Connections 02-2012, Vol.12 No.2

Vol 12 No 2

AUSTRALIAN CANVAS AND SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INC.

March 2012

EXPO CONFIDENTIAL

INCREDIBLY SMART TEXTILES Amazing capabilities of fabrics

CLASSY STRUCTURES

BUSTLING BRISBANE BUSINESS

A preview of what’s on offer at this year’s association Expo Showcasing members’ Creative Talents at schools across Australia

The productivity of

Thorline Products

Pathfinder launching M-Series at ACASPA Expo 2012 www.pathfinderaus.com.au—see pages 9 & 30

ACASPA Member News • Training and Events • Member Spotlight • Developments

Contents

18

6

14

26

12 ASSOCIATION MATTERS

NEWS CORNER

TECHNICAL CORNER

03 Reports from the President and Manager 04 Office report 33 Readership survey 36 State reports 40 Fabric Structures Committee report 40 New members 42 Membership Directory

06 Members’ news

38 Glorious gadgets

12 Bustling Brisbane business

The productivity of Thorline Products 14 Expo confidential A preview of what’s on offer at this year’s association Expo

CONNECTIONS magazine is published on behalf of the Australian Canvas and Synthetic Products Association Inc.

by CommStrat Limited.

Publisher CommStrat Editor Nicola Card Creative Timothy Hartridge

10 The business landscape

CLASSY STRUCTURES 18 Showcasing members’ creative talents at schools across Australia

Simon Sharwood takes a look at the latest offerings

26 Incredibly Smart Textiles

IFAI examines the capabilities of textiles

TRAINING AND EVENTS 48 Industry events and a list of RTOs

SPECIAL FEATURES

Activities and achievements

SPOTLIGHT ON MEMBERS 30 Pathfinder, Ricky Richards and Hiraoka

subscriptions To subscribe to Connections for just $75.00 inc GST annually contact Ruth Spiegel ruth.spiegel@halledit.com.au

Who and what is new

Designer Odette Boulton Contributors Barb Ernster Simon Sharwood Sales Yuri Mamistvalov yuri@commstrat.com.au Contact Editorial nicola.card@commstrat.com.au office@acaspa.com.au

COMMSTRAT ABN 31 008 434 802 Level 8, 574 St Kilda Rd Melbourne Vic 3004 www.commstrat.com.au

Disclaimer: Except where specifically stated, the opinions and material published in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or the ACASPA Council.

ACASPA Suite 201, 22 St Kilda Road, St Kilda 3182 VIC Phone: 03 9521 2114 Local call: 1300 555 787 Fax: 03 9521 2116 www.acaspa.com.au

MARCH 2012 · 1

ACASPA MATTERS From the ACASPA office Status quo is not an option:

Office Manager Ana Drougas

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal.

My strength lies solely in my tenacity.

(Louis Pasteur)

2 · CONNECTIONS

My desk calendar provides me with some wonderful thoughts-of-the-day and two that recently captured my attention were: “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal” (Henry Ford) and “What is more mortifying than to feel that you have missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?”

(Logan Pearsall Smith).

I cannot help but relate both to the evolution of our association and the wonderful spirit in which members have embraced our forward direction.

Remaining in the here and now, the status quo, is not an option and the epitome of that on a much grander and sinister scale is the dire situation in Greece today.

Given my heritage people often ask me how such a staggeringly high and depressing youth unemployment market and miserable poverty rates came to be. How did a once proud civilization crumble to this?

Here in Australia there are ongoing reports of massive job losses across the banking, airline, metals, telecommunications and other sectors. Despite the alarm, the reality is this barely impacts to a decimal point on unemployment figures which rest at around 5.2%, with our healthy mining sector helping sustain that figure.

Happily our niche market, our micro-manufacturing sector, continues to buzz and hum along. While we continue to create structures we maintain productivity and employment levels. If anything our more common collective complaint is our inability to source enough skilled workers.

Which brings me to another saying I felt appropriate in today’s climate: “Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”

(Louis Pasteur) As a group we are indeed tenacious! We are resolute about moving forward and, as you will read on the pages of this magazine, equipping ourselves for the long haul.

So, I encourage all of you to be proud and to play an active and visible role in the future of our industry.

Performance barometers

President Glenn Barlow As we all know, weather can often mean the difference between a great season and a not so great one. And summer provided a fascinating picture of the different impact extreme weather has had on our diverse membership base.

Some—but fortunately not all—members have been cruelly impacted by Mother Nature’s wrath, and some have performed better than expected. Following are some examples: makers of blinds, awnings and window shade coverings in Victoria, SA and WA have reported healthy sales of automated systems and other products, due mainly to a reasonable and dry summer.

However, with persistent rain and flooding in NSW and Queensland sales are way down, but the wet weather has proved a boon for manufacturers of tarpaulins, rollovers, truck curtains, covers and liners, with some members achieving higher total volume and sales than usual at this time of year.

Members in the marine and motor trimming sectors have also benefited from a wetter season, with widespread reports of plenty of storm covers and the like being produced for boat owners across Australia.

While the weather is just one factor to contend with, there is no doubt that business has been tougher for most members recently, due to the local and international business environments.

Having been involved in this industry in some way, shape or form since the 1970s, my passion to this day is undiminished despite the uncertainties that surround us and the challenges ahead. And on my recent road-trip around Australia to talk to members about the association’s initiatives, it was a great pleasure to meet members in venue after venue who share a similar passion and strong commitment to seeing our industry continue to grow and prosper.

Again the diversity in our industry—this time shining through by way of expertise, knowledge and experience— really stood out at these meetings.

Having members involved in a wide variety of sectors— from shade and tension structures, tarpaulins, geo membrane liners, motor and marine trimming, caravan and camper covers to blinds and awnings, window coverings; and vocations from fabric, machinery and component manufacturers and suppliers to service providers, is strong evidence of a dynamic and vibrant industry.

The vibrancy and dynamism at the heart of our diversity is one of our key strengths, and I believe if we continue to push the boundaries of our expertise, knowledge and experience—to become sought after specialists in what we do—our industry we will go a long way towards achieving sustainability as well as longevity and prosperity in the future.

Backpacks

Marine

Panel Blinds

Fencing

Swags

Bags

Luggage

Grain Covers Blinds PVC Tension Structures

Ground Covers

Tarpaulins Covers

Sports Equipment Cotton Modules

Awnings Marquees Signs

Canvas

Polyethylene

Banners Nylon Motor Awnings

Hay Stack Covers

Truck Side Curtains Interior and Exterior Jumping Castles

Window Furnishing Fencing Tents Structure and Membrane

Shade Sails Dam Liners Annexes

fabric solutions for australian applications

Roller Blinds

For 30 years Ricky Richards has assisted fabricators across Australia with solutions for a multitude of fabric applications. Our extensive product portfolio, technical expertise and friendly, efficient staff ensures that Ricky Richards offers the highest quality of service available to customers today.

N AT IONAL D ISTRIB UTORS OF INDUSTRIA L & COMMERCIA L TEX TILES

Contact our team today to find your fabric solution!

Ricky Richards (Sales) Pty Ltd 16 Park Road Homebush NSW 2140 Phone: 02 9735 3333 Fax: 02 9735 3311 www.rickyrichards.com.au MARCH 2012 路 3

ACASPA MATTERS The wheels are spinning …

ACASPA Council of Management

by Ana Drougas, Office Manager

Australian Canvas and Synthetic Products Association Inc.

The few paragraphs on this page can hardly do justice to the breadth and depth of the association’s current activities. At best I hope to present a sense of the dynamic times in which we find ourselves, as those of you who attended our February meetings well know.

Suite 201, 22 St Kilda Rd St Kilda, Vic 3182 Telephone: (03) 9521 2114 Local Call: 1300 555 787 Facsimile: (03) 9521 2116 Email: office@acaspa.com.au Web: www.acaspa.com.au

ASSOCIATION MANAGER

Blogs Our tireless President Glenn Barlow has launched himself into blogs like a duck to water—with ease and proficiency. And Glenn has been prolific in his recent broadcasts which has been very timely and helped us reach more members. Visit our website to read Glenn’s blog and participate in discussion.

Member engagement meetings Glenn likens our lightening tour of meetings around Australia—in which we visited five states in as many days—to that of a rock band! The reception by members in all states was very warm and welcoming and it was wonderful seeing half of our entire membership, whose interest and energy was also very heartening. In all my years as Office Manager I have never seen such enthusiasm and engagement.

We were delighted too to welcome many members who tuned into the ustream sessions and we will be using more ustream in future.

A surge of committees

Ana Drougas Email: ana@acaspa.com.au

sneak-peEk For a sneak-peek of the variety and colour of our upcoming Expo and conference, see pages 14 and 16 of this issue of Connections.

Awards for Excellence Go online now and get those entries in!

The Awards for Excellence highlight the diversity of our industry and enable members to showcase their innovative skills and design in fabrication.

The Awards entry system has been revamped and we have developed an online entry system for faster lodgement: visit our website www.acaspa.com.au Please note: entry into the Awards is only open to members of ACASPA.

Industry accreditation

One of the strengths of our association is the diversity of our activities and we are now inviting members to participate in one or more of our newly formed committees: Marketing Committee, Connections Editorial Committee and industry specialist committees. The work of these committees will help propel the association into the limelight and ensure that our name is seen, recognised and respected.

Meantime on page 37 read all about the progress of the Fabric Structures Committee.

Industry accreditation that lifts standards is long overdue but very much in line with our association rebranding program and marketing endeavours. We are committed to launching our accreditation program but realistically it will be a two to three year process.

The first stage is about benchmarking our members, and we will be developing pathways for our members. Look out for more information being circulated with membership renewal notices.

Young Leaders Group

Reader survey

A positive development that bolsters our future is the very industrious Young Leaders Group; and the two teams are working hard to complete their projects in time for display at our May Expo. I urge you to think about who in your business is a young leader and who, with some nurturing, could also be the voice of our industry.

Early this year the Council of Management (COM) decided to conduct a survey of our 7000+ Connections readers and developed the survey seen in February and March Connections. The COM welcomes feedback and hopes to take action on suggestions in conjunction with a newly formed editorial committee.

4 · CONNECTIONS

President Glenn Barlow Nan’s Tarps 25 Vaughan Street Lidcombe NSW 2141 Mobile: 0409 273 284 Tel: (02) 9649 2334 Fax: (02) 9646 1361 Email: glenn@nanstarps.com.au

Vice President Lance St Hill Fabric Solutions Australia Pty Ltd PO Box 6283 Yatala DC Qld 4207 Mobile: 0400 103 534 Tel: (07) 3807 0200 Fax: (07) 3807 8217 Email: lances@fabricsolutions.com.au

COUNCILLORS Brendan Hall Bradmill Outdoor Fabrics Unit 3, 100 Fulton Dve, Derrimut Vic 3030 Mobile: 0416 280 757 Tel: (03) 9368 2222 Fax: (03) 9368 2211 Email: bhall@bradmilloutdoor.com.au Kent Williamson Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) 25 Dawson Street Brunswick, Vic 3056 Ph (03) 9925 9182 Fax: (03) 9925 9129 Email: kent.williamson@rmit.edu.au www.rmit.edu.au Gary Smith Campbell & Heeps 5/125 Highbury Rd, Burwood, Vic 3125 Mobile: 0419 311 899 Telephone: (03) 98086911 Fax: (03) 9808 3148 Email: gsmith@campbellheeps.com.au Tom Gastin Pattons—Textile Fabrication 80 McDougall St, Kirribilli, NSW, 2061 Mobile: 0414 952 007 Telephone: (02) 9955 2563 or 1300 799 980 Fax: (02) 9959 3158 Email: tom@pattons.com.au

Connections Magazine Advertising submissions: yuri@commstrat.com.au Editorial: Nicola Card nicola.card@commstrat.com.au

Looking for a supplier to solve your industrial fabrics requirements...

the answer is

• Blinds & Awnings • Covers & Tarpaulins • Marquee & Tenting • Banners & Billboards • Shade Sails & Structures

• Architectural Fabrics • Motor & Marine • Solar Protection • Sporting Equipment • Fasteners, Fittings & Accessories

We’ve always got you covered!

Sydney – (02) 9669 3333 • newcaStle – (02) 4957 7766 • Melbourne – (03) 9545 5588 briSbane – (07) 3387 8500 • adelaide – (08) 8260 1055 • Perth – (08) 9376 2666 darwin – (08) 8981 1555 • www.NolanUDA.com.au

NEWS

Movers and shakers 1 1 On the world stage At last year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) members from 53 nations gathered at Perth’s Convention and Exhibition Centre.

A ‘leader’s retreat’ was situated in the nearby scenic surrounds of Kings Park, which underwent a special makeover for the important event.

Fabritecture was chosen for the work, and the team designed and supplied a 427m2 roofing custom barrel vault structure—frame structural steel with three-coat paint system—as a high-quality permanent roof for the newly opened state reception centre located above award-winning Fraser’s Restaurant.

Specifications: Ferrari 1002T2 fabric was used for the structure which has the premium T2 fabric coating. Fabritecture says the pure PVDF coating has greater resistance to pollution and dirt and therefore requires less maintenance and cleaning, which makes it more cost efficient.

Ferrari 1002T2 comes with a 15 year manufacturer’s warranty and the anticipated design life spans a quarter of a century.

6 · CONNECTIONS

1. The newly opened state reception centre located above award-winning Fraser’s Restaurant.

2 Conical structures for the ‘Sound Shell’ amphitheatre.

2

2 In the festival spirit Situated along the sparkling Sapphire Coast is the coastal town of Bermagui, a secluded area of surf beaches, estuaries, wetlands and coastal lagoons. Bermagui is also home to the biennial Four Winds Festival of classical, cultural and world music.

The 2012 Four Winds Festival takes place on the Easter weekend of 6 –8 April. It is a relaxed, picnic-style event with attention to acoustics and participant comfort.

In preparation for the event, a new ‘Sound Shell’ amphitheatre has been constructed with onsite installation commencing February 7. Working as a sub-contractor for Rankin Builders, Fabritecture was selected to design, supply and install four conical structures for the amphitheatre.

The team at Fabritecture is proud to be involved in the venue for this world-class event which is described as “The jewel amongst Australian small festivals” by Jonathan Mills who is Director

of the Edinburgh Festival and former director of the Melbourne International Festival.

Specifications: The selected membrane is Sheerfill II PTFE from Saint Gobain which has the ability to transmit light and to bring the open, airy feeling of lighting indoors. The fabric is also durable, stain resistant and comes with a 10-year warranty.

