Coates’ new tool store products and services help deliver more efficient and cost-effective shutdowns
Shutdowns are designed to improve plant productivity but they can be unpredictable events to deliver. Success often rests on the ability to perform critical maintenance tasks quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.
Coates continues to grow its nationwide tool store offering to help industrial customers achieve successful shutdowns and other planned maintenance events.
Jimmy Cergovski, NSW Industrial Services Manager at Coates, introduces some new products and services and explains the positive impact they are having on major customer events.
Consumables
Managing the supply, tracking and optimisation of consumables, such as gloves, safety glasses, screws and drill bits, is a costly and time-consuming part of major industrial projects.
In addition to managing customer-owned consumables, Coates now provides 24/7 shutdown consumables support, including procurement, sourcing and reporting on all consumable items.
“Previously Coates helped customers to track and distribute their own consumables,” Jimmy explains. “As part of our end-to-end shutdown solutions, we can now use Coates’ considerable purchasing power to supply customers with compatible, high-quality consumables too.”
“This helps customers to reduce wastage, paying only for what that they need and use,” Jimmy continues. “And if a customer is running low on a particular consumable, it becomes our responsibility to source this item, freeing up customer time and personnel to enhance productivity in other ways.”
Both customer-owned and Coates-supplied consumables can be managed through a single tool store via SiteIQ, Coates’ next-gen proprietary asset management system that replaces CHASE.
Tool trailers
Custom-fitted tool trailers are another new and popular site-based solution available to Coates customers.
“Our trailers are basically a towable, scaled-down version of our tool stores,” says Jimmy. “We know that some of the smaller industrial and construction projects don’t need a managed tool store, so these customers can now hire a mobile, custom-fitted tool trailer decked out with everything they need to get their job done.”
“Tool trailers are well-suited to projects that require specialist equipment. They also work well on remote sites like railways with limited access for full-scale tool store solutions,” says Jimmy. “And while tool trailers are smaller than our tool stores, they can still accommodate hundreds of tools, or up to 3 tonnes of rigging equipment.”
Depending on customer requirements, Coates tool trailers are available for dry hire, or complete with experienced personnel to manage tool checkout and return via SiteIQ.
Battery-powered equipment
Advances in battery technology have allowed Coates to continue investing in new battery-powered tools and equipment, such as cordless battery-powered tensioning wrenches (or RAD guns) and electric forklifts.
Battery-powered tools and equipment bring greater versatility to the Coates tool store offering and demonstrate the value that customers are now extracting from Coates’ growing tool store range.
For example, cordless RAD guns perform the same tasks as traditional tensioning wrenches in a much safer and user-friendly way. As well as reducing electrical and trip hazards associated with electrical cords, they offer sufficient charge capacity to last whole shifts and can be used in locations with limited or no access to power.
“Coates recently introduced RAD guns to EnergyAustralia as part of the $80 million Mt Piper upgrade,” Jimmy explains. “The results so far have been really positive.”
Real-world results
As well as upgrading to RAD guns, the Mt Piper project saw Coates considerably scale up its tool store solution to manage all tools, equipment and customer-owned consumables to support a 1,000-strong contractor workforce each day.
“By trusting in our recommendations and engaging a wider range of our products and services, EnergyAustralia was immediately able to free up half a dozen key operatives to deal with more pressing operational matters on site,” says Jimmy.
Data provided by Coates’ proprietary asset management system also ensured greater accountability and traceability of tools, equipment and consumables, and improved tool time efficiency by 80%. This data continues to inform EnergyAustralia’s equipment hire and purchasing decisions and will shape future phases of this and other projects.
Connect with Coates today to learn more about Industrial Solutions or to enhance your next industrial maintenance event.
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