Tag Archives: Brisbane

COSOL strengthens Glencore ties with new asset management contract at Koniambo

Mine operation news, Mining services, Mining software, , , ,

COSOL Limited has announced a new strategic contract with Glencore’s 49%-owned Koniambo Nickel SAS (Koniambo) project in New Caledonia, worth an initial A$4 million ($2.7 million).

The initial 12-month contract will contribute positively to the company’s 2023 financial year earnings, the company said.

COSOL will provide Koniambo with asset management services on-site and at a new remote operations centre in Brisbane, and is a result of a COSOL’s strategic plan to offer this service to the wider market, it said.

This new contract builds on COSOL’s existing relationship with Glencore across the globe, delivering operational efficiencies and material cost savings.

Koniambo will also become the project for COSOL’s Asset Management as a Service (and will lead to future annuity revenue streams), which allows owners of asset intensive networks and operations to optimise their asset fleet, drive efficiencies, save money and remove waste, COSOL says.

As part of the contract, COSOL will establish an Asset Reliability Centre in Brisbane where a major focus will be on improving equipment reliability and master data across critical processes to enable effective asset management for the joint venture operation.

COSOL will use its proprietary software platform and asset optimisation solutions to further add value to Koniambo in delivering this critical capability.

Epiroc to acquire Australia-based GET player CR

Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

Epiroc is bolstering its exposure to the ground engaging tools (GET) market through the planned acquisition of Australia-based CR.

The company has agreed to acquire the GET and related digital solutions company as part of a plan to expand its “first-rate offering” of essential consumables and digital solutions, it says.

CR, which has an offering covering surface and underground mining, is headquartered in Brisbane and operates globally. The company’s products include cast lips, teeth, and protective shrouds installed on mining buckets and loaders. Its digital solutions include, among other offerings, the real-time GET loss detection system, GET Trakka, and the Titan 3330 payload management system. The solutions strengthen safety and productivity, and protect against expensive delays in the mining operations, according to CR.

CR has about 400 employees and had revenues of about A$240 million ($163 million) in the 12 months ending September 30, 2022.

“This acquisition will expand our offering of innovative and high-quality consumables and digital solutions that strengthen customers’ productivity and safety,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, says. “We look forward to welcome the strong team at CR to Epiroc.”

The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first half 2023.

Austin Engineering’s strategic review identifies innovation, technology opportunities

Environmental, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Austin Engineering Ltd has completed a previously announced strategic review of its global business, with the first two phases of this review funding a third that will fuel innovation and technology development.

Austin initiated the strategic review in May 2021 in parallel with the decision to relocate its headquarters from Brisbane to Perth, in Australia. This move was carried out to, Austin says, bring the company’s central management closer to Austin’s major mining customers and its largest APAC manufacturing centres in Perth and Indonesia.

The strategic review aimed to identify opportunities to improve business efficiency and to align with the future needs of Austin’s mining industry customers. Ultimately, the review identified what Austin needs to do and where it needs to invest to be at the forefront of the industry, to grow earnings and, thereby, unlock value for its shareholders, it said.

Austin’s loading and hauling products are designed to meet the specific needs of its mining industry customers around the world. Its products are designed to help mining companies increase operational efficiency, improve site safety and help meet their environmental and decarbonisation targets. This is crucial as the mining industry works towards dramatically reducing emissions in the coming years, Austin said.

The strategic review outcomes are structured in three phases, representing short-, medium- and longer-term measures to create company value across Austin’s operations in Australia, North America, Indonesia and South America.

As Phase 1, Austin has already rebased the indirect support structures throughout the business and enters the new 2022 financial year (to June 30, 2022) with a leaner structure. By the end of June, about 50% of the “people cost reductions” identified in the review were completed, with 85% due for completion by the end of August, it said.

In addition to the rapid closure of its previous head office in Brisbane, Queensland, Austin has consolidated its separate businesses located in Mackay, Queensland, into Austin’s wholly-owned subsidiary, AUSTBORE. The consolidation enables a stronger focus on new product delivery and support in Queensland and reduces the focus on general repair and maintenance services, which have not been delivering “adequate earnings”, Austin said.

Austin will continue to deliver its own product offerings to the east coast of Australia from its manufacturing facilities in Perth and Batam, while continuing to offer support directly in Mackay through its existing team, it said.

