STAINLESS STEEL BULLETIN
June
N EWSLE T TER O F TH E AUSTR ALIAN STAIN LE SS STEEL
D E VELO PM ENT ASSOCIATIO N
FABRIcation forum & ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Friday, October 23, 2009, Brisbane.
PacRim Stainless 2009 may be off the
agenda, but there are still vital issues
that fabricators and other members
should be on top of in these tough
economic times. That’s why ASSDA
will host a half-day Fabrication Forum
in conjunction with the Association’s
AGM. We want to ensure that
members are informed of current
issues affecting them and have the
opportunity to ask questions and
debate these issues. We also think
it’s important you have the chance to
catch up with others in the industry
at a low-cost, convenient event. So
what’s on offer at ASSDA’s Fabrication
Forum?
• Tour of the Stoddart Foodservice
Equipment manufacturing facility
& showroom
• A Fabrication Forum featuring
a panel of 5 speakers on the
following topics:
“Emissions trading and how it
will affect you”, Paul Gallimore,
Director, CTC Consulting Group
“Sustainable manufacturing”,
speaker from Queensland
Manufacturing Institute
“A specifier’s perspective on
accreditation”, speaker to be
confirmed
“Distributor accreditation: the
way forward”, Peter Moore, Atlas
Specialty Metals
“The e-learning pathway for
apprentices”, Ian Woods,
SkillsTech
• Plenty of opportunity for questions
and discussion
• Option of enjoying a banquet
dinner
more on page 2...
# 103
2009
assda ACHIEVEMENTS
62 ASSDA Accredited Fabricators
approved since May 2004
(and more applications pending)
1280 student enrolments in the
Stainless Steel Specialist Course
since April 1999
180 technical enquiries received
by ASSDA between 01 May and
30 June 2009
1453 opportunities issued in
LeADmail since September 2001
424,165 visits to ASSDA’s
website between 01 May and 30
June 2009
Secretary’s contribution
With the end of the financial year fast
approaching it is time to reflect on the time
ahead. I believe we have all now appreciated
the financial affairs of the planet are
constrained and all of us need to take action
appropriate to our circumstances to mitigate
this phenomenon.
Politicians at all levels have sought to
compare this recession with the financial
collapse of the 1920s/30s. I was a depression
baby (born 1928). My father, a hard working
tradesman, was unemployed for four years
and that experience affected my parents
for the rest of their lives. Indirectly, that also
affected – albeit in a minor way – the early
years of my life and my education.
Whilst the actions of Government at both
Federal and State levels may not always
meet with universal approval, in my view
such actions are much better than the
1920s/30s blueprint and must succeed.
In ASSDA’s case, the Board’s decision
to postpone PacRim Stainless until the
industry rallies was (in my view) a correct
one. However, it does create a problem as
we are obliged to call an Annual General
Meeting which in most years since the 1992
inaugural meeting has been rolled into the
Annual Conference format.
As ASSDA is required to hold an AGM each
year - and it is usually a fairly brief event
- the Association has decided to team it
with a half-day Fabrication Forum, which
was one of the most popular aspects of
last year’s PacRim Stainless. This enables
members to attend a low-cost event that
offers participants the opportunity to listen
to excellent speakers, debate current issues,
and network. The event will also include a
tour of the Stoddart Foodservice Equipment
manufacturing workshop and showroom, as
well as the option for a banquet dinner. The
Fabrication Forum will be on Friday, October
23, from 11am-5.50pm at 215 Jackson
Road, Sunnybank Hills, Brisbane.
Please black out this important date in your
diary – for interstate attendees making the
trip, it will be well worth the effort. Please
watch the Bulletin and LeADmail as this
event unfolds.
Best Regards,
Peter J Matheson
ASSDA Secretariat

