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When it comes to original equipment design, successful customisation to meet a specific requirement is often the catalyst for innovation that can be game changing for a particular sector.

The Customer Participation Award, one of the APPMA Industry Excellence Awards, recognises that, and this year Fibre King was announced the winner of the category for the development of the Oryx De Erector.

In short, the project reduced manual handling of RPCs for the end-user and the 'Proof of Concept' for the Oryx De Erector created a partnership between manufacturer and end user that enabled both parties to create value through lower overall cost of use per RPC for the end-user and future demand for De Erectors and RPC Automation for Fibre King. The Oryx De Erector enabled the end-user to fully automate the de-erect process, running random crate sizes, at the required speeds.

Read more about it here.

Other awards recognising technology developments presented on the night included the Best New Product Award to HMPS for the Coffee Pod Case Packing system; the Export Achievement Award GP Graders for the Airjet Cherry Defect Grader; the Design Achievement Award to Machinery Automation & Robotics for Container Loading solution; and the Imported Equipment Award to AAA Packaging Supplies for the C-One Plana Pallet Wrapper.

The award-winning technology will be covered in PKN's May-June print issue.

Food & Drink Business

Tasmanian distillery Sullivans Cove has taken out World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards in London, its fourth global title and a record in the competition’s history.

Independent Liquor Group (ILG) has opened a $28 million, purpose-built distribution centre in Swanbank, Queensland. It’s the group’s most significant infrastructure commitment to the state.

Last week’s Ambitious Australia report is exactly the kind of signal our nation needs. The federal government, industry and innovation minister, Tim Ayres, and everyone who has contributed to this work have put forward a clear and positive vision. It speaks to a more coordinated, better funded, and more purposeful innovation system.