Phase 2 will see Austin develop its major manufacturing sites, commencing in Perth, Australia.

“Austin has identified significant manufacturing opportunities to reduce waste and improve production efficiency and product consistency through the adoption of flow production and automation,” Austin said. “This will provide significant benefits for Austin’s major product ranges, in particular truck bodies, while remaining agile in bespoke designs and delivering unique capabilities for its customers.”

It is likely that the production system will be adopted in Batam to build bodies faster, use less factory space and improve product quality, according to Austin.

Initial project investment for Perth is underway with a final investment decision by the Austin Board planned within the next quarter.

In the US, Austin is reviewing its delivery logistics to improve overall “cost competitiveness”, the company said.

It explained: “Large truck bodies are difficult and expensive to move around the disparate mining centres of Canada, USA and Central America. Further detail around the changes being considered for North America will be announced when sufficient certainty has been achieved in the current review. Under consideration is an increasing presence in western Canada to service the oil sands region more effectively.”

Phase 3 is looking at putting technology and innovation at the forefront of a significantly expanded Austin product range.

The company explained: “Out of the review, Austin has established a new customer-focused, innovation and technology group that reports directly to the CEO. The team will interface directly with Austin’s major customers and will use innovation- and technology-led solutions in an agile implementation environment to meet customers’ needs for product capability and performance. Austin has already reviewed its technology pipeline with some of its major customers, with new developments already underway. Further details on these developments will be made available at the appropriate time.”

In the longer term, Austin says it seeks to increase its product offering, through a mix of in-house design, partnering with aligned businesses and M&A activity.

Cost savings to the business generated in Phases 1 and 2 are expected to provide funding for innovation and technology development, as well as enhancing earnings, it said.

Austin CEO and Managing Director, David Singleton, said: “The strategic review process has provided a chance for Austin to make some big decisions about what we most need to focus on for organic and inorganic growth of the company. Through this process, we will cut significant costs from the business while increasing output through adopting more advanced manufacturing techniques. Importantly, we are firmly concentrating our efforts to meet the needs of our mining customers into the future. Austin’s products will support our clients as they target net zero emissions, improve productivity and ensure ever safer operations.”

Technofast EziTite fasteners secure place in comminution equipment setup

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, , , , , , , , , ,

A new way of securing vibrating screen and crusher motor bolts has been shown in service to save two-thirds of the time previously taken for the installation and maintenance of the drives of this comminution equipment, according to Australia-based Technofast.

Technofast EziTite® Hydraulic Nuts are used to secure vibrating mechanisms and drive motors to sieves, screens and comminution equipment so as to avoid downtime and maintenance. They are actuated simultaneously to give accurate, even and simultaneous torquing across sets of bolts used in crusher screen applications such as mineral processing and the sorting of industrial materials.

The EziTite fasteners for vibrating and crusher applications incorporate a poly washer for extended service, eliminating problems such as hex nuts vibrating loose, lack of control of the bolt load, and physically demanding and hazardous use of flogging spanners, the company says.

Technofast Founder and CEO, John Bucknell, said: “One of the issues facing operators of this type of equipment is the propensity for bolts to loosen under the constant vibration and cyclic loading. We have alleviated this issue by incorporating a flexible poly washer to augment the outstanding performance of the EziTite fasteners in service.

“One typical quarry and mining application in Western Australia dramatically cut the installation time of the motor bolts from a six-hour operation needing two or three personnel, to a two-hour operation involving two people. The machine operator involved reported that using the poly washer as a shock-resistant component and tensioning them simultaneously with precise accuracy is a game changer.”

He added: “Not only did the application benefit from easy installation and safer handling, but also the simultaneous and precise tensioning of the EziTite nuts produced highly accurate bolt loadings without the ‘cross talk’ coming from individual torque tightening. This resulted in a safer, more secure and longer-lasting joint.”

Technofast has more than doubled the size of its Brisbane, Australia, premises in recent years as a result of expanded global demand for its products, which are typically used where rapid, simplified, and safe maintenance is important and secure and long-lasting joints are integral to safety. Applications range from the servicing of nuclear reactors and conventional turbines, through to partnerships with the likes of Framatome and Siemens in areas such as mineral processing, motors, crushers, dragline drums, cranes, mantle nuts and gearbox coupler.

