Western Australia has a reputation for being the sunshine state of Australia where heavy industry is always in season. The hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters in Perth afford local residents a Mediterranean climate and ideal work conditions, while most of the surrounding regions form a vast industrial landscape that draws many manufacturers to headquarter their operations there.
In particular, it is the manufacturers of fixed and mobile equipment that support the heavy industries around Western Australia, according to CBC Key Account Manager, Sheree Munnik.
Sheree has been servicing Perth’s local industry for more than 13 years, working with OEMs of heavy fixed and mobile plant applications to ensure their machinery operates at peak performance level. The depth of her expertise in the field is well-met by successful distribution partnerships such as the one she maintains with CBC’s partnered supplier, CRC Industries.
Both entities work to deliver the best possible products to the Australian market, providing robust lubrication, degreasers, corrosion inhibitors and general-purpose cleaning solutions for parts manufacturers. “The services we provide with the assistance of their Technical Sales Executive Ian Maguire at CRC Perth, could be considered second to none in manufacturing,” says Sheree, “We pride ourselves on the fact that a large proportion of our joint customer base are major players and key decision makers within their respective markets.”
Sheree and the CBC team have been working with an OEM customer in the field issuing samples and completing successful trials of a CRC range of products. Most recently demonstrating the CRC mobile Smartwasher® to a customer which is now currently on a 14-day trial.
“We have also offered on-site training to the customer which they have introduced into their regular toolbox meetings. It is at these meetings where we describe in detail the correct usage of CRC products to eliminate cause for error and any unnecessary wastage,” says Sheree.
“We have seen excellent results from this training program, achieving an overall cost saving of 10 percent to the customer’s purchasing inventory.”
“Rather than looking to maximise sales profits for CBC, we look to optimise the customer experience so that we can foster long-term relationships with our customers based on reliable technical knowledge and good quality products and solutions for their applications,” explains Sheree.
She reiterates that the success they have seen with CRC products and solutions has been due to the exceptional working partnership with the team at CRC Perth.
One of Ian’s primary goals within the industrial segment is to get in front of the end-users and facilitate optimisation and the correct application of CRC products, which is best achieved by doing onsite chemical surveys and site evaluations of the end-users’ specific requirements. “No two sites are the same and each of these sites have different requirements,” says Ian. “We cover a range of products that suit a variety of different segments: agriculture, automotive, food and beverage, defence, marine, mining, transport and industrial. Our biggest market in Western Australia is in the industrial manufacturing segment which consists of many different end-users in the MRO space.”
“We are a preferred supplier to CBC in terms of MRO products and this cements the relationship between ourselves and their account managers like Sheree Munnik,” highlights Ian. “CRC has been around for more than 60 years and in Australia for more than 50 of those years,” he continues, “So there is a strong brand awareness and confidence in our products and their quality. CRC products are tried and trusted in the industry and can be supplied with complete confidence that they will outperform most MRO products on the market.”
It is particularly helpful that CBC Account Managers have great relationships with their customers, which makes it easier to get onto sites and demonstrate products in various applications, Ian emphasises. “These demonstrations speak a thousand words about what CRC accomplishes in terms of research and development. The benefits of our products are easily realised during these on-site demonstrations.”
CRC and CBC have also carried out several on-site chemical surveys together within the manufacturing segment. The biggest pain point for most of these end users is using right product for right application. “By doing these site visits we get to evaluate and recommend the right product for the right application,” says Ian.
In one instance they visited a site that was using a competitor’s Contact Cleaner. The customer was employing hydrocarbon as a propellent.
“Not only does hydrocarbon take up about 30% of the volume of the can but when hydrocarbons are used as a propellent it can also leave small particles of moisture on the circuit boards after they have been sprayed. This product was being used on very expensive equipment which can have serious implications on the longevity and performance,” explains Ian. “I pointed out that CRC uses a CO2 propellent which takes up less than 10% volume in the can and leaves zero moisture residue on the circuit boards.” CRC CO Contact Cleaner also employs COZOL 404, a propriety blend that helps in the cleaning process and also evaporates leaving no residue, eliminating any condensation being left behind.
Subsequently, the inferior product was swapped out to CRC CO Contact Cleaner immediately.
Corrosion is a continual issue on heavy machinery in the manufacturing segment. Valves, cables, dies, moulds, bits, spindles and instrumentation on motors, shafts, and gearbox equipment are often exposed to the elements, whether in the manufacturing process or through outdoor storage of materials and stock.
For heavy corrosion resistance and to preserve the life of integral equipment, Ian suggests the CRC Soft Seal solution.
“Soft Seal is a long term indoor and outdoor corrosion inhibitor for machined surfaces and assemblies that may be subjected to long periods of storage or adverse conditions,” says Ian. “It displaces moisture and provides a transparent, amber waxy film for heavy protection of parts, equipment and machinery. It further provides protection from heat, humidity, and corrosive atmospheres. This product is ideal for protecting equipment during shipping when exposed to salt spray or other corrosive conditions,” he adds.
For long-term preventative maintenance of heavily used industrial applications such as chain drives, conveyors, pulleys, open gears, hoists, conveyors, forklifts, and wire ropes, Ian recommends the CRC TAC 2 lubricant as a tough assertive lubricant that works well on machined surfaces.
“The CRC TAC2 penetrates vital chain pin and bushing areas and wire rope strands. It works as an adhesive lubricant that bonds to surfaces to keep them in peak operating condition by reducing friction and wear that can lead to metal fatigue and breakdowns,” says Ian. “This product performs well under hot and cold conditions, against saltwater wash-off and high temperature sling off.”
CBC stocks high volumes of CRC products at every branch and facilitates many key distribution channels for them. With the backup technical support from CRC in Perth, CBC can better demonstrate the quality of the products in the CRC range.