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Charlotte, NC -- Australis Engineering P/L of Sydney, Australia has won a Highly Commended Award for Engineering Excellence for its Material Handling and Warehousing project at the Royal Australian Mint at the recent 2009 Engineers Australia Excellent Awards ceremony in Canberra. With more than 85,000 members, Engineers Australia is the largest and most diverse professional body for engineers in Australia. The award was won jointly with the Royal Australian Mint.
Managing Director of Australis Engineering, Phillip Gustafson commented that it is their first major award in 26 years and a great achievement proving their engineering and manufacturing expertise in conveyors and integrated materials handling is among the best in the country.
Charlotte, North Carolina based Gough Econ, Inc. was a major contributor to the $60 million Australis Engineering project. The company supplied two Econ-O-Lift™ bucket elevators for transporting coins between the two levels of the production facility for packaging into coin rolls and bags and an Elecon Bi-Axial bucket conveyor to deliver blanks to each of the Mint’s 13 stamping presses. All of the equipment was manufactured at Gough Econ’s Charlotte plant and shipped to Australia where it was integrated into the material handling system designed by Australis Engineering.
“Gough Econ is extremely proud of its role in providing Australis Engineering and The Royal Australian Mint with this prestigious honor,” noted Andy Leitch, Vice President of Sales for Gough Econ. “It’s gratifying for us to help create a world class facility that is the envy of many Mints around the world.”
Most Extensive Modernization Ever
The modernization and revamp of the Australian Mint is one of the most extensive ever taken by a functioning Mint. Start-up of the systems, including the three Gough-Econ systems, was in March 2009.
Since the original Royal Australian Mint began operations in 1965, over 11 billion circulating coins have been struck for Australia and other countries in the South Pacific. The Mint also makes metals, seals and tokens for private and public sections worldwide.
Besides the Gough Econ systems, Australis Engineering was responsible for all aspects of material handling, automation, warehousing and inventory control from receipt of blanks through manufacturing, production, quality control, warehousing and the dispatch of the finished circulating and collector coins. Australis Engineering specializes in conveyors and material handling systems.
The complete automation system includes a variety of robots and automated guided vehicles, a Coin Vision Counting System, a Manufacture Execution System to manage the entire coin production process among others.
With the systems, the physical security of coinage blanks and coins has increased, people and equipment have been separated for security purposes and real time accounting and auditing of blanks and coins has been automated.
Gough Econ Application Detailed
Before reaching the Gough Econ equipment, blank coins are received, unloaded and visually inspected. This all occurs automatically and provides the Mint with a physical count and the ability to remove any damaged or deformed blanks. After inspection, the good blanks are transported to the entry point of the Gough-Econ Elecon™ Bi-Axial Conveyor and Elevator.
The Gough Elecon unit was designed with a single load and 26 discharge points in one circuit, two for each of the 13 stamping presses. The unit moves blank coins from a counter in batches to the presses. After the presses stamp the coins, they are stored in 55-gallon drums before final counting and packaging.
The Elecon system consists of wedged shaped buckets that come together and overlap at the load section. A patented rack and pinion system for 360° buckets assure the buckets fully discharge on selection and then return to the upright position.
The Gough Elecon has a proprietary tri-planer chain, tubular track and a vertical drive plate. The chain is constructed of investment cast links, steel forged cruciforms and sealed rolling bearings. It is the world’s only bucket conveyor that can move material in three different directions: the typical vertical and horizontal movement and the added flexibility of turning corners.
After being stamped, the coins are once again stored in 55-gallon drums and then conveyed to the Econ-O-Lift elevators. The elevators feed the coins into counters where they are packaged into rolls and/or bags before distribution.
Each bucket elevator was designed with a 9-inch wide bucket and a capacity up to 200 ft³/hour. The Buckets remain upright (except at discharge) and include collapsing heavy-duty stainless steel chains for durability and reliability. This is essential and ensures all coins are transferred and tracked to packaging.
“The RAM, Australis Engineering and Gough Econ have created a world class facility and one that all parties involved can be proud of,” noted Gustafson. “This success is reflected in the award for Engineering Excellence for the Material Handling and Warehousing Project.”
Source: http://www.goughecon.com/
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