BluVein charges into mine electrification space

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BluVein, armed with its “dynamic charging” philosophy, is pitching a different option to miners looking to electrify their underground operations over the long term.

While battery-electric machines such as light utility vehicles, mobile mining support equipment, and low-to-medium tonnage LHDs and trucks have spread throughout major mining hubs like North America, Europe and Australia, the next step is electrifying the machines with the heaviest duties in the underground mining space.

If the sector settles for battery-electric options in this weight class for uphill haulage scenarios, they will need to leverage bigger batteries, more battery swapping or some additional charging infrastructure to power vehicles up ramp.

Two of the leading mining OEMs in the electrification space are considering all the above.

Sandvik, through its wholly owned Artisan Vehicles subsidiary, is developing a 65 t payload battery-electric haul truck with a bigger battery than its 50-t vehicle (the Z50) that will see quick battery swapping employed on uphill hauls, while Epiroc is weighing the potential of fully-electric operation with a battery and trolley combination in its larger payload class trucks.

BluVein is intent on laying the groundwork for multiple OEMs and mining companies to play in this space without the need to employ battery swapping or acquire larger, heavier batteries customised to cope with the current requirements placed on the heaviest diesel-powered machinery operating in the underground mining sector.

It is doing this through adapting charging technology originally developed by Sweden-based EVIAS for electrified public highways. The application of this technology in mining could see operations employ smaller, lighter battery-electric vehicles that are connected to the mine site grid via its Rail™ and Hammer™ technology and a sophisticated power distribution unit to effectively power electric motors and charge a vehicle’s on-board batteries.

This flexible technology is set for a trial later this year, with the company – a joint venture between EVIAS and Australia-based Olitek – already busy behind the scenes enlisting a number of funding partners to push forward with a collaborative pilot aimed at demonstrating the next generation of trolley assist technology.

With this aim in mind and knowledge of previous trolley projects at underground mines, IM put some questions to BluVein Founder, James Oliver.

IM: What input does Olitek provide within BluVein? Do they produce customised prototype battery-electric machines?

JO: BluVein is a new company formed through a partnership between EVIAS and Olitek. While we are a new venture, unlike traditional start-ups, BluVein is backed by two highly experienced long-standing companies and is seeking to enable the fully-electric mine of today.

The biggest need for electric mining vehicles is in heavy-duty load and haul applications on inclined roads. In this instance, batteries on their own are not up to the task – not even close. Dynamic charging is the game-changing technology that will enable fully-electric heavy-duty load and haul on inclined roads.

In the partnership, Olitek provides the mobile vehicle, robotics, electrical and mining environment expertise to enable BluVein to operate safely and reliably in a mining environment. BluVein is currently working with a number of mining vehicle OEMs to integrate the BluVein system to suit their on-board battery and motor architecture, enabling safe dynamic charging from a standardised slotted rail system.

The joint venture does not produce customised prototype battery-electric vehicles or battery machines, and we are vehicle OEM-agnostic; we are open to working with any battery-electric vehicle manufacturer enabling standardised dynamic charging.

IM: What companies are involved in the collaboration mentioned? What is the aim of this collaboration (timelines, goals, etc)?

JO: Currently we are not able to disclose which mining companies and vehicle OEMs we are working with – it will be revealed in the not-too-distant future. They are, however, a selection of very well-known major companies from Sweden, Canada and Australia. We are open to other like-minded, early adopters to join the BluVein collaboration.

Our aim is to commence building our industry-backed technology demonstration pilot site in Brisbane, Australia, by late 2021 in a simulated underground environment. This will involve a section of BluVein rail and at least one electric vehicle fitted with the BluVein hammer system to demonstrate dynamic charging whilst hauling loaded up an incline.

IM: What are your overhead systems (BluVein Rail) providing that your typical underground trolley systems are not providing? How does the infrastructure required compare with, say, what Vale has in place at Creighton and Coleman in Sudbury for its Kiruna trucks?

JO: Existing trolley assist systems that utilise exposed high voltage conductors cannot be used in many mining jurisdictions globally due to safety concerns and an inability to comply with mining regulations. This is particularly the case in underground mines where clearance above mobile fleets is limited. The BluVein rail system is unique as all high voltage conductors are safely housed within ingress protection (IP) rated slots. This effectively mitigates against risks of accidental contact by mining personnel or the vehicles.

