Civmec is bringing major mining capability with new technology to the mining industry like never seen before. Once their new facility is completed, an extra 400 jobs will be available in the region.
Civmec are a renowned company in the WA mining sector and have now made a home on the east coast, right here in our region. The facility with be the fourth for the Australian company adding to their existing Henderson and Broome Western Australia locations, and their Darwin facility.
“The facility here in Newcastle is about to have big changes. In WA we are well known in the mining industry for our ability to deliver, and it is heading in the same direction here on the east coast which is exciting,” says Facility Manager Noel McCausland
Currently the facility employs 115 employees though once the completion of the extensive expansion of the facility has taken place, that number is expected to increase to 500 plus employees.
The technology in the facility is something special and must be seen to be believed. “The metal comes in and traditionally it will look like an I Beam, all we do is make it in to something. We program the machine at the start to either cut or drill holes all with the touch of a button. We don’t physically touch any of it. It goes through the process and comes back how you want it.” Noel tells us.
Noel goes on to explain that the first process it goes through is shot blasting to clean it all up to look like brand new steel. Then it goes through to cutting, drilling and scraping. How it’s done everywhere else traditionally in the industry is a guy would come out with a tape measure, measure it, mark it out and put a lane on it. A guy then comes along and tacks it on to that position, fits it out and then welds it out.
What Civmec’s machine does is it actually scrapes it. “So, there’s no measuring, so you come along even if you are the silliest boilermaker in the world and you can’t get it wrong. There’s a mark there for you, you put it on it, you weld it,” says Noel.
Having been with Civmec now for 7 years, the last 12 months in Newcastle, Noel is excited to see the expansion at this facility as it will be everything plus more in new technology. “We’re spending a lot of money expanding our fabrication here. What we will end up with is 20,000 sqm under our roof.”
As part of their development, Civmec we will be looking to build a sinker lift, for bringing in ships for ship maintenance, though that’s a bit further down the track. There are exciting times ahead for Civmec and our region!
