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» Alcoa - Crane Services Since 2002 ideas* have been the lead crane engineering services provider for Alcoa's Point Henry Site. Project SynopsisSince 2002 ideas* have been the lead crane engineering services provider for Alcoa’s Point Henry Site. Our services include:Crane modification and special purpose equipment design services fully insulated hoist drums for smelting cranes (picture below) custom chain hoists for carbon bake cranes cabin protection design 3rd party audit of crane management processesideas* are actively working with Alcoa to introduce processes and systems to minimise both their OH&S risks and maintenance costs.Crane end of design life reviewideas* were responsible for performing end of design life reviews on Alcoa’s complete suite of original cranes. Performing a complete design review of the structural, mechanical and electrical design to AS1418 and AS2550.ExperienceAlong with Alcoa, ideas* supply crane services and related equipment to a diverse range of industries such as: aluminium, steel, glass, pulp and paper, mining, grains, bulk materials handling and power generation.We have been providing crane services since 1982, originally starting as AIM Engineering Pty Ltd (AIM). AIM was purchased by ideas* in 1997 bringing its skills and knowledge base into the ideas* fold. ideas* crane brochure.pdf
» Alcoa - Twin Chain Hoist The twin chain hoist features a custom designed slack chain detection system that can apply load to maintain chain tension. Project Overviewideas* designed and manufactured a bespoke twin chain hoist for the Coke Vacuum Crane at Alcoa’s Point Henry site. The hoist was designed to raise and lower the vacuum tubes used to transfer the fluid coke used to protect anodes during the baking process.The twin chain hoist features a custom designed slack chain detection system that can apply load to the chain to maintain tension. It was designed and tested for a 1 tonne safe working loading with an overall C6 crane classification, meeting all AS1418.1 requirements. The 3D design allowed design issues and interfaces to be easily evaluated by all stakeholders. This was crucial for the design given the limited space available in the installation area. It also allowed installation and commissioning to occur with minimal issues and interruption to production.
» Alex Fraser Group - Laverton Concrete Recycling Plant "Alex Fraser's recycling operations have saved the CO2 green house gas emissions equivalent of generating enough energy to power a city of 45,000 homes for 1 year” Project Synopsisideas* were engaged by the Alex Fraser Group to provide the detail design and engineering of their new multi-million dollar state of the art recycling facility in Laverton, VIC.Making Carbon HistoryRMIT University recently completed a Life Cycle Analysis comparison of Alex Fraser’s crushed concrete aggregate with traditionally quarried stone aggregate. The findings show Alex Fraser’s recycled concrete materials have a carbon impact 65% less than equivalent freshly mined quarry materials.Between 1987 – 2008 the Alex Fraser Group recycled 20 million tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. The 600 TPH plant will help AFG reach its target of 40 million tonnes by 2014. Every 20 million tonnes of C&D waste recycled and used in this way saves the CO2 green house gas equivalent of taking 23,000 cars off the road for one year. Fast TrackThe unique collaborative approach enabled the project to be fast tracked and installed within 10 months of the first designs being put on paper.Engineering Excellence AwardsSeptember 2009 marked the Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards where ideas* received a High Commendation in the category of Industrial Development and Manufacturing for the AFG plant. The award reflects a lot of hard work put in by many of the ideas* employees. To view the awards booklet click here: VEEA bookletOutcomesNot only was the project completed within 10 months, but ideas* 3D design process and close working relationship with AFG enabled design issues to be resolved quickly and effectively. It also allowed for design improvements to be made deep into the design process. This resulted in a greatly improved system with less costly rework or modifications made during installation and commissioning.AFG Website
» Apollotec - Naval Base Pier Catwalks ideas* modular pier catwalks featured a flatpack design removing the need for onsite welding manufacture Project OverviewIdeas* was commissioned by Apollotec Engineering to create fabrication drawings for 23 new catwalks for use between piers at a US naval base in Guam. The main challenge was to design the structure such that it would easily flat pack for shipping from Australia to the USA. The design featured full aluminium girder construction with stainless steel bolted joints, removing the need for any onsite welding. The uniform design was used to fit various sized catwalk lengths. The design also included custom aluminium extrusions for the top and bottom stringers. These materials were chosen for their high resistance to corrosion and low weight.
