AMT MAY 2015

may15 Australian Manufacturing Technology

Your Industry. Your Magazine.

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Volume 15 Number 04 May 2015 ISSN 1832-6080

contents

AUSTECH PREVIEW Our industry, all under one roof Exhibitor list Exhibitor profiles Manufacturers Pavilion

34 36 38 54

NMW PREVIEW NMW 2015: The industry’s broadest offering

58

QUALITY & INSPECTION Intelligent 3D digitisation Machine alignment with laser trackers How air gauging works Is ISO9000 killing your business?

66 67 68 70

MATERIAL REMOVAL Haas – Going up a gear

72

COMPRESSORS & AIR TECHNOLOGY Britannia’s stationary compressor upgrade Pneumatic control specification Optimising energy efficiency in compressed air systems

74 76 78

COMPOSITES Tiny composites research has big implications Plastic parts for internal combustion engines

80 81

From the Editor From the CEO From the Industry From the Union

8 10 12 14

INDUSTRY NEWS Current news from the industry

16

VOICEBOX Stability needed in science research funding

25

PRODUCT NEWS Our selection of new and interesting products

28

ONE ON ONE Shane Infanti – AMTIL CEO

56

COMPANY FOCUS FountainLine IMS – Making its mark

62

AMTIL FORUM Finance Import/Export Law OHS

82 83 84 85

Manufacturing History – A look back in time

86

AMTIL INSIDE The latest news from AMTIL

88

may15 AustrAliAn MAnufActuring technology

your industry. your Magazine.

Austech 2015: Back bigger and better PAGE 34

.Austech Preview

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Removal .Compressors .Quality & Inspection .Material

.Composites

AMT May 2015

34 Our industry, all under one roof From 26 to 29 May, the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre will be the place to be for anyone with an interest in manufacturing, as Austech - Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition - returns. As preparations for the show have proceeded, the sense of renewed confidence has been evident.

62

FountainLine IMS – Making its mark Succumbing to the dismal trends affecting manufacturing today was never an option for one renowned New South Wales manufacturer. With the bold move of providing a one-stop-shop for its customers, it offers a service that remains unrivalled in the industry - experiencing a rapid growth of 200% in just a few years.

80

Cover Austech 2015 will be a must-attend event for manufacturing professionals from around Australia. The enthusiastic response from exhibitors, as well as the early interest from those planning to attend the show, have provided a robust affirmation of the enduring importance of Australia’s advanced manufacturing industry. Page 34

Tiny composites research has big implications The Thin Film Coatings Group at The University of South Australia focusses on materials science and surface engineering and follows the motto ‘Innovation with application’. This research team collaborates with industry on useful, value-adding technology, and is a good example of why industry and research co-operation is a necessity.

FROM THE

Editor William Poole

Risky business It’s been a hectic time at AMTIL this last few weeks, as preparations for Austech, later this month, enters its final straight.

With the show returning after a two-year break, everyone is keen for this year’s event to be bigger and better than ever. So in ensuring everything is ready when the doors open on the morning of the 26th, every minute and every second count. And of course, at times like this, the internet always seems to be running slowly, or the printer needs paper. This, according to Wikipedia, is known as Finagle’s corollary to Murphy’s law: “Anything that can go wrong, will – at the worst possible moment.” God forbid that we have a major IT meltdown. Touch wood...

It’s indicative of the extent to which businesses have become reliant on computer systems, a fact echoed in a recent report from Dimensional Research and xMatters. According to the survey, IT outages start to disrupt businesses in the very first few minutes – 45% of IT professionals reported their business is impacted if IT is down for 15 minutes or less, and 17% percent said the disruption begins the instant an IT outage develops.

Well, anyone who’s lost unsaved work knows that, but where the report proves really illuminating is in how businesses respond to those outages.

Three out of five respondents said it takes 15 minutes or more just to identify the right individual to respond to an issue. And nearly half said it takes as long as or longer to identify the person as it does to resolve the problem. More than nine out of ten said poor communications management increases downtime.

For ‘communications management’, read ‘risk management’. Four out of five respondents said loss of data would have a greater impact on their business than loss of buildings, vehicles or goods. For an organisation like AMTIL, a relatively small office doing relatively uncomplicated processes, those risks are significant enough. For the average modern manufacturing operation, where IT underpins everything from CNC machinery to supply chain management, they are all the more acute. And yet meanwhile, another study has revealed a pressing need for manufacturers to evolve and upgrade their risk assessment capabilities.

The study, from Deloitte and the US-based Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), looked at how manufacturing companies assess and respond to risks and concluded that current operating conditions demand a more analytical, agile, clinical view to address the complex array of issues they face. Alongside cyber-security and other IT issues, survey respondents identified supply chains, talent management and the skills gap as key areas of business risk.

The report advocates a holistic approach, placing greater emphasis on detecting risks at an early stage, rather than responding to them once they are much more evident and more difficult to mitigate. The authors argue that an enhanced ability to recognise and address strategic risks can give a manufacturer a competitive advantage that “enables it to not only survive, but thrive amid change”.

That’s all well and good, but how does one go about it? Well, probably one of the first things to do is to talk to some experts. And there’ll be a fair few of those at Austech: experts in everything from CNC machining to recruitment, prototyping to Lean manufacturing, sheet-forming to IT. And they’re keen to talk to you. Come on down.

Editor WIlliam Poole wpoole@amtil.com.au Contributors Nina Hendy Sales Manager Anne Samuelsson asamuelsson@amtil.com.au Publications Co-ordinator Gabriele Richter grichter@amtil.com.au Publisher Shane Infanti sinfanti@amtil.com.au Designer Franco Schena fschena@amtil.com.au Prepress & Print Printgraphics Australia AMT Magazine is printed in Australia using FSC mix of paper from responsible sources FSC© C007821 Contact Details AMT Magazine AMTIL Suite 1, 673 Boronia Rd Wantirna VIC 3152 AUSTRALIA T 03 9800 3666 F 03 9800 3436 E info@amtil.com.au W www.amtil.com.au Copyright © Australian Manufacturing Technology (AMT).

All rights reserved. AMT Magazine may not be copied or reproduced in whole or part thereof without written permission from the publisher.

Contained specifications and claims are those supplied by the manufacturer (contributor)

Disclaimer The opinions expressed within AMT Magazine from editorial staff, contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of AMTIL. The publisher reserves the right to amend the listed editorial features published in the AMT Magazine Media Kit for content or production purposes.

AMT Magazine is dedicated to Australia’s machining, tooling and sheet-metal working industries and is published monthly.

Subscription to AMT Magazine (and other benefits) is available through AMTIL Associate Membership at $165 (inc GST) per annum.

Contact AMTIL on 03 9800 3666 for further information.

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FROM THE

CEO Shane Infanti – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

EIP - Fostering competitiveness and productivity I am very pleased to report that on 23 April AMTIL signed an agreement with the Australian Government Department of Industry and Science to continue the Provision of Services for the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme (EIP). AMTIL has been involved in this Programme and its predecessor Enterprise Connect - for the past six years and are looking forward to continuing our engagement with the Commonwealth.

The EIP is the Australian Government’s flagship initiative for business competitiveness and productivity at the business level. It forms part of the Australian Government’s new industry policy outlined in the Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda. This Agenda is a business-focused element of the Australian Government’s broader Economic Action Strategy and brings together and builds upon other economic reforms to make the most of Australia’s strengths and business opportunities.

With a national network of more than 100 experienced private sector Advisers, the EIP offers support to businesses through three elements: Business Management, providing support for business improvement and growth.

Research Connections, helping small and medium businesses collaborate with the research sector to develop new ideas with commercial potential; and Accelerating Commercialisation, helping entrepreneurs, researchers, start-ups and businesses address key challenges in the commercialisation pathway of bringing novel products, processes and services to the market.

Business Management The Business Management element of the EIP is broken into four further elements covering Business Evaluations, Supply Chain Facilitation, Business Growth Services and Business Growth Grants.

- Business Evaluations This involves having a top to bottom analysis of your business carried out by a skilled Adviser at no charge to your business. Your Adviser will spend one to two days on-site with you to gather information for your Business Evaluation and will work with people throughout your business to develop a thorough view of your relative strengths and weaknesses; strategic business issues; critical areas for business improvement; and potential pathways for growth. Your Adviser will use their industry experience combined with diagnostic tools to investigate key areas of your business and recommend areas for improvement.

- Supply Chain Facilitation Supply Chain Facilitation services offer your business practical assistance to connect with, and supply into, project opportunities and new markets. A skilled Adviser or Facilitator will work closely with your suppliers and customers to strengthen your supply chain and improve your ability to participate in the market. This is a free service, providing your company meets the eligibility criteria.

- Business Growth Services Business Growth Services assists businesses with an identified growth opportunity to develop the capabilities, knowledge, strategies and connections to achieve that growth.

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AMT May 2015

- Business Growth Grants Business Growth Grant funding can be used to engage a consultant/s to make improvements to your business that were recommended by your Adviser or Facilitator. Your Business Growth Grant project must address areas of expertise that demonstrate how the project will build the internal capability of your business. The preferred consultant must bring new areas of expertise to your business and the work involved cannot be a part of the ordinary operations of your business. Your business will be reimbursed up to half the cost of engaging the consultant, to a maximum of $20,000 (excluding GST).

Research Connections The focus of Research Connections is on helping small and medium businesses to collaborate with the research sector to develop new ideas with commercial potential, as well as to help identify any knowledge gaps that are preventing business growth. Experienced facilitators will assess your business’ knowledge gaps, and provide specialist support which may include: • a report containing tailored information and options; • referrals to other business support programs and services; • links to existing knowledge and solution providers; and/or • identification of new research activities that could assist your business and help connect you with organisations that could provide that research.

Under the Research Connections element there are Facilitators that specialise in providing Technical Knowledge in the areas of both hard and soft technologies.

Accelerating Commercialisation Accelerating Commercialisation helps Australian entrepreneurs, inventors, start-ups, commercialisation offices and small and medium businesses address the challenges associated with commercialising novel intellectual property. It aims to accelerate the commercialisation of novel intellectual property in the form of new products, processes and services; create new businesses based on novel intellectual property with high growth potential; and generate greater commercial and economic returns from both public and private sector research and facilitate investment to drive business growth and competitiveness.

AMTIL’s role as a Partner Organisation is to continue to provide Facilitators in the Business Evaluations and Research Connections elements of the Programme. We have nine Facilitators around the country with various national and state roles and over the coming months we will be profiling these Facilitators in the magazine.

We look forward to keeping our readers and members informed on progress and will be conducting case studies on businesses that engage the Programme and the benefit that they received from it. I encourage anybody with an interest to go to the EIP website: www.business.gov.au/advice-and-support/EIP or email me at sinfanti@amtil.com.au

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FROM THE

Industry Innes Willox – Chief Executive Australian Industry Group

Australian manufacturing is still strong, but changing What does manufacturing look like in Australia today? Big. Diverse. Innovative. But under pressure.

The first thing to note is that Australian manufacturing remains big, even after the headwinds it has faced and the swift growth of other sectors. Last year manufacturing accounted for just under $100bn of Australia’s gross value-added, or 6.3% of the total. Despite losses and closures, manufacturers directly employ around 918,000 people. That is as much as mining, agriculture, fisheries, forestry and wholesale trade put together.

Further, manufacturing accounted for a quarter of all business expenditure on research and development in 2011-12, more than the information, communications and financial sectors combined. Other sectors have grown faster, but manufacturing remains a force to be reckoned with.

The sector also contains multitudes. Its diversity ranges from makers of high-performance microphones for niche global markets, to the upstream processing of bauxite into alumina; from world-class environmental monitoring and air pollution control equipment, to high-quality hardwood furniture; from the most sought-after medical bionics, to the ultimate public park barbecues.

Many Australian manufacturers have also seen a pathway to success through competing globally, not just focussing on a relatively small local market.

And there is one more factor that has helped shrink manufacturing – but which now offers the possibility of growth. And that is technology.

Traditional manufacturing has been buffeted by technological changes on at least two fronts: a revolution in communications technology and logistics made offshoring and global supply chains practical and manageable, enabling much activity and many jobs to relocate to lower-cost countries; and a range of advances in automation, robotics and information technology made old labour-intensive approaches obsolete outside of low-wage countries.

Many Australian manufacturers have also seen a pathway to success through competing globally, not just focussing on a relatively small local market. That positive story of continuing strength is worth reminding ourselves of. But we also have to acknowledge that manufacturing has been under extreme pressure. Total employment in the sector, though still large, is down more than 20% from its peak in the late 1980s, and more than 10% from over the last decade. Meanwhile, full-time employment in the economy as a whole has grown by 30% and 16% over the same periods.

These factors have affected manufacturing worldwide. Even China is not immune; as wages rise, textile and clothing activity is starting to shift to Vietnam and elsewhere, and leading manufacturers like Foxconn plan to partially replace their gigantic, unhappy workforce with industrial robots.

Ai Group’s monthly Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI), which tracks sectoral performance based on company-reported month-to-month movements in production, new orders, deliveries, inventories and employment, has shown manufacturing activity in almost continuous contraction since the bounceback from the Global Financial Crisis.

Automation and flexible global logistics are a challenge to an older style of manufacturing. But they are also an enabler of a new approach that holds promise for Australia. There’s a lot of talk around advanced manufacturing, which many people may think refers to a limited set of high-tech products in ICT, aerospace or biotech. Ai Group’s view is that every manufacturer has the potential to become advanced – not necessarily by altering their product (though product innovation is vital), but by changing how they produce.

The rate of contraction has slowed markedly since the doldrums of 2012-13, but we have not yet returned to overall sustained growth in manufacturing activity; 6.3% of GDP is not to be sneezed at, but in 1989 manufacturing was 11.4% of GDP, and 8.6% in 2004.

The ups and downs are shaped by multiple major trends, often interconnected, whose impacts are overlaid upon each other. These include the fluctuations in the dollar, the rise of a changing China, the fortunes of the resources sector, our evolving energy system, and Australia’s growing unit labour costs.

In recent years every factor was against us at once, producing a period of nearly unendurable pressure that has shuttered some businesses, ended some sectors, and altered the structure of our economy, perhaps forever. But if we look closer, we can see that many of these factors are changing – and promise greater opportunity now and in the years ahead.

Exchange rates are now at competitive levels and may be headed in a more supportive direction. Labour costs can be turned around, not by slashing wages but by building productivity through workplace flexibility and investment in skills and capital. Energy costs can be blunted through efficient use and effective policy.

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AMT May 2015

But Australia may have been more impacted than most; new investment is essential to take advantage of new technology, but the other worries discussed above saw annual manufacturing investment fall 6% over the past decade.

Flexible, agile business models and production techniques allow an Australian manufacturer to seize opportunities across global markets and supply chains at scales and speeds that would not have been viable before, switching markets and even product categories as needed. Advancing Australian manufacturing in this way requires significant investment, continuous innovation, much stronger links between research and manufacturing, and strong attention to improving management and workforce capabilities.

Research collaboration is particularly urgent to improve, since the lack of a pipeline of innovation could seriously disadvantage Australian industry for many years to come. ABS data for 2012-13 suggests that fewer than one in ten manufacturers collaborate with research organisations, and vanishingly few work with the universities. Australia has some of the best researchers in the world, and some of the most vibrant and innovative businesses. But neither of those capabilities will do us as much good as they ought to unless they work together.

The future of manufacturing is wide open. With no guarantees, Australia’s success or failure is up to us.

FROM THE

Union Paul Bastian – National Secretary Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

What we need to stop our economic drift Back in February, the RBA cut official interest rates to just 2.25%. By the time you read this, rates may even be lower. Yet even if not, this is the lowest official interest rate since the modern inflation-targeting monetary policy regime started in Australia.

It’s effectively the lowest official interest rate in our history. Yet investment across the economy has failed to pick up, with the latest RBA Board meeting minutes admitting investment is weaker than expected and that its low level is more persistent than could have been foreseen. Weak investment is both a cause and a symptom of weak growth, in profits, wages and output.

Added to the feeling of drift is a Government that has failed to implement its Budget and has shown incredible inconsistency about its economic agenda. One day it declares that 14% net public debt to GDP is a “debt and deficit disaster”, then the next it declares that 60% is a “pretty good result”. The economy overall continues to perform below trend and unemployment continues to remain high. We’re in uncertain economic times and the uncertainty is being felt by workers and business alike.

One thing is clear, monetary policy isn’t going to bring back the confidence that the economy desperately needs. Businesses, including manufacturing businesses, aren’t going to start investing and hiring more workers unless they see a change in their customers.

That won’t happen until they sense a change in the national economic mood. We have record low interest rates and we have masses of workers ready, willing and able to get to work. We even have an exchange rate that reflects economic reality better than at any time in recent years, but these are not enough.

What we desperately need is a shared vision and a shared plan for an economy that works for business, for consumers and for workers.

A vision that tells Australian business and the Australian people how we are going to maintain and grow an advanced and diversified economy. But to come to such a vision, we need a government that understands our economic destiny is shared, not one that benefits from pitting interests against each other. We need businesses, as well as workers, to focus on the real challenges of productivity and competitiveness, not be lured into an attack on workers’ rights because of an opportunity through a Productivity Commission inquiry, presented by a government with an ideological obsession to diminish the power of organised labour.

The facts about productivity point to our real challenges and expose the government’s counterproductive agenda. Labour productivity grew at 1.3% in the last year, the same as average annual growth over the last decade. On the other hand, capital productivity shrunk by 2%, better than its decade average contraction of 2.7%, but still abysmal. Multi-factor productivity or technological productivity also fell, by 0.1%, after recording average annual growth of minus 0.4% over the last decade. In short, it is only labour that has consistently increased its productivity in the last decade.

Yet we have a multi-pronged attack on workers’ conditions and pay, as if it was only labour that had failed to improve its productivity.

The conclusion is clear and irrefutable – the government’s agenda and the national conversation are not based on our real economic challenges, they are based on political motivations and ideological obsessions. Far from setting the groundwork for an economy that can compete in a rapidly changing world and region, we are wasting valuable time, effort and goodwill engaging in trench warfare over issues that have little or no impact on our real economic challenges.

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AMT May 2015

… the government’s agenda and the national conversation are not based on our real economic challenges, they are based on political motivations and ideological obsessions.

While unions, business and government argue over the issue of minimum wages and penalty rates, we are not discussing why in the last 10 years Australia’s deployment of new technologies hasn’t resulted in any measurable increased productivity and competitiveness. We aren’t discussing what barriers to new innovation exist and how they can be overcome. We aren’t dealing with our impending gas crisis, or the need to de-carbonise our economy. Our real issues are left ignored. Is it any wonder confidence is lacking, uncertainty is ripe and there is a general feeling of drift rather than determined direction?

The AMWU has a long history of engaging in genuine attempts at reform that aim to tackle our economic challenges, as recently as the Prime Minister’s Taskforce on Manufacturing in 2012. Even at times like these, when a tripartite approach to addressing our issues isn’t being permitted, the AMWU is still dedicated to providing sound policy ideas that address our real problems.

We have pointed out numerous times that the policy response to the closure of automotive manufacturing is woefully inadequate. The expected underspend in the Automotive Transformation Scheme should be used to minimise supply chain firm closures, assist in diversification and worker support, and provide a boost to the regions expecting the greatest impacts. Manufacturing businesses know that they often have greater difficulty securing finance for new investment than other businesses, especially for innovative projects using the latest technologies. That’s why we advocate a Manufacturing Finance Corporation, either modelled on or as part of an expanded Clean Energy Finance Corporation, to facilitate and support investment in advanced manufacturing businesses. We have been arguing for reforms to state and federal government procurement processes, so value-for-money assessments take into account flow-on benefits like tax revenue, skills acquisition, jobs and investment, rather than just contract price. On these and many other fronts we have been putting forward a positive program of reform that addresses our real challenges.

Our economy and our manufacturing sector can compete with a rising Asia, but not based on a race to the bottom on wages. Skills, technology and quality are the keys to our future success, and with unions, business and government focused on how to win that competition, we can be confident in our continued prosperity. I look forward to the day the government and entire business community joins us in focusing on what really matters. Until then, I suspect we’ll continue to drift, regardless of what the RBA does.

See us at stand

580

industry news

Australian PMI: Manufacturing falters despite lift in exports The performance of the Australian manufacturing sector continued to falter in March, with the Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) recording its fourth straight month of contraction.

While up slightly, by 0.9 points to 46.3, the Australian PMI remained well below the 50-point figure separating expansion from contraction.

Among the activity indicators, manufacturing production (up 1.6 points to 46.6) and new orders (up 1.7 points to 45.9) continued to decline, and manufacturing sales (up 1.0 point to 46.2) contracted for a tenth consecutive month.

Only the manufacturing exports sub-index signalled expansion (down 2.2 points to 51.7 points), as the impacts of the lower dollar continued to flow through. Once again, much of this growth in exports was concentrated in the food and beverages sub-sector, one of four manufacturing sub-sectors to expand in March (down 0.7 points to 59.4).

“The lower Australian dollar continues to boost manufacturing export volumes,” said Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox. “However, despite stronger residential building activity and some easing of the intense pricing pressures from imports flowing from the lower dollar, weak local demand continues to weigh heavily on activity.

The non-metallic mineral products sub-sector expanded for a fifth consecutive month, although at a slower pace (down 8.7 points to 57.4), while the very small printing and recorded media sub-sector rose by 10.3 points to 58.6 - its first expansion since December 2013.

Wood and paper products stabilised in March (up 8.6 points to 50.1), but textiles, clothing & furniture returned to contraction (down 7.3

points to 48.6) after fourth months of expansion. The machinery and equipment (unchanged at 43.5); metal products (down 0.7 points to 44.3); and petroleum, coal, chemicals and rubber products (up 1.1 points to 35.8) sub-sectors all continued to contract this month.

Reflecting ongoing weak trading conditions, manufacturers reduced their supplier deliveries (up 0.7 points to 47.6) and stock levels (down 3.6 points to 43.4) for a second month in March. Manufacturing employment fell for a third month in March, albeit at a slower pace (up 1.2 points to 47.1). After 12 months of contraction, selling prices stabilised in March (up 1.7 points to 50.0), indicating some easing of downward pricing pressure from import competition as the impacts of the lower dollar continue to flow through. However, input costs remain elevated (up 1.0 points to 73.4) and the wages sub-index increased slightly (up 1.3 points to 56.5), pointing to ongoing margin pressures for manufacturers.