The team at Fabritecture is proud to be involved in the venue for this world-class event which is described as “The jewel amongst Australian small festivals”

at t e n t i o n

A new name for our association

Coming soon MAM8832

MARCH 2012 路 7

NEWS

3 3 Career by design Early last year Chris Caterer landed back in Australia to further his impressive local and global career.

Having notched up 35 years experience he’s worked for international clients as well as many well known companies, among them ABGAL Pool Liners, Curlex Industries, McKenzie Canvas and Caravan County.

During his 13 years at Rocklea Canvas Chris was responsible for the design, fabrication and installation of all forms of canvas and vinyl goods associated with the transport industry and has been involved in motor trimming, boat trimming and upholstery.

He’s left his mark on some of Australia’s more exotic regions: Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove, Sovereign Island, Stradbroke Island, Surfers Paradise, Marina Mirage Apartments and Palazzo Versace.

The list also includes Hervey Bay, Bond University and Coolangatta Airport, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, and the Hunter Valley. His list of overseas project locations is more impressive again.

Chris told Connections: “I started at Rocklea Canvas back in 1986 and worked my way up from the shop floor to assistant manager.

From there I chased a career in architecture as I was always interested in drawing and did not want to spend the rest of my life on sewing machines.”

To spur his career he spent eight years studying architecture 8 · CONNECTIONS

part-time at TAFE and gained the advanced Certificate Level IV in Civil Drafting and Architectural Design. Today he is proficient in CAD and 3D modelling as well as freehand concept drawing and watercolours (as illustrated in the pictures). Chris has also secured all the necessary certificates in access equipment—scissor lifts, knuckle booms, cherry pickers and boom lifts to 11m.

“After gaining my design qualifications I decided to pool my industry and architectural knowledge to focus on shade sails and tension structures, and worked for ten years with Horizon Sail Structures on the Gold Coast,” he said.

Chris then widened his horizons by setting sail for Orlando, Florida where in 2006 he established Dubl C Design and as a Design Consultant picked up series of interesting projects throughout Florida and the United States, Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

“Moving back to Stanthorpe in Queensland’s New England tablelands in 2008, I continued doing design work for clients all over the world, consulting over projects that were being developed in Greece, France, England, UAE, China and Indonesia,” Chris said.

In early 2011 he received a call from Wayne Kuliszer of Rocklea Canvas about his plans to retire from the business he had established back in the 1980s,

and suggesting that Chris would be ideal to run the company.

And in a future issue of Connections we will relay more of Chris’s colourful adventures from the yacht clubs in Florida to very dry, very sandy deserts of the Middle East.

3 Shademesh and PTFE Canopies, Yas Island and 3D models— conceptual and shadow mapping.

4 Baby Emma Grace Haggerty

4 Big hello to a little bundle of joy ick and Prue Haggerty from R Elizabeth Machines Co. proudly welcomed their first baby, Emma Grace, into the world on Friday January 20 at Frances Perry House Private Hospital in Melbourne.

Rick told Connections “Weighing a healthy 7lb 8oz (3.4kg) Emma and Mum have recovered well and Emma has been growing well during her first five weeks.

“We are all looking forward to beginning our new life as a family.”

Rick kindly sent in some lovely photos of his beautiful daughter Emma.

Congratulations to Rick and Prue from all at ACASPA.

4 Do YOU have any news about your business or personal developments?

If so, please email Nicola.card@commstrat.com.au

MARCH 2012 路 9

Making news Improved Carbon Grants: an opportunity for manufacturers “The success of the Clean Technology Program is critical to manufacturing.

For the overwhelming majority of such businesses, it is the only substantive assistance available to deal with the introduction of carbon pricing.”

Innes Willox of the Ai Group describes The Clean Technology Program as an important opportunity for Australian manufacturers who can apply for $1 billion in competitive grants to be allocated over the next seven years.

Launched in mid February, The Clean Technology Program has earmarked $800 million for investment grants to general manufacturing and a further $200 million in innovation funding is expected to be available from July.

Ai Group argued strongly that the fundamental purpose of these grants is not emissions reduction, but supporting the continued competitiveness of Australian industry under carbon pricing as “businesses outside the resources sector are finding it tough getting capital for local investment.

“The success of the Clean Technology Program is critical to manufacturing. For the overwhelming majority of such

businesses, it is the only substantive assistance available to deal with the introduction of carbon pricing,” said Willox, who for four years has been Ai Group’s Director International and Government Relations.

Ai Group’s new leader Willox takes the reins of Ai Group Chief Executive from May 1. His high-profile predecessor Heather Ridout has stepped onto the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

In a recent interview Willox highlighted the importance of industrial relations laws that address the future productivity of the manufacturing sector, and he said the Ai Group will make a “very detailed and comprehensive submission” to the review of the Fair Work Act. “Parts of the economy are doing it tough,” he said, reeling off statistics that show the manufacturing sector which still employs about a million people directly and four million indirectly faces pressures from the high yet volatile dollar (which has moved around about 30 per cent over the past nine months). Meanwhile the booming resources sector is sapping the supply of skilled workers and putting pressure on wages. Willox notes increased competition from companies in other countries “and often, other countries themselves … so we need to have the best platform in place for manufacturing … so that they can compete; so that we can build the national economy in Australia and help broaden it out.” He likens it to the 80-20 rule: 20 per cent are doing well and are able to compete. Of note: the manufacturing sector lost about 10 per cent of its workforce over the past three years; last year alone it 44,000 jobs were axed.

Ironic it is, then, that Dun and Bradstreet found that manufacturing firms were the driving force behind the surge in sales optimism.

Fully adjustable • No welding Spans over 6m

(02) 9804 1146

www.triax.com.au 10 · CONNECTIONS

Positive outlook for sales

Delinquent bills

The good news is business expectations appear to have returned to more healthy, preGFC levels, with sales outlook at an eight year high. The January Dun & Bradstreet National Business Expectations Survey of Australian manufacturing, retail and wholesale firms revealed firms recorded a dramatic lift in expectations for June quarter sales (+21) and profits (+8); these figures are more than double those of March quarter forecasts.

The outlook for sales has hit its highest level in almost a decade, says Dun & Bradstreet CEO Christine Christian.

Not so positive is the recent Dun & Bradstreet Trade Payments Analysis which found that Australian businesses are increasingly neglecting their bills, with the number of severely delinquent payments jumping 28 percent.

During the December quarter last year the number of bills left unpaid for 90 days or more grew 20 per cent compared with 12 months ago and overall payment terms fell to 52.3 days, representing an average trade payment term almost a month beyond the standard 30 day payment period.

Christine Christian warned of the serious flow-on effect for the economy as a whole, saying “Business to business lending through the extension of trade credit amounts to billions of dollars a year and the rate at which these micro-loans are being paid back is a leading indicator of cash-flow performance and financial stability.”

In other news, ongoing uncertainty in the global economy is acting as a drag on the national outlook. “As the world contemplates a second recession, it is inevitable that local businesses will begin to question how this may affect their business in the coming year.

As insulated as we have been so far from the turmoil in overseas markets, a second global recession will undoubtedly have consequences for sectors of the economy,” Ms Christian said.

“Sales expectations are now at their strongest level since the December quarter 2003, well before the onset of the global financial crisis, though the improvement has not translated into plans for long-term employment growth, with businesses recording a three point drop in employment expectations for the June quarter.

“This would appear to indicate that businesses are still taking a cautious, wait-and-see approach on trading conditions before looking to expand their operations or their workforce,” Ms Christian said.

UNIMAT TAPE 40 mm or 50 mm PLASTIC WELDING

Just perfect

TRIAC S

The microprocessor-controlled, high-performance machine for extrafast and economical tape welding of industrial fabrics or coated woven materials.

Head Office: 130 Denison Street Hillsdale NSW 2036 PO Box 94 Matraville 2036 Phone 1300 13 14 67 Fax (02) 9695 3222

Quality Assured Company

www.leister.com.au MARCH 2012 · 11

Member Profile

Bustling Brisbane business For the past quarter of a century Dave Thorburn has been building up his skills and his business that specialises in shade cloth structures. In that time his small family business has won many large commercial tenders.

Make a note: there is no ‘n’ in the middle of the name Thorline or Thorburn. It’s a natural and common mistake, chuckles Dave Thorburn of Thorline Products. “The brain miscomputes, people always want to add that middle n!”

Evidently being situated in a road called Thorne Street does little to help either.

But luckily for Dave, Thorne St is not in the flood prone part of Brisbane and to date has escaped any damage from the torrential rains that caused havoc to many fellow businesses in the city’s west. In common with many compatriots the Thorburns did, however, pick up some restoration work in the aftermath of the floods and having been in the industry since 1988 the company name is well known in the right circles.

The list of expertise encompasses waterproof and mesh shade sails; framed and tensioned membrane structures; computer aided design and manufacture; UV protection for schools and kindergartens; PVC welding and sewing; contract design, cutting and welding; clear PVC blinds, mesh and canvas blinds. Thorline works with the full gamut of architectural fabrics: ultra violet treated PVDF and PVC; PVC coated mesh and PVC clear fabrics.

Over the decades Thorline Products has lent its expertise to shopping centres (outdoor seating areas and car parks), entrance foyers for private and public buildings as well as outdoor dining areas for restaurants, hotels and club houses, for public open space areas:

swimming pools and playgrounds; and for beach front properties to kindergartens.

Sixty forty split Domestic projects are numerous too: children’s play areas; swimming pools and surrounds, barbecue spots and car parks, but Thorline’s bread and butter is predominantly commercial work which is “by far the most profitable and stable but also comes with the most problems,” Dave told Connections. “For a small company we do some pretty large jobs and two or three good commercial jobs a year will keep us going as there is a good profit margin in commercial work.”

He cited one of big job that provided a few logistical issues triggered by the tyranny of distance. It involved covering two 60 x 30 metre basketball courts in Alice Springs. By necessity all goods ie steel work and fabric were transported from Brisbane in a semi–trailer, and Team Thorburn flew in and out several times during the course of the project.

“We had to do everything as we could not get local help,” Dave said. “Alice is well set up but everything is costly, up there things cost an arm and a leg. It was a real eye opener for Ben! The lesson to be learned there was to make sure you allow for all contingencies.”

Another thing they learnt was the pulling power of a website, which is how the crew in Alice Springs found them.

A national licensing system would be great but is probably a long way off.

THIS PAGE Far Left: Dave and Judy Thorburn with son Ben. Left: A Thorline-built structure.

OPPOSITE PAGE Eminently suitable shade cover for St Peters Lutheran College.

12 · CONNECTIONS

Survival of the fittest Connections wanted to know how Thorline has managed to do well over the years.

Dave said “I am a bit of a stickler for attention to detail and I always criticise finish, even if it takes a bit longer—I think about the customer and put myself in their place and that is how I like things. We always follow up on issues; if anything goes wrong we take it on the chest and fix it up.

“When data is not read thoroughly enough mistakes can be costly on shade structures with steel work. That [sort of error] was more prevalent in the first ten years, we are more experienced now. All our fabric is welded together now. You have to re–cut it if you make an error, sometimes you have to replace the whole thing.

“So quality control is very important. We are very confident in what we do and tend to do it properly the first time, every time,” said Dave who has clocked up 24 years in shade structures but originally trained as a motor mechanic.

Background An ability to adapt appears to be a strong characteristic, as demonstrated by Dave’s career progression. He was a keen sailor from where he developed an interest in sail making which in due course propelled him into shade structures.

“When I was younger I was good at picking things to pieces but not so good at putting them back together! So I used to do that with boat sails and got involved with the well known Jack Hamilton. After work I played around with a sewing machine, and then I went to work for Telecom [now Telstra] but took a redundancy package in 1989 which funded my business Thorline Products,” he explained.

Dave purchased various machines and set about stitching in his workshop located rather conveniently under his house.

“I bought a welder and learnt [about boat sail repairs] by the seat of my pants. I landed some large jobs and after six years bought the business property in Thorne Street.

We have been here ever since and have

employed various staff but now it is strictly family business with my son Ben [who plays a prominent role in the Young Leaders Group] doing the fabrication and my wife Judy doing the bookwork from the home office. We get extra help for installations when needed,” said Dave who along the way has picked up a string of industry qualifications.

Cutter plotter Demonstrating the true entrepreneurial spirit of small business the Thorburn staff successfully developed an improvised cutter.

Painting the picture Dave told us that a plotter–cutter can cost up to $100,000, and a home–grown contraption a whole lot less.

How so? Simply by using a drill and lots of elbow grease. Explained thus: “You need to have a table with hundreds of holes with an underlying vacuum system to suck fabric down to secure it in place while it is cut with something that looks like a pizza wheel. Some fabric costs as much as ninety dollars a square metre so if it moves and you have to replace it, it gets very costly. It is very important to hold it fast.

“To make our cutter table we spent two days drilling literally hundreds of holes in a table that was ten by three meters. The holes are just 10 millimetres apart. You could say we are hands on!”

Ups and downs The Thorburns cannot help but notice how many industry players have come and gone over the years. “Each time a new Yellow Pages lands on our doorstep we have a little ‘game’ to see who is new and who has departed and the movements have been quite noticeable over the past three years.”

Dave reckons that to remain in business you need to toughen up, saying “Anyone can pick up a sewing machine and stick two bits of cloth together and that [trend] has hit the industry hard; people come off the street and set up in business stitching shade sails but eventually they get caught out and leave the industry.”

Industry licensing in Queensland naturally impacts on fabrications and installations and according to Dave has “taken many people out of the game—those who are not prepared to do it properly and go to school and get a licence.”

That said, the regulations were enacted back in 1990 but were not thoroughly policed till seven years ago. Increasing incidents involving litigation and insurance claims prompted the BSA—Building Services Authority—to become more actively involved.

“We have met them to get all on board to do the right things and it is working better now, and I would say that other States lag a bit behind Queensland. A national licensing system would be great but is probably a long way off.”

A retrospective Dave also reflected on the industry association he joined back in 1992 and within seven years was presiding over.

“Back in 1999 when I was president of the association we had 300 members and we did things a little differently, we had lots of sub– committees and reports. The different sections included shade sails and sail makers, training, tarpaulins and transport, geomembranes and blind makers.”

He also said that one of his toughest tasks while president was downsizing office staff.

“We had to sack an assistant, we were struggling and could not afford it; the council could not see the need for a second person, though we did take on extra staff around convention time.”

The association is heading in the right direction. “Membership has changed a bit. It is less diverse now. Many are concentrating on shade sails as that is where the work is,” he said.

“Broadly speaking we are on the right track, but geomembranes play a large and important role in the industry, there are some big players nationally. The same is the case with blind makers, but we do not have a report or a committee. These are the two [segments] that could stand.”

