Machinist killed by borer

[Bigbjorn]

I just saw a news item stating that a machinist was killed in Canning Vale WA last night by a vertical borer falling on him. Was said to be at Camco Engineering. Anyone here know the place?

Vertical borers by nature are usually pretty big and heavy machines and should be secured strongly to a heavy foundation. Often they have twin tables so the machine can be cutting on one job whilst the machinist sets up another on the second table.

One wonders how this sort of incident could happen.

[BMKal]

I've never been to their workshop Brian, but have used Camco in the past for major repair work on Symons crushers.

I know that they are one of the few machine shops in WA capable of this type of work, so must have some pretty big gear in their shop. I'm no expert in this type of machinery, but agree that all that I have seen is usually well secured to a decent foundation.

If I hear / see anything more, I'll pass it on.

[JBM770]

They may have been moving the machine?

[Killer]

When I was a second year apprentice I had an "incident" with a vertical borer. It was a Schiess 8 foot twin ram, I was about to machine table blocks to sit the job on, I had the ram out about 3 feet, I could't be bothered lowering the bridge, I inched past the first jaw to check for clearance, all good, started machine and the tool promptly collided with the next jaw that I had set in 4" to far. The collision brought the ram down, which was about 10 feet long, weighing around a tonne, brushing my trouser leg as it fell. Kind of scarry for a second year apprentice. But vertical Borers are still my favorite machines to operate, there is a great rush of addrenaline when you can put on two 0.800" cuts with a 0.064" feed and the machine start screaming from the load.:D Oh happy memories.

Cheers, Mick.

[Bigbjorn]

Evans Deakin had one at Sherwood Rd. Rocklea that just fitted under the overhead crane in one of their very tall sheds. When sold and dismantled, the borer was split into three tri-axle trailer loads to go to its new owner in Melbourne. In the next shed they had the biggest radial arm drill I ever saw, a monster.

[Killer]

Evans Deakin had one at Sherwood Rd. Rocklea that just fitted under the overhead crane in one of their very tall sheds. When sold and dismantled, the borer was split into three tri-axle trailer loads to go to its new owner in Melbourne. In the next shed they had the biggest radial arm drill I ever saw, a monster.

I did my time at Vickers Ruwolt in Melbourne Brian, we had a Vertical Borer there which had a 6m table, could swing 10m diameter by I think 4.5m high. We also had a large Radial Drill I was told it was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere (don't know if it was true or not) the radial arm had about 10 feet of travel, raised about 8 feet, and traversed on a bed about 16 feet. It could take a 4" drill.
Vickers Ruwolt later became ANI Ruwolt out at Ipswich, and is now known as Bradken Ipswich, I operated the Skoda Floor Borer there which was originally installed at Sargents, I think it was the same size machine as Evans Deakin had at Salisbury, which was installed in a pit there to clear the crane.

Cheers, Mick.

[V8Ian]

I believe Bradkin closed down last week. They were the last company in Queensland manufacturing rolling stock for QR.

[Bigbjorn]

Ian, would that be the steel foundry at Runcorn?

[V8Ian]

Ian, would that be the steel foundry at Runcorn?
No Brian, the foundry went some time ago and the property is in the process of redevelopment. Karrabin did the QR work, so I presume that's the one.

[isuzurover]

Don't you love how reporters check their facts carefully:

PerthNOW


WorkSafe probe into Canning Vale factory death

* From: PerthNow
* August 12, 2010 8:52AM


WORKSAFE WA is investigating the death of a factory worker who was crushed to death when working on a lathe.

The 38-year-old machinist was killed at Camco Engineering's factory in Canning Vale, last night about 6pm.

He was operating a vertical boring machine when it fell on him, Worksafe WA said in a statement.

Worksafe inspectors will interview witnesses during its investigation into the man's death.

WA Today

Factory worker crushed to death by lathe
BLAKE WILSHAW
August 12, 2010

A WorkSafe investigation has been launched after a 27-year-old man was killed by a piece of machinery at his Canning Vale workplace last night.

Inspector Barry Mann said the man was crushed by a lathe at the metal manufacturing firm Camco Engineering at 6.20pm. He died at the scene.

WorkSafe WA is now investigating.
Advertisement: Story continues below

"The man was believed to have been operating a vertical-boring machine when part of the machine fell on him crushing him," WorkSafe spokeswoman Caroline Devaney said.

"Inspectors travelled to the site soon after and will interview witensses and investigate the circumstances."

WorkSafe Commissioner Nina Lyhne said "any work-related death is a tragedy" and offered condolences to the man's family.

Camco Engineering managing director Bruce Cameron said counselling would be made available to the man's family and to workers onsite.

[Bigbjorn]

I believe Bradkin closed down last week. They were the last company in Queensland manufacturing rolling stock for QR.

Downer-EDI (Walkers) at Maryborough are still going, aren't they?

