CBC

50 years
 Features, Uncategorised

NTN-CBC: Supporting Australian mining for 50 years

This year marks the 50-year anniversary of the 50/50 joint venture between NTN Corporation and CBC Australia, which began in 1971. According to Fabio Rebecchi, Product Manager for NTN bearings at CBC, as the mining sector has seen increased demand for iron ore and other key minerals over that time, there has been a corresponding need to manufacture larger equipment. “With the tonnages in iron ore, and coal increasing year after year, we have seen an increase in demand for bearings, in particular, large bearings,” says Fabio. “As a result, components and supports have also been made larger for extraction and bulk handling processes, involving heavy mobile equipment, processing plants and conveyor systems.” “Bigger equipment means bigger bearings, and longer lead times on supply,” says Fabio. “That said, there are a lot more bearings operating on sites now than there were15 years ago, but the quality and longevity of the bearings has improved.” Fabio highlights the key areas he has seen improvement in with bearings: longevity, materials, installation processes, and maintenance procedures. “If you look at older catalogues, you can see the evolution of technology across all industries, really.” says Fabio. “Prolonging the life of a bearing has included the incorporation of seals, proper lubrication, and aligning better fits upon installation,” he furthers. “In addition to this, steel technology has become more advanced over the years because of the purity of steel and heat treatment processes applied in the manufacture of bearings. The static and dynamic load capacities have been increasing over time,” adds Fabio. When NTN began expanding their global manufacturing and sales network, CBC became the direct link between the global manufacturing and engineering activities of NTN and the Australian market. At present day, NTN is one of the top five bearing manufacturers in the world, and with backing from CBC, this allows them to deliver a full range of bearings products, technical support, and end-to-end logistics to the Australian market. According to Ross Lee, Technical Manager of Strategic Partnerships – Bearings at CBC, “It’s all about consultation.” “We at CBC are the first point of contact for customers in determining where they have a problem and where NTN can provide a solution. No matter the location in Australia, we have a commercial and technical liaison between the branch, the customer, and directly with the manufacturer,” says Ross. “We have a network of account managers and technical specialists that engage with customers at the regional level, supporting mines and mineral processing plants. From there, we receive application engineering proposals and look at what we can put forward as a solution for a performance or a productivity problem,” he explains. “Australian ingenuity coupled with Japanese product innovation has benefitted mining operations across the nation, through the provision of a wide range of bearing products,” says Ross. “Through NTN, we are always trying to offer an appropriate bearing solution and often we secure agreements based on all of the lines of communication we keep open across our networks,” Ross adds. Within the mining sector, NTN is the direct supplier to major manufacturers of heavy mobile mining equipment. NTN also extensively services the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) segments of these businesses. Read More
motion
 Features

Keeping Australian mines in Motion

With the Australian mining industry experiencing record demand for product, there is increased pressure on plants to achieve heightened productivity targets. While this comes with challenges, CBC, BSC and WebsterBSC – all part of Motion Asia Pacific – are well placed to provide solutions, says Grant Gray. “We’ve had a long association with the mining industry – in fact one of our businesses has been serving this sector for over 100 years – and we are in a favourable position to support the sector in times when physical site access and supply issues are posing challenges,” enthuses the General Manager of National Sales for Motion Asia Pacific. “This is due to the level of technical competency we have behind us, coupled with our ability to supply the world’s best brands through our Premium Partners.” Motion Asia Pacific’s national branch footprint provides an invaluable advantage. “This not only helps with our distribution channels, but ensures we have people in key positions around the country,” Grant explains. “We have a significant workforce available to provide triage when required, even at short notice.” Providing quick fixes, however, is not Motion’s modus operandi. “Our mode of working is solutions-based with the objective being to provide an outcome that brings long-lasting benefit and value to the customer,” Grant states. “We’re aligned with our Premium Partners in the process and delivery of these solutions-based outcomes.” To address challenges at the forefront – such as ensuring mining machinery is in uptime to meet productivity targets – Grant says understanding the customer’s business and their pain points is critical. “The productivity targets of our customers are increasing every year – the challenge for us, whether it’s a mobile or fixed plant – is getting access to the site and that equipment. Invariably there is a small window for us to get in and identify the problem, and react with a solution,” Grant expounds. “What the solution looks like will depend on a number of factors, including the availability of componentry. At a micro perspective, that can pose a large challenge, but in terms of the big picture, what it provides is an opportunity to gain a better understanding of what success looks like for the individual customer.” Gaining this understanding will come through developing a trusted rapport with the customer. “It’s vital that we understand what success looks like to them before we provide answers. What are their expectations, what are the demands they have to meet, what are their issues with equipment?” Grant shares. “This knowledge comes from developing a high degree of familiarity with the customer and their business.” Importantly, Grant says this in-depth understanding of the customer’s needs aids in the supply of parts. “Understanding exactly what their demand plan moving forward is necessary to cater for them, and to work with our Premium Partners to make sure customers have the critical spares required to keep their mine in productivity,” Grant explains. “What we need to consider is that the requirements associated with certain bearings or power transmission products can be large and complex. Which means long production lead times. And of course, this is compounded by a larger issue of global supply and demand right now.”
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silica
 Features

