Warehouse Automation Brisbane | Electrical, Controls & PLC Integration

Warehouse automation work runs on three things working together: the mechanical kit (conveyors, ASRS, AGVs, VLMs), the controls layer (PLCs, drives, safety relays, SCADA), and the electrical infrastructure that powers and protects the lot. Get any one of those wrong and the line stops. Hexar runs the electrical and controls side for warehouse automation projects across Brisbane, Bayside, Logan, Ipswich, and the TradeCoast precinct. We work alongside the integrators doing the mechanical install (Dematic, Swisslog, Kardex, Daifuku, Vanderlande) and we work direct for end clients who own their own plant and want a Queensland-licensed contractor on the controls side.

Headline rate for a Brisbane warehouse fitout sits in the $80,000 to $400,000 range depending on the scope. A single Kardex VBM with switchboard tie-in and safety circuit lands around $25,000 to $40,000. A full pick-module conveyor run with photo-eye safety, VFD drives, and Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC integration is typically $150,000 to $300,000. Greenfield ASRS commissioning with high-bay power and EMC-graded cable trays pushes past $400,000. Numbers below are guide pricing only. Site conditions move them.

What we actually do on a warehouse automation job

The integrator usually owns the mechanical scope: rack design, conveyor selection, SKU mapping, throughput modelling. We come in for the electrical and controls layer. That covers main switchboard upgrades and sub-board distribution, three-phase power runs to drive panels, cable tray design and EMC-graded routing, PLC programming and HMI configuration, safety circuits to AS 4024.1, drive commissioning (Allen-Bradley PowerFlex, Siemens Sinamics, Schneider Altivar), SCADA tie-ins to the WMS, and the Form 17 testing pack that closes the job out with Energex.

Most Brisbane warehouse jobs we run sit on Allen-Bradley CompactLogix or Siemens S7-1500 controllers. Both are legitimate choices. CompactLogix wins on integrator familiarity (Dematic and Swisslog use it heavily). S7-1500 wins on diagnostics depth and TIA Portal tooling if you want long-term maintainability in-house. Schneider Modicon M340 and M580 show up on European-spec lines. We program in any of the three. We don’t have an opinion to sell you.

Regulations that apply

The compliance pack on a Queensland warehouse automation install runs across three standards. AS/NZS 3000:2018 covers the underlying wiring rules: protective device sizing, cable derating for tray bundling, earthing and bonding of the structural steel that supports the racking. AS 4024.1 covers safety of machinery: emergency stop categories, light curtain placement, safe distances, interlock circuits. Most integrators expect Category 3 or Category 4 safety circuits on conveyor stops and ASRS aisle access gates. AS/NZS 61000 covers EMC: how VFDs are filtered, how data cables are separated from power, how shielded cable is bonded at termination. EMC is where most “intermittent fault” calls come from six months after handover.

On the regulatory side, Queensland Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 requires a licensed electrical contractor for everything from the switchboard to the field device. Form 17 testing on completion. Notifiable work registered through the Queensland Electrical Safety Office where the install exceeds the threshold. We hold the QBCC and electrical contractor licences and we sign the paperwork, not the integrator.

Mistakes that bite, in our experience

Switchboard headroom gets ignored. The new ASRS or pick-module needs 80 to 250 amps three-phase. The existing main switchboard is already at 85% load with the existing dock equipment, lighting, and HVAC. Half our first-week site visits on a new project are figuring out the switchboard upgrade scope before the conveyor crew is on the dock. If the customer didn’t budget for an Energex CT-metering change or a transformer upgrade, the project stalls.

Cable tray gets routed for convenience, not EMC. Power and data sharing the same tray, no separation, no shielded data cable, no bond at termination. Three months in, the SCADA polls drop intermittently, the integrator blames the WMS, the IT team blames the switch, and nobody looks at the cable tray. Our cable schedule separates power and data at design time and we use Cat 6A shielded with bonded screen terminations on every drive feedback loop and Profinet/EtherCAT segment.

