How to save time on belt repairs: A grain handling case study

When you work in the grain handling business, ensuring your conveyor equipment is in tip top condition for harvest season is essential. Which is why Kerry Hickmott leans on BSC in Toowoomba for the support and supply of LOCTITE®product for preventative maintenance and belt repair.  “I run a workshop that primarily builds and repairs grain handling equipment for a major grain producer,” explains Kerry. “In Queensland we have two harvest seasons for grain – these fall over spring and summer. For this reason, we carry out maintenance and repair work from April through to September to make sure the equipment is in good condition for harvest.” Grain belts are, of course, critical to these operations. Business Development Executive for BSC in Toowoomba, Mark Brocherie, explains why. “When it comes to handling the grain, conveyor belts are commonly used. This rubber belting can tear from time to time,” he says. “If you do have a tear in the belt, it can lead to premature failure and consequently cause a lot of damage, including a potential breakdown.” According to Kerry, breakdowns have to be avoided at all costs.  “Downtime is not an option for us – if it does occur, it has serious implications for our business, not just in terms of immediate costs but in how those subsequent delays will affect our customers,” expounds Kerry. “It’s a competitive business. If people are waiting too long to drop their grain off, they will call another grain depot to make alternative arrangements.” Read More
Industry

Keep up with the rapidly evolving industry technology

Open IIoT is encouraging food and beverage manufacturers to get onto Industry 4.0 or risk falling behind the competition. Balluff sales manager Jim Wallace told Food and Beverage Industry News that Industry 4.0 concepts were critical when it came to making informed decisions about the production process.  
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sustainable

Sustainable coffee: inside and out

Australians love coffee; whether sipping it in a café, watching a friend proudly make you a latte on their new machine, or ordering coffee pods to make your favourite blends at home. Buying behaviours have also changed and consumers expect more from their coffee. Coffee must be sustainable inside and out, starting with the way it is grown, sourced, staffed, manufactured and more recently how it is packaged.  
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Rexnord

Rexnord flattop chains: Chugging along since the 1930s

If you had milk with your cereal this morning or a soft drink with your lunch, there’s a high chance the product you held in your hands travelled on a Rexnord conveyor chain at some point in its production or handling process to reach you. As a world leading manufacturer of conveying solutions, Rexnord’s conveying chains are adopted by many original equipment manufacturers in the food and beverage sector. Rexnord introduced its ground-breaking FlatTop conveyor chains in 1938, starting with the straight-running 815 TableTop® stainless steel chain. These were the world’s first metal chains that integrated a top plate with hinge eyes, giving them the versatility to convey anything from individual units to packaged and cased goods. The Rexnord FlatTop conveying chains, including the TableTop and MatTop® series, have since been expanded to offer many materials, types and grades, enabling the solutions to be used across a wide range of applications, from beverage filling to case handling, container making, food conveying and even automotive. Rexnord’s conveying chains are supplied and supported in Australia through Industrial Solutions Australia businesses – namely CBC, BSC and Webster BSC. Read More
workforce management

The future of workforce management in food manufacturing

Food and Beverage Industry News speaks to Gideon Joseph, practice director and Nick Crawford, practice manager at Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) about how purpose-built workforce management solutions can help food manufacturers to engage their employees, reduce labour costs, boost productivity and minimise compliance risk. 
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wine

Ahrens at home amongst the vines

While having a national reach and presence that continues to see unstoppable growth, Ahrens’ roots are and will always be firmly planted in one of Australia’s premier food and wine regions – the Barossa Valley. 
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