ACASPA Member News • Training and Events • Member Spotlight • Developments

Showcasing members’ Creative Talents at schools across Australia

EXPO CONFIDENTIAL A preview of what’s on offer at this year’s association Expo

AUSTRALIAN CANVAS AND SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INC. Vol 12 No 2March 2012

CLASSY STRUCTURES

INCREDIBLY SMART TEXTILES Amazing capabilities of fabrics

BUSTLING BRISBANE BUSINESS

The productivity of Thorline Products

Pathfinder launching M-Series at ACASPA Expo 2012www.pathfinderaus.com.au—see pages 9 & 30

MARCH 2012 · 1

CONNECTIONS magazine is published on behalf of the Australian Canvas and Synthetic Products Association Inc. by CommStrat Limited.

PublIShEr CommStrat

EdITOr Nicola Card

CrEaTIvE Timothy Hartridge

dESIgNEr Odette Boulton

CONTrIbuTOrS Barb Ernster Simon Sharwood

SalES Yuri Mamistvalovyuri@commstrat.com.au

CONTaCT EdITOrIalnicola.card@commstrat.com.auoffice@acaspa.com.au

COMMSTraTABN 31 008 434 802Level 8, 574 St Kilda RdMelbourne Vic 3004www.commstrat.com.au

aCaSPaSuite 201, 22 St Kilda Road,St Kilda 3182 VICPhone: 03 9521 2114Local call: 1300 555 787Fax: 03 9521 2116www.acaspa.com.au

Disclaimer: Except where specifically stated, the opinions and material published in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or the ACASPA Council.

Contents

aSSOCIaTION MaTTErS03 reports from the President

and Manager04 Office report33 readership survey36 State reports40 Fabric Structures

Committee report40 New members42 Membership directory

SPECIal FEaTurES12 bustling brisbane business The productivity of Thorline Products

14 Expo confidential A preview of what’s on offer at this year’s

association Expo

NEWS COrNEr06 Members’ news Activities and achievements

10 The business landscape

ClaSSY STruCTurES18 Showcasing members’ creative

talents at schools across australia

TraININg aNd EvENTS48 Industry events and

a list of rTOs

SPOTlIghT ON MEMbErS30 Pathfinder, ricky richards

and hiraoka Who and what is new

TEChNICal COrNEr38 glorious gadgets Simon Sharwood takes a look

at the latest offerings

26 Incredibly Smart Textiles IFAI examines the capabilities

of textiles

12

1418

26

SubSCrIPTIONS To subscribe to Connections for just $75.00 inc gST annually contact ruth Spiegel ruth.spiegel@halledit.com.au

6

2 · CONNECTIONS

From the ACASPA office

STATuS quO IS NOT AN OPTION: Office Manager Ana Drougas

My desk calendar provides me with some wonderful

thoughts-of-the-day and two that recently captured my

attention were: “Obstacles are those frightful things you

see when you take your eyes off your goal” (Henry Ford)

and “What is more mortifying than to feel that you have

missed the plum for want of courage to shake the tree?”

(Logan Pearsall Smith).

I cannot help but relate both to the evolution of our

association and the wonderful spirit in which members

have embraced our forward direction.

Remaining in the here and now, the status quo, is not

an option and the epitome of that on a much grander

and sinister scale is the dire situation in Greece today.

Given my heritage people often ask me how such

a staggeringly high and depressing youth

unemployment market and miserable poverty

rates came to be. How did a once proud civilization

crumble to this?

Here in Australia there are ongoing reports of

massive job losses across the banking, airline, metals,

telecommunications and other sectors. Despite the

alarm, the reality is this barely impacts to a decimal

point on unemployment figures which rest at around

5.2%, with our healthy mining sector helping sustain

that figure.

Happily our niche market, our micro-manufacturing

sector, continues to buzz and hum along. While we

continue to create structures we maintain productivity

and employment levels. If anything our more common

collective complaint is our inability to source enough

skilled workers.

Which brings me to another saying I felt appropriate

in today’s climate: “Let me tell you the secret that has led

me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”

(Louis Pasteur)

As a group we are indeed tenacious! We are resolute

about moving forward and, as you will read on the pages

of this magazine, equipping ourselves for the long haul.

So, I encourage all of you to be proud and to play an

active and visible role in the future of our industry.

PERFORMANCE BAROMETERS President Glenn Barlow

As we all know, weather can often

mean the difference between a

great season and a not so great

one. And summer provided a

fascinating picture of the different impact extreme weather

has had on our diverse membership base.

Some—but fortunately not all—members have been

cruelly impacted by Mother Nature’s wrath, and some

have performed better than expected. Following are some

examples: makers of blinds, awnings and window shade

coverings in Victoria, SA and WA have reported healthy

sales of automated systems and other products, due mainly

to a reasonable and dry summer.

However, with persistent rain and flooding in NSW

and Queensland sales are way down, but the wet weather

has proved a boon for manufacturers of tarpaulins, roll-

overs, truck curtains, covers and liners, with some members

achieving higher total volume and sales than usual at this

time of year.

Members in the marine and motor trimming sectors

have also benefited from a wetter season, with widespread

reports of plenty of storm covers and the like being

produced for boat owners across Australia.

While the weather is just one factor to contend with,

there is no doubt that business has been tougher for

most members recently, due to the local and international

business environments.

Having been involved in this industry in some way,

shape or form since the 1970s, my passion to this day is

undiminished despite the uncertainties that surround us

and the challenges ahead. And on my recent road-trip

around Australia to talk to members about the association’s

initiatives, it was a great pleasure to meet members in

venue after venue who share a similar passion and strong

commitment to seeing our industry continue to grow

and prosper.

Again the diversity in our industry—this time shining

through by way of expertise, knowledge and experience—

really stood out at these meetings.

Having members involved in a wide variety of sectors—

from shade and tension structures, tarpaulins, geo

membrane liners, motor and marine trimming, caravan and

camper covers to blinds and awnings, window coverings;

and vocations from fabric, machinery and component

manufacturers and suppliers to service providers, is strong

evidence of a dynamic and vibrant industry.

The vibrancy and dynamism at the heart of our diversity

is one of our key strengths, and I believe if we continue

to push the boundaries of our expertise, knowledge and

experience—to become sought after specialists in what

we do—our industry we will go a long way towards

achieving sustainability as well as longevity and prosperity

in the future.

ACASPAMATTERS

Let me tell you the secret

that has led me to my goal.

My strength lies solely in my tenacity.

(Louis Pasteur)

MARCH 2012 · 3

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4 · CONNECTIONS

BlogsOur tireless President Glenn Barlow has launched

himself into blogs like a duck to water—with ease

and proficiency. And Glenn has been prolific in his

recent broadcasts which has been very timely and

helped us reach more members. Visit our website to

read Glenn’s blog and participate in discussion.

Member engagement meetingsGlenn likens our lightening tour of meetings around

Australia—in which we visited five states in as many

days—to that of a rock band! The reception by

members in all states was very warm and welcoming

and it was wonderful seeing half of our entire

membership, whose interest and energy was also

very heartening. In all my years as Office Manager

I have never seen such enthusiasm and engagement.

We were delighted too to welcome many members

who tuned into the ustream sessions and we will be

using more ustream in future.

A surge of committees One of the strengths of our association is the diversity

of our activities and we are now inviting members

to participate in one or more of our newly formed

committees: Marketing Committee, Connections

Editorial Committee and industry specialist

committees. The work of these committees will help

propel the association into the limelight and ensure

that our name is seen, recognised and respected.

Meantime on page 37 read all about the progress

of the Fabric Structures Committee.

Young Leaders GroupA positive development that bolsters our future is the

very industrious Young Leaders Group; and the two

teams are working hard to complete their projects

in time for display at our May Expo. I urge you to

think about who in your business is a young leader

and who, with some nurturing, could also be the

voice of our industry.

The wheels are spinning … by Ana Drougas, Office Manager

The few paragraphs on this page can hardly do justice to the breadth and depth of the association’s current activities. At best I hope to present a sense of the dynamic times in which we find ourselves, as those of you who attended our February meetings well know.

Awards for Excellence go online now and get those entries in!

The Awards for Excellence highlight the diversity

of our industry and enable members to showcase

their innovative skills and design in fabrication.

The Awards entry system has been revamped

and we have developed an online entry system

for faster lodgement: visit our website

www.acaspa.com.au

Please note: entry into the Awards is only open to

members of ACASPA.

Industry accreditationIndustry accreditation that lifts standards is

long overdue but very much in line with our

association rebranding program and marketing

endeavours. We are committed to launching our

accreditation program but realistically it will be

a two to three year process.

The first stage is about benchmarking

our members, and we will be developing

pathways for our members. Look out for more

information being circulated with membership

renewal notices.

Reader surveyEarly this year the Council of Management

(COM) decided to conduct a survey of our 7000+

Connections readers and developed the survey

seen in February and March Connections. The COM

welcomes feedback and hopes to take action on

suggestions in conjunction with a newly formed

editorial committee.

ACASPAMATTERS

ACASPA COuNCIL OF MANAGEMENTAustrAliAn CAnvAs And synthetiC ProduCts AssoCiAtion inC.Suite 201, 22 St Kilda RdSt Kilda, Vic 3182 Telephone: (03) 9521 2114Local Call: 1300 555 787Facsimile: (03) 9521 2116Email: office@acaspa.com.auWeb: www.acaspa.com.au

AssoCiAtion MAnAGerana drougasEmail: ana@acaspa.com.au

Presidentglenn barlow Nan’s Tarps 25 Vaughan Street Lidcombe NSW 2141 Mobile: 0409 273 284 Tel: (02) 9649 2334 Fax: (02) 9646 1361 Email: glenn@nanstarps.com.au

viCe President lance St hill Fabric Solutions Australia Pty Ltd PO Box 6283 Yatala DC Qld 4207 Mobile: 0400 103 534 Tel: (07) 3807 0200 Fax: (07) 3807 8217 Email: lances@fabricsolutions.com.au

CounCillorsbrendan hall Bradmill Outdoor Fabrics Unit 3, 100 Fulton Dve, Derrimut Vic 3030 Mobile: 0416 280 757 Tel: (03) 9368 2222 Fax: (03) 9368 2211 Email: bhall@bradmilloutdoor.com.au

Kent WilliamsonRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)25 Dawson Street Brunswick, Vic 3056Ph (03) 9925 9182 Fax: (03) 9925 9129Email: kent.williamson@rmit.edu.au www.rmit.edu.au

gary SmithCampbell & Heeps5/125 Highbury Rd, Burwood, Vic 3125 Mobile: 0419 311 899Telephone: (03) 98086911Fax: (03) 9808 3148 Email: gsmith@campbellheeps.com.au

Tom gastin Pattons—Textile Fabrication80 McDougall St, Kirribilli, NSW, 2061 Mobile: 0414 952 007 Telephone: (02) 9955 2563 or 1300 799 980 Fax: (02) 9959 3158 Email: tom@pattons.com.au

ConneCtions MAGAzineAdvertising submissions: yuri@commstrat.com.auEditorial: Nicola Cardnicola.card@commstrat.com.au

sneAk-Peek For a sneak-peek of the variety and colour of our upcoming Expo and conference, see pages 14 and 16 of this issue of Connections.

Sydney – (02) 9669 3333 • newcaStle – (02) 4957 7766 • Melbourne – (03) 9545 5588briSbane – (07) 3387 8500 • adelaide – (08) 8260 1055 • Perth – (08) 9376 2666

darwin – (08) 8981 1555 • www.NolanUDA.com.au

We’ve always got you covered!

• Blinds & Awnings • Covers & Tarpaulins • Marquee & Tenting • Banners & Billboards • Shade Sails & Structures

• Architectural Fabrics • Motor & Marine • Solar Protection • Sporting Equipment

• Fasteners, Fittings & Accessories

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6 · CONNECTIONS

2 In the festival spiritSituated along the sparkling

Sapphire Coast is the coastal town

of Bermagui, a secluded area of

surf beaches, estuaries, wetlands

and coastal lagoons. Bermagui

is also home to the biennial

Four Winds Festival of classical,

cultural and world music.

The 2012 Four Winds Festival

takes place on the Easter

weekend of 6 –8 April. It is

a relaxed, picnic-style event

with attention to acoustics and

participant comfort.

In preparation for the event, a

new ‘Sound Shell’ amphitheatre

has been constructed with onsite

installation commencing February

7. Working as a sub-contractor for

Rankin Builders, Fabritecture was

selected to design, supply and

install four conical structures for

the amphitheatre.

The team at Fabritecture is

proud to be involved in the venue

for this world-class event which is

described as “The jewel amongst

Australian small festivals” by

Jonathan Mills who is Director

of the Edinburgh Festival and

former director of the Melbourne

International Festival.

Specifications: The selected

membrane is Sheerfill II PTFE

from Saint Gobain which has the

ability to transmit light and to

bring the open, airy feeling of

lighting indoors. The fabric is also

durable, stain resistant and comes

with a 10-year warranty.

Movers and shakers

NEWS

1. The newly opened state reception centre located above award-winning Fraser’s Restaurant.

2 Conical structures for the ‘Sound Shell’ amphitheatre.

1 The team at Fabritecture is proud

to be involved in the venue for this world-class event

which is described as “The jewel

amongst Australian small festivals”

2

1 On the world stage At last year’s Commonwealth

Heads of Government Meeting

(CHOGM) members from 53

nations gathered at Perth’s

Convention and Exhibition Centre.

A ‘leader’s retreat’ was situated

in the nearby scenic surrounds

of Kings Park, which underwent

a special makeover for the

important event.

Fabritecture was chosen for the

work, and the team designed and

supplied a 427m2 roofing custom

barrel vault structure—frame

structural steel with three-coat

paint system—as a high-quality

permanent roof for the newly

opened state reception centre

located above award-winning

Fraser’s Restaurant.

Specifications: Ferrari 1002T2

fabric was used for the structure

which has the premium T2 fabric

coating. Fabritecture says the

pure PVDF coating has greater

resistance to pollution and dirt

and therefore requires less

maintenance and cleaning, which

makes it more cost efficient.

Ferrari 1002T2 comes with a 15

year manufacturer’s warranty and

the anticipated design life spans a

quarter of a century.

MARCH 2012 · 7

MAM8832

A new name for our association

Coming soon

a t t e n t i o n

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8 · CONNECTIONS

NEWS

4

Do YOu have any news about your business or personal developments?If so, please email Nicola.card@commstrat.com.au

3and suggesting that Chris would

be ideal to run the company.

And in a future issue of

Connections we will relay more

of Chris’s colourful adventures

from the yacht clubs in Florida to

very dry, very sandy deserts of

the Middle East.

4 Big hello to a little bundle of joy

Rick and Prue Haggerty from

Elizabeth Machines Co. proudly

welcomed their first baby,

Emma Grace, into the world

on Friday January 20 at Frances

Perry House Private Hospital

in Melbourne.  