How a Hexar warehouse automation install runs

1. Site walk with the integrator and the customer’s operations lead. We measure the existing switchboard load, photograph existing tray runs, mark up the new equipment locations, identify safety zone boundaries.
2. Design pack: single-line diagram, panel schedules, safety circuit drawings (Cat 3 or Cat 4 to AS 4024.1), cable schedule with EMC notes, switchboard upgrade scope if needed.
3. Pre-commissioning: switchboard work, main and sub-board distribution, cable tray, conduit, field cable pull to drive panels and field devices.
4. Drive panel build (Hoffman or Rittal enclosures, IP54 minimum on the floor, IP65 in wash-down zones) with PowerFlex or Sinamics drives, safety relays (Pilz PNOZ or Allen-Bradley GuardLogix), and contactor banks.
5. PLC and HMI programming. Integration to the WMS over Profinet, EtherNet/IP, or OPC-UA depending on the controller and warehouse stack.
6. Commissioning with the integrator: drive tuning, safety circuit validation, emergency stop response timing, throughput verification.
7. Form 17 testing and handover pack. We sign off the electrical compliance. The integrator signs off the mechanical and process.

Brisbane suburbs and corridors we cover

From our Wynnum base on Industry Place, the warehouse automation work concentrates in a few precincts. TradeCoast and Eagle Farm for the freight forwarders and 3PLs (DB Schenker, Toll, Linfox). Hemmant, Tingalpa, Murarrie for the inner-Bayside distribution centres. Yatala and Beenleigh for the Logan corridor warehousing (Aldi DC, Coles, Bunnings RDC). Redbank and Wacol for the Ipswich industrial belt. We also run jobs north into Banyo, Geebung, Northgate and west to Wacol, Carole Park, Berrinba.

Two recent jobs worth naming. The Kardex VCA install for a Brisbane warehousing customer (six VBM units, full switchboard tie-in, SCADA integration) ran over four weeks with the line live the entire time. The Cagemaker industrial fitout combined three-phase power upgrades, drive panels for the production line, and a Form 17 testing pack signed off in a single day. Both case studies are linked at the bottom of this page.

Frequently asked questions

How much does warehouse automation electrical work cost in Brisbane?

Guide pricing for the electrical and controls scope on a Brisbane warehouse automation project runs $80,000 to $400,000 depending on size. A single Kardex VBM or Megamat tie-in is $25,000 to $40,000. A pick-module conveyor system with PLC integration is $150,000 to $300,000. Full ASRS commissioning with high-bay power and EMC cable design exceeds $400,000. Switchboard upgrades, if required, are quoted separately and typically add $15,000 to $80,000 depending on Energex involvement.

Do you work alongside Dematic, Swisslog, Kardex, and Daifuku?

Yes. We run the electrical and controls scope while the integrator runs the mechanical scope. Most of our recent Brisbane warehouse work has been alongside Kardex (vertical buffer modules and vertical lift modules) and we’ve worked with Dematic and Swisslog crews on larger ASRS and conveyor projects. We’re not an integrator competitor. We’re the licensed Queensland electrical contractor on the controls side, signing the compliance paperwork at handover.

Which PLC platforms do you program?

Allen-Bradley CompactLogix and ControlLogix in Studio 5000. Siemens S7-1500 and S7-1200 in TIA Portal. Schneider Modicon M340 and M580 in EcoStruxure Control Expert. Omron CJ and CP series on legacy lines. We’ve also done migration work moving end-of-life SLC 500 and S7-300 controllers onto current platforms without rewriting the whole production logic.

What safety standard do your conveyor safety circuits meet?

AS 4024.1 Category 3 as a minimum, Category 4 where the risk assessment requires it. We use Pilz PNOZ multi safety relays or Allen-Bradley GuardLogix integrated safety depending on the controller platform. Emergency stop response time is validated during commissioning with a calibrated timer. Light curtains, safety mats, and interlock gates are specified to the safe distance calculations in AS 4024.1 Part 1502.

How long does a warehouse automation electrical install take?

For a single VBM or pick station tie-in, two to four weeks from order to commissioned. For a multi-station pick-module conveyor with PLC integration, six to twelve weeks. For greenfield ASRS, twelve to twenty weeks with the mechanical install on the critical path. We sequence the switchboard and tray work to land before the integrator needs power on the floor.

Do you handle Form 17 and Energex notifiable work?

Yes. We complete the Form 17 testing pack and lodge the certificate. Where the install requires Energex involvement (CT metering changes, transformer upgrades, supply capacity increases above the existing connection), we handle the application and coordinate the network access. The customer signs nothing with Energex directly.

Who installs the electrical for warehouse conveyor systems in Brisbane?

A licensed Queensland electrical contractor signs the compliance paperwork, not the mechanical integrator. Hexar runs as the electrical contractor on Brisbane conveyor jobs alongside Dematic, Swisslog, Kardex and Daifuku crews. Scope splits cleanly: the integrator owns the conveyor structure, motors, sensors and WMS interface; we own switchboard work, three-phase distribution to drive panels, cable tray and EMC routing, safety circuits to AS 4024.1, drive commissioning (Allen-Bradley PowerFlex, Siemens Sinamics, Schneider Altivar) and the Form 17 testing pack. Energex notifiable work, where the project crosses the connection threshold, also routes through us. End clients can engage us direct or through their integrator’s subcontract.

