Life cycle calculator

Environmental accountability is becoming an essential facet of every business. Huge corporations in every industry and across every trade are trying to find ways to reduce waste, reduce carbon footprint, reduce paper usage, reduce water usage, reduce handling, reduce environmental impact and the list goes on. CEFRANK is no different, we are also constantly trying to reduce our own carbon footprint.

The International Organisation for Standardisation even joined the party back in 1996 by introducing the ISO 14000 series. This new, voluntary standard was designed to help companies develop and comply with environmental management systems and later other standards and guidelines that would address specific environmental aspects, including: labeling, performance evaluation, life cycle analysis, communication and auditing.

Not only has environmental awareness and eco-friendly business practice become good for the planet, it has become good for business. Many companies market their product and brand on the premise that they are eco-friendly. However, many business also choose not to broadcast this side of their business. For example, many companies have recycling programmes where consumers can return goods at the end of the product’s life, or systems where superseded products and ranges are being recycled or upcycled to form new products. This sort of practice is used by manufacturers of anything from shoes to mobile phones to photo copiers and of course down to valuable raw materials. A new economy is forming in the face of environmental accountability.

This is of course great news. The fact that business can benefit is a valuable byproduct of general environmental philosophy, and of course a necessary one. It’s a win win for business and consumer and the planet.We are fortunate that we’re able to boast that our range is in fact very eco-friendly. Almost 100% recyclable, our bolted gas equipment range of manifolded cylinder packs and cylinder pallets are made up of galvanized steel, brass and stainless steel. The very generous 1% we allow for non-recyclables, accounts for any incidental plastics or synthetics that might be used in components (like locknuts or ratchet belts for example).

Another feature of our product is that the modular design allows for handling and transport that can reduce costs by up to 80%. The reduction in cost is due the reduction in space needed to store and ship and the human and fuel based energy needed to move it. From the manufacture right down to the transport of the final product our modular range can ship 75% more effectively than traditional welded designs. For example:

• Traditional welded,12 cylinder Manifolded Cylinder Packs will fit 14 units per 20-foot container.
• CEFRANK’s bolted,12 cylinder Manifolded Cylinder Packs will fit 60 units per 20-foot container.

What’s more, we encourage our customers to assemble the product on their premises or the premises of the cylinder supplier or end user to reduce the amount of handling, as seen in this diagram.

While the environmental benefits are a wonderful aspect of CEFRANK gas equipment, and our product life-cycle has little impact,  it is not our main selling point. That particular honour goes to the simplicity and strength of design, which can be explored a little more closely on our website. Reducing carbon footprint is something everyone should be interested in industrially, commercially and personally. To find out how your business or lifestyle, product or range measures up, why not visit one of many free online life cycle calculators.

Here’s a good one, LCA Calculator .

CEFRANK measured up nicely, and the LCA calculator revealed the biggest area of impact for us was the transport. We’re doing everything we can to reduce the cost of transporting our product. This task, as with many environmental endeavours, not only benefits the environment, it also means big savings for our clients.

Hot Dip Galvanising

At CEFRANK, we use hot-dip galvanizing to protect the steel of the frames used in all of our products, from manifolded cylinder packs, cylinder pallets and filling system frames. We choose this method because it provides long life, durability and predictable performance. All of our modular pieces are hot-dipped galvanized inside and out to a thickness of 70 microns. This means that our frames will not rust or age from environmental exposure over many, many years of field service.

Why CEFRANK Chooses Hot-Dip Galvanizing

• The finish is consistent and durable. It won’t age and chip like paint will, and will ensure the steel frame remains presentable during the life of the product.
• Hot-dip galvanizing bonds metallurgically to the steel. No other coating process has this feature, and as a result has the greatest resistance to mechanical damage during handling, storage, transport and construction – an important factor where steelwork is to be shipped around the world.
• All surfaces of the steel are coated – inside, outside, awkward corners, and narrow gaps which would be impossible to protect in any other way.
• Galvanizing is a once only process, committed to the concept of the maintenance-free use of steel, ensuring long service life and virtually eliminating disruptive maintenance.
• Galvanizing is more economical to the manufacturing process in both cost of materials and application and this means we can keep our costs low and maintain competitive prices.
• Galvanizing is one of the few coatings which is completely defined by a British Standard (BS EN ISO 1461).

Why Galvanizing is better for the environment

Galvanizing is a zinc coating process which uses no volatile organic compounds. It has been in use for 170 years, basically unchanged. Well documented case studies show that galvanizing vastly extends the useful life of steel goods and structures and reduces the cost of their maintenance. Zinc is endlessly recyclable without any loss of its physical or chemical properties. About 30% of the world’s zinc supply comes from recycled zinc, and about 80% of the zinc available for recycling is indeed recycled. Due to the durability and long life span of most zinc products, which in some cases last maintenance-free for over 100 years, much of the zinc produced in the past is still in use, constituting a valuable and  sustainable resource for future generations. Global reserves of zinc ore, far from depleting, have in fact increased over the past 25 years.