Rick told Connections “Weighing

a healthy 7lb 8oz (3.4kg) Emma

and Mum have recovered well

and Emma has been growing well

during her first five weeks.

“We are all looking forward

to beginning our new life as

a family.”

Rick kindly sent in some

lovely photos of his beautiful

daughter Emma.

Congratulations to Rick and Prue

from all at ACASPA.

part-time at TAFE and gained the

advanced Certificate Level IV in

Civil Drafting and Architectural

Design. Today he is proficient in

CAD and 3D modelling as well

as freehand concept drawing and

watercolours (as illustrated in the

pictures). Chris has also secured

all the necessary certificates in

access equipment—scissor lifts,

knuckle booms, cherry pickers

and boom lifts to 11m.

“After gaining my design

qualifications I decided to pool

my industry and architectural

knowledge to focus on shade

sails and tension structures, and

worked for ten years with Horizon

Sail Structures on the Gold Coast,”

he said.

Chris then widened his horizons

by setting sail for Orlando, Florida

where in 2006 he established

Dubl C Design and as a Design

Consultant picked up series of

interesting projects throughout

Florida and the United States,

Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

“Moving back to Stanthorpe

in Queensland’s New England

tablelands in 2008, I continued

doing design work for clients

all over the world, consulting

over projects that were being

developed in Greece, France,

England, UAE, China and

Indonesia,” Chris said.

In early 2011 he received

a call from Wayne Kuliszer of

Rocklea Canvas about his plans

to retire from the business he

had established back in the 1980s,

3 Career by design Early last year Chris Caterer landed

back in Australia to further his

impressive local and global career.

Having notched up 35 years

experience he’s worked for

international clients as well as

many well known companies,

among them ABGAL Pool Liners,

Curlex Industries, McKenzie

Canvas and Caravan County.

During his 13 years at Rocklea

Canvas Chris was responsible

for the design, fabrication and

installation of all forms of canvas

and vinyl goods associated with

the transport industry and has

been involved in motor trimming,

boat trimming and upholstery.

He’s left his mark on some of

Australia’s more exotic regions:

Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove,

Sovereign Island, Stradbroke Island,

Surfers Paradise, Marina Mirage

Apartments and Palazzo Versace.

The list also includes Hervey Bay,

Bond University and Coolangatta

Airport, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour,

and the Hunter Valley. His list of

overseas project locations is more

impressive again.

Chris told Connections: “I started

at Rocklea Canvas back in 1986

and worked my way up from the

shop floor to assistant manager.

From there I chased a career

in architecture as I was always

interested in drawing and did not

want to spend the rest of my life on

sewing machines.”

To spur his career he spent

eight years studying architecture

3 Shademesh and PTFE Canopies, Yas Island and 3D models—conceptual and shadow mapping.

4 Baby Emma Grace Haggerty

MARCH 2012 · 9

10 · CONNECTIONS

Making newsIMPROVED CARBON GRANTS: AN OPPORTuNITY FOR MANuFACTuRERS

Innes Willox of the Ai Group describes

The Clean Technology Program as an

important opportunity for Australian

manufacturers who can apply for

$1 billion in competitive grants to be

allocated over the next seven years.

Launched in mid February, The

Clean Technology Program has

earmarked $800 million for investment

grants to general manufacturing and

a further $200 million in innovation

funding is expected to be available

from July.

Ai Group argued strongly that the

fundamental purpose of these grants

is not emissions reduction,

but supporting the continued

competitiveness of Australian industry

under carbon pricing as “businesses

outside the resources sector are

finding it tough getting capital for

local investment.

“The success of the Clean Technology

Program is critical to manufacturing. For

the overwhelming majority of such

businesses, it is the only substantive

assistance available to deal with the

introduction of carbon pricing,” said

Willox, who for four years has been

Ai Group’s Director International and

Government Relations.

AI GROuP’S NEw LEADER

Willox takes the reins of Ai Group Chief Executive from

May 1. His high-profile predecessor Heather Ridout has

stepped onto the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

In a recent interview Willox highlighted the

importance of industrial relations laws that address the

future productivity of the manufacturing sector, and

he said the Ai Group will make a “very detailed and

comprehensive submission” to the review of the Fair

Work Act.

“Parts of the economy are doing it tough,” he said,

reeling off statistics that show the manufacturing sector

which still employs about a million people directly and

four million indirectly faces pressures from the high

yet volatile dollar (which has moved around about 30

per cent over the past nine months). Meanwhile the

booming resources sector is sapping the supply of

skilled workers and putting pressure on wages. Willox

notes increased competition from companies in other

countries “and often, other countries themselves …

so we need to have the best platform in place for

manufacturing … so that they can compete; so that we

can build the national economy in Australia and help

broaden it out.” He likens it to the 80-20 rule: 20 per

cent are doing well and are able to compete. Of note:

the manufacturing sector lost about 10 per cent of its

workforce over the past three years; last year alone it

44,000 jobs were axed.

Ironic it is, then, that Dun and Bradstreet found that

manufacturing firms were the driving force behind the

surge in sales optimism.

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“The success of the Clean Technology Program is critical to manufacturing.

For the overwhelming majority of such businesses, it is the only substantive

assistance available to deal with the introduction of carbon pricing.”

MARCH 2012 · 11

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DELINquENT BILLS

Not so positive is the recent Dun & Bradstreet Trade Payments Analysis

which found that Australian businesses are increasingly neglecting their

bills, with the number of severely delinquent payments jumping 28 percent.

During the December quarter last year the number of bills left

unpaid for 90 days or more grew 20 per cent compared with 12

months ago and overall payment terms fell to 52.3 days, representing

an average trade payment term almost a month beyond the standard

30 day payment period.

Christine Christian warned of the serious flow-on effect for the

economy as a whole, saying “Business to business lending through

the extension of trade credit amounts to billions of dollars a year and

the rate at which these micro-loans are being paid back is a leading

indicator of cash-flow performance and financial stability.”

In other news, ongoing uncertainty in the global economy is acting

as a drag on the national outlook. “As the world contemplates

a second recession, it is inevitable that local businesses will begin

to question how this may affect their business in the coming year.

As insulated as we have been so far from the turmoil in overseas

markets, a second global recession will undoubtedly have

consequences for sectors of the economy,” Ms Christian said.

POSITIVE OuTLOOK FOR SALES

The good news is business

expectations appear to have

returned to more healthy, pre-

GFC levels, with sales outlook at

an eight year high. The January

Dun & Bradstreet National

Business Expectations Survey

of Australian manufacturing,

retail and wholesale firms

revealed firms recorded a

dramatic lift in expectations

for June quarter sales (+21)

and profits (+8); these figures

are more than double those of

March quarter forecasts.

The outlook for sales has hit

its highest level in almost a

decade, says Dun & Bradstreet

CEO Christine Christian.

“Sales expectations are

now at their strongest level

since the December quarter

2003, well before the onset

of the global financial crisis,

though the improvement

has not translated into plans

for long-term employment

growth, with businesses

recording a three point drop

in employment expectations for

the June quarter.

“This would appear to

indicate that businesses are still

taking a cautious, wait-and-see

approach on trading conditions

before looking to expand their

operations or their workforce,”

Ms Christian said.

12 · CONNECTIONS

MEMBERPROFILE

For the past quarter of a century Dave Thorburn has been building up his skills and his business that specialises in shade cloth structures. In that time his small family business has won many large commercial tenders.

THIS PAGEFar Left: Dave and Judy Thorburn with son Ben.

Left: A Thorline-built structure.

OPPOSITE PAGEEminently suitable shade cover for St Peters Lutheran College.

A national licensing

system would be great but is probably

a long way off.

Make a note: there is no ‘n’ in the middle of the name

Thorline or Thorburn. It’s a natural and common mistake,

chuckles Dave Thorburn of Thorline Products. “The brain

miscomputes, people always want to add that middle n!”

Evidently being situated in a road called Thorne Street

does little to help either.

But luckily for Dave, Thorne St is not in the flood prone

part of Brisbane and to date has escaped any damage

from the torrential rains that caused havoc to many fellow

businesses in the city’s west. In common with many

compatriots the Thorburns did, however, pick up some

restoration work in the aftermath of the floods and having

been in the industry since 1988 the company name is well

known in the right circles.

The list of expertise encompasses waterproof and mesh

shade sails; framed and tensioned membrane structures;

computer aided design and manufacture; UV protection

for schools and kindergartens; PVC welding and sewing;

contract design, cutting and welding; clear PVC blinds,

mesh and canvas blinds. Thorline works with the full gamut

of architectural fabrics: ultra violet treated PVDF and PVC;

PVC coated mesh and PVC clear fabrics.

Over the decades Thorline Products has lent its

expertise to shopping centres (outdoor seating areas

and car parks), entrance foyers for private and public

buildings as well as outdoor dining areas for restaurants,

hotels and club houses, for public open space areas:

swimming pools and playgrounds; and for beach front

properties to kindergartens.

Sixty forty splitDomestic projects are numerous too: children’s play areas;

swimming pools and surrounds, barbecue spots and car

parks, but Thorline’s bread and butter is predominantly

commercial work which is “by far the most profitable and

stable but also comes with the most problems,” Dave told

Connections. “For a small company we do some pretty

large jobs and two or three good commercial jobs a year

will keep us going as there is a good profit margin in

commercial work.”

He cited one of big job that provided a few logistical

issues triggered by the tyranny of distance. It involved

covering two 60 x 30 metre basketball courts in Alice

Springs. By necessity all goods ie steel work and fabric

were transported from Brisbane in a semi–trailer, and

Team Thorburn flew in and out several times during the

course of the project.

“We had to do everything as we could not get local help,”

Dave said. “Alice is well set up but everything is costly, up

there things cost an arm and a leg. It was a real eye opener

for Ben! The lesson to be learned there was to make sure

you allow for all contingencies.”

Another thing they learnt was the pulling power of a

website, which is how the crew in Alice Springs found them.

Bustling Brisbane business

MARCH 2012 · 13

Survival of the fittestConnections wanted to know how Thorline has

managed to do well over the years.

Dave said “I am a bit of a stickler for

attention to detail and I always criticise finish,

even if it takes a bit longer—I think about the

customer and put myself in their place and

that is how I like things. We always follow up

on issues; if anything goes wrong we take it on

the chest and fix it up.

“When data is not read thoroughly enough

mistakes can be costly on shade structures

with steel work. That [sort of error] was more

prevalent in the first ten years, we are more

experienced now. All our fabric is welded

together now. You have to re–cut it if you make

an error, sometimes you have to replace the

whole thing.

“So quality control is very important. We are

very confident in what we do and tend to do it

properly the first time, every time,” said Dave

who has clocked up 24 years in shade structures

but originally trained as a motor mechanic.

BackgroundAn ability to adapt appears to be a strong

characteristic, as demonstrated by Dave’s

career progression. He was a keen sailor

from where he developed an interest in sail

making which in due course propelled him

into shade structures.

“When I was younger I was good at picking

things to pieces but not so good at putting

them back together! So I used to do that with

boat sails and got involved with the well known

Jack Hamilton. After work I played around with

a sewing machine, and then I went to work for

Telecom [now Telstra] but took a redundancy

package in 1989 which funded my business

Thorline Products,” he explained.

Dave purchased various machines and set

about stitching in his workshop located rather

conveniently under his house.

“I bought a welder and learnt [about boat

sail repairs] by the seat of my pants. I landed

some large jobs and after six years bought

the business property in Thorne Street.

We have been here ever since and have

employed various staff but now it is strictly

family business with my son Ben [who plays a

prominent role in the Young Leaders Group]

doing the fabrication and my wife Judy doing

the bookwork from the home office. We get

extra help for installations when needed,”

said Dave who along the way has picked up a

string of industry qualifications.

Cutter plotter Demonstrating the true entrepreneurial

spirit of small business the Thorburn staff

successfully developed an improvised cutter.

Painting the picture Dave told us that a

plotter–cutter can cost up to $100,000, and a

home–grown contraption a whole lot less.

How so? Simply by using a drill and lots of

elbow grease. Explained thus: “You need to

have a table with hundreds of holes with an

underlying vacuum system to suck fabric

down to secure it in place while it is cut with

something that looks like a pizza wheel. Some

fabric costs as much as ninety dollars a square

metre so if it moves and you have to replace

it, it gets very costly. It is very important to

hold it fast.

“To make our cutter table we spent two days

drilling literally hundreds of holes in a table

that was ten by three meters. The holes are

just 10 millimetres apart. You could say we

are hands on!”

ups and downsThe Thorburns cannot help but notice how

many industry players have come and gone

over the years. “Each time a new Yellow Pages

lands on our doorstep we have a little ‘game’

to see who is new and who has departed and

the movements have been quite noticeable

over the past three years.”

Dave reckons that to remain in business

you need to toughen up, saying “Anyone

can pick up a sewing machine and stick two

bits of cloth together and that [trend] has hit

the industry hard; people come off the street

and set up in business stitching shade sails

but eventually they get caught out and leave

the industry.”

Industry licensing in Queensland naturally

impacts on fabrications and installations and

according to Dave has “taken many people

out of the game—those who are not prepared

to do it properly and go to school and get a

licence.”

That said, the regulations were enacted back

in 1990 but were not thoroughly policed till

seven years ago. Increasing incidents involving

litigation and insurance claims prompted the

BSA—Building Services Authority—to become

more actively involved.

“We have met them to get all on board to do

the right things and it is working better now, and

I would say that other States lag a bit behind

Queensland. A national licensing system would

be great but is probably a long way off.”

A retrospectiveDave also reflected on the industry association

he joined back in 1992 and within seven years

was presiding over.

“Back in 1999 when I was president of the

association we had 300 members and we did

things a little differently, we had lots of sub–

committees and reports. The different sections

included shade sails and sail makers, training,

tarpaulins and transport, geomembranes and

blind makers.”

He also said that one of his toughest tasks

while president was downsizing office staff.

“We had to sack an assistant, we were struggling

and could not afford it; the council could not

see the need for a second person, though we

did take on extra staff around convention time.”

The association is heading in the right

direction. “Membership has changed a bit. It is

less diverse now. Many are concentrating on

shade sails as that is where the work is,” he said.

“Broadly speaking we are on the right track,

but geomembranes play a large and important

role in the industry, there are some big players

nationally. The same is the case with blind

makers, but we do not have a report or a

committee. These are the two [segments] that

could stand.”

For more information visit www.thorline.com.au

14 · CONNECTIONS

Above and below: The shimmering sophistication of Melbourne’s Convention Centre

ExPO PREVIEW

Expo venue perfect for usThe people on the Expo Committee working

hard for your enjoyment are: ana drougas,

brendan hall and ali Ozen of bradmills,

gary Smith and Zoe Smith of Campbell

and heeps, danny ashby of radins and

rMIT’s Kent Williamson.