What is involved in ASRS electrical installation?

An ASRS electrical install typically lands $200,000 to $400,000+ for the controls and power scope alone, separate from the rack and crane mechanical cost. Work covers a dedicated three-phase feed sized 100 to 250 amps depending on crane count, a controls room with the PLC cabinet and SCADA workstation, EMC-graded cable tray to each aisle, fibre or shielded Profinet/EtherCAT down each aisle for crane comms, safety circuits to AS 4024.1 Category 4 on aisle access gates, light curtains at every pick face, and high-bay LED lighting compatible with the WMS warehouse heat-map. Commissioning is the long tail: drive tuning, throughput verification at 60 to 120 doublecycles per hour per aisle, emergency stop response timing logged against a calibrated reference.

How much does PLC integration cost for a Brisbane distribution centre?

PLC integration scope on a Brisbane distribution centre fitout sits in the $40,000 to $180,000 band, separate from drive panel hardware and field cable. The driver is line count and SCADA depth. A two-line pick module with shared drive logic and OPC-UA tag map runs $40,000 to $70,000. A five-line module with full WMS integration, batch tracking and per-station HMI screens lands $80,000 to $130,000. A multi-zone ASRS with crane sequencing, conveyor handoff and warehouse heat-mapping pushes $150,000 to $180,000. Platform choice changes the picture: Allen-Bradley CompactLogix in Studio 5000 is the integrator default; Siemens S7-1500 in TIA Portal is cheaper to maintain in-house if the customer has a Siemens-trained controls team.

Which Australian standards apply to warehouse automation electrical?

Four standards cover the bulk of the compliance pack. AS/NZS 3000:2018 (the Wiring Rules) covers protective device sizing, cable derating for tray bundling, earthing and bonding of the racking and structural steel. AS/NZS 4836 covers safe working on or near low-voltage installations during commissioning. AS 4024.1 covers safety of machinery: emergency stop categories, light curtain placement, safe distances, interlock circuits, and the Category 3 or Category 4 architecture expected on conveyor stops and ASRS aisle access. AS/NZS 61000 covers EMC: VFD filtering, separation of power and data cable, shielded cable bonding. On top of those, the Queensland Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 mandates Form 17 testing and licensed-contractor sign-off on every notifiable install.

Can Hexar work as electrical subcontractor for systems integrators like Dematic, Kardex or Swisslog?

Yes, and most of our warehouse automation work over the last three years has run this way. The integrator holds the head contract with the end customer and owns the mechanical, conveyor selection, SKU mapping and throughput modelling. Hexar runs as the licensed Queensland electrical contractor on the subcontract: switchboard scope, drive panel build, PLC and SCADA programming where it’s in our subcontract, cable schedule and EMC design, safety circuits, commissioning support and the Form 17 pack. We carry our own public liability and workers comp, we attend the integrator’s project meetings, and we issue our own RFIs back through the integrator’s project office. Recent Brisbane jobs include a Kardex VBM warehouse fitout (six VBM units, line-live the whole programme) and ongoing dealership work for a Brisbane BMW retailer.

How long does commissioning take for an automated warehouse fitout?

Commissioning runs one to four weeks depending on conveyor length and pick-station count. A single Kardex VBM with switchboard tie-in and basic SCADA polls commissions in three to five days, including drive tuning and Form 17 testing. A five-station pick module with PLC integration to the WMS takes two to three weeks: one week for drive and safety circuit validation, one week for SCADA tag map alignment with the WMS, and a few days for throughput verification with the customer’s operations team. Greenfield ASRS commissioning lands at three to six weeks, with the mechanical install on the critical path and our controls team in last to bring up the crane sequencing and aisle interlocks.

Planning a conveyor, ASRS or warehouse automation project?

Send us your drawings and scope documents. We will review the electrical requirements and provide a detailed proposal within 48 hours. Call 1300 365 700 or use the contact form. If the project is already specified by an integrator, send the single-line, the drive schedule and the safety risk assessment. We will quote the electrical and controls scope inside a week and we will join your integrator project meeting on request.

Related work

• Case study: Kardex VBM warehouse install
• Case study: Cagemaker industrial fitout
• PLC programming Brisbane
• Industrial electrical Wynnum