April 2017

Australia’s first certified flame-retardant polyurea coating

The economic impact of corrosion is often exacerbated in harsh climatic environments and in workplaces with heavy traffic wear from operation of large vehicles and equipment. Excessive moisture, heat and abrasion can accelerate the deterioration of machinery, vehicles and assets. Applying a protective surface coating is one way of minimising or reducing the effect. One coating material for harsh conditions—including those in a combat zone—supplied by Rhino Linings Australia (RLA) is Rhino Extreme 11-50 FR. While the material has been available for several years, it was only late in 2016 that the fire resistant nature of the product received certification. RLA’s Technical Manager, Robert Idzes, said “The formal certification of Rhino Extreme 11-50 FR has opened up a range of new opportunities for industrial and commercial applications of the product.” The spray-applied pure polyurea is suitable for any application, such as a fuel bund—secondary containment area—that requires a fire resistant surface. Historically, bunds have been constructed of concrete or brick, but in recent years have been coated with a spray-applied pure polyurea or welded plastic liner to prevent leaks. Fire is a potential hazard if a leak does occur, especially where fuel, sodium hydroxide, sulphuric acid and other highly flammable materials are stored. The flame resistant properties of Rhino Extreme 11-50 FR significantly reduces the burn rate allowing safety officers and staff time to extinguish the flames before major damage is caused to the liner or catastrophic failure occurs. “The Rhino Extreme 11-50 FR is the latest Flame Retardant product to meet US Federal Aviation Regulation 25 (FAR 25) Flammability testing for aircraft,” said Denis Baker, Special Projects Engineer at RLA. “In addition, it also meets UL 94, which is another high standard at the moment for coatings.” The FAR 25.853 tests the self-extinguishing performance of materials under fire conditions. […]

Kaeser delivers high quality compressed air to Malabar WWTP

As part of the Malabar Waste Water Treatment Plant Process and Reliability / Renewal Improvement Project being delivered by 4Malabar, an ageing compressed air system at the plant was recently upgraded with three Kaeser CSDX series rotary screw compressors, along with a Sigma Air Manager 4.0 compressed air management system. Australia’s largest water and wastewater service provider, Sydney Water is a State Owned Corporation wholly owned by the New South Wales Government. Sydney Water collects and treats around 1.5 billion litres of wastewater each day through a network of over 25,000 kilometres of wastewater pipes, 677 pumping stations, 14 water recycling plants and 16 wastewater treatment plants. Malabar Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) is Sydney Water’s largest wastewater treatment plant. It has an average daily discharge of almost 500 ML. A significant project was initiated at Malabar WWTP to improve the reliability of the processes that treat wastewater, to ensure Malabar WWTP continues to comply with its environment protection license requirements, improve safety and working conditions and reduce operating costs. This will ensure that Sydney Water continues to deliver great value for their customers and better conditions for their staff. The Project is being delivered by 4Malabar, an alliance between Sydney Water, John Holland, UGL Engineering and GHD. Work on the Improvement Project started in 2014 and is expected to be completed by mid-2019. Since work has commenced, a number of improvements have been completed and include an upgrade of the ageing compressed air system. Compressed air is used for a number of plant site services across Malabar WWTP including valving, pneumatic actuation and sparging. A reliable and efficient supply of quality compressed air is critical to deliver these site services and was therefore a key criteria in selecting the new system. Following a successful tender process, three Kaeser CSDX […]

United supply forklifts and reach trucks to Bluestar Global Logistics

United Forklift and Access Solutions’ exceptional customer service and problem solving ingenuity have won them a major contract with nation-wide logistics leader Bluestar Global Logistics, which offer a one-stop shop for logistics service, including national door to door deliveries, international freight forwarding and 3PL warehousing. United supplied over 60 units to Bluestar’s depots nationally. A combination of heavy duty and high performance CAT 2.5t LPG forklifts, CAT 3.0t LPG forklifts and CAT 1.6t electric reach trucks were chosen for the task, which are ideally suited to heavy-use industries like logistics, warehousing and transport. “In a competitive tender, United were the standout company, because their service truly went above and beyond,” said Mr Peter James, Asset & Compliance Manager, Bluestar Global Logistics. Before submitting their tender, United visited each of Bluestar’s national offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth to assess areas where they could provide cost-saving solutions that optimised efficiency and productivity. United’s National Major Accounts Manager, Mr Mark Pemberton, and his team identified two major problem areas where United could provide innovative solutions. “We discovered that the hosing and hydraulic cylinders in their old fleet were left too exposed, and they were having to replace them frequently due to damage. Our CAT forklifts have been fitted with a low profile hose which is positioned further back, along with a custom designed and manufactured cylinder protector. “Both of these features reduce damage to these otherwise vulnerable parts and enhance the overall safety of the machines, ultimately reducing the cost of life to our customer” says Mr Pemberton. “The other wear issue we identified was that the heel of the forklift tynes was wearing out over time, and once it’s worn past a certain point, the forklift is no longer standards or safety compliant. “We added a lift cylinder spacer, […]