The safe and standardised systems allow for the charging of a vehicle’s batteries whilst simultaneously powering the electric-drive motors. This gives a battery-electric vehicle almost unlimited range and eliminates the requirement for battery swapping, downtime and charge bay infrastructure requirements.

Volvo FMX Electric with BluVein

And BluVein Rail does not need to be installed in all parts of the mine – only in the heavy-duty cycle zones such as mine declines and pit ramps. When tramming/hauling on flat gradients, mining vehicles operate on their own internal batteries. This dramatically reduces the system installation complexity and installation cost. Where the BluVein Rail terminates, the vehicle automatically disconnects and reverts to its on-board batteries for power, without stopping.

Ease of maintenance is one of our focus points for BluVein. The BluVein system is developed to handle typical mining drive terrain conditions so no special maintenance is required to cater for conductor contact relative to the vehicle. Our BluVein Hammer, an all-terrain trolley, takes care of this. This provides the connection between the mobile machinery and the BluVein slotted rail. As the vehicle moves through an inclined underground tunnel or along a pit ramp, the Hammer maintains the electrical connection even over rough road conditions. Operator assist controls, such as smart auto connect and disconnect functionality, are also incorporated.

BluVein is the ‘next generation’ of trolley assist technology with all the benefits and none of the negatives of the old systems.

IM: How long and steep an uphill climb is required, on average, to make the business case work in the favour of BluVein technology over your typical battery-only system? When does the TCO equation tip in favour of your solutions over other trolley systems on the market?

JO: Typical battery systems are super high cost when you consider the full impact of charge bay infrastructure, numerous large operating batteries per vehicle and rapid battery life decay. BluVein, however, has a relatively low capital cost in comparison as it enables smaller, lighter and lower power on-board batteries to be used that never require swapping or static charging.

Therefore, from day one, the TCO for BluVein will likely be favourable compared to typical battery-only systems, regardless of haul length.

IM: Are BluVein Hammer or BluVein Rail already installed at mine sites around the world? What models of machines have they been integrated on?

JO: The underlying technology for the BluVein Rail and Hammer has been developed over the past 11 years with EVIAS for electrified highways. BluVein is the adaptation of this technology specific to the harsh conditions found within mining.

The BluVein system has been designed to suit nearly all current mining battery-electric vehicles so that a single BluVein Rail installed in a mine can power the entire fleet, even if that fleet is comprised of mixed OEM machinery.

A working EVIAS system has been installed in an open highway setting in Sweden, but no mining applications exist at this point. As mentioned, BluVein will have a pilot site underway by the end of 2021.

IM: Given a Volvo TA15 all-electric hauler is pictured on your website, are you also working with open-pit miners on this collaboration?

JO: BluVein is not just suited to underground applications, however, initially that is the focus given the urgency around eradicating diesel emissions and particulate matter and its carcinogenic properties.

BluVein pilot site concept – simulated underground

BluVein has strong application in open-pit mining and in quarry environments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve productivity and costs. The technology can leverage all the same advantages seen underground in open-pit applications. The bonus with underground is we have free infrastructure to hang the rail from.

A number of our partner mining companies are assessing the BluVein system for both surface and underground deployments.

Komatsu to boost Australia East Coast supply chain with new Wacol distribution centre

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

A major new distribution centre that, Komatsu says, will significantly increase customer satisfaction by improving parts and components availability, further reduce order turnaround times and streamline ordering efficiency, will be opened by the OEM in the June quarter of 2021.

Komatsu’s new Wacol distribution centre – which will also include elements of its Brisbane parts and components Reman operation – will consolidate four existing distribution and storage centres into a single facility.

Construction of the new Wacol centre, which is currently underway, is scheduled to be completed by May 2021, in time for Komatsu’s global centenary celebrations.

According to Russell Hodson, Komatsu’s General Manager, Supply Chain, the key driver of the new facility is to improve customer satisfaction across its Queensland, New Zealand and New Caledonia operations.

“Customers in these regions – which includes large mining customers – are currently serviced from our various Brisbane facilities, and by consolidating them into a single operation, we anticipate a marked improvement in customer satisfaction,” he said.

“The new facility will also be much safer for Komatsu employees and service providers, making use of the latest warehousing technology and systems, including anti-collision systems and full worker/machine separation throughout.

