Steeling the spotlight: a 2,000 tonne test
At National Industries, our team is proud to work with clients that represent a range of critical sectors from across Australia and the world. For some of them – our defence clients, our unicorns and corporate giants, our clients with patents and proprietary parts – privacy is everything.
This case study covers a project we undertook for a significant government manufacturer that has requested anonymity in line with national security requirements.
The background
Coming to National Industries after a long, yet unsuccessful search for a supplier capable of delivering on its very unique and complex steel fabrication brief, this client’s project centred on increasing the security of a prominent and essential national manufacturing facility.
Initially requiring expert input into the design of an extensive spring-based reinforcement structure, the project also called for the rapid supply of a substantial quantity of quality steel and other materials in order to complete construction within a very tight six-month timeframe.
To date, this is one of the largest, one-off spring projects undertaken by our team, and despite its complexity, we delivered on time, on budget, and to our usual very high standard.
$M
Project size
Tonnes of material
Man hours
months
Delivery time
The approach
Like every project, we considered this one from all angles – what information, expertise, equipment and materials were needed, what could go wrong, and how we could stop any issues arising before they even occurred.
The first step in ensuring everything went exactly to plan… was having a plan. We appointed one of our dedicated and experienced project managers to oversee and coordinate the entire process.
Project Manager, Anthony, collaborated closely with the client to develop a deep understanding of their requirements, and any regulatory, safety and security elements that needed to be factored in, along with the quite distinctive installation conditions.
Attaining a high-level security clearance, Anthony attended on-site meetings and briefings, guiding the design of the solution under the challenging circumstances including not being able to remove any information from their premises. The remainder of the team underwent police security checks, enabling them to facilitate the manufacture of the approved designs.
With the plan laid out in detail, and all involved in clear agreement as to the process and outcomes, we drew on our own existing and extensive supplies on-site, and collaborated with local partner, Infrabuild (formerly One Steel), to rapidly source a massive 2,133 tonnes of steel.
Our team spent the next six months coiling, wire forming and welding in shifts spanning 24 hours each day, to produce every component of the steel reinforcement structure to exact measurements and specifications.
To support an accelerated installation, our team manufactured as their team built. We delivered several truckloads of completed components each day over a five-month duration, which were immediately incorporated into the day’s install. The process became a seamless production line from component output our end, to implementation their end.
Once manufacture was underway, we further supported the client by designing and constructing bespoke handling, lifting and safety equipment to enable efficient installation of these very large components, greatly minimising risk to the client’s construction team.
The result
With the project finished on time, on budget, to a high standard, and supported by our committed and experienced team across the end-to-end process, our client was incredibly pleased with the outcome.
"Regardless of the size or scope of our projects, we are 100% dedicated to getting every aspect right. With this being such a big and complex task, our considered approach to project management and quality assurance, our transparent and open relationship with our client, and our expertise across the board, ensured we were able to do just that, giving the client the confidence to work with us again and again.”
Anthony, GM
The National Industries difference
Why did we get this project? After completing their search, the client could find no other supplier that had immediate access to the materials they needed, and could combine our rare expertise across design, manufacture and implementation support.