Torque Tools Australia is located Brisbane's Trade Coast precinct. Adjacent to Brisbane's ports and other service points, the business is well positioned to provide efficient service to Queensland, National and International destinations.The business provides safe, timely and cost effective innovative products and services utilising most advanced technologies and modern design methods to improve nut and bolt torque and tension technologies, custom designed hydraulic tooling and specialised ancillary equipment.The business has a philosophy of continuous improvement and as such invents, designs and manufactures specialty tooling solutions adding value to end user returns on investment.Accountabilities:As Managing Director, responsible for all business functions through to Profit & Loss.Achievements: Redirected the prime service focus from regional and metropolitan businesses to mining and mining related businesses.Developed the calibration capability in order to offer a comprehensive range of test and calibration services ranging from 1.5Nm to 25,000 lbf.ft. This facilitates calibration of the smallest of manual torque tools through to 2 1/2 inch square drive hydraulic torque wrenches. Led the market in research, development and design of titanium deep wheel well torque tool nose extensions to meet customer requests for weight reduction, strength and durability.Partnered an international manufacturer of microprocessor controlled intelligent electronic load balancers to custom design a height adjustable system for weightless lifting of wheel nut torque tooling, lock rings and bead breakers.Designed and implemented pry-bar bead breakers for safe and secure bead seat band removal.Designed a hydraulic lock ring alignment spreader for safe removal and installation of wheel lock rings.Specified hydraulic and mechanical bolt tensioners and bolt tensioning systems.Designed and implemented calibration equipment suites for end user in-house calibration.

Gulf Conveyor Systems supplied conveyor belting and conveyor systems technology to mining, minerals processing and other like industries.Accountabilities:Responsible for all activities in Queensland reporting quarterly through to P&L.Achievements:Played a role in winning a Conveyor Belt Management Alliance with a major coal producer in the Bowen Basin for the inventory management and the supply of conveyor belting and field services. Voluntarily relocated to Emerald to ensure it's successful implementation.Conducted site inventory audits and formulated agreed levels of discount against new belt contract pricing for an inventory buy back arrangement. Managed initial conveyor system audits and assisted with the preparation and presentation of management plans for each mine site.Agreed KPI's and managed the implementation and reporting through quarterly review meetings.Adopted the responsibility of care taker manager of Gulf Conveyor Services while a service manager was recruited. Gulf Conveyor Services was incorporated in order to provide the field service component of the Alliance.Managed the design, specification, tendering and construction of a new workshop and administration facilty in Emerald and the relocation from Capella.

Core products of GEC Alsthom were the design and manufacture of power and distribution transformers, electrical switchgear, water pipeline valves, DC traction motor repair, the Wescone Crusher development project and general engineering.Accountabilities: Wescone Crusher ProjectTo further develop the prototype Wescone 1300 Crusher to reliable level of mechanical integrity and to market and develop the crusher under the terms of the manufacturing and marketing licence issued by the owners of the intellectual property. The prototype crusher had been brought to GEC Alsthom Rocklea following mechanical failure during its initial commissioning in Perth.Achievements:Upgraded several aspects of the hydraulic power pack including the commander drive sequencing and in particular the switching time delay from the pony motor to main drive motor once up to speed.Managed the implementation of the redesigned lubrication oilways, oil labyrinth seals and retainers in order to overcome previously experienced catastrophic oil seal failure. Dry commissioned the crusher in the Rocklea works and arranged a trial at the Readymix Beenleigh Quarry during which a number of areas requiring re-engineering were identfied.The project was suspended owing to manufacturing licence constraints and funding as the licensor was in receivership and unable to fulfill licence obligations of design support.The trial produced excellent results in terms of product shape and size and crushing efficiency.The prototype was mothballed and my short involvement saw out 4+ years of the project.

Core products of GEC Alsthom were the design and manufacture of power and distribution transformers, electrical switchgear, water pipeline valves, DC traction motor repair, the Wescone Crusher development project and general engineering.Accountabilities: General Engineering:To expand General Engineering business which included fabrication, manufacturing and the repair and maintenance of large parts for mining, smelting and refining and other heavy industry sectors.Achievements:Increased order intake by 100% in 1993/94. Typical new business was: DC dragline motor refurbishment; Hydraulic and electrical overhaul and recommissioning of conveyor drive head and transfer station steered walking mechanism; Upgraded main machinery support pedestals for Marion 301 shovels; Electric power shovel arm repairs; Dragline rope sheave repairs through OEM's; Manufacture of spreader bars for pressure collector plates for the Weipa Kaolin plant; Refurbishment of a reciprocating output gear case for the green carbon extruder at Boyne Smelters carbon plant; Manufactured bronze bearing assemblies and grease ways for the in-pit primary crusher at Ok Tedi Mine.