“In addition, we’ll see improvements in quality by bringing storage of all parts and components under cover, while a one-part/one-location approach will eliminate the chances of binning and picking errors – further contributing to improved customer satisfaction.”

Komatsu will also see some significant efficiency and cost benefits through consolidation to a single facility, maximised space utilisation, and lower transport costs, it said.

“We’re also going to in-source our warehousing operations so all staff will be Komatsu employees, which will better enable us to continue our ongoing program of continuous improvement,” Hodson said.

“At this new facility, we’ll employing 50 new people into Komatsu; we see this as a great opportunity to build a fantastic team that can deliver extraordinary results for our customers in a new and exciting facility.”

The development of this new facility was part of Komatsu’s broader East Coast supply chain strategy, according to Hodson.

“This strategy aims to improve the flow of our goods and information to our customers,” he said. “And there’s much more to come as we strive to continuously improve our operations for the benefit of our customers.”

Being constructed on a 3.8 ha site adjacent to its existing Queensland head office, service, training and customer support facility, the new centre covers nearly 17,000 sq.m, with an order picking storage area of just under 14,500 sq.m, and an extra large parts/components storage area of over 2,000 sq.m, it said.

“When it opens, our new Wacol DC will also fully integrate our mining and construction operations for Queensland, NZ and New Caledonia,” Hodson said.

GHH and STE team up to take on eastern Australia mining market

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

GHH, a specialist in civil engineering and mining machinery, has set its sights on the Australasian region after signing a partnership agreement with Sydney-based Specialist Tunnel Excavation (STE).

With its loaders, dump trucks and utility vehicles for rock logistics above and below ground, GHH has long been represented on many continents. Now the manufacturer, part of the Schmidt Kranz Group, is adding to its sales office in Brisbane, Australia, by joining up with STE.

“We want to shorten the distance to our customers in Australia,” GHH Global Sales Manager, Ken Stapylton, said on the agreement. “Contact before, during and after the purchase is important to us – after all, we are happy to supply tailor-made solutions”.

STE will help GHH cover eastern Australia. With 25 years’ experience on the Australasian continent, STE, like GHH, supplies turnkey solutions: for bulk and detail rock excavation using surface mining, tracked trenchers and specialist excavators for applications across tunnelling, road, rail, civil, mining and pipeline projects throughout Australia and New Zealand, GHH says.

Lee McCourt, Director of STE, said: “GHH completes our range of high-quality machines for almost everything in the field of rock logistics that drives on wheels.”

McCourt’s business was established to provide target industries with a more efficient and safer method of excavation of rock geology, through use of the latest equipment and technology available anywhere in the world, according to GHH.

“The German machine technology fits in perfectly as it is characterised by a driver-friendly, ergonomic design, robust and safe construction and high economic efficiency,” it said. “And, when it comes to ‘going green’, most of the GHH equipment is available in Tier 3, Tier 4 Final and Stage V engine emission packages. Only recently, GHH won an international prize for its product design.”

A first joint project is already being planned between the two companies, but GHH says a whole range of vehicles from other co-operations are being put into position for eastern Australia.

BHP consolidates digital project offering with new Brisbane facility

Automation, Coal technology, Communications in mining, IoT, Mine operation news, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , ,

BHP, to more effectively ramp up its use of digital technologies, has opened the first of its ‘digital factories’ in Brisbane, Australia.

Instead of having digital projects delivered by multiple parts of its business, the factory will create a unified ‘community of practice’ among technical roles, according to Rag Udd, BHP Acting Chief Technology Officer.

“The new hubs will abandon the traditional hardware-centric approach to innovation and will help us maximise the use of cloud technologies for rapid digital development in an enhanced digital environment,” he said.

An example of that comes from the company’s coal business where it is launching its “first digital factory”.

Udd explained: “The coal mined from Caval Ridge needs to go through a processing plant. Typically, for every 100 t that enters the plant, around 58 ts of sellable product comes out the back-end. In our digital factory trial, we set the team a challenge of improving this yield using just 12 months’ worth of historical data.”

The team quickly created an algorithm that told the company what the optimal setting for the plant was, based on the blend of coal coming from the mine, according to Udd.

“There is more to do, but this will help us improve our yields and increase the utilisation of our processing facility,” he said. “This is the very definition of productivity: a low cost way to markedly improve an output.”

In the future, BHP hopes to see much more of this type of innovation, according to Udd.

