Michael Greelish

Aluminium metal is prized for its strong yet lightweight properties, as well as its resistance to rusting.
 Features

Downtime foiled by exceptional bearing solution

The extraction and processing of aluminium metal can be broken down into three key stages: the mining of bauxite ore, refining that ore to recover alumina, and then the smelting of alumina to produce aluminium sheets or ingots. This type of metal is prized for its strong yet lightweight properties, as well as its resistance to rusting. Read More
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 Features

Solid block bearing units are good as gold

When it comes to performance in punishing environments, the Timken® spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units are as good as gold. Which was certainly the case when Michael Greelish had these units installed in a Queensland gold mine. “These unitised housings have multiple features that make them a great choice for conveying applications in the mines and quarry sector,” says the National Segment Manager for Mines, Quarries and Resources at CBC Australia. “In the case of the gold mine, we began using them on their tail drums due to failures from contamination with their previous standard bearings. The Timken units have been so successful that they’ve now installed them on all the head and gravity take up pulleys.” The solid-block housed units are literally solid-blocks of steel that have been designed to eliminate the risk of bearing contamination. “These units are completely sealed off and come pre-assembled – unlike standard bearings which are supplied in separate components, the bearing, housing and sleeve is all included,” Michael explains. “With standard bearings, if you need to install or have to replace them, you need to remove all the componentry, and on mining or quarry sites, that means you’ve got maintenance staff trying to fit them on conveyors in difficult conditions. All it takes is one small gust of wind and the dust blows in and contaminates the bearing while you’re trying to fit it.” The Timken® spherical roller bearing solid-block housed units remove this risk. Read More
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Fluid mobility

Mobile machines on mine sites are essential workers, and similar to human resources, they need fluids to run efficiently. However, the quality of those fluids are integral to performance – which is why customers seek assurance from BSC in regards to their lubrication needs. According to Steve Keown, BSC Australia’s National Product Manager for Lubricants, customers stand to benefit from BSC’s partnership with Shell by Viva Energy Australia, in terms of both the supply of quality products, and in having access to local expertise. “Shell is the number one brand globally and we are providing a top-of-the-line solution to our customers that is unsurpassed in the market,” enthuses Steve. “Shell has a long history of research and development when it comes to lubricants for mining and quarry applications – they work very closely with equipment manufacturers to ensure the lubricants will provide operational efficiency for equipment.” Of course, preventing downtime is high on the agenda. “Shell has been providing lubrication products to this sector for nearly 100 years,” explains Steve. “They have a very long history of tailoring lubricants to a specific application and providing a cost effective solution to prevent the unforeseen downtime of equipment.” Importantly, Steve says BSC work together with Shell to match the right products to suit each customer’s application and can ensure the lubricants are complying with OEM warranty requirements. “Customers can be confident in the quality of the lubricants and assured that their manufacturer’s warranty is in place – which is very important,” expands Steve.  “As a national distributor of Shell products, we can also offer customers access to services such as the Shell technical help and Lube Analysis, which tracks how a lubricant is working on a particular piece of equipment.” Having this support and analysis offers customers peace of mind. “It takes the arduous work out of the customer’s hands knowing that they have local technical backup,” explains Steve. “In addition to that, dealing with a brand such as Shell hand-in-hand with BSC, they can be secure in the fact that they have premium support in place.” This is where BSC’s partnership with the global Shell Brand proves particularly beneficial for customers. “We are currently working closely with a customer where we are facilitating with Viva Energy’s Shell Lubricants technical engineers to perform trials on some of our customer’s equipment,” Steve expounds. “It’s a very open line of communication between BSC, our customer and Shell, who is a global leader. Essentially, we are providing high-level global assurance on a local level.” Moreover, customers can rely on BSC to help them manage their inventory and lubricant usage. “In our experience, customers want to use a brand and product that is suitable to their application and minimise inventory as much as possible,” explains Steve. “The Shell Lubricants range often ticks all the boxes, as it covers all major mining equipment needs, however, we will work with our customers to select and match the right lubricant to their application.”
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greener
 Uncategorised

A greener cleaner for mines

Every major industry shift starts with a small step. The movement to ‘go green’ in the mines and quarries sector is no exception – with the adoption of greener cleaning products being one of the early markers of this shift. “Mining and quarrying managers have been increasingly seeking cleaning solutions for on-site that are comprised of safe and environmentally friendly ingredients,” says Michael Greelish, BSC’s National Product Manager for the Mines, Quarries and Resources market segments. For years, the CRC Brakleen product has been a best seller at BSC, serving as the go-to, premium, cure-all, cleaning solution for mine sites. The standard Brakleen product works by cleaning and degreasing a surface instantly, before evaporating with no residue. “The turnover for Brakleen has been huge over the years. Mine workers love the easy to use, spray can in-hand option,” says Michael. “But there is one drawback– the product emits strong vapours into the air that contain some harsh cleaning solvents.” This is what led CRC to develop the Brakleen Water Based, a completely biodegradable, non-toxic, non-flammable product that can safely be used in confined spaces, like those found on a mine site. According to Michael, this new formula comprises all the ingredients needed in a quality, stand-alone, multi-purpose cleaning agent. “To be a truly ‘cure-all’ solution, health, safety, and the environment need to be at the top of the shopping list,” he states. David Bailey, Business Development Manager for CRC Industries, concurs. “Customers have been asking for more sustainable substitutes to our much-loved staple products like Brakleen,” he says. “By delivering Brakleen Water Based to the market, we are aiming to provide a safer alternative to our end-users and improve the overall safety of our customers.” CRC work closely with Michael Greelish and the BSC team. It’s a true partnership in the very meaning of the word. “Through BSC, we have gained many opportunities to get our products onto mine sites,” says David. “In the last 18 months, the reps at BSC have been doing a lot of the groundwork for us to get the right information to the right sites.” With so many contaminants on a mine site, robust cleaning products such as Brakleen are required around the clock to ensure equipment, cables and bearings are free of dirt and grease and continue to perform well. Michael travels frequently to visit BSC customers across the country, working alongside OEMs and maintenance technicians at mine sites and power stations to oversee the performance of gearboxes, pumps, screens, crushers, conveyors, heavy earth moving and mobile equipment. With a wide range of products available through the BSC stock range, part of Michael’s job is to look for ways to improve systems and processes for customers and the CRC product range is rich with versatile solution offerings to choose from. Read More
motors
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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

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