Project Snapshot
Background & Context
Berendsen recently completed a complex hydraulic system upgrade for one of Australia’s major metal recycling operators, with a global presence and a position among the country’s most significant players in the sector.
At one of their NSW processing sites, a large industrial shredder – a critical piece of plant equipment – had been running on an ageing mechanical setup for years. The upgrade had been planned before the COVID-19 pandemic, but like many capital projects, it was deferred during that period and had become long overdue by the time it was reactivated.
For a site like this, the shredder is not a peripheral asset. It sits at the heart of throughput. When it is down, productivity stops. The reliability of the system is therefore not a maintenance consideration – it is a business-critical one. The customer needed an upgrade that matched the scale and demands of the operation.
How the Project Scope Evolved
What started as a relatively contained project grew substantially over the months that followed. The original scope was the replacement of the feed chute and all associated hydraulic pipework attached to it.
From there, the scope expanded. The replacement of the mechanical structure also included the installation of two new Hagglunds motors. Those new motors were larger and demanded higher flow than the existing hydraulic power unit could deliver. The result: a brand new, significantly larger HPU had to be engineered and built to drive the upgraded system.
What had begun as a pipework change-out became a full hydraulic system overhaul – delivered under time pressure and with a shifting brief.
The Process: Design, Manufacture, Build, Commission
1. 3D As-Built Scanning for Accurate Site Capture
Before any fabrication began, the team conducted 3D scanning of the shredder’s existing layout to capture real-world geometry and constraints. In a densely configured industrial environment like a metal recycling shredder, the gap between what drawings show and what actually exists on site can be significant. The 3D scan allowed the design and fabrication to proceed from an accurate baseline, reducing the risk of costly rework and fit-up failures during installation.
2. Large-Scale Hydraulic Pipework Redesign and Fabrication
The scope included the complete redesign and installation of 580 metres of stainless hydraulic pipework – ranging from 2" SCH80 2205 Duplex down to 20mm tube, with all connections made using Tubemac fittings. The pipework was designed and manufactured by Aussie Fluid Power (AFP), primarily fabricated off-site following 3D scanning of the as-built environment, then brought to site for installation.
Each pipe run had to navigate dense existing infrastructure, structural members, and equipment constraints. The result was extensive bends, offsets, and spool pieces that could not be standardised. Where off-site fabrication could not fully anticipate real-world fit-up conditions, Berendsen mobilised tube fitters from AFP’s Perth team to site to manufacture additional spools on the fly – ensuring the installation could proceed and meet the shutdown deadline.
3. A New, High-Capacity Hydraulic Power Unit
To drive the upgraded Hagglunds motors, Berendsen engineered and built a new 132kW hydraulic power unit – significantly larger than its predecessor and purpose-built to meet the increased flow demands of the upgraded system.
The HPU is fitted with a P24 Gold Cup pump producing 500 litres per minute at pressures up to 350 bar, with electronic torque control for precision management of hydraulic output. It was designed and built by BFP Melbourne.
Complementing the main HPU, a 1.5kW lubrication system was also integrated – designed by AFP and built by BFP Melbourne – ensuring the mechanical interfaces of the upgraded shredder system are properly serviced and protected during operation.
4. Cross-Team Delivery in Collaboration with Aussie Fluid Power
This project was a genuine group effort across the Berendsen network. Six entities were involved in delivery: BFP Sydney (client relationship and project lead), BFP Melbourne (HPU and lubrication system design and build), BFP Engineering (design and commissioning), Aussie Fluid Power – AFP (pipework design, fabrication, installation and flushing, including mobilising tube fitters from Perth), TSG, and Isadraulics.
Coordinating across this network while maintaining schedule discipline and a single point of accountability to the client is itself a demonstration of organisational capability. Commissioning was completed by BFP Engineering in conjunction with the customer’s electrical controls team – a collaborative close-out that ensured the hydraulic and electrical systems were fully integrated and validated before handover.
What Made It Challenging
- Constantly shifting scope – the project evolved from an initial pipework replacement into a full hydraulic system overhaul. Absorbing six rounds of scope growth while maintaining delivery momentum required significant engineering and commercial flexibility.
- Tight installation window – the shredder shutdown was planned for three weeks, a constrained window for an installation of this scale. Lead time pressures extended the programme, adding pressure to the execution phase.
- Complex pipe routing – despite the shredder not spanning a vast physical footprint, the hydraulic pipework had to navigate dense obstructions, existing structure, and equipment, resulting in around a kilometre of custom runs with numerous bends and offsets. As one team member described it, it was less like running a single pipe and more like solving a three-dimensional geometry problem at scale.
- On-site fabrication requirement – even with 3D scan data informing the design, fit-up reality required Berendsen to bring specialised fabrication capability directly to the site in Sydney, enabling on-the-fly modifications to make sections fit correctly.
- Installation execution complexity – managing the handover between design, fabrication, and on-site installation in a constrained shutdown window is one of the highest-risk transitions in any project of this kind. Berendsen had to actively manage this interface to protect outcomes.
“The scope kept evolving – what started as pipework changes became a full hydraulic upgrade. The ability to absorb that, keep engineering, and still deliver under a shutdown window is exactly what this project demanded.”
Matt Dornan – General Manager, Berendsen Fluid Power, NSW
Why The Customer Chose Berendsen
- In-house engineering and fabrication – the ability to design, build, and deliver a complete hydraulic solution rather than simply supplying components was central to the win.
- Network capability – the collaboration with Aussie Fluid Power extended the delivery team’s reach and capacity, enabling Berendsen to take on a project whose scope would have been difficult for a single-branch operation to absorb.
- Proven track record – Berendsen already had a working relationship with the customer, and that prior performance built the confidence needed to trust them with a project of this scale.
- Ability to manage complexity – the combination of 3D scanning, custom fabrication, and HPU engineering under shutdown pressure is not a capability every hydraulics contractor can credibly offer.
The Outcome
This complex shredder upgrade is a strong demonstration of Berendsen’s ability to operate at the heavy end of industrial hydraulics – projects where the scope is large, the timeline is constrained, and the margin for error is small.
Several things make this project worth highlighting as a Berendsen capability story:
- Scale – 580 metres of 2205 Duplex stainless pipework, a 132kW HPU producing 500 lpm at 350 bar. This is not everyday scope, and it reflects serious manufacturing depth and project management capability across the group.
- 3D scanning as standard practice – using 3D as-built capture before fabrication is a mark of disciplined engineering that protects project outcomes in complex, constrained environments.
- Network depth – six group entities – BFP Sydney, BFP Melbourne, BFP Engineering, AFP, TSG, and Isadraulics – each contributed distinct capability. Coordinating all six under a single client relationship and delivering a coherent outcome is a genuine differentiator.
For engineers, project managers, and procurement teams evaluating hydraulic contractors for major industrial work, this project is a reference point. It is the kind of job that tests whether a contractor can truly deliver – and Berendsen did.