For more information visit www.thorline.com.au MARCH 2012 · 13

Expo preview

Get ready to Expo!

Saturday May 26 to Monday May 28 2012 Report by Ana Drougas and Nicola Card

Expo venue perfect for us The people on the Expo Committee working hard for your enjoyment are: Ana Drougas, Brendan Hall and Ali Ozen of Bradmills, Gary Smith and Zoe Smith of Campbell and Heeps, Danny Ashby of Radins and RMIT’s Kent Williamson.

The venue for this year’s Expo is the mighty Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). It’s the very first time we have been to MCEC and we are rather excited as its architectural design has picked up a string of awards and overall is touted one of the best convention centres.

The MCEC proudly promotes itself as the world’s one and only six-star Green Star environmentally rated convention centres.

Situated right on the banks of the Yarra River and within walking distance of train stations, trams and a string of cafes the venue could not be more central or more perfect for our upcoming event.

The aim of the Expo Committee is to ensure that most events are within walking distance of MCEC and so far we have succeeded. Our last expo in Melbourne was held at the old Convention Centre which was very convenient for exhibitors, visitors and delegates. This year 14 · CONNECTIONS

we are just across the river, and even closer to all entertainment.

Accommodation The main hotels we have negotiated accommodation rates with are the Metropol and Promenade—both within a five-minute walk of the MCEC.

and there is plenty of room to move in and out with ease.

A specialised management team operates the loading dock, which spans the entire length of the Exhibition Centre, with a one-way traffic flow to facilitate ease of transportation.

There are no space restrictions (ceiling height, doorways etc).

Trade expo What makes our Expo unique (compared to other similar industry events in Australia) is that we incorporate two components—a conference and a trade exhibition.

We are filling two bays at the Exhibition Centre, and anticipate the usual very high standard of displays and display material.

The trade displays are widely regarded as a most important component of the Expo, the ideal vehicle for suppliers to reach the industry, potential buyers and colleagues.

We plan to showcase some of the more eyecatching stands in July/August Connections At last year’s expo we were situated on the conference side of the SCEC exhibition venue and experienced some restrictions with onsite storage and power. This year there will be none of that. Ample storage space and power outlets are available on site at the MCEC

Above and below: The shimmering sophistication of Melbourne’s Convention Centre

MARCH 2012 路 15

Expo preview

Above right: Get ready to rock with Big City Beat!

laneways, grand and ornate arcades and iconic architecture.

In recent years this “feet on the ground” activity has become a star attraction for visitors from across the globe and all walks of life.

The fruits of the Young Leaders Challenge

And some very entertaining evenings

In a conference highlight with a difference, the two Young Leader teams will be displaying their final project in the exhibition area.

Not a model scale reproduction—a full size prototype shelter that is specially designed for speedy and effective protection for citizens caught out in an emergency.

Visitors will be able to examine and inspect each project and then stand back and admire it. On show will be the top-notch craftsmanship that our talented younger members are capable of producing.

Saturday evening May 26 Our welcome reception on Saturday night will be staged at the MCEC. We are duplicating the format of last year’s very successful and by all accounts popular ‘cocktail and canapés’ gathering held on the first evening which enables delegates to catch up in an informal setting.

This event will kick off at 6.30pm and conclude at 8.30pm, leaving delegates free to select from the rich smorgasbord that is Melbourne’s nightlife.

Guest speakers At present we have several guest speakers lined up and once they are confirmed we will promote their names and topics.

This year on the business side of our Expo we are trying something new with our business sessions and are calling for ‘papers’ from industry.

Daytime entertainment Saturday May 26 To kick off …

Being in Melbourne we will be taking full advantage of the football season by fronting up to the monumental MCG to take in the Richmond vs Hawthorn match. Die-hard AFL supporters will not want to miss that game.

Also on the program is a walking tour exploring Melbourne’s heritage: its funky 16 · CONNECTIONS

Sunday evening May 27 Time for members to show their true part spirit! The traditional fancy dress themed event that takes place on Sunday May 26 will be in the elegant surrounds of Crown’s famous nightclub Studio 3.

The Expo committee is currently finalising all details so stay tuned for more … and then start planning those head-turning outfits!

Monday May 28: Awards for Excellence night at the Palladium MegaStars—party the night away to Australia’s most entertaining export!

Our night of nights, our jewel in the crown is the Awards for Excellence dinner that this year takes place on Monday May 28 and will be hosted by the very amusing Marty Fields.

This Awards event will be appropriately staged at Crown’s sumptuous Palladium and in a special coup we have managed to secure the colorful, highly entertaining and all-round popular band Big City Beat which is taking its MEGASTAR performance around the globe.

Described as Australia’s most versatile and entertaining band, BigCityBeat captures the top popular music—and costumes—of the 60s, 70s, 80s and today. Think Michael Jackson, Elvis, Kylie, Beyonce and more. With a pulsating party vibe, the Melbourne based band has wowed audiences the world over, from Beijing to Singapore, New Zealand, Oman, Adelaide and Darwin … to say nothing of sellout performances to appreciative audiences in and around Melbourne. Now it is our turn.

What better way for members to kick up their heels and unwind!

Heard on the street: “Brian Rault—one of the most outstanding live performers of today.”

Connections managed to track down BigCityBeat band manager/lead vocalist Brian “Are you ready to Rock!” Rault—a man with a personality as big as his celebrity status—who said “Watch out, we have a special MEGASTAR performance lined up for you to help you celebrate your sparkling new name and your emerging industry leaders. Keep an ear on our lyrics! And be forewarned and prepared—we thrive on audience participation. If you are enjoying our gig, so are we! So put on your dancing shoes and be ready to rock!

“And for all of you daggy dancers, I can teach you a thing or two … I am shameless and blameless in my dance moves.” www.bigcitybeat.com.au

Superb STRUCTURES

Classy shade covers As summer draws to a close and with most students now back at college, we take a look at school premises that are graced with awnings and coverings that are fashioned and fabricated by talented association members.

Architectural Fabric Solutions Australian Trade College in Scarborough, Queensland Fabric Name: Z16 Fabric Supplier: Rainbow Shades In the words of AFS: The Australian Trade College underwent a renovation of its facilities during 2009/2010. We were commissioned to design a set of shade sails for the entrance that reflected the college’s speciality in the building industry.

In keeping with good design the sails are simple and functional and innovative with a degree of complexity that is appreciated on further viewing. They had to be different from the standard hypar or variation of the hypar concept.

All the manufacturing and designing was done by AFS in-house, and the interrelationship of the shade sails is designed to convey the importance of concept, planning, design and execution in building projects.

Our team also installed the structure. The wall plates were fabricated in our factory. There was good access to all fixing points which meant there was no requirement for heavy lifting equipment, however the project presented several challenges in the design, as follows: 1. No posts or steelwork could be erected in the forecourt area.

2. All the fixing points had to be attached to the buildings with minimal visual impact 18 · CONNECTIONS

3. The shade sails had to provide shade and also had to reflect the nature of the college.

4. The height of the buildings restricted the positioning of the fixing points which was critical in achieving the interrelationship between the three shade sails.

5. All the fixing points had to be fitted exactly to the design specifications otherwise the sails could not intersect.

6. The positioning of the intersection points in each shade sail had to allow the intersecting shade sail to pass centrally through the hole called for precise patterning.

7. The tensioning of each shade sail had to be balanced to ensure the seam lines were straight and the intersecting sail was centrally located, adding to the aesthetic appeal of the project.

This project presented many hidden problems, mainly in the fabrication and installation of the shade sails; however our newly gained expertise has been very beneficial in many other projects we have since undertaken.

We have received many positive comments about the design, use of the existing buildings and functionality.

Above: Interlocking sails at the Australian Trade College, Scarborough.

Seamtek Smartseal range Premium Furniture

Available through Austech Welders Pty Ltd www.austechwelders.com

SP36 Pedestal Austech Welders are proud to announce being appointed as the Australian distributor for the Smartseal by Seamtek range of hot air welders and seam tapers.

SP36 Side Arm

Seamtek are industry leaders in rotary hot air welding and seam sealing. Their welders/tapers feature Smartseal digital control technology. As the first rotary hot air welder to use a touch screen controlled PLC (a standard feature for over 10 years) the Seamtek welder/taper makes it easy for the operator to control on the fly speed adjustments and differential wheel speeds, repeat complex shape patterns and precisely control production variables.

For ease of use and the ability to change from one type of weld to another quickly and easily nothing beats the SP range of welders. The one welder can be configured with a pedestal, side arm and quick arm. The operator can change between these by simply swinging one out of the way and swinging the new one into place.

For more information on the new Seamtek call Greg on 0418 771 600.

SP36 Quick Arm

Austech Welders Pty Ltd Managing Director — Greg Schmidt Ph: 0418 771 600 Fx: (08) 9498 3015 Email — info@austechwelders.com

www.austechwelders.com NSW Rep – Robin Pethybridge Ph: 0413 744 315 Email — gosew@optusnet.com.au Come and visit us at ACASPA Expo 2012 on stands 64, 65, 66 & 67

Superb STRUCTURES

Sail City Lady Fatima School in Melville, WA Fabric Name: Rainbow Shade Z16 Fabric Supplier: Rainbow Shade The project was twofold in concept: To provide effective shade cover to the eastern front of the new library at Lady Fatima school in Perth’s

southern suburbs, and include suitable shady spots outdoors where students gather.

The design form was determined to allow more than one group of students to use the shade at the same time, hence the cluster design of the sails. Wanting a modern look, the client agreed to a radical lean-back of 18 degrees on each of the posts.

The challenge for us was to organise the available space in a manner that satisfies both form and function, with simplicity. This we achieved. The students now use the shade areas as planned and the client is satisfied with the design and outcome.

Yarra Shade Co Pty Ltd

The goal was to construct a strong and reliable shade solution for two basketball courts without creating too dark an environment for basketballs.

Sufficient and reasonable height was necessary taking into account the nature of the ball game.

Concrete was pumped in and poles moved with a crane truck. It is 36 x 40m and the overall effect is both eye catching and very functional.

The project was finished on deadline and on budget.

The structure is now ready for a third cloth to be installed alongside the others, sharing the poles.

Lavalla College in Traralgon, Victoria Fabric Name: ComShade90 Fabric Supplier: Clarke Shade In their words: This project consists of two joined curved bean shade structures in shade cloth, and nine posts (219 and 273mm steel, hot dip galvanised).

20 · CONNECTIONS

Above : A classy cluster of shade covers Below: Court coverings: sturdy shade for basketballers

Members, start working on your entries now!

2012 acaspa annual awards for Excellence Showcase your company’s innovation, technical skill and design excellence Who can EntEr? All ACASPA Members qualify for entry designers, manufacturers, fabricators and suppliers

MAM8818

aWarD catEgoriEs: n Geosynthetics, Liners n Marine, Motor Trimming and Custom Covers n Window Coverings and Awnings n Shade Sails and Structures n Tension Structure n Product Innovation n Young Achiever Award

aWarDs DinnEr: Winners to be announced in Melbourne on Monday 28 May 2012 at the Awards for Excellence Ceremonial dinner FurthEr inFormation: For any questions please contact Ana Drougas at ACASPA on 1300 555 787

012 2 l i r ap h t 0 2 iDay r F m E: 5p n i Awards presented by l D Ea D y r Ent

EntEr onlinE at www.acaspa.com.au

Superb STRUCTURES

Advanced Shade Systems Pty Ltd Sheldon College in Sheldon, Queensland Fabric Name: Ferrari 8023 Fabric Supplier: Innova

Creative Shade Sails Cavendish State High School in Holland Park, Queensland Fabric Name: Z16 Fabric Supplier: Rainbow Shade In October 2011 Cavendish High School commissioned a feasibility study into new shade sails to protect school children from damaging UV rays and blinding light in their quadrangle.

The client requested shade sails that were both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

With that in mind our design consisted of four shade sails that are inter-linked to reduce updraught on the large sails and make it simpler to replace individual damaged sails (rather than one large sail). The school chose the colour and fabric to create a natural feel while also providing protection.

The job commenced in early 2011 … but thick dark grey clouds then rolled over - and down came torrential rain, followed by more rain, and yet more. The Queensland floods that made headline news around the nation meant we had to call a complete halt to the project.

Once the ground dried up the race was as on to complete the project prior to school recommencing. The integrity of the existing posts and footings were checked and the final few 22 · CONNECTIONS

posts were installed. With time running out, the site specifications were then hand drafted to scale and manufacturing began immediately, but this was the toughest aspect of this project.

With a floor space of 14 x 15m and sails measuring 20 x 15m each, they needed to be manufactured in halves and then seamed. At no point could a complete sail be viewed. On top of that the four sails were interlinked with a total of 60 connections points; there was no room for error.

The sails were installed in late January 2011 without a hitch and the results are what you see today in the pictures on this page.

The project brief was to design, construct and install a 12m x 12m clear span waterproof conical structure to cover Sheldon College’s barbecue area which is used for student sausage sizzles and award nights.

The structure had to provide both shade and waterproof protection. With an extra large stainless steel BBQ, landscaped gardens and new stainless steel tables the structure had to be something that suited the area and was not to be a standard boring rolled arch or apex structure.

The solution was a large clear span conical structure.

We presented the customer with three design options: Two linked waterproof umbrellas; a shade fabric shade structure; or the cone structure (as illustrated).

We recommended that one large structure was the best option as it reduced the number of necessary posts. This freed up room for seating and cooking, and made it more accessible.

Because design specifications prevented a centre pole, we had to design a way that the four rafters could run into a single centre point where the centre mast would connect. This was achieved by creating a large steel boxed section that all four rafters connected to and the centre mast with bale ring attached was inserted through the middle. This created a jack able mast system which would give us ease of install and adjustment in the fabric.

Installation/location/use Due to the way the structure was designed with the jack able mast system installing the fabric proved to be one of the easiest parts of this structure. The material was attached to the bale ring, spread out over the frame, fixed in the corners then underwent final tension with the mast being jacked into place.

Top left:: Stylish shade and comfort for students Below: Taking the heat out of barbecues

Superb STRUCTURES

Some of the more difficult challenges included hoisting the steel with cranes from different levels in the school ground and having to bridge footings over groups of electrical conduits.

As the installation is located in a student thoroughfare we needed to ensure that the dates for installation did not disrupt normal school life, therefore the work was conducted during the holiday period.

Unique qualities The college wanted a waterproof structure with a 15 year warranty membrane roof which would provide all weather protection.

Our design was customised to combine practicality and elegance. We accommodated the needs of the students of the school in our timetable for the project.