The venue for this year’s Expo is the mighty

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

(MCEC). It’s the very first time we have been

to MCEC and we are rather excited as its

architectural design has picked up a string of

awards and overall is touted one of the best

convention centres.

The MCEC proudly promotes itself as the

world’s one and only six-star Green Star

environmentally rated convention centres.

Situated right on the banks of the Yarra River

and within walking distance of train stations,

trams and a string of cafes the venue could

not be more central or more perfect for our

upcoming event.

The aim of the Expo Committee is to ensure

that most events are within walking distance

of MCEC and so far we have succeeded. Our

last expo in Melbourne was held at the old

Convention Centre which was very convenient

for exhibitors, visitors and delegates.  This year

we are just across the river, and even closer to

all entertainment.

AccommodationThe main hotels we have negotiated

accommodation rates with are the Metropol

and Promenade—both within a five-minute

walk of the MCEC.

Trade expoWhat makes our Expo unique (compared

to other similar industry events in Australia)

is that we incorporate two components—a

conference and a trade exhibition.

We are filling two bays at the Exhibition

Centre, and anticipate the usual very high

standard of displays and display material.

The trade displays are widely regarded as

a most important component of the Expo,

the ideal vehicle for suppliers to reach the

industry, potential buyers and colleagues.

We plan to showcase some of the more eye-

catching stands in July/August Connections

At last year’s expo we were situated on the

conference side of the SCEC exhibition venue

and experienced some restrictions with onsite

storage and power. This year there will be

none of that. Ample storage space and power

outlets are available on site at the MCEC

and there is plenty of room to move in and out

with ease.

A specialised management team operates

the loading dock, which spans the entire

length of the Exhibition Centre, with a one-way

traffic flow to facilitate ease of transportation.

There are no space restrictions (ceiling height,

doorways etc).

Saturday May 26 to Monday May 28 2012Report by Ana Drougas and Nicola Card

Get ready to Expo!

MARCH 2012 · 15

Expo2012 FP Advert #3.indd 2 2/03/12 11:28 AM

16 · CONNECTIONS

Above right: Get ready to rock with Big City Beat!

ExPO PREVIEW

The fruits of the Young Leaders Challenge In a conference highlight with a difference, the

two Young Leader teams will be displaying

their final project in the exhibition area.

Not a model scale reproduction—a full size

prototype shelter that is specially designed

for speedy and effective protection for citizens

caught out in an emergency.

Visitors will be able to examine and inspect

each project and then stand back and admire

it. On show will be the top-notch craftsmanship

that our talented younger members are

capable of producing.

Guest speakersAt present we have several guest speakers

lined up and once they are confirmed we will

promote their names and topics.

This year on the business side of our Expo

we are trying something new with our

business sessions and are calling for ‘papers’

from industry.

Daytime entertainment Saturday May 26 To kick off …

Being in Melbourne we will be taking full

advantage of the football season by fronting

up to the monumental MCG to take in the

Richmond vs Hawthorn match. Die-hard AFL

supporters will not want to miss that game.

Also on the program is a walking tour

exploring Melbourne’s heritage: its funky

laneways, grand and ornate arcades and

iconic architecture.

In recent years this “feet on the ground”

activity has become a star attraction for visitors

from across the globe and all walks of life.

And some very entertaining eveningsSaturday evening May 26

Our welcome reception on Saturday night

will be staged at the MCEC. We are duplicating

the format of last year’s very successful

and by all accounts popular ‘cocktail

and canapés’ gathering held on the

first evening which enables delegates

to catch up in an informal setting.

This event will kick off at 6.30pm and

conclude at 8.30pm, leaving delegates free

to select from the rich smorgasbord that is

Melbourne’s nightlife.

Sunday evening May 27

Time for members to show their true part

spirit! The traditional fancy dress themed event

that takes place on Sunday May 26 will be

in the elegant surrounds of Crown’s famous

nightclub Studio 3.

The Expo committee is currently finalising all

details so stay tuned for more … and then start

planning those head-turning outfits!

Monday May 28: awards for Excellence

night at the Palladium

MegaStars—party the night away to

australia’s most entertaining export!

Our night of nights, our jewel in the crown is

the Awards for Excellence dinner that this year

takes place on Monday May 28 and will be

hosted by the very amusing Marty Fields.

This Awards event will be appropriately staged

at Crown’s sumptuous Palladium and in a special

coup we have managed to secure the colorful,

highly entertaining and all-round popular

band Big City Beat which is taking its

MEGASTAR performance around the globe.

Described as Australia’s most versatile

and entertaining band, BigCityBeat captures

the top popular music—and costumes—of

the 60s, 70s, 80s and today. Think Michael

Jackson, Elvis, Kylie, Beyonce and more. With

a pulsating party vibe, the Melbourne based

band has wowed audiences the world over,

from Beijing to Singapore, New Zealand, Oman,

Adelaide and Darwin … to say nothing of sell-

out performances to appreciative audiences in

and around Melbourne. Now it is our turn.

What better way for members to kick up their

heels and unwind!

Heard on the street: “Brian Rault—one of the

most outstanding live performers of today.”

Connections managed to track down

BigCityBeat band manager/lead vocalist Brian

“Are you ready to Rock!” Rault—a man with a

personality as big as his celebrity status—who

said “Watch out, we have a special MEGASTAR

performance lined up for you to help you

celebrate your sparkling new name and your

emerging industry leaders. Keep an ear on our

lyrics! And be forewarned and prepared—we

thrive on audience participation. If you are

enjoying our gig, so are we! So put on your

dancing shoes and be ready to rock!

“And for all of you daggy dancers, I can

teach you a thing or two … I am shameless and

blameless in my dance moves.”

www.bigcitybeat.com.au

WVP_Conn1202 5.indd 1 23/02/12 10:46 AM

18 · CONNECTIONS

Architectural Fabric Solutionsaustralian Trade College in Scarborough, Queensland

Fabric Name: Z16

Fabric Supplier: rainbow Shades

In the words of AFS: The Australian Trade College underwent a

renovation of its facilities during 2009/2010. We were commissioned

to design a set of shade sails for the entrance that reflected the college’s

speciality in the building industry.

In keeping with good design the sails are simple and functional and

innovative with a degree of complexity that is appreciated on further

viewing. They had to be different from the standard hypar or variation

of the hypar concept.

All the manufacturing and designing was done by AFS in-house,

and the interrelationship of the shade sails is designed to convey

the importance of concept, planning, design and execution in

building projects.

Our team also installed the structure. The wall plates were

fabricated in our factory. There was good access to all fixing points

which meant there was no requirement for heavy lifting equipment,

however the project presented several challenges in the design,

as follows:

1. No posts or steelwork could be erected in the forecourt area.

2. All the fixing points had to be attached to the buildings with minimal

visual impact

Classy shade covers As summer draws to a close and with most students now back at college, we take a look at school premises that are graced with awnings and coverings that are fashioned and fabricated by talented association members.

Above: Interlocking sails at the Australian Trade College, Scarborough.

3. The shade sails had to provide shade and also had to reflect the

nature of the college.

4. The height of the buildings restricted the positioning of the fixing

points which was critical in achieving the interrelationship between

the three shade sails.

5. All the fixing points had to be fitted exactly to the design

specifications otherwise the sails could not intersect.

6. The positioning of the intersection points in each shade sail had to

allow the intersecting shade sail to pass centrally through

the hole called for precise patterning.

7. The tensioning of each shade sail had to be balanced to ensure

the seam lines were straight and the intersecting sail was centrally

located, adding to the aesthetic appeal of the project.

This project presented many hidden problems, mainly in the

fabrication and installation of the shade sails; however our newly gained

expertise has been very beneficial in many other projects we have

since undertaken.

We have received many positive comments about the design,

use of the existing buildings and functionality.

SUPERBSTRUCTURES

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Come and visit us at ACASPA Expo 2012 on stands 64, 65, 66 & 67

20 · CONNECTIONS

Sail Citylady Fatima School in Melville, Wa

Fabric Name: rainbow Shade Z16

Fabric Supplier: rainbow Shade

The project was twofold in concept: To provide

effective shade cover to the eastern front of the

new library at Lady Fatima school in Perth’s

southern suburbs, and include suitable shady

spots outdoors where students gather.

The design form was determined to allow

more than one group of students to use the

shade at the same time, hence the cluster

design of the sails. Wanting a modern look,

the client agreed to a radical lean-back of 18

degrees on each of the posts.

The challenge for us was to organise the

available space in a manner that satisfies

both form and function, with simplicity. This

we achieved. The students now use the shade

areas as planned and the client is satisfied

with the design and outcome.

Yarra Shade Co Pty Ltdlavalla College in Traralgon, victoria

Fabric Name: ComShade90

Fabric Supplier: Clarke Shade

In their words: This project consists of two

joined curved bean shade structures in shade

cloth, and nine posts (219 and 273mm steel,

hot dip galvanised).

SUPERBSTRUCTURES

The goal was to construct a strong and

reliable shade solution for two basketball

courts without creating too dark an

environment for basketballs.

Sufficient and reasonable height was

necessary taking into account the nature of

the ball game.

Concrete was pumped in and poles moved

with a crane truck. It is 36 x 40m and the overall

effect is both eye catching and very functional.

The project was finished on deadline and

on budget.

The structure is now ready for a third cloth

to be installed alongside the others, sharing

the poles.

Above : A classy cluster of shade coversBelow: Court coverings: sturdy shade for basketballers

MA

M88

18

EntEr onlinE at www.acaspa.com.au

Awards presented by

Entry DEaDlinE: 5pm FriDay 20th april 2012

Who can EntEr? All ACASPA Members qualify for entry - designers, manufacturers, fabricators and suppliers

aWarD catEgoriEs:n Geosynthetics, Liners n Marine, Motor Trimming

and Custom Covers n Window Coverings

and Awningsn Shade Sails and

Structures n Tension Structure n Product Innovationn Young Achiever Award

aWarDs DinnEr: Winners to be announced in Melbourne on Monday 28 May 2012 at the Awards for Excellence Ceremonial dinner

FurthEr inFormation:For any questions please contact Ana Drougas at ACASPA on 1300 555 787

2012 acaspa annual awards for Excellence Showcase your company’s innovation, technical skill and design excellence

Members, start working on your entries now!

1300 555 787

Awards FP Advert #2.indd 1 29/02/12 9:36 AM

22 · CONNECTIONS

SUPERBSTRUCTURES

Advanced Shade Systems Pty LtdSheldon College in Sheldon,

Queensland

Fabric Name: Ferrari 8023

Fabric Supplier: Innova

The project brief was to design,

construct and install a 12m x 12m

clear span waterproof conical

structure to cover Sheldon

College’s barbecue area which is

used for student sausage sizzles

and award nights.

The structure had to provide

both shade and waterproof

protection. With an extra large

stainless steel BBQ, landscaped

gardens and new stainless steel

tables the structure had to be

something that suited the area and

was not to be a standard boring

rolled arch or apex structure.

The solution was a large clear

span conical structure.

We presented the customer with

three design options: Two linked

waterproof umbrellas; a shade

fabric shade structure; or the cone

structure (as illustrated).

We recommended that one large

structure was the best option as it

reduced the number of necessary

posts. This freed up room for

seating and cooking, and made it

more accessible.

Creative Shade SailsCavendish State high School in

holland Park, Queensland

Fabric Name: Z16

Fabric Supplier: rainbow Shade

In October 2011 Cavendish

High School commissioned a

feasibility study into new shade

sails to protect school children

from damaging UV rays and

blinding light in their quadrangle.

The client requested shade

sails that were both aesthetically

pleasing and functional.

With that in mind our design

consisted of four shade sails

that are inter-linked to reduce

updraught on the large sails

and make it simpler to replace

individual damaged sails (rather

than one large sail). The school

chose the colour and fabric to

create a natural feel while also

providing protection.

The job commenced in early

2011 … but thick dark grey clouds

then rolled over - and down

came torrential rain, followed

by more rain, and yet more. The

Queensland floods that made

headline news around the nation

meant we had to call a complete

halt to the project.

Once the ground dried up

the race was as on to complete

the project prior to school

recommencing. The integrity of

the existing posts and footings

were checked and the final few

Top left:: Stylish shade and comfort for students

Below: Taking the heat out of barbecues

Because design specifications

prevented a centre pole, we had

to design a way that the four

rafters could run into a single

centre point where the centre

mast would connect. This was

achieved by creating a large steel

boxed section that all four rafters

connected to and the centre

mast with bale ring attached was

inserted through the middle. This

created a jack able mast system

which would give us ease of install

and adjustment in the fabric.

Installation/location/use

Due to the way the structure was

designed with the jack able mast

system installing the fabric proved

to be one of the easiest parts of

this structure. The material was

attached to the bale ring, spread

out over the frame, fixed in the

corners then underwent final

tension with the mast being jacked

into place.

posts were installed. With time

running out, the site specifications

were then hand drafted to scale

and manufacturing began

immediately, but this was the

toughest aspect of this project.

With a floor space of 14 x

15m and sails measuring 20 x

15m each, they needed to be

manufactured in halves and then

seamed. At no point could a

complete sail be viewed. On top of

that the four sails were interlinked

with a total of 60 connections

points; there was no room for error.

The sails were installed in late

January 2011 without a hitch and

the results are what you see today

in the pictures on this page.

Untitled-2 1 1/03/2012 2:31:14 PM

24 · CONNECTIONS

Below left: Epping Boys High School in Eastwood, NSw

Below right: Murray Farm Structure in Carlingford, NSw

and installed by our company

and our specialist engineer.

Only the fabrication was sub-

contracted. The client was

delighted with the finished result.

Abacus Shade StructuresDemonstrating their productivity,

Abacus submitted several notable

structures for review in the 2011

Awards for Excellence.

Epping boys high School, NSW

Fabric Name: Polyplan 787

Fabric Supplier:

Wax Converters Textiles

The project comprised a large

waterproof barrel vault structure

over the assembly area at Epping

Boys High School in Sydney.

The main waterproof shade

structure is 770sqm.

Funding was available via the

Federal Government’s $16 billion

Education Revolution program

to provide economic stimulus

during the global financial crisis

of 2009/10.

The school felt that a structure

was a sensible and practical way

of spending the allocated funds

to obtain a real value for money

and a very visual, protective and

sensible product as:

• A comfortable environment

can help students learn

• The area would be multi

functional and used by study

groups, sporting, recreational

and assembly use

• Our hot climate and

outdoor use has resulted in

unacceptable skin cancer

levels, and

• The health and welfare of our

students is most important.

The structure was installed

over the heavily used main

assembly area which is a multi

functional area also used for sport

and recreation.

Shade structures are cost

effective, but it was the confidence

the Principal had in working with

our company from concept to

completion of the project that led

to big savings.

The Principal was very

happy with the outcome, and

through his connections and

recommendations we have since

secured many more school

projects.

