the processing of poultry in Australia can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to the hiring of quality and reliable staff.

More time is being spent preparing poultry for filleting, butterflying for schnitzels, or other further processing and the pressures of hiring and keeping skilled staff is constant.

In response to this, EBAKI has a range of horizontal filleting machines which can fillet, portion slice and butterfly meat and poultry for butchers, medium size processors and large poultry plants.

EBAKI provides a range of quality and reliable machines which are finally easing the pressures of consumer demands on businesses.

Over the past decade large poultry facilities have invested in EBAKI,

Poultry is still in high demand in Australia and the EBAKI horizontal slicer is suited to slicing chicken at rapid rates.

with the EBAKI 3 being the model of choice for speed and efficiency.

The slicer can fillet up to 6000kg per hour. Where each lane can be set up to the different specifications required.

Businesses are saving time and yield in their further processing lines.

For boneless raw or cooked product, each line can be set up for the business’s specification. One line can be set up for filleting, with thickness ranging from 3.5mm, while another set up for butterflying.

Also, EBAKI slicers have upper and lower conveyor belts which holds and flattens the product during the cutting, ensuring accuracy and minimal wastage and deletes the need for a separate flattening machine beforehand. And, by taking the cutting heads out, an EBAKI can be used as a flattener only.

Lumix Procut now stock the EBAKI mini, for butcher shops and small processing facilities. A single lane unit that can process up to 400kg per hour, with adjustable thickness and a separate butterflying knife.

The EBAKI mini offers the same cutting process and is also mobile.

With stainless steel castors, you are able to position it a required.

With the increase of chicken being consumed only continuing as the most common protein to prepare and cook. The EBAKI mini allows you to prepare your chicken breast fillets and schnitzels in a sixth of the time as your best filleter.

Lumix Procut recently sold and EBAKI mini to a butcher who relied on a lot of labour to meet his customer’s needs.

Due to the unreliability and inconsistency of workers and continued increase of product requiring further processing, this business owner was desperate for a

44 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

The EBAKI 3 range is capable of filleting 6000kg of meat per hour.

solution. He required 2 skilled staff to spend up-to 4 hours a day hand filleting and slicing chicken for steaks and chicken schnitzel prep.

After investing in and EBAKI mini - which can fillet up to 400kg an hour - his stress on relying on skilled staff was reduced. The preparation is now done by one staff member, and he is saving more than 6 hours in manual labour per day.

Manufactured in Spain, EBAKI has been distributed around the world

for the past 10 years with a proven track record in the poultry industry.

EBAKI has partnered with Procut in Australia for the same period and continues to work and grow with Lumix Procut as the demand for their machines grow.

Lumix Procut not only import and distribute EBAKI in Australia but also have a technical team to provide after sales care, service, and spare parts, to ensure that the machine continues to meet and exceed the expectations of the current users. F

SEPTEMBER 2021

How is food processing changing with the times?

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Intuitive Packaging that minimises food waste Author

Nerida Kelton MAIP, Executive Director, Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP)

The most innovative Save Food Packaging uses design features that can contain and protect, preserve, extend shelf life, easily open, and reseal, provide consumer convenience, and portion control; all the while meeting global sustainable packaging targets.

O

pportunities for packaging design to minimise food waste can include better facilitation or communication around portion control, date labelling, extension of shelf life, protection, resealability and openability, serving size, food safety/ freshness information, information on storage options and improved communication on packs.

One of the standout packs that was recognised in the 2021 Save Food Packaging Design category in the PIDA awards was Edgell Supa Crunch for Food Service.

Edgell Supa Crunch (Simplot Australia) for Food Service To meet the needs of the Foodservice channel, Simplot developed Edgell Supa crunch, a new chip designed to stay crunchy for up to 40 minutes throughout the challenging delivery process.

To complement and aid maintaining

Packaging technologists are in a great position to help minimise food waste. the crunch during delivery, Simplot designed an innovative and sustainable pack that has a raised and ventilated floor and just the right amount of ventilation on the sides and top to allow steam condensate to escape while retaining heat.

This pack utilises the stack effect where air is drawn into the carton at

the base and then vents at the top of the carton allowing moisture filled air from the chips to rise and escape.

The relatively shallow carton is designed to allow the chips to spread out, so they are not on top of one another.

The one-way venting that the stack effect promotes works well in

PIDA recognised Edgell Supa Crunch in the 2021 SaveFood Packaging Design category.

46 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

balancing heat retention and moisture escaping, promoting quality for food delivery.

The product has instructions on the pack as to how to use it, and how to effectively extend the life of the chips to keep hot and crispy and therefore not wasted.

This product has been designed to extend the life of the product through keeping the product crispy and hot.

If the customer finds that the product has cooled too much the packaging has been designed in a way that it can be reheated in a microwave for 20 seconds which extends the life of the product reducing the risk of spoilage due to cold soggy chips.

The pack was designed with tamper evidence for product security and is stackable allowing for easier distribution of bulk product and reducing the risk of crushing. The board is fully recyclable, FSC certified and has been optimised to reduce the amount of board used.

The National Food Waste Strategy that aims to halve all food waste that heads to landfill by 2030, provides a framework for collective action across the ecosystem.

Packaging Technologists have the opportunity to minimise food waste at the start by incorporating the AIP Save Food Packaging Design guidelines into their NPD process.

Marketers can spotlight the SFP design features as a point of difference and send a message to the consumer that the brand is actively trying to minimise food waste from paddock to plate.

Embedding Save Food Packaging design features at the NPD stage ultimately reduces the product’s overall environmental impact at the start of the value chain which minimises food wasted in the household. F

MARKETPLACE

Deal activity picks up Corporate activity in the food and beverage industry remained high over the two-month period from June to July 2021. Twelve transactions were announced over the two-month period.

K

rio Krush, a leading manufacturer and supplier of natural seasonings, herbs and spices to the foodservice channel was acquired by Atlantic Growth Capital. Comet Line Consulting advised Krio Krush on the sale to Atlantic Growth Capital.

The world’s largest pure-play coffee and tea company, JDE Peet’s, acquired Campos Coffee. Campos Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster with distribution in multiple channels including direct-to-consumer, retail and its own flagship cafes. Comet Line Consulting assisted JDE Peet’s with the transaction.

Costa Group acquired Select Fresh, a leading fruit and vegetable distributor to the foodservice and independent retail channels in Western Australia. Comet Line Consulting advised Select Fresh on the sale to Costa Group.

HelloFresh submitted a $125 million offer to acquire ASX-listed Youfoodz. The 93 cents per share offer is subject to Youfoodz shareholder approval and the Youfoodz board of directors

recommended that shareholders accept the offer. Youfoodz listed on the ASX in December 2020 and shares were issued at $1.50 per share during the IPO. Perfection Fresh acquired full ownership of Fruit Master Australia.

Perfection Fresh obtained a shareholding in Fruit Master Australia in 2016, when the companies merged their table grape businesses. The acquisition enables Perfection Fresh to expand its presence and capability in export markets.

Nature One acquired Nepean River Dairy for $36.5 million. Nepean River Dairy sells a range of milk products including cows milk, flavoured milk and long-life milk. The manufacturing capabilities and product portfolio of Nepean River Dairy will be merged under the Nature One Dairy brand.

German based Intersnack acquired the remaining 60 per cent shareholding in Universal Robina Oceania. Universal Robina Oceania operates through two subsidiaries: Snack Brands Australia and Griffin’s Foods (New Zealand). Both businesses operate through a variety of brands. F

Transactions announced Date

Target Name

Acquirer

Sector

1 June 2021

Krio Krush Basic Foods

Atlantic Growth Capital

Seasonings and spices

9 June 2021

Rivalea Australia

JBS Australia

Meat processing

15 June 2021

Campos Coffee

JDE Peat’s

Non-alcoholic beverages

23 June 2021

2PH Farms

Costa Group

Fresh produce

23 June 2021

Select Fresh

Costa Group

Fruit & veg providore

5 July 2021

Lyka ($6.5 million capital raise)

Shearwater and Wattle Hill

Petfood

13 July 2021

Harvest B ($3.5m seed funding)

Woolworths and Aura Ventures

Plant-based foods

13 July 2021

Youfoodz

HelloFresh

Ready-made meals

23 July 2021

Fruit Master Australia

Perfection Fresh

Fresh produce

27 July 2021

Nepean River Dairy

Nature One

Dairy

28 July 2021

Cameron of Tasmania

Yumbah Aquaculture

Seafood

30 July 2021

Universal Robina Oceania (60%)

Intersnack

Snacking and biscuits

Ben van der Westhuizen and David Baveystock are directors of Comet Line Consulting, an advisory business that specialises in acquisitions and divestments within the Australian food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.cometlineconsulting.com.au.

Commodity Outlook WHEAT: The gross value of wheat production is estimated at a record $9.7 billion, reflecting record production combined with relatively high prices.

COARSE GRAINS: Barley and canola also recorded significant increases in value year-on-year. The value of barley exports by 63 per cent to $2.4 billion OILSEEDS: The value of oilseed exports increased by 54 per cent to $1.8 billion.

BEEF, VEAL AND SHEEP MEAT: Beef and veal are forecast to account for 37 per cent of exports in 2020–21.

DAIRY: Dairy products are forecast to account for 17 per cent of exports in 2020-21.

Source: Department of Agriculture and Water and the Environment (ABARES), Agricultural commodities, 2020-21 FY.

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 47

DAIRY

Global Dairy Commodity Update August 2021 Overall market fundamentals through the coming quarters will remain mostly supportive of prices.

The dairy market is expected to remain mostly stable through the coming financial quarters.

A

s milk production in the northern hemisphere grows at a slower pace and the improving COVID situation allows for gradual re-opening of food service channels.

Demand for dairy commodities remains steady, although disruptions due to the rapid spreading of the Delta variant of COVID into unvaccinated populations out of control in many regions, forcing many governments to reimpose restrictions.

Global trade grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in May-2021 and 3.9 per cent over May-2019. The strong gain over the prior year is partly due to the lull in trade caused by the impact of COVID port disruptions, but the ongoing surge in China’s demand explains a large portion of the total gains. The recurring theme of the dominance of China continued and will likely remain in June data based on NZ’s June exports data.

China’s expanding demand continues to be critical to the

Global trade grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in May-2021 and 3.9 per cent over May-2019. balancing of the global market, with its growth in imports outweighing some weaknesses in demand in milk powders from some regions challenged by affordability of firming prices. In the short-term, commodity prices may drift weaker as buyers pushback against elevated prices.

The glut of US milk will gradually ease with signs of a peaking in cow

48 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

numbers while cheese and butterfat balance sheets should improve as demand recovers with stronger food service patronage. Rebalancing of the US cheese market will have an important bearing on its export competitiveness, while growth in milk powder output will slow.

The size of the peak in NZ milk supply in the current season remains

sa lottery but a “normal season” is forecast, and a strong milk price will drive higher yields on NZ farms.

The sustainability of strong Chinese WMP, cheese and butter demand is specifically critical to how well NZ can balance its WMP supplies, and influence availability of butterfat – already suffering from weak demand in developing markets. F

NEW PRODUCTS

New VariBlast precision safety air gun with nano nozzle provides focused blast for blowoff EXAIR’s new VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun with Nano Super Air Nozzle provides a focused blast of air capable of handling tough jobs with remarkable strength. This CE compliant lightweight air gun employs an engineered variable flow trigger able to produce variable force upon a target simply by pulling the trigger. A comfortable full finger trigger and convenient hanger loop are built-in to this ¼” Safety Air Gun. The Nano Super Air Nozzle requires only 8.3 SCFM and is made of Type 316SS or PEEK thermoplastic.

Distributed by Compressed Air Australia, the VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun is available with a standard, 12” (305mm) or 20” (508mm) extension which can also be outfitted with an impact resistant polycarbonate Chip Shield. The air gun body is made of high impact, glass reinforced nylon. The airflow that exits the nozzle can’t be blocked, assuring safe operation and meeting required OSHA standards 1910.242(b). This VariBlast Precision air gun produces a quiet 75 dBA noise level which is well below the limits of the OSHA noise exposure standard 29 CFR 1910.95(a).

A variety of other Super Air Nozzles with different force and flow values are available. All of EXAIR’s Safety Air Gun product lines are CE compliant and use engineered air nozzles for high performance and safety. All are available with extension pipes and Chip Shields.

Compressed Air Australia Pty Ltd (08) 8983 3999 www.caasafety.com.au

Compressed Air Australia has released the New VariBlast precision safety air gun to the market.

Alemlube’s heavy duty hose reels boost productivity Alemlube has released to market a new range of significant quality, heavy duty hose reels aimed at improving day to day productivity and your bottom line.

The twin pedestal principle of strength and stability, the patented HR90000 series of hose reels provide you with a reliable and cost-effective means of storing and retrieving 20m hose assemblies with models suitable for the transfer of oil, grease and air and water.

The design and manufacturing processes have placed prime importance on producing a range of hose reels with an extremely sturdy and practical drum, stiffening ribs for product longevity and flanged edges with the assurance of reliability owing to their reinforced steel mounting frame providing maximum strength and stability.

So much so that the reels can be mounted on the floor, wall or ceiling and are able to withstand extreme angular pull of the hose in most applications.

A new innovative latching solution adopted in the mechanism of each reel enables the hose to be stopped in multiple positions as required and effortless, smooth hose extraction and retrieval is a welcome user-friendly feature enhancing ease of operation and the previously mentioned operator safety.

