Background
TOMRA Collection is the world’s leading provider of automated technology for bottle and can recycling. With more than 80,000 reverse vending installations across more than 60 markets worldwide, TOMRA Collection’s reverse vending machines capture over 45 billion used beverage containers every year – reducing reliance on raw materials and ensuring fewer containers end up in landfills, oceans, and streets.
We began working with TOMRA Collection Australia in 2022 regarding prototyping and manufacturing its new reverse vending machine unit awnings, which complement the units protecting the vending machine face panels and provide shelter for the community. The cooperation between the two companies ultimately led to our services being procured to manufacture 110 Awnings for TOMRA Collection Australia to fulfil its quota for the VIC CDS scheme.
Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme – CDS VIC – launched in November 2023, with TOMRA Collection Australia’s vending machines being installed in Western Regional Victoria and Western Metropolitan Melbourne.
Solution
The Furphy project team consisted of nine new and existing staff in a variety of roles including design consultation, project management, steel fabrication, powder coating, assembly, packaging, quality assurance and logistics. Staff were highly engaged in the project and embraced new and specialised manufacturing methods and technical requirements.
We were able to deliver the scope of works ahead of schedule and have since maintained an enduring collaboration with TOMRA Collection Australia by manufacturing additional products for its solution requirements. The project and supplementary work resulted in full time employment opportunities for staff who were initially employed for the Awnings Project. Our staff demonstrated exceptional commitment to the project, readily adopting new and specialised manufacturing methods as well as meeting rigorous technical requirements.
Challenges
The project was complex and challenging with high production volumes of technical requirements and short lead times. All components and parts had to be manufactured and finished to a high quality, while also ensuring they were sequenced in packs to be unloaded and assembled in a timely manner. Complex components had to be uniquely interlocked yet provide a highly engineered flat pack solution for efficient logistical needs, ease of assembly and installation.
Testimonial from TOMRA Collection Australia
TOMRA Collection Australia in partnership with Cleanaway are one of the three Network Operators in the Victoria Container Deposit Scheme. The backbone of TOMRA’s offering is our Reverse Vending Machine Kiosks and we engaged Furphy Foundry to fabricate, assemble and package the metal components of the Awning.
This was a significant contract on a brand-new design so it was essential we found a reliable partner we could depend on to deliver this order to a high standard and on schedule. We tendered this contract out to several suppliers across Australia and were impressed with Furphy’s professionalism, well presented factory, attention to detail and especially their Quality Control system. We placed a trial order with several suppliers and Furphy delivered the best quality, best presented product, plus delivered exactly when they said they would! This gave us the confidence that the first time we would need to open each kit delivered from Furphy would be when assembling the Kiosks on site, without needing to do our own QC check in our warehouse.
The Furphy team also had some great suggestions on improving the design for ease of fabrication and assembly which the TOMRA design team incorporated.
Due to Furphy’s performance, TOMRA placed additional orders for other components, some needed urgently, including engaging the Furphy design team where the TOMRA design team were at capacity. The communication with Furphy was excellent, they delivered when they said they would and were upfront about progress and challenges throughout. TOMRA intend to continue working with Furphy and would recommend them to others.
