Prior to the commissioning of the plant, Ellton Longwall, which markets the Chinese equipment group’s products within the Australian industry, teamed with leading chain metallurgist Dr Geoff Price to develop a standard to define and monitor the chain being produced from the new plant.

Tests have since proven the chain manufactured at the new plant in Hebei province is identical to that previously produced in the UK.

Ellton Longwall director Mark Newton and Dr Price were onsite at the plant to monitor the first AFC chain to be produced for the Australian market.

Full Manufacture’s Certificate of Test and Examination, Works Dimensional Certificate and Match Pair Certificate were supplied with the chain.

“The Acceptance Criteria Standard was exceeded with matched pairing no more than 10mm difference in a 60 metre pair,” Newton said.

The main criteria of the standard are:

• Specifying exact values to be supplied
• Nominating values of critical parameters
• Nominating control criteria to ensure parameters are met

When Parsons Chain Company was first bought by the Chinese company, Newton said he expected the product to become much more available and price competitive in the short term.

“Shipment from China into Australia is only two weeks as compared to the six to eight weeks from the UK," he said.

An open day will be held at the new Parsons Chain Plant in July 2007, with interested parties invited to contact Ellton Longwall and join the delegation.