The awards are open to individual IQA members working in an Australian aggregates extractive business, with the Loadrite Award recognising outstanding applications of lean principles.
Lean principles are derived from the Japanese manufacturing industry with Toyota as the most famous example. At its heart is the identification and elimination of waste, which naturally improves quality and efficiency.
The principles are defined as ?preserving value with less work? and include methodologies like Just in Time (JIT), Kanban, Toyota Production System (TPS) and Value Stream Mapping.
?Lean principles are becoming increasingly important in the quarrying industry as businesses continually strive to do more with less,? said Bruce Warner, the Australasian regional manager for Loadrite. ?The key to lean principles is in improving efficiency as well as productivity. Loadrite has been a leading supplier in this industry since the 1980s and our Australian customers rely on Loadrite technology specifically to improve their efficiency and productivity.
?This makes Loadrite the ideal choice to sponsor this award and we are pleased to help the IQA recognise those businesses that are operating according to best practice.?
The winning entry will display an outstanding application of lean principles to improve areas such as load and haul cycle times, inventory control, productivity or equipment utilisation.
?The winning applicant will receive recognition for their efforts to improve their processes. Externally, it?s a benchmark that shows that the winner is in the top echelon of the industry and that their customer focus and commitment to quality is outstanding,? Warner said.
Japanese roots of the award
Two prizes are on offer for the winner of this award.
One is $5000 to be used to further the winner?s knowledge of lean principles, specifically with regard to load and haul and process reporting. The second is an engraved samurai sword, which represents the Japanese roots of the award.
Loadrite has associated itself with this award as it provides tools to assist companies achieve waste reduction. ?Reducing waste isn?t a new concept but the ways in which we can identify and reduce waste have become more sophisticated over time,? Warner said.
?There are lots of tools available to help companies achieve this waste reduction and Loadrite?s onboard weighing system is certainly an example of this. By ensuring trucks are optimally loaded and cycle times are as short as possible, Loadrite can help businesses improve their processes substantially, resulting in time and cost savings.?
Other awards to be offered by the IQA are:
? The Alex Northover Training Award provided by the Australian Institute of Quarrying Education Foundation.
? The Caterpillar Improvement Award.
? The ESCO Young Members Award.
? The Hap Seng Fellowship Award.
? The Hitachi Gold Hard Hat OH&S Award.
? The Hyundai Technical Paper Award.
? The IQA Service Award.
? The Rocktec Innovation Award.
? The Ron Parrott Award for the best exhibitor at the national conference.
? The Volvo Environment Award.
Entries for all awards close on 13 July, 2013. The recipients of the awards will be announced at the IQA national conference in Townsville in September.
Interested applicants should contact Robyn Cousins at the IQA, tel (02) 9484 0577 or via email. Further information about the awards can also be viewed at the IQA website.
Sources: Actronic Technologies, Institute of Quarrying Australia