Patented and user friendly EL Series HR90000 spring rewind hose reels are available now, are highly cost effective while at the same time being robust and durable hose storage and retrieval solutions.

Alemlube (02) 9938 2999 www.alemlube.com.au

The range of reels are designed to improve daily productivity and the bottom line. www.foodmag.com.au | September 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 49

NEW PRODUCTS

New Fluke 730G Series pneumatic/hydraulic portable test pumps solutions for process industries Fluke Australia adds new pneumatic/hydraulic test pumps to its Fluke 730G series for pressure testing and calibration solutions. The new Fluke 730G series consist of a digital calibrator in a gauge form and a range of portable test pumps feature fast pressure generation and stable pressure and are easy-to-use.

The pumps come in four models with unique design that enables them to solve the common problems associated with pressure pumps, such as blocking, leakage, and laborious operation. The test pumps unique rod structure design feature saves time and labour in the pressure making process, making them an essential right-hand assistants in manual pressure calibration.

The new Fluke 730G series test pumps, when used with the Fluke 730G Smart Digital Pressure Calibrator with internal HART communication, will enable high-efficiency and high-accuracy measurement, and calibration of pressure gauges, pressure switches, and pressure transmitters.

When you combine the application of Fluke 730G pressure test pumps with Fluke 730G smart digital calibrator, you will have highly accurate and consistent testing results, making the ideal pressure testing and calibration solution for metrology institutes and enterprises seeking to establish pressure laboratories with high standard precision measurement and quality control.

The Fluke 730G smart digital pressure calibrator is a smart calibration solution with superior operating experience that greatly optimises the engineer’s field calibration for efficiency, while delivering high-accuracy results. When faced with errors in pressure verification, the user can directly perform HART adjustments without additional tools.

Fluke 730G pneumatic/hydraulic portable test pumps is an ideal

pressure measurement and quality control solution for process industries: oil and gas power generation, chemical processing, pharmaceuticals and metrology laboratories.

Fluke 1300 135 853 www.fluke.com.au

Fluke’s new 730G Series Pneumatic/Hydraulic Portable helps test solutions.

Cortec unveils biodegradable VCI paper with Eco-Bio technology Cortec’s best-selling CorShield VpCI-146 paper just got better for the environment with the addition of Eco-Bio technology.

As packaging pollution becomes an increasing concern in today’s society, Cortec has been looking into ways to keep the environment cleaner while offering top-quality corrosion protection.

CorShield VpCI-146 paper with Eco-Bio technology does that by enhancing the biodegradable and compostable characteristics of a naturally sourced paper that provides reliable corrosion protection on both sides.

CorShield VpCI-146 Paper brings the circular economy of responsible sourcing and disposal to reality in more than one way.

To start with, CorShield VpCI-146 is a USDA Certified Biobased Product that contains 92 per cent USDA certified biobased content. Furthermore, it is made from 100 per cent recycled content paper, doubling its sustainable sourcing.

At the end of the product life cycle, CorShield VpCI-146 has multiple disposal options. First, it is recyclable and repulpable, giving users the option of sending it for reprocessing into new paper products. Second, and most recently, it is designed to be commercially compostable. Not long ago, the paper underwent compostable disintegration testing according to ASTM D6868 in Cortec laboratories.

The product disintegrates in 10 weeks, faster than the duration allowed by the ASTM method.

Cortec Corporation 1300 497 907 www.cortecvci.com 50 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au

Cortec paper now employs Eco-Bio technology which helps the product disintegrate in just 10 weeks.

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LET’S ROLL

2021 • EDITION 10

PADDOCK TO PLATE HARVEST EDITION

TIMKEN EXPANDS PRODUCT line for Food and Beverage sector

W

ith populations growing rapidly around the globe and factories producing at higher levels than imaginable some decades ago, the risk of food contamination across those factories is higher than before. The machinery at the heart of those operations requires premium components that can ensure the highest level of hygiene in production.

For the past few years, Timken® has been working on a new range of bearing units for the food and beverage industry.

Though Timken is relatively new to the

10

KEEPING AHEAD OF THE WORK According to Shaun Thorneycroft at Precise Header & Ag Repairs, the biggest challenge he faces is getting parts.

food and beverage market segment, its solutions are already finding global acceptance in original equipment.

With the next harvest season on the horizon in Australia, Motion Asia Pacific’s businesses – namely CBC, BSC and Webster BSC – across the country are stocking up with the new Timken bearing solutions for the Australian food and beverage industry.

“It’s an exciting time for both Timken and Motion Asia Pacific,” says Alf Mangano, Timken’s Regional Sales Manager for the

16

PLAN FOR A STRONG YIELD National Sales Manager, Grant Gray, encourages those working in agriculture to secure supply in advance.

Victoria, Northern Territory and South Australian regions. “We have partnered with Motion Asia Pacific on our food and beverage package. Australia is taking the lead on these products, and we want to help get the right products to the right markets.”

Alf has been a part of Timken Australia for more than 23 years, specialising in bearings for the food and beverage industry. He also looks after original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for his sector of the bearings market.

22

SERVING THE AGRICULTURAL BELT Find out why the BSC Wagga Wagga branch has become a destination point for farmers in the Riverina region.

BEARINGS

Timken® is a single brand solution for rotating equipment.

“Timken’s food and beverage housed units are designed to be dimensionally interchangeable with industry standards.

That means if a customer has a bearing product in their production line that is not food grade, they can switch them out. These units are fully assembled and only need to be mounted. This is a huge advantage for a plant that may be operating seven days a week, 24 hours a day,” explains Alf. Stock has arrived, three brand new foodgrade products by Timken: The Blue Polymer Hygienic Ball Bearing Housed Units “optically detectable”, the White Polymer Corrosion-Resistant Ball Bearing Housed Units, and the Corrosion-Resistant Deep Groove Ball Bearings. All units are NSF H1 and FDA compliant. These are readily available from your local BSC, CBC, and Webster BSC branch.

Timken also offer solutions in the ball housed units with a stainless-steel option and a Poly-Round® option which is maintenance free. These units are particularly focused for aggressive washdown areas. The Poly-Round® units are 100% greaseless and corrosion resistant with excellent chemical resistance, washdown and able to operate in submerged application. They are PAGE 2 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

capable of operating in temperatures up to 260 degrees.

The Timken goal is to reduce maintenance, elevate food safety, improve production time and extend bearing life.

FIT FOR PURPOSE The different units have been designed to meet different requirements of the food and beverage industry. Tony Tormey, Product Manager for Industrial Bearings at Industrial Solutions Australia, part of Motion Asia Pacific offers some insight.

Blue Polymer Hygienic Ball Bearing Housed Units “These hygienic housed units are constructed from corrosion-resistant materials, which are optically detectable, they are also NSF H1, and FDA complaint.

Food-grade Solid Lube is available in NSF H1 says Tony. Timken also offer a hygienic stainless-steel model.”

“The food-grade Solid Lube is a lifetime lubrication solution that can withstand aggressive washdowns and contaminants and are maintenance free. They are available in a hygienic blue thermoset

Timken® makes corrosion-resistant bearings.

and stainless-steel housing, they’re also available in all mounting styles. The hygienic thermoset housings are cast to eliminate voids and increase strength,” explains Tony.

The Blue Polymer Hygienic Ball Bearing Housed Units are ideal for food and beverage processes in all applications.

White Polymer Corrosion-Resistant Ball Bearing Housed Units “The white polymer bearing units have been designed with corrosion-resistant materials and food-grade lubricant NSF H1 and are FDA compliant,” says Tony.

“This is a premium bearing unit designed for all stages of production to enhance reliability and extend bearing life. We also have a stainless-steel model available in all mounting styles.”

“The corrosion-resistance feature helps to extend the life of the bearing and

reduce maintenance. The ball bearing insert construction is all stainless steel including the set screw locking, and cage with a double lip seal for greater ingress protection.”

The white polymer units are a good solution for all applications.

Corrosion-Resistant Deep Groove Ball Bearings Solutions “The Timken Corrosion-Resistant Deep Groove Ball bearings have been constructed with stainless-steel rings, balls and cages. These corrosion-resistant materials working in tandem with foodgrade lubricant NSF H1 and are FDA compliant, which increases the safety of production by improving your reliability,” Tony explains.

“These units are available in standard, thin-section, narrow and miniature configurations of the 6000, 6200, 6300, 600, 618 and 619 series. They are currently available in double contact seals, as well as the option for open and double shields should they be required.”

The Corrosion-Resistant Deep Groove Ball Bearings are ideal for harsh environments and a wide range of operating temperatures, suitable for all applications in the food and beverage industry.

Poly-Round Bearing Solutions Timken Poly-Round® is a solution product perfect for applications such as fryers, ovens, freezer tunnels, potato peelers and many other applications.

“These are solution-based products which we can source quickly on demand,” explains Tony.

“This product is ideal for extreme environment applications such as fryers and ovens, where a customer may not be getting performance out of their original bearing product. The idea will be to offer an upgrade to their current bearing. The main benefit of the Poly-Round® solution is to extend bearing life, improve uptime and reduce maintenance cost. That means improved food safety and greater production,” says Tony.

The Timken Poly-Round® bearings stand out because they are 100% corrosionresistant and greaseless. They are constructed with lubricity in their polymer composition. This allows the bearings to operate without the need for grease and eliminates the need for seals or shields. The Poly Round bearings excel in the harshest conditions, extreme temperatures, abrasives, incomplete rotations – all while meeting stringent food safety requirements.

“When manufacturing fryers, one of the biggest challenges is finding bearings that are suited to direct food contact and submergence in high temperature oils,” says Tony.

“Timken has engineered housed bearing fryer solutions to excel in these conditions with their FA and FE Poly-Round® Housed units. Being corrosion-resistant, these are maintenance free, lubrication free, polymer housed bearing that have been designed for fryer applications,” Tony explains.

Alf concludes on Timken’s part, “This launch is a slow burn. Right now, we are launching some of our most popular food and beverage products of interest to the food and beverage industry. That will serve as an appetiser for what more is to come.”

Timken Diamond Chains A few of the other recommended food-grade products that Motion Asia Pacific will be stocking as part of their Food and Beverage package are the Diamond Stainless Steel Series chains.

AP SERIES (STANDARD CHAIN)

Timken Food and Beverage Belts Motion Asia Pacific will also be stocking Flour Power Roller Mill and Feather Picker v-belts for specific food and beverage applications.

“The Flour Power Roller Mill belts are built from strong, smooth, high-performance polymer and are jump resistant. While the Feather Picker v-belts are double cogged with extra grip power and high-heat resistance.

Both belts are durable to the demanding conditions of an industrial food and beverage environment,” says Alf Mangano from Timken.

Provides the best balance between wear performance and corrosion resistance.

Well suited for food processing applications.

Uses 300 series (austenic) stainless components with precipitation hardened stainless steel pins.

300 SERIES Designed specifically for applications requiring exceptional corrosion resistance, low magnetic permeability or that the chain be non-sparking.

Utilises only 300 series stainless steel components and pins.

Wear performance is the lowest of the stainless-steel material options.

400 SERIES An application specific chain material, typically used only when there is exposure to a selected range of chemicals.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 3

LET’S ROLL

PADDOCK TO PLATE

CONTENTS 06

12

SAVE TIME ON BELT REPAIRS: STRONGER STRAPS FOR A GRAIN HANDLING STUDY SAFER SOLUTIONS When you work in the grain handling business, ensuring your conveyor equipment is in tip top condition for harvest season is essential.

18

21

Although straps may seem like a simple, dollar value item, regularly replacing the straps on a rigging operation is paramount to the safety of other drivers and passers-by.

26

KEEPING THE RIVERINA SLICK FLOURISHING WITH WITH AUSSIE LUBRICANT FLAWLESS MAINTENANCE

SELECTING THE RIGHT HRC COUPLINGS FOR THE JOB

DJ Sincock recognises the importance of oils and greases during peak header repair season, which is why he became a distributor of Gulf Western Oil products through CBC.

A discussion with CBC’s Troy Markland on how to find the right coupling solution for irrigation pumps, air compressors, mixers, blowers, and machine engines.

BSC Lonsdale provides a Rocol lubricant solution to Mountain Fresh Fruit’s production facility to assist in extending the life of their equipment.

