Victoria-based steel fabrication company, CPE Construction, is demonstrating how cutting-edge technology can be used to maintain business growth through tough times – by Shane Conroy
Growing your business during a workforce shortage can feel like an impossible mission. You have the work coming in, but can’t find the skills or labour to seize the opportunity. It’s a frustrating predicament that can drive many businesses to the edge. That wasn’t the case for Damion O’Callaghan, managing director of CPE Construction. When he faced a workforce shortage during the pandemic years, he knew it was time to look for a new solution to future-proof his company’s capacity to grow.
“I think many businesses face this problem during a workforce shortage,” he says. “We’d advertise for welders and not get any applicants. So how do you grow your business when you can’t find the workers you need to do so?”
I, ROBOT
O’Callaghan found the answer in a Zeman Steel Beam Assembler (SBA). The machine uses robotic arms to position and weld attachments like stiffeners, brackets, and other components onto steel beams.
It’s also equipped with 3D scanning technology to ensure accurate positioning of components, enhance precision, and reduce errors. But the Zeman SBA is not just a welding robot. Based in regional Victoria, CPE Construction provides a wide range of commercial and industrial steel fabrication services. This requires a high degree of precision on large-scale projects—which is easy work for the cutting-edge SBA.
“The Zeman is an assembly robot as well,” O’Callaghan explains. “That’s important because the machine not only welds but also picks up plates from a bed and welds them in the exact spot needed. Previously, we needed to use cranes to pick up and turn large steel beams and to lift heavy plates into position. Now, the machine does all that automatically.”
SMOOTH OPERATOR
O’Callaghan says that will not only improve efficiency, but also reduce safety hazards associated with manually lifting heavy steel components. The machine’s accuracy will also significantly reduce rework costs.
“We’re welding on around 100,000 plates a year, and if we get just one per cent wrong, the cost of that mistake amplifies onsite,” he explains. “As long as the SBA is programmed correctly, it can’t really get it wrong. So that represents a potentially significant cost saving.”
But bringing the Zeman SBA to Australia was no small feat. It took about 12 months from order to delivery, and the project involved significant preparation including installing a concrete slab to support the assembler and bringing out a team of six installation technicians from Austria.
“All up, the machine has cost around $4 million,” O’Callaghan says. “But we expect it to double our capacity and eliminate around $150,000 to $200,000 in rework costs from small mistakes each year. Depending on how the market goes, I expect it to pay for itself in about four to five years.”
OK COMPUTER
CPE Construction’s Zeeman SBA is one of only a handful currently in Australia. It took about a month to install, and the learning curve to get it operational has been steep.
“We think it will take about six months to reach full efficiency,” O’Callaghan explains. “It’s probably the equivalent of about six people, but we need to teach our people how to use it. We aim to have four operators trained up. At any one time we might have one person prepping the beams and the plates, and one person operating the machine.”
O’Callaghan explains that the SBA must also be carefully programmed to complete clearly specified tasks, and there are limits to what it can achieve.
“There are things that it can’t do, so we need to identify which tasks and projects are suitable for the robot and which are not,” he says. “So there’s a lot that goes into getting this thing running to its potential.”
A FRIEND INDEED
CPE Construction also called in some expertise from its longstanding partners in Australia to get the SBA installed. CSS member Ultimate Fasteners & Industrial Supplies, for example, supplied some specialised hardware for the job.
“CPE is one of our biggest and closest partners, so we were happy to play a support role,” says Dean Jones, director of Ultimate Fasteners & Industrial Supplies.
“Any time we run into a problem, we call Dean Jones and Mark Shanahan at Ultimate Fasteners,” says O’Callaghan. “They’ve been with us for years, and as we’ve grown and become more sophisticated, they’ve come along for the ride the whole way. We wouldn’t have grown without suppliers like Dean and Mark and their team at Ultimate Fasteners.”
The SBA’s advanced capabilities have not only improved efficiency and safety but also reduced costs associated with errors and rework. By investing in cutting-edge machinery and leveraging strong partnerships, CPE Construction has positioned itself to meet future challenges and expand its capacity. It’s proof that with the right tools, technologies, and partnerships, businesses can thrive even through the toughest times.