The footings for this structure are large and with bolt cages.

Although we had been advised by the college that there was no underground power in the area our own checks identified phone lines and fibre optic cables. At this point we redesigned and used a bridged footing to cover the cables. The college is delighted with the final product - and very grateful that for our due diligence which averted a potentially expensive error on their part.

The cone structure was completely designed, constructed

24 · CONNECTIONS

and installed by our company and our specialist engineer.

Only the fabrication was subcontracted. The client was delighted with the finished result.

Abacus Shade Structures Demonstrating their productivity, Abacus submitted several notable structures for review in the 2011 Awards for Excellence.

Epping Boys High School, NSW Fabric Name: Polyplan 787 Fabric Supplier: Wax Converters Textiles The project comprised a large waterproof barrel vault structure over the assembly area at Epping Boys High School in Sydney.

The main waterproof shade structure is 770sqm.

Funding was available via the Federal Government’s $16 billion Education Revolution program to provide economic stimulus during the global financial crisis of 2009/10.

The school felt that a structure was a sensible and practical way of spending the allocated funds to obtain a real value for money and a very visual, protective and sensible product as: • A comfortable environment can help students learn • The area would be multi functional and used by study

groups, sporting, recreational and assembly use • Our hot climate and outdoor use has resulted in unacceptable skin cancer levels, and • The health and welfare of our students is most important.

The structure was installed over the heavily used main assembly area which is a multi functional area also used for sport and recreation.

Shade structures are cost effective, but it was the confidence the Principal had in working with our company from concept to completion of the project that led to big savings.

The Principal was very happy with the outcome, and through his connections and recommendations we have since secured many more school projects.

Below left: Epping Boys High School in Eastwood, NSW Below right: Murray Farm Structure in Carlingford, NSW

Abacus Shade Structures Murray Farm Structure in Carlingford, NSW Fabric Name: Valmex FR700 Fabric Supplier: Shann The project comprised a large waterproof barrel vault structure over an asphalt recreational area at Murray Farm Public School in Sydney. The structure measures 10m x 13metres.

The purpose of the structure was to increase the level of shading for students at the school.

The area is multi functional and used for study groups, sport and recreation.

Once again the health and welfare of our students is shown to be an important aspect of school policy.

This structure is part of the school’s Sun Smart policy which aims to reduce student and staff exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), reduce sunburn and the risk of skin cancer. Funding was available through the Education Revolution grants program.

Because the area is waterproof, the children can still make use of it when it is raining.

The location was in a busy area of the school where children collect to play or relax when outside the classroom.

The design had two spreader beams running across the width of the structure and extending beyond the frame.

Because of this the fabric could then be curved from point to point without the need for tracking making the structure more delicate in appearance.

There are only three upright posts on one side, and the opposite side of the frame sits on an elevated concrete awning against the building.

The client was very pleased with the result and our company has since designed and built other shade sails for the school.

Abacus Shade Structures

Above left: Loquat Valley’s eye-catching cantilever

Loquat Valley Public School, NSW Fabric Name: Mehler FR900 Fabric Supplier: Shann

Above right: Horizon Sail Structures accommodated all needs

The purpose of the project was to provide shelter for a proposed eating area using tiered seating.

The area had previously been deemed unusable due to its steep aspect and boggy ground.

The client requested that: in event of rain, the area would to remain dry; that the midday sun would be blocked; and that water would not flow to the lower paved area but rather to the rear of the structure.

As the area was extremely steep and elevated, it necessitated a rather outlandish cantilever structure with huge 9 to 11m arms on substantial columns. All three footings had to be connected with a single concrete beam to provide a counterweight to the bending forces of the arms.

The steep gradient of the site and almost non-existent access due to trees, overhead power lines and underground services meant it was a project we would have preferred to pass on to our competitors! However we coped well with all aspects and the end result was fantastic.

The client was extremely happy and has since presented us with more jobs.

Below right: Thorline’s multipurpose shade cover

slab with suitable strength and thickenings were inserted into the slab prior to our installation of posts. Posts could be chemically anchored, thereby significantly reducing installation time and costs.

Thorline Products

Horizon Sail Structures Ormiston College in Ormiston, Queensland Fabric Name: 802S Fabric Supplier: Innova A new outdoor learning area was being constructed and our client required a waterproof covering that would allow cooling breezes and light transmission while still retaining the outdoor feel of the area.

Having previously installed several bespoke waterproof sail structures for this client, they were confident that we would be able to design, manufacture and install a structure suitable for area and in compliance with their specific requirements.

The structure had to span the entire area with no central supports. We worked closely with the builder who constructed the

Pool cover for St Peters Lutheran College in Indooroopilly, Queensland Fabric Name: Valmex 7216 Fabric Supplier: Shann Our client, a private school in Brisbane’s western suburbs, requested a waterproof cover for the assembly and viewing area at their 25m pool complex.

The cover was to extend four metres over the pool to provide protection over swimming lanes used for the school program, so the actual span of the cover came in at 13.5m by 36m.

Another requirement was to capture enough rainwater to fill up to 70% of the storage tanks located behind the fence, so our final design took that into account along with minimum height requirements.

Frames had to be lifted into place by a crane with sufficient reach to lift 30m away as no closer access was possible. A small compact crane was also required.

Given the limited access, the fabric cover was fabricated in three sections for ease of installation, with waterproofing flaps fitted over each join.

The rear sections of the covers were fitted with infills and the tails flashed into the fulllength rainwater gutters.

All assembly and installation was conducted by the Thorline team.

The client was extremely pleased with the finished product.

MARCH 2012 · 25

TechNical

Incredibly smart textiles As understanding evolves and resources become available, interactive textiles could be headed into the mainstream.

By Barb Ernster Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak may be fiction, but it could be a reality in the not-too-distant future. That may be a matter of physics, but perhaps a smart textile will help it along. Who would have thought a decade ago that fabrics could be made to congeal a bleeding wound, monitor and transmit bioactivity, become a personal area network, administer medications or create their own heat? These are all part of the here and now, thanks to advances in interactive textiles, or “smart fabrics.”

It is a market segment with amazing performance qualities and perhaps equally amazing potential. According to a report

by Global Industry Analysts, the global market for smart fabric and interactive textile technologies is expected to reach $1.8 billion by 2015, with major growth sectors in biophysical monitoring solutions and phase change materials. In addition, seamless integration between electronics and fabrics is expected to expand the use of electro-active smart fabrics in future applications.

Just scratching the surface David O’Keefe, president and CEO of Advanced Fabric Technologies LLC (AFT) in Houston, Texas, is excited about the possibilities with smart fabrics and says the technology exists to do all kinds of things, but it takes patience to match it with the right companies, produce a prototype and bring it to market.

AFT makes blast mitigating, anti-ballistic fabrics that employ its patented design principle called HAY (helical auxetic yarn).

This technology allows auxetic yarns to stretch at low strain rates and absorb greater energy than comparable fabrics, such as an aramid, which doesn’t move and stretch. Adding 26 · CONNECTIONS

sensors or nanotubes make it “smart,” and able to provide feedback in a medical or industrial application or increase its ability to absorb and move.

The company is also developing a fluid release system that could release medication, such as a coagulant, to stop bleeding from a wound. “There’s no trick to a flat bandage, but if it can determine through sensors what the bacteria level is and self-administer medication, then it would be a smart bandage.

You can incorporate all kinds of things in running shoes, bandages, uniforms. We’re just scratching the surface on this,” says O’Keefe.

“I see this as our next-generation effort to be able to produce smart fabrics for existing product lines.”

The company is establishing an R&D program with Texas Tech University, which will design and develop auxetic yarns that can be tested in different disciplines, and Touchstone Research Laboratory, Triadelphia, West Virginia, which will do computer modeling for test runs on different applications.

If you can do a surface modification that increases its UV resistance, you can extend its life and drive down the cost of outdoor fabrics like awnings.

Below:University of Illinois researchers can mount electronic devices on an ultrathin, skin-like platform that can be placed on the skin with the ease, flexibility and comfort of a temporary tattoo. The electronics do not need wires, conductive gel or pins, and they bend, stretch and deform with the same mechanical properties as skin.

Above and right: Lullaby is an interactive quilt that brings a parent and child, who are separated by distance, closer together.

Family members can share a loving touch by experiencing it visually in patterns of LED light produced when the quilt is caressed.

“The great thing about auxetic technology is that we have the ability to mix and match all kinds of fiber families to create the fabric that we need for that specific application,” says O’Keefe. “We’re not limited to one specific pattern, so it gives us the opportunity to explore all types of weaving and knitting. It’s so much more than military. It has a greater potential in civilian disciplines. Now it’s just talking to the right companies and getting the needed interest to produce prototypes in different applications.”

Being able to choose the starting fabric construction for certain properties and add customized conductive polymer coatings for a variety of applications is one of the most exciting trends in smart textiles, according to Dr. Jamshid Avloni, president of Eeonyx Corp. in Pinole, California.

The company offers a line of conductive polymer coatings that can be applied to fabrics, felts, foams, powders and plastics over a large range of tunable resistances.

These are used in a range of military and commercial applications, including resistive heaters for warming blankets, all-weather boots and de-icing aircraft wings; ESD protection for clean room garments and electronics; microwave-absorbing fabrics and antennas; and dynamic pressure sensors for biomedical, sports, military and automotive applications.

“Small and large companies are keeping their eyes open and there are good reports on the state of the field,” notes Avloni. “There is a wide range of applications, and we can’t keep up with the R&D.”

Interest grows in safety and protection Physical Optics Corp. (POC) in Torrance, California, is seeing some trickle-down activity from special forces in the military to law enforcement and first responders interested in its wearable networks to improve their safety and protection, according to Dr. Eric Gans, director of systems engineering.

The company developed a body conformable electronic vest system called WEARNET® for soldier-worn applications. It provides vest-integrated power and data connectors for tactical radios, GPS devices and smartphones, in essence creating a wearable, personal area network.

The company is working with battery manufacturers to create batteries that conform to the body as well, and is involved in efforts to integrate intelligence into the systems and the connectors themselves to provide real-time data and power monitoring, active voltage regulation, automatic fault protection and energy harvesting.

Some clients are looking for the ability to integrate surveillance features or cell

phone displays directly into the garment itself, says Gans. The company is also developing nanocoated fabrics that can seal a bullet wound to prevent the injured person from bleeding to death, and for medical monitoring purposes.

“Noninvasive health monitoring is a growing field, not just in hospitals, but also athletics.

For example, football players and coaches are really keen on monitoring the concussive effect of a hit or a heart rate during really high temperatures,” says Gans.

Engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed an ultrathin skin-mounted electronic patch that can be powered by solar cells or wireless coils and can provide physiological status monitoring and stimulation. The electronic components—transistors, diodes and other semiconductors that are flattened and shrunk—are arranged on a sheet of rubbery “elastomer” that matches the thickness and elasticity of the skin. This makes it more comfortable and less cumbersome to wear than traditional electrodes and distinguishes it from other smart textile technologies, according to John Rogers, professor of materials science and engineering.

“It is conformal, stretchy and soft, just like the skin. As a result you can wear it without feeling it at all,” says Rogers. “It’s a new way of monitoring the human body, with future MARCH 2012 · 27

TechNical

potential to also affect therapies, such as stimulation or heat.”

Besides gathering biomedical data, such as electrical signals produced by the heart, skinmounted electronics could also help patients with muscular or neurological disorders to communicate or interface with computers. By placing the platform on the throat, it is able to distinguish muscle movement and feed signals to a computer that recognizes simple speech.

The technology essentially blurs the distinction between biology and electronics, according to Rogers, and ultimately could provide an electronic link to the body’s most subtle processes and aid in tracking diseases.

Above left: Today’s soldiers carry more equipment in the field. WEARNET made by Physical Optics Corp in California is solving these issues by integrating electronics into a wearable system that is lightweight, reduces overall cable length, eliminates the need for multiple batteries and maintains a comfortable, non-bulky feel.

Above right Woven quartz fibre with a nanocoating of tungsten metal has been developed by researchers at North Carolina State University. These nanocoatings on synthetic and natural textiles are opening the door for a variety of textiles to be used as new platforms for sensors and other simple electronics.

“Smart” path to lower costs Researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) have been focusing on the formation of functional inorganic nanocoatings on textiles, using a process called atomic layer deposition.

The coatings have been applied toward new electronic devices based on a textile framework and protection of textiles from UV radiation and chemicals.

The research aims to find new applications for textiles, extending the life of textiles or applying textiles that are inherently incompatible to existing technologies to lower costs. The researchers are exploring conductive metal, transparent conductive and semi-conductive inorganic coatings on textile materials, such as nonwoven nylon, polypropylene and woven cotton, for commercial applications in electronic sensing that take advantage of the flexibility and high surface areas of textiles.

Much of the emphasis on the use of smart electronic textiles is in the medical industry, particularly in Europe, says Dr. Jesse Jur, 28 · CONNECTIONS

assistant professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science at the NCSU College of Textiles. Currently, atomic layer deposition technology has a good footing in the microelectronics industry, which is actively exploring low-cost, high-manufacturing processing routes. The College of Textiles is also collaborating with Dr. Gregory Parsons, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering in the College of Engineering at NCSU, to address this challenge with textiles.

“Prof. Parsons and I hope that as the fundamental understanding of this technology progresses, we’ll soon be able to demonstrate cost-effective applications for atomic layer deposition to be used to modify the surface of textiles with added functionality,” says Jur. In one application, they put a UV-absorbing barrier layer on the textile surface to extend the life of the textile. This would be especially beneficial on green materials, such as cotton or recycled polyester, which tend to break down more quickly under UV exposure.

But if you can do a surface modification that increases its UV resistance, you can extend its life and drive down the cost of outdoor fabrics like awnings, and may even reduce the overall carbon footprint of making the material, says Jur. These coatings could also be applied to protective clothing and other applications.

“There is some really great research going on in smart textiles, using textiles for new applications. It’s a growing field and as the fundamental understanding evolves, the accessibility for small and mid-sized companies to these nanotechnologies is inevitably going to increase. Still, scaling is one of the major challenges for moving technologies from a lab to industry,” he says.

“While a lot of these technologies are really innovative, the proper resources need to be present for this transition. The resources we have available at N.C. State in the College of Textiles and the Nonwovens Institute allows for us to make the transition much easier.”

As for Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak, some researchers are exploring the physics behind it and Jur is willing to suggest that smart fabric technology could contribute to its possibility.

“Using the same techniques to apply the conductive layers and UV barriers, there may soon be additional ways to change the appearance or behavior of textile products on demand.”

Barb Ernster is a freelance writer based in Fridley, Minnesota.