“Our sites are expected to benefit from the rapid deployment of reliable solutions that make their lives easier, minimising variability and unplanned outages,” he said. “The factory will focus on projects that can be delivered quickly, where minimal onsite infrastructure is required and where the return on investment is many multiples of the initial outlay.”

While BHP has started in coal in Brisbane, it plans to also launch digital factories in Chile, North America and Western Australia, according to Udd.

“They will partner with our operations to help solve asset-specific problems,” he said. “Struggling with a well performance issue in the Gulf of Mexico? Speak to your local factory and see if machine learning can provide some insight. Conveyor belt reliability issues in Chile? Let’s see if your ‘digital foreman’ can run some advanced analytics over data from the sensors.”

He concluded: “Other industries have shown us that this model works. With the right people and the right operating model set up, I am confident that we can bring an exciting new element to the way we solve operational problems, and in doing so rapidly create real and lasting value for BHP.”

Mineral Resources adds crushing wear parts expertise with acquisition of MWP

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

Mineral Resources Ltd says it has completed the acquisition of Mining Wear Parts (MWP), a privately-owned company that provides specialist parts to the mining, quarrying and recycling industries across Australia.

MWP, based in Brisbane and with operations in Western Australia, was established by David Macfarlane in 2016. Since then it has grown to become a leading and profitable national supplier of replacement parts used in crushing, milling, slurry pumps, mobile equipment and various consumable products such as castings, according to Mineral Resources.

As part of the transaction, Macfarlane will continue to lead MWP, which will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mineral Resources’ CSI Mining Services business (CSI). It is the company’s intention to retain the Mining Wear Parts trading name.

“Under its new ownership structure, MWP will have access to CSI’s financial, strategic and operational capabilities to execute the next step-up in its national growth plans,” Mineral Resources said. “In addition to accelerating MWP’s growth, MRL will incorporate the MWP business into the company’s Kwinana workshop as a first step towards establishing a fitting and services arm for the parts supplied by MWP.”

Mineral Resources Chief Operating Officer, Mike Grey, said: “As a leading provider in the mining services sector, with a significant footprint in crushing, in particular, the acquisition of Mining Wear Parts is a logical addition to the Mineral Resources Group of Companies and will allow us to further vertically integrate our supply chain.

“Mineral Resources, through CSI Mining Services, will be a significant client of Mining Wear Parts but we also look forward to introducing and expanding Mining Wear Parts and its quality service offering to our client base to deliver value-adding opportunities for all.”

Macfarlane, meanwhile, said: “With the support of Mineral Resources, Mining Wear Parts will be able to morph very quickly into a larger business with the ability to significantly increase our range of stocked parts and products and build a large technical and experienced base to better support and service our national client base.

“Importantly, Mineral Resources aligns with the culture we have established at Mining Wear Parts of being innovative and delivering value-adding solutions for our clients.

“Together, we will be able to grow Mining Wear Parts’ presence in the repairs and service markets by bringing the best service people, backed by premium wear and spare parts, the most advanced workshops such as Mineral Resources’ Kwinana facility and tooling for the best outcome for all of our clients.”

Rema Tip Top lays the groundwork for Australia expansion

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , ,

Rema Tip Top has opened a “Centre of Excellence” in Brisbane, Australia, as it looks to expand its material processing capabilities into the future.

This facility will be the home of its east coast surface protection hub, extending on the expertise of its Perth surface protection operations to provide increased local and national services for its customers, the company said.

“The facility, based in Northgate in Brisbane’s inner north, is strategically positioned on the east coast to provide more agile service to new and existing customers and will offer increased support to the company’s largest clients, many headquartered in the area,” the company said.

It features dedicated workshop and office space with close proximity to transport hubs including Brisbane Airport and Brisbane Port, providing Rema Tip Top with the ability to “strengthen its approach to servicing its customers across the entire country”, the company said.

“A key component of Rema Tip Top’s focus on diversification, the centre is also poised to provide access to new materials handling operations in the region, including cement and food processing industries,” the company added.

Karsten Bartnicki, CEO Rema Tip Top Industry Australia, said that the new Brisbane Centre of Excellence will create an immediate economic impact in the region, providing a range of new employment opportunities and also underpins Rema Tip Top’s commitment to investment in infrastructure to drive sustainable growth.