SUPERBSTRUCTURES

Some of the more difficult

challenges included hoisting the

steel with cranes from different

levels in the school ground and

having to bridge footings over

groups of electrical conduits.

As the installation is located

in a student thoroughfare we

needed to ensure that the dates

for installation did not disrupt

normal school life, therefore the

work was conducted during the

holiday period.

unique qualities

The college wanted a waterproof

structure with a 15 year warranty

membrane roof which would

provide all weather protection.

Our design was customised

to combine practicality and

elegance. We accommodated the

needs of the students of the school

in our timetable for the project.

The footings for this structure

are large and with bolt cages.

Although we had been advised

by the college that there was no

underground power in the area

our own checks identified phone

lines and fibre optic cables. At this

point we redesigned and used

a bridged footing to cover the

cables. The college is delighted

with the final product - and very

grateful that for our due diligence

which averted a potentially

expensive error on their part.

The cone structure was

completely designed, constructed

Abacus Shade StructuresMurray Farm Structure

in Carlingford, NSW

Fabric Name: valmex Fr700

Fabric Supplier: Shann

The project comprised a large

waterproof barrel vault structure

over an asphalt recreational area

at Murray Farm Public School in

Sydney. The structure measures

10m x 13metres.

The purpose of the structure

was to increase the level of

shading for students at the school.

The area is multi functional

and used for study groups, sport

and recreation.

Once again the health and

welfare of our students is shown

to be an important aspect of

school policy.

This structure is part of the

school’s Sun Smart policy which

aims to reduce student and staff

exposure to ultraviolet radiation

(UVR), reduce sunburn and the

risk of skin cancer. Funding was

available through the Education

Revolution grants program.

Because the area is waterproof,

the children can still make use of

it when it is raining.

The location was in a busy area

of the school where children

collect to play or relax when

outside the classroom.

The design had two spreader

beams running across the

width of the structure and

extending beyond the frame.

Because of this the fabric could

then be curved from point to point

without the need for tracking

making the structure more

delicate in appearance.

There are only three upright

posts on one side, and the

opposite side of the frame sits

on an elevated concrete awning

against the building.

The client was very pleased with

the result and our company has

since designed and built other

shade sails for the school.

MARCH 2012 · 25

Above left: Loquat Valley’s eye-catching cantilever

Above right: Horizon Sail Structures accommodated all needs

Below right: Thorline’s multi-purpose shade cover

Abacus Shade Structuresloquat valley Public School, NSW

Fabric Name: Mehler Fr900

Fabric Supplier: Shann

The purpose of the project was

to provide shelter for a proposed

eating area using tiered seating.

The area had previously been

deemed unusable due to its steep

aspect and boggy ground.

The client requested that: in

event of rain, the area would

to remain dry; that the midday

sun would be blocked; and that

water would not flow to the lower

paved area but rather to the rear

of the structure.

As the area was extremely steep

and elevated, it necessitated

a rather outlandish cantilever

structure with huge 9 to 11m arms

on substantial columns. All three

footings had to be connected with

a single concrete beam to provide

a counterweight to the bending

forces of the arms.

The steep gradient of the site

and almost non-existent access

due to trees, overhead power

lines and underground services

meant it was a project we would

have preferred to pass on to our

competitors! However we coped

well with all aspects and the end

result was fantastic.

The client was extremely happy

and has since presented us with

more jobs.

Horizon Sail StructuresOrmiston College in

Ormiston, Queensland

Fabric Name: 802S Fabric

Supplier: Innova

A new outdoor learning area

was being constructed and our

client required a waterproof

covering that would allow cooling

breezes and light transmission

while still retaining the outdoor

feel of the area.

Having previously installed

several bespoke waterproof sail

structures for this client, they were

confident that we would be able

to design, manufacture and install

a structure suitable for area and

in compliance with their specific

requirements.

The structure had to span

the entire area with no central

supports. We worked closely with

the builder who constructed the

slab with suitable strength and

thickenings were inserted into

the slab prior to our installation

of posts. Posts could be

chemically anchored, thereby

significantly reducing installation

time and costs.

Thorline ProductsPool cover for St Peters

lutheran College in

Indooroopilly, Queensland

Fabric Name: valmex 7216

Fabric Supplier: Shann

Our client, a private school in

Brisbane’s western suburbs,

requested a waterproof cover for

the assembly and viewing area at

their 25m pool complex.

The cover was to extend four

metres over the pool to provide

protection over swimming lanes

used for the school program, so

the actual span of the cover came

in at 13.5m by 36m.

Another requirement was to

capture enough rainwater to

fill up to 70% of the storage

tanks located behind the fence,

so our final design took that into

account along with minimum

height requirements.

Frames had to be lifted into

place by a crane with sufficient

reach to lift 30m away as no closer

access was possible. A small

compact crane was also required.

Given the limited access,

the fabric cover was fabricated

in three sections for ease of

installation, with waterproofing

flaps fitted over each join.

The rear sections of the

covers were fitted with infills

and the tails flashed into the full-

length rainwater gutters.

All assembly and installation

was conducted by the

Thorline team.

The client was extremely

pleased with the finished product.

26 · CONNECTIONS

TECH-NICAL

Incredibly smart textiles

Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak may be fiction,

but it could be a reality in the not-too-distant

future. That may be a matter of physics, but

perhaps a smart textile will help it along. Who

would have thought a decade ago that fabrics

could be made to congeal a bleeding wound,

monitor and transmit bioactivity, become a

personal area network, administer medications

or create their own heat? These are all part

of the here and now, thanks to advances in

interactive textiles, or “smart fabrics.”

It is a market segment with amazing

performance qualities and perhaps equally

amazing potential. According to a report

by Global Industry Analysts, the global

market for smart fabric and interactive textile

technologies is expected to reach $1.8

billion by 2015, with major growth sectors in

biophysical monitoring solutions and phase

change materials. In addition, seamless

integration between electronics and fabrics is

expected to expand the use of electro-active

smart fabrics in future applications.

Just scratching the surfaceDavid O’Keefe, president and CEO of

Advanced Fabric Technologies LLC (AFT)

in Houston, Texas, is excited about the

possibilities with smart fabrics and says the

technology exists to do all kinds of things,

but it takes patience to match it with the right

companies, produce a prototype and bring it

to market.

AFT makes blast mitigating, anti-ballistic

fabrics that employ its patented design

principle called HAY (helical auxetic yarn).

This technology allows auxetic yarns to stretch

at low strain rates and absorb greater energy

than comparable fabrics, such as an aramid,

which doesn’t move and stretch. Adding

As understanding evolves and resources become available, interactive textiles could be headed into the mainstream.

By Barb Ernster

Below:university of Illinois researchers can mount electronic devices on an ultrathin, skin-like platform that can be placed on the skin with the ease, flexibility and comfort of a temporary tattoo. The electronics do not need wires, conductive gel or pins, and they bend, stretch and deform with the same mechanical properties as skin.

sensors or nanotubes make it “smart,” and

able to provide feedback in a medical or

industrial application or increase its ability

to absorb and move.

The company is also developing a fluid

release system that could release medication,

such as a coagulant, to stop bleeding from

a wound. “There’s no trick to a flat bandage,

but if it can determine through sensors what

the bacteria level is and self-administer

medication, then it would be a smart bandage.

You can incorporate all kinds of things in

running shoes, bandages, uniforms. We’re just

scratching the surface on this,” says O’Keefe.

“I see this as our next-generation effort to

be able to produce smart fabrics for existing

product lines.”

The company is establishing an R&D

program with Texas Tech University, which will

design and develop auxetic yarns that can be

tested in different disciplines, and Touchstone

Research Laboratory, Triadelphia, West

Virginia, which will do computer modeling for

test runs on different applications.

If you can do a surface modification that increases its UV resistance, you can extend its life and drive down the cost of outdoor

fabrics like awnings.

MARCH 2012 · 27

“The great thing about auxetic technology

is that we have the ability to mix and match all

kinds of fiber families to create the fabric that

we need for that specific application,” says

O’Keefe. “We’re not limited to one specific

pattern, so it gives us the opportunity to

explore all types of weaving and knitting. It’s

so much more than military. It has a greater

potential in civilian disciplines. Now it’s just

talking to the right companies and getting

the needed interest to produce prototypes in

different applications.”

Being able to choose the starting fabric

construction for certain properties and add

customized conductive polymer coatings for

a variety of applications is one of the most

exciting trends in smart textiles, according to

Dr. Jamshid Avloni, president of Eeonyx Corp.

in Pinole, California.

The company offers a line of conductive

polymer coatings that can be applied to

fabrics, felts, foams, powders and plastics

over a large range of tunable resistances.

These are used in a range of military and

commercial applications, including resistive

heaters for warming blankets, all-weather

boots and de-icing aircraft wings; ESD

protection for clean room garments and

electronics; microwave-absorbing fabrics

and antennas; and dynamic pressure

sensors for biomedical, sports, military and

automotive applications.

“Small and large companies are keeping

their eyes open and there are good reports on

the state of the field,” notes Avloni. “There is a

wide range of applications, and we can’t keep

up with the R&D.”

Interest grows in safety and protectionPhysical Optics Corp. (POC) in Torrance,

California, is seeing some trickle-down

activity from special forces in the military

to law enforcement and first responders

interested in its wearable networks to improve

their safety and protection, according to Dr.

Eric Gans, director of systems engineering.

The company developed a body conformable

electronic vest system called WEARNET®

for soldier-worn applications. It provides

vest-integrated power and data connectors

for tactical radios, GPS devices and

smartphones, in essence creating a wearable,

personal area network.

The company is working with battery

manufacturers to create batteries that conform

to the body as well, and is involved in efforts

to integrate intelligence into the systems

and the connectors themselves to provide

real-time data and power monitoring, active

voltage regulation, automatic fault protection

and energy harvesting.

Some clients are looking for the ability

to integrate surveillance features or cell

phone displays directly into the garment itself,

says Gans. The company is also developing

nanocoated fabrics that can seal a bullet

wound to prevent the injured person

from bleeding to death, and for medical

monitoring purposes.

“Noninvasive health monitoring is a growing

field, not just in hospitals, but also athletics.

For example, football players and coaches

are really keen on monitoring the concussive

effect of a hit or a heart rate during really high

temperatures,” says Gans.

Engineers at the University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign have developed an

ultrathin skin-mounted electronic patch that

can be powered by solar cells or wireless

coils and can provide physiological status

monitoring and stimulation. The electronic

components—transistors, diodes and other

semiconductors that are flattened and

shrunk—are arranged on a sheet of rubbery

“elastomer” that matches the thickness and

elasticity of the skin. This makes it more

comfortable and less cumbersome to wear

than traditional electrodes and distinguishes

it from other smart textile technologies,

according to John Rogers, professor of

materials science and engineering.

“It is conformal, stretchy and soft, just like

the skin. As a result you can wear it without

feeling it at all,” says Rogers. “It’s a new way of

monitoring the human body, with future

Above and right: Lullaby is an interactive quilt that brings a parent and child, who are separated by distance, closer together. Family members can share a loving touch by experiencing it visually in patterns of LED light produced when the quilt is caressed.

28 · CONNECTIONS

This article which appeared in the

October 2011 issue of Specialty Fabrics

Review is reprinted with kind permission

of IFaI.

TECH-NICAL

potential to also affect therapies, such as

stimulation or heat.”

Besides gathering biomedical data, such as

electrical signals produced by the heart, skin-

mounted electronics could also help patients

with muscular or neurological disorders to

communicate or interface with computers. By

placing the platform on the throat, it is able to

distinguish muscle movement and feed signals

to a computer that recognizes simple speech.

The technology essentially blurs the distinction

between biology and electronics, according

to Rogers, and ultimately could provide an

electronic link to the body’s most subtle

processes and aid in tracking diseases.

“Smart” path to lower costsResearchers at North Carolina State University

(NCSU) have been focusing on the formation

of functional inorganic nanocoatings on textiles,

using a process called atomic layer deposition.

The coatings have been applied toward

new electronic devices based on a textile

framework and protection of textiles from UV

radiation and chemicals.

The research aims to find new applications

for textiles, extending the life of textiles

or applying textiles that are inherently

incompatible to existing technologies to

lower costs. The researchers are exploring

conductive metal, transparent conductive

and semi-conductive inorganic coatings

on textile materials, such as nonwoven

nylon, polypropylene and woven cotton, for

commercial applications in electronic sensing

that take advantage of the flexibility and high

surface areas of textiles.

Much of the emphasis on the use of smart

electronic textiles is in the medical industry,

particularly in Europe, says Dr. Jesse Jur,

assistant professor of textile engineering,

chemistry and science at the NCSU College

of Textiles. Currently, atomic layer deposition

technology has a good footing in the

microelectronics industry, which is actively

exploring low-cost, high-manufacturing

processing routes. The College of Textiles is

also collaborating with Dr. Gregory Parsons,

professor of chemical and biomolecular

engineering in the College of Engineering at

NCSU, to address this challenge with textiles.

“Prof. Parsons and I hope that as the

fundamental understanding of this technology

progresses, we’ll soon be able to demonstrate

cost-effective applications for atomic layer

deposition to be used to modify the surface of

textiles with added functionality,” says Jur.

In one application, they put a UV-absorbing

barrier layer on the textile surface to extend

the life of the textile. This would be especially

beneficial on green materials, such as cotton

or recycled polyester, which tend to break

down more quickly under UV exposure.

But if you can do a surface modification that

increases its UV resistance, you can extend its

life and drive down the cost of outdoor fabrics

like awnings, and may even reduce the overall

carbon footprint of making the material, says

Jur. These coatings could also be applied to

protective clothing and other applications.

“There is some really great research

going on in smart textiles, using textiles for

new applications. It’s a growing field and

as the fundamental understanding evolves,

the accessibility for small and mid-sized

companies to these nanotechnologies is

inevitably going to increase. Still, scaling

is one of the major challenges for moving

technologies from a lab to industry,” he says.

“While a lot of these technologies are really

innovative, the proper resources need to be

present for this transition. The resources we

have available at N.C. State in the College of

Textiles and the Nonwovens Institute allows for

us to make the transition much easier.”

As for Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak, some

researchers are exploring the physics behind

it and Jur is willing to suggest that smart fabric

technology could contribute to its possibility.

“Using the same techniques to apply the

conductive layers and UV barriers, there

may soon be additional ways to change the

appearance or behavior of textile products

on demand.”

barb Ernster is a freelance writer based in

Fridley, Minnesota.

Above left: Today’s soldiers carry more equipment in the field. wEARNET made by Physical Optics Corp in California is solving these issues by integrating electronics into a wearable system that is lightweight, reduces overall cable length, eliminates the need for multiple batteries and maintains a comfortable, non-bulky feel.