This article which appeared in the October 2011 issue of Specialty Fabrics Review is reprinted with kind permission of IFAI.

MARCH 2012 路 29

SPoTlight The latest offerings from ACASPA members Pathfinder CAD—‘Learn to use in 30 minutes’ Pathfinder Australia Pty Ltd—proudly Australian made and owned—has released PathWorksTM , CAD software designed for pattern digitising, development and nesting.

“This system is unique. A person who has never used CAD can learn PathWorks in as little as thirty minutes,” says Wayne Walker, Pathfinder’s Sales Manager for Australia & New Zealand.

As a manufacturer of automated cutting room solutions since 1996, Pathfinder has worked closely with many ACASPA manufacturers and services the apparel, furniture, automotive, aerospace and military sectors.

Normally, larger companies are well equipped with technical personnel familiar with CAD software who use this technology extensively within their existing manufacturing process.

The challenge for smaller companies taking the first steps to CAD/CAM is complex software solutions that require one week or more of training, with only partial knowledge retention. Re–training staff to replace those that have left or are on holiday is both disruptive and costly.

Pathfinder realised that CAD had to be simplified, so two full–time in house software engineers developed PathWorks. Several people can be trained at once and the program provides the facility for digitisation and nest patterns, creating the most efficient use of material.

This flexibility helps boost business profitability by eliminating the risk of interruptions to manufacturing while increasing material yield and decreasing the skill required.

• A summary of why PathWorks is unique: • Easy to learn—in as little as 30 minutes.

• Complete integration—every task works under one program.

Most other systems require separate modules for digitising/ nesting/output.

• Capable of working with open shapes. Most other programs require closed shapes.

• Magnetic Nesting—manual nesting feature that simulates a gravitational attraction between shapes.

• Automatic Nesting—providing the fastest and most efficient nesting available.

Phone Pathfinder Australia Pty Ltd on (03) 9338 3471 or visit www.pathfinderaus.com.au

PathWorks CAD/CAM Pattern Digitising and Automatic Pattern Nesting

Pathfinder’s new CAD/CAM facility

Pathfinder has opened a new CAD/CAM Demonstration and Training Facility next to Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.

This permanent demonstration and training facility enables companies to evaluate CAD/CAM technology in a bid to reduce labour costs, save material and boost production capacity, quality 30 · CONNECTIONS

and operational flexibility. The ability to quickly generate pattern pieces, nest the shapes for best material yield, and then cut automatically, is the future of manufacturing in high labour cost markets such as Australia.

With Pathfinder’s new facility company directors can discuss their current methods

of production and view a demonstration on the ease and simplicity of CAD/CAM production: digitising shapes, nesting for best yield, and cutting materials with speed and accuracy.

Some smaller manufacturers who may feel CAD/CAM is too complicated or costly are pleasantly surprised to learn that these machines virtually ‘pay for themselves’ with significant savings in labour and materials and a dramatic increase in productivity. “In fact the most common statement we hear after intalling a Pathfinder CAD/CAM solution is ‘I really should have done this 10 years ago!’” said Wayne.

“The good news it is not to late and costs nothing to find out the truth, all people have to do is call me to schedule a time to visit. We have people flying in from all over Australia weekly.”

Call Wayne Walker 03 9338 3471

Semi-Transparent Membrane Fabrics The Semi-Transparent Membrane fabrics from Hiraoka allow you to create an environment that feels like the bright outdoors, but provides excellent weather protection.

High Tensile Strength There are many situations where it may be desirable to utilise a fabric with very high light transmission capabilities.

We now have high tensile fabrics to suit applications such as shopping centre or hotel atriums, sport stadiums where light levels are critical for grass growth, structures with a shaded aspect, etc.

Brilliant Light Transmission These incredibly durable materials permit very high levels of natural light in to a structure to create a wonderful ambience.

Inspired Designs The Semi-Transparent fabrics can also be combined with the more traditional white fabrics in the same structure. The high strength base cloth used for these fabrics is the same as that used in our white fabrics.

Combining white and semi-transparent fabrics that have the same biaxial behaviour can lead to inspired designs using the colour and light differential to create dramatic patterns.

These architectural fabrics are waterproof, block all UVA and UVB light and are very durable. The fabric incorporates a Heat Shield additive to reduce solar heat gain.

This additive also helps to protect the fabric from UV degradation.

These fabrics are available in a range of strengths/weight to match the existing white membrane fabrics.

Let The Light Shine These structures also become beautiful glowing landmarks at night when lit from within. The addition of some coloured lighting generates an eye catching feature.

MARCH 2012 路 31

UPDATE

Ricky Richards welcomes newcomer Ricky Richards is pleased to announce that Frances Scavia has joined its ever growing team in the role of Senior Account Manager—Architectural Textiles.

Frances brings with her a wealth of experience in sales and marketing, business development and project management and will focus on creating brand awareness for products from the Ricky Richards structure and membrane fabric solutions ranges.

Based at the Ricky Richards head office in Sydney, Frances will be working closely with manufacturers assisting in facilitating projects for specifier markets in the engineering, architectural and design communities.

Over the coming weeks Frances will be visiting customers across Australia.

She looks forward to the opportunity to meet people within the industry.

Frances can be reached by email: francess@rickyrichards.com.au or by phone 02 9735 3333. www.rickyrichards.com.au

NEW Durkopp Adler model: H867 Unbeatable high performance heavy duty sewing with Durkopp Adler M-TYPE technology

• •

The large clearance (700 x 157mm) facilitates the handling of large area work pieces bottom feed, needle feed and alternating walking feet

• • • •

•

Up to 12mm long stitches Extremely high sewing foot lift of 25mm The sewing foot stroke up to 9mm allows material piles New needle system of 328

• •

New hook system with 3XL bobbin for thread sizes up to nm 8/3 Sewing speed up to 2,000 stitches/min Robust thread trimmer guarantees a safe and clean cutting of extreme thick sewing threads

with the very best in after sales support via, product application knowledge, unequaled spare part deliveries and factory trained service technicians is the benchmark in the industry. Isn’t it time you took a closer look? | PO Box 130 | 3 Gunya Street Regents Park NSW 2143 Telephone (02) 9645 2500 | Fax (02) 9644 4711 | E-mail info@dasec.com.au | www.dasec.com.au

32 · CONNECTIONS

MAGAZINE READER SURVEY

!

The purpose of the Connections Magazine Reader Survey is to gain an understanding of what you read and what you are interested in reading so we can continue to improve the magazine.

The survey should only take a few minutes of your time, and once you have completed both sides, please return it before Wednesday 29 February 2012 via: MAIl to: Connections Reader Survey PO Box 1003, ELSTERNWICK VIC 3185 or FAx to: 03 9521 2116 or ScAN AND EMAIl to: office@acaspa.com.au or coMplEtE oNlINE: Go to acaspa.com.au and click on Connections Reader Survey.

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Q1: How often do you read Connections? (tick the most applicable option) Every issue Occasional issues Specific issues Rarely Never

Q4: How informative do you find Connections? (tick the most applicable option) Very informative Informative Not sure/ Neutral Not informative I think it’s a waste of members’ funds

Q2: How extensively do you read Connections? (tick the most applicable option) Generally, I read it from cover to cover I casually flick through the content I tend to seek out specific content I’m only interested in the advertisements

Q5: Please tell us what you think of the overall quality of articles in Connections? (tick the most applicable option) Very high quality High quality Not sure/ Neutral Low quality Very low quality

MAM8820

Q3: Who reads Connections in your organisation? (tick the most applicable option) As far as I know, just me I circulate Connections to others in our organisation but I’m not sure if anyone else reads it I am pretty sure my work colleagues read Connections I know it is widely read throughout our organisation Mostly, it sits on the desk unwrapped

Q6: Please tell us what you think needs to be improved in Connections. __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Continued over page >>

1

2

3

4

5

From the ACASPA Office (Update from Association Manager, Ana Drougas) .............................

From the ACASPA Office (Update from ACASPA President, Glenn Barlow) ................................

News on industry movers and shakers........................................................................................

Special industry/segment based features ....................................................................................

Special company based features.................................................................................................

Member/individual profiles .........................................................................................................

State based reports ....................................................................................................................

Articles on training, learning and development ..........................................................................

Articles on marketing and sales ..................................................................................................

Articles on finance .....................................................................................................................

Articles on best practice .............................................................................................................

Articles on work health safety ....................................................................................................

Articles on business technology..................................................................................................

Member product previews and updates .....................................................................................

Legislative and regulatory developments eg carbon tax .............................................................

Industry developments ...............................................................................................................

Environmental developments .....................................................................................................

Member directory ......................................................................................................................

Product directory ........................................................................................................................

Photo gallery ..............................................................................................................................

Conference and events diary ......................................................................................................

Analysis and opinion pieces by members and other experts .......................................................

Results of surveys/indices commissioned by organisations like Australian Industry Group etc .....

New member profiles .................................................................................................................

Q8: Is there anything specific that you would like to see added to Connections? __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Q9: What is your preferred format for Connections? (tick all applicable options) Printed/hard copy PDF HTML Digital for devices such as iPhone, Android, iPad, Tablet etc Q10: How would you prefer to receive Connections? (tick all applicable options) By post By email with a PDF attachment By email with a link to the magazine on acaspa.com.au Q11: Would you recommend Connections to others? (tick the most applicable option) No Yes Neutral Not sure

Q12: If you didn’t receive Connections as part of your membership package, would you pay for a subscription or purchase it from a news agent? (tick the most applicable option) Yes No Depends on the cover price Q13: Are you: (tick all applicable options) A member A non member An advertiser A reader A contributor Q14: Are you primarily: (tick the most applicable option) A fabricator A fabric manufacturer/distributor An installer A supplier of components, equipment or other services Q15: Which industry segment/s do you specialise/ operate in (tick all applicable options) Marine and Motor Trimming Window Furnishings Tents/ Banners/ Flags Geosynthetics/ Liners Shade/ Tension Structures Other______________________________________

!

Q7: Please rate how interested you are in reading stories on the following subject areas in Connections (please rate each option using the following scale: 1 = very disinterested, 3 = neither interested nor disinterested, 5 = very interested)

Come Celebrate Come Celebrate IFAI’s 100-Year Anniversary IFAI’s Come 100-Year Anniversary Celebrate Come Celebrate in 2012! in 2012!

IFAI’s Anniversary IFAI’s100-Year 100-Year Anniversary in in 2012!

2012!

A century century of of supporting supportingthe thespecialty specialtyfabrics fabricsindustry. industry.

A A century of supporting the specialty fabrics industry.

The largest specialty fabrics tradeshow

The largest specialty fabrics tradeshow A century of supporting the specialty fabrics industry. in the Americas showcasing cutting edge specialty fabrics tradeshow inThe thelargest Americas showcasing cutting edge education and networking opportunities in the Americas showcasing cutting edge education and networking opportunities The largest specialty fabrics tradeshow education and networking that will strengthen youropportunities business. that will strengthen your business. strengthen your business. inthat thewill Americas showcasing cutting edge education and networking opportunities that will strengthen your business.

The Right People The Right Show The Right Decision The Right People

ifaiexpo.com ifaiexpo.com

ifaiexpo.com

ifaiexpo.com

★ ★

★ ★ ★ ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★

★

The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★

STATE Reports

Around the nation A round up of what is happening in the industry in NSW, Victoria and Queensland as seen through the eyes of the Council of Management.

Queensland

A special report by Lance St Hill of Fabric Solutions Australia Despite heavy rainfall in the later part of January, it hasn’t been too bad for most businesses in our industry for this time of year. January is always patchy with many businesses closed or running with skeleton crews. We still see large differences in some markets, most particularly, those markets associated with the domestic buyer.

According to the weather bureau, Queensland in January 2012 was hot to start and had a wet finish.

Despite heavy rains and flooding in many rural communities in Queensland’s south west, most fabricators and suppliers appear to be doing OK. Some rural markets are down or will be impacted by damage to cotton and sorghum crops. Cotton Australia expects a loss of about 300,000 bales due to the recent floods, which will have a large impact on the cotton cover market.

The two-speed economy is very much in evidence in Queensland, with the mining sector the standout performer. Fabricators fortunate enough to be supplying into the mining industry are doing quite well, in contrast with fabricators more closely aligned with the domestic market.

Some businesses have retrenched skilled staff who have subsequently been snapped up by busier fabricators. If you know of anyone recently let go, tell others in the industry … one of the benefits of our organisation is the networking opportunities available.

I have noticed during the start of this year the higher level of commercial/industrial/mining related inquiries and requests for quotes. There certainly are some big jobs out there, most particularly for the broad acre geomembrane fabricator/ installers. While much of it is mining related, some is commercial in nature.

(A special report in IBISWorld relating to the economic impact of the January 2011 Queensland cites mining revenues were slashed by about $2.5 billion and the agricultural sector $1.6 billion.

The cost to the insurance industry is estimated at $500 million.)

Queensland is a large state with severe weather events from time to time. Often business declines in the immediate aftermath of the event but down the track businesses benefit from restoration works.

Fabricators fortunate enough to be supplying into the mining industry are doing quite well, in contrast with fabricators more closely aligned with the domestic market.

Western Australia

Impressions gained by Brendan Hall of Bradmill Outdoor Fabrics After discussions with several WA members such as Mal Brown from Kenlow, the general feeling is that the WA market is a mixed bag, depending on which segment you are operating in.

Retail awning and blinds is up and down and is still very much driven by weather and discretionary spending. The baby boomers continue to drive the leisure markets in annexes and caravan/camping as they retire and head off ‘ski-ing’ around Australia (spending the kid’s inheritance)!

The industrial segment is consistent with the mining boom driving that market with a wide ranging demand for a variety of industrial textile products keeping some of our members flat-out.

As strong as the Western Australia market is, it still seems to be suffering from—to a lesser degree—an overall weaker consumer demand.

36 · CONNECTIONS

The consensus is this is driven from a nervous consumer trying to make sense of the two speed economy with mining booming on one side and everyone else struggling on the other and deciding just to hold on to their pennies.

The baby boomers continue to drive the leisure markets in annexes and caravan/ camping as they retire and head off ‘ski-ing’ around Australia (spending the kid’s inheritance)!

NSW

Insights by Tom Gastin of Pattons Textile Fabrication It appears NSW has made a bit of a comeback in the second half of this quarter. Our suppliers are finding they are selling less than usual for this time of year, but on a positive note say that despite the lack of a ‘real’ summer in NSW, sales seem to be picking up in the last few weeks. This is great news.

Words such as ‘tough, struggle and challenging’ are also floating around and it is times like these that we should support one another and strengthen our alliances to keep this industry and our products strong.