» ARRB - Accelerated Loading Facility ideas* have worked with the ARRB Group to develop a number of enhancements to their Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF). Project Synopsisideas* have worked with the ARRB Group to develop a number of enhancements to their Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF). The ALF applies load to truck tyres that move repetitively over a length of pavement to accelerate the degradation of the road base. This enables new construction materials and techniques to be tested and evaluated in a very short period compared with on-road test sites. During testing full 3D profiles are mapped using the ideas* designed Transverse Profiler.Outcomesideas* have developed and designed a new axle arrangment for the ALF with only minor modifications required for installation. The machine was originally fitted with a single axle wheel assembly. The new tri-axle assembly allows for a more realistic testing of various road compounds and gives the flexibility of running single, dual or tri-axle configurations. AARB Website – ALF
» ARRB - Transverse Profiler Designed, built and installed by ideas*, the Transverse Profiler has been a key addition to ARRB's technology suite, providing highly accurate road profile measurements. Project SynopsisThe ARRB group are world leaders in road testing technology. ideas* were engaged in 2007 to develop an automated 3D road profiler to add to their technology suite. The AARB group use an Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF) to simulate normal trafficking over the life of a road in a matter of months. Previously during testing, AARB would manually take measurements of the test area between loading cycles. This process was inaccurate and slow, and as a result ideas* developed the Transverse Profiler to automate this process.The DesignThe Transverse Profiler takes both laser and ultrasonic measurements of the test road surface to provide both surface texture and profile measurements. The fully automated “one touch” system provides a 3D profile for a 2m wide by 15m long test bed. The design includes slotted track & sprocket wheels to ensure the transverse profiler remains square and the position is measured accurately by an encoder. OutcomesIn combination with the work of ideas* modifying the Accelerated loading facility the Transverse Profiler can accurately and repeatably measure road changes during testing. The Transverse Profiler has been a valuable addition to AARB’s technology suite.
» Bendix Mintex - Brake Lining Press The prototype brake lining press enabled Bendix to prototype a new production method to ensure reliability prior to implementation to the production line Project Overviewideas* was commissioned to develop a prototype machine to validate a new process of lining automotive park brakes. The prototype brake lining press enabled Bendix to prototype a new production method to ensure reliability prior to implementation to the production line. The work included detailed machine design for a fully automated prototype combined with relevant testing and implementation to the production environment.The DesignThe automated system comprises raw material loading, pneumatic flow control, heating, moulding and final product ejection. The system is capable of producing brake linings ranging from 168mm to 210mm at up to one part per minute. Not only has the system automated many of the previously labour intensive tasks, but it controls potentially harmful vapours ensuring no operator inhalation.
» Bluescope Lysaght Racking System A fundamentally different racking solution that removed Bluescope Lysaght's reliance on external companies for their racking solutions Project SynopsisIn 2008 ideas* began the design of a racking system for Bluescope Lysaght. The design brief was a racking system that could be constructed from products manufactured at Bluescope Lysaght sites across Australia, and be capable of a 1000kg UDL shelf load. The DesignThe design uses the roofing purlins produced by Bluescope Lysaght as both the columns and arms of the racking system. The design allows the racking to be bolted together with these purlins and some simple folded brackets. OutcomesThe final design demonstrates the ability of ideas* to challenge the boundaries of traditional design. Traditionally racking systems are fully welded structures or have at least some welded sections. The racking system designed for Bluescope Lysaght has no welded sections and can therefore be easily assembled on site by almost anyone. By producing almost all the racking system components internally Bluescope Lysaght have been able to remove the dependance upon external companies for adequate racking solutions and fast-track installation.
» Bluescope Steel - Coil Car The newly designed coil car not only improved safety but was able to extend the maintenance window from 6 months to 2 years Project Overviewideas* was engaged by Bluescope Steel to design a new coil car as a replacement for an existing unit at their Western Port Pickle Line. The coil car is used to transport coils from the production line to the chiselling station and onto the un-coiler mandrel.The DesignThe coil car is capable of moving coils weighing up to 31 tonnes. The new design significantly reduces laborious maintenance tasks and has extended the maintenance window from 6 monthly to 2 yearly. The design change also resulted in a significant increase in car stability reducing the risk of coils falling off during transit. The new design also incorporates a smart vision camera enabling the coil to be positioned within ±1mm, improving chiselling and feed to the mandrel.