“This month manufacturers noted the dampening impacts of further drops in mining construction; the progressive closure of automotive assembly; subdued business investment in equipment; and political uncertainties in Canberra and in NSW ahead of the state election,” Willox added. “The other side of the lower value of the currency is that it is lifting prices for imported inputs and we expect it will take some time for manufacturers to adjust the arrangements - including offshoring - they put in place when the dollar was higher.”

Manufacturing Australia releases gas market reform plan Manufacturing Australia has released a market reform plan that it says could restore competition and confidence to the domestic gas market and help to prevent widespread manufacturing job losses.

Among the recommendations are calls to establish functional, transparent, trading hubs for gas, fast-track gas infrastructure like the proposed Northern Territory pipeline, introduce “use it or lose it” policies to prevent gas being withheld from the market, and for governments to incentivise and stimulate investment in new gas production to get more competitors into the market.

The 13-point plan, launched by Manufacturing Australia Chairman Mark Chellew, urges joint action by Federal, State and Territory governments and industry, and says gas market reform should focus on four key goals: establishing transparent and functional gas markets; securing domestic and export supply; developing appropriate infrastructure; and providing incentives for new production.

Chellew described the gas supply and price challenges as a ‘severe threat’ to domestic manufacturing, and warned that up to 83,000 direct manufacturing jobs could be lost if market reforms are not fast-tracked to restore confidence among industrial gas users.

“The Energy White Paper has the right vision of a gas market with diverse suppliers, additional supply, appropriate infrastructure and competitive, transparent, trading markets,” said Chellew. “But we are a very long way from that ideal now and there is a lot of work to be done if

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AMT May 2015

the Australian gas market is going to enable long-term manufacturing investment.”

The action plan depicts a highly dysfunctional gas market that has rapidly consolidated and transformed with the establishment of an export Liquefied Natural Gas industry.

“Just a handful of economic interests now control the vast majority of Australia’s current gas reserves, while regulatory barriers, infrastructure constraints and the lack of transparent markets and trading hubs prevent new gas supply, and new suppliers, from entering the market,” said Chellew.

Chellew said the recent announcement that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will examine competition in the Australian gas market is a very welcome start, but reforms must move quickly.

“None of this is easy,” he added. “None of it is a silver bullet. But if we continue on the path we’re on Australia will lose much of our gas-intensive manufacturing industries, and we’re not likely to get them back.”

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industry news

AAAA calls for “new vision” for Australian automotive The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) has accused the Federal Government of lacking a vision and strategy, and warned of “a tsunami of job losses” over the next two years. close to develop a whole of industry strategy covering all remaining automotive sectors.”

AAAA Executive Director Stuart Charity said Australia could lose up to 40,000 highly skilled jobs and leave hundreds of millions of dollars worth of sophisticated manufacturing equipment sitting idle.

“When Federal Industry Minister Macfarlane withdrew the Government bill to cut $500m from the Automotive Transition Scheme (ATS), he was playing charades,” said Charity. “He knew all that money would never be spent by an industry shutting down. The ATS money is available only to car makers and their direct component supply chain.

“There is no Federal Government strategy and supporting policy in place for the other sectors of the automotive manufacturing industry. If the Federal Government had a vision for the future of the Australian automotive industry, those remaining sectors could be encouraged to expand.”

The automotive aftermarket turns over $11bn a year and employs over 40,000 Australians.

Automotive aftermarket manufacturing represents 36% of all automotive production in Australia, or $5.2bn a year. Local aftermarket manufacturers produce parts, accessories, workshop tools and equipment and speciality equipment such as 4WD, highperformance and motorsport components.

AAAA Executive Director Stuart Charity

According to Charity, those sectors include businesses that design, engineer and manufacture agricultural, mining, truck, bus, defence, special purpose, recreational and motorised personal vehicles. It also includes companies that manufacture automotive aftermarket parts and accessories.

“The much-needed Inquiry into the future of the Australian automotive industry launched recently was the result of action taken by Labor and Independent Senators – it was not a Federal Government initiative,” Charity added. “In the AAAA submission to the Senate Inquiry we said there is more to the Australian automotive industry than making cars. The Government must recognise this before it is too late.

Charity believes that if the Federal Government took immediate action to include these sectors as part of a strategy to grow Australia’s automotive industry, these businesses could absorb some of the labour and stranded assets from the car industry.

“Australia has reached a turning point with respect to its automotive industry.

This is a now or never decision for the Federal Government. We are calling on the Government to work with the sectors that will still be operating after the car makers

According to the AAAA, 260 member companies manufacture product locally, with around 65% actively exporting. The aftermarket exports more than $800m in Australian manufactured product a year.

“The aftermarket is strong and growing,” added Charity. “Surveys of aftermarket manufacturers consistently report that these businesses are confident Australia can sustain a healthy, diversified and competitive automotive industry into the future. The aftermarket is proof there are viable and growing automotive manufacturing sectors in Australia.

“With good industry strategy and supporting Federal Government policy, the Australian automotive industry can regroup during the closure of the passenger car-makers.

It could employ thousands of those skilled people who will soon lose their jobs. These growing businesses will pay taxes and they will earn vital export income for the nation.”

Survey highlights pressures on manufacturing workers New research conducted by Kronos has highlighted how uncertainty and constant job shake-ups in the Australian manufacturing industry have taken their toll on workers.

Australia’s manufacturing sector is facing considerable challenges amid increasing global competition, an ageing population, new technologies and increasingly stringent customer and compliance requirements. Kronos’ survey polled 1685 Australian workers, including 311 working within the manufacturing sector.

According to the research, manufacturing workers feel increasingly uncertain about their future, particularly following recent high-profile factory closures in the motoring industry. It found that 55% are not confident about the amount of work available in the sector in the future. A small portion (18%) were more optimistic, believing there are job opportunities with local manufacturers who are innovating

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AMT May 2015

and recruiting talented employees, but nearly two-fifths (30%) disagree.

Deep intergenerational tension exists within the manufacturing industry, with 33% of respondents agreeing there were a lot of older workers whose experience was not being utilised. Only 47% agreed there is ‘always a job in the industry for older workers’, while 60% believe younger employees do not appreciate the knowledge and skills of their older counterparts.

Technology and the rationalisation of roles have led to an appetite for more training. Half of all manufacturing workers (50%) believe they need to look for more training to remain competitive for future jobs. Employees also want to be motivated in their work, with 23% citing training as a motivational boost, while

alarmingly 80% felt their business does not do a good job of matching employee skills to role and 83% claiming an absence of training that matches their role.

“Demographic shifts in the manufacturing workforce and consequent policy changes present significant challenges for manufacturers in how they manage their workforce and business operations as well as train and retain the right level of skills to remain competitive,” said Peter Harte of Kronos. “The insights drawn from the research can better prepare manufacturing leaders, management, and human resources departments to understand current and future challenges in the Australian manufacturing industry.”

industry news

Australian Made launches new portal to connect businesses The Australian Made Campaign has launched the ‘Australian Made Business-to-Business (B2B) Portal’ – an interactive resource hub for Australian businesses.

The portal can be used to search for certified Australian Made products with a B2B application and access exclusive business opportunities available only to Australian manufacturers and growers. The centrepiece of the Australian Made B2B Portal is an online connection point for buyers and suppliers of Australian products.

Powered by Industry Capability Network (ICN) Gateway, it will enable suppliers to search for project opportunities and register their company’s interest in just a few easy steps. It also offers a sophisticated supplier search functionality for procurement professionals and project managers.

“The Australian Made B2B Portal will link manufacturers with major projects opportunities while also providing access to a range of useful initiatives to help sell their genuine Aussie products,” said Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive, Ian Harrison. “We know Australian growers and manufacturers are ready and willing to work hard to expand their network of customers, and this portal takes the guesswork out of how to go about doing that.”

Eligible businesses can register interest in tendering for projects, and be considered for inclusion in Australian Made branded stores throughout Australian airports and in export markets around the world. A range of adverting and promotional discounts are also available.

The Australian Made Campaign is working with ICN as part of the Federal Government’s Buy Australian at Home and Abroad initiative.

“The Australian Made Business-to-Business Portal aims to provide local growers and manufacturers with improved and ongoing access to upcoming opportunities, and increase the quota of genuine Australian products and produce being procured,” said Harrison. “We encourage all buyers and suppliers to visit the portal to find out more about how it can benefit them.”

The Australian Made Business-toBusiness Portal can be found at www. australianmade.com.au.

ACCI: Manufacturers cautiously optimistic Australia’s manufacturing sector is in a state of cautious optimism, with manufacturers expecting the general business situation in the next six months to be better than the previous half-year, the latest Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Westpac Survey of Industrial Trends has found.

The March-quarter Survey of Industrial Trends, which asks questions on current and expected conditions for Australian manufacturers across 12 sectors and all states, comes at a time of a falling Australian dollar and falling interest rates, easing cost pressures. The survey found a net positive 8% of responses on the question of whether the general business situation in Australia will improve over the next six months, though this is down on a net positive 27% in the previous December-quarter survey.

When asked about their own firm, respondents were even more optimistic, with a net positive of 13% of respondents saying they expect their firm’s profitability to improve in the next 12 months. This reflects a modest but continuing underlying positive trend, following a 23% net positive result the previous quarter. The Reserve Bank’s decision to lower interest rates in February to 2.25% was a welcome development, benefiting the manufacturing sector. It is widely expected that the Reserve Bank will lower rates further in coming months.

Manufacturers say they have room to grow, with a net 13% saying they are operating below normal capacity utilisation. The biggest single factor limiting the increase in production was orders, accounting for 62% of responses. Respondents to the survey said they expected in the coming year to increase capital expenditure on buildings (net positive 8%) and plant and machinery (net positive 12%). These investment indicators, which initially turned positive in late 2014, suggest greater confidence among firms may translate into additional spending.

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AMT May 2015

Manufacturers sounded a note of caution on wages growth, with a net 10% saying they expected their firm’s next wage enterprise deal to produce annual rises less than in place under the previous deal.

“This latest survey shows that Australian manufacturers are optimistic about the general business situation and their own firm’s future profitability,” said Kate Carnell AO, CEO of the ACCI. “But firms are still holding back on making big commitments until they get further momentum. Overall this is a positive and encouraging survey, with demand and output both returning positive indicators.”

industry news

Global additive industry tops $4bn The additive manufacturing market grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.2% to $4.1bn in 2014, according to the Wohlers Report 2015.

The report, from consulting firm Wohlers Associates, found that the industry expanded by more than $1bn in 2014, with 49 manufacturers producing and selling industrial-grade machines.

The CAGR over the past three years (2012-2014) was 33.8%.

Growth occurred in all segments, including the low-cost “desktop” 3D printer segment. The use of industrial metal AM systems for demanding production applications in the aerospace and medical markets also grew strongly. The report documents an increasingly rich range of technologies, markets and business models that are emerging within the industry.

The Wohlers Report 2015 provides an in-depth review and analysis of the industry worldwide. It includes growth, competitive products and services, and the future outlook for the industry. It also covers developments in R&D, investment and collaborative activities in government, academia, and industry, and summarises the state of the additive manufacturing industry around the world.

“The first Wohlers Report was published in April 1996,” said Terry Wohlers, principal consultant and president of Wohlers Associates. “The additive manufacturing industry represented a mere $295m in 1995. A lot has changed in 20 years, and we’ve worked hard to document this change.”

AAMC call for ‘country to company’ trade strategies Australian businesses would benefit if Government trade and investment strategies focused more on ‘country to company’ facilitation, according to John Pollaers, Chairman of the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Council (AAMC).

“The dominance of small and medium-sized enterprises in Australia means some of the biggest opportunities for Australian business growth will come from supplying large multinational companies’ global value chains,” Pollaers said. “The opportunity for Australian companies – advanced manufacturers and service providers alike – is enormous.

“Traditionally, our trade and investment facilitators have taken groups of business people on ‘country to country’ missions. There is a good case for saying ‘country to company’ missions should also be strongly supported. Austrade is doing some great work in increasing access for Australian SMEs into global value chains. This would give that strategy critical support.”

Speaking at the Hannover Fair, in Germany last month, Pollaers said SMEs could learn a great deal from understanding the strategic pathways of global industrial giants.

“Where are these companies expanding?” he said. “What are the new sectors, new technologies, new markets they are focusing on? What are the problems they are trying to solve? Really understanding this will give Australian companies an edge.”

AMT May 2015

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government news

New lending flexibility for SMEs Unison Joints, a Queensland-based manufacturer of expansion joint products, has become the first SME exporter to benefit from the Federal Government’s amendments to the Efic Act, which received Royal Assent in March.

These changes mean Efic can now lend directly for the export of all goods, not just ‘capital goods’, allowing it to better support small and medium-sized Australian exporters. Previously Efic’s support for exporters of consumable goods requiring working capital was to provide a guarantee to the exporter’s bank.

and time, and its quick approval allowed us to move very quickly to secure an important export contract, “said Paul Fulloon, Director at Unison Joints. “We found the whole process with Efic very easy, with its streamlined application process helping to remove a whole layer of unnecessary due diligence.”

This new lending flexibility is consistent with the Government’s focus on having Efic help more Australian SMEs, through reducing red tape and the costs associated with accessing Efic’s services.

Bruno Angelico, Managing Director, Steele Environment Solutions, concurs, saying: “Efic provides an invaluable service that allows Australian SMEs to export innovation and value-added products to the world.”

Efic’s greater ability to lend directly to SMEs will help to lower the fees and charges SMEs pay when accessing finance from Efic, due to the current duplication of credit and legal costs associated with having two parties (Efic as guarantor and the SME’s bank as beneficiary) involved in each transaction.

These changes will also help to make Efic’s application and approval process more efficient, as well as increasing the number of SMEs, particularly smaller businesses, which can now access Efic’s products and services more cost-effectively.

Efic will, however, continue to operate in the ‘market gap’, providing financial solutions to SMEs only where the private market is unable or unwilling to help. The Government will also apply competitive neutrality principles to Efic’s operations, as a way of ensuring these changes do not bring Efic into direct competition with private sector financiers.

In response to these changes, Efic has created a product called the Export Contract Loan, under which the loan to Unison Joints was provided, as was another to Steele Environment Solutions, a Victorian technology advisory and research firm.

“These changes are a further endorsement by the Government of Efic’s role in helping more SME exporters, and those SMEs in an export supply chain,” said Andrew Hunter, Efic’s Managing Director. “And with a third client also very close to signing, it’s already clear that Efic’s new lending flexibility will allow us to help even more SME exporters in all industry sectors reduce costs and receive the finance they need to succeed in international markets.”

“Efic’s ability to lend directly has resulted in big savings to our business, both in dollars

www.unisonjoints.com.au www.stevsol.com www.efic.gov.au

Vic Hall of Fame Dinner now booking Bookings are now being taken for the 2015 Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Gala Dinner, in Melbourne on Tuesday 26 May. Considered to be a highlight of the manufacturing calendar, the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame recognises excellence in manufacturing.

Last year’s winners

The Awards were established in 2001 to celebrate manufacturing excellence in Victoria. At last year’s awards ceremony, SRX Global (Australia), Future Fibre Technologies of Mulgrave and Thermofilm Australia were named as Manufacturer of the Year in the large, medium and small categories respectively. In addition, AMTIL members APT and Maton were among nine companies inducted into the Hall of Fame with a total of 16 individuals or companies receiving recognition as representing the very best of the state’s manufacturing industry.

This year there will be six new categories reflecting the six sectors with potential for extraordinary economic growth: medical technology and pharmaceuticals; new energy technology; food and fibre processing; transport; defence and construction technology; international education and professional services. These sectors of the economy are central to the Victorian Government’s plan to create 100,000 jobs, assisted by its $200m Future Industries Fund.

The ceremony will see this year’s award recipients announced and share their stories of success. The dinner will present the opportunity for those in attendance to mingle with other industry leaders and network with your peers, while enjoying fine food and wine as well as fabulous entertainment on the opening night of Austech and National Manufacturing Week.

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• Event: 2015 Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Gala Dinner • Date: Tuesday 26 May 2015 • Time: 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm • Venue: Palladium, Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank • Parking: Available at the Multi-level Car Park, enter via Clarke Street, Haig Street or Kings Way • Dress: Black Tie/Evening Gown Tickets are $230 each or $2100 for a table of ten (prices include GST and agency fees). Tables of 10, 11 or 12 can be accommodated. www.vmhf.com.au

VOICE-BOX Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

Stability needed in science research funding Christopher Pyne’s recent backdown on linking the funding of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme (NCRIS) to the Government’s current university reform legislation has caused a major sigh of relief in the research sector. But the relief is currently only for 12 months and should never have occurred in the first place.

The NCRIS is a great scheme. Australia is too small a place for every state or every research organisation to have the latest and greatest bit of kit. Before the NCRIS, that was the way we tended to fund things.

The former Major National Research Facilities Program was much more competitive and cut-throat. There were some good examples of sharing facilities, but not many.

The NCRIS changed things. Introduced in 2004 by the previous Liberal government under Prime Minister John Howard, the scheme allowed for staffing to run the infrastructure as well as the buildings and machines themselves. More importantly, NCRIS facilities were developed following extensive consultations in their sector, with business plans and governance put in place to maximise their use and impact.

The so-called “NCRISIS” didn’t start with Christopher Pyne, the Minister for Education and Training. The problem is that NCRIS funding was provided under terminating programs. Think of NCRIS as the poster child for Ian Chubb’s call for a much more strategic approach to the funding of science in Australia. The Chief Scientist has long argued that we need to focus and sustain our efforts. We can’t afford to do everything, so let’s make sure we concentrate our efforts and resources to those areas of need and excellence.

I’m the last one to argue that all current NCRIS facilities should be funded forever and forgotten. Their governance and performance should be subject to regular hard reviews. They need to be responsive and serving their sectors well, no question about it. But Australian science is always going to need world-class infrastructure, so we need to see an ongoing financial commitment within the Budget. The current situation almost guarantees that the staff at NCRIS facilities will have one eye on the job market all the time.

It is not just NCRIS staff who need greater stability. If we are going to bring industry and science closer together in Australia, we need a much more stable, strategic environment. Businesses are extremely sensitive to changes in public research budgets or policy changes. If you look around the world at industry-government research schemes, the biggest factor in achieving greater industry investment is time.

For example, the British Government’s new Catapult scheme is getting a lot of attention. Catapults aim to attract one-third of their budget from businesses. They are receiving a reasonable time-frame to achieve that aim. It doesn’t happen overnight. Catapults are modelled to a degree on the German Fraunhofer Institutes, which achieve about a third (sometimes more) of their resources from industry. But the business model for Fraunhofer has remained stable for over 60 years: “It is in our DNA” said a German visitor to Australia late last year.

Tom Coor, the CEO of the Ontario Centres of Excellence, spoke at the Universities Australia conference in March. Tom made the important point that his organisation requires industry matching funds for project work. When I asked Tom if they had that requirement from their initiation 28 years ago, he indicated that it was only possible now because it had taken decades to build confidence with industry.

Similarly, Australia’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) have taken time for industry to fully commit. In the first round of CRCs 25 years ago, fewer than 15% of resources came from businesses. In recent rounds it is over 30%. In fact, the CRC Programme resources account for only 22% of current resources going into CRCs, so the government is doing better than the British Catapult program’s aspirations of reaching one-third of funding.

We can’t predict the future accurately. But one thing that is absolutely certain is that Australia will still need to be investing in science and research. Having a clear strategic plan and a long-term vision for that investment will go a long way to ensuring that investment is made wisely.

During this year, we will see Chubb and the Commonwealth Science Council deliver a plan that will prioritise where Australia makes its science investments. If it can also shape how those investments are made, it will have a major impact.

Dr Tony Peacock is the CEO of the Cooperative Research Centres Association. www.crca.asn.au

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Tech news

USA: Aircraft manufacturing – Out of the oven A new film of carbon nanotubes cures composites for airplane wings and fuselages, using only 1% of the energy required by traditional, oven-based manufacturing processes. When connected to an electrical power source, and wrapped over a multilayer polymer composite, the heated film stimulates the polymer to solidify. The film created a composite as strong as that manufactured in conventional ovens and is very light-weight. The new “out-of-oven” approach may offer a more direct, energy-saving method for manufacturing virtually any industrial composite. After it has fused the underlying polymer layers, the film itself meshes with the composite, adding negligible weight. The new technique may open the door to smaller firms that lack access to large industrial ovens.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

USA: Layerless 3D printing An innovative approach to polymer-based 3D printing has been presented. The new Continuous Liquid Interface Production technology (CLIP) harnesses light and oxygen to continuously grow objects from a pool of resin instead of printing them layer-by-layer.

This is 25-100 times faster than conventional 3D printing; it produces objects with consistent mechanical properties and enables a broad range of polymeric materials. Existing 3D printing is really just 2D printing, over and over again. As a result, 3D printed parts take many hours, even days, to produce and are mechanically weak due to their shale-like layers. By carefully balancing the interaction of UV light, which triggers photo polymerization and oxygen, which inhibits the reaction, CLIP continuously grows objects from a pool of resin.

Carbon3D

Australia: Steelmaking goes green In steelmaking, slag is a term used to describe the waste product created during the process of refining or smelting ore. CSIRO’s smart technology - Dry slag granulation (DSG) - has found a way to turn that waste into a new product to make cement, while reducing water use and greenhouse gas emissions. DSG has the potential to save 60 billion litres of water, 800 petajoules of heat energy and 60 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent of 14% of Australia’s energy use. This technology has been in development for over a decade and a new commercialisation trial with the Beijing MCC Equipment Research & Design Corporation has been announced hopefully the first step to commercialising this technology globally.