Risk is also something to be aware of. The demise of Kell & Rigby, a large construction company in Sydney, has sent warning signs to other large construction companies that feed our industry ... to not forget the small businesses that supply them.

So keep an eye on your terms of trade and do a risk analysis before you jump in to big contracts.

There also a real buzz around at the moment with the new name change. It was excellent to see the

big turnouts at the state member meetings. The support behind this new name and accreditation is tremendous and will benefit all members for years to come.

There were also plenty of young leaders attending the state meetings and this is a great sign for the future of our industry. Following the Young Leaders conference, more friendships and mentorships have been created.

A big thank you to all the legends and experienced members of ACASPA for proactively identifying and building these relationships. These relationships are extremely valuable for both parties and will never be forgotten. So if you have a lot to share, don’t be shy. You’ll be surprised how much you will learn and enjoy it.

It appears NSW has made a bit of a comeback in the second half of this quarter.

Victoria

As reported by Gary Smith of Campbell and Heeps As of the mid 2012, business in Victoria was reasonable strong, aided by good weather and a fairly positive economic outlook.

We have received some help and support from the RBA which has meant that the major banks have passed on some relief to the consumer which has flowed on to the retail sector.

Unfortunately, the banks are now supporting their shareholders and are disregarding any further support (rate cuts) to the consumer in the short term.

I recently attended a lecture by one of the major banks and the general consensus was one of tentative optimism, which means ‘work hard and the results will come’. The Australian economy may be robust, but the message for manufacturing is be frugal for the next 12 months.

Having said this, consumer activity is relatively strong as reflected in the market for awnings, blinds and shade covers. However in a cost saving measure many consumers appear to be opting to repair or recover awnings rather than replace them.

With favourable weather anticipated over the next few months— a barometer for the performance of our industry—we are all hoping that business confidence will continue.

Luna Machinery Connections Tuesday, 28 February 2012 1:08:49 PM

MARCH 2012 · 37

Gadget Guide Glorious gadgets Technical guru Simon Sharwood reviews the latest and greatest gadgets to hit the market.

Smart Watch “I’m Watch” is a new, Italian, product which bills itself as the world’s first “Smart Watch”. The new product looks just like a watch, albeit a chunky watch, that runs the Android operating system and lots of apps.

You can even use the watch as a phone, thanks to inbuilt Bluetooth that hooks up to your existing mobile and lets you make and receive calls.

The company behind the watch is also looking for partners to retail the watch.

Prices start at $US569.

www.imwatch.it

Two disks in one, with a kick in the price tag Lots of laptops now feature solid state disks, the all-silicon, no-moving parts alternative to hard drives. Solid state disks are faster and use less power than hard disks, but are also more expensive and are yet to reach colossal capacities.

Seagate is the world’s leading disk maker and will happily sell you a solid state disk, but has also created the Momentus XT which packs conventional disk and solid state disk into one package. The idea is that your PC puts the data it uses a lot into the super-fast solid state disk, and keeps the rest on normal disk. You get capacity and speed, without price.

Or that’s the theory anyway, because hard disk factories were among the casualties of Thailand’s late 2011 floods.

Prices for storage are soaring thanks to a shortage of disks, so for the first time in many years you’ll pay more for hard disks.

www.seagate.com

Gray market phone Have you recently bought a shiny new smartphone? All the mobile phone carriers and vendors had plenty on offer.

Telstra also offered a phone it unashamedly marketed as a "seniors' phone", the EasyTouch Discovery 3.

The phone uses the daggy flip format that most modern phones abandoned a year or two back. But it is compatible with hearing aids, has nice big buttons for easeof-pressing and readability. Every time you press a key, it beeps. And the on-screen font is large, again making it easy to read.

Maryanne Tsiatsias, Telstra's Consumer Marketing Director, says the phone's interface is the result of six months' work and allows users to "easily view both missed calls and also new messages by simply opening the phone - the interface is intelligent and jumps straight to these new events, without the hassle of having to navigate through multiple menus."

The phone is also cheap - it costs $240 outright.

The EasyTouch Discovery is not a technology marvel, doesn't run apps and won't turn heads. But it will, we imagine, win a solid amount of business in the graying market. Given Australia's ageing population, that may well be a fine market to consider!

exchange.telstra.com.au/?p=1672 38 · CONNECTIONS

A gadget category to watch Each January, the annual Consumer Electronics Show takes over Las Vegas, and this year’s show saw the debut of several striking “Smart TVs”.

We think they’re important because they will change consumer behaviour by bringing the Web into the lounge room.

‘Smart’ TVs that can go online and deliver on-demand video.

Both of these features have been around for a while, but are pretty clunky. Your Editor owns a Sony Bravia that can stream lots of content, but its interface is far from elegant and once a list of content goes beyond

a handful of items navigation becomes a frustrating chore. Web-enabled TVs have suffered from the average remote control’s utter uselessness for typing.

Smart TVs are getting this stuff right.

Samsung made a splash at the show with a range of TVs that use what it calls “Motion Control, Voice Control and Face Recognition commands” to drive its features. The set can also go online, download apps, make video Skype calls (there’s a camera built in) and even link to cloud services that store your photos. LG talked up TVs that can run apps and offer next-generation remotes that offer

voice recognition, something it calls “Magic Gesture” and a new wheel controller.

Samsung has even created interactive fitness programs it says “… allows users to connect their Wi-Fi enabled scale to manage their weight goals and use the TV’s built-in camera to create a virtual mirror to monitor their exercise routines. They can also connect Samsung TV to a Samsung smartphone via a mobile Fitness app.”

It could be worth getting a demo of these boob tubes once they land in stores, sometime later in 2012, because bringing an easy-to-use web-connected device into the lounge room is a pretty big step forward. We can imagine families shopping together, instead of out shopping, meaning one or two people hunched around a PC. Until a few hundred thousand Smart TVs land in Australian lounge rooms your business probably won’t need to think about them. But once there’s a decent installed base we expect online marketing consultancies will start to emphasise the importance of getting your site ready to take advantage of opportunities Smart TV presents. The fact that these sets also display high definition cofntent and 3D means you may need to rethink your approach to marketing material – a simple YouTube clip may not cut it once consumers have these dynamic devices in their homes.

Wireless camera Digital cameras are wonderfully convenient, but there still comes the moment when you have to fiddle with a memory card or find a cable to get the photos off the camera and into a PC. Canon’s new HF M52 video camera solves that problem with inbuilt WiFi that lets you connect the camera to a computer without wires. There’s even am iPhone app that streams video off the camera and onto Facebook or YouTube. Buy the additional USB adaptor and you can even dump video onto an external hard drive without the need for a PC. The camera will be on sale around Easter, with retail price to be announced shortly.

Canon.com.au

FEB 2012 · 39

UPDATE

New members We would like to welcome several new members to the association: Buz Software

Fabric Structures Committee

25 Bennett Place, Castle Hill NSW 2154 Phone: 02 9634 7599 or 0414 785 032 Contact: Daryl Saunders

A special report by Beatrice Moonen of Abacus Shade Structures

Email voiledusud@hotmail.fr

At its February meeting, the Fabric Structures Committee (FSC) set up a work plan for the next few months and listed priority issues impacting on the fabric structures industry as follows: 1. That the committee continue work on developing guidelines for the delivery of a quality product. We are looking at a three tier approach to guidelines to include a technical manual; basic installation guidelines; and a consumer guide to obtaining the right quote.

2. The long term process of industry accreditation by this association is supported and the FSC’s work will be useful in this process. So too the FSC will look to

Email daryl@buzsoftware.com.au

Voile Du 1 rue Paulin Guerin, Toulon, France 83000 Contact: Rabah Zeggari

contribute to National Licensing reform and its impact on the fabric structure industry.

3. Promotion of the industry. The shade benefits, aesthetics, low costs, freedom of design- matters that we are acutely aware of are not always fully understood or appreciated by consumers, policy makers, builders or architects who make decisions on shading. Fabric structures can and do compete head on with other structures. Evidence of differing government policies from one state and another on fabric structures suggests the potential for misinformation. Industry based promotion will ensure that the right message is delivered to stakeholders.

Weathersafe Shades (formerly WA Young & Co) 20 Bennet Ave, Melrose Park SA 5039 Phone: 08 8276 1111 or 0419 922 250 Contact: Tim Seymour-Smith Email timss@weathersafe.com.au

Basford Brands 16-20 Apparel Close, Breadwater Vic 3215 Phone: 03 5272 1888 or 425 242 195 Contact: Lessel Davis Email ldavis@basfordbrands.com

Ta Ya Canvas No. 110, Huaning Road, Minhang District, Shanghai P. R. China Phone: +86 21 6463 2409 Contact: Jinzhi Ye Email info@tayacanvas.com

NEW

Most versatile welder in its class Compact size Solid steel frame Australia wide service, training & parts

Produces all seams needed for banner, sign & awning makers Simple controls Welds PVC, PE, acrylic & mesh Compatible with worldwide power sources

EMCO • 527 Spencer Street • West Melbourne, VIC 3003 • P: (03) 9329-5411 • W: www.elizabethmachines.com.au • E: weldmaster@elizabethmachines.com.au Copyright ©2011 Miller Weldmaster, Inc. All rights reserved.

40 · CONNECTIONS

Member Directory Suppliers and Fabricators

On the following pages all current ACASPA members are listed in alphabetical order under their relevant state. Phone numbers and websites are provided, along with details of services or products.

Suppliers—Queensland Uniline Australia Ltd

1800 777 331

www.uniline.com.au

Supplier of window furnishings, components and systems

Absolute Trade Supplies

1300 138 304

www.absolutetradesupplies.com.au

Shadecloth, Protection Meshes, Fabric and Cut lengths

Hamlins Accessories & Labels

07 3865 8611

www.hamlinsacc.com.au

Suppliers of accessories such as labels, thread, zip, velcro eyelets, studs webbing, scissors and fabric

Light Weight Structures Advisory

07 5478 0590

www.LTWSAS.com.au

Design & Engineering of Shade Structures, Shade Sails & Tensile Membranes.

Services include Engineering Calculations, Certification

Miami Stainless

1800 022 122

www.miamistainless.com.au

Suppliers of stainless steel hardware, wire rope, tools, fastenings, brackets & accessories for shade sail & associated industries

Ozrig Pty Ltd

07 3862 9221

www.ozrig.com.au

Installers—installation and tensioning of tensile membranes, shade structure repair and maintenance, twin rope access

Paradise PVC Welding Pty Ltd

07 3209 9733

www.paradisepvc.com.au

Standard & custom made outdoor furniture cushions, boat seating & boat bimini's and canopies plus a variety of specialty product

Pro-Knit Industries Pty Ltd

07 3245 5607

www.monotec.com.au

Fabric suppliers

ProRange Wholesale

07 3245 6756

www.prorangewholesale.com.au

Suppliers of fabric and stainless steel fittings & wire ropes

Queensland Wholesale Canvas

07 3856 5888

www.qwc.net.au

Suppliers of eyelet machines/hot knives, accessories & components, fabric & roll slitting

Rainbow Shade Products Pty Ltd

07 5580 5366

www.rainbowshade.com.au

Fabric suppliers

Wade Design Engineers Pty Ltd

07 3229 1183

www.wadeconsult.com

Engineering design, Inspections & Certification

Windoware Australia Pty Ltd

07 3299 3788

www.windoware.net.au

Blinds & Awnings

Wade Design Engineers Pty Ltd

07 3229 1183

www.wadeconsult.com

Engineering design, Inspections & Certification

Windoware Australia Pty Ltd

07 3299 3788

www.windoware.net.au

Blinds & Awnings

Suppliers—South australia ICL (SA) Pty Ltd

08 8347 4500

www.iclsa.com.au

Suppliers of Channel IT and Channel X Equipment, Blind & Awning Components and PVC, Shade Mesh, Shade Cloth & Canvas fabrics

Stayput Fasteners Australia

08 8555 4258

www.stayputfasteners.com.au

Suppliers of nylon composite, nickel plated & stainless steel fasteners for the industrial fabric trade

42 · CONNECTIONS

Suppliers—New south wales Aeronaut Automation

02 9450 0800

www.aeronaut.org

Suppliers of heavy-duty wide span flatbed automated cutters for use with industrial and recreational textiles, technical fabric, roll fabric, high modulus composites and corrugated cardboard

Arcus Wire Group Pty Ltd

02 9666 5900

www.arcuswire.com

BMS Group Australia Pty Ltd

02 9316 5188

Buz Software

02 9634 7599

www.buzsoftware.com.au

Buz Software can be used by retaliers and manufacturers of awnings, blinds, curtains, security doors, shutters, spa covers and most other 'made to measure' products. It is increasing used by those who have out grown their entry level systems and are ready for a total integrated system

Capron Carter Pty Limited

02 9764 4455

www.caproncarter.com.au

Suppliers of sewing and cutting equipment

Carr Australia

02 9636 9525

www.carrgroup.com.au

Suppliers of automatic eyelet machines, eyelets, PVC etc. Also supply fabrics

CJ Loftus

02 9757 3355

www.cjloftus.com

Suppliers of high frequency welding machines

DASEC

02 9645 2500

www.dasec.com.au

Suppliers of welding, sewing & cutting equipment, pneumatic & electronic components; service and spare part support

Elementex Pty Ltd

02 8708 5100

www.elementex.com.au

Suppliers of fabrics

Elero Pty Limited

02 9534 4466

www.elero.com

Suppliers of equipment—motors and controls

Glen Raven

02 9974 4393

www.sunbrella.com

Goodearl & Bailey Pty Ltd

02 9316 1300

www.goodearlandbailey.com.au

Highlead Sewing Machines

02 9774 4115

HVG Fabrics

02 9556 6000

www.hvgfabrics.com.au

Suppliers of Industrial, Decorative, Commercial PVC , PVC Mesh’s, Commercial Shade Cloth, Easislip Clear & Tinted PVC’s, Woven Polyethylene, Marine Vinyls, Banner & Seaflex pressed polished sheets

NOLAN.UDA

02 9669 3333

www.nolans.com.au

Suppliers of commercial & industrial textiles and associated hardware

OneLink Agencies

0404 086 158

www.onelinkagencies.com.au

OneLink Agencies aims to be the first choice for preferred product representation and our clients and customers are our number one priority

P M & P Group Pty Ltd

02 9821 2001

www.demtech.com

Suppliers of welding and testing equipment for geosynthetics installers

Plastral Pty Ltd

02 9695 3200

www.plastral.com.au

Australian agent and distributor for Leister hot air tools and welding equipment used in plastic welding and joining of industrial fabrics including tarpaulins, tents, pool covers, billboards, sun blinds etc

Ricky Richards (SALES) Pty Ltd

02 9735 3333

www.rickyrichards.com.au

Suppliers of industrial and commercial textiles

Sewing Thread Specialists

1300 653 855

www.sewingthreads.com.au

Suppliers of industrial sewing threads, accessories and consulting expertise

Somfy

02 9638 0744

www.somfy.com.au

Suppliers of motors, controls and sensors for internal and external window coverings

Sydney Institute TAFE NSW

02 9217 3470

www.sit.nsw.edu.au

Technical training

Wax Converters Textiles Pty Ltd

02 9749 2944

www.waxcon.com.au

Suppliers of fabric

Supplier of plastic sheet; potable liner materials; reinforced liner

Suppliers—VICtoria Basford Brands

03 5272 1888

www.basfordbrands.com

Suppliers of fabrics

Becker Australia

1300 813 322

www.beckeraustralia.com

Suppliers of drives and control units for roller shutter and sun protection applications, door drives and control technology, drives and control units for special applications (e.g. swimming pool covers, smoke curtains, greenhouse applications)

Berconia Pty Ltd

03 9460 3895

Bradmill Outdoor Fabrics

03 9368 2222

www.bradmilloutdoor.com.au

Suppliers (and manufacturers) of quality outdoor fabrics for domestic, commercial and defence applications

Defab

03 9305 3988

www.defab.com.au

Supplier of fabrics

Elizabeth Machines Co.

