20 December 2018 - Note Printing Australia today officially launched its newest asset in delivering the highest quality banknotes and passports to the market – the new Quality Control (QC) Lab, that underwent a significant renovation and upgrade across the last six months.
“This was a project that required a great deal of time and effort from many people but the result is outstanding and we are now equipped with a new lab facility that takes our QC capabilities to the next level,” said QC Laboratory Manager Emily Conheady.
The two-storey laboratory that is housed in one corner of NPA’s cavernous print hall received a full renovation with a newly expanded work area upstairs for CAL Lab Finished Note testing and an area dedicated to Raw Material testing. (CAL is the Combined Assurance Lab – a joint initiative with the Reserve Bank of Australia’s R&D team)
Downstairs has had a doubling of the dry-testing workspace areas with new workbenches and storage facilities, and a more efficient use of the wet area workspace. In addition, new testing equipment including a second XY Table and a CtP-PRO for sheet inspection were purchased.
“When we talk about Business Excellence and the Spirit of High Security that run through this business, quality is at the very core of these initiatives both as a key strategic focus area of the business moving forward and in the value proposition that we deliver to our customers,” said Head of Quality & Process Engineering, Dr David Garvie. “This lab is now a jewel in the crown of this business, and it is now a place of enhanced collaboration with our colleagues at the RBA, and for customers to utilise and benefit from.”
David also thanked the NPA Board and CEO Malcolm McDowell for their support in funding the project.
“When we looked at the needs of the business and how the proposed upgrade to these facilities could assist the business in ensuring higher quality and lower spoilage on the presses, it was an easy decision to allocate the funds,” said Malcolm. “Quality product is something our customers can rely on with NPA, and this new QC Lab is one of the keys to guaranteeing this quality.”
Next Level: CEO Malcolm McDowell cuts the ribbon to officially open NPA’s new Quality Control Laboratory with Lead Quality Assurance Technician John Craig and Quality Assurance Technician Maggie Walcott-Taylor.