Liebherr-Australia celebrated 100,000 hydraulic hose assemblies manufactured in its Adelaide-based Head Office complex in September, a milestone that represents the growth and success of the new facility since it was commissioned in 2014.
Situated in the 12,000m2 state-of-the-art National Distribution Centre, the workshop manufactures around 17,000 high-pressure hydraulic hose assemblies each year for the entire Liebherr Mining range of excavators and dozers.
The hoses are both assembled and tested in the facility to stringent OEM and international standards, including MDG 41 and ISO 9001.
Although this milestone represents the hoses manufactured in the new facility, hose production for Liebherr started in Australia in 1999, with mass production in 2006.
This was around the same time Matthew Bowes, Liebherr-Australia Group Leader for Hose Production, joined the company as a hose technician.
Bowes experienced firsthand not only the development of the facility and its capabilities, but also the team, with the hose department growing from three people producing 70-120 assemblies per week in 2007, to 11 team members producing 350-450 assemblies per week today.
“I have been able to grow with the company as well as be part of its development, starting as a technician before moving away from hoses to complete a mechanical apprenticeship with our remanufacturing department, and then returning to the hose department as a Team Leader and currently Group Leader,” said Bowes.
Hydraulic hoses are an integral component in keeping the equipment running, but they can also pose a potential safety risk; a notion that the Adelaide team take very seriously.
“Every team member knows how important it is to manufacture hose assemblies to a very tight tolerance. Our quality and compliance checks are of the best standard, and our safety culture within the team is fantastic.
“Although hose fabrication can be a repetitive job, all of our technicians take great pride in their work, and want to produce the very best product every day,” Bowes added.
While the hose department consistently operates with an already robust process, Bowes commented that the company was always looking for quality improvements and efficiencies, along with the potential for future expansion to cater for increased demand.
Bowes concluded, “This milestone achievement of 100,000 hoses is a great opportunity for the team to take a moment to celebrate the great work we do every day.”