Published by Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW;

This is just one of the ways that CEFRANK manifolded cylinder packs and cylinder pallets keep providing for the customer long after the sale is made. We ensure our products last longer and require less maintenance. The extended life-cycle of CEFRANK products is good for the customer and good for the environment.

To find out more about CEFRANK cylinder packs and cylinder pallets, please email us today on cetech@cefrank.com or visit our website www.cefrank.com.

Stacks of galvanized CEFRANK frame parts. Ready for dispatch.

KLUB GOSPODARSTVENIKA ISELJENE HRVATSKE

A  select group of business men, all from the Croatian diaspora have come together to create a foundation to assist in the development of independent business people living in Croatia. The Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske wish to facilitate the funding, promotion and distrubution of Croatia’s entrepeneurs, small business owners, farmers and manufacturers who cannot get this help from the government.

Frank Cetinic and the members from Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske will help by connecting the beneficiaries of their assistance with distributor’s in foreign countries in order to expand their market over seas.  By utilizing the contacts of the businessmen and women from Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske, the business owners can then create their own networks and contacts around the world.

Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske will begin their project by targeting vendors in the food and produce industries, as Croatia has an un-tapped wealth of high quality produce and food related products.

The aim of this new organization would be to help the struggling business people in Croatia to forge alliances with already established distributors around the world thus enabling them to expand their business.

The subscription process will begin by the members of Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske approaching select businesses and individuals that they believe would most benefit from their assistance. They will usher these benefactors to success and go on to invite them to become a member.

One of the ways in which the Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske plans to assist, is by providing financial support in the actual buying and selling of goods. Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske will act as a third and middle party between the beneficiary and the distributor, therefore ensuring that  the farmer, artisan or manufacturer gets paid quickly.  This financial expedience will allow for a smoother cash flow thus enabling the business to concentrate on doing what they do best.  Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske can eliminate the fear and risk associated with exportation and hopefully help small Croatian businesses develop faster.

Another proposed method of assistance of Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske would be the provision of quality control services. Offering quality control of the exported goods would help to maintain a high standard and consistency that will enable the reputation of Croatian exporters to strengthen.

Even though Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske is new enterprise, the value of such an organisation to the Croatian people is evident. With further discussion and project development, Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske will no doubt become an invaluable resource to many small business owners in Croatia looking to expand their operations and export their goods and services to an international market.

Interview with Frank Cetinich, about Klub Gospodarstvenika Iseljene Hrvatske…

Supporting the Fine Arts

For some time now, CEFRANK has been supporting painters, sculptors, writers and poets.

It seems like a strange connection to make, industrial engineering company with interests in the fine arts, but Frank Cetinich’s interests in supporting the arts, stem from a great respect for the place of art and culture in society. Creative expression of individuality and spirituality is essential and he champions those who have the courage to do so.

After many years in Australia, Frank still has a very enduring connection to his home country of Croatia and he is committed to help promote his fellow Diaspora in an area he feels strongly about.

Possibly the most well known beneficiary of support thought out the years is painter Mr Charles Bilich. Charles Billich Official Website

Sydney-based artist Charles Billich is one of the most prominent living Australian painters. In a career spanning some forty years, he has exhibited at some of the world’s best venues and has been an honoured guest and resident artist on many occasions. From the Vatican Museum to the White House, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne to His Majesty King George V Tupou Palace in Tonga, the Red Cross Museum in Geneva to numerous university, government, corporate and private collections, Charles Billich has an eclectic and ubiquitous following.

The most long-standing beneficiary of Mr Cetinich’s support is Mr Ante Sardelic.

Ante Sardelić Kraljević, sculptor, painter, and printmaker was , like Frank Cetinich born on the island of Korčula in Croatia. He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Split in 1968 and from the Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Sculpture in Zagreb (he studied under Krsto Hegedušić, Grga Antunac, Valerije Micheli) in 1971. In 1972 he moved to Canada and settled in Toronto where he still lives and works as a professional artist.

Sardelić has been exhibiting continually since 1969 in museums and galleries throughout the world, including Canada, United States, Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, Poland, Indonesia, France, Hungary, Bulgaria, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Slovenia, Belgium, Japan, Korea, Germany, Croatia and Australia, by participating in many international exhibitions and biennials where he received numerous awards and honours.

n 1989 he was chosen Artist of the Year by the Canadian-Croatian Artists’ Society in Toronto. He also executed a large mosaic commissioned by a private collector. In 1994 he spent a short period of time in Australia. In 1995 the Government of the Republic of Croatia awarded him the Order of the Croatian Danica for outstanding merits in the field of culture. Ante Sardelić is a member of various artist societies throughout the world.

