George Weston Foods consolidates in Victoria

Don KRC, a division of George Weston Foods Limited (GWF), is a major manufacturer of ham, bacon and smallgoods.

OBJECTIVES
As a result of acquisitions, GWF operated similar production processes across multiple sites and identified the need to consolidate four of their manufacturing sites to improve business efficiencies.

Wiley was engaged to design, engineer and construct the new facility which would bring these four separate operations together onto one site. Wiley worked with GWF very early in the process while the plans for consolidation and plant closures were highly confidential.

CHALLENGES
Wiley committed to a complex project well before it was fully designed on the strength of analysis rather than fully priced documents. Significant penalties were outlined by GWF if certain time and cost parameters were not met.

To accelerate progress and keep momentum on the project, Wiley invested time in forging constructive and trusting relationships with the client so everyone involved gained a clear understanding of the scale and complexity of what was being planned.

Building a new facility whilst implementing a range of new processing methods, equipment and technologies also proved a significant challenge.

Especially when it came to converting the following elements from design through into the construction phase:

• Bacon Thawing
• Continuous and Automated Cooking
• Lean Production processes
• Serpentine continuous cookers
• Auto batching systems
• AGV logistics
• Mezzanine production offices
• Automated robotic palletising systems

SOLUTIONS

Design

• 3D computer modelling and detailing of the project design including services coordination.
• Scale of building.

Engineering

• Development of new central energy services systems and marrying these up to the existing factory.
• P3 in ground drainage system is 3km long.

Construction

• Third largest active project in Victoria.
• Undertook greenfield and brownfield work packages simultaneously.
• Managed both traditional building construction activities as well as manufacturing process equipment installation.
• Bulk excavation generated enough soil to build a new hill – 1M tonnes.
• Construction is built on rock.
• Internal and external concrete of 30,000m².
• Roof cladding of 20,000m².

ENVIRONMENTAL INITITATIVES

The project adopted Rating systems to achieve a new benchmark in Environmental operating standards, including:

• The main Ham and Bacon Processing Facility adopting BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) Rating.
• Administration Building adopted Greenstart Fit-out to Office Areas Rating to achieved 5 Star.

It also featured a range of Green Inititatives including:

Electrical

• Cogen Gas for 50% of power supply
• Separate Metering of Energy Use for ham, bacon, logistics, refrigeration, administration.
• High Frequency Ballast Lighting
• High level of Lighting Zone Control with movement sensors to turn off lighting when not in use.
• VSDs (Variable Speed Drives to all large motors, compressors and fans).
• Power Factor Correction.

Water/Steam

• 800,000 litres of rainwater harvesting for use in refrigeration condensers and amenities
• Separate Metering of ham, bacon, logistics, refrigeration, administration.
• WELS rated fittings for all amenities.
• Leak detection systems.
• Latent Heat from Cogen Engine Cooling Jackets used for steam and hot water production.
• Latent Heat Exchanging from refrigeration and air compressors for water heating.
• Water from WWTP re-used for irrigation purposes.
• Truck Wash has grey water recycling system.

Refrigeration, AC and Heating

• Room Drying after washdown provided by latent heat from Steam Heat Exchanger
• Office Heating heat exchanged from process hot water circulation
• Office Cooling provided from process glycol circulation
• sub-floor heating systems thermostatically controlled by subterranean sensors to only operate when required.

Waste Management

• Site waste recycling by Veolia to achieve greater than 80% reuse.
• BHP Steel used in building structure with 30% recycled steel content.
• Recycled timber used for formwork and other temporary applications.

Fit-out & Materials

• Low or No VOC joinery, carpets, paints and adhesives.

RESULTS
Wiley delivered George Weston Foods a modern facility which consolidated their decentralised manufacturing operations and improved labour efficiencies by employing lean automation and process technology.

By meeting the key deadlines Wiley achieved on time occupancy of buildings and enabled equipment commissioning and process start up to occur as planned.

The inclusion of a cogeneration power plant was just one of the design points which vastly improved the client’s environmental performance and profile.

This new facility is Australia’s largest smallgoods factory and incorporates leading edge meat processing and environmental technology which will ensure they have the capacity for future growth and remain environmentally lean and green in a competitive and ever changing market.