Pressing out problems
The papermaking industry is diverse and plays an important role in Australia’s manufacturing landscape.
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Stronger together: WA Super Branch supports national supply network
Western Australia is home to some of the country’s largest export-oriented earthmoving and manufacturing operations.
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Anything you can do, iCan do better
Connecting Australians for almost 90 years
Established in 1936, Bambach Wires and Cables is an Australian owned and operated manufacturer of premium quality electrical cables. Servicing several industries across wastewater, marine projects, switchboard, and infrastructure development, they are currently working to increase their overall manufacturing capacity from 30 to 250 tonnes of finished goods per month.
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Cutting edge designs and servicing
AE Gibson & Sons has been enhancing Australia’s industrial manufacturing profile for over 125 years. A fifth generation, family-owned business based in Kendall NSW, their focus lies in the design and manufacturing of special purpose machinery used for materials handling and processing of renewables such as timber.
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Lighting the spark in the next generation
Based in the seaside city of Wollongong, NSW, Arrow Electrical Services is investing in the next generation of Australian electricians. With a dynamic team consisting of 34 highly skilled and experienced employees, the business has situated itself as a leading specialist across the state.
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Get food-grade bearings, and get them while they are hot
No metal is an island
To extend the life of a piece of a machined equipment, it is necessary to perform regular health checks on its metal components. Every machine needs ample protection against the harsh chemicals and airborne contaminants of an industrial environment, and likewise every part, component, tool, frame, panel and fastener requires its own special kind of protection.
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Supplying timeless agricultural belt solutions
When peak harvest season is on, harvesting equipment goes into overdrive under some tough conditions. And tough conditions in the field, require even tougher belt solutions.
“The driven parts on harvesters can be powered by up to a dozen belts at a time, and belts are one of the most common parts that we see requiring repairs and maintenance,” says Steve Hittmann.
As BSC’s National Product Manager for Mechanical Drive Systems and Belt Drives, he asserts that reducing the cost of belt replacements and the risk of downtime during a harvest are two key considerations in his line of work.
“Belts used in agricultural machinery go through a lot of dynamic conditions. So, they need to provide high strength under tension and have the ability to be flexed in multiple directions around several pulleys,” he explains.
For the most demanding applications, he recommends the Super Ag-Drive®️ Belt by Timken, one of BSC’s premium partners.
A bit of background on the history of the Super Ag-Drive Belt is important in understanding exactly what makes them a reliable belt solution.
Timken Belts’ Super Ag-Drive product range contains more than 100 years of combined experience in designing and manufacturing belt drive solutions, as it was acquired back in 2015 by Timken from the centennial-aged Carlisle company.
“The Timken® Super Ag-Drive®️ belts were originally designed to be OEM equivalent,” furthers Steve. “At BSC, we promote them as premium belt drive solutions because in some cases we have seen these belts outperform the OEM belts in terms of reliability.”
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The bonds that can make-or-break a manufacturing process
Making paper requires a lot of chemical processing and high temperature applications for steaming and pressing the paper products. At a major paper manufacturing plant in Victoria, hundreds of staff work to output a significant volume of product on a short timeline, accommodating the high demand for paper and pulp products on the Australian market.
“This particular client is responsible for manufacturing the bulk of paper supplies for the whole of Australia,” says BSC Key Account Executive, Duncan McKellar. “This puts an enormous amount of pressure on them as an operation because if their equipment is not performing correctly, the resulting downtime can be extremely costly for them,” he continues, adding; “when we need to assist in streamlining parts and maintenance for operations of this scale, this is when having solid relationships with our supply partners becomes critical for our own business operations.”
According to Duncan, there have been three LOCTITE® products that have saved the day on a few occasions at the site — LOCTITE 660 Compound, LOCTITE 609 Retaining Compounds, and the LOCTITE 406 Instant Adhesive.
The LOCTITE 660 is a high strength retaining compound with good gap filling properties. It is an anaerobic adhesive that cures in the absence of air between metal surfaces and has gap filling capabilities of up to half a millimetre per side on a shaft.
“The paper plant site has a lot of driveshafts running around the clock, and the rotating shafts experience intense wear over time,” explains Duncan. “When there is shaft wear, the component needs to be either repaired or replaced. Shafts are difficult and expensive to replace, so the preferrable option is to perform repairs on the shafts — resulting in an enormous amount of time and effort being saved.”