03 9329 5411

www.elizabethsewing.com.au

Suppliers of industrial sewing machines

Gale Pacific

03 9518 3333

www.galepacific.com

Supplier (and manufacturer) of branded screening and shading products for domestic, commercial and industrial applications

Gerber Technology

0419 751 212

www.gerbertechnology.com

Supply CAD systems, Spreading Systems, Airflotation Cutting Tables. Installation, Training, Hardware and Software Service/Support

Giraffe Marketing

1300 366 876

www.giraffemarketing.com.au

Specialising in marketing services to suppliers and fabricators

Global Awning Accessories AUS P/L

03 9801 9944

www.globalawnings.com.au

Supply Folding Arm Awnings, Fabric Tension Systems, Belt Driven Patio Systems and many other Shading option components,

Hiraoka (Australia) Pty Ltd

03 9543 6777

www.hiraoka.com.au

Suppliers of fabrics

Imex Creative Products Pty Ltd

03 9318 0988

www.imexcp.com.au

Suppliers of fabrics

Indtex Australia Pty Ltd

03 8804 1353

www.indtexaust.com

Suppliers of fabrics

Innova International Pty Ltd

03 9551 8722

www.innovaint.com.au

Suppliers of fabrics

Pathfinder

03 9338 3471

www.pathfinderaus.com.au

Manufacturer of CAD/CAM technology for the soft goods industry. Products include CNC knife Cutting machines, Fabric Spreading machines, CADSoftware and Fabric spreading tables

MARCH 2012 · 43

Directory Suppliers—VICtoria (continued) Polyfab Australia Pty Ltd

03 9770 8480

www.polyfab.com.au

Suppliers of Shadecloth and other industrial fabrics – worldwide

Radins Pty Ltd

03 9551 6000

www.radins.com.au

Suppliers of industrial fabrics and hardware

RMIT University

03 9925 9182

www.rmit.edu.au

Textile Fabrication Training and Textile Testing Services

Sewing Perfection Machine Co.

03 9742 5854

www.sewingperfection.com

Provide welding, sewing & cutting equipment, accessories/components. Pfaff welding & sewing machine sales service and parts

Shann Australia

03 8480 0800

www.shann.com.au

Suppliers of fabrics and hardware

SunSmart

03 9635 5648

www.sunsmart.com.au

Non government cancer control organisation

Tex Connex Pty Ltd

03 9561 8779

Turnils

03 8773 0000

www.turnils.com.au

Ultracut Industries

1300 556 851

www.ultracut-industries.com.au

Velcro Australia Pty Ltd

03 9703 2466

www.velcro.com.au

Windsor Trading Co. (AUST) P/L

03 9553 1122

WM C Jackson (Sewing Mach) P/L

03 9417 3131

Supplier of Tenara Sewing Thread, Architectural PVC fabrics and PVC coated mesh fabrics as well as other specialised products Manufacturer of window covering products and a business partner for independent manufacturers

Manufacturer of hook and loop fasteners Suppliers of sewing threads

www.wmcjackson.com.au

Suppliers of machinery, spare parts & accessories to the sewing, knitting & textile industries

International SUPPLIERS MITO (NZ)

+61 4 494 0005

www.mito.org.nz

Motor Industry Training Organisation (NZ)

Webbing & Tapes REM Ltd (NZ)

+64 9 622 2043

www.webbing.co.nz

Supplier (and manufacturer) of narrow fabrics such as webbing, cotton tapes, jacquard, elastic, mark-it woven labels

Ifai (USA )

+1 651 2222508

www.ifai.com

Industrial Fabrics Association International

Intertape Polymer Group—ECP Division (U S A )

+1 605 359 2806

www.intertapepolymer.com

Developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative polyolefin coating technologies used in protective coverings, packaging and environmental conservation products for the industrial and consumer markets.

www.rollins.com.au

Suppliers of marquees, made-to-measure canopies for trucks and trailers, custom design stalls for exhibitions

Suppliers—TASmania Rollins Canvas & Party Hire

03 6229 1988

Suppliers—Western australia Austech Welders

0418 771 600

www.austechwelders.com

Suppliers of welding equipment

Swan TAFE WA - Balga Campus

08 9267 7777

www.swantafe.wa.edu.au

Delivering quality training to the industry in WA

V-GRIP

08 9448 2823

www.vgrip.com.au

Blinds & Awnings, Flags & Banners, Liners & Covers; Supplier of Fastening System for Shade Cloth, Awnings & other fabrics

FABRICATORS—Queensland Abgal Liners & Covers

07 3803 6000

www.abgal.com.au

Pool liners & covers, Tank liners, Shade Sails (fabricators only), Dam Liners, Inflatable Products and Thermal Covers

Advanced Shade Systems Pty Ltd

07 3823 5644

www.advancedshade.com.au

Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator

Airlie Shade & Sail Solutions

07 4946 1125

www.airliesails.com.au

Fabric Structures—Installer& Fabricator; Marine Trimming, Sailmaker, Motor Trimming, Blinds & Awnings, Flags & Banners

All Seasons Canvas & Vinyl Pty Ltd

07 5598 2622

www.allseasonsvinyl.com.au

Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping. Services include welding, sewing, cutting

Architectural Fabric Solutions

07 3723 3723

www.architecturalfabricsolutions. com.au

Fabricators of structural membrane, tension membranes, shade structures, architectural fabric structures, shade sails, waterproof structures, shade cloth, sun control products, traditional awnings, balcony awnings, folding arm awnings,marquees and tents, aluminium shutters, privacy screens, security screens,custom canvas and PVC products.

Aussie Traveller Pty Ltd

07 3868 3868

www.aussietraveller.com.au

Manufacturer of quality Awnings and Annexes as well as a supplier of accessories

B & J Canvas

07 5525 3399

www.bjcanvas.com.au

Design, manufacture and install Awnings, Canopies, Structural Membranes, Signs, Banners, Marquees, Tents, Tarpaulins

Beehive Vinyl Products Pty Ltd

07 4779 9600

www.beehivevinyl.com.au

Fabric Structures-Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings, Tarpaulins, Caravan & Camping, Marine & Motor Trimming, Toolbags

Boomerang Canvas Pty Ltd

07 3275 1840

www.boomerangcanvas.com.au

C Ede (PTY) Limited

07 4771 5185

www.edestownsville.com

Col's Vinyl and Canvas Goods

07 4061 3606

www.colsvinyl.com

Fabric Structures—Shade Sails, Vinyl Membrane Structures

Creative Shade Sails

07 5537 9364

www.creativeshade.com.au

Manufacturer of domestic and light commercial shade sails and shade structures

D&R Tarpaulins

07 3393 3477

www.drtarps.com.au

Fabric Structures—Tarpaulins, Canopies, Covers, Dam/Pond Liners, Shade covers/ Marquees, Inflatables

44 · CONNECTIONS

FABRICATORS—Queensland (continued) Darling Downs Tarpaulins

07 4634 2166

www.ddt.com.au

Liners, Covers, Tarpaulins, Blinds, Awnings, Truck side curtains, Fabric StructuresFabricator, Greenhouse & Shadehouse covers, swags

Envirosmart Industrial Pty Ltd

07 3889 6677

www.envirosmart.com.au

Fabric Solutions Australia Pty Ltd

07 3807 0200

www.fabricsolutions.com.au

Custom design, fabrication & installation of Liquid containment systems & fabric

H-Line Structures Australia

07 4636 4099

www.hlinestructures.com.au

Supplier of European and German made Hoecker compatible structures

Horizon Sail Structures

07 5563 1433

www.horizonsail.com.au

Manufacturer of high quality membrane structures, shade structures and related fabric works

Industrial Canvases

07 3409 1599

www.incanvas.com.au

Manufacture and repair of all Canvas and Vinyl for the home, industry and recreational; Canopies—motor & boat

Made 4 Shade

07 5479 4661

www.made4shade.com.au

Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator, Caravan & Camping, Blinds & Awnings

Makmax Australia

07 3633 5900

www.makmax.com.au

Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator providing design and engineering services

Ozki Canvas

07 3209 4728

www.ozkicanvas.com.au

Camper Trailer Tops, Ute Canopies, Ute Tonneaus, Repairs, Caravan Annexes, Rollout Awning Walls, Swags, Canvas Bags, Boat covers

Pickers Vinyl & Canvas

07 4051 3290

www.pickers.net.au

Fabric Structures—Installer & fabricator, blinds & awnings. Supplier of welding, sewing & cutting

Planet Shade

07 4151 4773

www.planetshade.com.au

Fabric Structures—Shade Sails, Shade Structures & Giant Umbrellas

Port Douglas Sailmakers Pty Ltd

07 4099 4307

www.sailstructure.com.au

Fabric Structures—Shade Sails, Architectural Umbrellas

R B M Iindustrial Bags Pty Ltd

07 4162 5734

www.rbmbags.com

Rocklea Canvas

07 3277 2845

Stanfast

07 4121 2591

www.stanfast.com.au

Fabric Structures—Fabricator only. Wholesale plot cut or plot cut and weld—your material or ours

Sunraze Shade & Blinds

07 5443 3881

www.sunrazeshade.com.au

Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Swains Canvas

07 4927 2600

www.swainscanvas.com.au

Motor & Marine trimming, Blinds, Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Fabric Structures, Liners & Covers, Tarpaulins, Truck side curtains

Thorline Products

07 3396 9245

www.thorline.com.au

Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Tom's Tarps

07 4671 2634

www.tomstarps.com.au

Fabric Structures—Tarps, Tonneau Covers, Swags, Marquees, Seat Covers, Shade Structures & Awnings, Dam & Tank Liners

Toowoomba Shade and Canvas

07 4633 1338

www.toowoombashadeandcanvas. com.au

Blinds, Awnings, Fabric Structures-Installer/ Fabricator, Caravan & Camping, Marine & Motor Trimming, Flags & Banners, Tarpaulins

True Blue Camping and Canvas

07 4951 4922

www.campingcanvas.com.au

Caravan & Camping, Tarpaulins, Liners & Covers, Fabric Structures—Fabricator only

Manufacture of industrial tool & equipment bags, kit bags, pouches, swags & Supply welding, sewing & cutting equipment, accessories, fabric & repair services.

Provide tarpaulins & truck side curtains.

Fabricators—Northern territory Aerosail Shade Structures

1300 365 444

www.aerosail.com

Designers and fabricators of shade and tension membrane structures

Shadetech

08 8984 4940

www.shadetech.com.au

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

FABRICATORS—New south wales A B C Products

02 9525 6933

www.abc-products.com

Abacus Shade Structures

02 4735 4800

www.shadesails.net

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator; Tarpaulins & Screens - Manufacturer & Installer

Betta Canvas Products

02 6299 1786

www.bettacanvas.com.au

Fabric Structures / Shade Sails - Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Contender Sailcloth Pty Ltd

02 9947 4099

www.contendersailcloth.com

Coulin Marine Trim

02 4945 3322

Creative Canvas

02 9979 6477

Eagle Canvas Pty Ltd

02 9533 4011

East Coast Canvas & Helitrim

02 4323 7222

EH Brett & Sons Pty Limited

02 9601 1800

www.brettproducts.com.au

Elite Shade and Sails

02 4390 4772

www.eliteshadeandsails.com.au

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

Fabritecture

02 6674 4466

www.fabricstructures.com.au

Design, manufacture and installation of pre-engineered tensile membrane structures

HNA Canvas

02 6332 1140

Illawarra Blinds & Awnings

02 9553 8999

www.illawarrablinds.com.au

Fabric Structures – Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Jon Wilson Canvas & Shade

02 6658 0888

www.bmnc.com.au/ canvasnshade

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Flags & Banners, Tarpaulins, Marine Trimming

Knight's Upholstery/Austarps

02 6792 1883

Kotzur Kanvas

02 6925 7805

www.kotzurkanvas.com.au

Tarpaulins, Fabric Structures, Truck side curtains, Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Marine & Motor Trimming, Flags, Banners

www.creativecavas.com.au

Blinds & Awnings, Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Industrial & Umbrellas

MARCH 2012 · 45

Directory FABRICATORS—New south wales (continued) Naggs Canvas

02 4930 7394

www.naggscanvas.hl.com.au

Fabric Structures – Installer & Fabricator, Caravan & Camping, Tarpaulins, Blinds & Awnings, Motor Trimming, Marine Trimming

Nan's Tarps

02 9649 2334

Orion Blinds Pty Ltd Pattons Awnings & Boat Trimmers

02 6628 8537

www.orionblinds.com.au

Manufacturers of contemporary, high quality window furnishings

02 9955 2563

www.pattons.com.au

Design, Manufacture and Installation of Shade Structures, Awnings, Boat Covers, Theatrical Cloths, Stadium Ground Cloths

Pet Trading Pty Ltd (AKA BELL CANVAS)

02 9832 2200

Poolsavers

02 9756 1977

www.poolsavers.com.au

Manufacturer of pool liners and suppliers of pool covers and accessories

S.O.S. Marine

02 9700 0233

www.sosmarine.com.au

Design and manufacture of specialized marine safety and protective equipment

Sydney Blinds & Screens

02 9636 1555

The Complete Campsite

02 4323 9214

www.completecampsite.com.au

Caravan & Camping

Triax Systems

02 9755 1455

www.triax.com.au

Innovative unique design of coupling - transforms the installation of waterproof shade by allowing 2 pipes to be joined at any angle