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 23 October 2009

Where: Registration will take place at Stoddart
Foodservice Equipment, 215 Jackson Road,
Sunnybank Hills. Following the tour, the Forum
will be held at Michael’s Oriental Restaurant, 223
Padstow Rd, Eight Mile Plains
When: Friday, October 23, 2009, 11am - 5pm,
with the option of dinner afterwards
Cost: $275/$330 (members/non-members) for the
Tour and Fabrication Forum; Option of 3 course
banquet dinner (beer, wine & soft drinks included)
for $110 (inc. GST)
More information: Email Siri Grabski on siri_g@
assda.asn.au
To register: Download the registration form from
www.assda.asn.au
Accommodation: Delegates will be responsible
for booking their own accommodation and
we recommend this is done ASAP as nearby
accommodation is already heavily booked. ASSDA
will not be holding rooms. Some suggestions are
(in order of proximity to Forum venue):
Best Western Sunnybank Star Motel & Apartments
223 Padstow Rd, Eight Mile Plains (07) 3341 7488
http://www.sunnybankstarmotel.com.au/
Travelodge Garden City 18 McGregor St,
Upper Mt Gravatt ( 07) 3347 7400 http://
www.travelodge.com.au/locations/features.
aspx?hid=770
Choice Hotels Australasia 281 Kessels Rd,
Robertson (07) 3875 1999 http://www.
choicehotels.com.au/hotels/hotel?hotel=AU242
Sunnybank Hotel 275 McCullough Street,
Sunnybank (07) 3345 1081 http://
sunnybankhotel.com.au/

pacrim stainless 2009 cancelled

ASSDA is disappointed to advise that the Board has taken the difficult decision to cancel PacRim Stainless 2009, which
was scheduled to be held in Hobart on October 21-23. As you would all be aware, times are tough at the moment and
the Board felt the mood wasn’t right for successfully staging an event of this nature. When the Australian stainless steel
industry is in a stronger position, PacRim Stainless will be back.

Alternatively, ASSDA will host a half-day Fabrication Forum in conjunction with the Association’s AGM.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to call or email ASSDA.
what’s new

stainless steel bulletin JUNE 2009

in assda education
At the end of April Tamara
Chapman joined ASSDA as
Education Manager.
ASSDA and the ISSF’s Stainless
Steel Specialist Course currently
provide 8 Modules through
e-learning as well as their TIG
Welding Course. By the end of
June Module 8 ‘The Welding and
Joining of Stainless Steel’ will also
be available through e-learning
followed shortly by Modules 13
‘Stainless Steel Pipe and Tube’ and
14 ‘Cold Forming Stainless Steel’.
To learn more about the Stainless
Steel Specialist Course or to enrol
in the course go to http://www.
issftraining.org/
The second year of Federal
Government Funding for the
integration of e-learning in Sheet
Metal and Boilermaking for
apprentices is well underway.
The first 12 apprentices are at
completion of Stage 1a and
are looking forward to Stage
1b where all aspects of their
training will be conducted in the
workplace.
The apprentices’ response to the
e-learning pathway has been
extremely positive. We have
received comments like “We get
to do it at our own pace, I find it
easier that way,” and “It is helpful
and I have learnt a lot”.
Stages 2a and 2b competency
mapping is now complete and in
the process of being developed
in the e-learning system ready for
second year enrolments in 2010.
This Federal Government Funding
will also see ASSDA develop an
additional e-learning module to
complement the TIG Welding
Demonstration - which is still
available free of charge from
www.assda.asn.au
Watch this space for details of the
launch of the e-learning pathway
for apprentices developed by
ASSDA and SkillsTech Australia.
Tamara will be managing all of
the areas of education ASSDA is
working with and encourages you
to contact her with any queries
or concerns or just to introduce
yourself. You can contact Tamara
at tamara_c@assda.asn.au or by
calling ASSDA on (07) 3220 0722.

Stainless steel in the built environment seminars

MAy-june 2009
ASSDA’s second seminar series for 2009, “Stainless steel in the built environment”, was a great success
despite the unfortunate cancellations of Sydney and Melbourne due to low registration numbers.
We are always eager to receive your feedback and suggestions for future topics. The response to
this series was very positive, with 100% of attendees satisfied with the content and length as well as
opportunities to ask questions.
We would love to hold the Sydney and Melbourne seminars, so if you are interested - or know someone
who might be - call ASSDA for more information on (07) 3220 0722. You are also encouraged to email
your suggestions to assda@assda.asn.au

SAVE THE DATE!