Breathing easier with silica controls in the workplace

Silicosis has been flagged as a problem in the Australian mining industry since the beginning of the 20th century. Yet the dust disease is still prevalent today. Over 600,000 Australian workers are exposed to silica dust each year and an estimated 230 develop lung cancer as a result. “In mines and quarry sites, there are a number of operational processes that produce dust – silica is a commonly occurring mineral found in most rock, so any activity that involves the crushing of rock can result in exposure,” explains Michael Rowe, Product Manager for Safety with CBC Australia. “While it’s not a new issue – in fact the Government has highlighted silica exposure as a key industry issue since the 1920s – the fact is this disease kills, and as it’s still the cause of so many deaths, it remains a serious problem.” Which is why Michael says workplace controls are critical. “Silicosis is preventable through controls that either stop or reduce the amount of silica dust,” he stresses. “As there is no cure for silicosis, prevention is the only option.” Mines and quarries are of course subject to Work, Health and Safety (WHS) regulations that require them to evaluate risks and implement a Hierarchy of Controls4. Nonetheless, Michael points out that it is still up to individuals to follow the rules. This is particularly important when it comes to wearing respiratory protection equipment (RPE), which is often referred to as the ‘last line of defence’. “Workers in these industries should heed their site safety rules if they want to avoid having underlying problems in their future years,” he explains. “Masks are not always fun – as everyone nationally has now experienced – and when you’re onsite and working hard, wearing a mask can be particularly challenging. This is why having the right respirator and fitment to suit your working environment is vitally important. It’s so you get to go home healthy at the end of the day.” Furthermore, Michael says it is fundamental employers “make sure the RPE is fit for purpose, not fit for price.” When it comes to advising customers about RPE, however, he defers to the knowledge and expertise of CBC Australia’s premium partner, 3M.
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solid block housed
 Features

SOLID-BLOCK HOUSED UNITS call for solid training

As far as bearings go, the Timken® Solid-Block Housed units are famous in heavy industry, renowned for their seemingly unbreakable solid cast steel housing and ease of installation. However, industry expert Brad Kemp wants to remind readers that these are highly specialised products, which do require an understanding of the internal componentry in order to be fitted correctly. Brad is the Senior Service Engineer for Timken Australia and has been partnering with CBC representatives to organise proactive training sessions with customers to assist with the Solid-Block Housed unit installation. “The Solid Blocked Housed unit is usually ordered by the engineers who love the concept,” he says. “They order it, the maintenance guys receive it without proper training and then there is frustration with the product. Often the instructions get overlooked or just end up in the bin.” Brad points out that if instructions are not followed accurately, the bearings could become damaged prematurely. “If maintenance teams have not been trained up properly, then a lot of times they will start to do guesswork and make assumptions, which is what we want to avoid,” he explains. “Rather than have reactions from customers who are disappointed that the bearing they ordered was incorrectly installed, we aim to ensure that the engineered componentry, the locking options and the installation process is understood by everyone on site,” he adds.
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motors
 Features