Waratah Canvas & Co. Pty Ltd

02 4967 6474

Windsor Products Pty Ltd

02 4956 6133

Awnings, shade structures, importer & distributor of horse products

Annexes, Canopies, Tarpaulins, Blinds/Awnings, H/F Welding www.windsorblinds.com.au

Manufacturer of Blinds & Awnings

FABRICATORS—VICtoria Big Red Shade Products Pty Ltd

03 9775 1171

www.bigredshadeproducts. com.au

Fabric Structures - Fabricator only, design and metal manufacturing of umbrellas, shade structures, awnings (steel, ss, aluminium)

Billabong Shade Pty Ltd

1300 300 260

www.billabongshade.com.au

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

C E Bartlett

03 5339 3103

www.bartlett.net.au

Liners & Covers, Blinds & Awnings, Tarpaulins, Caravans & Camping, Fabric Structures, Truck side curtains, Flags & Banners

Campbell & Heeps (Australia) Pty Ltd

03 9808 6911

www.campbellheeps.com.au

Manufacturer and Installer of Blinds & Awnings, Café Umbrellas

Clark Shade Sails

03 9587 5802

www.clarkshadesails.com

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Crew Products

03 9555 0944

www.crewproducts.com.au

Manufacturer and Installer of external sun control products and solutions from awnings, shades and motorized products as well as flagpoles and banners

G C Sutherland

03 9555 3040

G V Mulder Australia Pty Ltd

03 9571 7544

www.mulders.com.au

Manufacturer of Shade Sails, Awnings, Shade Roller Blinds, Sand Pit Covers, Canvas Bags, Tarpaulins, Car Tarps, Custom Tents

Horizon Sailmakers

03 9598 4666

www.horizonsails.com

Yacht sails, architectural shade sails and membranes, tension structures, pool covers, fabric welding and repairs and alterations

Kelmatt Australia Pty Limited

03 9763 8522

www.kelmatt.com.au

Banners, Tennis Court Screens, Pool Covers, Sand Pit Covers, Cricket Pitch Covers, Pond & Dam Liners, Sail Shades, Trailer Covers

Khoi's Blinds Manufacturing Pty Ltd

03 9562 3333

Murphy's Tarp Service

03 5032 1171

Oasis Tension Structures AUS Pty Ltd

03 9588 1444

www.oasistensionstructures. com.au

Design, fabrication and construction of tension membrane structures

Patch's Canvas Manufacturing P/L

03 5442 3211

www.patchscanvas.com

Liners & Covers, Tarpaulins, Caravan & Camping, Truck side curtains, Flags & Banners, Blinds & Awnings, Ute & Boat Covers,

Polyweld Pty Ltd

03 9305 3337

www.polyweld.com.au

Manufacturer of truck curtains

Qualitycraft Coverings Pty Ltd

03 9764 2166

Rupert Collins Pty Ltd

03 9460 8333

www.rupertcollins.com.au

Vinyl and polypropelene packaging; catalogue binders swatch headers of all types

Shadeworks VIC & NSW P/L

03 5152 4155

www.shadeworks.com.au

Fabric Structures - Installer & fabricator of shade sails, blinds & awnings, framed structures

Skye Park Rugs

03 5659 6338

www.skyeparkrugs.com.au

Equine tailors producing horse rugs

Structureflex

03 9581 6150

www.structureflex.com.au

Fabric Structures - Fabricator only

Sunsoft Shadecloth Systems AUS P/L

0411 108 544

www.sunsoft.com.au

Registered Builder, Designer & Installer of shade structures (waterproof & non), Umbrellas, Clear Café Blinds, Folding Arm Awnings

Tarp-It Australia Pty Ltd

03 5663 6259

Tebb's Canvas

03 9793 2044

www.tebbscanvas.com.au

Manufacturers of canvas annexes, awnings, covers, sunscreens/end screens, pebble guards, fly-overs

West VIC Canvas

03 5385 5030

Yarra Shade

03 9676 2476

www.yarrashade.com.au

Manufacturers of Shade Sails, Awnings, Outdoor Blinds, Shade Structures, Outdoor Umbrellas, Outdoor Window Screens

46 · CONNECTIONS

Tarpaulins, Truck side curtains, Caravan & Camping, Flags & Banners, Blinds & Awnings, Fabric Structures - Fabricator only

Fabricators—Western australia A&B Canvas

08 9353 2550

www.canvasaustralia.com.au

Fabricators of tarps, canopies, marquees and bags for industrial and domestic use

Allstruct Outdoors

08 9402 8776

www.allstruct.com.au

Flags & Banners; Installers of Fabric Structures

Aqua Shades

08 9248 3055

www.aqua-shades.com

Manufacturer of shade sails, shade structures, umbrellas, waterproof systems & membrane structures

Awnings WA Pty Ltd

08 9470 6930

www.awningswa.com.au

Blinds & Awnings

BDM Leather & Canvas Pty Ltd

08 9528 7055

www.bdmleather.com.au

Manufacturers of Tarps, Canopies, Boat Covers, Awning Shades, Camper Trailers, Caravan Annexes, Pouches

Bee Jays Canvas Co.

08 9451 8484

www.beejays.com.au

Manufacturers of Commercial Tarpaulins, Road Transport Tarpaulins & Side Curtains, Grain & Haystack Covers, Roll Tarpaulins

Canvas City

08 9434 2270

www.canvascity.com.au

Manufacture exterior blinds, canvas awnings, verandah blinds, shade sails, marquees, ute canopies, annexes, banners, tarpaulins

Crumps Canvas

08 9841 3866

www.crumpscanvas.com.au

Manufacturers of Annexes, Roller Awnings, Awnings, Blinds, Boat Covers, Campers, Shade Structures and Sails, Canopies, Tonneaus

Ken Stone Motor Trimmers

08 9841 6688

www.albanygateway.com.au/ automotive

Motor & Marine trimming, Tarpaulins, Caravan & Camping, Blinds & Awnings, Liners & Covers, Truck side curtains, Fabric structures

Kenlow (1982) Pty Ltd

08 9459 2533

www.kenlow.com.au

Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Tarpaulins, Liners & Covers, Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

Sail City

1300 304 360

www.sailcity.com.au

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

Shade Solutions

08 9388 6146

www.shadesolutions.com

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator of Shade Sails

Supreme Shades Pty Lyd

08 9405 7740

Tropical Upholstery

08 9192 2243

www.tropicalupholstery.com.au

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Motor & Marine trimming, Tarpaulins, Blinds, Awnings, Liners, Covers, Caravan & Camping

Tudor House

08 9470 2717

www.tudorhouse.com.au

Manufacturers of blinds, awnings, flags, bunting, banners, raw materials & components

WeatherSafe WA (previously DEL-RAY)

08 9725 4433

www.del-ray.com

Ute Canopies, Tonneau Covers, Blinds & Awnings, PVC Tension Structures, Shade Sails & Shadecloth Structures, Tarpaulins, Tents

Fabricators—South australia Martin Canvas Products

08 8269 2600

www.martinblinds.com

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings, Flags & Banners,

Shadeform Sails Pty Ltd

08 8354 2116

www.shadeformsails.com.au

Design, manufacture & installation of Custom Made Membrane & Sail Shade Structures

Shadeplan Pty Ltd

08 8390 0543

www.shadeplan.com

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Design, Fabrication & Installation services

W Cowden & Co.

08 8340 2622

www.cowden.citysearch.com.au

Manufacturers of Venetian and Holland Blinds, Vertical Drapes, Canvas Awnings, All Canvas Goods, Caravan Annexes, DB Swags

Walco Liners & Covers Pty Ltd

08 8439 5633

www.walco.com.au

Manufacturers of pool liners and covers, tank and pond liners

WeatherSafe Shades

08 8276 1111

www.weathersafe.com.au

Shade Sails, Shade Pergolas, Shade Umbrellas, Retractable Roof Structures, Folding Arm Awnings, Permanent Umbrellas, Barrel Vault Structures, Slide Away Shades, Custom Outdoor Structures

Wormald Canvas

08 8288 7788

www.wormaldcanvas.com.au

Caravan & Camping, Blinds & Awnings, Flags & Banners as well as contract cutting

Fabricators—TASmania NG Upholstery

03 6425 3840

www.ngupholstery.com.au

Motor & Marine trimming, Tarpaulins, Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Liners, Covers, Truck side curtains, Fabric structures

Steve Walker Sails Pty Ltd

03 6442 3641

www.stevewalkersails.com.au

Manufacturer of yacht sails, shade sails, tarpaulins, marquees, machinery covers & toolbags

MARCH 2012 · 47

EVENTS & RTOs MARCH IFAI Expo Canada 2012 March 29 to March 30, 2012 Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre Mississauga, Ontario, Canada The annual IFAI Canada Expo brings together specialty fabrics manufacturers and businesses.

The event features dedicated exposition hours on the exhibit floor, combined with a compelling and interactive program. www.ifaicanada.com

Registered Training Organisations NSW, NT, SA & QLD Via Sydney Institute of TAFE than 100 exhibitors will be displaying products. www.wfc11.at

MAY

APRIL

GeoAmericas 2012 May 6 to May 9 Swissôtel, Lima, Peru The second Pan-American Geosynthetics Congress will highlight the main topics in the geosynthetics industry.

This event is organised by IGS Peru with the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). www.geosynthetica.net

11th World Filtration Congress April 16–20, 2012 Messe Congress Graz, Austria Sponsored by the Austrian Chemical Society, this is the 11th World Filtration Congress.

Four technical short courses with more than 350 technical presentations will be a main feature at the congress and exhibition. It is anticipated more

Outlook Conference 2012 May 7–8 Reynolds Plantation, a RitzCarlton property Greensboro, Georgia The Outlook Conference is described as a leadership forum for the specialty fabrics industry that is co-developed by the Narrow Fabrics Institute (NFI) and

the United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI). The conference provides a forum for technical textile executives, focusing on business and economics outlooks.

Areas to be covered include: Economic forecast, fibre forecasts, market segments forecast and trade, and policy updates from D.C. www.narrowfabrics.org

ACASPA EXPO 2012 May 26–May 28, 2012 At the centrally located, premier events venue, Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

ACASPA Expo 2012 will feature a two-day exhibition, business sessions and social events. The very popular Awards for Excellence dinner takes place on Monday evening, May 28.

Visit www.acaspa.com.au

Ph (02) 9217 4601 Fax (02) 9217 4963 Contact: Lawrence De Paoli lawrence.depaoli@tafensw.edu.au www.sit.nsw.edu.au/sailmaking

Tasmania Tasmania Institute of TAFE Ph 1300 655 307 Fax (03) 6233 7830 www.tafe.tas.edu.

Victoria RMIT University Ph (03) 9925 9182 Fax (03) 9925 9129 Contact: Kent Williamson kent.williamson@rmit.edu.au 25 Dawson Street Brunswick Vic 3056 www.rmit.edu.au

Western Australia TAFE WA Ph (08) 9207 4412 Fax (08) 9207 4399 Gary McCormick Swan College, Balga Campus Gate 1 Lockswood Road, Balga WA

Please note that IFAI Expo Asia (previously scheduled to take place in Singapore in June 2012) has been postponed.

The ins and outs of aluminium cutting and processing Cutting aluminium is not like cutting timber, plastic or canvas; it is unique as there are a number of pitfalls associated with mitering a length of extruded aluminium profile. Many novice operators have found this out the hard way which results in costly repairs to low cost timber type saws that are unsuitable for aluminium cutting.

Luna Machinery has devoted 30 years to solving problems in processing aluminium extrusion and boosting efficiency. We have found that a correct aluminium saw should be a heavy duty type machine with a solid pivot point with absolutely no flex. The piece to be cut should be securely held in place with pneumatic clamps with hands well away from the cutting area. With the correct machine you will be able to perform straight or mitered cuts precisely, and to length quickly, correctly and without incident.

There are many different types of aluminium processing applications from cutting small sections to very large sections and small production to volume production. All these factors determine the best type of sawing, routing or punching machine to suite your needs.

Luna Machinery can analyse your requirements and presents the most efficient solution for both production, safety and budget.

Machine and Operator Safety In recent years safety has come under more intense scrutiny from government departments such as Work Place Health and Safety, with more responsibility placed on the business owner. And the new regulations effective from January 1, 2012 come with threats of massive fines and lost time.

48 · CONNECTIONS

Advances in machine design are moving users away from the more dangerous traditional down cutting saw (chop saw) to the lower noise, well guarded and safe up cutting machinery.

The Luna UC420 machine has a two-hand push button operation, where both hands must be kept on the buttons for the complete machine cutting cycle. The vertical material clamps secure the item close to the blade and prevents problems of flying off cuts.

Luna Machinery is always happy to offer recommendations to solve production challenges related to processing aluminium extrusion.

Visit the website www.lunamachinery.com.au or call 1300 736 556

C O M M E R C I A L

S H A D E C L O T H Chino

(Cream)

Karloo (Sand)

Bundena (Blue)

Graphite (Charcoal)

Marrocan

(Terracotta)

strength and performance superior in

Abaroo (Red)

Sheba

(Dark Blue)

Koonunga (Green)

Domino (Black)

For a shadecloth that is superior in strength and performance characteristics, Monotec is the unsurpassed choice!

100% Australian made and owned • 3.25 metre and 6.5 metre widths • 14 cool colours • 10 year UV warranty including removal and replacement • Manufactured using 100% round monofilament yarn • Custom colours, widths and lengths available by request • Install and forget – NO re-tensioning

Designed for many applications including: • Council Parks • Shade structures • Childrens Playground Area • Athletic Events • Outdoor Recreation Areas • Umbrellas

• Shopping Centre Car Parks • Shade sails • School Outdoor Lunch Areas • Swimming Pool Canopies • Truck Tarpaulins • Nurseries

Monotec 370 is proudly manufactured in Australia by PRO-KNIT Industries Pty Ltd www.monotec.com.au QLD Distributor: Made In Australia

7 Tombo Street, Capalaba, QLD 4157 Phone: 07 3245 6756 Fax: 07 3245 6955

Lime Fizz (Lime)

Mellow Haze (Yellow)

Sherbet (Orange)

Bubblegum (Pink)

National Distributor: Ricky Richards (Sales) Pty Ltd 16 Park Road, Homebush NSW 2140 Phone: 02 9735 3333 Fax: 02 9735 3311 www.rickyrichards.com.au

Jazzberry (Purple)