08 The right header belts boost BM Ag Repairs’ business

19 The ins and outs of managing a baler repair business

27 Tech support made easy for oils and lubricant

13 Essar Machinery achieves better beater performance with INA bearings

20 From field to factory to your family - there are many links in the chain

28 In a pinch, duct tape is a flexible solution

14 Leahy family chooses cutting edge parts for harvest

24 Ploughing along with that perfect sealing solution

15 After-market service an important part of the mix

25 Chain lube keeps ag machines running smooth

bsc.com.au

conbear.com.au

websterbsc.com.au

/BearingServiceAustralia

/CBCBearingsAustralia

/WebsterBSCAustralia

/bsc-australia

/cbc-australia

/websterbsc

29 A handy jumpstart to have on hand 30 Product Showcase

sealinnovations.com.au /seal-innovations

motionasiapac.com 18 Worth St, Chullora NSW 2190

EXPERT PROFILE

MEET THE TEAM

FOOD & BEVERAGE

MITCH CHAFFER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Name: Mitch Chaffer Occupation: Business Development Manager – NSW Agriculture Experience: Over 10 years in the Agricultural Market Mitch Chaffer is the Business development manager for NSW Agriculture Based in Wagga Wagga. His focus is to work with everyone from Original Equipment Manufacturers, Farmers and Processing Plants, regarding all aspects related to Agriculture for NSW. Mitch maintains regular contact with all the regional NSW branches to help build a better tomorrow through Ag, including stock management, staff training and customer visits. Mitch also works with inventory and stock management teams in consolidating and ordering stock for sowing and harvest needs. Mitch brings a wealth of knowledge within the Agricultural Market, which he has worked in for the past 10+ years in roles from spare parts interpreting to product management. Mitch is dedicated to solving customer issues through Innovation and upgrading solutions for increased operating; he finds this the most rewarding aspect of what he does.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 5

GRAIN

How to save time on belt repairs:

A GRAIN HANDLING CASE STUDY

W

hen you work in the grain handling business, ensuring your conveyor equipment is in tip top condition for harvest season is essential. Which is why Kerry Hickmott leans on BSC in Toowoomba for the support and supply of LOCTITE® product for preventative maintenance and belt repair.

“I run a workshop that primarily builds and repairs grain handling equipment for a major grain producer,” explains Kerry.

“In Queensland we have two harvest seasons for grain – these fall over spring and summer. For this reason, we carry out maintenance and repair work from April through to September to make sure the equipment is in good condition for harvest.”

Grain belts are, of course, critical to these operations. Business Development Executive for BSC in Toowoomba, Mark Brocherie, explains why.

PAGE 6 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

“When it comes to handling the grain, conveyor belts are commonly used.

This rubber belting can tear from time to time,” he says. “If you do have a tear in the belt, it can lead to premature failure and consequently cause a lot of damage, including a potential breakdown.”

According to Kerry, breakdowns have to be avoided at all costs.

“Downtime is not an option for us – if it does occur, it has serious implications for our business, not just in terms of immediate costs but in how those subsequent delays will affect our customers,” expounds Kerry. “It’s a competitive business. If people are waiting too long to drop their grain off, they will call another grain depot to make alternative arrangements.”

During the harvest season, grain handling is a 7 days a week operation, sometimes 24 hours a day.

“In a harvest when you need to move grain quickly, you simply can’t afford to have machinery go down,” Mark further explains. “There are trucks full of grain backed up at the grain depots. All these trucks want to do is drop off their grain and leave and go back to the farm because they are in the middle of a harvest!”

Besides scheduling maintenance outside of the harvest season, belt repairs are often required to avoid catastrophic breakdowns. This is where the LOCTITE PC 7350 proves particularly handy.

“We use it on some of our slinger belts that travel 4m per second and we repair any divets or holes on the belts with this product. Due to the high speed, the grain typically wears holes through the rubber, which then means the grain will seep through the belt and cause a wave that slows it down,” explains Kerry. “We fill these in with the LOCTITE PC 7350 product which smooths it over. We also

This, in turn, translates to improved belt longevity.

Furthermore, he lauds the LOCTITE belt repair product for its efficiency.

“This product gives us more life out of the belts,” states Kerry. “These belts are huge and costly. If we didn’t use this product, and we had to replace a belt it would cost us thousands of dollars.”

“It’s a good product in terms of speed of repair and reducing downtime. In these applications, if you don’t repair the belt or chute quickly, it will wear and do more damage,” he says. “With LOCTITE PC 7350 you can be up and running very quickly – perhaps avoiding downtime altogether.”

Michael Rowe, the BSC Product Manager for Adhesives and Sealants, offers some advice as to how to repair a belt in a grain handling application. This starts with a good surface clean.

“Cleanliness is vitally important. If you have a belt grain chute, there is going to be a lot of dust around,” he advises.

“Therefore, if you are doing a repair in a chute, let’s say it’s a gouged area, once you apply the product, you don’t want any ridges or lumps in that area. You want the surface to be smooth so no grain or dust gets into the area which could cause the grain to bounce around and cause a blockage.”

use the same product on the wire clips that join on to the belt which prevents these joins from wearing away.”

For the grain handling sector, and for businesses such as Kerry’s which rely on their conveying systems to move grain, LOCTITE PC 7350 provides a reliable, quick solution for belt repair.

“In just one depot, we typically move 67,000 tonnes per week during a harvest – so any issues on the conveyor belts need to be avoided,” he stresses. “This product helps keep the belts running smoothly.”

Michael notes that the LOCTITE PC 7350 is both an adhesive and a repair product.

Importantly, Kerry knows he can call on his local BSC branch in Toowoomba for both product supply and advice.

“This means that whatever it is being used on, it will bond to and will also smooth over the surface to have another product running past it. In the case of a rubber belt repair, it will form a repair point in and around a gouge or a split and it will come back uniform,” he explains. “If there is a gouged area in place in a grain chute, you will fill in that area so it will smooth over and be dimensionally even.”

“Our relationship with BSC is second to none. If I need any advice on repairs or maintenance issues, they are very willing to help and always provide me with a fast answer. They consult on bearings, couplings, belts, belt repair kits – many aspects of equipment maintenance and repair. The team in Toowoomba have been amazing with us,” Kerry concludes.

Mark points out that the LOCTITE product is a favourable solution and alternative to belt replacement.

“To replace a whole belt is very costly,” he stresses. “The alternative is LOCTITE’s PC 7350 belt repair which allows preventative maintenance or belt repair in situ. Any tears or nips can be repaired so the conveyor can run smoothly again.”

Moreover, fixes with the LOCTITE PC 7350 can be made on the belts without causing downtime.

“It’s easy to use and can increase uptime. It can quickly repair a tear which allows a site to get up and running quickly with minimal fuss,” says Mark. “You can also apply the product over a splice which in turn creates a smooth surface that will not interfere with the belt scraper.”

Loctite PC 7350 repairs gouges or splits without downtime.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 7

HEADER BELTS

THE RIGHT HEADER BELTS

boost BM Ag Repairs’ business

T

he Riverina-Murray region of New South Wales makes the largest regional contribution to the agricultural sector in the state and is the largest source of employment for the area.1

At the heart of the Riverina, lies the urban hub of Wagga Wagga, that finds itself in a central location along the agricultural belt of the Eastern seaboard.

Local tradespeople such as Ben Manwaring, Owner of BM Ag Repairs in Wagga Wagga, often find their success servicing farm equipment in the area yearround.

Ben services the regions around him by about two hours in all directions, performing all repairs himself.

“I repair harvesters with a specialisation in John Deere headers,” says Ben. “I go out around harvest time and fix them up

PAGE 8 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

and get all the headers ready for harvest time, travelling all over the agricultural belt surrounding Wagga.”

“I have been repairing headers for over 20 years, and have had my own business for 8 years,” says Ben. “The first year I started out repairing about 40 headers a year.

Presently, I do around 80 headers a year on my own.”

Ben has built his business through word of mouth.

“I never really advertise. I started with a good base of customers and have built on that with word of mouth recommendations and repeat business,” he says.

With such impressive numbers on his books, the services BM Ag Repairs provides is particularly important during pre-harvest season when farmers are readying their equipment.

According to Mitch Chaffer, NSW Agriculture Business Development Manager at BSC Wagga Wagga, some of his customers will drive up to four hours to get stock for header repair season and harvest time.

“There are so many agricultural towns in the surrounding area. We carry a unique range of products and have huge amounts of stock in our ag shed out the back for the season. People know us and recognise us,” Mitch says proudly.

For several years now, BSC’s Wagga Wagga branch has been providing belt drive solutions for BM Ag Repairs. During this time, Mitch and Ben have gotten to know each other well and BSC has readily supplied Ben with the necessary parts and services to keep his business running smoothly.

Harvesters require strong belt solutions for the harsh and demanding harvest conditions of the Australian countryside.

The Carlise SUPER AG-DRIVE series belts are ISO 9001 certified in the USA.

The John Deere Harvesters Ben repairs require belts that provide high-tension and torque capabilities, as they are flexed in multiple directions once placed in the field.

“Ben uses us as a one-stop shop,” says Mitch. “He places huge stock orders of the Carlisle® belts by Timken because he goes through a lot of them. The driven parts on the John Deere harvesters are powered by up to a dozen belts per header and they need to be serviced and replaced frequently.”

He continues, “A repair person in this field may need to fix 80-100 belts per season.

When you do the math on that, that can mean up to1000 belts per year.”

The Timken Belts engineers designed the SUPER AG-DRIVE® series especially for agricultural machinery. The belt series is used for grain and forage harvesters, tractors, headers, and balers made by brands such as John Deere, Case-IH, and New Holland.

Mitch recommends Carlisle® belts by Timken as a good quality, reliable belt solution for the harvest season.

“Carlisle’s SUPER AG-DRIVE belt series, includes v-belts, double-v, banded/joined and variable speed belts. This series of belts can take a lot of wear and tear because they are designed specifically for headers on harvesters,” says Mitch.

Explaining further, he highlights, “In wheat and grain harvest operations, the product can seep through the machinery and cause extensive damage to the components. The Carlisle SUPER AG-DRIVE series designs include belt structures such as ‘feed accelerator belts’ that prevent the grains, kernels, or other foreign material from entering the drive and damaging the equipment.”

the factors that farmers must consider,” Mitch explains.

“Harvesters require strong belt solutions for the harsh and demanding harvest conditions of the Australian countryside.

In some parts of the country, we receive heavy rainfall and extreme heat during harvest season. These are just a few of

REFERENCES:

Learn more

“Harvesting requires the farmer to be as resilient as the belt themselves. They have to be able to bounce back under challenging conditions,” he concludes.

With the harvest season on the horizon, BM Ag Repairs is already fully booked out for the year.

1. New South Wales Department of Primary Industry, Important Agricultural Land Mapping, Riverina Murray Region Profile. https:// www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_ file/0009/843363/Draft-ial-mapping-riverinamurray-agricultural-profile.pdf

SUPER AG-DRIVE belt series features: • Engineered for specific applications and optimum performance • D esigned and built to rigid specifications • R igorously tested in the lab and field • M anufactured in ISO 9001 certified facilities in the USA • D esigned for durability and long life • C onstructed to the highest quality standards uilt using the latest technology and materials • B

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 9

BEARINGS

KEEPING AHEAD of the work

“P

revention is better than cure, when it comes to header bearings,” says Shaun Thorneycroft, Director of Precise Header & Ag Repairs. He has been in the header repair business for more than 18 years, before starting a joint business venture with his wife in 2017, servicing and repairing John Deere headers.

“Since we started out, we have expanded in a good way. We have been getting busier with every year. Right now, we have about 72 headers on our books,” he explains. “I start repairing my first header mid-December and it takes me right back through the middle of the following October. I travel about 250km in all directions for work. It’s a year-round gig.”

According to Shaun, the biggest challenge he faces is getting parts, which is where he relies on BSC Swan Hill on the supply side. To meet his customer’s needs, he requires a quick turn-around time on receiving the right parts.

“BSC is unreal at providing fast service and having stock on hand. Usually, if I need a part, the guys at Swan Hill can PAGE 10 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

get it on a courier to me the same day,” he stresses. “A header takes a full day to pull apart and then it takes at minimum another day to put back together. We go over it with a fine-tooth comb. We go in and pull out every belt, every chain, all the bearings, all the augers, and run over it with a torch and crowbar.”

For the bearings on the John Deere machines, Shaun uses NTN bearings supplied by BSC. “The NTN bearings go on the shaker pans on the header. The shakers are two big pans that separate your grain,” he explains. “If these bearings fail, they can cost thousands of dollars in repair damage to the farmer.”

Moreover, Shaun says he typically replaces a bearing every two years, if not once per year. “I grease the bearing once and then replace it next time,” he says.

Elaborating on the bearing maintenance process, he says, “For example if I replace the bearing this season, next year, I will drill and make a small hole in it and regrease it. The year after that, I will replace it. Risking any further wear is not

Precise Header & Ag restores every part on a John Deere header.

worth the risk of a bearing failure.”

According to Bryden Coote , Branch Manager for BSC Swan Hill, this type of approach to maintenance is typical among those working in the farming sector.

“Doing this type of top-down, bare-

NTN’s superior sealing has demonstrated the ability to withstand these hash conditions and increase the overall life cycle of the bearings.

bones, maintenance is one way that farmers keep their costs down,” he stresses. “During the harvest season, header and harvesting equipment gets used under extreme operating conditions which requires high quality reliable bearings, this is why NTN is the choice brand for some AG OEMs.” Bryden also highlights the availability of various types of NTN bearings for header applications including, deep groove ball bearing, wide inner ring bearings and Tapered Roller bearings.

“We have found NTN to be a very reliable bearing for all harvesting conditions whether it is to keep contaminants out like dust or moisture and even high temperature NTN bearings handle with ease anything thrown at it.”

One of the most common reasons bearings fail is due to contamination getting to the bearing, whether it be dust, chaff or moisture this type of ingress will lead to premature failure and costly downtime. NTN’s superior sealing has demonstrated the ability to withstand these hash conditions and increase the overall life cycle of the bearings.

Depending on the weather cycle, the harvest is affected by dry and

dusty conditions, or heavy rainfall.

“Rain fall is a big factor in our line of work,” says Shaun. “Simply put, as long as the rain keeps coming during the winter and spring period, then we can expect a good harvest season.”

