Steel Tunnel Segment Production Line Unveiling Event

Thanks for everyone that has made the effort and given their time to come along to today’s event, we’re very excited to unveil what we’ve been able to achieve in the last 12 or so months since we’ve been awarded a significant project by our valued clients T2DA and head client DIT.

To those with the responsibility to make these critical decisions about who gets what work, It takes leadership and vision to allow an example like this onshoring approach to have been considered, to our knowledge permanent steel tunnel lining segments have not been manufactured outside of China, and this is true for any project in the world.

For Bowhill Engineering, a regional family business to be considered to complete this critically important work is nothing short of divine intervention. I genuinely thank our Lord Jesus for his loving favor and my parents for their guidance and wholesome upbringing.

Aside from our heavenly father, there’s so many people that need to be recognized for their contribution that has allowed this project to come to life.

During tender stage the project was still large, but manageable by way of it’s complexity, however the scale we thought was large enough to warrant investigation of an automated solution. That’s where Robert Resch from IGM Australia stepped in to provide his and IGM Austria’s world leading expertise to help us determine if an automated solution could be justified for the project.

A 3d reference model of a tunnel segment (thanks to Ethan) was provided to Robert and his team and they went above and beyond during the tender period so that they could provide the type of robot and anticipated cycle time for the known scope at tender level details. Who does this amount of work with no commitment at a tender stage??

It was fascinating to see the figures stack up, the automated solution looked like it could provide a novel approach that could minimize risk on the project in terms of cost and productivity with the added benefit of building world class manufacturing capability What an amazing legacy would remain if this came to be, what a boost a once in a generation $15b landmark South Australian project could provide the local industry. Robert you are a true gentleman, you helped price not just the welding robots but also did research on the required milling machine for pricing and productivity rates so that we could also build this into Bowhill’s offer, even though you didn’t even intend on selling us a milling machine!

So Bowhill offered our bid to T2D complete with the automated welding solution and milling machine, then another amazing thing happened. Gareth Horry saw the potential of this approach from a bigger picture perspective, he saw the opportunity to highlight the benefits of this approach in T2D’s offer to DIT. It was labeled as “Using scale to build sovereign capability and leave a positive legacy for SA”. This approach must have resonated well with DIT and the State Government as we ended up with this contract, one of the very first contractors signed up on this project. This was necessary so that the equipment could be custom built to spec and delivered in time for manufacture to begin in alignment to the master program.

Since tender time the steel tunnel lining segments have grown in their complexity, weight and manufacturability, to a point where T2DA’s own subject matter expert Ken Frazakerley has admitted that this is “the most complex steelwork he’s ever seen”, and that’s in his whole 50 year career!

Incredibly, the equipment ordered back in February 2024 is still relevant to the evolved design, in fact, without this equipment to contribute to the project the task would have been nearly impossible to do in Australia due to our skilled resource squeeze!

Getting to it, I’d like to say a few brief words before we unveil this state-of-the-art equipment.

The first cab off the ranks are these impressive pieces of kit, these 3 IGM welding robots are 11m in height when fully raised, we’ve been told that they are the tallest welding robots in Australia and will play a crucial role in delivering this Tunnel project successfully and hopefully for many, many more impressive projects in the coming years.

When the time came to name these machines, we wanted this take this special opportunity to recognize those stalwarts who through their pioneering spirit and incredible contribution over many decades, brought Bowhill Engineering into existence.

The driving force of the business right from its inception in the 1970’s is owned by one person, and it’s his birthday today!
Bren, my father, is an entrepreneur through and through. He’s always had a natural instinct to understand how things work and how to make them work better. I grew up watching him fix, adapt, and re-engineer equipment using whatever was available, often repurposing parts from other brands to keep things moving.

In the early days, there wasn’t much new equipment. Every dollar had to work hard. Bren would buy a couple of well-used forklifts and turn them into one good machine through sheer ingenuity and determination. That mindset making the most of what you have and never accepting limitations became the foundation of our business.

Today’s unveiling is different. This is brand-new, purpose-built equipment with world-leading technology that will change how we build in our industry. But at its heart, it still reflects Bowhill’s founding principles: innovation, resourcefulness, and doing things properly. That’s why it proudly carries Bren’s name.

The next unveiling is the same model of robot, but it honours someone just as special to Bowhill Engineering particularly in its early days. She has been the steady, loving, and resourceful presence within our family and our business.

She has been the glue that holds us together: the peacemaker, the quiet counselor, and the one who helped the Hawkes men understand each other better and work together more effectively. Through every challenge, she has been unwavering in her support, guided by a deep Christian faith and a genuine belief in the strength, hope, and compassion it brings to those who choose to believe.

It is entirely fitting that this machine also carries her name, in recognition of the foundation she helped build one of unity, faith, and enduring strength.

This robot is the same specification as the previous two, but it honours another Hawkes of the same generation someone who helped shape Bowhill Engineering from the very beginning.

Uncle Pete is a true non-conformist. He was involved in everything: transport, earthmoving, farming and he’s a remarkably talented mechanic who could fix just about anything, especially on the side of the road when it mattered most. I completed my Heavy Vehicle Mechanic trade under Uncle Pete’s guidance. He was a tough old bugger, but he always had everyone’s best interests at heart and worked seamlessly as part of the team.

These days, he still rocks up unannounced, doesn’t sign in, and wanders around with his dogs, taking it all in. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. His knowledge, values, and presence are woven into the fabric of this business and this robot carries his name as a lasting reminder that Bowhill’s legacy is built by family, shaped by character, and strengthened across generations
The next unveiling marks a shift in theme.

This is highly specialized CNC Technology A well endowed machine and amongst the largest of its type in Australia. More importantly, it represents a return to our roots. For those that don’t know, in the 90’s and 2000’s Bowhill Engineering had strong machining capability alongside our mechanical and structural work. However as we grew into structural and heavy structural projects, our involvement in machining gradually tapered off.

This project has been a catalyst for our return to machining and not many businesses go from no machining straight to a state-of-the-art CNC machine of this capability and scale. That leap is a fitting parallel to one of the most influential second-generation drivers of Bowhill Engineering.

My late brother, Simon, was ambitious, hardworking, and driven by curiosity. He immersed himself in the latest technology and loved building big, complex things. Simon is the reason we’re not farmers, the reason this facility exists here in Bowhill, and the reason we focus on building the largest steel structures we can.

It was his passion, courage, and ambition that set the direction for Bowhill Engineering as we know it today. He was fascinated by machining watching cycle times, chip formation, and optimised programming unfold like magic. He would have absolutely loved this machine.

This machine carries Simon’s name because his vision, drive, and belief in what was possible are embedded in this business and continue to shape Bowhill Engineering across generations.