[Bigbjorn]

I did my time at Vickers Ruwolt in Melbourne Brian, we had a Vertical Borer there which had a 6m table, could swing 10m diameter by I think 4.5m high. We also had a large Radial Drill I was told it was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere (don't know if it was true or not) the radial arm had about 10 feet of travel, raised about 8 feet, and traversed on a bed about 16 feet. It could take a 4" drill.
Vickers Ruwolt later became ANI Ruwolt out at Ipswich, and is now known as Bradken Ipswich, I operated the Skoda Floor Borer there which was originally installed at Sargents, I think it was the same size machine as Evans Deakin had at Salisbury, which was installed in a pit there to clear the crane.

Cheers, Mick.

ED's drill was easily that size. They had a pit and foundation prepared alongside for an even bigger one that never eventuated. Four inches used to be the biggest drill commercially available. I think that has been reduced to 3 1/2" nowadays. Over that you use a boring bar anyhow. A Suttons 3 1/2" drill is over $2000 list price nowadays

In my time as a machinist and around Oz manufacturing in general, I came across several shops who claimed to have "the biggest lathe in Australia". All were big, but just which was the biggest is open to conjecture. How do you measure? Length of bed, cut between centres, centre height, headstock bore, weight carrying capacity, total weight of machine, horsepower driving, are all valid dimensions when determining the biggest.

Hyde Engineering in Coorparoo, Brisbane had a milling machine whose concrete foundation was about that required for a large house or small block of flats. I don't know what happened to the machine when Hyde closed.

I have photos from the glory days of heavy engineering of a vertical borer with four AEC 8 ton trucks parked on the table, another of a Craven Bros. lathe in Sheffield that made steel mill rollers. Two saddles, four tool posts, a set of steps and a handrail up to the tailstock and a spoked wheel like a large ship's wheel to move the tailstock spindle in and out. In the photo the operator is taking a measurement whilst standing on top of the toolbit. Also photos of lathes from John Brown Clydebank, Beardmore's Parkhead, and the Government Gun Factory, Coventry of lathes with 105' beds making battleship gun barrels. These could be turned into multiple smaller lathes by lifting headstocks, saddles, and tailstocks onto them in appropriate positions and hooking up to the overhead shafting. The length was needed to broach rifling into the barrel liners.

[fraser130]

I have photos from the glory days of heavy engineering of a vertical borer with four AEC 8 ton trucks parked on the table, another of a Craven Bros. lathe in Sheffield that made steel mill rollers. Two saddles, four tool posts, a set of steps and a handrail up to the tailstock and a spoked wheel like a large ship's wheel to move the tailstock spindle in and out. In the photo the operator is taking a measurement whilst standing on top of the toolbit. Also photos of lathes from John Brown Clydebank, Beardmore's Parkhead, and the Government Gun Factory, Coventry of lathes with 105' beds making battleship gun barrels. These could be turned into multiple smaller lathes by lifting headstocks, saddles, and tailstocks onto them in appropriate positions and hooking up to the overhead shafting. The length was needed to broach rifling into the barrel liners.

I'd love to see those photos!!

[Bigbjorn]

I'd love to see those photos!!

No scanner. The photos are in books.


You should be able to order one of them from your council library. Dreadnoughts in Camera, Building the Dreadnoughts. The others are in old textbooks from the 30's-40's.

[JBM770]

I work at Comsteel at Waratah here in Newcastle in the Rail and Forge section.

We use smallish vertical borers to machine the wheels, the chucks are about 1500 mm or about 4 foot diameter.

The other building has a drop forge and some large lathes to make mill rolls.

[V8Ian]

Downer-EDI (Walkers) at Maryborough are still going, aren't they?
According to the news Bradkin were the last Queehsland heavy engineering company building rolling stock for QR. Walkers haven't done any QR work many years as far as I know, I believe the last job they did for QR was electric suburban passenger sets. Walker (only just) hung on for a long time, I am unsure if they are still trading.
Anna the patriotic Queenslander that she is, is sourcing rolling stock and locos from China.

[JBM770]

QR are rumoured to be going private.

BHP are also building wagons in China, but they still want our wheels :BigThumb:

[Debacle]

According to the news Bradkin were the last Queehsland heavy engineering company building rolling stock for QR. Walkers haven't done any QR work many years as far as I know, I believe the last job they did for QR was electric suburban passenger sets. Walker (only just) hung on for a long time, I am unsure if they are still trading.
Anna the patriotic Queenslander that she is, is sourcing rolling stock and locos from China.

Don't know where your info is from, but a new smu came down from Maryborough last week and as far as i know there are more coming.

[V8Ian]

Don't know where your info is from, but a new smu came down from Maryborough last week and as far as i know there are more coming.
The most reliable source, TV news, ;) I'd love to be wrong.

[V8Ian]

QR are rumoured to be going private.

BHP are also building wagons in China, but they still want our wheels :BigThumb:
And speed cameras, and forestry and, and , and.
Queensland, beautiful one day, sold the next.

[Bigbjorn]

The most reliable source, TV news, ;) I'd love to be wrong.

You are. Made a 'phone call today. Still going, still making trains.

[lardy]

R.I.P to the fella who copped it bless and to his family, you don't go to work never to return home ..they don't actually pay you enough for that

[Debacle]

You are. Made a 'phone call today. Still going, still making trains.

That's a relief,I just started with QR 3 months ago and it could get a bit quiet with no trains.