CSIRO

Germany: Low-vibration sawing and sanding Handheld power tools produce powerful vibrations. But a new anti-vibration system (the FEIN MultiMaster FMM 350 Q) almost entirely eliminates the shaking sensation: The oscillator vibrates up to 70% less and is only half as loud as its predecessor. The tools don’t employ a rotating action, but rather one that moves back and forth almost 19,500 times a minute and are just as adept at rasping, polishing, shaving, cutting, severing, sharpening and filing. The reduction in vibration was achieved via elastomer elements which are used to decouple the housing from the motor and act like a form of mechanical suspension and insulation, which means only a tiny portion of motor vibrations are transferred to the housing and to the user. The researchers had to strike a balance between reducing vibrations and allowing users to retain a feel for what the tool is doing.

This was done by adjusting the stiffness of the elastomer elements.

Fraunhofer

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AMT May 2015

Singapore: Avoiding the cracks A technique known as laser-aided additive manufacturing has been used to optimise the properties of a nickel-based alloy called IN100. This alloy’s high titanium and aluminium content makes it prone to cracking over time or during fusion deposition and welding.

For this reason, fusion deposition has never been attempted on IN100. However the IN100 fabricated using laser-aided additive manufacturing is far more resistant to cracking. A beam from an infrared laser was fired to form a melt pool on the substrate surface and IN100 powders were delivered to the melt pool. The powders were melted and deposited onto a cast IN100 substrate. Finally the alloy was strengthened by subjecting it to a post heat treatment process. The material was free of cracks and had a low porosity.

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

Finland: Welding system of the future is self-learning An entirely new kind of welding system has been developed, based on a new kind of sensor system which is controlled by a neural network program and which solves quality and productivity problems related to automated welding. It is self-adjusting, flexible and adaptable. In welding, a monitoring sensor is used which tracks the bevel angle.

In this system, there are also monitoring sensors for the thermal profile and the weld form and is monitored throughout the whole process. When the welding values approach the boundary values set in the parameter window, the system corrects the process so that the welding values move back towards the centre of the value range and the possible defect is prevented. This system will bring significant savings to the welding industry, as resources will no longer be required for post-welding checks and repairs.

Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT

Australia: EV Revolution fuelled

by Australian technology Australian-based Tritium recently signed an exclusive US contract with ChargePoint, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network. ChargePoint will install Tritium’s award-winning DC fast charging stations: the Veefil across the US. The Head of Chargepoint described Tritium’s fast-charging technology as “by far and away the best product out there”. For Tritium, the deal with ChargePoint is a major win: an entrance into an advanced and dynamic EV market that is considered ahead of the EU, where the company recently won supply contracts across three countries. However EV progress has been comparatively slow in Australia (limited at present to Tritium building a fast-charge network running down Queensland’s coast).

Tritium/RenewEconomy

Australia: Hydrogen highway As hinted at in February’s edition of AMT, Australia’s first hydrogenpowered car -.the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) – was unveiled in Sydney in April. The FCEV is a competitor to Tesla’s EV. To support the FCEV, Australia’s only hydrogen vehicle refueling station has opened at Hyundi’s Macquarie Park HQ. Hydrogen is provided by gas partner Coregas Australia, but will soon be creating its own hydrogen onsite through an electrolyser and solar power. The FCEV runs on hydrogen, burns no fuel and emits nothing but water vapour. Range and refueling time is similar to that of a normal petrolpowered car. The Hydrogen Refueling Station (HRS), is supplied

by US company: Air Products. While investment overseas will see hundreds of HRS’s built throughout Europe and the US, there are currently no plans for a similar infrastructure in Australia.

Hyundai

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product news

Safety laser scanner Threading duo from Treotham offers triple benefit The Pharo safety laser scanner is an optoelectronic protection device for accident prevention.

Pharo is suitable for the protection of personnel exposed to risks deriving from both machines and systems with dangerous organs as well as from possible collisions with automatic guided vehicles (AGVs).

With the Pharo it is possible to create programmable protected horizontal or vertical areas of variable shape suitable to all applications without the need to use a separate reflector or receiver.

Each sensor has two safety levels: 3 Type – SIL 2 - SILCL 2 - PL d - Cat. 3, and can create two independently programmable controlled zones: two safety zones with maximum radius of 4m; or two warning zones with maximum radius of 20m.

Technical features include: a configuration memory module built into the removable connector; a laser diode light source with a 905nm wavelength; a scanning angle of 190 degrees; and an IP 65 protection rating. Available from Treotham Automation, the Pharo safety laser scanner does not require an external control unit because all the safety functions are built in. www.treotham.com.au

Scan, tap and order with new BOC app BOC has unveiled a new Scan to Order mobile app that will offer its customers a new and innovative way to order their gas and equipment.

According to Daniel Whittle, BOC eChannel Manager, manufacturing workers have become more mobile than ever and it is important that BOC gives these customers the opportunity to order and search for products using mobile devices. BOC has utilised its extensive cylinder barcoding system to implement a unique tool that enables the customer to reorder their BOC gas or product by scanning the cylinder barcode with the app.

“The app is ideal for workers in the manufacturing industry like welders and fabricators who spend a significant amount of time on the job and can’t always get to a computer or BOC Gas & Gear store,” says Whittle. “They can simply use the mobile app to reorder their gas and equipment. This saves a lot of time because once the customer scans the barcode, it will automatically load the product into a secure shopping cart. They can then adjust their refill and return quantities before completing their order.”

Customers can also use the app to browse pricing and order from the entire BOC product range which contains thousands of gas, equipment and safety products. The BOC Scan to Order mobile app can be downloaded from the iTunes App store or Google Play store.

It will be showcased at BOC’s stand 4720 at National Manufacturing Week in Melbourne 26-29 May 2015. www.boc.com.au

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AMT May 2015

The smaller the quantities, the higher the relative costs per thread. This is a well-known fact in manufacturing and is especially noticeable when different materials are involved.

Walter has now developed taps that guarantee an optimal price/ performance ratio. The new duo lowers the costs for threading: the TC115 is designed for blind-hole threads; and the TC216 for throughhole threads. In addition to excellent performance and a versatile range of application options, customers are particularly impressed by their high level of cost-effectiveness.

Longer tool life and higher cutting speeds are just some of the benefits of the Walter Prototyp TC115 and TC216 with TiN coating.

The vaporised variant is a particularly good choice for tough ISO M materials, because it increases process reliability.

In response to customer requirements, the experts at Walter have developed a flexible range of application options for these taps. In several series of experiments, they established the ideal geometry for as wide-ranging a spectrum of materials as possible, from steel to aluminium wrought alloys.

“The customer requires fewer tools,” says Timo Mager, Product Manager at Walter, summarising the benefits. “Consequently, the investment of time and money in their procurement and storage is lowered as well.” www.walter-tools.com

Open house for Mitsubishi eX Applied Machinery held Australia’s first-ever open house for Mitsubishi’s eX range of nextgeneration laser-cutting systems.

The open-house event was held at Applied’s showroom in Dandenong (Melbourne). Showcased at the event was Mitsubishi’s 4.5kW ML-3015 eX machine, running demonstration programs across a wide range of materials and thicknesses up to 25mm. A crowd of local and interstate customers came along to see the laser in action. The event was also attended by a delegation from Mitsubishi in Japan, who participated in a ribboncutting ceremony on the new machine.

Mitusbishi lasers are renowned for their ease of use, low power consumption, low maintenance costs and high quality of finished product, especially with small holes and sharp corners. Offering highspeed cutting over a variety of thicknesses, the eX series is capable of delivering highly intricate designs with precision edges.

Also on display during the open-house event were a number of other machines from Applied’s range, including Yawei pressbrakes, Cosen bandsaws and Genox recycling machines.

Applied staff were on hand to help out with any enquiries. www.appliedmachinery.com.au

product news

Konecranes introduces Crane Reliability Study Konecranes has introduced to Australasia its Crane Reliability Study (CRS) to gather important data on crane usage and design life, in order to optimise safety, productivity and maintenance programs.

CRS is an engineering assessment that studies the current condition of a crane and provides an accurate estimate of its remaining design life. Konecranes follows this up by providing a comprehensive report and expert consultation with a plan for current and future crane usage, providing a valuable tool when dealing with an aging crane fleet, changes in production, safety issues, or other concerns.

“Each CRS is customisable to individual users’ specific needs and requirements,” says John Bailey, General Manager, Service Development, Konecranes South East Asia Pacific (including Australia and New Zealand). “Our highly trained staff utilise the latest technology to provide an expert guide to improving crane reliability and performance.”

A CRS is highly beneficial in a variety of scenarios. If production increases, a CRS will determine whether the cranes can handle the increased work. If a crane is going to be used for additional tasks other than those specified originally, a CRS will assess whether the crane is capable to safely take on the new tasks, or if not, recommend any necessary changes. When the remaining design life of a crane is unknown, a CRS will provide accurate calculations of it, allowing estimations of safe operational life and maintenance and modernisation optimisation. Finally, if a crane is experiencing any problems or has decreased productivity, a CRS can pinpoint the cause of the problem and recommend the best solution.

“Konecranes can provide a CRS for any make or model of crane, regardless of age,” says Bailey. “The CRS looks at the overall condition of a crane’s structures and components and evaluates this in detail with a focus on safety, productivity, reliability, usability and remaining design life.

Trouble-free groove milling The new CoroMill QD groove milling concept from Sandvik Coromant features internal coolant and dedicated insert geometries for milling with high process security.

The main challenge in groove milling is often chip evacuation. Chip issues often harm production efficiency, lower component quality or cause tool breakage, especially when machining narrow and deep grooves. Dedicated for groove milling and parting off operations, CoroMill QD takes care of chip issues with optimised geometries and the unique internal coolant solution. The chips are deformed by the insert geometry to a more narrow shape than the groove and then flushed out by the coolant. Combined with long and predictable tool life, this makes CoroMill QD a reliable solution for secure and troublefree production processes.

Complementing the new cutters is a wide range of new adaptors.

These adaptors enable use of CoroMill QD cutters regardless of whether the preferred machines are small- to medium-sized machining centres, large machining centres or multi-task machines. Silent Tools adaptors are available for long overhang machining.

“Knowing what modernisations are needed in advance allows users to prioritise their activities and schedule the work so that the productivity is maximised and uptime of the equipment is increased over its lifecycle. This not only helps prevent unnecessary production downtime, but also saves money. CRS helps you to plan the future of your cranes.” www.konecranes.com.au

Quick-change chuck for short-stroke cylinder lathes Schunk has launched the Rota NCX power chuck for CNC lathes with short stroke cylinders.

Quick-change jaw chucks from Schunk are renowned for a short return on investment for companies turning smaller and mediumsized parts. The universal Schunk Rota NCX power chuck can replace conventional lathe chucks without a quick-change jaw system without any necessary conversion on the machine. It minimises the set-up and extends the productive machine running times. Within 60 seconds, a new jaw set is retrofitted with a repeat accuracy of 0.02mm. The Rota NCX is suitable for finish machining as well as volume production.

To ensure maximum operational safety, the Schunk Rota NCX is equipped with a jaw locking system and jaw presence monitoring.

With an individual base jaw system, the Rota NCX becomes particularly appealing for users that do not yet work with a quickchange jaw chuck. Every type of standard top jaws with tongue and groove can be used as top jaws.

The internal coolant is based on a four-channel delivery solution from the adaptors to the cutter. By implementing this solution on the new adaptors for CoroMill QD, coolant delivery into the groove is achieved.

The universal Schunk Rota NCX chuck is available in the sizes 165mm, 215m, 260m, and 315mm with a through-hole of diameter 53mm to 106mm, a jaw stroke from 3mm to 6.3mm, and a clamping force from 55-155kN. The versatile new unit can also be used for ID and OD clamping.

www.sandvik.coromant.com

www.schunk.com

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AMT May 2015

Product news

Iscar – Machining DC drives made to order. exotic materials Iscar recently introduced grade IC806, a new complementary Sumo Tec PVD-coated grade designed specifically for the efficient machining of austenitic nickel chromium-based superalloys.

Nickel chromium-based superalloys are oxidation and corrosionresistant materials well suited for service in extreme environments subjected to pressure, heat and kinetic energy. When heated, they form a thick, stable, passivating oxide layer protecting the surface from further attack. Nickel chromium-based superalloys retain strength over a wide temperature range.

Typical applications within the global aerospace industry are for components which are located in the hot section of the engine. In the oil and gas industry they fill the need of a high-strength alloy with good corrosion resistance for downhole equipment, and the need for completing high-pressure gas wells to gas containing high CO2 and H2S for completion equipment.

The major problems encountered when machining nickel chromium-based superalloys are characterised by the generation of very high temperatures on the cutting edge of the insert. This is due largely to the abrasive elements in the material’s composition (a high nickel content of 44.2-70% and chrome content of 1430%), which causes high wear rates, chipping, notching and insert breakage. These factors contribute to reduced tool life, deformation of the cutting edge even at low cutting speeds and increased down-time.

Another problem associated with the machining of nickel chromium based superalloys is the tendency to malform due to metallurgical sensitivity to residual stresses and self-hardening effects during the cutting operation.

maxon motor’s successful X drives program is being expanded to include a new motor size and different planetary gearheads. maxon’s X drives for DC motors and gearheads offer customisable choices that are easily and quickly configured online, while also stronger and more efficient than other drives currently available.

The product line is now being expanded to include the DCX 12, a micromotor with a diameter of 12mm to close the gap between the DCX 10 and the DCX 14. It is available with precious metal brushes as well as various options for ironless windings and bearings. The matching planetary gearhead (1–4-stage) is also now available.

Moreover, existing gearhead sizes can now be obtained with several new reduction ratios: GPX 14 (new three- and four-stage), GPX 16 (new four-stage), and GPX 37 (new one- and twostage). The planetary gearheads with the sizes 14mm, 26mm, and 37mm are also available in ceramic, reduced-noise-level and reduced-backlash versions. All the new products are now available in the maxon motor online shop. Customers choose the desired motor, the matching winding, brushes, and shaft length, as well as the gearhead and encoder. The order is ready for shipment after just 11 days. www.maxonmotor.com.au

Premium Quality Carbide Rods Quality That Measures Up To Modern Standards of Productivity

To help overcome these multiple difficulties and to enable the effective machining of this challenging material, Iscar has developed the highly efficient IC806, a submicron grade insert with an advanced PVD TiAlN nanolayer coating. The hard substrate of IC806, its beneficial coating and special post-coating treatment deliver substantially longer tool life, improved reliability and greater resistance against flaking and chipping.

Iscar has succeeded in achieving optimum results in machining superalloys by combining two major components which affect the final result: grade; and chipformers F3M & M3M, with the development of innovative geometries that allow for easy cutting of material and low machining output.

The main advantage of the IC806 is the ability to machine superalloys such as Inconel and Waspaloy at very high cutting speed (more than double compared to existing grades). The average cutting speed with the standard current grades for machining these superalloys is between 25 to 30 metres/min.

With the new IC806, speeds can run up to 80m/min, increasing productivity dramatically and achieving excellent tool life. When compared to currently available comparable inserts, including existing Iscar grades, IC806 was proven in extensive trials to exhibit superior wear-resistant properties, excellent machining results and deliver both significant productivity gains and cost reductions. www.iscar.com.au

Stocks available at IMC Belgium Warehouse.

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IMC International Metalworking Engineering & Production (Dalian) Co Ltd No.62 Tie Shan Zhong Road, Dalian Jinzhou New District, 116600 China Tel: +86 (0) 411 8796 3000/3013 Fax: +86 (0) 411 8796 3188 E-mail: CustomerService@imc-companies.com.cn

AMT May 2015 IMC DALIAN - ROD AD_92x132.indd 1

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Austech 2015 preview

our industry, all under one roof From 26 to 29 May, the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre will be the place to be for anyone with an interest in manufacturing, as Austech Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition - returns.

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AMT May 2015

Austech 2015 preview

Australian manufacturing has gone through some difficult times in recent years, and conditions are undoubtedly still tough out there for many Australian manufacturers. However, there are signs that we’re beginning to turn a corner, with evidence emerging of a cautious optimism taking hold across our industry.

Against this backdrop, Austech is set to make its return, and as preparations for the show have proceeded, the sense of renewed confidence has been evident. The enthusiastic response from exhibitors, as well as the early interest from those planning to attend the show, have provided a robust affirmation of the enduring importance of Australia’s advanced manufacturing industry.

Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW) and Safety First Expo, as well as the Inside 3D Printing conference, Austech 2015 will be a must-attend event for manufacturing professionals from around Australia. More than 10,000 industrial decision makers are expected to visit the show, taking the opportunity to interact and see the latest technology, and find answers to their manufacturing problems and challenges.

“Being present at Austech is an absolute must for all manufacturers,” says AMTIL Event Manager and Austech organiser Kim Warren.

“Now that we see a first positive trend towards onshoring, this is an event not to be missed by owners and managers of job shops, manufacturing facilities or research departments. In order to be competitive, they require efficient manufacturing technology, comprehensive engineering skills and good service.”

More than 120 organisations will be exhibiting at Austech with most of the key industry players and major machine tool companies gearing up to have a presence at the show. Austech will once again host all the world’s leading machine tool builders under one roof, showcasing the latest machine tool configurations. All areas of manufacturing are covered, including tooling, workholding, software and systems integration. Those who walk through the doors of the exhibition will have a world of manufacturing opportunities open before their eyes.

“What we’re very pleased about with Austech this year, is the presence of all of the major machine tool dealers, and that’s the first time for a long time that we’ve had every one present,” says AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti. “And in talking to those companies, what they’re anticipating on bringing out from a technology point of view is potentially equipment that hasn’t been seen in the country before, so that’s been pleasing.”

Austech 2015 marks the first time the event will be held since the decision was made to shift from an annual event to one staged every two years. According to Infanti, it was a decision that was not taken lightly, though he’s confident that it was the right choice to make.

“It was primarily driven by our members: that a show of this type is really only warranted every two years,” he explains. “The rate of technological change doesn’t advance that much. There’s lower levels of investment in technology over the last five years compared to 10 or 15 years ago. So the return on investment for doing the show really only warrants it being every couple of years.

And when you look around the world, most of the major machine tool and manufacturing technology shows are on two-year cycles, so it makes sense to fit into that schedule.”

One of the highlights of the show promises to be the Manufacturers Pavilion, which was first held as part of Austech 2013. The Pavilion will highlight the capabilities of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry, providing component manufacturers, precision engineering firms, toolmakers, advanced manufacturers and general engineering companies the opportunity to exhibit their unique capabilities. The Pavilion will also be the venue for a comprehensive four-day speaker program – for details turn to page 54.

“Be sure to put Austech in your diary, and join us in Melbourne,” says Warren. “You will meet the people that are moving Australian manufacturing forward.” www.amtil.com.au/austech

AMT May 2015

| 35

Austech 2015 preview

Austech 2015 Exhibitor List Company Name

Stand Number

Company Name

Stand Number

Company Name

Stand Number

3D Printing Systems

D03

Guhring 654

OSG ASIA PTY LTD

541

3D Systems Asia-Pacific

D10

GWB Machine Tools Pty Ltd

662

Peddinghaus Corporation

780

AB CADCAM

545

G-Zerofive Pty Ltd

594

Performance Waterjet

581

Acra Machinery Pty Ltd

642

Haas Automation Inc.

628b

Power Machinery Australia

502

MS40

Precision Specialty Tooling

605

Pro Z 3D Solutions

D07

Alfex CNC Australia Pty Ltd Amada Oceania

628a 660 & 680

Amaero Additive Manufacturing

Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse

MS27

Qumac Engineering Services Pty Ltd

529a

Headland Machinery Pty Ltd

608

Rapid Advanced Manufacturing

D15

ANCA 510b

HG Farley LaserLab Co. Ltd

597

Raxo Machine Tools Pty Ltd

587

ANCA Motion

Hilton Manufacturing

Applied Machinery Australia

510a

Ausfork Pty Ltd Barden Fabrications

MS01

Raymax Lasers

686

Hi-Tech Metrology Pty Ltd

625

Recruit Australia

501

586

Houghton Australia

557

Renishaw Oceania Pty Ltd

592

Idronic Pty Ltd

564

RMIT University

D18

Impact Tools Pty Ltd

543

Roland DG

D02

604 & 620

Asset Plant & Machinery Pty Ltd

Harrop Engineering Australia

562 & 582

AMTIL

AMTIL

D16

Hardman Bros

MS24

664a & D01

Baykal Machinery

580

IMTS Laser Specialists

600

Romheld Automation Pty Ltd

506

BDMS Pty Ltd

595

IMTS Machinery

500

Ron Mack Machinery

529

Bennett Precision Tooling

P11

Industrial Measurement Solutions

751

Salvagnini Italia SpA

590

578

Industrial Minerals (NZ) Ltd

563

Shanghai SIEG Machinery Co Ltd

Industrial Tool & Machinery Sales

511

Sheetmetal Machinery Australia

ipLaser 571

Sheetmetal Tooling Tech Pty Ltd

Jiangsu Yangli Group Co. Ltd

Shera Bonnet & Associates

529b 755

Benson Machines Pty Ltd BOKI Ltd

549a

Bomac Engineering

MS01

Bristow Laser Systems

580a

BuildTak

John Hart Pty Ltd

591

Kaltenbach 552

Shining Industrial Enterprise (China) Co., Ltd

647 & 567

Kasto 552

SigmaTEK Pty Ltd

547

Klugo Pty Ltd

SNC Solutions Pty Ltd

610

Carl Zeiss Pty Ltd

546

652

Laser 3D

507

solidThinking Inc

D13

LEAP Australia Pty Ltd

560

South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance

Challenge Partners

673 693

Lightwave Technology

City of Greater Dandenong

MS01

608b

SolidCAM ANZ

MS01

ChinaSavvy HK Ltd

556 & 558

579

Laser & Sign Technology Pty Ltd

Catten Industries

599 & D11

Livetools Pty Ltd - Evermore

572 575

CL International Engineering

559

LMC Laser

CMTS SHEETMETAL MACHINES

518

LS Starrett Company of Australia Pty Ltd 504

Corex MS01

Magnum Machinery Pty Ltd

CSIRO MS01

MakerBot D08

589

CzechTrade 549

Mastercut Technologies Pty Ltd

509

D&D Barry Pty Ltd

542

Mate Tooling Australia

614

Datco Industries

MS01

MICROSYS Ltd

549

Modern Tools (VIC) Pty Ltd

607

MTI Qualos Pty Ltd

596

Multicam Systems Pty Ltd

570 549

Delcam Australia Department of Industry and Science Die Tech Tooling

664b 732 MS01

Dimac Tooling Pty Ltd

508

Narex MTE

DMG MORI Australia

640

NCCS 573

Euromac Australia

633

NCT Accessories Pty Ltd

548

Fabrication Equipment Supplies

505

Nichol Industries Pty Ltd

544

Filblast 514

Objective 3D Pty Ltd

D22

Fladder Danmark A/S

Okuma Australia

576

Fountainline MS29

Omax Corporation

Gravotech Australia

OneCNC CAD/CAM

36 |

AMT May 2015

603

D17

Camtek Pacific Capital Equipment Machinery Sales

593

670 682 & 684

528

648 608c 602

MS01

Southern Cross Business Finance

692

Stratasys

D05

Successful Endeavours

MS01

Surdex Steel

MS01

Sutton Tools

646

SWI Engineering

555

Swinburne University of Technology TECHNI Waterjet Pty Ltd Thermacut Group Treotham Automation TRJ Engineering Pty Ltd TXM Lean Solutions Pty Ltd

MS01 584 549c 635 MS01 503

Tycab Australia

MS01

Ultimate Laser Pty Ltd

MS26

Uneek Bending

MS01

Vanad 549b Wafangdian Tianjiu Bearings Technology Co., Ltd.