“Stainless steel welding, from basics to high productivity”
GO TO
www.assda.asn.au
ASSDA Seminar series September 7-9, 2009. for updates
assda ACCREDITATION

stainless steel bulletin JUNE 2009

HERE
For two weeks in May, Alex Colls
travelled through Melbourne
and Adelaide visiting specifiers,
fabricators and stainless steel
suppliers to promote ASSDA
and Accreditation. Like most
organisations, ASSDA has seen
the effects of the global financial
crisis in the past six months, with
a drop in new Accreditations.
However, applications and interest
levels are back on the rise, so we
are confident in seeing several
new Accreditations in the second
half of 2009.
The outlook for ASSDA
Accreditation in the next few
months is a positive one, with
several applications and new
promotional strategies taking
effect and more specifiers using
the program all the time.
If you are interested in finding
out more about Accreditation,
either by specifying it or becoming
an Accredited Fabricator, please
contact Alex Colls at the ASSDA
office on (07) 3220 0722.

In other Accreditation related

news, a “Stainless Steel in the
Food Industry Seminar” was
held on the 26th of May, in
association with the Australian
Food Engineers Association
(AFEA). About 30 AFEA members
and guests attended the
evening, ranging from owners
and consultants through to
fabricators and contractors
to government department
representatives. The presentation
by Dr Graham Sussex, ASSDA
Technical Specialist, covered
typical applications, corrosiveness
of foods and the design and
fabrication techniques required
to produce a cleanable, corrosion
resistant plant. This included
elements on purge welding and
control of surface roughness. The
formal aspect of this presentation
was followed by a question and
answer forum, where Graham
was joined by ASSDA Accredited
Fabricators Joel Stafford and
Boyd Simpson from Joel Simford
Welding Services to whom ASSDA
would like to extend their thanks.
Overall the night was a success
with positive responses from
everyone involved.
 stainless steel bulletin JUNE 2009
calendar of events
Upcoming Conferences

assda annual general meeting 2009

23 October 2009. Sunnybank, Brisbane.

Stainless steel world conference & exhibition 2009

10-12 November 2009. Maastricht, The Netherlands.
For further details on these events, please contact ASSDA on (07) 3220 0722.

member profiles
3MONKEEZ langford metal industries

“Another great idea” captures the essence of what 3Monkeez
is all about. As an Australian owned and operated company
3monkeez combines wisdom and innovation to develop
effective product solutions to the plumbing, catering, building
and civil industries.
3monkeez product portfolio includes wedge wire sheets,
grating and channel, commercial stainless steel bowls, basins,
cleaners, sinks, troughs, plumbing and sanitary products as well
as a selection of innovative trade waste reduction solutions.
Our full range of products is available to view at
www.3monkeez.com.au, or give us a call 02 96276111 and
request a copy of our full product catalogue or to talk to one of
the 3monkeez team.
We are one of Queensland’s largest fabricators of sheet metal
products. We are a Queensland privately owned company
that has led this industry in technology implementation for
more than 50 years. Our expertise stems from our ability to
fabricate metal products to almost any requirement at extremely
competitive rates.
We have responded to the market’s needs and invested heavily
in technology, equipment and personnel. We make sure we
are able to offer our customers the best available materials,
the most up-to-date technology and world-best practice. We
specialise in CNC controlled laser cutting and punching, pattern
development and all sheet metal work. We also specialise
in Powder Coating and Electro Polishing to add that special
finished touch to your job.

