The CRC Greenlight program sounded like the perfect package to Steve Carr, Engineering Manager for Suprima Bakeries, when he first learned about the program through John Perri, Key Account Executive at BSC.
Steve had only recently been appointed engineering manager for the Suprima plant in Sydney after serving as maintenance supervisor for over a year. As such, he was looking to make some changes in the workshop that would help simplify the auditing process and enhance safety levels in the area under his supervision.
As a key supplier of frozen dough to businesses across Australia, Steve says Suprima is audited several times a year by its major customers, which include some of the largest supermarket chains and fast-food franchises in Australia.
Having a designated CRC cabinet stocked with food grade CRC lubricants, complete with the required documentation and material safety data sheets would help the maintenance team get through the audit process more smoothly than ever.
The Suprima maintenance team was already using CRC lubricants such as the CRC Food Grade Silicone spray, the CRC Food Grade Anti-Seize and the CRC Food Grade Bio Degreaser extensively in their routine maintenance of conveyor chains. But Steve says he wanted to be able to use CRC exclusively for all of the plant’s lubricating requirements. Interestingly, Steve says a key reason he likes using CRC products is their cans.
“The CRC sprays are designed such that the straws and nozzles are locked in place and retained on the can. This is very important from a safety perspective. It might not seem like a big thing to some people, but it is actually a big thing. The way I see it, the engineering department should support the quality control department, not introduce new risks. And the CRC cans meet that requirement. The bright green cans and the yellow nozzles are clearly visible anywhere in the plant.”
Having the material safety data sheets handy for the audits was another aspect that drew Steve to the Greenlight program, he says.
“When John told me about the Greenlight program, he said all of the material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and product catalogues would be delivered to me as part of a package. The Greenlight cabinet would make a great addition to the workshop, which we are currently re-organising. Moreover, I was made aware that the MSDSs are also displayed on each CRC can and that was additional comfort knowing that we can easily have access to the required data during the audit process,” says Steve.
In collaboration with CRC National Channel Manager Iain Faber, BSC Key Account Executive John Perri audited the
Suprima plant in Sydney to help consolidate the products used on site. The duo also briefed Steve about the complete range of food grade products available in the CRC portfolio. Steve says with the information he has received, he is now looking to introduce more of CRC’s specialty products to the plant’s daily maintenance work.
“We use CRC food grade lubricants not just on all of our food processing equipment, but also on the pallet conveyors used in the dough storage area. In addition to increasing the CRC lubrication range on site, we are also looking to switch to the CRC food grade gearbox oils in the near future to have all of our lubrication needs covered in one place,” he says.
With many years of experience in the food and beverage maintenance sector, Steve says CRC’s range of environmentally and user-friendly products are second to none.
“I have previously used CRC’s SmartWasher to replace kerosine based cleaning of heavily greased chains in another plant that I worked. The CRC parts cleaner is not only effective, but also completely environment and user-friendly,” says Steve. “Even though we don’t have a requirement for the CRC SmartWasher at Suprima, there’s a strong focus on safety and using non-caustic products for cleaning. This is an area where we trust CRC to provide pH-balanced and environmentally neutral products to help us reduce our environmental footprint,” he adds.
Steve is also quite happy with the engineering service and next-day supply that the BSC team offers.
“Having a single supplier for all of our lubricating and bearing needs makes it easy for us to manage supply and pricing. I have known BSC for many years even before joining Suprima and I have always received good service from them. They provide very good after-hours service whenever we need it. I am also aware of their extensive engineering design capabilities, particularly with regards to power transmission services and I look forward to working more closely with BSC in this area,” he concludes.