574

Zeal CAD Services

D20

Austech and the Manufacturers Pavilion are proudly owned and operated by AMTIL.

back in 2015 26th – 29th May 2015 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Profiling Australian Business for Australian Opportunity • Australian Manufacturers • Speaker Program • Networking Opportunities For more information visit www.amtil.com.au

Manufacturers Pavilion is co-located at Austech 2015

Austech 2015 preview

World-class line-up from DMG MORI DMG MORI will again be presenting its world market-leading technologies at Austech 2015. As Austech 2015’s biggest exhibitor, DMG MORI will be displaying a total of eight machines over 300 square metres, all with the new DMG MORI design.

DMG MORI’s newest CNC control technology, CELOS, will be presented on three of the exhibited machines, accompanied by a CELOS demonstration counter with two display panels allowing you to get up close and personal with the technology yourself. Optimising the interaction between man and machine, CELOS simplifies and speeds up the process from the idea to the finished product.

One of the machines featuring the CELOS controls is the NLX2500SY. Delivering sixsided machining thanks to twin spindles and built-in 10,000rpm milling turret, this universal lathe represents the benchmark for turning technology, along with the economic turning capabilities of the ecoTurn 310 lathe.

Also exhibiting from DMG MORI’s new ECOLINE range is the 3+2 machining centre, ecoMill 70 with NC swivel rotary table. The compact integrated mill-turn NTX 1000 five-axis multi-tasking lathe and NVX

Delcam: Complete CAD-CAM Delcam is one of the world’s leading suppliers of advanced CAD-CAM solutions for the manufacturing industry.

Delcam’s range of design, manufacturing and inspection software provides complete, automated CAD-CAM solutions, to take complexshaped products from concept to reality. It is now the largest developer of product design and manufacturing software in the UK, with subsidiaries in North America, Europe and Asia. Delcam’s software is used by more than 45,000 organisations in over 80 countries.

Delcam’s design, manufacturing and inspection CAD-CAM software allows users to boost productivity, improve quality and reduce lead times, and so increase profitability at every stage, from the creation of a concept design through to the manufacture and inspection of prototypes, tooling and sample components.

Delcam is unique among CADCAM suppliers in offering its software either as a complete solution, including customisation to meet specific requirements with templates, macros and Visual Basic programming, or as a series of best-inclass stand-alone products to increase the performance of an existing system or to remove bottlenecks in a company’s design and manufacturing processes.

Delcam Australia Stand 664b www.delcam.com.au

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AMT May 2015

5100 vertical machining centre with direct-drive fourth axis will also be demonstrating the uniform, consistent and compatible functionality of the CELOS controls. A highlight from DMG MORI’s milling technology range is the five-axis simultaneous machining centre with pallet changer, DMC 80 U duoBLOCK, allowing the highest machining performance and maximum precision. As the biggest machine at booth 640, though not matched in size, the DMU 65 monoBLOCK and DMU 50 will certainly match it in capability and class.

Full demonstrations will be running on all machines throughout Austech. Visit booth 640 or contact DMG MORI to book in a personal demonstration time or for further information.

DMG MORI Australia Stand 640 www.dmgmori.com

MTI Qualos: Metrology, and more MTI Qualos will have on display the very latest products in the metrology world from the prestigious Japanese manufacturer Mitutoyo.

Also on show will be a range of lathe chucks and vices from Bison, knurling tools from Quick, cutting tools from Ifanger, Kasto Hacksaws, Ducourret Precision Levels, gauges from Kroeplin, and coolant hoses and plastic callipers from KWB, as well as a range of machine tool accessories from Asian suppliers. MTI will also be showcasing its own line of granite surface plates. A comprehensive range of equipment ison display to be seen at the M.T.I. Qualos Stand No. 596.

MTI Qualos Pty Ltd Stand 596 www.mtiqualos.com.au

Austech 2015 preview

IMTS Machinery showcases Prima Power At Stand 500, IMTS Machinery will be demonstrating Prima Power’s eP1030 press brake and the E5x electric punch with Compact Express The eP1030 is an electric press brake with a press tonnage of 105 tons and a bend length of 3060mm. The E5x is a full servo-electric punch that combines fast loading and unloading with a small footprint.

In addition, IMTS Machinery, in partnership with Prima Power, will be hosting three Product Info Sessions on range of energy-efficient sheet metal machine tools.

their

The Info Sessions will be held on Wednesday 27th May in Suite 3 on the upper level and will cover: • Bending Automation: 10.00am • Combi Machines; Punch Right Angle Shear and Punch Laser: 12.00 noon • Flexible Manufacturing in Sheet Metal; How to Justify Investments, Cut-to-Length Lines and Production Control SW: 2.00pm Bookings are necessary via sales@imts.com.au or calling direct 1300 135 250. The Info Sessions are free and refreshments are included.

IMTS Machinery Stand 500 www.imts.com.au

Meeting all laser needs IMTS Laser Specialists has been Australia’s trusted source for OEM-quality replacement lenses, optics and nozzles for over 20 years.

IMTS Laser Specialists offers a complete range of products for all your CO2 laser needs, including the MP5 ultra-low absorption lens and Trumpf Cut Lens. From rear mirrors to focusing lenses, and every optic in between, II-VI Infrared replacement laser optics and components from IMTS ensure optimum results and cut parts of high quality.

Same-day or overnight delivery can be arranged for most orders.

Visitors who pop by the IMTS Laser Specialists stand to be put in the draw for a free Lens Stress Analyzer, valued at $395.

IMTS Laser Specialists Stand 600 www.imts.com.au

AMT May 2015 MTIQualos_Mitutoyo HalfVert.indd 1

| 39 7/04/14 3:38 PM

Austech 2015 preview

Farley demonstrates Elf 2 Table Plasma Farley Laserlab has witnessed the evolution of many trends in Australian manufacturing, with smaller fabrication businesses today making up the majority of the industry.

Even with the changes in the economy, a large number of fabricators still profile-cut parts in large volumes on an ongoing basis, and plasma machines remain in demand.

While larger industrial level plasma machines are still sought after, the majority of demand has shifted towards a smaller footprint, more affordable plasma, and high capacity output. Fabricators want a more compact machine that will efficiently meet their cutting requirements and see a faster return on investment.

Many businesses have opted for commercial hobby plasmas as larger machines are often beyond both their capacity and their budget.

Most fabricators are, however, finding that most commercial hobby plasmas cannot provide the performance, longevity or cutting standards of larger, more advanced units, particularly in the case of high-definition cutting. To fill this gap in the market, Farley has developed the new Elf 2 Table Plasma.

The Elf 2 Table Plasma is Farley’s new entrylevel plasma machine. Ideally suited for the Hypertherm Powermax range, the Elf 2 also caters for high-definition cutting with the Hypertherm HPR260XD system for more heavy-duty fabrication. With a table size

of 1.5m x 3m, the Elf 2 is very compact. It has been engineered with a robust motion system to facilitate high-definition cutting and workhorse traits that allow it to handle high-volume fabrication and a machine life averaging 15-plus years.

Farley’s intention with the development of the Elf 2 is to support Australian manufacturers by offering an affordable high-performance machine to best match the volume, footprint and budget trending amongst a large sector

of the Australian market. Through the release of the Elf 2, Farley aims to help Australian manufacturers stay competitive without having to sacrifice efficiency or quality and to see high productivity and good return on investment. Austech 2015 will be a great opportunity for metal fabricators to see the full features of the Elf 2 and how the machine can best match their operations.

HG Farley Laserlab Stand 597 www.farleylaserlab.com.au

SWI: Slitting and folding, manufactured in Australia SWI Engineering manufactures slitting and folding equipment that is known internationally for its robust, high-quality construction that allows decades of operation with minimal maintenance.

SWI’s aim is to provide high up-time equipment at a competitive price. SWI long length slitter/folders and Marxman slitter/ blankers are among the most popular and best value for money machines on the market today. The Triplex Auto Slitters, Duplex “Up & Down” long folders and Simplex Folders are the company’s flagship machines, all manufactured in Australia.

In total, SWI has more than 1000 machines in operation around the world. SWI equipment is currently in operation in some of the world’s highest volume sheet metal markets including India, China and Indonesia. SWI

equipment is equally well placed in smaller volume applications throughout regional sheet metal markets. SWI’s willingness to provide support to smaller workshops in more remote locations has attracted regional customers to the value that it provides.

Feature for feature, SWI equipment is proven to be more cost-effective than seemingly less expensive imported equipment, with the company’s repeat overseas customers a testament to that fact.

SWI Engineering Stand 555 www.swiengineering.com.au

Renishaw: precision specialists Renishaw is a global company with core skills in measurement, motion control, spectroscopy and precision machining.

Renishaw develops innovative products that significantly advance its customers’ operational performance - from improving manufacturing efficiencies and raising product quality, to maximising research capabilities and improving the efficacy of medical procedures. Its products are used for applications as diverse as machine tool automation, co-ordinate measurement, additive manufacturing, gauging, Raman spectroscopy, machine calibration, position feedback, CAD/CAM dentistry, shape memory

40 |

AMT May 2015

alloys, large scale surveying, stereotactic neurosurgery, and medical diagnostics. In all of these areas Renishaw aims to be a long-term partner, offering superior products that meet its customers’ needs both today and into the future, backed up by responsive, expert technical and commercial support Renishaw Oceania Pty Ltd Stand 664a & D01 www.renishaw.com

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Austech 2015 preview

RAS: Intelligent, semi-automated UpDown bending The RAS UpDownCenter is designed to simplify and vastly improve your production cycle time of panels and boxes.

Besides the up-and-down folding capability and the automatic tool change, the true highlight of the machine is the automatic programming feature. The semi-automated UpDownCenter folds the part up and down and revolutionises the entire folding sequence.

With the use of the PosLift gauging system, up to 132 suction cups, grouped in different suction circuits, hold and position the workpiece for each bend. The UpDownCenter forms the sheet up and down, therefore subsequent bends on the same side are finished before the operator turns the blank to the next side. During this process, the workpiece is secured by the PosLift gauging system so that the operator does not need to lift or hold the part. Compared to press brake operation or less automated up-down bending machines, the UpDownCenter provides a 30% speed boost to each folding cycle and therefore allows for quick bending sequences.

Speed is not only required during bending, but also during the tool change sequence. On large batch production, set-up time is not as critical, but it becomes significant for small quantities. A fast tool change is also important when tool positions must be changed during the folding sequence. This situation comes when the long sides of the part are folded before the short sides. RAS has added an automated tool changer to the UpDownCenter, which sets up the upper beam tools automatically. The two gripper arms take the tool segments from the tool magazine and places them within one-hundredth of a millimetre in the automatic upper beam tool seat.

Best of all is the all-new 24-inch multi-touch control. Operation is simple and intuitive. The machine operator or programmer either creates the workpiece in 3D or imports a dxf, step or geo file, then simply presses a button and the multi-touch control programs the entire folding sequence including all tool changes automatically.

GWB: Australian debut for LVD Electra GWB Machine Tools will be demonstrating the latest technology from LVD and Lissmac.

The Electra is the latest fibre laser from LVD. This is the first time this machine will be seen in Australia and visitors will be able to observe the amazing speed and flexibility of this machine. This machine can be further enhanced with LVD’s Flexible Automation or Compact Tower.

World-leading bending technology from LVD is also being shown with two new products.

The PPEB-EFL 170/30 with LVD’s unique EasyForm laser angle measurement system is setting new standards in precision and speed. The PPEB also features the new Touch-B control, which is the most powerful and user-friendly pressbrake control available today.

For visitors looking for a small parts bending option, the LVD DynaPress is the solution. This machine is a compact high-speed machine perfect for bending of small components in low or large-volume production runs. The Lissmac SBM-L edge round and deburring machine will also be on display. The SBM-L processes both sides of the material in one pass saving time and money. LVD’s latest Cadman Suite 8 will also be available for demonstration.

GWB Machine Tools Pty Ltd Stand 662 www.gwbtools.com.au

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If there are several ways to bend the part, the controller shows the alternatives and even suggests a folding strategy. Operator knowledge of how to run the part is no longer required. The operator can view the entire program sequence in 3D. He can watch the program cycle on the screen from any angle. He can view the folding sequence from the folding beam side or from the side of the PosLift gauging system.

He can zoom into the simulation to see any detail or out for an overall view.

If the simulation shows the correct result, he simply presses the start button. The tool changer sets up the required tools, the squaring stops move into position, the PosLift gauging system waits in the blank loading position and the UpDownCenter is ready to produce the desired precision part. The RAS UpDownCenter represents a highly innovative alternative to conventional up-down machines, enabling manufactures to create even more versatile and distinctive products quicker than ever.

Sheetmetal Machinery Australia Pty Ltd Stands 682 & 684 www.sheetmetalmachinery.com.au

LMC: Quality brings profits At stand 575, LMC Laser will be showcasing an impressive range of machinery, with demonstrations of a Weber metal finishing machine.

The Weber machine can deburr, edge round and linish laser, plasma and punched parts.

From Bystronic, LMC will be demonstrating BySoft 7, the ‘make it easy’ CAD CAM software, and ByVision Bending, the best press brake control on the market.

Also on the stand will be quality European UKB press brake tooling, world-renowned Thermacut aftermarket laser and plasma consumables, and the very popular ULO laser lenses.

The suppliers LMC Laser that represent are all world-class manufacturers, and with extensive after-sales support from LMC Laser, your profits will be maximised.

LMC Laser Services Pty Ltd Stand 575 www.lmclaser.com.au

Austech 2015 preview

G-Zerofive set for software showcase G-zerofive has grown from strength to strength, and its team of experienced industry professionals are excited to once again be a part of Austech in 2015.

As a market leader in CNC machine software products, G-zerofive is committed to being a partner in ensuring its customers’ production operations are working effectively and efficiently. At Stand 594, it will be showcasing a number of the products in its portfolio.

The best-in-class CAD/CAM software for the production environment, EdgeCam offers solutions for milling, mill/turn and wire EDM with unparalleled ease of use and sophisticated toolpath generation. G-zerofive will be showcasing the latest Edgecam 2015 Release 2 with major improvements across all areas of the CAD/CAM programming process, including the Adveon Tooling library Software developed by Sandvik Coromant.

WorkNC, the premier CNC milling software for surface or solid models, is designed for companies that require an advanced degree of functionality not found in typical CAM

integrating directly with your CAM system, initial setup, tooling and NC code are carried through with minimal input. NCSIMUL considerably improves profitability around the use of the NC machines. Version 9.2 will be on display and G-zerofive will be giving live demonstrations of the advanced technology and ease of use of the software, including simulation tools for laying composite material. software, including the extremely versatile Auto 5 five-axis module. G-zerofive will be demonstrating the latest WorkNC V24 and the WorkNC Robot Module.

NCSIMUL Machine is a comprehensive simulation and verification software solution for optimising and running machining programs meant for NC machine tools of any complexity in a virtual environment. By

Headland: Reclaim your Sundays This year Headland and Klugo promote a number of products aimed at enabling you to ‘Innovate and Reclaim your Sundays’.

Investing in world-leading, quality equipment – whether it be CNC machinery, sheet metal fabrication, or waterjet cutters – will increase business efficiency. ‘Innovate and Reclaim your Sundays’ is all about streamlining your manufacturing business so you can enjoy the benefits of an efficient operation and spend more time doing what you love.

For any competitive industry like manufacturing, it is a necessity to constantly innovate and invest in technology that will increase productivity. Headland offers some of the most versatile machinery built by world leaders such as Kaltenbach and Kasto.

As a German family-owned company with over 125 years of experience in metalworking, Kaltenbach is able to face the challenges posed by a constantly changing global market, with complete confidence. With more than 50 offices and nine subsidiaries, Kaltenbach offers a wide range of sawing machines, plate cutting and drilling centres, coping/welding robots, profile drilling machines, painting and shotblast systems.

Kasto is a technology leader in sawing and storing of metal bar stock and sheet metal. Steeped in tradition with more than 160 years of history, the company offers its partners innovative technologies and comprehensive knowhow. Kasto saws and storage systems can be found in all metal

In addition to its market-leading CNC software product range, G-zerofive offers unmatched ongoing support, training and consulting services. At its stand, the G-zerofive team will be running a number of promotions, while demonstrating and discussing the true power that its technology has to offer manufacturers.

G-Zerofive Pty Ltd Stand 594 www.gzerofive.com

Benson: Meeting all needs Benson Machines offers grinding, turning, milling, cutoff, tube bending, fabrication, coolant filtration, oil mist collection and 3D printing, solutions to meet all your precision manufacturing requirements.

processing areas where availability, efficiency and long lifetime are needed: in steel and aluminium distribution, in machine and system manufacturing, in the processing industry and in the automotive sector, steel mills, shipyards, schools and research facilities.

Headland’s extensive offering also includes big names like Trumpf, Studer, Omax, plus many more, teamed with end-toend solutions from Klugo. Along with this innovative technology, Headland assists manufacturing businesses with cloud-based solutions like NetSuite and NextSevice that help automate production and day-to-day business operations. These systems provide companies with the ability to run their finances, CRM and field service management all through the one cloud-based system.

Headland Machinery Pty Ltd Stand 608a & 552 www.headland.com.au

Since 1908, Benson has continued the global search for the latest machines and technology. With this experience, they have gained an unmatched understanding of grinding, as well as many other areas of precision manufacturing.

This knowledge enables Benson to supply profitable and productive machine tools for all your needs. Benson’s commitment to innovation and customer service has resulted in the installation of thousands of machines in Australia. With the aid of carefully selected suppliers, the dedicated team at Benson is able to offer a total package of product selection, supply, process improvement, commissioning, training and above all, the peace of mind that they are on hand when needed, to supply ongoing service ensuring less down time for the whole life of your machine.

Benson Machines Pty Ltd Stand 578 www.bensonmachines.com

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Austech 2015 preview

Spotlight on additive manufacturing Additive manufacturing and 3D printing are revolutionising the entire manufacturing industry, and over the years Austech has consistently provided a showcase for this exciting new technology. At Austech 2015, our focus on additive manufacturing is bigger and more comprehensive than ever.

This year, Austech is proud to be pairing up with Inside 3D Printing to cohost a dedicated Digital & Additive Pavilion within the exhibition. Inside 3D Printing will also be hosting an impressive two-day conference focused entirely on additive manufacturing. The conference will take place 26-27 May, with the Pavilion open throughout the duration of Austech, from 26 May until 29 May. The conference has been programmed by Professor Bernard Meade from the University of Melbourne and Ian Gibson of the School of Engineering at Deakin University. Sessions will be led by industry experts and will explore new innovations and applications of 3D printing, and Inside 3D Printing has assembled an impressive line-up of speakers over the two days of the conference.

Giving the opening keynote address will be Terry Wohlers, Principal Consultant and President at Wohlers Associates, Inc., an independent consulting firm which has provided assistance to more than 240 organisations in 24 countries, as well as to 150+ companies in the investment community. Wohlers has been named the most influential person in rapid product development and additive manufacturing.

• Wim Michiels – CEO, Materialise Malaysia Sdn Bhd and VicePresident Asia Pacific, Materialise NV. • Tim Caffrey – Senior Consultant, Wohlers Associates, Inc. • Professor Dietmar Hutmacher – Professor and Chair in Regenerative Medicine, Queensland University of Technology.

The Digital & Additive Pavilion will feature demonstrations of the latest 3D printers and services from a range of companies and organisations that are leading the field of additive manufacturing. Exhibitors in the Digital & Additive Pavilion include: • 3D Printing Systems (D03)

• Amaero Additive Man (D16)

• BQ Mundo Reader (D24)

• BuildTak (D17)

• CSIRO (D26)

• Digital Metal AB (D30)

Other confirmed speakers include:

• Lightwave Technology (D11)

• MakerBot (D08)

• Prof Milan Brandt – Professor of Advanced Manufacturing in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, and Director Centre for Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing Precinct at RMIT University.

• Objective 3D Pty Ltd (D22)

• Pro Z 3D Solutions (D07)

• Rapid Advanced Man (D15)

• Renishaw Oceania (D01)

• RMIT University (D18)

• Roland DG (D02)

• Prof Xinhua Wu – Founder/Director, Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing, Monash University.

• solidThinking Inc (D13)

• Stratasys (D05)

• Tasman 3D (D04)

• Zeal CAD Services (D20)

• Jennifer Loy – Program Leader Industrial Design, Convenor 3D Design Digital Media, Griffith University.

To register for the Conference, please visit www.Inside3DPrinting.com/melbourne

RMIT: value-adding research

Printing the future

Located within the RMIT Advanced Manufacturing Precinct, the Centre for Additive Manufacturing innovates and researches advanced 3D printing or additive manufacturing technologies, materials science and processes, in partnership with local and overseas companies and organisations to make them more competitive globally and in global supply chains.