NTN supplies bearings for header applications that can withstand harsh conditions.

NTN Bearings Features and Benefits Learn more

• Load capacity of the world’s highest level • M aximising the size and the number of the rollers achieved high load capacity and long life.

• B asic dynamic load rating: max. 20% up (vs. our conventional bearing) • L ong life: max. 2X (vs. our conventional bearing) • H igh strength cage, modifying its shape and incorporating staggered pockets increased cage strength. Cage strength: max. 55% up (vs. our conventional bearing) • L ow heat-generation, optimising internal bearing design including curvature reduced temperature rise. Temperature rise: max. 10% down (vs. our conventional bearing) • H eat resistant up to 200˚C. Being heat-treated by a special method, these bearings exhibit excellent dimensional stability at high temperatures, contributing to extended service life.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 11

STRAPS

STRONGER STRAPS for safer solutions

“T

he most common mistake made in transporting hay is that most miss checking the condition of the ratchet straps before securing their load.

Ratchet ties are a consumable product. It is vitally important to regularly check the condition of your straps and replace them if any wear or damage is present. Safety should never be compromised by trying to prolong a strap’s life,” cautions Dave Malthouse, CBC’s National Product Manager for Lifting and Rigging.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of hay are carted across Australian transit networks. Trucks and trailers move at high velocities under overpasses and across highways and bridges. Although straps may seem like a simple, dollar value item, regularly replacing the straps on a rigging operation is paramount to the safety of other drivers and passers-by.

Ratchet straps consist of a polyester woven webbed strap with a ratchet handle for tightening and releasing the straps.

According to Work Safe Queensland1 incorrect usage of tensioners such as webbed hand ratchets have caused severe injuries from accidents and falls. For this reason, performance standards for strap products must be met to prevent truckloads of hay from separating from the truck during transit, shifting, or causing the truck to become unstable.

Beck Wolfe is the Office Manager for Peacock Transport and Hay Contracting, a business started by her parents over 30 years ago. According to Beck, “We started with one truck and now we have eight.”

Peacock Transport travels Australia-wide, carting hay, machinery, grain, agricultural machinery, and general freight. They are PAGE 12 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

unique in that they offer hay contracting services as part and parcel of their services.

“We don’t just cart the bales, we make them too,” says Beck. “We move tens of thousands of tonnes of hay per year, so we need good quality straps. If the straps fail, the hay will fall off the trailer. We stack the bales four bales high on the truck and then line them up two stacks side by side and that’s what the straps go over,” explains Beck.

“Marlin is our preferred brand because of the quality. Every couple of months we call up CBC and place a big order so we can keep them in our shed. Then the drivers come and get them as needed.”

Marlin Industrial Products is Motion Asia Pacific’s in-house brand, born of a desire to supply robust and reliable materials handling solutions to the Australian industry. Currently, Marlin products are being stocked and distributed by over 70 CBC branches across the country.

Marlin Industrial Products was created

by Dave’s mentor and current lifting team experts. Subsequently, Dave inherited the knowledge and expertise required to recommend the right product for the right application. He highlights the key points of difference with Marlin versus its competitors.

“We use a heavy woven strap. Unlike most of our competitors, our straps are not heat moulded together. They are stitched. The binding is pre-tested to make sure that the load bearing is to spec,” explains Dave.

Every Marlin strap product goes through a rigorous testing process to ensure that they meet Australian health and safety standards.

“This guarantees that all Marlin products adhere to Australian guidelines,” Dave expands. “From a safety perspective, the key

thing we have to look for is fraying on the edges. With lesser products, they will make a big sheet and cut the straps off and heat treat them on the sides. Ours are individually woven and stitched on the sides.”

Marlin uses an all-metal steel compound in the construction of their ratchet handles and hooks. The whole strap contains absolutely no plastic components.

“Our opposition brands use a plastic centre so the ratchet can crack. Plastic is not ideal for materials handling as it will burr during movement and eventually bind together. It wears and becomes unsafe quickly,” says Dave.

“There is formula for determining how to properly calculate your bale tonnage and how much your trailer and straps can accommodate. We at CBC can help with that kind of assessment.”

The Marlin Heavy Duty Ratchet straps come in a 50mm strap which is designed for a maximum load of up to 2.5 tonnes (2500kg).

For really large volumes, there is a wider 75mm strap that can accommodate up to four tonnes (4000kg).

Dave concludes, “Round bales use 2.5 tonne straps. But once you get into square bales that are being stacked high on a trailer, you need to be using the 4 tonne straps.”

Together, Motion Asia Pacific and Marlin continue work to promote best practices and safety standards to keep Australian hay bales rolling.

References: 1. Work Safe Queensland, Securing Loads on Trucks https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/safetyand-prevention/hazards/workplace-hazards/ transport/securing-loads-on-trucks

BEATERS

ESSAR MACHINERY ACHIEVES BETTER beater performance with INA bearings

E

ssar Machinery’s harvesting equipment may be designed to get mucky, but when it comes to choosing quality parts, the company does not muck around.

“We’ve been using the Schaeffler INA bearings on our Case beaters – a part of the beater assembly that strikes the chaff on the way out of header – for ages now. They are a better-quality bearing than most and perform well in this type of application,” enthuses Essar Machinery owner, Michael Murphy. “We can trust them to perform well in the season, and we’re in for a busy one.”

Essar Machinery is a family-owned and operated business located 38km east of West Wyalong and 17km west of Quandialla in the Riverina region of New South Wales. Originally their business focused on contract harvesting work, but they diverged into machinery supply about 7 years ago to meet local farming demand.

“We used to the have 14 headers that we did contract harvesting with, but that business died down, and we decided to wreck headers instead,” explains Michael. “We started our header wrecking yard in about 2014. Now we buy and sell machinery and stock a range of rebuild units, header fronts and other components.”

Besides supplying machinery, Michael says Essar ensures it is fit for purpose.

“We provide a variety of mechanical services to people in the area which predominantly comprises pre-harvest header work and checks,” he expands.

“We buy new headers from all around Australia and specialise in the CNH header range. We have a range of headers available that are serviced and crop-ready.”

Michael’s go-to CBC branch is in Wagga Wagga, about an hour and a half away. He relies on CBC for the supply of parts such as the Schaeffler INA bearings.

“The aftermarket parts they have for Case headers are quite affordable, more cost effective for me and my clients,” he says.

“We’re getting headers ready for the season right now, and it’s important to have security when it comes to the supply of parts.”

Mitch Chaffer, NSW Agriculture Business Development Manager at the Wagga Wagga branch, is in regular communication with Michael. Often Michael consults with Mitch for advice.

“The service I get from CBC has been unreal. The parts come to me overnight.

Mitch also picks up the phone 90 per cent of the time I call, and if he doesn’t, he’ll

call me back pretty quickly,” says Michael.

“A recent example is when I bought a very big ticket item and it got damaged. I rang Mitch and it was no problem, he replaced it right away with no questions asked.

CBC always provide a quick turnaround.”

According to Mitch, the Schaeffler INA bearings are a good choice for the Essar Machinery beaters because the X-life factor ensures longevity.

“The bearings can withstand the very dirty and heavy conditions that the Case beater mechanisms undergo. They’re designed for this application,” Mitch elaborates.

“CBC is the key supplier of these bearings so that gives us a unique advantage on the agricultural market.”

Moreover, Michael has come to rely on Mitch’s recommendations when it comes to diagnostics and maintenance of headers.

“Through Mitch we have access to the diagnostic data on the later model headers, which can save on a lot of downtime,” explains Michael. “Basically, the header has a port for an ECU where we can collect data on how the injector, engine and other parts in the header are performing. Having this information available so easily makes a huge difference. This is the way of the future.”

Essar Machinery owner, Michael Murphy.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 13

CUTTING TOOLS

Leahy family chooses CUTTING EDGE PARTS FOR HARVEST

T

he Leahy family is well-known and respected in the Riverina region – not only as growers but as reliable contract harvesters. Based out of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, they service an area that spans from the south of Wagga Wagga up to Roma in Queensland through their business EJ & GM Leahy Contracting.

As a key part of their business is in contract harvesting, they assemble, service and repair all their harvest machinery themselves. As such, they rely on the expertise of their local BSC branch for essential componentry.

“The Leahy family has been in business for a long time and have a longstanding relationship with our branch,” explains NSW Agriculture Business Development Manager, Mitch Chaffer of BSC Wagga Wagga. “As they make their own harvesters fit-for-purpose, they require high quality cutting components, which we are able to supply to them.”

Gerard Leahy, one of the owners of EJ & GM Leahy Contracting, elaborates on why BSC is a preferred supply partner for his family business.

“A lot of the parts I buy from Mitch are for our contract harvesting business as we do all our repairs and servicing ourselves,” says Gerard. “We have shopped around for parts a lot and found BSC to be highly competitive on price. We basically run all our machines with BSC products.”

PAGE 14 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

As the company services its headers about four to five times a year, this translates to significant cost savings.

“We use four headers for contracting and four for harvesting our own farmland,” explains Gerard. “When you factor in the number of times you buy parts for each of these machines, it adds up to a lot.”

The Leahy family farms and harvests chickpeas, wheat, fava beans, barley, canola and lentils.

“We’re a family owned and operated business. During harvest season we employ more contractors to manage the work because it’s obviously our busiest time.

We hire about a dozen people,” expands Gerard. “And we farm about 6,000 hectares of our own land in Wagga Wagga.”

Among the parts that BSC provides to the Leahy family is Webb cutting parts.

“In particular, we require a knife for the header front that cuts the crop,” expands Gerard. “This is a replaceable part that you need to replace every few years. It’s also a necessary part – you can’t harvest without it. The Webb knife is a good quality part that works well for us.”

According to Mitch, the Webb cutting range is popular among Australian farmers because the products are specifically manufactured for high-wear and are more durable compared with others on the market.

“Webb is a US-based company that we have a strong relationship with.

Their products are sought-after by Australian businesses such as the Leahy family because of their high quality,” Mitch explains. “The range includes high carbon knife sections, complete knife assemblies and Knife Guards for harvesting equipment – in our experience, customers always return to purchase more products from the Webb range.”

Moreover, Mitch says that Webb’s Double knife drive Complete Assemblies and Mower-Conditioner Blades are among the most coveted of products that BSC Wagga Wagga sells to farmers.

“Webb also make great replacement parts for some of the leading machinery brands on the market such as John Deere, MacDon, New Holland and Case International,” he adds. “Because the Webb brand is so well-regarded, this also makes them a popular choice.”

To summarise, Mitch points out that part of BSC’s mission is to keep farmers in motion.

“We strive to provide the best service and quality parts that we can,” he says.

“Keeping family businesses such as EJ & GM Leahy Contracting in motion is at the core of what we do.”

MIXER KNIVES

forward with a fencing and welding focus and changed the name to Lucas General Contractors in 1992. While Rod completed his apprenticeship at Lucas General Contractors, he preferred the rural area of Gundagai and thus set up a branch there.

AFTER-MARKET SERVICE an important part of the mix

W

hen Rod Lucas invested in a second-hand mixer, the most critical part he needed was knives. To make that happen, he called BSC in Wagga Wagga – and, as always, they delivered.

“We moved over to a mixer to optimise the weight gain of our cattle and reduce the amount of wasted fodder – we bought a used mixer with the aim to fix it up,” explains Rod, who runs the Gundagai branch of his family business, Lucas General Contractors.

“The knives are the most important part of the mixer, as these cut the fodder, silage and hay to make it a finer more palatable product. We were chasing the right knives to fit the mixer and called BSC. The knives they sent over were a perfect fit.”

Mitch Chaffer, NSW Agriculture Business Development Manager, knew exactly what type of knives would do the job for Rod. “I’ve known Rod for some time now, and he came to me looking for a new solution.

He was having problems with his wagon knives breaking down,” he recalls. “The knives I recommended are an after-market product made especially for the Jay-Lor® mixing machines – they are heat-treated, Tungsten Hardfaced and easy to mount and dismount.”

Mitch provided Rod with high-performance knives made by Kooima® Ag, a US

company that specialises in manufacturing replacement parts for agricultural machines including mixer wagon knives.

“Through our holding company Motion Asia Pacific, we are able to import these products from the US,” enthuses Mitch.

“The Kooima Ag brand is well-known in the US and their knives are made with exclusive features such as the tungsten carbide insert cutting surface. They perform extremely well in the field because of their superior quality.”

The Kooima Ag mixer knives have fared well for Rod, who farms as well as provides a slew of agricultural-related services to other farmers in Gundagai and its surrounds.

“We provide farm contracting services and perform steel fabrication, maintenance, and build and repair of farm sheds. We also offer plowing, sowing, spraying and silage/ hay baling,” details Rod. “In terms of machinery we own a single disc seeder, speed tiller, hay mowers, hay balers, silage wrapper, loaders and two prime movers with trailers for general cartage and freight. We mostly cart fodder for all of our clients.”

Lucas General Contracting is a familyowned and operated business that was originally established in 1985 as Lucas Bros, and run by two brothers, Owen and Harry Lucas in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Harry branched off into farming, while Rod’s father Owen moved

“We come from a steel fabrication background and have always had farmland ourselves, so we have an understanding of what most of our customer’s need,” Rod says. “We actually don’t need to advertise because our work is localised, and we get a lot of repeat business.”

Rod will often follow up with his farming clients several times in a growing season to ensure they have received an excellent result with the work he has performed.