The business sense of adopting high-efficiency motors in mining

The topic of greenhouse gas emissions came to the fore recently as world leaders attended a climate summit in April and made new pledges towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions as part of their countries’ Paris Agreement commitments. In Australia, the electricity sector is the biggest polluter, accounting for 33% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.1Any efforts to curb electricity consumption in heavy industries like mining helps the country inch closer to its target of slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% by 2030 on a 2005 baseline. This is particularly critical considering that the domestic mining sector consumes roughly 500 petajoules per year, which is 10% of the country’s total energy use.2 Michael Greelish, National Accounts Manager – Mining at CBC says adopting high-efficiency motors, with IE3 ratings and above, is one way by which mines can adhere to their emission reduction goals while also reducing their operating costs considerably. As a key supplier of electric motors to major mines in Australia, CBC works closely with motor manufacturers, such as TECO, to work out the cost-benefits of adopting high-efficiency motors in mines, as well as in other industries. In fact, Michael says CBC’s technical teams are often engaged by their industrial customers to conduct audits to estimate a plants’ yearly electricity expenditure and potential savings with high-efficiency motors. In one such audit recently, Michael says the CBC and TECO technical teams were able to calculate annual savings of $69,000 on electricity charges and CO2 reduction of 485.7 tonnes per year for a gold mine in Queensland simply by switching to high-efficiency TECO motors.  Read More
Features

Dealing with particle abrasion wear in coal processing

The impact of particle abrasion wear on equipment used in coal processing can be significant. Ever-persistent abrasion and wear takes a major toll on centrifuges, pulverisers, conveyors, chutes, augers, and other equipment. It can ultimately cause unexpected, costly downtime or greatly reduced equipment life. For a major coal mine in Queensland, high abrasion from coarse coal in the dewatering centrifuge – used to extract excess water before stockpiling– meant the mine had to partially dismantle the centrifuge and remove the four chutes every 12 to 15 weeks to re-coat the internal surfaces of the chutes with a wearing compound. The frequent re-coating required a minimum of 72 hours of labour time, over a 12-month period.  Read More
Features

A change in perception: Building a case for raw edge belts in iron ore

Throughout his years of experience as power transmission engineer with CBC Australia, Tony Voiklis has concluded that raw edge, or cogged, v-belts were not ideal for applications in harsh environments. That perception took a 180-degree turn when he learned about the superior performance of the Carlisle Power-Wedge Cog-Belt by Timken. As manager of power transmission applications in South Australia and Northern Territory for Industrial Solutions Australia – the largest distributor of power transmission products in Australia and CBC’s parent company – Tony often engages with sales teams across the Industrial Solutions Australia business network to provide them with product training.  The solution Tony says he often recommended to his customers and sales teams for drive belts in harsh conditions was to upgrade to heavy-duty or wrapped v-belts. While this ensured longevity under harsh conditions, these belts could be substantially dearer in cost compared to the raw edge Carlisle Power-Wedge Cog-Belt.  “Our experience with other brands of raw edge cogged belts was that when contaminated with dust and dirt in harsh applications, such as those in mines and quarries, these belts heated up quickly, which made the rubber material hard and brittle. This further increased risk of premature belt failure and created other problems such as the belts slipping excessively,” says Tony. Read More
Features

Meeting dewatering demands with Dixon products

As industries, such as mines and quarries, move to larger pumps for more efficient dewatering, hydraulic system specialists at Dixon and CBC want to ensure their customers have access to high performing hoses, couplings and hydraulic fitting assemblies to minimise any risk of unwanted down time. Mike Casey, Regional Sales and Business Development Manager at Dixon Asia Pacific says the dewatering market in Australia has been progressively moving to bigger pumping systems in recent years. “Pumps with outset sizes in the three-to-four-inch diameter range have given way to 10- and 12-inch diameter pumps to help operators drain water more efficiently and in less time. Progressing to larger output units means that more water volumes need to be transported at higher pressure and it’s this pressure that ultimately dictates the grade and type of hoses, valves and couplings required,” says Mike. Retention of the hose tail to the pump is one potential weak link as water pressures increase in the hose.  While traditionally two-bolt and four-bolt clamps have been used to tighten the hose tail, such clamping techniques can be inadequate in high-pressure flow conditions, which may lead to the hose disconnecting from the pump frequently and causing unwanted delays in operation.  Read More
Features

