Maryborough manufacturer to install world-first robotics

Maryborough manufacturer CQMS Castings Pty Ltd has been awarded $250,000 from the State Government’s Business and Industry Transformation Incentives (BITI) scheme to install world-first robotics technology.

Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle announced the funding today.

“The BITI scheme encourages regional growth and also fits with the Premier’s new blueprint for growing a strong and smart economy – Towards Q2: Tomorrow’s Queensland,” Ms Boyle said.

CQMS Castings Pty Ltd General Manager Max Voigt said the company would be the first foundry in the world to use the selected level of robotics technology for their specific casting process application.

“We currently manufacture over 2,500 tonnes of steel castings a year for dragline buckets and excavator lip systems used in mines throughout the world,” he said.

“The cast product grinding is done manually which is very labour intensive. The new robotic technology will double our production rates and improve our dimensional accuracy which means we will be able to get our products to market in a much faster time frame at a lower cost.

“It will provide us with a major competitive advantage and help us to expand our presence in the global mining market.”

Ms Boyle said the State Government was very pleased to assist CQMS Castings.

“The robotic cell forms part of CQMS’ current development project, which when completed will mean the equivalent of 80 additional full-time new jobs including tradesmen, trades assistants, engineers, metallurgists, CAD operations and technicians,” she said.

“This is very good news for the Wide Bay Burnett region because it will have a positive flow-on affect for the company’s customers and suppliers. The product will be better and there will be an increased demand for the raw materials.”

Ms Boyle said the BITI scheme supported projects that promoted the transformation of priority industries and drove Queensland towards an internationally competitive, sustainable and knowledge-intensive future.

“BITI focuses on the big picture and the impact of a project on an industry and region as a whole,” she said.

“Small to medium enterprises operating in Queensland’s priority sectors can apply for between $30,000 and $250,000 for projects that have the potential to significantly expand their business, their industry and their region.”

The next round of BITI closes on 13 March 2009. For more information on BITI, visit www.industry.qld.gov.au/incentives

6 November 2008

Media contact: 3224 2007 or 3225 1005
Company contact: Max Voigt, 4121 8830, mvoigt@pacfm.com.au