“Imagine needing to replace a bearing and the shaft is worn undersize; a reliable fix is to bond shims on the shaft where the bearing will sit. This will help place the bearing central to the shaft,” says Duncan. “Applying the LOCTITE 660, will fill the gap and bond the two surfaces together, allowing you to get your equipment back into service.”
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Tool’s gold – Living the technician’s dream
When it comes to toolboxes, they are like cars — there are the high-end models and the economy savers. The performance and longevity of tools will depend on what maintenance professionals and businesses are willing to invest in tool storage.
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After-market service an important part of the mix
When Rod Lucas invested in a second-hand mixer, the most critical part he needed was knives. To make that happen, he called BSC in Wagga Wagga – and, as always, they delivered.
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Not all coupling solutions are created equally
Tech support made easy for oils and lubricant
A few years ago, Thomas Higgins decided to start his own business repairing header equipment for the harvest season from his home on Eyre Peninsula in the South Australian grain belt.
He promoted his business by word of mouth, operating solely on referrals and repeat business. It was not long before he identified some issues with the recommended oils and lubricants on his John Deere headers, finding some components were prematurely failing.
Chris Wheatley, the Agriculture, Food & Beverage Manager at BSC in Adelaide had been supporting Thomas’ business needs for several months and was quick to suggest that Thomas consult with Viva Energy’s, Shell Lubricants Technical Helpdesk Service so that he could better assess his lubrication options.
“It’s an efficient option,” says Chris. “I felt Thomas would benefit from having that service on hand when he’s out there in the field alone. He can have peace of mind knowing the oils he is using will keep his machines running optimally.”
When it comes to aftermarket service on his lubricant products, Thomas has come to rely on the Shell Lubricants Helpdesk for quick solutions.
“Sometimes it’s easier to consult the professionals when it comes to technical advice regarding the selection of optimum oils for specific situations, rather than to do all the research yourself, which would eat into time that would be better spent elsewhere,’ says Thomas.
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SUPPORT FOR THE South Australian countryside
Kew Agriculture Engineering is a family-owned and operated business that can be found nestled in McLaren Vale countryside, as part of the coastal wellspring that is the Fleurieu agriculture and wine region.
A sweeping landscape of rolling green hills, known for its vineyards, as well as its stunning views, the Fleurieu Peninsula garnered its name from French hydrographer, Charles Pierre Claret de Fleurieu. It has since become a popular tourist destination for those visiting the nearby city of Adelaide in South Australia.
Julian Kew has been the Owner and Manager of Kew Agriculture Engineering, formerly known as Oliver Engineering, for more than twelve years.
During this time, he has seen the local community in McLaren Vale flourish and the wine producers have excellent vintage seasons.
With the vast number of wine producers in the Fleurieu there is a need for a service to support the agricultural equipment in the local industry.
Kew is one such company, they provide specific expertise for repair, spare parts, service and manufacture of the agricultural equipment that the industry relies on. A customer can go to them for an engineering solution and Kew will produce a design to meet their requirements.
“We specialise in producing agriculture equipment to support the growing body of industrial businesses here. This is big wine country, so we need to provide a service that is knowledgeable, prompt and dependable,” says Julian.
With support to Kew, Steve Wilkinson has been an Account Manager at the BSC Lonsdale branch in South Australia for more than eight years. During this time, he has worked closely with Kew and has fostered and maintained a long-standing relationship and has forged a bond between both businesses.
“Kew orders a range of products from us,” says Steve. “From workshop consumables, to bearings, chain and power transmission products. We recently sold them some Fenner stainless steel chain, which has gone into a machine belonging to one of their customers.”
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The right header belts boost BM Ag Repairs’ business
The Riverina-Murray region of New South Wales makes the largest regional contribution to the agricultural sector in the state and is the largest source of employment for the area.1
At the heart of the Riverina, lies the urban hub of Wagga Wagga, that finds itself in a central location along the agricultural belt of the Eastern seaboard.
Local tradespeople such as Ben Manwaring, Owner of BM Ag Repairs in Wagga Wagga, often find their success servicing farm equipment in the area year-round.
Ben services the regions around him by about two hours in all directions, performing all repairs himself.