Above right woven quartz fibre with a nanocoating of tungsten metal has been developed by researchers at North Carolina State university. These nanocoatings on synthetic and natural textiles are opening the door for a variety of textiles to be used as new platforms for sensors and other simple electronics.

Expo2012 FP Advert #3.indd 2 2/03/12 11:28 AM

MARCH 2012 · 29

Expo2012 FP Advert #3.indd 2 2/03/12 11:28 AM

30 · CONNECTIONS

SPOTLIGHT

PATHFINDER’S NEw CAD/CAM FACILITY

Pathfinder has opened a new CAD/CAM

Demonstration and Training Facility next to

Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.

This permanent demonstration and

training facility enables companies

to evaluate CAD/CAM technology in

a bid to reduce labour costs, save material

and boost production capacity, quality

and operational flexibility. The ability to

quickly generate pattern pieces, nest

the shapes for best material yield, and

then cut automatically, is the future of

manufacturing in high labour cost markets

such as Australia.

With Pathfinder’s new facility company

directors can discuss their current methods

of production and view a demonstration

on the ease and simplicity of CAD/CAM

production: digitising shapes, nesting for

best yield, and cutting materials with speed

and accuracy.

Some smaller manufacturers who may

feel CAD/CAM is too complicated or costly

are pleasantly surprised to learn that these

machines virtually ‘pay for themselves’ with

significant savings in labour and materials

and a dramatic increase in productivity. “In

fact the most common statement we hear after

intalling a Pathfinder CAD/CAM solution is ‘I

really should have done this 10 years ago!’”

said Wayne.

“The good news it is not to late and costs

nothing to find out the truth, all people have to

do is call me to schedule a time to visit. We have

people flying in from all over Australia weekly.”

Call Wayne Walker 03 9338 3471

PATHFINDER CAD—‘LEARN TO uSE IN 30 MINuTES’ Pathfinder Australia Pty Ltd—proudly Australian made and owned—has

released PathWorksTM , CAD software designed for pattern digitising,

development and nesting.

“This system is unique. A person who has never used CAD can learn

PathWorks in as little as thirty minutes,” says Wayne Walker, Pathfinder’s

Sales Manager for Australia & New Zealand.

As a manufacturer of automated cutting room solutions since 1996,

Pathfinder has worked closely with many ACASPA manufacturers

and services the apparel, furniture, automotive, aerospace and

military sectors.

Normally, larger companies are well equipped with technical

personnel familiar with CAD software who use this technology

extensively within their existing manufacturing process.

The challenge for smaller companies taking the first steps to

CAD/CAM is complex software solutions that require one week or

more of training, with only partial knowledge retention. Re–training

staff to replace those that have left or are on holiday is both disruptive

and costly.

Pathfinder realised that CAD had to be simplified, so two full–time in

house software engineers developed PathWorks. Several people can

be trained at once and the program provides the facility for digitisation

and nest patterns, creating the most efficient use of material.

This flexibility helps boost business profitability by eliminating the

risk of interruptions to manufacturing while increasing material yield

and decreasing the skill required.

• A summary of why PathWorks is unique:

• Easy to learn—in as little as 30 minutes.

• Complete integration—every task works under one program.

Most other systems require separate modules for digitising/

nesting/output.

• Capable of working with open shapes. Most other programs require

closed shapes.

• Magnetic Nesting—manual nesting feature that simulates a

gravitational attraction between shapes.

• Automatic Nesting—providing the fastest and most efficient

nesting available.

Phone Pathfinder australia Pty ltd on (03) 9338 3471 or visit

www.pathfinderaus.com.au

Pathworks CAD/CAM Pattern Digitising and Automatic Pattern Nesting

The latest offerings from ACASPA members

MARCH 2012 · 31

SEMI-TRANSPARENT MEMBRANE FABRICSThe Semi-Transparent Membrane fabrics

from Hiraoka allow you to create an

environment that feels like the bright outdoors,

but provides excellent weather protection.

high Tensile Strength

There are many situations where it

may be desirable to utilise a fabric

with very high light transmission capabilities.

We now have high tensile fabrics to suit

applications such as shopping centre or hotel

atriums, sport stadiums where light levels

are critical for grass growth, structures with a

shaded aspect, etc.

brilliant light Transmission

These incredibly durable materials permit

very high levels of natural light in to a structure

to create a wonderful ambience.

let The light Shine

These structures also become beautiful

glowing landmarks at night when lit from

within. The addition of some coloured lighting

generates an eye catching feature.

Inspired designs

The Semi-Transparent fabrics can also be

combined with the more traditional white

fabrics in the same structure. The high

strength base cloth used for these fabrics is

the same as that used in our white fabrics.

Combining white and semi-transparent

fabrics that have the same biaxial behaviour

can lead to inspired designs using the

colour and light differential to create

dramatic patterns.

These architectural fabrics are waterproof,

block all UVA and UVB light and are very

durable. The fabric incorporates a Heat

Shield additive to reduce solar heat gain.

This additive also helps to protect the fabric

from UV degradation.

These fabrics are available in a range of

strengths/weight to match the existing white

membrane fabrics.

32 · CONNECTIONS

NEW Durkopp Adler model: H867Unbeatable high performance heavy duty sewing with Durkopp Adler M-TYPE technology

with the very best in after sales support via, product application knowledge, unequaled spare part deliveries and factory trained service technicians is the benchmark in the industry. Isn’t it time you took a closer look?

| PO Box 130 | 3 Gunya Street Regents Park NSW 2143

Telephone (02) 9645 2500 | Fax (02) 9644 4711 | E-mail info@dasec.com.au | www.dasec.com.au

• The large clearance (700 x 157mm) facilitates the handling of large area work pieces

• bottom feed, needle feed and alternating walking feet

•

•

•

•

Up to 12mm long stitches

Extremely high sewing foot lift of 25mm

The sewing foot stroke up to 9mm allows

material piles

New needle system of 328

• New hook system with 3XL bobbin for thread sizes up to nm 8/3

• Sewing speed up to 2,000 stitches/min

• Robust thread trimmer guarantees a safe and clean cutting of extreme thick sewing threads

Frances brings with her a wealth of experience in sales and marketing,

business development and project management and will focus on creating brand

awareness for products from the Ricky Richards structure and membrane fabric

solutions ranges. 

Based at the Ricky Richards head office in Sydney, Frances will be working closely

with manufacturers assisting in facilitating projects for specifier markets in the

engineering, architectural and design communities. 

Over the coming weeks Frances will be visiting customers across Australia. 

She looks forward to the opportunity to meet people within the industry.

Frances can be reached by email: francess@rickyrichards.com.au

or by phone 02 9735 3333. www.rickyrichards.com.au

Ricky Richards welcomes newcomer Ricky Richards is pleased to announce that Frances Scavia has joined its ever growing team in the role of Senior Account Manager—Architectural Textiles.

UPDATE

MA

M88

20

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The largest specialty fabrics tradeshow in the Americas showcasing cutting edge education and networking opportunities that will strengthen your business.

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in 2012!

★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★

The largest specialty fabrics tradeshow in the Americas showcasing cutting edge education and networking opportunities that will strengthen your business.

A century of supporting the specialty fabrics industry.

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Come Celebrate IFAI’s 100-Year Anniversary

in 2012!

★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★ The Right Show ★ The Right Decision ★ The Right People ★

The largest specialty fabrics tradeshow in the Americas showcasing cutting edge education and networking opportunities that will strengthen your business.

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36 · CONNECTIONS

quEENSLANDA special report by Lance St Hill of Fabric Solutions Australia

Despite heavy rainfall in the later part of January,

it hasn’t been too bad for most businesses in our

industry for this time of year. January is always

patchy with many businesses closed or running

with skeleton crews. We still see large differences

in some markets, most particularly, those markets

associated with the domestic buyer.

According to the weather bureau, Queensland in

January 2012 was hot to start and had a wet finish.

Despite heavy rains and flooding in many rural

communities in Queensland’s south west, most

fabricators and suppliers appear to be doing OK.

Some rural markets are down or will be impacted

by damage to cotton and sorghum crops. Cotton

Australia expects a loss of about 300,000 bales due

to the recent floods, which will have a large impact

on the cotton cover market.

The two-speed economy is very much in evidence

in Queensland, with the mining sector the standout

performer. Fabricators fortunate enough to be

supplying into the mining industry are doing quite

well, in contrast with fabricators more closely

aligned with the domestic market.

Some businesses have retrenched skilled

staff who have subsequently been snapped up

by busier fabricators. If you know of anyone

recently let go, tell others in the industry … one of

the benefits of our organisation is the networking

opportunities available.

I have noticed during the start of this year the

higher level of commercial/industrial/mining related

inquiries and requests for quotes. There certainly

are some big jobs out there, most particularly

for the broad acre geomembrane fabricator/

installers. While much of it is mining related, some is

commercial in nature.

(A special report in IBISWorld relating to the

economic impact of the January 2011 Queensland

cites mining revenues were slashed by about

$2.5 billion and the agricultural sector $1.6 billion.

The cost to the insurance industry is estimated at

$500 million.)

Queensland is a large state with severe weather

events from time to time. Often business declines in

the immediate aftermath of the event but down the

track businesses benefit from restoration works.

STATEREPORTS

Around the nationA round up of what is happening in the industry in NSw, Victoria and queensland as seen through the eyes of the Council of Management.

Fabricators fortunate enough to be

supplying into the mining industry are

doing quite well, in contrast with

fabricators more closely aligned with the domestic market.

wESTERN AuSTRALIAImpressions gained by Brendan Hall of Bradmill Outdoor Fabrics

After discussions with several WA members such as

Mal Brown from Kenlow, the general feeling is that

the WA market is a mixed bag, depending on which

segment you are operating in.

Retail awning and blinds is up and down and is

still very much driven by weather and discretionary

spending. The baby boomers continue to drive the

leisure markets in annexes and caravan/camping

as they retire and head off ‘ski-ing’ around Australia

(spending the kid’s inheritance)!

The industrial segment is consistent with the

mining boom driving that market with a wide

ranging demand for a variety of industrial textile

products keeping some of our members flat-out.

As strong as the Western Australia market is,

it still seems to be suffering from—to a lesser

degree—an overall weaker consumer demand.

The consensus is this is driven from a nervous

consumer trying to make sense of the two speed

economy with mining booming on one side

and everyone else

struggling on the other

and deciding just

to hold on to

their pennies.

The baby boomers continue to drive the

leisure markets in annexes and caravan/camping as they retire and head off ‘ski-ing’

around Australia (spending the kid’s

inheritance)!

MARCH 2012 · 37

NSwInsights by Tom Gastin of Pattons Textile Fabrication

It appears NSW has made a bit of a comeback

in the second half of this quarter. Our suppliers

are finding they are selling less than usual for this

time of year, but on a positive note say that despite

the lack of a ‘real’ summer in NSW, sales seem

to be picking up in the last few weeks. This is

great news.

Words such as ‘tough, struggle and challenging’

are also floating around and it is times like

these that we should support one another and

strengthen our alliances to keep this industry and

our products strong.

Risk is also something to be aware of.  The demise

of Kell & Rigby, a large construction company

in Sydney, has sent warning signs to other large

construction companies that feed our industry ...

to not forget the small businesses that supply them.

So keep an eye on your terms of trade and do a risk

analysis before you jump in to big contracts.

There also a real buzz around at the moment with

the new name change. It was excellent to see the

big turnouts at the state member meetings. The

support behind this new name and accreditation

is tremendous and will benefit all members for

years to come.

There were also plenty of young leaders attending

the state meetings and this is a great sign for the

future of our industry. Following the Young Leaders

conference, more friendships and mentorships have

been created.

A big thank you to all the legends and experienced

members of ACASPA for proactively identifying

and building these relationships. These relationships

are extremely valuable for both parties and will

never be forgotten. So if you have a lot to share,

don’t be shy. You’ll be surprised how much you will

learn and enjoy it.

It appears NSW has made a bit of

a comeback in the second half of

this quarter.

VICTORIAAs reported by Gary Smith of Campbell and Heeps

As of the mid 2012, business

in Victoria was reasonable strong,

aided by good weather and a fairly

positive economic outlook.

We have received some help

and support from the RBA which

has meant that the major banks

have passed on some relief to the

consumer which has flowed on to

the retail sector.

Unfortunately, the banks are now

supporting their shareholders

and are disregarding any further support (rate cuts) to the consumer

in the short term.

I recently attended a lecture by one of the major banks and

the general consensus was one of tentative optimism, which means

‘work hard and the results will come’. The Australian economy

may be robust, but the message for manufacturing is be frugal for

the next 12 months.

Having said this, consumer activity is relatively strong as reflected

in the market for awnings, blinds and shade covers. However in a cost

saving measure many consumers appear to be opting to repair or

recover awnings rather than replace them.

With favourable weather anticipated over the next few months—

a barometer for the performance of our industry—we are all hoping

that business confidence will continue.

�L�u�n�a� �M�a�c�h�i�n�e�r�y� �C�o�n�n�e�c�t�i�o�n�s

�T�u�e�s�d�a�y�,� �2�8� �F�e�b�r�u�a�r�y� �2�0�1�2� �1�:�0�8�:�4�9� �P�M

38 · CONNECTIONS

Smart Watch“I’m Watch” is a new, Italian, product which bills itself

as the world’s first “Smart Watch”. The new product

looks just like a watch, albeit a chunky watch, that

runs the Android operating system and lots of apps.

You can even use the watch as a phone, thanks

to inbuilt Bluetooth that hooks up to your existing

mobile and lets you make and receive calls.

The company behind the watch is also looking for

partners to retail the watch.

Prices start at $US569.

www.imwatch.it

Gray market phoneHave you recently bought a shiny new

smartphone? All the mobile phone carriers

and vendors had plenty on offer.

Telstra also offered a phone it

unashamedly marketed as a "seniors'

phone", the EasyTouch Discovery 3.

The phone uses the daggy flip format

that most modern phones abandoned a

year or two back. But it is compatible with

hearing aids, has nice big buttons for ease-

of-pressing and readability. Every time you

press a key, it beeps. And the on-screen

font is large, again making it easy to read.

Maryanne Tsiatsias, Telstra's Consumer

Marketing Director, says the phone's

interface is the result of six months' work

and allows users to "easily view both

missed calls and also new messages by

simply opening the phone - the interface

is intelligent and jumps straight to these

new events, without the hassle of having to

navigate through multiple menus."

The phone is also cheap - it costs $240

outright.

The EasyTouch Discovery is not a

technology marvel, doesn't run apps and

won't turn heads. But it will, we imagine,

win a solid amount of business in the

graying market. Given Australia's ageing

population, that may well be a fine market

to consider!

exchange.telstra.com.au/?p=1672

tWo diSkS in one, With a kick in the price tagLots of laptops now feature solid state

disks, the all-silicon, no-moving parts

alternative to hard drives. Solid state disks

are faster and use less power than hard

disks, but are also more expensive and are

yet to reach colossal capacities.

