Two former schoolmates are working together to help a highly progressive Queensland trailer manufacturer pioneer new assembly techniques to make its processes safer and more efficient.
Buchanan Pinder is the group maintenance supervisor of the Drake Group, a family-owned Australian manufacturer of specialised transport equipment, based in Wacol.
Chevy Date is the Queensland major account manager of Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA), in nearby Larapinta.
The pair kept in touch after graduating 12 years ago from well-regarded Centenary High School, and their passion for solution resolution in the manufacturing and supply chain sector is now providing great benefit to both their employers.
Their collaboration has opened opportunities for both companies to initiate new techniques.
In the latest of a series of innovations, Toyota scissor lifts have replaced scaffolding as a means of providing a safer and more flexible platform for the assembly of more than 300 heavy-duty Drake Group trailers per year.
It's a first for The Drake Group and, according to the two collaborators, most likely a breakthrough in the use of scissor lifts in heavy machinery manufacturing.
"The industry standard for above-ground assembly is a scaffolding system," Buchanan Pinder said.
"Its use is limited in several areas. Firstly, in terms of its ability to provide close-up access to machinery under construction, requiring operators to lean out over open space to weld or affix components.
"The fixed scaffolding also means heavy equipment has to be physically lifted up to the platform from ground level, sometimes as high as four metres.
"Additionally, scaffolding has a life span, and it can become unstable over a period of use."
The alternative of using platform ladders is equally compromised.
"Across the board, safety is a big issue," Buchanan said.
The TMHA solution devised by Buchanan and Chevy has replaced both methods with a fleet of four purpose-specified SC06E battery electric scissor lifts.
The compact scissor lifts can be easily positioned alongside the trailer in construction, providing a stable work platform with far greater access to all componentry.
Equipment and components can be loaded on the ground and then lifted up to the work site position.
The SC06E has an overall width of just 0.76 metres, suitable for manoeuvring the close aisle spaces on the Drake Group's partial assembly line.
Importantly, it can be driven at full working height of 5.9 metres and maximum platform height of 3.9 metres so the operator can move to new positions as required.
The Drake Group is looking to achieve significant quality and productivity improvements from the new assembly solution.
Its three separate facilities in the Wacol area are now able to access the Toyota SC06E fleet on an as-required basis, eliminating the need for duplication of fixed scaffolding.
However, according to Buchanan Pinder, the major advantage has been in operator morale.
"The scissor lift solution has provided a far more workable environment, and it is demonstrably safer," he said.
"Of The Drake Group's 240 employees at our Wacol plant, more than 30 have completed VOCs (verification of competency) in order to use the scissor lifts.
"Response has been overwhelmingly positive."
The Drake Group has yet to complete an operational cost analysis, but Buchanan expects results to be similar to an innovation devised jointly by his company and TMHA in late 2024.
A TMHA-supplied a Huski 5SDK5 skid steer loader, fully dedicated to the task of cleaning up The Drake Group's heavy-duty blast booth which prepares metal surfaces for coating and painting, has resulted in a substantial saving of between three and four hours per session.
The Drake Group had previously fitted a non-TMHA attachment to a forklift to scrape away sand and debris.
The compromise was clumsy, time-consuming, and occasionally resulted in machine breakage when the forklift proved unable to cope with the harsh environment.
The Drake Group now has more than 20 pieces of TMHA equipment in service, according to Buchanan Pinder, enroute to becoming a dedicated fleet.
His goal is to use the material handling solution to contribute to an increase in total trailer production.
"Annually we produce between 320 and 340 bespoke trailers a year," Buchanan said.
"My goal is to up it to 365, one trailer a day.
"Of course, management thinks the target should be 465," he joked.