» Bluescope Steel - Hole Detection System The ideas* vision system provided Bluescope Steel with a level of quality control previously unavailable in steel industry Project Synopsisideas* developed a hole detection vision system for Bluescope Steel (formally BHP) to provide a level of quality assurance unavailable at the time of design. The system uses high intensity fluorescent lights and high frequency line scan cameras to detect holes and imperfections on coil strips. The system is capable of scanning up to 1600mm wide coil strips travelling at 220 metres/minute and detecting holes as small as 0.25mm in diameter. OutcomesThe turnkey system was installed into the production environment with minimal impact to production. The automated process removed the need for someone to inspect every coil whilst providing a greater level of quality assurance.
» Bluescope Steel De-chocking system The de-chocking system has not only increased the speed at which chocks are removed from hot strip work rolls, but also removed many OH&S issues Project OverviewThe Semi Automatic De-chocking System was developed to improve the efficiency and the occupational health and safety issues associated with removing & replacing chocks for the hot strip work rolls. The De-chocking system enables the change-out to occur quickly and efficiently with limited operator input.The DesignTaking the machine design approach ideas* developed a system which significantly reduced roll change-out time and simplified the operators’ role in the process. The design features a long travel buggy with an on-board operator panel for easy operation. The roll rack enables up to 10 new and 10 old rolls to be laid out for quick changeover.
» Bristol-Myers Squibb Smart Capper Development of a specialised automatic capping head enabled product quality to be improved while reducing inspection requirements and improving throughput Project Synopsisideas* was commissioned to conduct a feasibility study for potential improvements to the CAM line bottle capping facility at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Australia.The aim of the investigation was to eliminate the manual handling involved in checking 100% of bottles for the correct cap removal torque. The final cap torque needs to be great enough that the seal is engaged but cannot be too high such that the cap is difficult to open. Being able to consistently provide a final torque in this range was crucial. OutcomesFollowing the feasibility study ideas* designed, built and commissioned a new automatic capping head unit that monitored the capping torque profile to ensure that bottles were capped in a specific torque range. The monitoring capacity enabled the unit to diagnose pass or fail criteria on the fly. The unit was installed and tested with very little downtime or modification to existing equipment. It is capable of automatically capping a large range of bottle sizes at up to 54 bottles per minute with very little operator input. At this operating capacity the unit provides a rage of production and diagnostic data previously not available to be recorded and stored.
» CBM International - Conveyor Belt Monitoring System A revolutionary conveyor belt monitoring system designed in Australia will provide valuable time and cost savings for the mining and bulk materials handling industries. Project Synopsisideas* have developed a revolutionary conveyor belt monitoring system for CBM International, a global provider of comprehensive condition monitoring of conveyor belts and systems. The system utilises the latest vision and laser technology, including 3D imaging to monitor both the external and internal condition of the belt.Following successful prototype trials, the first system is set to be installed on an iron ore conveyor at BlueScope Steel in New South Wales.Profile DetectionA profile detector continuously maps a 3D image of the load-side of the conveyor belt, monitoring for any changes in profile to indicate wear or damage such as delamination, bulging or splits to the belt. Any inconsistencies trigger an alarm, allowing an operator to remotely review the event. A vision system captures a continuous image of the belt allowing the operator to view the belt condition and even compare to a previous time.Rip DetectionA second unit monitors the underside of the belt for rips. This can be positioned directly after a load transition point, monitoring for belt rips from events such as liner plate dislodgement.Remote AccessA direct web interface allows the belt condition and all events to be monitored in real time from anywhere around the globe. This capability makes the system ideal for monitoring the typical hazardous and/or remote environments associated with large industrial conveyors.
» CSL - Squeeze Roller Development of a custom machine to remove plasma from donation bags. Project Overviewideas* developed a custom machine for CSL to process frozen blood plasma from pallets and collection bags into thawing vessels. The Squeeze Roller machine was designed and constructed to remove the frozen blood plasma from donation bags using two rollers. The DesignThe Squeeze Roller is capable of processing 40 donations per minute and changes what was previously a highly labour intensive process to a process requiring minimal operator involvement. The machine features variable speed drives for full control over the debagging process, is designed to meet strict regulatory requirements and is a fully safety interlocked system.
