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What types of apprenticeships does Geographe offer?

Geographe offers apprenticeship opportunities primarily in engineering and manufacturing fields. Our program focuses on providing hands-on experience and nationally recognised training in machining, fitting, and welding. 

What are the eligibility criteria for Geographe's apprenticeship program?

To apply for an apprenticeship at Geographe, applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria including minimum age requirements, educational qualifications, and relevant work experience. It's essential to review these criteria before applying. 

How can I prepare a strong application for Geographe's apprenticeship program?

We recommend you thoroughly research Geographe's operations and values. Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant skills and experiences, and address questions such as why you want to work for Geographe and what makes you a great fit for our business. 

What is the application process for Geographe's apprenticeships?

After preparing your application, you can submit it either through Geographe's SEEK listing or by emailing it to people.geographe@geographe.com.au. Ensure your application is comprehensive and addresses all the required components. 

What should I expect during the interview process for a Geographe apprenticeship?

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to attend an interview. Be prepared to discuss your interest in Geographe's apprenticeship program, your suitability for the role, and your support network for committing to a four-year apprenticeship. Practice common interview questions to ensure you're ready. 

What is the duration and structure of Geographe's apprenticeship program?

Geographe's apprenticeship program typically lasts for four years and combines on-the-job training with technical sessions conducted by a Registered Training Organisation. This structure aims to help apprentices develop practical skills and knowledge for their future careers in manufacturing and engineering. 

What are Enhanced Performance Parts?

Enhanced Performance (EP) parts are specifically engineered to solve common challenges mine sites face, optimising the performance, durability, and efficiency of machinery used in mining operations. Enhanced Performance parts incorporate advanced materials, innovative designs, and rigorous testing by enhancing the current design, offering superior resistance to wear, corrosion, and impact, resulting in extended service life and reduced downtime to achieve operational excellence. 

What is Thermal Lancing? And what are the associated hazards?

Thermal lancing is a cutting process that uses a mixture of oxygen and fuel to create a high-temperature flame for cutting through metal or other materials. The process involves a thermal lance, which is a long steel tube.  

This is a widely used technique in mining operations to remove worn or seized components in earthmoving equipment. Thermal lancing is incredibly time-consuming and comes with inherent risks that can jeopardise worker safety such as respiratory risks, severe burns, eye injuries, toxic fume emissions, as well as being a fire hazard. 

How does Enhanced Performance (EP) support maintenance events?

Enhanced Performance (EP) significantly supports maintenance events as parts are designed to last longer, reducing the frequency of maintenance intervals. 

Geographe EP parts ensure optimal performance, enabling machines to reach the required number of operating hours before the next maintenance event. EP parts can also increase safety in maintenance events by eliminating the need for hazardous practices like thermal lancing or hot works.  

Our Enhanced Performance (EP) solutions can also simplify the process of ordering and utilising components by offering kits that bundle various necessary parts under a single part number. 

What makes Enhanced Performance (EP) Parts cost-effective?

The cost-effectiveness of Geographe EP Parts stems from their engineered development, specifically designed to address on-site challenges. These parts not only provide better-performing replacement components and promote safer work practices but also offer long-term cost savings. By reducing labour costs and increasing product longevity, our EP range minimises the need for frequent change-outs. As a result, customers benefit from improved performance, enhanced safety, and reduced maintenance expenses, making EP Parts a highly cost-effective solution. 

How will Enhanced Performance (EP) Parts reduce downtime?

EP Parts significantly reduce downtime by improving maintenance practices and enhancing operational performance. Through innovative solutions such as colleted/greaseable pins, enhanced ball studs, and top hat bushes, Geographe EP Parts offer several benefits such as faster pin replacement, eliminating the need for time-consuming thermal lancing; improved durability and performance, enabling longer operational hours; and enhanced longevity of critical components, minimising the need for frequent replacements. These advantages collectively contribute to reduced downtime, lower maintenance costs, and increased operational efficiency for our customers. 

What is Specialised Tooling?

Specialised Tooling refers to the development and production of custom tools tailored to meet specific requirements in various industries. The Geographe engineering team design purpose-built tools that are precisely crafted to address unique challenges encountered during maintenance, repair, and other operational processes in the mining sector. These tools are engineered to optimise efficiency, accuracy, and safety, empowering professionals to carry out their tasks with effectiveness and confidence.  

How does Specialised Tooling Create Safer Maintenance?

Through our expertise in Specialised Tooling, Geographe provides industry-specific solutions that contribute to the overall success of mining maintenance activities.    

Specialised Tooling creates safer maintenance by eliminating high risk practices and the need for additional equipment. Specialised Tooling increases efficiencies and streamlines operations enhancing operator safety.

What is an example of a Specialised Tool?

