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Select Harvests Case Study

Project Overview

Working to a tight deadline, Foreman-Sheean completed the electrical design, construct and install of a new production line and colour sorters, delivering a high-quality project well within the timeframe.

Australia’s largest nut and health food company, Select Harvests is a leading manufacturer, processor and retailers of nut products, health snacks and muesli. Supplying product to the Australian retail and industrial markets, Select Harvests also exports almonds across the globe. Brands under the Select Harvest umbrella include Lucky Nuts, Sunsol, NuVitality, Allinga Farms and Renshaw.

The Challenges

Seeking to improve the quality of almonds that are packaged for human consumption, Select Harvests engaged Foreman-Sheean to install a new production line and colour sorters. They required the project to be completed to the highest standard with minimal fuss and within a tight timeframe. Lacking the internal capacity and design capability to complete the project themselves, Select Harvests engaged Foreman-Sheean to carry out the works, from design and implementation through to commissioning.

At the time of appointing Foreman-Sheean, Select Harvests were already one week behind on time. It was crucial that this project be completed and fully functional before the start of the almond season, to avoid the risk of Select Harvests defaulting on client contracts.

With Foreman-Sheean headquarters being located in Mildura and the Select Harvests plant located in Wemen, there was over an hour of travel required for the Foreman-Sheean team to get to site each day. This made it critically important for Foreman-Sheean to ensure they had all the materials needed for each day’s work, so there would be no unnecessary downtime.

Scope of Work

Engaged to install a new production line and colour sorters in time for the upcoming almond season, Foreman-Sheean worked efficiently and scrupulously to commission a highly sustainable, low maintenance system.

The Project Scope included:

  • Disconnecting existing colour sorters and production line throughout Sorting and Packing Area
  • Supplying and installing new 400Amp Distribution Board for Sorting and Packing Line with motor control and PLC integration
  • Wiring and fitting off 7 new colour sorters
  • Wiring and fitting off 19 new conveyors
  • Completing communication works
  • Integration of emergency stop system
  • Final commissioning of project
The Outcome

After three years of attempting to make their own improvements to their almond processing production line, Select Harvests were very happy and confident in appointing Foreman-Sheean to complete the project.

Employing additional electricians to ensure the tight deadline was met, Foreman-Sheean worked 7 day weeks to install and commission the new production line and colour sorters. Senior members of the team also spent long nights at the plant to make sure it was commissioned in time for the upcoming almond season.

When Foreman-Sheean started the job there were no formalised electrical plans, which required the team to design a full set of electrical drawings. Taking control of the electrical design and construction and also assisting the PLC technician with program design, Foreman-Sheean delivered a high quality, fully functional processing site.

“The Foreman-Sheean team showed great leadership, maturity and insight in terms of planning, implementation and approach. With an innate ability to work autonomously, they also showed great initiative in working cohesively with our programmers and operators throughout the commissioning phase. Their time commitment and willingness to work with other teams to complete the project was second to none” Mark Davis, Process Improvement Engineer, Select Harvests