“I repair harvesters with a specialisation in John Deere headers,” says Ben. “I go out around harvest time and fix them up and get all the headers ready for harvest time, travelling all over the agricultural belt surrounding Wagga.”
“I have been repairing headers for over 20 years, and have had my own business for 8 years,” says Ben. “The first year I started out repairing about 40 headers a year. Presently, I do around 80 headers a year on my own.”
Ben has built his business through word of mouth.
“I never really advertise. I started with a good base of customers and have built on that with word of mouth recommendations and repeat business,” he says.
With such impressive numbers on his books, the services BM Ag Repairs provides is particularly important during pre-harvest season when farmers are readying their equipment.
According to Mitch Chaffer, NSW Agriculture Business Development Manager at BSC Wagga Wagga, some of his customers will drive up to four hours to get stock for header repair season and harvest time.
“There are so many agricultural towns in the surrounding area. We carry a unique range of products and have huge amounts of stock in our ag shed out the back for the season. People know us and recognise us,” Mitch says proudly.
For several years now, BSC’s Wagga Wagga branch has been providing belt drive solutions for BM Ag Repairs. During this time, Mitch and Ben have gotten to know each other well and BSC has readily supplied Ben with the necessary parts and services to keep his business running smoothly.
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KEEPING DESALINATION equipment tip-top for Northern Water
Adam Abel is a man of few words. But when asked to talk about the key strengths of his business, Northern Water, he speaks with confidence: “The knowledge and support that we give on our products.” This comment is backed by an impressive customer base, which includes: the Australian Navy, Australian Border Force and the Queensland Water Police.
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Toledo pulling out all the stops on production
A puller is like a mechanical arm for maintenance and production. If the puller breaks, then inevitably downtime will be extended.
“Anywhere there is a bearing fitted, you will find a puller,” says David Malthouse, Product Manager at BSC.
Toledo, a registered brand of Tridon Australia, is a leading name in quality hand tools. According to David, some of BSC’s sales representatives have been working with the Tridon Toledo range for more than forty years.
“Tridon has a full range of bearing fitment tools. A lot of products need separation, housing, and gearboxes. To do that, it requires mounting and dismounting tools such as a puller. That’s where Toledo tools come in handy.”
The Toledo puller program, which BSC has had underway since the beginning of this year, will see the roll out of Toldeo stands to the entire network of BSC stores across the country.
The puller range from Toldeo is extensive, ranging from various sizes of three-leg pullers to hydraulic pullers, mechanical pullers, and axial split kits for pulling axles out of a vehicle.
“The Toledo product range has grown to over 3200 products over the years. The puller program across BSC will include a few hundred different Toldeo products,” says David.
The advantage with the Toledo range, according to David, is that their hydraulic cylinders are interchangeable with their other products. Kits are modular which means there will never be just one kit on site. Parts can be mixed and matched to suit an application.
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Timken expands product line for Food and Beverage sector
With populations growing rapidly around the globe and factories producing at higher levels than imaginable some decades ago, the risk of food contamination across those factories is higher than before. The machinery at the heart of those operations requires premium components that can ensure the highest level of hygiene in production
For the past few years, Timken® has been working on a new range of bearing units for the food and beverage industry. Though Timken is relatively new to the food and beverage market segment, its solutions are already finding global acceptance in original equipment.
With the next harvest season on the horizon in Australia, Motion Asia Pacific’s businesses – namely CBC, BSC and Webster BSC – across the country are stocking up with the new Timken bearing solutions for the Australian food and beverage industry.
“It’s an exciting time for both Timken and Motion Asia Pacific,” says Alf Mangano, Timken’s Regional Sales Manager for the Victoria, Northern Territory and South Australian regions. “We have partnered with Motion Asia Pacific on our food and beverage package. Australia is taking the lead on these products, and we want to help get the right products to the right markets.”
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REVOLUTIONISING the industrial experience
Revolution Industrial is aptly named. One of the perks of being a large subsidiary company with an online store is being able to offer a lot more in the service area with a wide collection of products. Since it was founded in 2012, the business has literally revolutionised shopping for industrial products, stocking products from major industrial brands: Loctite, Gates, FAG, 3M, CRC and Shell to name only a few. With a national warehousing capability, they can move products in volume and get nearly anything on special order on request.
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