The Centre undertakes research on 3D printing or additive manufacturing of components in advanced materials such as titanium, nickel and aluminium alloys, plastics and composites by transitioning from rapid-prototyping to full-scale manufacturing of customised functional products and parts directly from design without the need for tooling in the critical path. The industry sectors that the Centre is working with include biomedical, aerospace, defence, mining and sports engineering. The Centre also provides advice and consultancy services to business, government, and non-government organisations.

It organises and facilitates conferences, workshops and discussion on 3D printing technologies and applications of relevance to industry and government organisations.

3D printing has become the buzzword across engineering and manufacturing, with this additive technology now leading innovation.

Rapid Advanced Manufacturing (R.A.M.) specialises in metal 3D printing and is one of the few commercial facilities offering the full service of design, prototyping, manufacturing and testing. R.A.M. operates a number of machines, which increases material choice.

Titanium 6Al4V is the most frequently used powder due to its strength, light weight, and corrosion-resistant properties. Other common materials used are stainless steel 15-5PH and Inconel 718, with other materials depending on volume of parts required.

The facilities at the Centre include: a TRUMPF TruLaser cell 7020 5-axis laser machining centre; SLM solutions 250HL and 125 HL machines; Fortus 900, Objet 350 and Projet 7000 systems; an Okuma MU500VII-L multitasking five-axis vertical machining centre; an Okuma Multus six-axis CNC machining centre; and an X-ray CT system.

3D additive manufacturing enables design freedom, limited by imagination. The printing process simply follows this freedom, easily producing complex, high-spec parts that a traditional manufacturing process could simply not produce – and not just for prototyping but full production manufacturing. R.A.M has a Design Service available to assist with the design process. Quality control is an important part of design and manufacturing. In-house testing includes: tensile, hardness and density testing with full metallography including SEM. All testing equipment is regularly calibrated. R.A.M. works alongside the TiDA facility in Tauranga, New Zealand, offering a full testing facility.

R.A.M has recently enjoyed many client successes, celebrating design projects evolving from prototyping, into commercial manufacturing.

This technology is now regularly being used as a quicker, more economical option to replace traditionally machine-manufactured pieces. Stepping into 3D printing is as simple as sending the team at R.A.M. a 3D Solidworks file, where quoting can be done based only on the volume used in the pieces manufactured.

RMIT University Stand D18 www.rmit.edu.au

Rapid Advanced Manufacturing Stand D15 www.rapidman.co.nz

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Austech 2015 preview

Revolutionise your business with 3D printing Founded in 1998, Stratasys is a global leader of 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions.

With headquarters in Minneapolis in the US and Rehovot in Israel, Stratasys holds over 600 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents worldwide and has received more than 25 awards for its technology and leadership. Its products range from affordable desktop 3D printers to advanced 3D production systems, offering wider accessibility of 3D printing for different users.

All Stratasys 3D printers build parts layer-by-layer. Known for its reliability and durable parts, FDM (fused deposition modelling) technology extrudes fine lines of molten thermoplastic, which solidify as they are deposited. PolyJet technology, known for its smooth, detailed surfaces and its ability to combine multiple materials in one part, employs an inkjet-style method to build parts from liquid photopolymers in fine droplets immediately cured with ultraviolet light.

The Stratasys portfolio also includes a comprehensive range of additive manufacturing materials, including clear, rubber-like, bio-compatible photopolymers, and tough high-performance FDM thermoplastics, enabling engineers, manufacturers and designers to create concept models, functional prototypes, industrial tools and moulds, and enduse parts in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Stratasys will be at Stand D05, which is part of the Digital & Additive Manufacturing Pavilion at this year’s Austech. The focus at the Stratasys booth this year will be on Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM). DDM is a process that uses additive manufacturing or 3D printing to produce tools and end-use parts directly from 3D CAD data, without machining, moulding or casting. DDM is fast gaining traction in the Southern Asia & Pacific region as it enables manufacturers to foster reductions in manufacturing time and costs, while improving the overall quality of parts. Moreover, it adds value to traditional manufacturing methods, providing unique advantages and

opportunities for companies and factories without the need of tooling.

Visitors to the Stratasys stand in the Digital & Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will get a chance to understand more about the DDM applications like jigs and fixtures, sand casting and injection moulding, and they will see first-hand some of the 3D-printed models that result from these applications. You can see how you can make a difference to your business’ competitive advantage by starting your 3D printing journey with Stratasys.

Stratasys Stand D05 www.stratasys.com

The NEW Shape of Manufacturing Stratasys 3D Printers are changing the way manufacturers are taking on the world.

Our customers are discovering that 3D Printers give them the best edge to succeed. · Produce jigs, tools, fixtures, parts & injection moulds. · Speed up time-to-market with prototyping. · Rental & leasing options available.

Contact us on 03 8587 8200 or go to www.tasman3dprinters.com.au

Tasman 3D Printers HP Ad.indd 2

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Hi-Tech Metrology: Made to measure After more than 23 years, Hi-Tech Metrology continues to deliver world-class metrology and reverse engineering solutions for Australian industry, solutions that are designed to deliver enhanced customer outcomes in terms of productivity, quality and innovation.

An extensive range of metrology and scanning equipment, combined with a complete array of after sales support services, enables us to deliver total solutions incorporating hardware, software and support for virtually any measurement or reverse engineering task.

Hi-Tech’s range of support services are all provided locally and include: calibrations; NATA certifications; software maintenance; contract measurement; contract programming; advanced training; machine retrofits and upgrades; and of course equipment repairs as required.

Sourced from world-leading manufacturers our brands include: Hexagon Metrology, Brown & Sharpe, DEA, Leitz CMMs; MicroVu Vision systems; Romer portable arms; Leica laser trackers; Creaform 3D hand-held scanners; PC-DMIS, PolyWorks; Hommel-Etamic surface & form measurement; Polhemus motion tracking; Bowers, Sylvac, Trimos precision instruments; Aicon 3D tube & dynamic measurement; Breuckmann white light scanning and more, all represented and supported here by Hi-Tech’s highly experienced team.

Visit Hi-Tech on Stand 625 and see the all-new Brown & Sharpe Global Silver CMM, witness the latest in portable scanning from Romer and Creaform, look at how to measure features too small to see with the human eye, and be amazed by the accuracy of white light scanning. There will also be the opportunity to see first-hand how Hi-Tech can help with your most demanding metrology and design/reverse engineering challenges.

Hi-Tech Metrology Pty Ltd Stand 625 www.hitechmetrology.com.au

Amada: Enhancing innovation Amada Oceania has provided Australian industry with a stream of innovative, productivity enhancing sheet metal machinery.

Its comprehensive product range includes sheetmetal working machinery, bandsaws and bandsaw blades, punching and bending tooling, software solutions and spare parts. Amada is a group company of Amada Co. Ltd based in Japan, which is a leading company in the world in sheet metal machines.

The Amada solution centre in Sydney as well as its technical centre in Melbourne are a direct result of its partnership with its customers, and offer an ideal setting for equipment demonstrations and technical sessions.

Amada Oceania Stand 660 & 680 www.amada.com.au

Sutton: Comprehensive options Sutton Tools is a 100% Australian family-owned company and Australia’s only production manufacture specialist and supplier of globally competitive quality cutting tools.

Sutton produces drills, taps, endmills, countersinks, reamers and holesaws to service tools & die, aerospace, automotive, marine and general engineering industries in the australian and overseas markets. Its comprehensive range of high performance precision cutting tools includes HSS, HSSCo, HSSE-V, Powered Metal HSS & Carbide ranges manufactured to ISO, DIN, ANSI, BS and JIS standards.

its offering to include a full range of carbide inserts and holders. By increasing its portfolio, Sutton will be able to cover all applications for customers and offer for the first time a complete range of cutting tools and services including: general purpose tools, PM HSS high-performance drills, taps and endmills, carbide drills, carbide inserts, specials, regrinding/recoating, and eat treatment.

To meet the growing demand for a total solutions provider, Sutton has now extended

Sutton Tools Stand 646 www.sutton.com.au

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Multicam: A local success Multicam’s range of heavy-duty CNC routing machines are proudly made in Australia.

Multicam’s products are designed for profile cutting sheet product and extrusions including metals, plastics, composite materials, and timber products. They are used in the manufacture of aluminium boats, aerospace components, truck body parts, caravan and motor home components, kitchens, furniture or any other flat sheet product. Specialist features ensure that Multicam machines are an excellent alternative to plasma and laser machines that have higher running costs and greater servicing demands. Process areas start from 2500x1300mm with larger and custom sizes available.

Multicam machines can be supplied with a variety of accessories including vacuum hold down beds, fully automatic tool changers, mist cooling/lubrication system, chip extraction, multiple drill heads, tangentialoscillating knife attachments and more. With dedicated offices in Newcastle, Melbourne and Brisbane, Multicam CNC routing machines are backed up by a highly skilled team of factory trained technicians ensuring the best possible level of advice and service.

Multicam Systems Pty Ltd Stand 570 www.multicam.com.au

BySprint Fiber 6000 6.0 kW Fiber Laser cutting

Full lights out automation Automatic nozzle changing CutControl-cut quality monitoring ByPos Fiber-automatic focal control

Fast Efficient Profitable

Available in 3.0 x 1.5m or 4.0 x 2.0m www.bystronic.com

31-33 Sullivan Street Moorabbin Victoria 3189 Tel: (03) 9555 5525 Fax: (03) 9555 2970 Web: www.lmclaser.com.au Email: sales@lmclaser.com.au

Austech 2015 preview

Alfex CNC: Systems with support Alfex CNC Australia is a leading distributor of laser systems for cutting and marking, and CNC machine tools & accessories for machining.

Alfex supplies the latest technologies and solutions backed by exceptional after-sale support across Australia to keep its customers productive and profitable. Whether it’s laser cutting metal or wood, engraving acrylic or ceramic, creating signage, industrial labelling or anything in-between, Alfex’s experienced staff can recommend the most suitable piece of equipment.

On display this year at Austech for the first time will be the Coherent META 10C – a compact and powerful laser cutting system suitable for everything from prototype to high-volume manufacturing applications.

Featuring a 1270mm x 1270mm work area, it is optimised for cutting stainless steel up to 3.0mm, aluminium up to 2.5mm and steel up to 6.0mm thickness, whilst also maintaining optimum performance on non-metal cutting and engraving applications. Its user-friendly interface and job loading software simplifies work set up and increases productivity.

The Coherent Meta 10C is ideal where space is limited, featuring a very small footprint and only requiring approximately three square metres of space to operate. Add to that the completely sealed, Coherent-built 1000W CO2 laser tube which requires no laser gas and is completely maintenance-free, providing substantial savings on consumables and repairs.

For industrial laser marking applications Alfex CNC offers solutions from a range of manufacturers, with both flying-optic and galvo style systems available. The brand new Epilog Fusion M2 is a flying-optic plotter style system combining both CO2 and fibre laser sources in the one chassis, allowing the ultimate flexibility when it comes to marking and cutting the widest range of materials.

ANCA: Australian excellence ANCA is a market-leading, Australian manufacturer of CNC tool grinders established in 1974.

The company’s strength is designing and manufacturing machines and software that are versatile, precise and user-friendly. ANCA’s key industries include aerospace, medical, tool manufacturers, electronics, automotive and woodwork.

ANCA recently released the FX Linear range of tool grinders that include a new colour scheme and ergonomic design, new groundbreaking technology including the internally designed cylindrical linear motors, new AM5000 control system for faster processing, full touchscreen monitor and in-machine automation.

ANCA forms part of The ANCA Group in conjunction with ANCA Motion and Tinfish. The company has achieved success through innovation and a commitment to research and development in response to customer needs. ANCA has a head office and main manufacturing site in Melbourne, Australia and is supported by other overseas sites and over 800 employees globally in The ANCA Group. Half of these are based in Melbourne. Extensive technical, application, service and customer assistance is available in Australia and globally.

ANCA Stand 510b www.anca.com

The M2 also features the new eView Camera Module – the easiest, most precise way to mark and cut pre-printed materials using registration points. The eView features three cameras located inside the system to increase cutting accuracy, including two built into the lid for the easiest positioning of projects. With a large work area of 812mm by 508mm the ability to mark on the widest range of materials, the Fusion M2 is the ultimate industrial marking tool.

For high-volume marking, or marking on irregular shapes the highspeed, galvo-steered Lotus Laser marking systems provide the highest throughput. The Lotus products range from turn-key laser marking workstations to industrial-line integrated units, and contain component modules from global industry leading technology specialists. All machines come with the highest quality laser source from 1-10.6 microns, with easy to use software and the benefit of long warranty periods.

Alfex CNC Australia Pty Ltd Stand 628a www.alfexcnc.com.au

Modern Tools: Quality with experience Modern Tools has been supplying a range of quality machinery to the industry for over 30 years.

At Austech 2015 it will be featuring the new Siegmund S4 Extreme welding and positioning table. The Extreme table has a much harder surface ( 700 vickers) than the standard tables, making them much more rust, scratch and weld spatter resistant than other tables. Modern Tools will also have the popular plasma nitrate surface on display.

Another featured product for Austech will be the Femi portable bandsaws, with four models on display. With cutting capacities from 105mm to 150mm diameter, these quality bandsaws are ideal for workshops, site work and hobbyists.

Skyhook lifting cranes are the ideal solution for machine parts lifting, preventing workplace injuries. A Skyhook lifter can be attached to your machine, trolley or floor mounted. Other products on display will be a full range of First precision milling machines, Hwacheon high-quality precision lathes (sold by Modern Tools since 1978), Shen Jang bandsaws, Techplus drilling machines, Femi grinders and linishers, Fagor Digital display systems, Algra & Haase quick change tool posts, and Repar safety guards for machinery.

Modern Tools (VIC) Pty Ltd Stand 607 www.moderntools.com.au

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Omax to spotlight Maxiem 1530 jet-machining centre At stand 608, Omax Corporation and Headland Machinery, the company’s exclusive distribution partner for Australia, will showcase the versatility and high-speed cutting precision capabilities of the Maxiem 1530 jet-machining centre.

The all-new 1530 represents the company’s next-generation line of Maxiem machines. Building on the cost-effective, yet high-performance technology of its predecessors, the newly redesigned 1530 offers enhanced durability, improved performance, and faster production times for an overall increase in productivity and profitability. At Austech, the company is pairing the 1530 with a reliable 40hp direct-drive pump to demonstrate how easy it is to cut virtually any material quickly and efficiently.

Building on the company’s 20 years of direct-drive pump design experience, the latest Maxiem 1530 machine comes with a 50,000psi pump that features variable-frequency drive technology for precise cutting pressure control. The pump delivers more cutting power per kilowatt than intensifier-type pumps.

The machine’s Windows 8 controller comes pre-loaded with Omax’s latest version of the powerful Intelli-MAX Software Suite. Intelli-MAX 21 – with a new fourth-generation cutting model – builds upon years of real-world abrasive waterjet data accumulated through prior generations of Omax’s equation-based cutting models to optimise tool paths automatically and gives users precise predictability as to cutting speeds, taper, jet lag and other abrasive-jet factors. The result has taken abrasive waterjet cutting to the industry’s highest levels of speed and performance.

Barden Fabrications: Comprehensive solutions Exhibiting as part of the Manufacturers Pavilion, Barden Fabrications provides comprehensive engineering services and solutions to both domestic and global customers.

The company defines its purpose as to build long-term relationships with its customers and suppliers by exceeding expectations through innovation, technology, value and service, with a strong focus on quality and company values. This is achieved by delivering innovative and high-quality engineered solutions that help to secure sustainable growth and profitability for all its stakeholders.

Barden aims to be the first choice for all its customers by providing them with reliable, locally designed and engineered solution, while maintaining high levels of quality and service, and ensuring on-time delivery. With more than 35 years of industry experience, the company has grown an enviable reputation for service in various industries, including but not limited to: automotive (tier 1); construction; defence; display, signage and shop fitting; furniture; hospitality; marine; safety; and general fabrication.

The 1530 also features updated digital linear encoders, an innovative Z-axis core with optional multi-axis cutting heads and the lowest ceiling height in the industry. Additional enhancements to the machine include streamlined abrasive hopper designs and self-levelling base legs.

Through its distribution partners, Omax has expanded its global reach and increased the availability of its high-speed, precision-engineered technology. Headland Machinery, with offices in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, offers a wide range of services and products, including a complete stock of original spare parts for all Omax and Maxiem jet-machining centres.

Omax Corporation Stand 608c www.omax.com

Techni Waterjet: Australian-made jet cutters Techni Waterjet is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of profile water jet cutting systems.

With over 500 installations worldwide, Techni specialises in the design, development and installation of complete water jet cutting solutions suitable for cutting any material. Techni has been operating for more than 25 years, and has developed into a strong medium-sized business, with offices in Australia, the US and Europe.

Based in Campbellfield, Victoria, Techni is committed to offering systems of the highest quality. All systems are designed specifically for the very tough water jet environment and offer the lowest running costs in the industry.

Techni Waterjet Pty Ltd Stand 584 www.techniwaterjet.com

Under its policy of continual investment in people, infrastructure and equipment, it seeks to grow and maintain a highly skilled and valued workforce, continually training its employees to achieve its vision. The company also actively partners with suppliers and customers that share its vision and values. Barden utilises the latest technology from CNC laser cutting, CNC brake-press forming, CNC lathes, machining centre and robotic welding.

Barden is ISO9001 Quality Accredited to ensure it delivers maximum performance, value and reliability. The company is also accredited to ISO 14001 Environmental Standard and is fully compliant to OH&S standards. It utilises a fully integrated ERP system to project manage client requirements and track jobs from design through to manufactured products or components.

Barden Fabrications Stand MS24 www.bardenfab.com.au AMT May 2015

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TXM: Keen for Lean TXM’s team of Lean consultants will bring to this year’s Austech a fresh perspective on improving manufacturing efficiencies with the release of a book and business network.

Written by TXM Managing Director Tim McLean, Grow Your Factory, Grow Your Profits: Lean For Small And Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises takes a new approach to advising small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on the benefits that Lean methodologies can deliver. Many manufacturing businesses believe Lean is for ‘big business’ and not relevant to them, but McLean shows with case studies and practical solutions that all SMEs can overcome obstacles and grow.

McLean’s experience as a Manager and Lean consultant for 25 years has given him extensive insight into what Lean methodologies can achieve for small and medium manufacturing enterprises.

In his book, he explains how to identify and fix the root causes of manufacturing bottlenecks; develop your team, reduce lead times and delight customers; optimise factory space and production flow; improve margins and decrease expenditure. McLean believes Lean methodologies can release themselves owners and senior managers from day-to-day ‘crisis management’ to lead the growth of the business.

“This is not a book about Lean manufacturing, it’s about what happens when SMEs grow and the problems they run into and how Lean can help overcome them,” says McLean. “This is not a tools and techniques book, but real examples of how it works.”

To further showcase how Lean manufacturing can benefit manufacturing enterprises, TXM has launched Best Practice Network.

Best Practice Network brings together like-minded organisations to share learning, expertise, experience and resources. It provides members with opportunities to see how other companies have addressed common challenges ranging from food safety, product development, plant layout to Lean leadership and share their own experiences.

A group of industry practitioners from the Best Practice Network doing a site tour at Dowell’s plant in Bayswater.

“I have never been on a site visit where participants have not seen or learnt something new that has been of value to them,” says Will Day, Director of Leica Biosystems. “I often hear some of our longestserving and most skilled associates comment that they are so familiar with our way of working that they need to see different sites to properly challenge their thinking. As a host, it is terrific to have the input from a fresh set of eyes on a situation that we live every day.”

This is a new benchmark in business networking for Australia and draws on the strengths and contacts of TXM to provide members with a wealth of information and networking opportunities.

“Our unique approach to business networking allows members to learn first-hand how others are resolving business problems,” says Best Practice Network Director Victor Caune. “Engaging with peers to share industry practices will help resolve your business problems that will enable the company to grow and prosper.”

TXM Lean Solutions Pty Ltd Stand 503 www.txm.com.au

Raymax: Leading-edge lasers Headquartered in Sydney, Raymax Lasers supplies laser solutions and optronics equipment across Australia and New Zealand.

Raymax’s mission is to bring the best, most effective leading-edge laser and optronics solutions to advance manufacturing industries, and research and development organisations. Its vision is to dedicate its expertise to achieving the goals of innovation, best practice and first-class customer service, to the benefit of both our customers and suppliers.

With more than 20 years of operation, the company has continued to grow its expertise and supply base, sourcing from highly reputable laser and optronics equipment manufacturers in Europe, the UK and America. Its team of physicists and factory-trained engineers, along with extensive knowledge of laser technology and applications in both Australia and New Zealand, means it can offer reputable advice, service and support. Raymax offers services in a number of fields: Advanced manufacturing: Raymax offers a full range of direct diode, fibre and YAG laser systems for industrial applications for welding, cladding, cutting, near-net shape manufacture, plastic welding and heat treatment, that are used in aviation, automotive manufacture, consumer goods, medical, mining and more. Raymax has a highly successful installed base of cladding purposed lasers across Australia.

Microstructures engineering: Providing both custom and standard Excimer and short pulse-length micromachining systems, Raymax’s

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laser systems can generate feature sizes of 1-500 microns, and are used extensively in industries such as medical device manufacture, industrial research and security.

Laser coding and marking: Raymax has been supplying laser coding and marking solutions since 1992 and offer a full range of C02, YAG and fibre laser solutions from world-leading suppliers. It can mark everything from (hot) glass and steel to paper, inked card, and even eggs – all at the highest possible speeds. Systems can be stand-alone or integrated into existing production lines.

Perforation lasers: New to the Raymax stable is the innovative Perfotec laser system suitable for micro-perforation for MAP control of fresh produce. This revolutionary technology extends shelf life and reduces wastage in produce.

Laser security: Raymax’s experience in this field is highly regarded, providing a number of very sophisticated laser systems for the generation of both covert and overt laser security features in a variety of markets.