» Health Services - Center of the Future The ideas* 'future search' approach enabled the executive management team to move “beyond the sensible” producing profoundly new concepts for plasma collection PROJECT SYNOPSISIn 2006 ideas* were engaged by a market leading international health services business based in the USA to manage and coordinate the concept development process for a benchmark health centre.The ultimate objective of the program was to substantially reduce the cost of service delivery via the implementation of a remarkably improved in-centre process and at the same time significantly improve the client experience whilst in the centre. Future searchThe ideas* ‘future search’ approach enabled the executive management team to move “beyond the sensible” developing profoundly new concepts for service delivery. It enabled the team to work towards the most beneficial and viable options which could be carried forward for more detailed work.Development frameworkOur structured approach provided the following benefits;1. Guided and enabled the development of radically new design concept.2. Modelled the process under various scale conditions to optimise the facility size.3. Fully assessed the feasibility under optimum, excess load and down turn scenarios to mitigate risk associated with market demand variation.4. Provided structure and diligence to the detailed stages of facility design. This ensured that the specified process design was fully supported by the physical design of spaces, architectural features, software changes and installed equipment.5. Initiated and facilitated intentional culture design to ensure the centre staff were fully prepared to maximise the capability of the new centre.OUTCOMESMost notably the Centre of the Future project is expected to reduce the clients operating costs by 30%. This will achieved by radically altering the level of appropriate participation of patients/clients, removing two significant patient hand-offs between staff, practically eliminating in-centre queues and waiting and increasing throughput (per bed) by 50%.
» Health Services - Plasma Crate Design ideas* has developed and prototyped a specialised crate to transport plasma deliveries from the donation centre to the processing plant Project OverviewIn 2006 ideas* was engaged by an international health services business based in the USA to facilitate and subsequently project manage a program of significant process change within the collection centres. As a result of the work being performed an opportunity was identified within the associated supply chain to substantially reduce item handling.Significant donation handling occurs between donation freezing (in the collection centre) and plasma bottle cutting (at the fracionation plant). ideas* believes this donation handling could be significantly reduced with a specialised crate design. The DesignThe crates have been designed with open sides to allow good airflow to the bottles and ensure uniform plasma freezing. They have also been designed to be stackable for transport, but also so that they nest for return transport efficiencies. Another key design feature at the base of the crate orientates the bottle such that the barcode faces outwards. This allows the bottle to be scanned without removing it from the crate. Prototypes of these bottles have been made and tested, but are yet to go into full scale use.
» Health Services - Process Modelling By modelling the complete service delivery process it was possible to assess the baseline performance such as system bottlenecks and resource constraints. Project SynopsisIn 2006 ideas* was engaged by an international health services business based in the USA to manage and coordinate the concept development process for a benchmark health centre.An important baseline and decision making tool was a process model developed by ideas* of the center. By modelling the complete service delivery process it was possible to assess the baseline performance such as system bottlenecks and resource constraints. The graphical interface enabled these system constraints to be communicated and recognised by the client’s project team. Potential process improvements were then able to be quickly assessed and an optimum solution developed.OutcomesMost notably the Centre of the Future project is expected to reduce the client’s operating costs by 30%. This is to be achieved by radically altering the level of appropriate participation of patients/clients, removing two significant patient hand-offs between staff, practically eliminating in-center queues and increasing throughput (per bed) by 50%.The ideas* process model enables these improvements to be quickly evaluated without the need for costly and time consuming trials.
» ideas* Future Spark Using bikes to power Melbourne's Earth Hour Concert - The Future Spark vision is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by engaging and informing as many people as possible through a human powered event. Our key message is to reduce waste. Project SynopsisFuture Spark was the brain child of ideas*. The project created the opportunity to combine our core skills (project management, systems thinking, design) with our personal passions (collaboration, sustainability, loud music).The Technologyideas* designed and built a trailer that combined the people power of 16 bikes and solar panels to completely offset the energy requirements for Melbourne’s Earth Hour Concert in 2009.The VisionThe Future Spark vision is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by engaging and informing as many people as possible through a human powered event. Our key message is to reduce waste.Future Spark uncovers the mystery of energy use in a highly engaging and tangible way. By personally generating the energy for the concert we get a down-to-earth understanding of how much energy we can produce individually. We can compare our capacity to other sources such as solar, wind and fuel.We discover new respect and awareness of the amount of energy consumed by a large event, such as a concert, and at the same time get a concrete understanding of the difference that can be made by using high efficiency technology.Engineering Excellence Awards – Winner of Chairmans AwardSeptember 2009 marked the Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards where ideas* received a Chairman’s Recognition Award for the Future Spark project. The award reflects a lot of hard work put in by many of the ideas* employees. To view the awards booklet click here: VEEA bookletOutcomesThe Future Spark Team Challenge ran from the 23rd to 28th of March 2009, and generated over 67 kWh of power, exceeding the requirement to power the Melbourne Earth Hour Concert by 12 kWh.The unique concert attracted over 8,000 people and achieved world wide exposure, featuring a special performance by Augie March who performed the official Earth Hour song ‘One Crowded Hour’. The line-up also included artists such as Chris Cheney (The Living End), Kram (Spiderbait), Nic Cestor (Jet), Ash Naylor (Even/Paul Kelly), Renee Geyer, Paris Wells, Vika & Linda, Wally Meanie (The Meanies), Matt Cotter (Even) Bruce Haymes (Renee Geyer) to name just a few. The band was also supported by Jessica Mauboy, Cassie Davis and Axle Whitehead who donated their time to contribute to this global action against climate change.