“I provide a lot of after-market service and check in with customers regularly to assist them during the farming season,” Rod elaborates. “I like to observe and track the progress of the paddocks and how the crops grow. Similarly, with our fodder, silage and hay, I will go back and visit customers months down the line, to check the quality of the product when it is being used.”

Just as Rod prides himself in providing excellent after-market service, he also praises his local BSC branch for delivering the same standard of service.

“Because of how busy I am, I generally order over the phone and as often is the case, I’ll need a part in a rush, to prevent a machine failure,” Rod explains. “They often have what I need on the shelf or will bring it in as quickly as possible. Gundagai is only an hour east of Wagga Wagga, so I usually have parts couriered to me within a few hours.”

However, Rod acknowledges the staff at the branch go the extra mile in providing such an efficient service.

“Many times, I have rung right on closing time and still got what I needed. It could be Friday afternoon and BSC will pull out every stop to prevent me having downtime,” he stresses. “They keep my business going.”

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 15

SUPPORT

Plan for a

STRONG YIELD A

s the agricultural sector is poised for another bumper harvest season, Grant Gray encourages those working in the paddock to plate industries to have a conversation with their local CBC or BSC branch about upcoming equipment requirements.

“Preparation is so important, particularly in light of the supply chain challenges that have been felt across the globe,” stresses the General Manager National Sales for CBC, BSC and WebsterBSC, a part of Motion Asia Pacific. “I’d suggest to our readers and customers to reach out to your local branch to discuss what your needs are. What does your service model look like? This will help us arrange for the supply of parts you need, when you need them.”

Besides securing parts supply, Grant highlights the importance of keeping abreast of the latest technological innovations.

“We’re heading into a very technologydriven age, particularly in farming and agriculture where we are seeing a lot of innovation,” he explains. “Our staff have an immense amount of collective knowledge and expertise and can advise people within this sector as to any newer technologies PAGE 16 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

that can help make more efficient use of resources and inputs. This, in turn, can reduce costs, increase product yields and improve the longevity or performance of equipment.”

Grant also notes that Motion Asia Pacific’s impressive national footprint of branches means those working in agriculture have access to essential machinery parts, service and support across Australia. “We have the largest branch network nationally,” notes Grant.

“Fortunately, with the reach of our national branch network, we have a strong historical footprint in the agricultural sector,” he says. “Our reputation for speed and service is complemented by our physical presence in Australia’s agricultural towns. This is supported by our world class distribution centres, which enable us to get products out to customers in a timely fashion.”

Significantly, Grant says his team are well-acquainted with the agricultural communities in which they service.

“Many of the Motion Asia Pacific team live in country towns – we’re already part of the fabric of these rural communities,” he enthuses. “Which means we’re out in the field, amongst it. Not sitting behind

the desk in a city hundreds of kilometres away. Where my team operate best is when they’re knee deep in gum boots in a paddock talking to one of their customers about what the latest innovation can provide in terms of increased outputs.”

Despite the fact that Motion Asia Pacific have a strong, local presence – and the ability to mobilise resources and products quickly to customers – Grant acknowledges there are current issues with supply that go beyond his company’s control.

“We have to be mindful that there is a global shortage right now on a lot of product. The pandemic has had this impact on manufacturing plants globally,” he cautions. “What hasn’t shifted though is the insatiable appetite for consumption.”

Moreover, Grant says demand has also been fuelled by a growing sense of nationalism around purchasing Australiangrown products.

“People want to buy Australian made or Australian grown produce in their local supermarket. There has always been a strong drive towards local produce, but this has increased to a whole other level due to the shift in the current climate that we live in,” Grant expands.

Preparation is so important, particularly in light of the supply chain challenges that have been felt across the globe.

“And it’s our responsibility to remind our customers to plan and make sure they’re in the best possible position with their machinery and production lines come harvest, so that they’re able to achieve that maximum output and get their product out and onto the shelves as soon as possible.”

Grant urges customers to take stock of what they need to get through the harvest period seamlessly, as there is such high demand for product.

“Our largest challenge as a supplier is the demand for product at the moment – even though one of our greatest strengths is our inventory, there are issues around supply chain that are beyond our control,” he

explains. “Motion Asia Pacific has invested heavily in inventory as we know we can’t sell from empty shelves. We also employ the world’s best practice in making sure we have inventory appropriate to the markets in which we sell. Despite these practices, we can’t avoid stock outs when supply from overseas is limited.”

Regardless of the challenges, Grant maintains that Motion Asia Pacific will be there as much as possible for customers and remains committed to supplying premium products.

“Simply put, we carry the best brands. And what the market is suggesting right now is that people are looking for quality in their product, over price. Fortunately for us, those premium brands have been a strong offering within our stable. Judge us by the companies we keep!” he exclaims. “Our brand is everything and we have strong value proposition in the market.”

Furthermore, Grant points out that while most people remember the outcome of a particular product or solution.

“What our customers never ever forget is performance and the value that product has provided them,” he says. “We see issues with downtime regularly as a result of cheaper products used. We’ll be there for our customers in these instances and are happy to get them out of trouble, but what we can’t replace is those lost hours.

Quality Lasts ”

Grant Gray - General Manager National Sales

And on that same tangent, Grant reiterates to readers the importance of getting in touch prior to the busy harvest season – at a time that is most convenient for them.

“We’re happy to come out to site, or to arrange an online meeting. We understand that many of our customers in the farming sector perform their administrative or office tasks at night – send us an email, text or leave us a message and we will get back to you,” he assures. “We have qualified specialists including, product specialists, engineers and a market experienced sales force, along with our premium partners, and the ability to provide a 24/7 support service.”

Motion Asia Pacific supplies the necessary parts for harvest repairs and maintenance

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 17

LUBRICATION

KEEPING THE RIVERINA slick with Australian made lubrication

D

J Sincock is a strong believer in using Australian made products and recognises the importance of high quality oils and greases, particularly during peak header repair season.

This was one of the reasons he chose to become a distributor of Gulf Western Oil (GWO) products through CBC, in addition to running a header repair service business in the Riverina region of New South Wales.

“I stock the full range of GWO and have changed 90% of my customers over to GWO for their header oils,” enthuses DJ. “GWO are Australian owned and operated and I’m a strong believer in using Australian made products. This is a premium quality, genuine oil product and a more economical choice for the farmer.”

With its ample water supply for irrigation, temperate climate and flat landscape, the Riverina region of south-western New South Wales is one of the most affluent and diverse agricultural regions in Australia.

With this in mind, DJ Sincock, saw the opportunity to start a business in his hometown of West Wyalong, specialising in agricultural header repairs and spare parts supplies.

In 2003, he began his business as a sole trader mechanic fixing agricultural machinery. “For the first few years, I did everything on my own,” says DJ. PAGE 18 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

Today, DJ Sincock Header Repairs employs a team of three other mechanics and has one apprentice.

“We are one of the largest header repair businesses in New South Wales.

We operate seven days a week, and 12 months of the year. The area we cover for header repairs spans 200km in all directions across Central New South Wales,” says DJ. “We are very proud to be Australian and to promote Australianmade products, like GWO.” “The header oil is a very popular product, and we move it with ease. We sell roughly 30-40 of the 20L drums per week and half a dozen of the 205L drums of GWO a week,” describes DJ. “The GWO Truck and Farm Grease is another one of our best-sellers. Farmers love the quality of it.”

Russell Randal, National Segment Manager for Agriculture at the CBC Wagga Branch, speaks of DJ fondly.

“We have developed a great relationship with DJ in a short time. He is a good distributor.”

“I know DJ has close to 200 headers on his books every year and he may have to service upwards of 80-90 per year.

My role is to try to ensure he stays fully stocked with oils and greases for servicing his harvesters.”

A day on the job for DJ involves driving out to sites to inspect headers, compiling a detailed list of the repairs and parts

required and then ordering in the parts.

“I deal with Russell at the Wagga Wagga branch most frequently. We require parts on order every other day and he is quick to turnaround.”

“Even though I live 150km from Wagga Wagga, I try to make a trip in once a week to pick things up and visit the branch,” says DJ. “After we receive the parts, it takes about 2 days to complete a header repair job.”

Steve Keown, CBC National Product Manager for Lubrication Equipment, highlights some of the offerings he believes make GWO products outstanding.

“GWO has a state-of-the-art blending and packaging facility here in Australia. From a technical perspective, this production facility is second to none. It is the most advanced lubricant production facility we have in this country and the products they provide are exceptional quality. In all my years in this business, few production practices have impressed me as much.”

Currently, GWO is the largest Australian owned and operated manufacturer of lubricants in Australia with their products API Licensed, OEM approved and ISO 9001 quality-endorsed. Significantly, GWO offer an extensive range of products that service the agricultural sector, including diesel engine oils, petrol engine oils, hydraulic oils, gear lubricants, and transmission fluids.

BAILING

THE INS AND OUTS OF managing a baler repair business

W

hen Cameron Turner first started CP & EA Turner Baling Contracting Services from his home in Wodonga eight years ago, he welcomed the challenges and complexity of the baling business.

Specialising in the Krone Square Balers that he was accustomed to operating for his baling contracts, Cam was able to corner the market in his area by adding baler repairs to his offered services.

“Given the intricacy of the balers units, most mechanics deem the machines too convoluted to tackle the maintenance and repairs for them,” says Cam of his rare capability.

Balers are also at the mercy of everchanging topsoil quality, climate conditions, dryness, heat, and moisture. In addition to this, Cam notes that, “the properties, palatability, and nutrients in every hay crop on every farm change with each season.”

From pickup to processing, the Krone balers require heavy-duty roller chains to feed the bales into a twine knotting mechanism that wraps, ties, and knots the bales into the squares commonly seen being carted across the countryside.

“The durability of the chain for balers is particularly important because if the chain fails, it can incur thousands of dollars of damage to the machine,” says Cam. “The cost of downtime to farmers is enormous. To be on the safe side, I aim to maintain, relubricate, and replace chains every season where necessary, and I encourage farmers to plan ahead for the year when ordering their chains. It is also critical to avoid pushing a chain to its limits,” he states.

Cam orders his chains from BSC and says the service at the Wagga Wagga branch has been “above and beyond.”

“In contrast to most suppliers, the team at BSC are not just there to move product.

They are customer focused,” Cam enthuses BSC are invested in seeing my business succeed and they align my supply needs

with my long-term goals and seasonal conditions.”

One of the biggest challenges Cam and other businesses in the agricultural sector are facing is the supply of parts.

“We have seen a shortage in stock due to a reduction in imports from overseas,” Cam expands. “However, the guys at BSC will bend over backwards to get stock to you. They manage to make the impossible possible, no matter how big a roadblock I have encountered.”

Russell Randal, National Segment Manager for Agriculture, based at the BSC Wagga Wagga branch understands the importance of keeping on top of farm machinery maintenance. “Having parts stocked locally is crucial during harvest in the event of untimely breakdowns, the team at Wagga have opened the store at all hours and driven many kilometers to keep machines running,” says Russell.

“What I love most about Agriculture is the incredible resilience of our farmers. They rarely get a break and there is always something to do. Farmers don’t have the luxury of taking an extended break, they just have to get on with it,” he says.

For this reason, Russell stresses the importance of having a risk and contingency plan in place for the supply of parts and repairs.

“There are a lot of good incentives right

now to upgrade equipment due to government funding making AG OEMs busy, coupled with a good season last year,” he emphasises. “Part suppliers are being pushed to the limit with increased demand with many suppliers struggling to meet this, with some parts being already sold out across the country.”

Russell explains why Diamond by Timken chain is suited to Cam’s applications.

“For Cam’s business we supply the Diamond® Heavy Duty roller chain for his Krone Balers because they have the highest tensile strength, and are a proven premium quality chain. The Timken brand is exceptional at supplying stock ready to meet the demands of the agricultural industry,” he says.

Moreover, the Diamond chain products meet strict quality controls as well as the ASME/ANSI B29.1 chain standard requirement. The Diamond series chain includes the attachment roller chain, double-pitch conveyer chains, and specialty agriculture chains.

“The ASME/ANSI Standard Roller Chain series has been designed to fit a wide variety of standard applications with a dimensionally accurate fit to sprockets on balers. Although the complexity of the baling business is not limited to the operation of the machines, having durable and reliable parts at your fingertips can make all the difference out in the field,” Russell concludes.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 19

CHAIN The Rexnord Platinum Series X (PSX) Material.

FROM FIELD TO FACTORY TO YOUR FAMILY there are many links in the chain

D

uring harvest season farmers across Australia reap what they have sown during planting season in the form of fresh produce. This raw product is transported to Food and Beverage manufacturing plants around Australia for processing into consumer products - from staples such as bread, milk and butter to snack foods such as potato chips, orange juice and soft drink.

For rapid processing of these products, reliable chain and component solutions are required to turn fresh ingredients into fast moving consumer goods that need to be packaged and handled efficiently on high speed conveyor lines, before shipping to markets nationwide.

Matt Crehan is the National Product Manager for Rexnord Australia and highlights how Rexnord has addressed the Food and Beverage industry’s increased need for speedy and sustainable solutions over the years.

“Rexnord first developed LF (Low Friction) conveyor chain material in the 1970s to address high speed conveying demands.

Flash forward to the 1990s, line speeds had almost doubled, and they introduced the HP™ (High Performance) material into their range,” says Matt.