Raymax also provides a range of scientific lasers, laser parts, optics and Ophir power meters for laser beam measurement and BOFA fume extractors. It has a new product available from JDSU for infrared spectral identification, the MicroNIR. Raymax Lasers Stand 686 www.raymax.com.au

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Austech 2015 preview

OSG: Total cutting solutions Based in Aichi, Japan, OSG Corporation is the world’s largest manufacturer of round cutting tools.

Established in 1938, OSG has a longstanding reputation as a total solution cutting tool provider throughout the manufacturing industry, supplying everything from cutting tools, drills and taps, to rolling dies and gauging – all designed and manufactured by OSG. OSG holds the No. 1 position in the Japanese cutting tool market as well as a top-ranking position globally, with a production, sales and technical network spanning more than 29 countries and over 5000 direct employees.

With a product line-up unmatched in quality, accuracy and reliability, OSG has prided itself on delivering products and services with complete customer satisfaction. OSG’s success is attributed to maintaining absolute control over every aspect of the manufacturing capabilities. All OSG products are produced in-house – from the production of tool material, creation of tool geometry, to the development of OSG proprietary coatings.

OSG’s latest offering to the global tapping market is the A-TAP series. With unbeatable performance and versatility, the A-TAP is an all-purpose tap series designed to simplify tool management and to excel in a wider variety of materials and applications. The A-TAP is manufactured from powdered metal HSS and has OSG’s patented “V” coating to achieve excellent wear resistance.

The spiral flute series has adopted a variable helix flute design, which encourages stable chip evacuation and reduces cutting forces. The spiral point (gun nose) series has a unique geometry that enables greater chip control which helps produce tightly compacted chips

for easy ejection from the hole. Further to a wider range of applicable materials, the variety of machines that the A-TAP is compatible with has also increased. The A-TAP can be used with the latest state-ofthe-art machines, as well as older machines running at lower spindle speeds and feed rates.

Thread forming is also a market where OSG’s XPF series thread forming taps are in a class of their own. The OSG geometry, base material and manufacturing process are all unique to OSG, as is evident when compared to competitors’ products.

Manufacturing techniques developed

by OSG over the past 75 years ensure the XPF series provides unbelievable tool life and thread quality.

The XPF roll form series’ superiority is particularly evident when tapping stainless steels, particularly more exotic stainless steels, which are traditionally very difficult to tap. It is common in industry to see machinists resort to hand tapping parts to thread these difficult materials, which can be time-consuming, costly, and detrimental to thread quality. This is where the XPF tap surpasses its competitors, threading holes that other machine taps cannot.

OSG’s tap, drill, end mill, rolling die and gauging (most gauges stocked in Japan for fast lead time) products are available from OSG Australia’s warehouse or from its carefully selected distributors in every state.

OSG Asia Pty Ltd Stand 541 www.osgtooling.com.au

Hare & Forbes: covering all facets of engineering Celebrating 85 years in business Hare & Forbes Machinery House will be continuing its long-term support of Austech and the Australian machine tool industry by again exhibiting at the 2015 exhibition.

Hare & Forbes are always willing to display a selection of machines in one of the only environments where direct comparison to competitor’s machines is only metres away. Austech 2015’s exhibit will see a broad range of machinery covering all facets of engineering from machining to sheetmetal and fabrication, catering for the ever increasing “multi-tasking” scope of today’s engineering business.

At stands 562 & 582 you will see machinery on display from a variety of world-class machine tool builders, including: • Doosan Infracore, South Korea’s largest and premier CNC machine manufacturer.

• Hartford, Taiwan’s largest machining centre manufacturer.

• Swift Cut, British-built cost-effective CNC plasma cutting systems (seen for the first time in Australia).

• Optimum, German-engineered entry level CNC lathes and milling machines.

• Hafco & Metalmaster, producers of a comprehensive range of metal working equipment.

• Baykal, high-quality European pressbrakes and high-definition plasma cutting systems.

As with any capital machine purchase, aftersales service and support is as important as the machine itself. Hare & Forbes have highly

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skilled in-house service technicians based around the country to ensure that your machine offers you trouble free operation and the best return on your investment.

Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse Stands 562 & 582 www.machineryhouse.com.au

Austech 2015 preview

Okuma: meeting productivity needs Okuma Australia + New Zealand will join Austech 2015 and showcase the very latest in design, application and technology to meet the current productivity needs of manufacturing industry.

Leading the Okuma exhibit will be the all-new Multus U4000 twinspindle, twin-turret, 0.001-degree indexable B-axis multitasking turning centre, with 1500mm between noses, a 40-position tool magazine for the milling turret and a second 12-position tool turret below. The all new OSP Suite on-board management system will set the standard for machine controller and adds to Okuma’s award-winning Machining Navigation system, hobbing, skiving and gear generation, variable spindle speed control, collision avoidance system, thermo-friendly concept, API function and 0.0001mm control increments.

Also in focus will be the all-new MU6300 V-L five-axis vertical machining centre that will feature Okuma’s unique five-axis auto tuning system for the extreme optimisation of all five axes alignments. The MU6300 has a table turning capacity of 800rpm and a maximum workpiece diameter of 830mm x 550mm high. The MU6300 on display shares similar OSP controller options such as Collision Avoidance, Super Nurbs, Machining Navigation and API Function, and is ideally designed for robotic automation, multiple pallets and a host of optional spindle speeds up to 25,000rpm.

Okuma Australia’s recently announced partnership with RoboJob of Belgium aligns with the company’s strong promotion of automation and machining efficiency. The RoboJob unit at Austech features the Turn Assist 250 model with Fanuc M20iA and is integrated to an Okuma LB3000BMYC x 1000 turning centre. Its compactness, simplicity of use and set-up, and portability deliver a cost-effective way to safely improve repetitive efficiency of machine loading and unloading.

Completing Okuma’s machine exhibits is the all-new Fanuc Alpha 600iA RoboCut EDM wire cut machine. The 600iA is the very latest in wire-cutting performance and intelligent technology, its simplicity of

use and stunning cutting and corner accuracies set the standard for wire cut work these days. Bi-servo wire feeding now flawlessly controls wire tension and 0.10-micrometre Ra can be achieved in 30mm Tungsten Carbide using 0.20mm BS wire and the MF2 power system.

On hand at the show will be Okuma specialists demonstrating the new OSP Suite and the five-axis auto tuning systems. Okuma Australia + New Zealand are full sales, service and support subsidiaries of Okuma Corporation.

Okuma Australia Stand 648 www.okumaaustralia.com.au

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Innovation Through Passion AMT May 2015

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Austech 2015 preview

Manufacturers Pavilion takes centre stage Following a highly successful debut at Austech 2013, the Manufacturers Pavilion will once again provide a unique showcase for the very best in Australian manufacturing.

Located right at the heart of this year’s Austech exhibition, the Manufacturers Pavilion highlights the capabilities of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry. The Pavilion provides Australian component manufacturers, precision engineering firms, toolmakers, advanced manufacturers and general engineering companies the opportunity to exhibit their unique capabilities to an expected audience of more than 10,000 visitors.

“The importance of our precision engineering and advanced manufacturers in this country having the opportunity to promote the capabilities and capacity they have to offer is critical in view of international competition,” explains AMTIL’s CEO and Exhibition Director Shane Infanti. “The Manufacturers Pavilion provides the perfect forum for these companies to put themselves in front of Austech visitors, many of whom outsource and contract out their work.”

One of the highlights of the 2013 Manufacturers’ Pavilion, the Tomcar from MTM Automotive Components will again be on display.

Among the manufacturers participating in the Pavilion this year are such highly respected companies as Ultimate Laser, Barden Fabrications, Hardman, Fountainline IMS, Bennett Precision Tooling and Harrop Engineering. The Manufacturers Pavilion will help these companies to promote their capabilities and connect with organisations significant to their business, such as State and Commonwealth Government.

“It all comes back to how we help manufacturers integrate into supply chains,” says Infanti. “Traditionally Australian manufacturers aren’t good at marketing themselves. They’re very good at what they do, but traditionally marketing is not a strong point.”

The South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) will also host several of its members in a specially dedicated stand, and there will be major exhibits from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as GP Graders and MTM Automotive Components, who will have a Tomcar on display. One of the hits of the 2013 Pavilion, the Tomcar is an ultra-functional, durable, versatile, and Australian-made off-road utility vehicle. The Department of Industry and Science will also have a major stand within the Pavilion.

Alongside the companies and organisations exhibiting, the Manufacturers Pavilion will also serve as the venue for a four-day speaker program covering a diverse array of topics. An impressive line-up of speakers has been confirmed, including: • Professor Guy Littlefair, Deakin University • Roger LaSalle, Matrix Thinking • Steve Bryant, QMI Solutions • Don Matthews, Industry Capability Network (ICN) • Professor the Hon Stephen Martin, Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) The Pavilion is particularly timely for companies in the struggling Australian automotive manufacturing sector, and provides the opportunity for them to leverage global connections, right here on their doorstep. As a result, the speaker program will cover this important topic, with presentations by Linsey Siede, Director of Automotive Supplier Excellence Australia (ASEA), and Richard Reilly, Chief Executive of the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers (FAPM), who will explore future opportunities for automotive suppliers and ways of transitioning out of automotive.

Meanwhile, the Manufacturers Pavilion will act as an informal social hub throughout the duration of Austech, with a café providing a comfortable setting for impromptu meetings and discussions, and exclusive networking functions scheduled during the week.

“A lot of the initiatives AMTIL has are around helping companies to promote their capabilities and market themselves,” says Infanti. “The Manufacturers Pavilion is just another way in which we can give a focus to our manufacturing companies and hopefully assist them in developing supply chains with OEMs and international Prime contractors.” www.amtil.com.au/Austech-Exhibition/Manufacturers-Pavilion

Manufacturers Pavilion Speakers

Professor Guy Littlefair Deakin University

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AMT MAY 2015

Richard Reilly FAPM

Professor the Hon Stephen Martin CEDA

Don Matthews ICN

Austech 2015 preview

Speaker Program Tuesday 26 May

Wednesday 27 May

11:00am

Innovation Or Imposition: Which Is It To Be? Mr Roger LaSalle Matrix Thinking

Economies Of 3D Printing Sand Cores Speaker TBC University of Queensland

1:00pm

Transitioning Out Of Automotive Mr Richard Reilly Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers (FAPM)

Topic TBC Mr Peter Goodwin Thales

2:30pm

Accessing Opportunities On Major Projects – The SME Experience Mr Don Matthews Industry Capability Network (ICN)

Pushing The Boundaries Of Sheet Forming Speaker TBC University of Queensland

4:00pm

TBC

Future Opportunities For Automotive Suppliers (Advanced Manufacturers) Mr Linsey Siede Automotive Supply Chain Advocate (Malaysia) and Director, Automotive Supplier Excellence Australia

Thursday 28 May

Friday 29 May

11:00am

Maximise The Value Of Your Business Mr Steve Bryant QMI Solutions

The Role of Universities In The Advancement Of Manufacturing And Design As A Feature Of The Future Australian Economy Professor Guy Littlefair Deakin University

1:00pm

The Value Of Additive Manufacturing Ms Alex Kingsbury CSIRO

Topic TBC Professor the Hon Stephen Martin Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA)

2:30pm

Five Essential Competitive Components For SMEs Mr Steve Bryant QMI Solutions

Topic TBC Mr Craig Dooley Telstra

4:00pm

The Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme And Other Federal Government Offerings – How We Are Working To Grow Business Ms Deborah Anton Head of Division, AusIndustry – Entrepreneur Development

April 2015 *Speaker program correct at time of publishing, subject to change

Manufacturers Pavilion proudly owned and operated by AMTIL

AMT May 2015

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One on one

As CEO of the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), Shane Infanti is the Publisher of AMT magazine, and the Exhibition Director of Austech. He spoke to William Poole.

AMT: Let’s start with Austech - what can visitors expect this year?

Shane Infanti: What we’re very pleased about with Austech this year, is the presence of all of the major machine tool dealers, and that’s the first time for a long time that we’ve had every one present. And in talking to those companies, what they’re anticipating on bringing out from a technology point of view is potentially equipment that hasn’t been seen in the country before, so that’s been pleasing.

AMT: Do you think that’s indicative of a renewed confidence in the market here and in Australian manufacturing in general?

SI: For Austech it’s more based on the decision we took to go to a two-year cycle. Technology suppliers recognise that Austech is still the major means for them to promote their technology out to the industry. Major shows are still a good way of getting the message out to potential customers.

AMT: The decision to hold Austech every two years rather than annually: it was obviously a big move.

SI: It was. And it was primarily driven by our members. The Sydney show was not an unsuccessful show, so from that point of view, it wasn’t a huge driving force to change. It was purely based on exhibitor feedback: that a show of this type is really only warranted every two years. The rate of technological change doesn’t advance that much.

There’s lower levels of investment in technology over the last five years compared to 10 or 15 years ago. So the return on investment for doing the show really only warrants it being every couple of years. And when you look around the world, most of the major machine tool and manufacturing technology shows are on two-year cycles, so it makes sense to fit into that schedule.

AMT: Was it a controversial move?

SI: When you make a decision like that, you’re always going to have people who are going to like it and people who aren’t going to like it. We certainly had that feedback from AMTIL members, that some would prefer to do a show every year. I suppose the advantage for us is that in every off-year in which Austech doesn’t run, NMW still runs in Sydney, so there’s always an opportunity for those people who want to exhibit at a show every year; they can still have a presence in Sydney in the off-year to Austech. There’s not a strong machine tool presence at that show, but for those who wish to do it, there is a chance to.

So was it a controversial decision? No, I don’t think so. I think we certainly did the due-diligence on surveying the members. We had focus groups that we discussed it with at length, we went all the way through the ramifications of what the decision would entail, and generally speaking, the bulk of the membership is happy with the move.

AMT: Moving on from Austech, what can you tell us about AMTIL’s current plans in other areas going forward?

SI: There’s some interesting developments. We’ve just recently been recontracted by the Federal Government to continue our involvement with the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme (EIP) and we’re very pleased with that. We’ve been strong advocates of the Programme over a long period of time, we believe in the Programme and the benefit to Australian businesses. So we’re very pleased to continue

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that engagement. And we’ve now got nine Advisors and Facilitators around the country to assist in the delivery of the EIP. So that’s pleasing.

And that continues our engagement with the Federal Government and has led to the Board being very focused on a position paper that will identify the industry issues that are affecting our sector. A strong AMTIL stance will eventually lead to further liaison and lobbying of government at both state and federal levels to see some policy changes that are going to address those issues.

The other things that AMTIL is focused on are how we further engage with our members in areas where they need assistance. And they’re predominantly around networking, business opportunities and knowledge, so we’re very focused on those three areas.

Networking, for example: one of the key areas we’re focused on with networking is to make sure that we have a number of good functions around the country, given that we’re a national association. We need to make sure we have good activities in each state. That’s challenging at times: to be able to do that. But trying to find the right solutions for how that will work in all states is something that we are focused on.

On business opportunities, we’ve got a regular Hotspot email that is sent out that is trying to focus on where business opportunities are that our members can take up. In addition, we’re working very closely with other organisations like the Industry Capability Network to identify supply chain opportunities and how we can tap SMEs into those value chains. That’s going to be a strong focus over the coming year or two.

And knowledge: we’re just right at the moment going through another revamp of our data collection and statistical analysis and looking at how we can present that information back to the members so that provides real benefit to them.

AMT: The return of the Manufacturers Pavilion at this year’s Austech seems to tie in very much with the aim to address those issues.

SI: I think in terms of Manufacturers Pavilion, again, it comes back to one of the focus areas we’ve got on how we help manufacturers integrate into supply chains. Traditionally Australian manufacturers aren’t good at marketing themselves. They’re very good at what they do, but traditionally marketing is not a strong point. A lot of what we do and a lot of the initiatives AMTIL has are around helping companies to promote their capabilities and market themselves. The Manufacturers Pavilion is just another way in which we can give a focus to our manufacturing companies and hopefully assist them in developing supply chains with OEMs and international Prime contractors.

AMT: AMTIL is a partner in the Additive Manufacturing Network, and a large area of Austech is devoted to the Digital & Additive Manufacturing Pavilion. How important is that focus on additive?

SI: I think it’s important, but it needs to be kept in perspective. It’s important that we look at new technologies and how they’re going to impact on the future of manufacturing in this country. Additive manufacturing is not necessarily a new technology, but something that a lot of companies are now realising is not just a prototyping technique, but can be used in a production sense. And how we can incorporate that into existing manufacturing processes is something that needs to be investigated.

But I think it certainly needs to be kept in perspective that in the long term, I would expect it may only be as little as 5% of traditional technology techniques that are replaced by additive. So whilst it’s a bit of a buzz-word, we just need to be mindful that the traditional techniques of subtractive manufacturing will continue to be the bulk of our manufacturing industry.

AMT: Does the fact that additive techniques may be more applicable to short-run, high-value-add manufacturing rather than mass production make them particularly applicable in Australia and the industry here?

SI: That’s right. And that’s certainly where a lot of people see that the opportunities are going to lie, in that customised low-volume, highdesign area. And there are certain industry sectors that lend itself to that more than others, like medical for example. Obviously with highly customised parts that can be manufactured very quickly with intricate design, that’s probably more of an attractive opportunity than, for example, defence. But we have to remember that additive technology has the benefit of reducing weight and providing structures that you can’t provide with subtractive means. So there will be opportunities in all sectors I think.

AMT: What do you think the preparations for this year’s Austech have revealed about the current state of manufacturing in Australia?

SI: The major issue that we face at the moment in this country, and that we see particularly on behalf of our members, is the lack of investment in new technology. And if we don’t continue to invest in new technology, we’re going to fall further and further behind on the global stage. That’s the major challenge facing us at the moment: how we do encourage and incentivise Australian businesses to invest in new technology, given that the outlook for a lot of those businesses is not so optimistic? So that is going to be the challenge. What we’ve seen over the past six years has been investment levels and business confidence dropping, and we’ve got to look at how we can get that back to levels that we had 10 years ago.

AMT: What would you say the government can be doing to help?

SI: There certainly needs to be some government initiatives to encourage investment and even just over the past 12-18 months we’ve seen some programs like the Next Generation program, which was co-funded between state and federal levels, and some investment in manufacturing technology programs. And they’ve been good, but they’ve come and gone and that’s just not enough. We need to have some sustainable longer-term incentive programs, like an accelerated depreciation program that may go over the next five years. And that needs to be on a federal basis and it needs to be a longer-term vision.

Again, that’s certainly one of the issues that our Board is focused on and how we can help address that with our Federal Government.

AMT: You’ve been running Austech at AMTIL for a few years now.

How has the industry changed in that time?

SI: It’s certainly got harder and that’s reflected obviously by the level of manufacturing as a percentage of our GDP. I think when I first started in 1999 with AMTIL, it was round about the level of 13% of GDP, and at the moment we’re down around 7% or even less. But whilst as a percentage, we seem to have decreased quite significantly, obviously

our GDP has increased, so in real terms, our manufacturing sector is not much smaller than it was in 1999.

But it certainly has changed. We’ve seen a lot of businesses that have gone to higher-tech – the ones that have been successful have made investments and have automated so we’ve seen more introduction of robotics and machines that are focused more on getting the parts in and out of the machine quicker, and spindle speeds on the machines have increased.

So we’ve seen a lot of productivity increases over the years, but as I said earlier, that needs to go now to another level. We’ve just got to continue to look at that. www.amtil.com.au AMT May 2015

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NMW Preview

NMW 2015: The industry’s broadest offering National Manufacturing Week (NMW) is expanding in 2015, with innovations from more than 180 exhibitors, live demonstrations and access to leading experts providing new ideas and inspiration for industry growth.

Running alongside Austech at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, NMW 2015 will be laid out in 12 Product Zones to help visitors navigate the range of products and services on offer. A key focus will be to introduce updates in sectors and technologies that are driving industry growth: Digital Manufacturing, CleanTech/ Sustainable Manufacturing, Engineering Services and more.

In line with the changing face of Australian manufacturing, there will be a large number of new exhibitors and new capabilities on display. Among these will be KPMG, with an update on government grants and research incentives, alongside internationalisation consultants Baden-Württemberg International and dozens of international specialist suppliers. In addition, some of industry’s established leaders – including the likes of BOC, BAC, Lincoln Electric, Klingspor, Supagas, Stratasys, Telstra – will bring new and innovative solutions to the event.

Demonstrations bring new technologies to life NMW visitors will be able to see and try new technologies like never before, with this year’s event including live demonstrations of

innovations that are reshaping manufacturing processes in steel finishing, metal marking, fastening tools and systems, welding, cutting and more. The demonstration program on Day 2 of NMW will begin with Metal Science Technologies – at Stand 4818 – showcasing

A first for Safety First NMW’s organisers Reed Exhibitions will this year present Australia’s first complete safety event, the Safety First Conference & Expo, reflecting the importance to industry of a safe, productive workplace.

Running alongside Austech and NMW 2015, Safety First will showcase the latest product and service innovations to help business owners and managers to maximise safety standards, with products and services tailor-made for machine safety, as well as electrical, general fire & life safety, workplace health & wellness, safety services and ICT platforms.

Proudly sponsored by safety management platform MYOSH, the event’s conference component will offer high-level briefings with world-leading safety experts. The conference includes free, open briefings taking place on the expo floor, alongside Premium Forums providing intimate sessions on three core themes: Safety Leaders Skills; Human Factors for Safety Leaders: and Psychological Injury.

Key to the Premium Forums will be the opportunity to ask questions of more than a dozen world-class safety leaders, including Griffith University’s Professor Sidney Dekker, and DuPont Sustainable Solutions’ Dr Rod Gutierrez, who will share research and real-world strategies for helping people choose safety and wellbeing. The Premium Forums will include: Premium Forum A: Safety Leaders Skills Pro (Tuesday 26 May – 1.30pm-4.00pm) Participants will discuss advanced skills including: • Exploring behaviours that can unintentionally boost risk in the workplace.

• Communicating in ways that help create a culture of safety.

• Measuring your success as a safety leader.

Premium Forum B: Human Factors for Safety Leaders (Wednesday 27 May – 2.00pm-4.30pm)

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AMT May 2015

Participants will gain a greater understanding of social influences, including: • Is the human factor a problem to control or a resource to harness?

