Machine Screen & Controller Services — Atherton Tablelands
Regular service trips across the Tablelands. Atherton, Malanda, Ravenshoe, Tolga, Herberton, and everywhere in between.
The Tablelands runs more automated equipment than most people realise. Dairy pasteurisation lines at Malanda, the Tableland Mill crushing a million tonnes of cane at Arriga, wind turbine controllers at Ravenshoe, tea processing at Nerada — it's a diverse industrial region spread across a wide area.
What We Service on the Tablelands
Malanda Dairies (Bega) — The major milk processing plant at Malanda receives 71 million litres per year. Pasteurisation PLCs, CIP systems, bottle filling lines, refrigeration management, and process SCADA. Bega invested $5.5 million in upgrades including flavour mixing capacity and new filling production lines — all controller-driven.
MSF Sugar — Tableland Mill (Arriga, between Mareeba and Atherton) — Up to 950,000 tonnes crushing capacity at 225 tonnes per hour. Home to the $100 million Tableland Green Energy Power Plant producing 24 MW from bagasse. Full mill automation including crushing, boilers, turbines, and cogeneration grid-tie systems.
Windy Hill Wind Farm (Ravenshoe) — 20 Enercon turbines on 46-metre towers, 12 MW capacity. Each turbine runs its own PLC controller for pitch control, yaw motors, and grid synchronisation, plus centralised SCADA monitoring. Operated by RATCH-Australia. Underwent blade replacement maintenance in 2023.
Nerada Tea (Glen Allyn, near Malanda) — One of the most mechanised tea operations in the world. CTC rollers processing 4,000 kg/hour, automated withering troughs, fermentation control, and drying ovens. All PLC-driven.
Tolga — Historically the peanut processing centre. The Crumpton Group now owns the former Bega plant with automated sorting, grading, roasting, and packaging equipment.
Tablelands Challenges
The Tablelands is spread out. Ravenshoe and Herberton are a long way from any service provider — getting a tech out takes half a day minimum. That's exactly why backup is so critical here. If a controller fails at a dairy plant or wind farm, you can't afford to wait for someone to drive from Brisbane.
Rural properties often have inconsistent power supply. Voltage fluctuations damage sensitive electronics — we see more battery-related PLC failures on the Tablelands than anywhere else in our service area.
We make regular trips to the Tablelands and combine visits to keep travel costs down for regional clients.