Seagate is the world’s leading disk

maker and will happily sell you a solid state

disk, but has also created the Momentus

XT which packs conventional disk and

solid state disk into one package. The idea

is that your PC puts the data it uses a lot

into the super-fast solid state disk, and

keeps the rest on normal disk. You get

capacity and speed, without price.

Or that’s the theory anyway, because

hard disk factories were among the

casualties of Thailand’s late 2011 floods.

Prices for storage are soaring thanks to

a shortage of disks,

so for the first time

in many years you’ll

pay more for

hard disks.

www.seagate.com

GADGETGUIDE

Glorious gadgetsTechnical guru Simon Sharwood reviews the latest and greatest gadgets to hit the market.

FEB 2012 · 39

WireleSS cameraDigital cameras are wonderfully convenient, but there still

comes the moment when you have to fiddle with a memory

card or find a cable to get the photos off the camera and into

a PC.

Canon’s new HF M52 video camera solves that problem

with inbuilt WiFi that lets you connect the camera to a

computer without wires. There’s even am iPhone app

that streams video off the camera and onto Facebook or

YouTube. Buy the additional USB adaptor and you can even

dump video onto an external hard drive without the need for

a PC.

The camera will be on sale around Easter, with retail price

to be announced shortly.

Canon.com.au

a gadget category to Watch

Each January, the annual Consumer

Electronics Show takes over Las Vegas, and

this year’s show saw the debut of several

striking “Smart TVs”.

We think they’re important because they

will change consumer behaviour by bringing

the Web into the lounge room.

‘Smart’ TVs that can go online and

deliver on-demand video.

Both of these features have been around

for a while, but are pretty clunky. Your Editor

owns a Sony Bravia that can stream lots of

content, but its interface is far from elegant

and once a list of content goes beyond

a handful of items navigation becomes a

frustrating chore. Web-enabled TVs have

suffered from the average remote control’s

utter uselessness for typing.

Smart TVs are getting this stuff right.

Samsung made a splash at the show with a

range of TVs that use what it calls “Motion

Control, Voice Control and Face Recognition

commands” to drive its features. The set can

also go online, download apps, make video

Skype calls (there’s a camera built in) and

even link to cloud services that store your

photos. LG talked up TVs that can run apps

and offer next-generation remotes that offer

voice recognition, something it calls “Magic

Gesture” and a new wheel controller.

Samsung has even created interactive

fitness programs it says “… allows users

to connect their Wi-Fi enabled scale to

manage their weight goals and use the TV’s

built-in camera to create a virtual mirror to

monitor their exercise routines. They can

also connect Samsung TV to a Samsung

smartphone via a mobile Fitness app.”

It could be worth getting a demo of these

boob tubes once they land in stores, sometime

later in 2012, because bringing an easy-to-use

web-connected device into the lounge room

is a pretty big step forward. We can imagine

families shopping together, instead

of out shopping, meaning one or two people

hunched around a PC.

Until a few hundred thousand Smart

TVs land in Australian lounge rooms your

business probably won’t need to think

about them. But once there’s a decent

installed base we expect online marketing

consultancies will start to emphasise the

importance of getting your site ready to

take advantage of opportunities Smart

TV presents. The fact that these sets

also display high definition cofntent and

3D means you may need to rethink your

approach to marketing material – a simple

YouTube clip may not cut it once consumers

have these dynamic devices in their homes.

40 · CONNECTIONS

Shape Size Colour Unit Price (ex. GST)

Triangle 12' (3.6m long sides) Sandstone / White / Aquamarine / Rust $87.50 Triangle 17' (5.18m long sides) Sandstone/ Porcelain / White / Aquamarine /

Midnight Green / Rust $130.00

Right angle triangle

15' (two sides 4.57m long, hypotenuse (third side) 6.47m long)

Sandstone / Porcelain / White / Aquamarine / Navy Blue / Rust

$125.00

Square 12' (3.6m long sides) Midnight Green $132.50 Note: Prices do not include freight or installation hardware.

Roll size Colours Price Per Roll 5.8m wide x 45m long Sandstone

Royal Blue Rust Midnight Green White

$664.00+GST Price does not include freight

4.7m wide x 50m long Navy Blue Midnight Green Porcelain Sandstone Rust White

$500.00+GST Price does not include freight

3.8m wide x 50m long White $400.00+GST Price does not include freight

Cut lengths are also available in some sizes & colours.

Call: 1800 222 774

BSA Licence No: 725645 www.advancedshade.com.au

Single heavy duty sail track (Overall dimensions 51.5mm x 25mm) 1-9 Units $105.00+GST* per 6000mm length 10-19 Units $94.00+GST* per 6000mm length 20-49 Units $81.00+GST* per 6000mm length 50+ Units $76.00+GST* per 6000mm length

Double heavy duty sail track (Overall dimensions 61mm x 25mm) 1-9 Units $120.00+GST* per 6000mm length 10-19 Units $105.00+GST* per 6000mm length 20-49 Units $94.00+GST* per 6000mm length 50+ Units $88.00+GST* per 6000mm length

projectadmin@advancedshade.com.au

*Mill finish only. Prices do not include freight

ACASPA Promo Advert (Aug2011).indd 1 17/08/11 12:38 PM

At its February meeting, the Fabric Structures

Committee (FSC) set up a work plan for the

next few months and listed priority issues

impacting on the fabric structures industry

as follows:

1. That the committee continue work on

developing guidelines for the delivery

of a quality product. We are looking at

a three tier approach to guidelines to

include a technical manual; basic installation

guidelines; and a consumer guide to

obtaining the right quote.

2. The long term process of industry

accreditation by this association is

supported and the FSC’s work will be useful

in this process. So too the FSC will look to

contribute to National Licensing reform and

its impact on the fabric structure industry.

3. Promotion of the industry. The shade

benefits, aesthetics, low costs, freedom

of design- matters that we are acutely

aware of are not always fully understood

or appreciated by consumers, policy

makers, builders or architects who make

decisions on shading. Fabric structures

can and do compete head on with other

structures. Evidence of differing government

policies from one state and another on

fabric structures suggests the potential for

misinformation. Industry based promotion

will ensure that the right message is

delivered to stakeholders.

A special report by Beatrice Moonen of Abacus Shade Structures

Fabric Structures Committee

UPDATE

EMCO • 527 Spencer Street • West Melbourne, VIC 3003 • P: (03) 9329-5411 • W: www.elizabethmachines.com.au • E: weldmaster@elizabethmachines.com.au

Copyright ©2011 Miller Weldmaster, Inc. All rights reserved.

NEW

Produces all seams needed forbanner, sign & awning makersSimple controlsWelds PVC, PE, acrylic & meshCompatible with worldwide power sources

Most versatile welder in its classCompact sizeSolid steel frameAustralia wide service, training & parts

NEw MEMBERSwe would like to welcome several new members to the association:

Buz softwAre25 Bennett Place, Castle Hill NSW  2154

Phone: 02 9634 7599 or 0414 785 032

Contact: Daryl Saunders

Email daryl@buzsoftware.com.au

voile du1 rue Paulin Guerin, Toulon, France 83000

Contact: Rabah Zeggari

Email voiledusud@hotmail.fr              

weAthersAfe shAdes

(forMerly wA younG & Co)20 Bennet Ave, Melrose Park SA 5039

Phone: 08 8276 1111 or 0419 922 250

Contact: Tim Seymour-Smith

Email timss@weathersafe.com.au 

BAsford BrAnds16-20 Apparel Close, Breadwater Vic 3215

Phone: 03 5272 1888 or  425 242 195

Contact: Lessel Davis

Email ldavis@basfordbrands.com

tA yA CAnvAsNo. 110, Huaning Road, Minhang District,

Shanghai P. R. China

Phone: +86 21 6463 2409

Contact: Jinzhi Ye

Email info@tayacanvas.com

Shape Size Colour Unit Price (ex. GST)

Triangle 12' (3.6m long sides) Sandstone / White / Aquamarine / Rust $87.50 Triangle 17' (5.18m long sides) Sandstone/ Porcelain / White / Aquamarine /

Midnight Green / Rust $130.00

Right angle triangle

15' (two sides 4.57m long, hypotenuse (third side) 6.47m long)

Sandstone / Porcelain / White / Aquamarine / Navy Blue / Rust

$125.00

Square 12' (3.6m long sides) Midnight Green $132.50 Note: Prices do not include freight or installation hardware.

Roll size Colours Price Per Roll 5.8m wide x 45m long Sandstone

Royal Blue Rust Midnight Green White

$664.00+GST Price does not include freight

4.7m wide x 50m long Navy Blue Midnight Green Porcelain Sandstone Rust White

$500.00+GST Price does not include freight

3.8m wide x 50m long White $400.00+GST Price does not include freight

Cut lengths are also available in some sizes & colours.

Call: 1800 222 774

BSA Licence No: 725645 www.advancedshade.com.au

Single heavy duty sail track (Overall dimensions 51.5mm x 25mm) 1-9 Units $105.00+GST* per 6000mm length 10-19 Units $94.00+GST* per 6000mm length 20-49 Units $81.00+GST* per 6000mm length 50+ Units $76.00+GST* per 6000mm length

Double heavy duty sail track (Overall dimensions 61mm x 25mm) 1-9 Units $120.00+GST* per 6000mm length 10-19 Units $105.00+GST* per 6000mm length 20-49 Units $94.00+GST* per 6000mm length 50+ Units $88.00+GST* per 6000mm length

projectadmin@advancedshade.com.au

*Mill finish only. Prices do not include freight

ACASPA Promo Advert (Aug2011).indd 1 17/08/11 12:38 PM

42 · CONNECTIONS

Member Directory

suPPliers—QueenslAndUniline Australia Ltd 1800 777 331 www.uniline.com.au Supplier of window furnishings, components and systems

Absolute Trade Supplies 1300 138 304 www.absolutetradesupplies.com.au Shadecloth, Protection Meshes, Fabric and Cut lengths

Hamlins Accessories & Labels 07 3865 8611 www.hamlinsacc.com.au Suppliers of accessories such as labels, thread, zip, velcro eyelets, studs webbing, scissors and fabric

Light Weight Structures Advisory

07 5478 0590 www.LTWSAS.com.au Design & Engineering of Shade Structures, Shade Sails & Tensile Membranes. Services include Engineering Calculations, Certification

Miami Stainless 1800 022 122 www.miamistainless.com.au Suppliers of stainless steel hardware, wire rope, tools, fastenings, brackets & accessories for shade sail & associated industries

Ozrig Pty Ltd 07 3862 9221 www.ozrig.com.au Installers—installation and tensioning of tensile membranes, shade structure repair and maintenance, twin rope access

Paradise PVC Welding Pty Ltd 07 3209 9733 www.paradisepvc.com.au Standard & custom made outdoor furniture cushions, boat seating & boat bimini's and canopies plus a variety of specialty product

Pro-Knit Industries Pty Ltd 07 3245 5607 www.monotec.com.au Fabric suppliers

ProRange Wholesale 07 3245 6756 www.prorangewholesale.com.au Suppliers of fabric and stainless steel fittings & wire ropes

Queensland Wholesale Canvas 07 3856 5888 www.qwc.net.au Suppliers of eyelet machines/hot knives, accessories & components, fabric & roll slitting

Rainbow Shade Products Pty Ltd 07 5580 5366 www.rainbowshade.com.au Fabric suppliers

Wade Design Engineers Pty Ltd 07 3229 1183 www.wadeconsult.com Engineering design, Inspections & Certification

Windoware Australia Pty Ltd 07 3299 3788 www.windoware.net.au Blinds & Awnings

Wade Design Engineers Pty Ltd 07 3229 1183 www.wadeconsult.com Engineering design, Inspections & Certification

Windoware Australia Pty Ltd 07 3299 3788 www.windoware.net.au Blinds & Awnings

On the following pages all current ACASPA members are listed in alphabetical order under their relevant state. Phone numbers and websites are provided, along with details of services or products.

SuPPLIERS AND FABRICATORS

suPPliers—south AustrAliAICL (SA) Pty Ltd 08 8347 4500 www.iclsa.com.au Suppliers of Channel IT and Channel x Equipment, Blind & Awning Components and

PVC, Shade Mesh, Shade Cloth & Canvas fabrics

Stayput Fasteners Australia 08 8555 4258 www.stayputfasteners.com.au Suppliers of nylon composite, nickel plated & stainless steel fasteners for the industrial fabric trade

MARCH 2012 · 43

suPPliers—new south wAlesAeronaut Automation 02 9450 0800 www.aeronaut.org Suppliers of heavy-duty wide span flatbed automated cutters for use with industrial

and recreational textiles, technical fabric, roll fabric, high modulus composites and corrugated cardboard

Arcus Wire Group Pty Ltd 02 9666 5900 www.arcuswire.com

BMS Group Australia Pty Ltd 02 9316 5188 Supplier of plastic sheet; potable liner materials; reinforced liner

Buz Software 02 9634 7599   www.buzsoftware.com.au Buz Software can be used by retaliers and manufacturers of awnings, blinds, curtains, security doors, shutters, spa covers and most other 'made to measure' products. It is increasing used by those who have out grown their entry level systems and are ready for a total integrated system

Capron Carter Pty Limited 02 9764 4455 www.caproncarter.com.au Suppliers of sewing and cutting equipment

Carr Australia 02 9636 9525 www.carrgroup.com.au Suppliers of automatic eyelet machines, eyelets, PVC etc. Also supply fabrics

CJ Loftus 02 9757 3355 www.cjloftus.com Suppliers of high frequency welding machines

DASEC 02 9645 2500 www.dasec.com.au Suppliers of welding, sewing & cutting equipment, pneumatic & electronic components; service and spare part support

Elementex Pty Ltd 02 8708 5100 www.elementex.com.au Suppliers of fabrics

Elero Pty Limited 02 9534 4466 www.elero.com Suppliers of equipment—motors and controls

Glen Raven 02 9974 4393 www.sunbrella.com

Goodearl & Bailey Pty Ltd 02 9316 1300 www.goodearlandbailey.com.au

Highlead Sewing Machines 02 9774 4115

HVG Fabrics 02 9556 6000 www.hvgfabrics.com.au Suppliers of Industrial, Decorative, Commercial PVC , PVC Mesh’s, Commercial Shade Cloth, Easislip Clear & Tinted PVC’s, Woven Polyethylene, Marine Vinyls, Banner & Seaflex pressed polished sheets

NOLAN.UDA 02 9669 3333 www.nolans.com.au Suppliers of commercial & industrial textiles and associated hardware

OneLink Agencies 0404 086 158 www.onelinkagencies.com.au OneLink Agencies aims to be the first choice for preferred product representation and our clients and customers are our number one priority

P M & P Group Pty Ltd 02 9821 2001 www.demtech.com Suppliers of welding and testing equipment for geosynthetics installers