Ante Sardelic featured at Croatia.org

‘Throughout my life my Mediterranean heritage has served as the chief catalyst for my art. The spirit and culture of the region has provided me with a deep source of inspiration to draw from. My most recent work has intensified the integration of multicultural influences into my art.

Through my numerous travels around the globe, I have become fascinated with the rich visual traditions which have fueled the art of ancient cultures such as the Incas, the Mayas, as well as remarkable art of ancient indigenous North American and African tribal societies. Each has contributed something specific and essential to my current and evolving body of work.

It is my belief that this cross-cultural flow of ideas and aesthetics, from one region to another has become a part of our share global reality. My work seeks to reflect this, promoting and nurturing a kind of cross-cultural embrace of ideas and aesthetics.

We all share the inspirations of our ancestors, toward a hopeful future for themselves, and their community, goals toward which all people strive for, from generation to generation, irrespective of cultural background.
So through my art, I seek to bridge the distance of time, between the experiences of our ancient ancestors, through to our contemporary reality, which in many essential, human aspects, I argue is not wholly that different.

The art of the ancients, with their enraptured mysticisms, and reflections on the nature of mortality and the infinite still posses the power to deeply affect us. Reflected in their work is a profoundly spiritual creative force, one that is still evident in the best of contemporary art as well. The never ending regenerative cycle of live in the universe, is a process that art must also go through to remain alive and vital, to remain connected to our most essential human instinct and impulse. By freeing humanity of inhibitive dogmas and negative politics, we can move forward together, toward a richer spectrum of spirituality. The enactment of a future based around the sacred principals of peace and human dignity.’

Ante Sardelic, Toronto, March 2008.

Mr Cetinich was also involved in the publishing of Ms Ivana Bacic Serdarevic’s book about Mojmir Damjanovic along with another of her projects involving a trilogy of poetry books about the Diaspora of Croatia.

Mr Cetinich has also generously supported the creative pursuits of his children, one a writer and one a musician.

Location, Location. Part One: Croatia

I went on a family holiday to Europe earlier this year. First stop was Rome. It was – as I knew it would and ever will be – marvelous. We stayed a week to break up the travelling time, as our final destination was Croatia.

Croatia, specifically Korcula, is the home town of CEFRANK owner Frank Cetinich. It is a small island off the coast of Croatia, a region known as Dalmatia, and floats amongst it’s famous co-inhabitants (Hvar, Brac, Mljet) in the salty waters of the Mediterranean.

We stayed in the tiny fishing village of Prigradica. I didn’t know this, but the largest towns on the island have almost like a sister town, or satellite town where the locals go to fish and swim. Prigradica is Blato’s sister village and Blato is one of Korcula’s biggest towns. In ancient times, it attracted the wealthiest folk on the island because its in-land position kept it safe from pirates and invasion.

How times have changed. Now Blato is a small town of about 4000 with a modest economy relying heavily on the local ship building factory, Radesh and now the most populous and desirable locations are the towns that line the coast. However, there is still a lot of appeal in this village; the winding lanes – down which the town’s few cars insist on squeezing through, the main square in summer time where the locals perform the popular Kompanija and where the white, flag  stones are shiny and smooth from centuries of use, the main avenue lined with Linden trees (Zlinje)  that the locals write songs about and of course the distinctive orange roof tiles that dominate the sky line of much of the Mediterranean coastline.

Prigradica is a 3 minute ride from Blato. Jumping a scooter or hitching into town with a friend seems to be the most popular way to get there. The beach is made up of crushed, white rock – now mostly smooth pebbles after years of tidal tumble. The large white rocks that were actually placed there during the Austrian occupation in the early 1800s – were pulverised to give the locals a kinder entry to the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic. Even still, investing a few Kuna in a pair of swimming shoes is absolutely paramount. Unless you want your feet ground down like those little pebbles that line the beach. And bring a towel. The stones are hot and uneven and so a towel is essential for sun bathing. Unlike the blistering heat and scorching rays of the Australia sun, the sun in Croatia seems gentler and consequently bad sun burn is not so much of a concern for the beach goers of Prigradica.

One night I strolled along the esplanade, it would have been at least 11pm and the cafes were still bursting with noise and laughter. The air was hazy and warm and a yellowed, crescent moon hung between the two mountains that rose above the village. I was watching the goings on of an antique fishing boat moored at the wharf.  The old fisherman were cleaning their catch, sitting on tiny stools and chatting heartily. What a perfect scene. Where else, in this modern life could you witness such simple beauty. Things haven’t changed so much in Prigradica.

It is a simple life.

Perfect for a relaxing and culturally resonant holiday.