Contact Brett Heather Contact Glen O’Shanessy

Phone (02) 9627 6111 Phone (07) 3268 4655
Fax (02) 9627 3111 Fax (07) 3268 4956
Email brett@3monkeez.com.au Email glen@langfordmetal.com.au
Website www.3monkeez.com.au Website www.langfordmetal.com.au

INCLUDE YOUR FREE PROFILE

Bulletin profiles are a free service offered to ASSDA members. If you are interested in profiling your organisation in the Bulletin, contact
Louisa Callanan at ASSDA on (07) 3220 0722 or email louisa_c@assda.asn.au
industry news local & global

stainless steel bulletin JUNE 2009

European Stainless not yet purchase speculatively. The ores to be processed will
Steel Market May The situation is similar in the
come from a 1,000-hectare
Have Bottomed Out USA. The discounts on the mills’
nickel mine in the municipality
of Claver in Surigao del Norte,
Azo Materials list prices have been reduced
Mr. Cadano said.
- which in reality means an
An air of optimism has been advance in the basis figure.
apparent in European stainless Customers are still cautious,
markets in 2009, especially for though, and will not buy for POSCO cuts stainless
coil products, despite there stock until a genuine upturn in steel prices by up to
being no sign of an upturn consumer confidence can be 19 pct
in underlying demand. After demonstrated. Reuters
many months of plummeting
transaction values, basis prices Some Asian producers have South Korea’s POSCO said on
have increased, with alloy increased their selling values Monday it had lowered prices
surcharges to follow suit by in recent weeks, ostensibly to of its stainless steel by up to 19
June 2009. Perhaps, for those reflect the higher cost of nickel. percent in its third such move
whose business is buying and However, Posco, of Korea, had since August last year, reflecting
selling stainless steel, this is to cut its domestic stainless weak market conditions.
reason enough to smile. prices during May, in an attempt POSCO, which cut mainstay
to fend off cheaper imports carbon steel prices by up to 20
There are numerous factors from Taiwan and China.
to suggest that the bottom percent earlier this month in its
of the current cycle has been biggest ever reduction, said the
reached. Producers’ capacities Sumitomo-led cut would be retroactive to May
15.
and inventories have been cut nickel venture to
to reflect current activity levels. invest $3b It slashed prices of hot-rolled
As a result, delivery leadtimes stainless steel by 19 percent,
are growing and some items Business World Online
or 600,000 won a tonne, to
may soon be in short supply. Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining 2.55 million won ($2,026) and
Furthermore, recently published Co. Ltd. and local holding firm cold-rolled stainless steel by 18
indices in both the UK and Nickel Asia Corp. will put up a percent to 2.82 million won.
Germany showed improved $3-billion nickel ore processing
confidence levels among “The move is to keep our
plant in northeastern Mindanao
business professionals. domestic market share and
next year.
respond to falling prices of
The long products market, The joint venture partners will imported products,” said a
though, has not turned around operate the nickel processing POSCO spokeswoman.
yet. Demand is still depressed plant by 2013, Rogelio G.
and can largely be satisfied by The reduction, reflecting dire
Cadano, technical services
what are still relatively inflated global steel market conditions,
manager of Taganito Mining
stock levels. Participants are comes even as prices of nickel,
Corp., said yesterday in a
waiting on impending rising a major raw material used to
presentation to Mines and
alloy surcharges to boost make stainless steel rustproof,
Geosciences Bureau officials.
transaction values. rebounded nearly 40 percent
The $1.7-billion investment from this year’s low below
However, the current nickel target set by the venture last $10,000 a tonne reached in late
value is not supported by year was almost doubled to $3 February.
fundamentals. Consumption billion this year given an increase
is clearly depressed and LME POSCO has cut stainless prices
in expected mineral production
stocks remain at extremely high since August and had to cut
to 45,000 metric tons of nickel
numbers. Buyers are, therefore, production in the fourth quarter
per year, with 4,500 metric tons
unconvinced that surcharges will by 38 percent from the previous
of cobalt, from the original
continue climbing and so will quarter, as a global economic
30,000 metric tons per year.
slowdown weakened demand
industry news local & global