Plastral Pty Ltd 02 9695 3200 www.plastral.com.au Australian agent and distributor for Leister hot air tools and welding equipment used in plastic welding and joining of industrial fabrics including           tarpaulins, tents, pool covers, billboards, sun blinds etc

Ricky Richards (SALES) Pty Ltd 02 9735 3333 www.rickyrichards.com.au Suppliers of industrial and commercial textiles

Sewing Thread Specialists 1300 653 855 www.sewingthreads.com.au Suppliers of industrial sewing threads, accessories and consulting expertise

Somfy 02 9638 0744 www.somfy.com.au Suppliers of motors, controls and sensors for internal and external window coverings

Sydney Institute TAFE NSW 02 9217 3470 www.sit.nsw.edu.au Technical training

Wax Converters Textiles Pty Ltd 02 9749 2944 www.waxcon.com.au Suppliers of fabric

suPPliers—viCtoriABasford Brands 03 5272 1888  www.basfordbrands.com Suppliers of fabrics

Becker Australia 1300 813 322 www.beckeraustralia.com Suppliers of drives and control units for roller shutter and sun protection applications, door drives and control technology, drives and control units for special applications (e.g. swimming pool covers, smoke curtains, greenhouse applications)

Berconia Pty Ltd 03 9460 3895

Bradmill Outdoor Fabrics 03 9368 2222 www.bradmilloutdoor.com.au Suppliers (and manufacturers) of quality outdoor fabrics for domestic, commercial and defence applications

Defab 03 9305 3988 www.defab.com.au Supplier of fabrics

Elizabeth Machines Co. 03 9329 5411 www.elizabethsewing.com.au Suppliers of industrial sewing machines

Gale Pacific 03 9518 3333 www.galepacific.com Supplier (and manufacturer) of branded screening and shading products for domestic, commercial and industrial applications

Gerber Technology 0419 751 212 www.gerbertechnology.com Supply CAD systems, Spreading Systems, Airflotation Cutting Tables. Installation, Training, Hardware and Software Service/Support

Giraffe Marketing 1300 366 876 www.giraffemarketing.com.au Specialising in marketing services to suppliers and fabricators

Global Awning Accessories AUS P/L

03 9801 9944 www.globalawnings.com.au Supply Folding Arm Awnings, Fabric Tension Systems, Belt Driven Patio Systems and many other Shading option components,

Hiraoka (Australia) Pty Ltd 03 9543 6777 www.hiraoka.com.au Suppliers of fabrics

Imex Creative Products Pty Ltd 03 9318 0988 www.imexcp.com.au Suppliers of fabrics

Indtex Australia Pty Ltd 03 8804 1353 www.indtexaust.com Suppliers of fabrics

Innova International Pty Ltd 03 9551 8722 www.innovaint.com.au Suppliers of fabrics

Pathfinder 03 9338 3471 www.pathfinderaus.com.au Manufacturer of CAD/CAM technology for the soft goods industry. Products include CNC knife Cutting machines, Fabric Spreading machines, CADSoftware and Fabric spreading tables

44 · CONNECTIONS

Directory

44 · CONNECTIONS

suPPliers—tAsMAniARollins Canvas & Party Hire 03 6229 1988 www.rollins.com.au Suppliers of marquees, made-to-measure canopies for trucks and trailers, custom

design stalls for exhibitions

suPPliers—western AustrAliAAustech Welders 0418 771 600 www.austechwelders.com Suppliers of welding equipment

Swan TAFE WA - Balga Campus 08 9267 7777 www.swantafe.wa.edu.au Delivering quality training to the industry in WA

V-GRIP 08 9448 2823 www.vgrip.com.au Blinds & Awnings, Flags & Banners, Liners & Covers; Supplier of Fastening System for Shade Cloth, Awnings & other fabrics

internAtionAl suPPliersMITO (NZ) +61 4 494 0005 www.mito.org.nz Motor Industry Training Organisation (NZ)

Webbing & Tapes REM Ltd (NZ) +64 9 622 2043 www.webbing.co.nz Supplier (and manufacturer) of narrow fabrics such as webbing, cotton tapes, jacquard, elastic, mark-it woven labels

IFAI (USA) +1 651 2222508 www.ifai.com Industrial Fabrics Association International

Intertape Polymer Group—ECP Division (USA)

+1 605 359 2806 www.intertapepolymer.com Developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative polyolefin coating technologies used in protective coverings, packaging and environmental conservation products for the industrial and consumer markets.

suPPliers—viCtoriA (continued)Polyfab Australia Pty Ltd 03 9770 8480 www.polyfab.com.au Suppliers of Shadecloth and other industrial fabrics – worldwide

Radins Pty Ltd 03 9551 6000 www.radins.com.au Suppliers of industrial fabrics and hardware

RMIT University 03 9925 9182 www.rmit.edu.au Textile Fabrication Training and Textile Testing Services

Sewing Perfection Machine Co. 03 9742 5854 www.sewingperfection.com Provide welding, sewing & cutting equipment, accessories/components. Pfaff welding & sewing machine sales service and parts

Shann Australia 03 8480 0800 www.shann.com.au Suppliers of fabrics and hardware

SunSmart 03 9635 5648 www.sunsmart.com.au Non government cancer control organisation

Tex Connex Pty Ltd 03 9561 8779 Supplier of Tenara Sewing Thread, Architectural PVC fabrics and PVC coated mesh fabrics as well as other specialised products

Turnils 03 8773 0000 www.turnils.com.au Manufacturer of window covering products and a business partner for independent manufacturers

Ultracut Industries 1300 556 851 www.ultracut-industries.com.au

Velcro Australia Pty Ltd 03 9703 2466 www.velcro.com.au Manufacturer of hook and loop fasteners

Windsor Trading Co. (AUST) P/L 03 9553 1122 Suppliers of sewing threads

WM C Jackson (Sewing Mach) P/L 03 9417 3131 www.wmcjackson.com.au Suppliers of machinery, spare parts & accessories to the sewing, knitting & textile industries

fABriCAtors—QueenslAndAbgal Liners & Covers 07 3803 6000 www.abgal.com.au Pool liners & covers, Tank liners, Shade Sails (fabricators only), Dam Liners, Inflatable

Products and Thermal Covers

Advanced Shade Systems Pty Ltd 07 3823 5644 www.advancedshade.com.au Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator

Airlie Shade & Sail Solutions 07 4946 1125 www.airliesails.com.au Fabric Structures—Installer& Fabricator; Marine Trimming, Sailmaker, Motor Trimming, Blinds & Awnings, Flags & Banners

All Seasons Canvas & Vinyl Pty Ltd 07 5598 2622 www.allseasonsvinyl.com.au Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping. Services include welding, sewing, cutting

Architectural Fabric Solutions 07 3723 3723 www.architecturalfabricsolutions.com.au

Fabricators of structural membrane, tension membranes, shade structures, architectural fabric structures, shade sails, waterproof structures, shade cloth, sun control products, traditional awnings, balcony awnings, folding arm awnings,marquees and tents, aluminium shutters, privacy screens, security screens,custom canvas and PVC products.

Aussie Traveller Pty Ltd 07 3868 3868 www.aussietraveller.com.au Manufacturer of quality Awnings and Annexes as well as a supplier of accessories

B & J Canvas 07 5525 3399 www.bjcanvas.com.au Design, manufacture and install Awnings, Canopies, Structural Membranes, Signs, Banners, Marquees, Tents, Tarpaulins

Beehive Vinyl Products Pty Ltd 07 4779 9600 www.beehivevinyl.com.au Fabric Structures-Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings, Tarpaulins, Caravan & Camping, Marine & Motor Trimming, Toolbags

Boomerang Canvas Pty Ltd 07 3275 1840 www.boomerangcanvas.com.au

C Ede (PTY) Limited 07 4771 5185 www.edestownsville.com

Col's Vinyl and Canvas Goods 07 4061 3606 www.colsvinyl.com Fabric Structures—Shade Sails, Vinyl Membrane Structures

Creative Shade Sails 07 5537 9364 www.creativeshade.com.au Manufacturer of domestic and light commercial shade sails and shade structures

D&R Tarpaulins 07 3393 3477 www.drtarps.com.au Fabric Structures—Tarpaulins, Canopies, Covers, Dam/Pond Liners, Shade covers/Marquees, Inflatables

MARCH 2012 · 45MARCH 2012 · 45

fABriCAtors—new south wAlesA B C Products 02 9525 6933 www.abc-products.com

Abacus Shade Structures 02 4735 4800 www.shadesails.net Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator; Tarpaulins & Screens - Manufacturer & Installer

Betta Canvas Products 02 6299 1786 www.bettacanvas.com.au Fabric Structures / Shade Sails - Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Contender Sailcloth Pty Ltd 02 9947 4099 www.contendersailcloth.com

Coulin Marine Trim 02 4945 3322

Creative Canvas 02 9979 6477 www.creativecavas.com.au Blinds & Awnings, Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Industrial & Umbrellas

Eagle Canvas Pty Ltd 02 9533 4011

East Coast Canvas & Helitrim 02 4323 7222

EH Brett & Sons Pty Limited 02 9601 1800 www.brettproducts.com.au

Elite Shade and Sails 02 4390 4772 www.eliteshadeandsails.com.au Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

Fabritecture 02 6674 4466 www.fabricstructures.com.au Design, manufacture and installation of pre-engineered tensile membrane structures

HNA Canvas 02 6332 1140

Illawarra Blinds & Awnings 02 9553 8999 www.illawarrablinds.com.au Fabric Structures – Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Jon Wilson Canvas & Shade 02 6658 0888 www.bmnc.com.au/canvasnshade

Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Flags & Banners, Tarpaulins, Marine Trimming

Knight's Upholstery/Austarps 02 6792 1883

Kotzur Kanvas 02 6925 7805 www.kotzurkanvas.com.au Tarpaulins, Fabric Structures, Truck side curtains, Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Marine & Motor Trimming, Flags, Banners

fABriCAtors—northern territoryAerosail Shade Structures 1300 365 444 www.aerosail.com Designers and fabricators of shade and tension membrane structures

Shadetech 08 8984 4940 www.shadetech.com.au Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

fABriCAtors—QueenslAnd (continued)Darling Downs Tarpaulins 07 4634 2166 www.ddt.com.au Liners, Covers, Tarpaulins, Blinds, Awnings, Truck side curtains, Fabric Structures-

Fabricator, Greenhouse & Shadehouse covers, swags

Envirosmart Industrial Pty Ltd 07 3889 6677 www.envirosmart.com.au

Fabric Solutions Australia Pty Ltd 07 3807 0200 www.fabricsolutions.com.au Custom design, fabrication & installation of Liquid containment systems & fabric

H-Line Structures Australia 07 4636 4099 www.hlinestructures.com.au Supplier of European and German made Hoecker compatible structures

Horizon Sail Structures 07 5563 1433 www.horizonsail.com.au Manufacturer of high quality membrane structures, shade structures and related fabric works

Industrial Canvases 07 3409 1599 www.incanvas.com.au Manufacture and repair of all Canvas and Vinyl for the home, industry and recreational; Canopies—motor & boat

Made 4 Shade 07 5479 4661 www.made4shade.com.au Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator, Caravan & Camping, Blinds & Awnings

Makmax Australia 07 3633 5900 www.makmax.com.au Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator providing design and engineering services

Ozki Canvas 07 3209 4728 www.ozkicanvas.com.au Camper Trailer Tops, Ute Canopies, Ute Tonneaus, Repairs, Caravan Annexes, Rollout Awning Walls, Swags, Canvas Bags, Boat covers

Pickers Vinyl & Canvas 07 4051 3290 www.pickers.net.au Fabric Structures—Installer & fabricator, blinds & awnings. Supplier of welding, sewing & cutting

Planet Shade 07 4151 4773 www.planetshade.com.au Fabric Structures—Shade Sails, Shade Structures & Giant Umbrellas

Port Douglas Sailmakers Pty Ltd 07 4099 4307 www.sailstructure.com.au Fabric Structures—Shade Sails, Architectural Umbrellas

R B M Iindustrial Bags Pty Ltd 07 4162 5734 www.rbmbags.com Manufacture of industrial tool & equipment bags, kit bags, pouches, swags &

Rocklea Canvas 07 3277 2845 Supply welding, sewing & cutting equipment, accessories, fabric & repair services. Provide tarpaulins & truck side curtains.

Stanfast 07 4121 2591 www.stanfast.com.au Fabric Structures—Fabricator only. Wholesale plot cut or plot cut and weld—your material or ours

Sunraze Shade & Blinds 07 5443 3881 www.sunrazeshade.com.au Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Swains Canvas 07 4927 2600 www.swainscanvas.com.au Motor & Marine trimming, Blinds, Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Fabric Structures, Liners & Covers, Tarpaulins, Truck side curtains

Thorline Products 07 3396 9245 www.thorline.com.au Fabric Structures—Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Tom's Tarps 07 4671 2634 www.tomstarps.com.au Fabric Structures—Tarps, Tonneau Covers, Swags, Marquees, Seat Covers, Shade Structures & Awnings, Dam & Tank Liners

Toowoomba Shade and Canvas 07 4633 1338 www.toowoombashadeandcanvas.com.au

Blinds, Awnings, Fabric Structures-Installer/ Fabricator, Caravan & Camping, Marine & Motor Trimming, Flags & Banners, Tarpaulins

True Blue Camping and Canvas 07 4951 4922 www.campingcanvas.com.au Caravan & Camping, Tarpaulins, Liners & Covers, Fabric Structures—Fabricator only

46 · CONNECTIONS

Directory

fABriCAtors—viCtoriABig Red Shade Products Pty Ltd 03 9775 1171 www.bigredshadeproducts.

com.auFabric Structures - Fabricator only, design and metal manufacturing of umbrellas, shade structures, awnings (steel, ss, aluminium)

Billabong Shade Pty Ltd 1300 300 260 www.billabongshade.com.au Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

C E Bartlett 03 5339 3103 www.bartlett.net.au Liners & Covers, Blinds & Awnings, Tarpaulins, Caravans & Camping, Fabric Structures, Truck side curtains, Flags & Banners

Campbell & Heeps (Australia) Pty Ltd

03 9808 6911 www.campbellheeps.com.au Manufacturer and Installer of Blinds & Awnings, Café Umbrellas

Clark Shade Sails 03 9587 5802 www.clarkshadesails.com Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings

Crew Products 03 9555 0944 www.crewproducts.com.au Manufacturer and Installer of external sun control products and solutions from awnings, shades and motorized products as well as flagpoles and banners

G C Sutherland 03 9555 3040

G V Mulder Australia Pty Ltd 03 9571 7544 www.mulders.com.au Manufacturer of Shade Sails, Awnings, Shade Roller Blinds, Sand Pit Covers, Canvas Bags, Tarpaulins, Car Tarps, Custom Tents