Brentwood shredding away all barriers to growth

Growth is projected for the waste and recycling industry in Australia and as it moves along this trajectory, one company in Unanderra, New South Wales, is particularly confident it can provide quality machinery for recycling. By mid-2024, when the full waste export ban comes into effect, Australia must recycle around 645,000 additional tonnes of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres each year.1 This means demand for recycling infrastructure will grow substantially. For Graham Badman, Managing Director of Brentwood Recycling Systems in Unanderra, near Wollongong, that vision justifies why his family business made the switch to design, supply and manufacturing of recycling equipment and turn-key recycling plants nearly 40 years ago. Read More
Features

Revving the industry’s engine with quality motor service

The journey to growth has not always been easy for Statewide Electric Motor Centre (SEMC) – an Adelaide-based electric motor and pump service company. But as a self-made business owner, Monica Samra knows that being adaptable and offering good customer service are the keys to any small business’ success. Monica entered the world of electric motor repairs after her late husband, who had co-founded SEMC nearly 40 years ago, passed away. Monica became a partner in the business nearly 20 years ago and is currently the sole owner and director of SEMC. She says she is particularly proud of how the SEMC team has enriched its knowledge of the industry over the years to gain the trust of clients in industries such as mining, pumping and air conditioning. 
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Features

Aluminum smelter sees benefits of belt upgrade

Existence of air-borne dust in the potroom of aluminum smelting plants has been studied repeatedly from the perspective of worker health and safety. How these dust particles impact service life of equipment in the smelting plants, such as belts and other components in drivelines, was the subject of one Gates® inspection and drive upgrade for an aluminum smelter in Australia.  A vacuum pump operating on site was experiencing considerably short drive belt service life. Oxide dust in the environment was impregnating the sidewalls of the raw-edge v-belts, causing the belts to slip, heat up and crack. The vacuum pump was also subject to high shock loads, which polished and hardened the sides of the belts, inducing slip. As a result, belt life was limited to approximately six weeks. Read More
Features

CRC products for safer, more sustainable mines

Both safety and environmental sustainability are pivotal issues for any successful mine management strategy. Mines are constantly under pressure and scrutiny to improve their workplace safety practices. Similarly, the pressure on mines to step up their environmental sustainability goals has never been greater.  The Deliotte ‘Tracking the Trends in 2021’ report, which tracks key trends in the mining industry each year, notes how it’s important for mines to balance short-term economic factors with long-term environmental impacts. It also points out to the importance of comprehensive environmental protection plans in bridging the trust gap between mines and their communities.  Read More
Features

Rexnord, CBC join forces to keep mine in motion

Extreme industrial applications demand gear drives that perform reliably every day. So when Andrew Sirl, a CBC Technical Services Manager, learned that his customer, a major South East Asian mining operation, was running an outdated gear reducer on their reclaim water pumps, he proposed an upgrade. The mining operation, as Andrew explains, was using an aged FalkTM Y-Series gear reducer on water reclaim pumps which were critical to the mine’s operations. The gear reducers had been in service for 40 plus years, in itself a testament to Falk quality but meant they had outdated gear design technology which was no longer stocked. Every time the site needed to refurbish the gear reducers, components such as the gearing, housing and shafts had to be individually manufactured as indent items. In consultation with engineers from Rexnord Australia, the CBC technical team proposed replacing the dated unit with a new gearbox that would feature more torque capacity, higher thermal performance and more convenient servicing: the Falk V-Class. Read More
Features

Longer bearing life for walking draglines

When a major open cut coal mining operation undertook an initiative to improve the service life of its walking draglines, replacing the bearings in some critical applications with the NTN “EA” long life bearings helped double the interval between replacements – matching related durability improvements.
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 Features

Trained to deliver

CBC, the largest distributor of bearings, power transmission and engineering solutions in Australia, offers onsite bearing fitment and laser alignment training courses to their customers.
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