» ideas* Crane Cabins ideas* has designed, built and installed a number of crane cabins, all of which were slightly different in order to meet custom requirements Project OverviewSince 2002 ideas* has been designing and building replacement crane cabins and DC-AC control conversion for BlueScope Steel.The DesignThe cabins feature 25mm thick glass floor panels giving the operator greatly improved visibility. The custom designed ideas* air bag suspension seat gives the operator 320 degree movement and improved comfort. The cabins are also ducted with air conditioning for improved operator comfort.
» ideas* E-SEAT ideas* has developed and manufactured a custom seat to be used in a variety of motion simulators Project OverviewMany motion simulator seats have been adapted from general purpose seating designs. This often results in failure of the seat at an early age. The E-SEAT has been specifically designed by ideas* for extended use in the dynamic environment of motion simulators.The E-SEAT is used in a number of Australian places including Movie World, The Melbourne Aquarium, and Underwater World. It is also in use in the Basan Aquarium in South Korea. The DesignThe seats feature seat belt locking sensors to ensure all occupants are locked in, and counterweighted seat pans that tilt to the vertical position to allow easy access to seating. The seats were designed using 3D modelling software to allow for full FEA analysis and to ensure ergonomic comfort. They were tested to ±1g beyond 1 million cycles.
» ideas* Engineering Awards The Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards are a prestigious showcase of leading edge, innovative engineering projects and products being developed and delivered by Victorian engineers September marked an important month for ideas* with the two projects entered in the 2009 Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards both receiving awards. The diversity of the projects entered reflects the broad experience base we bring to our client’s projects.The Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards are a prestigious showcase of leading edge, innovative engineering projects and products being developed and delivered by Victorian engineers. To view the 2009 Victorian Engineering Excellence Awards Booklet click hereAlex Fraser Group – Construction Material Recycling PlantThe first of the winning entries was a concrete recycling plant designed by ideas* for Alex Fraser Group. The project received a High Commendation in the category of Industrial Development and Manufacturing.Working collaboratively with the Alex Fraser Group project and production teams, ideas* provided the engineering and detail design for their new state of the art Construction Material Recycling Facility. Located in Laverton, the plant is capable of processing up to 600 tonnes per hour of concrete and other building materials.The facility now leads the world in construction material recycling efficiency, helping Alex Fraser Group achieve their target of recycling 40 million tonnes of waste by 2014 and saving the CO₂ gas equivalent of taking 46,000 cars off the road for one year.To view the Alex Fraser Group case study click hereFuture SparkThe second of the winning entries was Future Spark which received a Chairman’s Recognition Award. The Future Spark project was inspired by an unsuccessful overseas attempt to power a rock concert by human effort alone. ideas* undertook research and development, design and construction of a mobile facility for generating electricity by human effort. The Futurespark trailer was then used to power the 2009 Earth Hour Concert at Federation Square, Melbourne.The scope of work undertaken by ideas* also included the event planning, marketing and public management required to recruit cyclists for the event. The trailer is now used as an interactive educational tool at schools across Melbourne, teaching kids the value of the energy they use on a day to day basis.To view the Future Spark case study click here
» Vessel Design ideas* was commissioned in 2007 to detail design a series of process tanks for one of Australia's major pulp mill processing plants in Victoria. Project Synopsisideas* was commissioned in 2007 to detail design a series of process tanks for one of Australia’s major pulp mill processing plants in Victoria. The DesignThe tank designs had a range of challenging requirements such as interfacing the tanks with existing pipework and agitator arrangements and the series of complex internal baffles and weirs. The tank designs also had to adhere to Australian Standards, API, ASME and be designed for earthquake loading. Outcomesideas* project managed the detail design, manufacture, transportation and installation of all the tanks. Installation and transportation were both quite challenging issues given the tanks ranged in size from 3.5m to 5m diameter and up to 15m tall.
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Last updated 31st March 08