Geographe’s Ball Stud Removal Tool (BSRT) won the 2021 Innovative Mining Solution award at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards  

Together with Western Australian iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group, Geographe sought to find a solution to the challenges FMG were facing when removing seized ball studs. The solution was a lightweight, single-person operated BSRT, that's now used around the world by companies including FMG, BHP and Newmont. 

How will Specialised Tooling Support the Bottom Line?

Geographe Specialised Tooling solutions have a direct and positive impact on the bottom line by reducing labour costs and the hours required for maintenance installations and removals. 

With tools such as the Ball Stud Removal Tool (BSRT) which allow for efficient seamless removal of ball studs, customers can achieve significant cost savings and increased productivity – factors that contribute to long-term financial benefits.  

What types of innovations does Geographe focus on?

We focus on Enhanced Performance Parts and Specialised Tooling  to improve mining maintenance efficiency and reduce operational risk. 

By listening to our clients and analysing their outcomes with OEM parts, our team uses cutting-edge technology to enhance parts and support miners with their maintenance and safety challenges. 

How do Geographe's innovations contribute to improving efficiency and productivity in mining operations?

Our EP parts can reduce the regularity of maintenance events, while the use of our Specialised Tooling reduces the duration of these maintenance events.   

 

 

How do Geographe's innovations address safety concerns in the mining industry?

By reducing maintenance events, there are fewer personnel exposed to associated risks. Our EP parts and Specialised Tooling solutions are designed to remove the need for hot works and other dangerous maintenance practices.   

How do we ensure that our innovations meet the rigorous demands of the mining industry?

Geographe’s R&D team executes rigorous internal and mine site based testing with all new developments. By leveraging our in-house metallurgical facilities and working to ISO9001 quality assurance, we can ensure traceability on materials and associated manufacturing processes. 

How do our innovations compare to traditional mining equipment parts in terms of performance and longevity?

Our Specialised Tooling is designed to be more user-friendly and cost-effective when compared to traditional tooling. Our EP parts feature material, heat treatment and tolerancing improvements that are designed to increase the mean time between failure (MTBF). 

Do we offer training or support for implementing and utilising our innovative products?

Yes, in-house or site visits can be arranged to train and advise on all our products. 

How do our innovations contribute to cost savings for mining companies?

Significant cost savings have been experienced through fewer maintenance events and more efficient part replacements. To learn more about them and how we can enhance your mine site operations, contact our team. 

What sets our company apart from competitors in terms of innovation in the heavy mining equipment parts industry?

Our response and agility enable us to react quickly. Our in-house engineering, metallurgical and comprehensive automated manufacturing facilities allow us to maintain control over everything from the design prototype to the final production.  

What types of mining parts does Geographe offer as replacement components?

We offer several components in the Geographe Replacement Parts portfolio, including pins, bushes, shafts, collars, end plates, gears, racks, wheels, rollers and associated rotating equipment. 

How do Geographe Replacement Parts compare to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts in terms of quality and performance?

Our standard replacement parts are of equal or better specification than OEM components. As an ISO 9001 quality-certified company, we use an independent, climate-controlled inspection area where the temperature is monitored to be consistent 24 hours a day. All manufactured parts undergo rigorous statistical inspection within this environment against drawing specifications and process dependencies to ensure their accuracy and completeness. 

 

By leveraging traditional and cutting-edge digital measuring equipment with Bluetooth connectivity, Geographe automates inspection reports during part inspections for efficient, accurate reporting and absolute consistency. 

 

 We manufacture high-quality replacement parts that can be expected to perform as well or better than the OEM. 

Does Geographe provide technical support or assistance with installation for Geographe Replacement Parts?

Our response and agility enable us to react quickly. we have in-house engineering, metallurgical and comprehensive automated manufacturing facilities to maintain control over everything from design prototype to the final production.  

To ensure traceability, Geographe has systems in place that provide an audit trail for the verification of materials used during manufacture and their origin, the product’s design details, and its full manufacturing process. Each part manufactured by Geographe is labelled with a unique job number which logs these details related to the batch in which they were made.   

Who is SparePower?

SparePower offers quality parts to the earthmoving, contract mining, quarrying and construction industries. With a combination of local manufacturing and extensive research & development, Spare Power collaborates with global partners to provide solutions customers can rely on. 

What is SparePower's B-BBEE rating level?

The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) program aims to empower historically disadvantaged communities with opportunities through initiatives such as employment equity, skills development, and economic growth. In recognition of these efforts, SparePower has been awarded a Level 2 B-BBEE status, as reflected by their AAA Empowerdex rating. This demonstrates the company's commitment to promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace. 

How does Geographe support localisation in Africa?

