REX - Regional Express

advertorial A hole new approach Going to the people who are using the product is the simple way to achieve successful product design, writes David Byrnes. After conducting years of extensive research, testing and trials with farmers and fencing contractors across Australia, Waratah has taken a leap forward in fence design with its new fence post range, Waratah JIO™. Waratah is a proudly Australian company that's been around for 120 years and has proven its dedication to Aussie farming in that time. Its latest range, JIO, is an innovative rural fence post system that Waratah is particularly proud of. "Research confirms that fence design and construction techniques can be very different from one region to the next," says Waratah's national sales manager, Ross Lourie. "The development team set out to ensure the strength, ductility and wire attachment options of the JIO range were flexible enough to meet the wide range of farm fence designs." "Fence design and construction techniques can be very different from one region to the next." Participants at the trial days noted they were excited to see how the JIO post could improve on their traditional fence designs. "The JIO post has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities – more holes, stronger, more fracture-resistant," one farmer said. One of the key components of any fence design is the post. The JIO Star® and JIO MaxY® posts deliver greater strength to counter increasing fence pressures, greater ductility that allows the posts to be re-straightened if needed, and more holes to increase design flexibility and wire attachment points. Waratah JIO Star is your everyday fence post that is 10 per cent stronger than the current Waratah post, three times more ductile, and has 50 per cent more holes to attach your fence wire to (the JIO 165cm and 180cm posts have 22 oval holes, compared with only 14 round holes in a traditional fence post). Waratah JIO MaxY is your larger-profile fence post that is twice as strong as the JIO Star post, more ductile than the current MaxY post, and has 50 per cent more holes. The most notable visual differences between a JIO post and current fence posts is the number of holes and the new oval-shaped JIO holes. These new holes accommodate the Waratah JIO Longlife Blue colour® post clip, which is strong and easy to use, requires no tools and can be attached to the post up to 20 per cent faster than traditional methods. Above: The Waratah JIO fence post range was designed to suit farmers' needs. David Byrnes is Product Manager Onesteel Rural. www.onesteelwaratah.com.au 81

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