In addition to this, Rexnord has performed extensive research into addressing the market need to convey polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers at high speed without any external lubrication.

“With the new Rexnord DRY-PT™ Material we hope to set a sustainable conveyor standard for the future. The DRY-PT Material has proven to be the first plastic chain material to provide the lowest friction versus PET at a constant level over time, where other plastic chain materials have shown permanent increases in friction after hours of running,” explains Matt.

CBC is proud to partner with Rexnord to introduce these new PSX chain material solutions to the Australian market.

“Everyone wants to run things harder and faster these days, so your standard product is going to run out more quickly and need to be replaced,” says Troy Markland, Product Manager at CBC. “The Rexnord PSX range is a low-friction, high-

Rexnord DRY-PT Material Run Dry Chain Solution • High strength

performance range of product which allows the application to run faster and last longer.”

Troy elaborates of the PSX range, “The PSX TableTop range are the most versatile for applications. The TableTop 820 series and the 879 series are both very popular. The MatTop and Magnet Flex solutions are more specialised in their use applications. With the PSX range we are seeing cost savings and reduced downtime because customers are not being required to replace their chain anywhere near as often.”

The speed of the chain component of a conveyor application is directly correlated with the speed at which a product can reach the shelves. This is why CBC is encouraging operators and managers to upgrade their chain to the latest innovative material solutions that Rexnord is offering for their next harvest season.

Rexnord PSX Series Chains: Platinum Series X (PSX) Material

• Consistent low friction

• High strength

“Rexnord FlatTop has continuously developed innovative conveyor chain and component solutions to meet the increasing performance demands of high-speed filling lines in the food and beverage industries,” he emphasises.

• Minimal dusting

• Consistent low-friction

• Long wear life

• Minimal dusting

• Bright lime-green colour has been selected to make the need for cleaning visible

• Long wear life

The Rexnord Platinum Series X (PSX) chain is constructed from Rexnord’s new innovative PSX® material.

• Low-Friction against PET

“Over time, conveyor speeds have continued to increase with concerns in sustainability targeting improved safety, productivity, water consumption and reduction and energy savings. The PSX material addresses these needs and will help to set a sustainable conveyor standard for the future,” Matt enthuses.

PAGE 20 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

• Low Coefficient of Friction (COF)

• Material designed specifically for conveying of PET containers without need for external lubrication

• PSX material offers consistent low COF with aluminum and steel cans, glass and PET bottles PSX material offers consistent low COF with various wearstrip and corner materials

• TableTop and MatTop Executions

• Minimises Dust

• DRY-PT is available for all common chain series used for high-speed PET conveying

• Reduces dust which is common in dry running applications • TableTop and MatTop Variations

LUBRICANTS

MOUNTAIN FRESH FRUIT JUICES flourishing with flawless maintenance

T

he Mountain Fresh Fruit Juices production facility is nestled amongst the green pastoral hills of Mount Compass, renowned for its ideal farming conditions, rich and fertile soil, and fresh produce.

Steve Keown, National Product Manager for Lubricants at BSC discusses what the point of difference is with Rocol lubrication products and why he recommends other managers in the Food and Beverage sector make the switch over to their products.

Visitors to the area can expect to find bounties of blueberries, strawberries, cheese, venison, pheasants, and fresh produce in nearby hamlets that line the meandering country roads.

“Food-grade lubricants need to have specific certifications for the application at the manufacturers site,” says Steve. “Rocol Foodlube has certification covered with NSF and HCAPP Australia certifications. That is why their products are used by many major food and beverage suppliers, restaurants, and grocery chains. When a company is seeking a reliable, certified product, Rocol checks every box.”

A fourth-generation juice producer, Mountain Fresh Fruit Juices, was established by the Stadler family in the 1970s. Recognisable by their signature green bottle, they were the first company to introduce tropical fruit juices to the Australian market.

From their beginnings as a local manufacturer, they experienced slow and steady growth over the years, organising exports to South-East Asia, and beyond.

Eventually, Mountain Fresh achieved global notoriety for their fresh juices at trade shows and tastings, becoming known as “the quiet achiever” in their industry.

“Our mandate is to produce pure and premium fresh tropical fruit juices,” says Peter Stadler, the Owner and Operator.

“Our motto: ‘quality, not quantity,’ has proven to be the secret to our success over the years.”

The Stadlers have a longstanding relationship with their local BSC branch, who have supported and advised the juice manufacturer on their industrial solutions for more than two decades.

“I’ve known Peter for 25 years,” says Joe Visconte, Account Manager at BSC Londsdale, who has been working for Motion Asia Pacific for more than 40 years. “I visit his site monthly and check on the performance of the bottling conveyors, belts, and gearboxes in his factory. Mountain Fresh uses pristine, state-of-the-art equipment in their facility and they pride themselves on exceptional quality products.”

Joe Visconte and Peter Stadler at the Mountain Fresh Fruit Juices production facility.

In more recent years, Joe has recommended and provided the Rocol lubricant solution to Mountain Fresh to assist in extending the life of their equipment.

“In a beverage manufacturing facility where there are a lot of sticky fruit and sugary substances, machinery needs to be able to withstand harsh cleaners and detergents,” explains Joe. “The Rocol range penetrates components, getting into bearings, pins, and chains so they stay lubricated longer.

This serves as a corrosion-resistant, protective layer and ultimately leads to cost saving on replacing components. As these products are applied less often, this also saves in additional costs relative to labour and machine downtime,” he highlights.

“Rocol is a global manufacturer that started in the late 1800’s, with local manufacturing based in its head office at Wetherill Park, Sydney NSW, so they have a long history of producing lubricants that have longevity and use premium ingredients,” Joe adds.

Steve emphasises, “It is also important to be sure that you have a consistent supplychain. Some of these operations are running seven days a week and a manager cannot always be on site. Since Rocol products are local, they are always accessible. Managers can sleep at night knowing their operations are running smoothly.”

Steve elaborates on how BSC can assist customers in ensuring they use the right lubricant for the right machine at their production facility.

“We complete a site lubrication audit looking at everything from the lubricants in your gearbox, hydraulic systems, air systems and compressors for packaging,” he says.

“From there, we look for product rationalisation and consolidation opportunities. We look to inventory and label lubricant products to the appropriate machine component, so workers are ensured to use the correct product.”

He furthers, “We make sure lubrication products are being stored properly, in good condition and dispensed with the correct equipment to the correct machine.”

Steve concludes, “It’s really a great added value package that many BSC customers like Mountain Fresh Fruit Juices appreciate.”

Mountain Fresh Fruit Juices can be found across Australia at local cafes, coffee shops, kiosks, supermarkets, fuel stations, and mini-marts. Just look for the green bottle.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 21

AGRICULTURE

SERVING

the agricultural belt

‘L

ocation, location, location’ may be a cliché in real estate but like many clichés, it exists for good reason. Certainly, location is key when discussing why the BSC Wagga Wagga branch has become a destination point for farmers in the Riverina region.

“We’re in a great position on the cusp of prime agricultural country,” explains Mitch Chaffer, Business Development Manager – NSW Agriculture at the branch. “Wagga Wagga is renowned for its broadacre farming and is also a strategic freight stop, conveniently located halfway between Melbourne and Sydney, and similarly between Brisbane and Adelaide.”

It stands to reason that the BSC Wagga Wagga branch has become a veritable one-stop shop for agricultural parts in the region and a large reach for supply.

“We carry a unique range of products PAGE 22 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

and have huge amounts of stock for harvest season, such as Header Belts, Front Parts, Header Parts and Baler Parts,” expands Mitch. “People know us and recognise us for this range. As there are also many agricultural towns in the surrounding area of Wagga Wagga, customers will sometimes drive up to 4 hours to get parts from us knowing we will have them.”

Russell Randal, who is the National Segment Manager for Agriculture with BSC, is also situated at the Wagga Wagga branch.

“I actually started out working for our company in the Wagga Wagga branch back in 1997 – this is the area I hail from,” he says. “After working in both Adelaide and Melbourne, I’ve come back to working here in Wagga Wagga, which is where my family is. It also makes sense commercially, as we have become quite

(Left to right) Luke Downey, Jack Apps, Mitch Chaffer, and Dylan Wealands at the Wagga Wagga branch.

the specialised hub for agricultural part supply.”

Among the specialised services and parts supply that BSC stocks a range of WCCO draper and canola belts.

BSC Wagga supplies custom WCCO Draper and Canola belts.

Local manufacturers are being well supported by farmers which has seen many with plenty of orders scheduled – even having to turn away business in some cases.

“We are known for carrying Draper Belts and Canola Belts across the local region and interstate because we can supply either in bulk roll or cut to size, dependant on the make, model and front width,” explains Russell. WCCO is regarded as market leader in Draper Belts, Canola Pick Up Belts and are a choice brand for many

OEM companies. We specialise and stock a great range to suit most Case, Macdon, New Holland and John Deere fronts.

Regardless of the ongoing issues that the sectors face, Russell notes that shutting down is not an option for most farmers.

“The added service of cut to size Draper Belts and a pre-assembled Canola Belts has only enhanced our reputation as a go to supplier of WCCO belting.”

“People around Australia need to eat and drink, so there isn’t a luxury of a shutdown. There are always risks and contingencies,” he stresses. “However, there are some good incentives coming from the Government right now, and with extra money from last year, many farmers have been able to upgrade their equipment.”

“When we started supplying Canola Belts, we stocked components individually and the Farmer needed to assemble, but now we stock them fully assembled, which has reduced repair downtime for Farmers.

“La Nina came in last year after three or four years of drought. As a result, portions of Australia – including the Riverina region – have had record crops since 2016.

While this year even more crops have been planted, and we’re shaping up for another good season, there are always different challenges thrown at farmers,” Russell points out. “Weather conditions including hail damage, frost damage and drought can play their part. Farmers rarely get a break and this year in some parts of Australia; they are dealing with a mouse plague. Farmers are so resilient and get on with it because demand never stops.”

This has also translated to a boom in agricultural manufacturing.

“Local manufacturers are being well supported by farmers which has seen many with plenty of orders scheduled – even having to turn away business in some cases,” he says.

Regardless of the highs and lows that each season may bring, Russell points out that BSC will be there to support the industry where it can.

“Our customers know that they can rely on us and that we’ll go out of our way to help them.”

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 23

SEALS

PLOUGHING ALONG with that perfect sealing solution

T

he agricultural industry never sleeps.

From planting season, to harvesting season, the need for production of food is steady.

When harvest season arrives each year, Australian farmers must ready their equipment, all the while considering the weather cycle, soil conditions, and the environmental impact of their operation.

Farmers rely on technologically advanced equipment that can resist Australia’s extreme temperature and environmental conditions, whilst delivering the operator comfort.

Reliable sealing solutions are imperative to prevent any unnecessary downtime that could accrue costs and have a negative impact on the product.

For the last 50 years, Seal Innovations has been supporting the agriculture segment to provide equipment that will ensure a smoother, less stressful ride during harvest season.

Raj Jadow is part of Seal Innovations’ expert team of product managers and engineers who work closely with aftermarket customers and OEMs to identify innovative sealing solutions.

According to Raj, agriculture machinery is continuously exposed to a variety of substances that can be organic or chemical in nature, so seals need to be designed to protect the equipment’s systems from any kind of contamination.

“Our sealing solutions are required to stand up to high-pressure performance demands, temperature fluctuations, dirt, moisture, corrosive greases and fuels. Then the harvest needs to be brought in from the dusty fields and the goods have to be transported from A to B very quickly. There is simply no time for an equipment failure or standstill,” says Raj. Over the years, Seal Innovations has partnered with some of the top OEM agricultural equipment and machine manufacturers in the country to design, develop, and manufacture a wide range of sealing products for the agriculture segment. Their ability to offer customised sealing solutions for a variety of agricultural PAGE 24 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

applications has been a reliable service to customers during peak harvest season.

“One of our customers had severe dirt ingress and premature bearing wear on their machine, which lead to development of custom-made seal for the coulters. We designed a cassette style seal coupled with stainless steel gamma seals which solved the problem,” says Raj. “Another project involved the redesign of an existing trailer seal. Our engineers studied the existing seal and the conditions that the seal was operating under. Similarly, the customer’s equipment was enduring a lot of wear and tear from contamination. Following a series of trials and simulations, our team designed a cassette seal solution to counter the problem,” he highlights with pride.

“We employ special approaches that can be adapted to enhance the life, performance and reliability of a seal product. Through input and field trials we can develop custom seals which will often outperform previous solutions in an operation. Our seals can be manufactured with standard or custom compounds to protect the systems.”

Moreover, Raj notes that Seal Innovations continues to develop and expand its seal range to compete with Australia’s diverse product market range, offering sealing products at competitive pricing, while still maintaining the OEM standard.

Seal Innovations manufactures sealing solutions for the agriculture segment.

Seal Innovations agricultural sealing product range: Rotary Seals: These seals are used with rotating components to protect lubrication fluids from mud or water. They are also designed to prevent corrosion from oil, gasoline, and other substances.

Common types include regular low/ high pressure TC seals. (FKM, NBR, SIL) Cassette Seals: A non-contact seal, their 2-piece design eliminates damage to the main shaft, which suits heavy duty and extreme conditions. These are generally made to order.

Duo Cone/ Mechanical Face Seals: A large selection of OEM and aftermarket Duo Cone seals, both PADO and PADF profile, used in multiple applications. This range continues to grow as applications begin crossing over in the Agricultural segment.

