From Rockhampton to the Pilbara, the mining and quarrying networks in Australia are widely spread out, with many operations taking place in geographically remote locations. This can mean that sourcing everyday equipment sometimes proves difficult, and inventory management requires more than a little forward-thinking.

Enter Motion Australia’s diverse selection of vending solutions – designed to combat supply chain costs and downtime by allowing 24/7 access to the most frequently used tools, PPE and consumable products.

According to B2B eCommerce Manager Brenton Finch, overconsumed and misplaced items account for a considerable portion of overspending on many industrial sites, having a serious impact on the bottom line.

“What makes our machines unique is that they work in tandem with the CribMaster software, which is really the key to monitoring stock levels and configuring things like controlled access,” he explains. “It lets the user know exactly what they’ve got on hand, notifying them when they need to re-order. This allows for smarter resource allocation for each particular job, team or individual employee.”

The On-Site Solutions system can be tailored to suit each user’s requirements and project layout. It can either print a simple stock report on a regular basis, or even generate automatic re-ordering back through the nearest Motion Australia branch.

“Having that added traceability is hugely beneficial in a number of ways,” points out Brenton. “It reduces downtime spent looking for and ordering items, because it can ensure constant product availability. Using this solution, there should never be an instance where something is inconveniently out of stock, because it will have already flagged the system and triggered a re-order ahead of time.”

Additionally, it allows the business to reduce overall batch quantities, and avoid wasting costs on over-ordering. Instead of the business ending up with three times the amount of bearing lubricant than what is actually required, it will make the whole process more streamlined by reducing redundant stock.

“What’s more,” Brenton says, “it promotes a huge cost saving related to lost or damaged equipment, because it has constant records of who is accessing the machine at what time, for whichever specific task. It does this through individual ID numbers or a swipe card required for access – this is entirely configurable depending on how much information the site manager wants to keep on hand.”

ToolBox

Ideal for high-use consumables, PPE, general shop supplies and cutting tools, the ToolBox unit resembles a regular food and drink coil vending machine. The user-friendly touch screen interface allows individuals with approved access to retrieve items easily throughout the day, mitigating the need to visit a stock room or travel off-site for parts.

Each product is clearly visible through the glass front panel, and stored between coils of varying depth and width. Available in either six or seven shelf options, it can store up to 60 individual SKUs at any given time.

ProStock

The next step-up in Motion’s vending portfolio is the ProStock – designed to hold small, pre-packaged maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) items. Much like the ToolBox, it can be used to stock PPE, cutting tools and general shop supplies, but is also suitable for welding consumables and electrical components. It has a much higher SKU capacity of up to 560 items, and can be reconfigured as stock rotates through.

WeighStation

Venturing into larger capacity solutions, the WeighStation is a double-door cabinet which offers more versatility in product size. It can carry about four to five times the stock volume of the standard coil machines, including small to large MRO consumables, abrasives, and general shop supplies.

The precision scale technology offers accurate reporting on changing stock levels, and the easily accessible storage trays ensure timely replenishment.

ProLock

For storing frequently used tools and larger items in a convenient location on site, the ProLock is a fully configurable storage container with up to 24 individual lockers. Best suited to durable and calibrated tooling, it can also factor restricted access to items requiring inspection prior to use. Cordless power tools can be placed on charge while inside, making it easier to keep track of everything in the one place.

“Larger sites might also consider our upscaled inventory solutions, such as the AccuCab decentralised tool store, or an RFID Storeroom, which features secure gated entry and much larger holding capacity,” says Brenton. “The technology is so scalable, that we can generally meet the requirements of any plant’s size or layout.”

To explore the full range of Motion Australia’s On-Site Solutions, contact your local branch today.

How does it work?

 1. The end-user takes whichever items they need from the dispensing unit.

2. The process software downloads the usage information throughout each day. It then alerts the local Motion Australia branch about which items need to be replenished.

3. A branch representative receives and fulfils the order.

4. A vending service technician visits the site and replenishes the vending machine.

It’s that easy!