stainless steel bulletin JUNE 2009

for the steel, used in products Meanwhile, Ukraine’s pig iron Rio Tinto (RIO.AX), BHP Billiton
ranging from kitchenware to output in June is expected (BHP.AX) and Vale (VALE5.SA)
machinery and aircraft. to reach 2.09 million tonnes (VALE.N).
compared to 1.933 million
Production recovered by 6
tonnes in April. Over the first
percent in the first quarter from
the previous quarter, but was
11 days of May, Ukrainian Australia lifts 09/10
still down 31 percent from a
producers’ average daily output iron ore export
year ago.
of pig iron increased by 5.3 forecast
percent month on month,
Reuters UK
Nickel prices have tumbled since from 64,300 tonnes to 67,700
mid-2007 due to a slump in tonne. Australia on Tuesday lifted its
the stainless steel sector, which forecast for iron ore exports by
makes up about two-thirds 0.3 percent to 338.4 million
of global nickel consumption, China’s reliance on tonnes in the 2009/10 financial
forcing producers to cut output iron ore imports year, but warned of weaker
and delay new products. seen to rise global demand from steelmakers
Reuters hit by the financial crisis.
Nickel sells for around $13,000
a tonne, compared with record China’s reliance on imported At that level, production would
highs above $51,000 a tonne iron ore is expected to rise to still be a record for Australia
two years ago. Xstrata (XTA.L), 70 percent this year from 50 and bring in A$25.47 billion in
Vale (VALE5.SA), Norilsk Nickel percent previously, due to the export revenue, the country’s
(GMKN.MM) and Oz Minerals availability of cheaper imports, government commodity
(OZL.AX) have already idled the Shanghai Securities News forecaster, the Australian Bureau
nickel mines. reported on Tuesday, citing of Agriculture and Resource
Economics (ABARE), said in its
A ballooning nickel surplus an unnamed executive from
June quarter review.
-- more than 100,000 tonnes Sinosteel Corp Ltd.
or one-tenth of annual global Sinosteel, China’s largest state- The revision comes as Australian
consumption sits in London owned steel trading firm, has miners BHP Billiton (BHP.AX)BLT.
Metal Exchange warehouses -- acted as a broker to import L> and Rio Tinto (RIO.AX)RO.L
has been undermining attempts nearly 10 million tonnes of iron wrestle over pricing of ore with
by suppliers to bring the market ore in the first five months of Chinese steel mills, which offer
into balance by cutting output. the year, almost triple the level the greatest growth prospects
of a year earlier, the executive for Australia’s mining sector.
told the paper. China typically accounts for
Ukraine to step up
steel and pig iron “It was mainly because small around 78 percent of Australian
outputs in June and medium-sized steel mills exports. The mills want prices
in China have turned away rolled back 40-45 percent while
Steel Guru Australian miners are pressing
from domestic ore to imported
According to the Ukrainian ore. As imported ore is more to limit cuts to around 33
association of metal producers competitive in price, domestic percent, which is line with terms
Metallurgprom, over the first steel mills’ reliance on imports accepted by customers in Japan
11 days of May 2009 Ukrainian this year may rise to 70 and South Korea.
steel producers increased their percent from about 50 percent Year-on-year, Australian exports
average daily crude steel output previously,” said the executive. of iron ore are forecast to
by five percent month on
China imported 53.46 million increase 8 percent in calendar
month to 75,000 tonnes and
tonnes of iron ore in May, down 2009 to 333 million tonnes and
are expecting to further raise
slightly from a record 57 million by a further 5 percent in 2010
their crude steel output to 2.42
tonnes in April, while its steel to 348 million tonnes, ABARE
million tonnes in June compared
mills are still locked in price talks said.
to 2.14 million tonnes produced
with iron ore suppliers including
in April.
New assda members New accredited Total members:
ASSDA is pleased to welcome the fabricators 245
following new members: ASSDA is pleased to announce the
following fabricators have recently
become ASSDA Accredited:

Bendtech Stainless Tanks Australia Pty Ltd

BusinesstBusiness Marketing Paramount Stainless Steel
Pty Ltd

Major sponsors
Atlas Specialty Metals

Austral Wright Metals

Fagersta Steels Pty Ltd

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