Customer: Isis Central Sugar Mill
Solution Partners: Agtrix, Motorola Solutions, Ace Comms, Samlex America
The Challenge: Managing Remote Communication Across a 200-Kilometer Operation
Isis Central Sugar Mill has been in business in Queensland, Australia since 1894, processing sugar cane into raw sugar, molasses and electricity. Over this time their operations have grown significantly. At present, there are approximately 200 growers supplying sugar cane to the Mill and the cane is harvested from an area of approximately 13,000 hectares.
In a single season, Isis Central Sugar Mill processes 1.5 million tonnes of cane for the production of 223,874 tonnes of raw sugar. From harvesters gathering sugarcane to semi-trailers transporting it and locomotives delivering it to mills, every step requires precise coordination. The challenge they were facing with their logistics partner, Agtrix, was ensuring seamless communication across the entire manufacturing operation that spans over 200 kilometers.
Previously, the team relied on traditional phone calls for communication. In just a 12-hour shift the Agtrix traffic control office was handling 150 phone calls —creating inefficiencies, increasing stress levels, and causing potential delays. The vast operational area and hilly terrain presented dead zones where no reliable radio system existed, leaving them dependent on on-to-one phone calls, adding to communication gaps.
To streamline operations and enhance efficiency, Agtrix sought a reliable solution that would enable real-time, one-to-many communication across the entire Isis fleet.
The Solution: Motorola WAVE PTX and TLK devices powered with Samlex Power Supplies
After evaluating multiple options, Isis and Agtrix partnered with Motorola’s WAVE PTX technology, powered by Samlex SEC-1212CE Power Supplies. This cloud-based push-to-talk (PTT) solution allowed the team to establish clear, efficient, and reliable communication without investing in costly infrastructure.
WAVE PTX operates over a secure cloud platform, eliminating the need for extensive radio networks. This meant that the entire Isis and Agtrix team could now communicate one-to-many with anyone on the network, whether they were in Brisbane’s central control room or working on the ground across different locations.
“It’s a lot less stressful for us in the traffic office but also a lot less stressful for everyone else. There’s much more clarity in the information and everyone knows that everyone’s heard it. As long as we have the radio on the desk and access to our software system you can do it from anywhere in the world.”
– Annie Cameron, Traffic Officer, Agtrix Brisbane Office
The Impact: Improved Efficiency, Productivity, and Stress Reduction
With land mobile radio communications fully integrated into their operations, Isis and Agtrix have experienced significant improvements:
- Reduction in Call Volume: The previous burden of 150 phone calls per shift has been virtually eliminated. Now, all critical updates and instructions are communicated instantly via radio.
- Seamless Communication Across the Transport Fleet: Initially, radios were deployed in trucks, but after realizing the efficiency gains, they expanded the system to include harvesters, locomotives, and the entire transport fleet.
- Increased Productivity: In Maryborough, the transloader’s capacity increased from handling 2,300 tonnes per day to 3,200 tonnes—an impressive 39% boost. With reliable communication, teams can now efficiently coordinate the movement of trucks, bins, trains, and harvesting schedules.
- Remote Operation Capabilities: The centralized control room in Brisbane can now manage operations across vast distances, even supporting teams in Cairns and the UK when needed.
- Enhanced Workplace Satisfaction: Stress levels have dropped significantly. With everyone on the same communication network, there’s more clarity, less confusion, and greater overall operational confidence.
The Future: Expanding the Radio Network Across The Entire Isis Fleet
Given the success of the radio network, and the improvements in productivity and efficiency, Isis plans to extend the technology to an additional 40 harvesters. Eventually, they aim to eliminate mobile phones entirely and rely solely on the WAVE PTX network for communication.
“So now we’ve got anybody operating on the network we can talk to. In the Maryborough fleet we’ve gone from the transloader barely doing 2,300 tonnes a day up to 3,200 because we’ve got good comms. We know where trucks are, we know when to man, we know when to put the bins in. The next thing is to do the rest of our harvesting fleets. Another 40 harvesters to do here in Ises. Then we’re going to throw away the mobile phones and rely on the network.”
– Paul Nicol, Cane Supply Manager, Isis Central Sugar Mill
The Result: A Proven, Scalable Solution that Keeps Teams Connected
The implementation of land mobile radio has revolutionized Isis’ sugarcane operations, proving that reliable communication is the key to unlocking higher efficiency, productivity, and operational ease. By eliminating phone calls and leveraging cloud-based PTT technology, Agtrix has set a new standard for communication in agricultural logistics.
For businesses facing similar challenges, land mobile radio (LMR) communication offers a proven, scalable solution that delivers real results—improving efficiency and keeping teams connected no matter where they are. Powered with Samlex America’s high-quality power supplies ensures that communication lines remain open and clear when you depend on them most.
Contact us to learn more about Samlex’s power supply solutions for your land mobile radio communications.
Credit: Video and Images from Motorola Solutions