Hydraulic Seals: A variety of flange, rod, and piston seals to prevent the ingress of contaminants. These seals are available with single or double lips. They can also be designed with a half or a full metal casing.

CHAIN LUBE

INOX MX9 No-Chukka Chain Lube reduces wear on combine harvester chain.

lasting relationship with the chain.

The lube also sprays on like an oil to allow penetration between the pin and roller on chain. It then stays on to become tacky, serving as an ongoing lubricant. The MX9 is resistant to salt, chemicals, power washing and the dry and dusty conditions on a farm.

“MX9 can provide lubrication which gets into the link and prevents locking up.

Because it resists flick off, there is nothing on the chain guard to attract dirt and crop residue under farming conditions,” says Angela.

Chain lube keeps ag machines RUNNING SMOOTH

I

n line with recent innovations in the field of lubrication, aerosols and adhesive technology, most modern harvester machines contain a self-oiling reservoir or a self-greasing board for providing an ongoing source of lubrication.

However, according to Angela Chardon, the Managing Director at Candan Industries – who produce the popular INOX lubricants – many farmers still prefer a ‘hands on’ approach’ to their machine maintenance and often use machines that require manual lubrication.

Candan’s premium grade product, the INOX MX9 No-Chukka Chain Lube, has been a best-seller at BSC since its introduction to the market in 2007.

“We tested it numerous times with different oil viscosities to get the right balance. It contains the extreme pressure friction modifier PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) for slick performance and special tackifiers to bond to the chain,” explains Angela.

“These properties give it increased lubrication for reduction in the wear of the chain and helps in reducing operating temperatures.”

On a farm, there are always a few machines that use chains for hoisting, hauling, conveying, or driving a motor. The combine harvester is one such machine.

A combine is used for harvesting crops such as oats, wheat, barley, rye, corn, sunflower, linseed, canola, and soybeans.

The machine is used to collect seeds or edible parts which are placed at the top of the grains, while inedible or damaged parts are discarded behind into the field.

The large link chains require lubrication to operate the rotary elements of the harvesting and threshing units.

A combine harvester also aids in the placement and storing of the harvested crops. The processes performed by a combine harvester include multiple activities such as cutting, hauling, and moving crops to a threshing location.

The INOX-MX9 No-Chukka Chain Lube lubricates the combine harvester chains by allowing for high-speed operations where there will be extreme pressure on the chain. It achieves this by employing tackifiers, coagulants, anti-corrosion, and water proofing compounds to form a

Another machine which uses chains is the baler. Hay balers often have up to six chains per machine, all large links, that appear like an oversized bike chain.

Particularly during the harvest season when time is short, any neglect in maintenance can lead to the hay baler chains getting locked up.

“MX9 offers a quick and simple way of lubricating the many chains on a baler.

Although most modern machines are selfoiling, we frequently hear from farmers who prefer to lubricate their chain as a form of preventative maintenance,” says Angela. “Interval lubricating like this can reduce the service downtime on a machine that is being used daily during harvest.”

The MX9 can accommodate high pressure and variable temperatures, similar to its sibling product MX8, an extreme pressure grease with PTFE that is used on a multitude of farming equipment. However, the MX9 has a thinner viscosity, which often is preferred when lubricating links and chains.

The flick resistant properties, combined with polytetrafluoroethylene and special tackifiers, ensure the lubricant delivers quality protection within the pins structure, under extreme pressure and friction.

“The convenience of the MX9 product comes down to its ease of application as an aerosol. In addition to the fact that it just works, without leaving a mess behind, or debris stuck in the machine,” concludes Angela.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 25

COUPLINGS

Fenner®HRC Couplings can be used for irrigation pumps on a farm.

SELECTING THE RIGHT HRC couplings for the job

T

roy Markland knows power transmission like the back of his hand. He has been in the industry for almost 40 years and has managed Fenner’s range of power transmission products since CBC became a supplier for them in 2011.

According to Troy, Fenner’s range is unmatched in terms of versatility and flexibility for the full spectrum of industrial applications. “Particularly in an agricultural setting, you will find solution opportunities on irrigation pumps, air compressors, mixers, blowers and machine engines,” he says.

Fenner® Power Transmission (FPT) is a British headquartered engineering and manufacturing giant that was founded in 1861 by Joseph Henry Fenner. The company developed a reputation for their extensive research and development in high-tech non-rubber polymers, thermoplastic elastomers, and complex textile reinforcements.

Since its inception 150 years ago, Fenner® has leveraged its advanced research into polymers, raw materials and compounds, innovative 3D modelling and testing processes, to enhance product performance.

One of the product ranges Fenner® have honed is that of their coupling elements, where they have a diverse selection for customers to choose from. Troy summarises as to why these are such a popular choice among CBC clientele.

“Fenner® couplings are constructed to PAGE 26 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

HRC Couplings Features and Benefits • Offers simple, straightforward fitting • Ease of alignment and fitting using straight edge and machined outside diameters

• Fail-safe design due to interacting dog design

• Accommodates incidental misalignment absorb shock load, allow for misalignment, and transmit power,” says Troy. “All the while maintaining the integrity of the connection, which is what makes the couplings suited to a variety of applications in a farming environment.”

He continues, “Fenner® shaft couplings range from highly resilient to rigid and are all precision manufactured using high quality cast iron or steel, and the latest polymer and composite technology.”

“CBC proudly supplies the Fenner® semi-elastic, generic HRC couplings as the optimal generic solution for transferring loads and power on agricultural machinery,” says Troy.

The semi-elastic flexible HRC couplings are designed for general purpose use and permit quick and easy assembly by means of a Taper Lock® bush fixing. Their components have been designed for use on machinery driven by standard electric motors.

• High performance, low cost • Power ratings are matched to standard motor sizes

• Standard and FRAS elements available • Flywheel fixing variant available • Pilot bore design available Their fully machined exterior allows for straight edged alignment and their shaft connection is fail safe due to the interacting dog design.

CBC can assist in selecting the correct HRC couplings for a particular machine taking into consideration service and design factors, coupling sizing, and bore fit.

CBC works closely with customers in the agricultural segment to fit the right solution to the right application.

Fenner® also offers detailed technical support manuals at: https://www.fptgroup.com

Scan the QR code to access Fenner® technical support manuals

LUBRICANTS

TECH SUPPORT

made easy for oils and lubricant

A

monitoring tool that performs a health check on machinery using situation modelling and predictive maintenance to identity potential equipment failures before they happen.

few years ago, Thomas Higgins decided to start his own business repairing header equipment for the harvest season from his home on Eyre Peninsula in the South Australian grain belt.

BSC and Viva Energy have worked in partnership to make this service more accessible to managers, equipment operators, and on-site engineers and tradespeople.

He promoted his business by word of mouth, operating solely on referrals and repeat business. It was not long before he identified some issues with the recommended oils and lubricants on his John Deere headers, finding some components were prematurely failing Chris Wheatley, the Agriculture, Food & Beverage Manager at BSC in Adelaide had been supporting Thomas’ business needs for several months and was quick to suggest that Thomas consult with Viva Energy’s, Shell Lubricants Technical Helpdesk Service so that he could better assess his lubrication options.

“It’s an efficient option,” says Chris. “I felt Thomas would benefit from having that service on hand when he’s out there in the field alone. He can have peace of mind knowing the oils he is using will keep his machines running optimally.”

When it comes to aftermarket service on his lubricant products, Thomas has come to rely on the Shell Lubricants Helpdesk for quick solutions.

“Sometimes it’s easier to consult the professionals when it comes to technical advice regarding the selection of optimum oils for specific situations, rather than to do all the research yourself, which would eat into time that would be better spent elsewhere,’ says Thomas.

He emphasises the importance of predictive maintenance on machinery while preparing for the harvest season.

“I may have a header that I’m unsure of what lubricant is correct for the machine. If I need a quick solution, I can call the helpline and provide the details of the machine and receive immediate guidance on what lubricant is best to prevent the possibility of a future breakdown.”

Australian owned and operated, Viva Energy is the exclusive Australian licensee of one

Steve Keown, National Product Manager, Lubricants at BSC, looks after the relationships between customers, suppliers, and key brands such as Viva Energy and says that BSC will often recommend the service to their customers.

Assistance from Viva Energy’s, Shell Lubricants Technical Helpdesk is only a phone call away.

of the world’s most recognisable brands, selling high quality Shell fuels and lubricants to across the country.

After Shell sold their refining and distribution business in Australia to Viva Energy, many of their employees stayed on to participate in the transition and contribute their product knowledge and expertise. From this was born the specialty Shell Lubricants Technical Helpdesk arm of Viva Energy’s business.

Today, Shell’s Lubricants Technical Helpdesk services provide live support services from Product Support Engineers and Technicians.

Live agents are available over the phone or through email during business hours.

The service allows customers to match the correct oil and lubrication product to their application, perform equipment audits, reduce downtime on production and book on-site engineers for greasing, fitting and condition monitoring.

Outside business hours, Shell Lube Diagnostic services are also readily available on the Helpdesk website.

The Shell LubeMatch service is a search engine platform where users enter their vehicle name, description or enter their registration and state to find out what oils and lubricants are best suited for their vehicle and stocked nearby.

The Shell LubeAnalyst is a condition

“The support engineers provide specialised knowledge. They will give the customer a baseline for how often the product should be used or if it should be improved upon. They will look at a unit that requires lubrication and grade solutions for the customer into good, better and best,” says Steve.

Steve manages the full range of lubrication equipment at BSC, including transfer equipment, pumps, delivery systems, oils, pastes, sanitisers, degreasers, and basically all things liquid. Yet even an expert in his field can use a reliable knowledge desk like the one Shell offers.

“They can also do a hands-on lubricant analysis. In this instance, an engineer will visit on-site, and a sample of the lubricant will be taken from the equipment and sent away to get analysed. This allows the customer to see how the compound is performing on a machine.”

When header repair season is at its peak, the ease and convenience of the Shell Lubricants Technical Helpdesk service comes in handy for farmers and mechanics alike.

Scan the QR code to access the Shell Lubricants Technical Helpdesk LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 27

ADHESIVES

IN A PINCH, duct tape is a flexible solution

W

hen it comes to duct tapes, the possibilities for applications are endless. Yet, one thing is for certain – a good quality duct tape should be able to hold anything together long enough to get the job done.

The original duct tape was developed during World War II to seal ammunition cases and were presumably given the name for the original “duck tape” material used in their production.

Tape pioneer 3M™ was the first to use duct tapes as a solution for its namesake: as a heat-resistant duct tape for heating ducts, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) applications. Over time, as experts in the science of adhesives, 3M has done extensive research and development to introduce duct tape to a much wider variety of applications.

Today, duct tape is frequently used as a solution in areas of repair and maintenance for industrial equipment. This includes grain harvesting equipment such as conveyers, hoppers, augers, grain vacuums, bunkers, and silos.

The 3M Heavy Duty Duct Tape products, available in Heavy and Extra-Heavy durability options are constructed from unique materials that allow for temporary or permanent solutions for repairs that are imminent or require a bit of flexibility.

This is particularly important during the harvest season where a stop in production could cost the farmers additional labour time and potentially loss of valuable product. Since the material being moved is organic food product, there is no room for error. As such, operators must move quickly or risk losses.

To achieve optimal results during harvest season, farmers must work on preventative maintenance by selecting the right products and solutions for their operation.

They can do this by consulting with some PAGE 28 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

of CBC’s experts like Michael Rowe.

Michael began his career as a fitter and turner by trade, working across the engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance fields. Today, he is Product Manager for Adhesives and Sealants at CBC and the go-to person for high-level technical knowledge on the vast array of bonding and sealing products that CBC offers.

that are abrasion and wear-resistant, heatresistant, and the backing of the tape is water-resistant,” says Michael.

“Moisture will not destroy the tape or degrade its adhesive agents. The tapes can withstand harsh conditions, such as those during a harvest, and that’s why it has earned the classification as ‘Heavy Duty’ tape product.”

Michael recommends 3M Heavy Duty duct tape for a range of agricultural applications.

“In terms of strengths, the 3M Heavy Duty duct tape products have an adhesive agent that bonds to not only smooth, but rough or irregular surfaces, even if there is dust or contaminants. They are fantastic if you are working with organic material, as you would be in an agricultural setting.”

3M™ Heavy Duty Duct Tape 3939 Features and Benefits

“The 3M duct tape also has a great amount of flexibility which is ideal if you are working with pipework or ductwork where you do not need a rigid seal or hold. For example, a farmer may have ductwork on site that is conveying material. Rigidity could mean restricted movement and damage or wear to the equipment. The flexibility of duct tape allows for a secure hold, but also a bit of movement in all directions,” explains Michael.

• I ndustrial-grade duct tape for splicing, masking, patching, sealing, and seaming

Both 3M Heavy Duty Duct Tape 3939 and its sibling 3M Extra Heavy Duty Duct Tape 6969 come in classic, silvercoloured backing, and are constructed of polyethylene film laminated to cloth with a rubber adhesive. The thick cloth scrim and durable rubber adhesive combine with the water-resistant backing to produce a tensile, strong, and reliable tape.

3M™ Extra Heavy Duty Duct Tape 6969 Features and Benefits:

Added features are handy tearing for dispensing the tape and a clean removal that leaves minimal stickiness behind.