• A case study revealing the key factors that played a serious role in major incidents Premium Forum C: OHS Safety Leaders – Psychological Injury (Thursday 28 May – 3.00pm-5.30pm) This session aims to enhance your capacity to positively influence workers’ thinking, emotional state and behaviour, through: • Looking at personal resilience and the building blocks for a resilient workforce.

• Mental health issues, stress and psychological injury including depression and anxiety.

• Re-engaging and motivating injured employees after they have returned to work.

Each of the Premium Forum series is priced at $180, with discounts for registering for two forums (20% discount = $288) and all three forums (40% discount = $324).

Anthony Reed, Event Director comments: “One of the real benefits of the Premium Forums is the opportunity to benchmark your practices against best practices and achievements in industry. Each of the sessions has been designed to give you high-level ideas and strategies. And because they’re taking place behind closed doors, you will have a rare opportunity to quiz industry leaders about what they – and you can – do differently to influence safety outcomes.” www.safetyfirstexpo.com.au.

NMW Preview Industry leaders in R&D and Digital Manufacturing NMW 2015 will also present an exceptional program of presentations, with world-class speakers sharing their expertise and leading discussions in two zones, the R&D Hub and the Digital Manufacturing Hub. The R&D Theatre program focuses on innovation and bringing new ideas to market.

Sessions will include:

a technique for cleaning stainless steel welds. The demonstration will showcase new equipment that makes it possible to weld on-site or in the workshop, finishing with electropolishing technology that – without the need to immerse the item in an electrolyte solution – finish the weld with a chromium dense mirror-like sheen.

NMW’s Day 2 demo program will also feature the high-speed AutoFast Riveting System, a world-wide patented technology that sets new rivet-speed records with a time of one rivet per second.

• Phil Timbrell of Preformed Line Products – ‘Unusual approaches to getting an idea to a Fully Testable Product’; • Dr John Blakemore – ‘What really are our options?’

• Mark Steiner, MD of Techome and Hetech – ‘Buying or Manufacturing Offshore? What to Look For’.

Complementary sessions in the Digital Hub will include RMIT University’s Gretchen Wilkins and Ian Nazareth profiling the Future Factory and Enhar’s Demian Natakhan speaking on Increasing Productivity.

Anthony Reed, Event Director for NMW 2015 comments: “NMW is going to be a very packed four days - with the demos running alongside presentations from industry experts, a full exhibition and thousands of industry visitors expected to attend.”

To help visitors make the most of their time at the show, NMW is this year launching a free online tool - My Event Planner – available from the NMW website. Visitors can use the tool to earmark the events, demonstrations and exhibitors that they most want to see.

“You can even use the planning tool to connect with key contacts ahead of NMW 2015,” adds Reed. “So you’re a step ahead when the doors open on May 26 in Melbourne.”

The theme of welding innovation will return on Day 3 of NMW – Thursday 28 May – with Innovative Welding demonstrating K-Tig, the CSIRO-developed system that can make the welding process much faster, cheaper, simpler and less energy-intensive.

Australian Precision Technologies

Make the most of your visit

For full details of exhibitors, events and the My Event Planner, visit: www. nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au

AutoCRC Ltd

BAC Systems

AutoCRC offers a broad range of skills and services to the manufacturing sector locally and internationally, with a focus on productivity, efficiency, sustainability and innovation. Its diverse business advisory activities are carried out by AutoCRC’s award-winning Business Excellence team, which draws on the industry expertise of over 50 coaches to deliver its highly effective customised business improvement projects. AutoCRC’s collaborative and multi-disciplinary research program focuses on developing low emissions technology in conjunction with key partners, while providing research opportunities and direction to small and medium sized manufacturers looking to participate in R&D. AutoCRC can help you with: company-wide business performance assessment and benchmarking, business improvement advice and coaching, research project facilitation and management, accessing Australian research capability.

This year BAC will be showcasing its exciting BAC 77 storage system. This is a pallet rack system that can combine long-span, highdensity drawers and shelves in the same bay.

This innovative system, pioneered by BAC Systems, is a unique approach to making best use of available space, especially in smaller stores. All inventory can be stored in a single system with slow-moving bulk stored on pallets above the fast-moving parts in high-density drawers or on shelves. Additionally, BAC will be showcasing its range of high-density drawer storage modules. These award-winning units bear new refinements to ensure smooth operation and decades of reliability. Along with modular workbenches and trolleys, BAC will have a solution for all industrial workshop and storage needs.

Stand: 4710

Stand 5412

Stand 5510

www.aptengineering.com

www.autocrc.com

www.bacsystems.com.au

Australian Precision Technologies (APT) specialises in the manufacture and production of various high precision components for a range of industries. APT is an ISO9001 Quality Assured Company, and has achieved preferred supplier status to industries all over the globe with plant and technology that is ranked in the top 10% of operators in Australia. It helps companies create competitive advantage through CNC machining, instruments and assemblies, and project management for industries including: aerospace, medical, defence, mining, rail, marine, automotive, electrical, construction and sports equipment. APT’s philosophy of ‘capability + communication = value’ not only benefits its clients but has also seen the company inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame in addition to other awards including the Casey Cardinia Manufacturing Award in 2014.

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NMW Preview

Bosch Group With its broad expertise and portfolio, the Bosch Group can offer turnkey solutions to manufacturing customers, all from one trusted brand. Bosch will be demonstrating a range of technologies from various Bosch business units. Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions are partners to the manufacturing industry offering solutions in automation and Lean manufacturing from a global supplier.

Bosch Rexroth’s drive and control technology bundles global application experience to develop innovative components and tailored system solutions for local conditions. Bosch engineering and technical service provide stateof-the-art product engineering and technical services in design, testing and the production of electronic products. Bosch professional power tools will be on display and in action to demonstrate their key performance and safety features. Bosch Thermotechnology is a specialist supplier of high-efficiency water and space heating appliances, for domestic through to large-scale industrial applications.

CGB Precision Products Pty Ltd CGB is a supplier of high-performance, highprecision components, successfully serving Australian industry for over 40 years. As the Australian representatives for top brands, CGB can give customers unparalleled access to the information, technical specifications and experience they demand.

ECi M1 ECi M1 software is end-to-end management software for your growing manufacturing business. No matter what your size, ECi has a business management solution to fit and scale with your operation requirements and budget. ECi is focused on helping your team achieve better decision-making, significant productivity increases, considerable reductions in inter-departmental miscommunications, and greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Its customers hail from a broad range of industries and include businesses of all sizes ranging from small start-up companies to large multi-branch, international organisations. With offices located across the USA, Australia, UK and the Netherlands, it is a truly global software house and we pride ourselves on being able to provide a high level of service to all customers regardless of location.

Stand 5100

Stand: 5720

Stand: 4908

www.bosch.com.au

www.cgb.com.au

www.ecim1.com

Epicor Software

Leussink Engineering Pty Ltd

Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication

Leussink Engineering is regarded as a leader in its chosen field of design and manufacturing in Australia. Leussink specialises in providing world-class manufacturing solutions based around core competitiveness in precisionengineered and machined components.

Located in Wollongong, NSW, Leussink enjoys easy access to many international export routes to service its broad customer base. One of its key products is the Demmeler 3D Modular Fixturing Solution, designed to hold parts quickly and accurately in position for fabrication or assembly yet able to adjust dimensionally for engineering changes to the finished part easily.

Regardless of the size or complex nature of your part, the Demmeler 3D Modular Fixturing Solution is the way ahead.

The Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) is a world-class nanofabrication centre, combining cutting-edge technologies with the skills and expertise of our staff and associates.

This year at NMW, MCN will feature a range of exciting devices and samples demonstrating the unique combination of capabilities that it can offer. Included in these exhibits are working microfluidic devices, DRIE patterned wafers, sensors, synthetic diamond structures, 3D printed parts and 3D profilometer samples, amongst other items. MCN staff will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about your project or our capabilities.

Stand 5208

Stand 4600

Stand 5410

www.epicor.com

www.leussink.com.au

www.nanomelbourne.com

Epicor provides enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions to maximise efficiencies within the four walls of each manufacturing plant, while providing innovative technology to inspire efficiency across the globally extended enterprise. The comprehensive Epicor solution portfolio enables manufacturers to plan, schedule, execute, and monitor the entire business—from raw materials to final product, to pick, pack, and ship. With a full range of functionality, Epicor provides manufacturers with flexibility and agility, and inspires a competitive edge. With nearly 40 years of combined experience serving midmarket organisations and divisions of Global 1000 companies, Epicor has more than 20,000 customers in over 150 countries.

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NMW Preview

Millsom Materials Handling

Ronson Gears Pty Ltd

Trotec Laser

Ronson Gears, Australia’s foremost gear manufacturer, is excited to be showcasing its Stock Gear range to NMW visitors. Boasting arguably the country’s most extensive range of gears and racks, Ronson Gears is renowned for its custom-made gearing solutions for the likes of Joy Mining, Bombardier Transportation and ARB Corporation. The company is also quickly building a reputation for high-quality gears available off the shelf. Supplied by KHK Stock Gears from Japan, there are over 9000 gears and associated products available to choose from. Ronson carries approximately 2000 different line items, from spur, helical and bevel gears, to gear racks, spiral bevel gears, worms and worm wheels.

Trotec Laser is the world’s largest manufacturer of flatbed laser machines for marking, cutting and engraving solutions. Its lasers are Austriandesigned and built with the world’s most innovative and diverse range of laser solutions suitable for many applications including plastics, acrylics, timber and metal marking. Benefits of a Trotec laser solution include low overall cost of ownership, warranties of up to 10 years, unlimited technical support and ongoing training for our valued customers at our training and development centres located across Australia and New Zealand. Trotec boasts machines in over 90 countries around the world, 14 international sales branches and over 300 employees worldwide. Trotec lasers are designed for both maximum productivity and profitability to your business.

Stand 4505

Stand: 5921

Stand 5105

www.millsom.com.au

www.ronsongears.com.au

www.troteclaser.com.au

Millsom Materials Handling specialises in all areas of vacuum-lifting equipment, vacuum gripper systems and vacuum components, along with a complete range of jib cranes, bridge cranes and low-friction track systems.

Manufactured in-house, Millsom can provide solutions to almost every lifting and handling requirement across Australia and New Zealand.

At NMW 2015 it will have a large range of Schmalz vacuum lifters on display, and also the new Jumbo Flex 50 vacuum lifter, capable of handling almost anything weighing up to 50 kg. On display will also be a sample of vacuum components – with over 5000 different products in the range, Schmalz is one of the largest suppliers of vacuum equipment for automation systems in the world.

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company focus

FountainLine IMS – Making its mark Succumbing to the dismal trends affecting manufacturing today was never an option for one renowned New South Wales manufacturer. By Nina Hendy.

With its cutting-edge grass line-marking business dominating and conquering the Australian market, the progressive-thinking team behind FountainLine was not content to rest on its laurels. Instead the manufacturer, which was founded as John McGain Products in 1927, decided to tackle the manufacturing decline taking hold in Australia head-on.

supplier who could supply them with finished products,” Ibrahim says. “They’re no longer managing multiple suppliers, they’re no longer managing warehousing staff that have 5000 of one part and zero of another part, so they can’t sell anything that’s finished because they’re waiting for the other bit to come in.

In a bold move, it opted to develop the contract manufacturing side of its business, albeit with a difference – it simply couldn’t compete in terms of the low-price, lowcost manufacturing and piecemeal work that characterises the Asian market. In an industry where many manufacturers provide their customers with just a small part of the solution, FountainLine saw and seized an opportunity to provide an integrated solution – a one-stop-shop for its customers.

“What they’re doing now is using semi-skilled purchasing people who don’t have a great deal of experience in manufacturing but know how to run a procurement system, and they don’t need to know how to manufacture because we take care of it – we become the project manager.”

With its expertise cemented across a broad existing business base, the company was able to buck the trend in Australian manufacturing and repackage its service to offer a consolidated, end-to-end manufacturing solution.

Fast forward several years and FountainLine IMS (Integrated Manufacturing Solutions) now delivers the design work, including prototyping, research and development, design and drawings, through to production, with tool-making, CNC machining, metal fabrication and sheet metal componentry. It also provides assembly, including packaging, barcoding and labelling, right through to the delivery end-point. The company found ‘its own blue ocean’, says Chief Executive Officer Terry Ibrahim. It’s a courageous leap that’s proved to be an overwhelming success.

“Customers realised very quickly that there was real value by using one integrated new

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For Ibrahim, who has a background in engineering and has worked in the business for almost 20 years, FountainLine IMS’s success story is one that’s made all the more remarkable because of its audacious journey. While contemplating the transition to offering an integration of services, Ibrahim and his business partner went in search of businesses as consultants – businesses that were achieving outstanding results in their own fields, spanning areas such as biomedical, nutrition, swimwear and communications.

“We consulted with them and explained to them where we were taking this little thing and how we best get there and asked for their input on how they would do things,” he says.

It was a daring move that deliberately sidestepped utilising consultants from the manufacturing arena.

“We needed a breath of fresh air and so we thought that if we only talk to people in manufacturing, all we’re going to do is get

the same old nonsense,” Ibrahim explains.

“We needed to take an outside view and we probably found that to be the most valuable decision we made.”

It’s a manufacturing outcome that speaks for itself. FountainLine IMS now offers a service that remains unrivalled in the industry. What’s more, it’s experienced a rapid growth of 200% in just a few years.

Ibrahim says that boom has presented its own series of challenges. Inundated with work, FountainLine IMS has fought to control the growth to ensure the venture’s viability into the long-term future. The company has implemented efficiencies such as new systems on the shop-floor and in management, all the while keeping a strong focus on providing the customer with a quality service.

And that’s not where this manufacturer’s achievements end.

Leading the line FountainLine’s grass line-marking business, which sells products to the sports industry, is also forging ahead into a new era.

It’s a business venture that sprung from humble beginnings, hailing from when the manufacturer made ringers for washing machines in the golden era of Australian manufacturing. The rubber on the ringer was pigmented white using a calcium carbonate powder. Local sports clubs were soon clamouring to buy the powder to use for marking their sports fields.

“So the owner of the company during that period decided to produce a spraying machine that sprays the diluted powder,” Ibrahim says. “Out of that little invention was born something called the FountainLine

company focus

Marking Company, which exists today and is the largest part of our business actually.”

FountainLine is now one of the world leaders in manufacturing line-marking machinery.

Once again, not satisfied with simply treading water, the company recently set the bar even higher, with the launch of the world’s first GPS line-marker.

The SmartLine GPS model uses Swiss technology that enables the user to simply select a sports field layout from a range of templates, including soccer, NRL, Rugby Union, hockey and AFL fields, scaleable for each ground. The user then positions their start point and simply begins marking the layout. The dynamic line marker dramatically reduces the time it takes to mark sports fields by more than 90% – a cost saving of over four hours of set-out time for each field.

FountainLine now plans to take the plunge into another complementary niche venture.

“We’re about to set up our own supplyand-apply type business where we’ll have contractors who have trained to use this,” Ibrahim explains. “(They) will go out and offer the service of line-marking to universities, schools and councils rather than using volunteer labour or have contract labour that aren’t as efficient.”

In an era where many longstanding Australian manufacturers are falling by the wayside, FountainLine is gaining momentum. But it hasn’t been an easy path. Like many others, the company flourished in the 1930s through to the 1950s, when it was producing mostly white good products.

In those days, it employed about 85 people.

After riding the big crest of manufacturing, the business shrunk to just 15 employees when manufacturing took a tremendous dive in the 1990s. FountainLine rode the continuous declining market until about mid-2000. Then, as Ibrahim puts it, it was time to make a strategic decision to “shape up or ship out”.

“It was getting us nowhere,” he explains. “In fact, we were sort of going backwards by not going forwards.”

Determined to prosper, the company began investing energy and funds into the business.

First, it began with its line-marking venture, where it managed to push the leading market

player, a multi-national, almost right out of the Australian market. While sharp marketing was just one of its tactics, its main strength lay in the manufacturer’s strong relationship with its distribution network.

“That was the weakness with the multinational – they really underestimated the importance of supporting the distribution network,” Ibrahim says. “They went to poach our distribution network from us. Our distributors pretty much told them to nick off – that they’ve got a fantastic relationship with us as a supplier and they wouldn’t change, even if they offered the product for free to them.”

Once FountainLine took off, the manufacturer moved forward with its blueprint for FountainLine IMS. Today, the company’s headcount remains at 15. These employees work across the shared back end of the business that supports the two different fronts – FountainLine and FountainLine IMS. The manufacturer has its sights set on continued growth in grass line-marking. It also envisages maintaining growth in the manufacturing side of its venture, where it has built its business from a foundation of service-based customers – not customers from manufacturing.

“The products we manufacture for them are a means to an end for them – they need the product in order to carry out their service,” Ibrahim adds. “And so they’re not interested

in sourcing product now from individual suppliers because we’ve just taken that whole headache of manufacturing right away from them.”

While FountainLine remains a small manufacturing company, and a far cry from the heights it reached in manufacturing’s heyday, there’s nothing slight about its achievements. In the face of a declining industry, FountainLine is thriving when many other Australian manufacturers are struggling for work, experiencing falling revenues, declining employee numbers and scaling back investments. Ibrahim fears some of these manufacturers have become stagnant.

“They’re still trying to do business like it was done back in the 1960s or 1970s in a marketplace that’s changing every two to three years, even quicker in some cases,” he says. “The days of just dictating to your customers – when they can have products, how much it’s going to be, and offering it to them in one specific way and one way only – those days are gone.”

Ibrahim puts much of the company’s success down to its ability to be able to cater to the customers’ needs.

“We’re not dictating to the market, we’re actually letting the market tell us what they want and then feeding it back to them,” he says. “Because of our adaptability and because we’re still relatively small, we’re quite nimble so we can adapt and move around quite quickly.”

The company’s growing list of triumphs is no mean feat. Understandably, Ibrahim is thrilled with how the company has managed to turn around its fortunes.

“Yes, well, we’re pretty proud,” he says. “It’s been a really big team effort and we’ve pulled resources from everywhere. It’s been exciting and harrowing and all those things but I think now that we can step back a little and have a look at what we’ve been able to achieve. Yes, I think there’s a big group of proud people there.”

FountainLine IMS will be exhibiting at Austech 2015, at Stand MS29 in the Manufacturers Pavilion. www.fountainlineims.com.au www.fountainline.com.au

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The right combination.

At BOC, we understand the challenges your business faces every day. If we can help you increase productivity and keep costs down, then we’re doing our job.

We recognise that for welding, it’s important to use the right combination of shielding gases, quality welding consumables, and state-of-the-art welding machines to help you achieve the results you need.

In addition to this, BOC has a wealth of technical expertise available to you through our welding specialists located in major regions across Australia.

Just as we protect our own people, you can count on BOC’s commitment to help protect yours. We have a comprehensive range of personal protective equipment and workwear specifically designed for your workers.

facebook.com/bocsouthpacific

Download our new Scan to Order App! → Scan barcode to re-order cylinders → Find your nearest Gas & Gear outlet → View product information & pricing

A Member of The Linde Group

A novel way to mix it up.

The Mix On-Site solution is an exciting addition to our CRYOSPEED® offer. This supply option is designed to deliver customised welding gas mixtures in medium to high volume supply directly at your premises. The Mix On-Site service has low installation costs, takes up only a small amount of space and provides consistent high quality gas via a cost-effective solution.

We provide compact high pressure Cryotank vessels plus a self-contained Mix On-Site module, and the gas is delivered via a compact, purpose-built dual liquid tanker, meaning less truck movements at your site. Our Mix OnSite supply technology enables you to create two gas mixtures simultaneously, containing either two or three gas components each.

We also offer a range of vessels sizes and flexible delivery options that can be tailored to suit your requirements.

The Mix On-Site is predominantly for argon and carbon dioxide mixtures, however gas components can be customised to suit your needs.* BOC will be showcasing the Mix On-Site service offer at National Manufacturing Week from 26–29 May 2015.

Please visit us at Stand 4720 to check it out & see the other great solutions we have available!

To find out more, call 131 262, visit your local Gas & Gear® retail outlet or www.boc.com.au

BOC Limited ABN 95 000 029 729 10 Julius Avenue, North Ryde NSW 2113, Australia boc.com.au | 131 262 BOC is a trading name of BOC Limited, a Member of The Linde Group. © BOC Limited 2015. FDAUS | AMT | 0415 *Based on availability.

Quality & Inspection

Intelligent 3D digitisation Fringe projection systems have become a well-accepted measurement tool in industrial metrology, capable of generating large numbers of points in a short time, in contrast to tactile methods. By Christian Thamm and Sebastian Oberndorfner from Steinbichler Optotechnik.

The limits of fringe projection systems are tested, however, when different areas of the surface to be digitised exhibit stark differences in reflexive properties, and as a result, the dynamic range detected by the camera is no longer adequate. The Comet 6 sensor from Steinbichler Optotechnik takes a new approach in this regard by automatically adapting the amount of light projected based on the local reflexive properties of the measured object.

Compared with conventional co-ordinate measurement methods, fringe projection systems have certain undisputed advantages.

Instead of tactile scanning of a few selected points, these systems allow contact-free, full-surface measurement of complex object surfaces with high point densities. Once the measurement data have been acquired and saved, features previously not taken into account can be evaluated subsequently, thus allowing for retrospective evaluation of the production process. Moreover, due to their compact size and light weight, the sensors can be transported and used in a variety of applications. Typical applications include quality control, reverse engineering and the design process, for instance.

Thanks to the Comet 6 system’s modular design, the measurement field can quickly be modified to suit the measurement job at hand, with small operating distances to ensure maximum flexibility when large measurement fields are involved. The 16 mega-pixel camera provides resolutions previously unattained in fringe-projection applications.

On the projector side, tried-and-tested blue LED technology allows measurements to be carried out independently of ambient light. At the heart of blue LED technology is a highperformance LED which operates in the blue spectral range. Combined with a specially developed filter element, unwanted light effects such as daylight or ceiling lighting can be minimised, thereby significantly increasing the quality of the measured data.

Constant LED output and maintenance-free operation are further advantages of blue LED technology.