Steel Improvement Pty Ltd of Sunshine, Victoria, was a heat treatment chemicals and specialty lubricants business, a subsidiary of Fuchs Lubricants of Germany, itself a World leader in automotive and industrial lubricants and had tried previously to engage in mining business. This was an opportunity to be engaged in manufacturing, provide leading edge technology, and to overcome limitations imposed through importing finished product.Accountabilities:Accountable for Queensland manufacturing, marketing of mining and industrial lubricants, metal working fluids, heat treatment chemicals and automotive lubricants.Achievements:Assisted with the specification, formulation, development, manufacturing plant design and manufacturing of lead free and solvent free walking cam and open gear lubricants.Initiated successful trials of walking cam and open gear lubricants on walking draglines and electric power shovels and in so doing set a new workplace health benchmark with solvent and lead free mining lubrication.Evaluation trials with Bundaberg Sugar in 1991 proved the application of the new open gear lubricant in mill journals to be exceptionally cost effective.

Applied Chemicals marketed a leading brand of specialty mining lubricants and presented an opportunity to develop sales and marketing and business management skills that would not be learned in a mining environment. It would also enhance lubricants technical knowledge.Accountabilities:Initially invited to the position of National Sales Manager and through resignation promoted to the position of Group Manager December 1986. Accountable for the profitable operation and administration of the group within established policies and guidelines, ensuring the achievement of current objectives and contributing towards long term viability.Achievements:Established new importing procedures and inventory levels and otherwise enhanced the supply system increasing stockturn from 1.5 to 3.0. Finalised arrangements for local gear oil manufacture under licence including the production of licenced packaging.Set a new industry workplace health benchmark by being the first supplier to introduce lead free open gear lubricants in order to overcome end user objections to air borne hazardous material and worked with the US manufacturer to provide other environmentally friendly products.

Accountabilities:Maintain records and provide reports on the mechanical condition of field equipment and prepare designs, drawings and recommendations for new work and schedules of manpower and materials in order to minimise equipment downtime.Achievements:Planned, scheduled, tendered and managed two dragline major maintenance shutdowns. Apart from other major works achieved, these were the first Bucyrus Erie 1370W Draglines to have their slewing rails grouted into position and the achieved maximum roller loads were the lowest for any type dragline of that size in the World.Set guidelines for dragline lubrication trials in order to determine the most reliable and cost effective dragline lubricants. These guidelines considered environmental issues, quality, supply, application, service support, consumption rates and direct costs.Designed the methodology for the revolutionary tub changeout method employing load skates on concrete incast universal columns and planned the third (Dragline 9) major shutdown around this key feature. Contributed to the mechanical and structural design of Dragline 9's new tub with the view to designing out crack initiation points.Redesigned the ROM dump station bridge stringers by replacing the previous 3 beam design with single continuous bridge beams, each stringer (4 off) being 22 metres in length. The redesign upgraded the capacity of the ROM bridge from 120 tonne to 210 tonne haul truck capacity.

Accountabilities:Maintain records and provide reports on the mechanical condition of field equipment and prepare designs, drawings and recommendations for new work and schedules of manpower and materials in order to minimise equipment downtime. Prepare schedules of manpower and materials and supervise any such work. Represent the mine in technical discussions with outside support resources.Achievements:Implemented new field equipment maintenance rosters for improved maintenance planning, higher equipment availabilities and higher mining productivity.Led a project to investigate the extensive scoring, surface pitting and fracture of gear teeth of both enclosed and open gearing on the newly commissioned walking draglines, made recommendations for and carried out rectification work.Discovered a dragline boom protection concept and in conjunction with the electrical department, detailed the design and co-ordinated the fitting and testing of prototypes on the Norwich Park machines.Evaluated drag chain life cycle costs using net present value analysis to determine the viability of replacing new chains for old as opposed to refurbishment.Designed and supervised the installation of the first lubrication rooms to be commissioned on walking draglines. Lubrication systems throughout the house were relocated to one clean room for the first time providing for efficiency gains in system operation, maintenance and troubleshooting.

Accountabilities:Co-ordinate contractors, inventory and construction materials control, mechanical and structural progress inspections, prepare daily reports and assess contractors' payments and claims.Scope of Work:Structural erection, mechanical installation and commissioning of shaft sinking winders and head frames, mine ventilation shafts (raise boring) and the construction of the nickel ore treatment plant comprising crushing and screening, milling and flotation, thickening, filtration and drying, precipitation and pneumatic loadout.

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