Horizon Sailmakers 03 9598 4666 www.horizonsails.com Yacht sails, architectural shade sails and membranes, tension structures, pool covers, fabric welding and repairs and alterations

Kelmatt Australia Pty Limited 03 9763 8522 www.kelmatt.com.au Banners, Tennis Court Screens, Pool Covers, Sand Pit Covers, Cricket Pitch Covers, Pond & Dam Liners, Sail Shades, Trailer Covers

Khoi's Blinds Manufacturing Pty Ltd

03 9562 3333

Murphy's Tarp Service 03 5032 1171 Tarpaulins, Truck side curtains, Caravan & Camping, Flags & Banners, Blinds & Awnings, Fabric Structures - Fabricator only

Oasis Tension Structures AUS Pty Ltd

03 9588 1444 www.oasistensionstructures.com.au

Design, fabrication and construction of tension membrane structures

Patch's Canvas Manufacturing P/L

03 5442 3211 www.patchscanvas.com Liners & Covers, Tarpaulins, Caravan & Camping, Truck side curtains, Flags & Banners, Blinds & Awnings, Ute & Boat Covers,

Polyweld Pty Ltd 03 9305 3337 www.polyweld.com.au Manufacturer of truck curtains

Qualitycraft Coverings Pty Ltd 03 9764 2166

Rupert Collins Pty Ltd 03 9460 8333 www.rupertcollins.com.au Vinyl and polypropelene packaging; catalogue binders swatch headers of all types

Shadeworks VIC & NSW P/L 03 5152 4155 www.shadeworks.com.au Fabric Structures - Installer & fabricator of shade sails, blinds & awnings, framed structures

Skye Park Rugs 03 5659 6338 www.skyeparkrugs.com.au Equine tailors producing horse rugs

Structureflex 03 9581 6150 www.structureflex.com.au Fabric Structures - Fabricator only

Sunsoft Shadecloth Systems AUS P/L

0411 108 544 www.sunsoft.com.au Registered Builder, Designer & Installer of shade structures (waterproof & non), Umbrellas, Clear Café Blinds, Folding Arm Awnings

Tarp-It Australia Pty Ltd 03 5663 6259

Tebb's Canvas 03 9793 2044 www.tebbscanvas.com.au Manufacturers of canvas annexes, awnings, covers, sunscreens/end screens, pebble guards, fly-overs

West VIC Canvas 03 5385 5030

Yarra Shade 03 9676 2476 www.yarrashade.com.au Manufacturers of Shade Sails, Awnings, Outdoor Blinds, Shade Structures, Outdoor Umbrellas, Outdoor Window Screens

fABriCAtors—new south wAles (continued)Naggs Canvas 02 4930 7394 www.naggscanvas.hl.com.au Fabric Structures – Installer & Fabricator, Caravan & Camping, Tarpaulins, Blinds &

Awnings, Motor Trimming, Marine Trimming

Nan's Tarps 02 9649 2334

Orion Blinds Pty Ltd 02 6628 8537 www.orionblinds.com.au Manufacturers of contemporary, high quality window furnishings

Pattons Awnings & Boat Trimmers

02 9955 2563 www.pattons.com.au Design, Manufacture and Installation of Shade Structures, Awnings, Boat Covers, Theatrical Cloths, Stadium Ground Cloths

Pet Trading Pty Ltd (AKA BELL CANVAS)

02 9832 2200 Awnings, shade structures, importer & distributor of horse products

Poolsavers 02 9756 1977 www.poolsavers.com.au Manufacturer of pool liners and suppliers of pool covers and accessories

S.O.S. Marine 02 9700 0233 www.sosmarine.com.au Design and manufacture of specialized marine safety and protective equipment

Sydney Blinds & Screens 02 9636 1555

The Complete Campsite 02 4323 9214 www.completecampsite.com.au Caravan & Camping

Triax Systems 02 9755 1455 www.triax.com.au Innovative unique design of coupling - transforms the installation of waterproof shade by allowing 2 pipes to be joined at any angle

Waratah Canvas & Co. Pty Ltd 02 4967 6474 Annexes, Canopies, Tarpaulins, Blinds/Awnings, H/F Welding

Windsor Products Pty Ltd 02 4956 6133 www.windsorblinds.com.au Manufacturer of Blinds & Awnings

MARCH 2012 · 47

fABriCAtors—western AustrAliAA&B Canvas 08 9353 2550 www.canvasaustralia.com.au Fabricators of tarps, canopies, marquees and bags for industrial and domestic use

Allstruct Outdoors 08 9402 8776 www.allstruct.com.au Flags & Banners; Installers of Fabric Structures

Aqua Shades 08 9248 3055 www.aqua-shades.com Manufacturer of shade sails, shade structures, umbrellas, waterproof systems & membrane structures

Awnings WA Pty Ltd 08 9470 6930 www.awningswa.com.au Blinds & Awnings

BDM Leather & Canvas Pty Ltd 08 9528 7055 www.bdmleather.com.au Manufacturers of Tarps, Canopies, Boat Covers, Awning Shades, Camper Trailers, Caravan Annexes, Pouches

Bee Jays Canvas Co. 08 9451 8484 www.beejays.com.au Manufacturers of Commercial Tarpaulins, Road Transport Tarpaulins & Side Curtains, Grain & Haystack Covers, Roll Tarpaulins

Canvas City 08 9434 2270 www.canvascity.com.au Manufacture exterior blinds, canvas awnings, verandah blinds, shade sails, marquees, ute canopies, annexes, banners, tarpaulins

Crumps Canvas 08 9841 3866 www.crumpscanvas.com.au Manufacturers of Annexes, Roller Awnings, Awnings, Blinds, Boat Covers, Campers, Shade Structures and Sails, Canopies, Tonneaus

Ken Stone Motor Trimmers 08 9841 6688 www.albanygateway.com.au/automotive

Motor & Marine trimming, Tarpaulins, Caravan & Camping, Blinds & Awnings, Liners & Covers, Truck side curtains, Fabric structures

Kenlow (1982) Pty Ltd 08 9459 2533 www.kenlow.com.au Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Tarpaulins, Liners & Covers, Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

Sail City 1300 304 360 www.sailcity.com.au Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator

Shade Solutions 08 9388 6146 www.shadesolutions.com Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator of Shade Sails

Supreme Shades Pty Lyd 08 9405 7740

Tropical Upholstery 08 9192 2243 www.tropicalupholstery.com.au Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Motor & Marine trimming, Tarpaulins, Blinds, Awnings, Liners, Covers, Caravan & Camping

Tudor House 08 9470 2717 www.tudorhouse.com.au Manufacturers of blinds, awnings, flags, bunting, banners, raw materials & components

WeatherSafe WA (previously DEL-RAY)

08 9725 4433 www.del-ray.com Ute Canopies, Tonneau Covers, Blinds & Awnings, PVC Tension Structures, Shade Sails & Shadecloth Structures, Tarpaulins, Tents

fABriCAtors—south AustrAliA

Martin Canvas Products 08 8269 2600 www.martinblinds.com Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Blinds & Awnings, Flags & Banners,

Shadeform Sails Pty Ltd 08 8354 2116 www.shadeformsails.com.au Design, manufacture & installation of Custom Made Membrane & Sail Shade Structures

Shadeplan Pty Ltd 08 8390 0543 www.shadeplan.com Fabric Structures - Installer & Fabricator, Design, Fabrication & Installation services

W Cowden & Co. 08 8340 2622 www.cowden.citysearch.com.au Manufacturers of Venetian and Holland Blinds, Vertical Drapes, Canvas Awnings, All Canvas Goods, Caravan Annexes, DB Swags

Walco Liners & Covers Pty Ltd 08 8439 5633 www.walco.com.au Manufacturers of pool liners and covers, tank and pond liners

WeatherSafe Shades 08 8276 1111  www.weathersafe.com.au Shade Sails, Shade Pergolas, Shade Umbrellas, Retractable Roof Structures, Folding Arm Awnings, Permanent Umbrellas, Barrel Vault Structures, Slide Away Shades, Custom Outdoor Structures

Wormald Canvas 08 8288 7788 www.wormaldcanvas.com.au Caravan & Camping, Blinds & Awnings, Flags & Banners as well as contract cutting

fABriCAtors—tAsMAniA

NG Upholstery 03 6425 3840 www.ngupholstery.com.au Motor & Marine trimming, Tarpaulins, Blinds & Awnings, Caravan & Camping, Liners, Covers, Truck side curtains, Fabric structures

Steve Walker Sails Pty Ltd 03 6442 3641 www.stevewalkersails.com.au Manufacturer of yacht sails, shade sails, tarpaulins, marquees, machinery covers & toolbags

48 · CONNECTIONS

reGistered trAininG orGAnisAtions

nsw, nt, sA & QldVia Sydney Institute of TAFEPh (02) 9217 4601 Fax (02) 9217 4963

Contact: Lawrence De Paoli

lawrence.depaoli@tafensw.edu.au

www.sit.nsw.edu.au/sailmaking

tAsMAniATasmania Institute of TAFEPh 1300 655 307 Fax (03) 6233 7830

www.tafe.tas.edu.

viCtoriARMIT uNIVERSITYPh (03) 9925 9182 Fax (03) 9925 9129

Contact: Kent Williamson

kent.williamson@rmit.edu.au

25 Dawson Street Brunswick

Vic 3056 www.rmit.edu.au

western AustrAliATAFE wAPh (08) 9207 4412 Fax (08) 9207 4399

Gary McCormick

Swan College, Balga Campus

Gate 1 Lockswood Road, Balga WA

MARCHifAi expo Canada 2012

March 29 to March 30, 2012

delta Meadowvale resort and

Conference Centre

Mississauga, ontario, Canada

The annual IFAI Canada Expo

brings together specialty fabrics

manufacturers and businesses.

The event features dedicated

exposition hours on the exhibit

floor, combined with a compelling

and interactive program.

www.ifaicanada.com

APRIL11th world filtration Congress

April 16–20, 2012

Messe Congress Graz, Austria

Sponsored by the Austrian

Chemical Society, this is the

11th World Filtration Congress.

Four technical short courses

with more than 350 technical

presentations will be a main

feature at the congress and

exhibition. It is anticipated more

EVENTS& RTOs

the United States Industrial Fabrics

Institute (USIFI). The conference

provides a forum for technical

textile executives, focusing on

business and economics outlooks.

Areas to be covered include:

Economic forecast, fibre forecasts,

market segments forecast and

trade, and policy updates from D.C.

www.narrowfabrics.org

than 100 exhibitors will be

displaying products.

www.wfc11.at

MAYGeoAmericas 2012

May 6 to May 9

swissôtel, lima, Peru

The second Pan-American

Geosynthetics Congress will

highlight the main topics

in the geosynthetics industry.

This event is organised by IGS

Peru with the International

Geosynthetics Society (IGS).

www.geosynthetica.net

outlook Conference 2012

May 7–8

reynolds Plantation, a ritz-

Carlton property

greensboro, georgia

The Outlook Conference is

described as a leadership forum

for the specialty fabrics industry

that is co-developed by the

Narrow Fabrics Institute (NFI) and

ACAsPA eXPo 2012May 26–May 28, 2012

At the centrally located,

premier events venue,

Melbourne exhibition

Centre.

ACASPA Expo 2012 will

feature a two-day exhibition,

business sessions and social

events. The very popular

Awards for Excellence dinner

takes place on Monday

evening, May 28.

visit www.acaspa.com.au

Please note that ifAi expo

Asia (previously scheduled

to take place in singapore

in June 2012) has been

postponed.

THE INS AND OuTS OF ALuMINIuM CuTTING AND PROCESSING Cutting aluminium is not like cutting timber, plastic or canvas; it is

unique as there are a number of pitfalls associated with mitering a

length of extruded aluminium profile. Many novice operators have

found this out the hard way which results in costly repairs to low cost

timber type saws that are unsuitable for aluminium cutting.

Luna Machinery has devoted 30 years to solving problems in

processing aluminium extrusion and boosting efficiency. We have

found that a correct aluminium saw should be a heavy duty type

machine with a solid pivot point with absolutely no flex. The piece to be

cut should be securely held in place with pneumatic clamps with hands

well away from the cutting area. With the correct machine you will be

able to perform straight or mitered cuts precisely, and to length quickly,

correctly and without incident.

There are many different types of aluminium processing applications

from cutting small sections to very large sections and small production

to volume production. All these factors determine the best type of

sawing, routing or punching machine to suite your needs.

Luna Machinery can analyse your requirements and presents the

most efficient solution for both production, safety and budget.

Machine and Operator Safety

In recent years safety has come under more intense scrutiny from

government departments such as Work Place Health and Safety,

with more responsibility placed on the business owner. And the new

regulations effective from January 1, 2012 come with threats of massive

fines and lost time.

Advances in machine design are moving users away from the more

dangerous traditional down cutting saw (chop saw) to the lower noise,

well guarded and safe up cutting machinery.

The Luna UC420 machine has a two-hand push button operation,

where both hands must be kept on the buttons for the complete

machine cutting cycle. The vertical material clamps secure the item

close to the blade and prevents problems of flying off cuts.

Luna Machinery is always happy to offer recommendations to solve

production challenges related to processing aluminium extrusion.

visit the website www.lunamachinery.com.au or call 1300 736 556

Chino (Cream)

Graphite (Charcoal)

Sheba (Dark Blue)

Lime Fizz (Lime)

Karloo (Sand)

Marrocan (Terracotta)

Koonunga (Green)

Mellow Haze (Yellow)

Bubblegum (Pink)

Bundena (Blue)

Abaroo (Red)

Domino (Black)

Sherbet (Orange)

Jazzberry (Purple)

National Distributor:

Ricky Richards (Sales) Pty Ltd 16 Park Road, Homebush NSW 2140 Phone: 02 9735 3333 Fax: 02 9735 3311www.rickyrichards.com.au

7 Tombo Street, Capalaba, QLD 4157Phone: 07 3245 6756 Fax: 07 3245 6955

QLD Distributor:

Made In Australia

C O M M E R C I A L S H A D E C L O T H

100% Australian made and owned

• 3.25 metre and 6.5 metre widths

• 14 cool colours

• 10 year UV warranty including removal and replacement

• Manufactured using 100% round monofilament yarn

• Custom colours, widths and lengths available by request

• Install and forget – NO re-tensioning

Monotec 370 is proudly manufactured in Australia by PRO-KNIT Industries Pty Ltd www.monotec.com.au

Designed for many applications including:

• Council Parks • Shopping Centre Car Parks• Shade structures • Shade sails • Childrens Playground Area • School Outdoor Lunch Areas • Athletic Events • Swimming Pool Canopies• Outdoor Recreation Areas • Truck Tarpaulins • Umbrellas • Nurseries

superior in strengthand performance

For a shadecloth that is superior in strength and performance characteristics, Monotec is the unsurpassed choice!

RR Monotec 370 ad.indd 1 29/08/11 2:15 PM