“It is worth noting that the 3M Heavy Duty duct products all have surface properties

•H igh tensile strength for a secure hold under stress •S ilver polyethylene surface resists wear, abrasion, and water •G ood choice for hanging polyethylene drapes for containment activities

•T ough 10.7 mil tape is ideal for heavy bundling, joining, and sealing •W ater-resistant polyethylene backing seals out moisture, resists abrasion and wear •T hick tape handles easily and tears cleanly and evenly without splintering •M eets burn test requirements for UL 723, ASTM E-84, NFPA 255, UBC 8-1

AEROSOLS

A HANDY JUMPSTART to have on hand

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nyone who has operated heavy machinery will be familiar with this story. Waking up early on a cold winter morning to start up a vehicle, only to discover the engine is still asleep. It may briefly roll over, cough, sputter, grumble and then turn back around, unaware that there are places to go and urgent work that needs to get done.

It is in these moments, that the CRC AEROSTART solution can play a vital role in getting an engine, and the day started.

The AEROSTART formula contains about 26% ether which repels the surface of the engine, becoming airborne and creating an instant combustion effect that jerks the engine awake.

But the story behind AEROSTART involves more than jumpstarting vehicles.

Headquartered in Australia, CRC Industries has long been recognised as a supplier of premium quality aerosol products.

According to David Bailey, the National Business Development Manager, CRC had been trying to create a competitor to the AEROSTART line for several years.

“What we discovered was that Australian customers were extremely loyal to the AEROSTART brand and its performance, so we ended up acquiring the company as CRC.” Before acquiring AEROSTART, the product was CRC’s largest competitor in the starting products market.

What made them the market leader?

According to David, it is the AEROSTART secret formula.

“The AEROSTART formula has the perfect balance of active and volatile solvents, upper cylinder lubricant, and what we call ‘anti-knock’ ingredients in the base,” he explains. “The ingredients are carefully blended to ensure the correct type of initial starting in the combustion chamber and to promote immediate combustion.”

David explains the point of difference with CRC AEROSTART is its blended approach.

“A lot of companies tend to believe that adding more ether to their starting products is a better approach. However, that takes away from the lubricating properties of the formula and can cause a knock in your engine that will result in further breakdown and require repair maintenance,” he elaborates. “The ingredients in the CRC AEROSTART product are carefully blended to ensure the correct type of initial start occurs in the combustion chamber, and promote immediate combustion.”

New South Wales and Queensland, points out that AEROSTART is a handy product to always have on the shelf.

“Particularly in the agricultural industry, where vehicles can be sitting idle for months on end. Being that most farming equipment run on diesel engines, it can become very difficult to start them, especially in the colder months,” he expands. “It’s wise to keep a can on hand for when you pull out your vehicles at the start of the season.”

As pictured, CRC has recently reintroduced the classic design of the AEROSTART yellow label cans, which are available in preparation for the harvest season at one of the 70 BSC storefronts located Australia-wide.

AEROSTART Features and Benefits • High volatility to obtain a combustible air/fuel mixture

Russell Randal, the National Segment Manager for Agriculture with BSC highlights the product’s versatility.

• Works in low temperatures and high

“AEROSTART is ideal for use in diesel, petrol and kerosene engines for trucks and tractors, as well as standard vehicles like cars, motorcycles and boats,” he says. “We recommend it to farmers during harvest season for all of their stationary engines and heavy-duty vehicles.”

of all diesel, petrol, and kerosene engines

David, who is also the former Training Manager for the CRC Agricultural sector in

humidity

• Ensures fast, economical starting

• Reduces starter motor and engine wear

• Reduces spark plug and battery wear

• Saves time and reduces repair costs LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 29

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

FEATURED PRODUCT

LOCTITE PC 7350

TIMKEN® CORROSION-RESISTANT DEEP GROOVE BALL BEARINGS Constructed with stainless-steel rings, balls and cages, these bearings equip you to deliver machinery uptime and food safety. These corrosion-resistant materials work in tandem with food-grade lubricant to increase the safety of production by improving reliability.

GULF WESTERN OIL TRUCK & FARM GREASE TRUCK AND FARM GREASE is an ultra tacky, heavy duty extremely high quality lithium complex grease suitable for a wide range of applications for transport, earthmoving and farming applications.

Suitable for general greasing, bearings, hammers and shock load applications.

LOCTITE® PC 7350 is a 2-part, black, 100% solid, room temperature-curing polyurethane resin and isocyanate compound kit which cures to a tough, resilient adhesive. Typical applications include, but are not limited to, repairing or rebuilding liners in mills, pumps, feeder bowls, hoppers, chutes, and repairing cast urethane screens and liners.

CRC AEROSTART CRC AEROSTART is a balanced formulation combining active, volatile solvents, upper cylinder lubricant and corrosion inhibitors, each designed to play a vital part in starting engines. The ingredients are carefully blended to ensure the correct type of initial starting in the combustion chamber and to promote immediate combustion.

SEAL INNOVATIONS ROTARY SEAL These seals are used with rotating components to protect lubrication fluids from mud or water. They are also designed to prevent corrosion from oil, gasoline, and other substances.

3M HEAVY DUTY DUCT TAPE

FENNER HRC COUPLING

Industrial-grade duct tape for splicing, masking, patching, sealing, and seaming. High tensile strength for a secure hold under stress.

Thick rubber adhesive bonds to most rough and smooth surfaces for a tight seal. Silver polyethylene surface resists wear, abrasion, and water.

Permits quick and easy installation by means of Taper Lock® bushes, and offers quick alignment, the semi-elastic general purpose HRC coupling is ideal for use with electric motors. Features a fail-safe design due to interactive dog design.

SHELL LUBEANALYST The Shell LubeAnalyst is a condition monitoring tool that performs a health check on machinery using situation modelling and predictive maintenance to identity potential equipment failures before they happen.

PAGE 30 • LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

REXNORD PSX CHAIN The Rexnord Platinum Series X (PSX) Chain is constructed from Rexnord’s new innovative PSX® material. The PSX range is a low-friction, high-performance range of product which allows the application to run faster and last longer.

ITW POLYMERS & FLUIDS ROCOL® FOOD-LUBE®

INOX MX9 NO CHUKKA CHAIN LUBE

The ROCOL® FOODLUBE® range consists of NSF H1 and HACCP approved lubricants. All FOODLUBE® products are: NSF H1 Certified, independently assessed, safe for incidental food contact, use only FDA listed ingredients, free from nut or soya oils or derivatives, free from genetically modified ingredients and HACCP Approved.

The perfect blend of PTFE and tackifiers allow this chain lube to not only hold on but at the same time give you smooth effortless transmission in any application. Ideal in the harshest of farming conditions as INOX-MX9 is one of the most robust, durable and reliable chain lubes on the market today.

ABB DODGE RAPTOR COUPLING

SCHAEFFLER INA BEARINGS Schaeffler INA bearings are high-performance bearings that feature X-life quality, ensuring a higher load-carrying capacity and longer service life.

Featuring patented split natural rubber that significantly decreases total cost of ownership and extends driven equipment life. Built for drop-in interchangeability, the Raptor features an innovative WingLockTM element design offering easier installation, reduced maintenance, and improved reliability in a wide range of new and existing applications.

ALEMLUBE LEVER ACTION GREASE GUN Guarantees high-volume, high-pressure greasing with grease pressures of up to 12,000psi. EverFlow System enables the use of thick/ tacky greases.

MAXISAFE NEOTHERM HEAT RESISTANT NEPORENE GAUNTLET Resistant to acids, caustics, solvents, oils and chemicals such as methanol and sodium hydroxide. Tested and approved for food contact.

MARLIN HEAVY DUTY RATCHET STRAP The Marlin Heavy Duty Ratchet straps come in a 50mm strap which is designed for a maximum load of up to 2.5 tonnes (2500kg).

For really large volumes, there is a wider 75mm strap that can accommodate up to four tonnes (4000kg).

ENPAC DRAIN COVER This Spill Protector Drain Cover provides an effective barrier against spills entering drains to provide more time for cleanup. Durable urethane construction provides long life.

LET’S ROLL PADDOCK TO PLATE ED 10 • PAGE 31

LET’S ROLL

PADDOCK TO PLATE CHECK OUT OTHER EDITIONS OF LET’S ROLL: LET’S ROLL

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MINES & QUARRIES

australian industrial

A SINGLE BRAND OFFERING FOR

ELOISE COPPER MINE FINDS

FOOD AND FIBRE PRODUCTION

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rotating needs in the food and beverage industry

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ood and beverage processing plants in Australia will soon have access to a complete range of corrosion-resistant ball bearings and ball bearing housed units from Timken® to meet their rotating equipment needs.

Industrial Solutions Australia will have the new Timken products available across its business network of CBC, BSC and Webster BSC branches as early as May.

already generated a lot of interest among the industry players.

“The food market generally lacks a single brand solution when it comes to bearing requirements. Food and beverage plants that deal with harsh chemicals and aggressive washdowns can benefit from maximising their hygiene levels with Timken’s new corrosion-resistant range,” says Tony.

Tony Tormey, Industrial Solutions Australia Product Manager for Industrial Bearings, says the new Timken products have

The Timken Company have now, launched a new corrosion-resistant ball bearing product range for applications

06

08

KEEPING THE TIM TAMS COMING When an Arnott’s plant in Marleston looked for an alternative to chain drives, BSC found a solution using Gates’ belts.

STAYING RESILIENT, THE WALSH & FORD WAY Walsh & Ford’s grain handling equipment are renowned across Australia. Read about how the business has grown over eight decades.

that require ball bearings to withstand chemical washdowns and wet environments.

“The Timken corrosion-resistant ball bearing product range is available from stock in fully sealed 2RS version,” says Tony.

SAFER BY DESIGN The new Timken hygienic ball bearing housed unit is a premium product that considers multiple design factors to help combat common safety hazards in food

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“NOT JUST CUTTING THE GRASS” Fieldquip, the preferred supplier of tractor implements to manufacturers such as John Deere, chooses Gulf Western Oil lubricants.

reliable conveying solution through CBC

trustworthy conveyor drive was what Eloise Copper mine’s maintenance team were looking for when they consulted CBC’s experts in July last year.

As a mine site located in the regional Queensland town of Cloncurry, spare parts and technical support is not always on hand for Eloise Copper, so Maintenance Supervisor, Craig Stokes, says he didn’t want to take any risk with the new conveyor drive.

access to spare parts. We just can’t hold everything on site so having something that’s reliable and is not going to fail is critical for us,” says Craig, who has been the mine’s maintenance supervisor for the past four years.

Investments, feed 720,000 tonnes of ore into their mill and produce 50,000+ tonnes of copper concentrates per annum. Craig says the conveyor in question delivers material from the jaw crushers to the milling circuit to be grinded further.

Despite being located more than 700 kilometres away from Cloncurry, CBC’s Townsville branch has been supporting Eloise Copper mine for nearly a decade, with CBC specialists often travelling to the site to offer their expertise in person.

“We are a remote site, and we have limited

Eloise Copper, operated by FMR

“We were having some reliability issues with the existing hydraulic motor. The conveyor’s performance became intermittent when the material on it got wet and heavy during the rain. Having multiple valves and pumps in the hydraulic drive system made fault finding more complex.”

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WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES For its major overhaul in 2020, Viva Energy Geelong Refinery relied on CBC to supply key components and services to the site.

EASY MAINTENANCE WITH GATES’ V-BELTS “A lot of belt failures start right from the moment that the belts are installed,” says Derek Hill, National Sales Manager - Industrial at Gates.

24/7 REMOTE MONITORING FOR MINES Remote condition monitoring technologies have become an integral part of mining operations, helping to prevent unplanned downtime.

businesses

with Simplicity ike the namesake, Simplicity Australia’s equipment is designed to simplify agricultural practice.

And they do. Simplicity’s seeder machine is dubbed ‘Australia’s Favourite Air Seeder’ and the native manufacturer is a wellrecognised leader in its field, offering the largest range of air seeders in Australia and employing over 80 people.

Simplicity Australia’s name also reflects its humble beginnings. The first Simplicity air seeder being built in a backyard shed in the small town of Jandowae, Queensland

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BRENTWOOD SHREDDING AWAY ALL BARRIERS The Shell LubeAnalyst service is playing an important role in preventive maintenance for Brentwood.

in the late 1970s, using a simple augertype metering system. That business was purchased by David Law in the early 1980s and it grew from the ground up in a very modest way, says General Manager, Troy Law, “with a core focus to design and manufacture high-quality planting equipment.”

It’s an approach that has been successful, and one that Troy attributes to his father.

“My father, David Law worked tirelessly to continuously develop our product and the manufacturing process to meet the diverse

08

DALBY BUSINESS LEADS ON TROMMEL TECH Timken SNT plummer blocks offer single solution for this trommel manufacturer in Dalby.

needs of Australian farming. The original little air seeder sold in our local area and into Central Queensland. Over time, that expanded to a national presence, which required a wide variety of machine sizes and capability” explains Troy. “Our product strength is based in focusing on quality, reliability, innovation and product support.

Today, our portfolio of planting equipment is extensive, and to my knowledge we offer the largest range of this type of air seeder in the world, with machines going from 1,500L through to 30,000L in many different formats.”

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ON-DEMAND SEAL MACHINING Seal Innovation’s Interseal division provides on-demand and customised seal production.

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