Through SparePower, Geographe supports localisation by obtaining locally supplied steel bar stock, forgings and castings, as well as collaborating with local businesses for precision machining (turning, milling etc), heat treatment, precision grinding and third-party inspections outside the ISO9001 based quality system. SparePower proudly supports localisation as well as the B-BBEE program by engaging with local Johannesburg companies. 

Why Choose SparePower for Geographe Parts?

SparePower holds an exclusive local manufacturing licence for Geographe parts, meaning they conduct ongoing quality monitoring and reviews, to ensure consistency with product quality. SparePower understands the importance of ensuring that Geographe parts distributed within Africa are to the same high standard as in Australia. They also engage with Johannesburg-based engineering companies for all manufacturing.  

How do you Assure Quality Control & Compliance?

To assure quality control and compliance, Geographe and SparePower have strict protocols in place to oversee the quality and integrity of all Geographe Enhanced Performance™ (EP) parts sold. These parts are manufactured with high-quality materials to meet high industry standards and ensure customers will achieve Enhanced Performance within their fleet. Geographe and SparePower honour all quality-related issues with the same warranty offered to clients in Australia and internationally. 

Can customers request custom innovations tailored to their specific needs?

We will consider all requests. The the moment we are targeting Specialised Tooling solutions and Enhanced Performance Parts to improve HME maintenance practices. 

What type of mining parts does Geographe offer as replacement components?

Geographe offer a range of components to suit your replacement needs, such as pins, bushes, shafts, collars, end plates, gears, racks, wheels, rollers and associated rotating equipment.

How do Geographe Replacement Parts compare to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts in terms of quality and performance?

Geographe replacement parts not only meet the generic specifications & part performance but are designed to exceed OEM specifications.  

Does Geographe offer customised kits?

Yes, Geographe offers Customised Kits that reduce expenses by providing flexibility to tailor kits to meet the unique needs of each customer’s mine site.

What 3D Programs does Geographe utilise?

Geographe’s experienced engineers design new products and reverse engineer components to improve performance through 3D programs such as Solidworks 3D CAD and Solidworks Composer. 

Does Geographe’s Western Australian manufacturing facility have Heat Treatment Facilities on-site?

Geographe’s Bunbury manufacturing plant has extensive heat treatment facilities, making use of five fluid bed furnaces. The facility can offer Gas Carburising, Nitro Carburising, Quench and Tempering, Normalising and Stress Relieving. Geographe has expanded its heat treatment facility to include a IPSEN Twin Lane Continuous Gas Carburising Furnace which allows for increased capacity and even faster turnaround.   

How is the capacity calculated for the IPSEN Twin Lane Continuous Gas Carburising Furnace?

The facility is one of the largest continuous carburising furnaces in the Southern Hemisphere. Capacity would be calculated on 93 charge plates at 95kg each, so it has an 8.8-tonne total end-to-end capacity. 

What are the benefits of Deep Cryogenic Treatment?

  1. Increased hardness and hardness consistency through transformation of retained austenite to martensite.
  2. Creates improvements in fatigue and wear resistance.
  3. Reduces internal stress leading to improved dimensional stability.

Why is Geographe supporting Asian mine site operations?

Geographe recognises the critical importance of enhancing safety during maintenance and operational practices in the industry. With a growing reputation for innovation, safety, and collaboration, we have extended our support to Asia, offering solutions to optimise fleet performance with our Specialised Tooling and Enhanced Performance (EP) parts.

How does Geographe supply parts and tooling to Asia?

Geographe facilitate the supply of parts to Asian mine sites directly across the region. Additionally, we have established local distribution channels on specific continents to streamline and expedite the delivery process, ensuring that mining operations receive our parts and tooling promptly and efficiently.

To discuss our distribution partners, please book a call here

How can I learn more about Geographe's warranty policy?

You can access our Warranty Policy Statement here

What services does Geographe offer in terms of gearbox manufacturing and overhauls?

Geographe offers services in the overhaul and manufacturing of gear-related products. Additionally, Geographe provides a comprehensive in-house service for the manufacture of gears, including casting, heat treatment, gear tooth profile milling, and full-form gear grinding to DIN4 standards.

Where is Geographe's gearbox service and manufacturing facility located?

Our gearbox service and manufacturing facility is based in Kewdale, Western Australia.

What types of gears can Geographe manufacture?

Geographe can manufacture a wide range of gears, including:

- Casting (ferrous and non-ferrous)

- Heat treatment (gas carburising, quench & temper, induction hardening)

- Gear tooth profile milling, hobbing, shaping, and broaching

- Full-form gear grinding to DIN4

Which brands of industrial gearboxes does Geographe service?

We service a variety of industrial gearboxes, including those from David Brown, Flender, Fenner, Hansen, Lightnin, Brevini, and Valmet.

What’s new at Geographe?

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