Meeting the consumers’ needs

Now in its third year, the awards program is sponsored by BlueScope Steel and offers Australian manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their achievements and expertise to customers and suppliers, both locally and overseas. Winners and highly commended will be presented with an award at a ceremony held on the 31^st August at Darling Harbour, Sydney.

As one of the eight key categories, the award for Innovative Australian Product of the Year for Consumers was kindly sponsored by Seiko and will go to one of the following outstanding entries:

Davey Water Products

Product: Torrium Water Pressure Controller

TORRIUM is a water pressure system controller which uses advanced microprocessor technology to ensure a constant water flow at all times.

The controller was released by Davey Water Products into the market in late 2005 and is already proving to be a success in Australia and export markets, including the Persian Gulf Region and SE Asia.

There are also instances, particularly in the Middle East where water distribution infrastructure is outdated, in which the product is used to re-pressurise the system to meet the expected standards.

Express Coach Builders

Product: Breast Screen Unit

EXPRESS Coach Builders has developed a breast screen unit which travels around the mid north coast of Australia. Commissioned by the State and Federal governments to raise breast cancer awareness in local communities, the bus visits remote areas and Aboriginal communities to screen women who were previously unable to travel to other Breast Screen NSW North Coast units.

Developing this product has involved building a moveable unit to conduct the breast X rays, full kitchen facilities and a dressing room.

The unit has increased the company’s specialty type vehicles turnover by 50%.

Linpac Rotational Mouldings

Product: Toroid Underground Tanks

PLASTIC manufacturer Linpac Rotational Mouldings has developed a low-profile underground tank that can provide ballast against hydrostatic lift, rather than relying on methods that could create loading stress at individual points of the tank.

The design of the tank provides structural integrity, with ribbed boxes that interlock with the gravel used in the installation process which provides additional structural support and added stability for the operator and company.

The product was also successful in taking home the Green Plumber Product of the Year in 2005.

Plastics Australia

Product: Hangfile Box

PLASTICS Australia’s hangfile box range is a variation of an established and widely used office item: the suspension file.

Manufactured with environmentally friendly polypropylene, the range can withstand heavy usage and includes a versatile hanging mechanism that quickly folds back into the original box folder shape when not in use.

The range has been well received throughout the community and has been a major contributing factor to increased productivity, turnover and profits within the company.

Placard

Product: Tactile Cards

PLACARD’S tactile card has a unique indentation feature over the surface of the printed card, adding higher security features to the product.

Different methods were tried in manufacturing the tactile cards, until satisfactory results were achieved using the principle of heat and pressure under special processes and tools.

As well as increasing security, the tactile feature has maximised the market potential of the product for vision impaired people.

Thermofilm

Product: The Heatstrip

THE Heatstrip is a slimline, energy efficient heater designed to tackle cold outdoor and indoor environments, developed by heating product manufacturer Thermofilm.

When the company saw a need for quiet, cheap and odour free heating in outdoor venues (e.g. restaurants), they designed the electric heater to overcome the limitations of existing heating products in the market.

As local demand for the product grows steadily, the company has appointed a US distributor and hopes to expand into export markets in the near future.