Successful measurement with all fringe projection systems has previously hinged on an adequately diffuse reflexion of the projected light onto the surface to be digitised. This is due to the fact, among others, that directional reflexions result in excessive outshining or undercut effects of the fringe pattern in the camera image, which in turn prevents measured data being generated in the appropriate places.

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The COMET 6 fringe projection system

Therefore, when digitising shiny objects, users are frequently obliged to prepare the object surface in advance with chalk spray in order to ensure a diffuse reflexion of the fringe pattern. But because this type of pretreatment of the object always entails extra work and in many cases is undesired by the user, often the only remaining option is the addition of further measurements with modified exposure times. This increases the total measurement time, making it more difficult to use fringe projection systems, particularly in industrial applications.

The Comet 6 sensor meets this challenge with the brand-new Intelligent Light Control technology, which adapts the intensity of the projected light to the reflexive properties at specific points, irrespective of the camera exposure. This is possible because the projection display allows pixelated modulation of the light intensity. Since the amount of detected light depends in particular on the orientation of the camera with respect to the measured object and the projector unit, such a method can only be used with a single-camera system.

Each time a measurement begins, a brief series of different brightnesses is first projected onto the object area to be digitised in order to determine the ideal projection intensity individually for each camera pixel. A correspondence search also determines which part of the projection display is illuminating the portion of object surface observed by the respective camera pixel. This enables measurements with locally adapted light intensity and ensures homogeneous lighting of the measured object, thus ensuring optimal utilisation of the camera’s dynamic range.

For automated applications with a repeated accuracy of sensor positioning – through the use of an industrial robot, for example – the defined correspondences and intensities can also be saved once and retrieved each time the measurement program commences, helping further decrease measurement times.

Shiny measured objects such as unmachined sheet metal panels, whose surface primarily reflects incidental light in a directed manner, previously placed high demands on fringe projecting systems. Intelligent Light Control in the new Comet 6 sensor is an innovative method for digitising such measured objects more efficiently in future.

Steinbichler is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Met Optix. www.metoptix.com.au

Fringe pattern on a sheet metal panel. Outshining camera pixels are coloured red.

Quality & Inspection

Machine alignment with laser trackers When manufacturing processes halt due to machine misalignment, companies risk significant losses.

However, these costs can be avoided via preventative maintenance. By Eddy Lek, Product Marketing Manager, and Anthony Lur, Product Marketing Specialist at FARO Technologies.

Well-maintained machines are the foundation of manufacturing processes. Adopting a preventative maintenance approach not only helps minimise the likelihood of equipment failure or downtime, but helps ensure products meet quality benchmarks. Moreover, machine alignment significantly increases the lifespan of tools.

Companies used to rely on traditional alignment methods involving tools such as machinist levels, piano or tight wires, optics and lasers. These tools frequently worked well but often served only one dedicated function. Calibration and alignment would typically take days or even weeks, involving multiple instruments, which translated to higher costs and more time setting up each step. Naturally, companies sought out better, faster methods.

In the early 1990s, the use of laser trackers became widespread.

Compared to traditional methods, the laser tracker is a powerful, user-friendly device that can perform multiple measurement tasks in a much shorter time. Laser trackers combine the capabilities of several traditional tools, and can capture data points in a 3D space, providing users with higher precision and versatility in data usage.

Calibration of robots using a laser tracker.

1. Machining centres On horizontal/vertical machines, bridge, column, or gantry-type machines, the laser tracker can be used to check for surface level, straightness, flatness and squareness. The target is placed on the machine bed to capture measurements, and users can either make adjustments in real time, or obtain a complete set of points before adjusting the machine bed.

For tool alignment, the target can be placed in the spindle, chuck, or quill. Measurements can also be obtained by placing the target on a pin nest mounted directly into the drill. Alternatively, it can also be placed in a ‘puck’ or drift nest, which can be glued on to a moving bed. As the target sits on its respective locations, 3D data points are collected while the machine travels through a range of movements.

Apart from checking the machine bed, the tracker can be used to check for plumb, level, or ensure parallelism in the rails. Conducting 3D volumetric accuracy checks and re-mapping the machine are also possible.

The same checks of levelling, squareness, alignment, and 3D volumetric accuracy checks can be made on boring mills, jig borers, gantry drills, routers and lathes. For lathes in particular, laser trackers can perform turning centre alignment by tracking a target that is affixed on to the headstock with a drift nest. Much like with machine beds, data points are collected as the headstock turns, moving incrementally towards the tailstock in a circular fashion. Adjustments are then made to align the tailstock with the headstock.

2. Machinery With presses, laser trackers are useful for checking perpendicularity and parallelism of posts, as well as platen parallelism. The ends of each pole on each side of the planes are measured and compared to ensure it lines up square (between pole and plane) and parallel (between planes) respectively. Any deviation can be corrected based on the readings acquired.

Laser trackers are also effective at conducting shaft alignment checks in roller mill machinery. Shafts need to be in proper alignment and orientation to function well, and the laser tracker allows such checks to be performed easily on rolls. Real-time adjustments can be made as measurements are taken. Data points at both ends of a shaft are acquired by placing the target on the cylinder. The information collected by the software allows users to identify the movement required to put each roll back into alignment.

Machine beds are checked for flatness using a laser tracker.

3. Other equipment In calibration of robots, the target is ‘held’ by the robot while measurements are taken. The laser tracker dynamically tracks the target as the robot moves through its programed path. By analysing the data points, a user can tell how much the robot has deviated from its nominal path, thereby directing him on remapping, calibration, or error compensation actions that will allow the robot to move properly through its range of motions.

In the assembly of power generation equipment like drivelines, the laser tracker can ensure that components are lined up correctly, according to design. The laser tracker is mounted with a magnet to hang off the side of a machine, so that it has a direct line of sight to all the features of interest. In this manner, the laser tracker can take measurements of the driveline while it remains on the machine tool. As checks are being made right on the shop floor, adjustments can be made without taking the set-up apart, which saves time and eliminates the need for rework.

Evidently, the laser tracker is an effective complement for the practice of preventative maintenance, which reduces downtime, enables costsavings, and also improves the quality of output. A robust tool that can be deployed anywhere on the shop-floor, the laser tracker’s multiple functions can replace a variety of hand tools. Companies expanding their capabilities to include in-house machine alignment now have the laser tracker as an option. www.faro.com AMT May 2015

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Quality & Inspection

How air gauging works First developed in France before World War II by a carburettor company looking for a more reliable method of measuring carburettor jets, air gauges have improved significantly since then and many styles have developed through the years. By Chris Koehn, Stotz Product Manager at Advanced Machine & Engineering.

Air gauging relies on a law of physics that states flow and pressure are directly proportionate to clearance and react inversely to each other. As clearance increases, air flow also increases and air pressure decreases proportionately. As clearance decreases, air flow also decreases and air pressure increases.

This is accomplished by having a regulated air flow that travels through some type of restriction such as a needle valve or jewelled orifice and then through the nozzle in the air tool. As the obstruction (workpiece) is brought closer to the nozzle, air flow is reduced and the back pressure is increased.

When the nozzle is completely obstructed, the flow is zero and the back pressure is equal to the regulated air. Conversely, when the nozzle is open to the atmosphere, air flow is at a maximum and the back pressure is at a minimum.

Types of air gauging There are several varieties of air gauging systems, including back pressure bleed, differential and flow type systems.

The back pressure bleed system is the most versatile. Tooling from different air gauging systems may be used with this type. It is configured with an air pressure regulator to control the incoming air pressure to ensure maximum linearity. It is the second restriction that allows the user to adjust for different air gauge tooling by adjusting the incoming air pressure to match the style of air tooling used.

This type uses two setting masters to calibrate. The masters are typically at the MIN and MAX of the tolerance of the workpiece.

This allows for linearity of the measurement through the entire measuring range. Because it is a two-master system, each time you calibrate, you are compensating for any wear, dirt build-up or minor damage to the tooling.

The differential system divides the air stream into two fixed restrictions. One side ends in a zero valve, which balances pressure to the fixed second leg, which ends at the air ring or plug. The difference between these two legs is measured by a differential pressure meter that bridges the two legs. This type uses a single master to set it to zero.

Tooling for this type of system needs to be ordered for each particular magnification.

This system is not as forgiving with worn or damaged tooling because you are using a single calibration point. Any part not made near the zero is more likely to have an

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highly polished, thin-walled or otherwise susceptible to marking.

Air gauging is extremely easy to use and requires no special skills, thus taking technique out of measurement results – multiple operators will achieve the same results measuring the same part. This is a problem when using a contact gauge such as a micrometer or dial bore gauge.

inaccurate reading. This becomes more of an issue as you reach the outer limits of the tolerances.

The flow system is measured and read in a flowmeter tube that supports a float, using two masters for calibration. It is similar to the back pressure bleed system in its accuracy across the tolerance range. The magnification range is adjusted by changing flow tubes and scales and is not as simple as the back pressure bleed system. The flow system requires a much higher volume of air, requiring much larger nozzles. Because the nozzles are larger, the nozzle must be kept closer to the part and therefore has a smaller nozzle drop. This can shorten tool life. The flow system can be used with long hoses without affecting the amplifier’s response time, making it ideal for long holes such as gun barrels.

Why use air gauging today?

Air gauging is a very fast, efficient and reliable method of measuring. It is designed to be used on workpieces with tolerances of 0.127mm or smaller. The resolution and repeatability of the measurement can be in the millionths of an inch. Because air gauging is a non-contact method, it is useful for measuring materials that are soft,

Air gauging can be used to measure complex geometric tolerances such as diameter, taper, parallelism, squareness, flatness and matching of components in a fast, efficient method. These may not be able to be checked with fixed-limit gauging or may be costly and time-consuming to check in other ways. Probes can now be as small as 0.6mm (0.024”) in diameter and continue to get smaller.

Many of today’s columns or measuring computers can become an integral part of the manufacturing cell, with communication to robotic loaders and the ability to send offset values to the machine, which allows for around the clock manufacturing with 100% inspection of workpieces. Air gauging systems operate at air pressures that can remove contaminates such as abrasive particles and coolant, eliminating the need for separate cleaning in most applications. The air tooling has no moving parts and therefore has a very long, dependable service life.

Air gauging technology is continually improving as computer technology continues to evolve.

These systems can range from simple desktop readouts to full SPC computers with contour scanning capabilities. As manufacturing requirements become more complex, air gauging technology evolves with demand. Air gauging will remain a viable measuring solution for generations to come. www.ame.com

ERP Software for Growing Manufacturers

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Quality & Inspection

Is ISO9000 killing your business?

The ISO9000 set of quality assurance standards brings a degree of order to otherwise potentially chaotic manufacturing businesses. But it can also act as a constraint on the innovation that is essential for those manufacturers to thrive. By Roger La Salle.

I am not sure how often I’ve related the statistic that, whereas in the 1920s the life expectancy of a public company in the USA was some 65 years, by the 1990s this had fallen to ten years and today is even less.

There is a clear message here of the need for innovation and to be constantly moving your products, services and customers to an ever better place. In short, “Innovate or Perish”!

Is ISO9000 the answer?

The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1947 with the aim of bringing some international standardisation to manufacturing quality and traceability. Many companies have embraced the teachings of the ISO regime, and indeed many suppliers demand that their subcontractors be accredited to this standard as there is little doubt there are benefits to be had, at least in the short term.

Some studies have tried to establish a direct link between improved profits and ISO certification, but such a link in many cases is questionable. Some argue that increased profit improvements had come before adopting ISO and that in fact later ISO adoption simply allowed companies to do business with more major companies that demanded their suppliers be so certified.

Indeed one may argue that this is a positive feedback system guaranteed to ensure that ISO remains firmly embedded into manufacturing worldwide.

Some years ago on Melbourne radio, one company started promoting its products as those built to the exacting standards demanded by ISO900. I’m sure this advertisement caught the attention of many in the manufacturing sector, probably to the detriment of the advertisers who had either failed to realise what ISO certification was really about, or was trying to hoodwink an unknowing public. In any case the advertisement was pulled within days as those in the know – no doubt promptly and no doubt vigorously – informed the radio station of the factual error of the claim.

ISO certification does not dictate that products are ‘best of class’; its purpose is to establish system and order, to improve documentation and traceability. In essence it put order into businesses that without it may be otherwise somewhat chaotic. That’s the good news.

So what’s the catch?

A study done by Mike Tushman of Harvard Business School and Mary Benner of the Wharton School of the University of

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Pennsylvania showed that the adoption of ISO9000 may come with a “sting in the tail”.

In the years immediately following ISO implementation business outcomes improved in terms of reduced defect, less waste and rework, improved quality and more repeatability in terms of all processes. Customers, especially the bigger ones, loved this and were eager to see all of their suppliers embrace ISO 9000.

Of course in the wake of this, many others followed suit, or in some cases were pushed into accreditation by their upper-tier customers.

However, after several years of working with the system and order dictated by ISO, the innovation of these accredited companies collapsed. No longer was there so much free thinking and an ability to step outside the boundary dictates of ISO. The result, the study revealed, was that within five to seven years at the most, innovation output plummeted, these companies became slaves to the ISO regime, and stagnated.

What’s the message?

ISO9000 accreditation may be necessary and indeed essential, especially if you are a supplier to the majors, but beware its downside. The more system and rigour you bring into your organisation, the greater the need to implement some systematic means of innovation into your business as a cultural part of its DNA. Innovation Circles need to be established, much along the lines of the famous Japanese Quality Circles established by Edwards Demming in Japan in the 1950s. It was Quality Circles that lifted the Japanese manufacturing quality from pure junk to the very best in the world.

Innovation Circles are analogues to Quality Circles, and once implemented with people properly trained in the simple art of ‘Innovation and Opportunity Capture’, you can ensure your enterprise will not become a victim of the very regime that has made it successful.

Observe what is happening to your business as staff work to ISO. Observe for signs of a possible downward spiral of innovation output. If you see that happening and you are a slave to the upper-tier suppliers, as for example most of the auto industry providers are, or were, you may well be “ISOing” yourself into extinction.

Roger La Salle, is the creator of the “Matrix Thinking”™ technique and an international speaker on Innovation, Opportunity and business development.

He is the author of four books, director and former CEO of the Innovation Centre of Victoria (INNOVIC) as well as a number of companies both in Australian and overseas. Matrix Thinking is now used in more than 26 countries and licensed to Deloitte, one of the world’s largest consulting firms. www.matrixthinking.com

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Material Removal

Haas – Going up a gear Having already established a formidable position as a builder of high-quality CNC machine tools, Haas Automation is an increasingly active player in the field of motorsports. Recently, it announced its boldest move yet – into Formula One. In March this year, Haas Automation held its HaasTec show at its manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California. Among visitors from all over the world was a group of Australians who were keen to learn more about this incredibly successful machine tool builder. Haas Factory Outlet-Australia (HFO-Australia) led the group as it was taken on a comprehensive tour of the Haas facility, and got to see a full range of Haas machines in action both at the HaasTec show and within the factory in full production making Haas machines.

“There were 20 machines at HaasTec and all were cutting, adopting different machining techniques, and this attracted many favourable comments from our customers,” says George Buhagiar, MD of Alfex CNC Australia. “Customers found the Haas facility very informative and inspirational in many respects. Seeing and hearing the machines and cutting tools working at optimum rates, using the latest tooling and cutting techniques, left customers comparing how they do things back in their own workshops.”

HFO-Australia customers said the tour of the Haas facility and the HaasTec exhibition exceeded all expectations, with one describing it as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’. Similarly enthusiastic was Brian Davies, Technical Director at Davies Wear Plate Systems, based in Esperance, WA.

“I didn’t really know what to expect when we turned up there,” says Davies. “But once you got inside the building, you really started to understand how professional they are and how much Haas has achieved in a relatively short time – less than 40 years. It became very obvious that these people really knew exactly what they were on about. They’ve got an extremely good product and they just keep improving it. I would go back there in a flash.”

As a bonus for the HFO-Australia customers, the trip coincided with a round of NASCAR at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, and the group experienced the race as guests of Haas Automation and HFO-Australia.

From a suite overlooking the first turn on the track, they enjoyed a clear view of the start and finish line, and could take in the entire spectacle.

“You’re probably like many Australians who watch motorsport and compare them to our V8 Supercars,” says Buhagiar. “You see NASCAR going round in circles and you think ‘well that’s boring’. But having gone there, the speed that these race cars go around is ridiculous – this is one of the fastest race tracks, and the quickest car was clocked at 340kph. The sound, speed, smell and the huge number of spectators makes this far from boring.

The Stewart-Haas car driven by Kurt Busch before the race.

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Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick finished the 200-lap race in second and third. They’d led for most of the race until the very last lap, when Busch’s car skimmed the wall, allowing the third-placed car to sneak through to first. While it provided an unfortunate twist at the end of a long, hardfought contest, it remained a good result for the Stewart-Haas team, and an exciting finish for the more-than-100,000 spectators watching the race, in particular the Australian visitors.

“Everyone has seen it on TV, but actually seeing it first-hand, the scale is pretty much overwhelming, the noise and the machinery,” adds Davies. “The technology and the expertise and the dedication that go into those cars and all the support equipment – it’s very impressive what people can achieve when they put their mind to it. And you could see with the Haas people, its part and parcel of their DNA: winning, achieving what they set out to do. It’s just dedication, dedication, dedication.”

From machining to motorsport The Stewart-Haas Racing team, unsurprisingly, uses Haas CNC machines exclusively to machine all their race components. But so also do many other race teams, both in the US and here in Australia.

Material Removal

Members of the Australian group in front of the Haas Automation facility and last year’s winning race car.

Gene Haas, Founder and President of Haas Automation.

In NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports runs a workshop using Haas, while several other teams make heavy use of Haas machines.

Haas’ motorsports holdings also in the US include Windshear, a 290kph rolling-road wind tunnel in Concord, North Carolina. In Australia, V8 teams such as Triple 8, DJR Team Penske, Brad Jones, Paul Morris motorsport, Erebrus Motorsport and other engineering support companies to these race teams also feature Haas machines in their workshops.

While a passion for the sport itself is undoubtedly a significant driver of Haas’ involvement, there are other motives also at play. In recent years, Haas has placed ever-greater emphasis on improving the quality, reliability, precision and accuracy of its machines – all characteristics that are also crucial to achieving success on the racetrack.

“Motorsport is synonymous with high performance, and that’s the message they want to send out there,” says Buhagiar.

“Obviously, Gene Haas has a love for motorsport – that helps. They run four cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and they do pretty well.”

Back in the world of CNC machining, Haas is a major player in the US market, where it commands a significant market share. In international markets, that share is smaller.

The company currently exports more than 50% of its products, and is targeting further expansion, determined to achieve an increased share in markets outside the US. “In Europe, where there’s such a strong allegiance to high-quality locally manufactured machine tools, it’s impressive how the Haas brand is growing,” says Buhagiar. “Haas machines have proved themselves; the current generation of machines is up there with some of the best, and getting into places that do some really high-tech, highly accurate work.”

That growing international focus also ties in with what may be Haas’ most ambitious undertaking in the field of motorsports to date. Last year, the company announced that the Haas F1 Team will make its debut in the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2016, becoming the first American-led team to compete in 30 years.

Changing the Formula Getting a start-up team to the grid is a massive logistical and technical undertaking, but under the leadership of team principal Guenther Steiner, Haas F1 Team has many vital pieces already in place, despite the 2016 season being less than a year away.

Construction of the team’s equipment, from transporters to the pit apparatus to garage setup, is well underway. Key personnel have also been added, notably Dave O’Neill as team manager, Rob Taylor as Chief Designer, and Ben Agathangelou as Chief Aerodynamicist. O’Neill and Taylor came to Haas F1 Team from Marussia F1 Team, while Agathangelou joined from Scuderia Ferrari.

Agathangelou and Taylor have already designed the 60%-scale model of the car Haas F1 Team will race in 2016.

“While there is still a lot of work to do, a lot has already been accomplished for Haas F1 Team to be competitive when we join the F1

A Haas ST-45 CNC lathe undertaking test cutting prior to shipping.

grid in 2016,” says Guenther Steiner, team principal and Formula One veteran. “The way we’re going about our F1 team is new and different, but it’s working. We’re committed to our plan, we’re committed to F1 and, most importantly, we’re on schedule.”

Coming to Melbourne “For anyone who likes motorsport, F1 is the elite,” says Buhagiar. “And as much as I like our Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, we’ll be pushing for the Haas team to be on the podium. But who knows? Maybe one day Ricciardo will be driving for Haas. You just never know.”

For Buhagiar and the HFO-Australia team – the Haas move into F1 is particularly exciting, because it will all begin almost right on their doorstep, in Melbourne. As the kick-off race for the 2016 Formula One season, the Australian Grand Prix will be where Haas F1 Team will make its debut following preseason testing.

“There’s bound to be a lot of hype leading up to the race,” Buhagiar adds. “And I dare say, it’s going to be the talk of the town in the machine tool industry.”

Haas Automation will be exhibiting at Austech 2015, at stand 628b. www.haas-australia.com

Australian customers being shown machine accuracy on the CNC lathe assembly line.

AMT May 2015

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Compressors

Britannia’s stationary compressor upgrade Problems with its existing compressor could have had a major impact for sheet-metal fabricator Britannia Metal Industries, but Sullair helped ensure not only that the replacement equipment represented a significant upgrade, but that the transition was managed seamlessly.

Located in Mulgrave, in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Britannia has been in the sheet-metal fabrication industry for over 70 years, and is currently a major manufacturer of sheet-metal components to a wide range of industrial sectors. With a forwardthinking commitment to customer service, the company invests in many of the latest technologies in order to meet clients’ exacting specifications and quality requirements. Britannia’s aim is to supply right first time and on time.

Britannia had an existing stationary electrically powered compressor, which began exhibiting problems on 11 April 2014. As its entire production operation relies on the supply of quality compressed air, Britannia immediately requested assistance from Sullair’s service department, which made arrangements for an emergency technician to visit the site. On arrival, the technician discovered that the compressor’s airend had seized.

To minimise Britannia’s production downtime, Sullair supplied a portable diesel air compressor as an interim measure. Sullair also organised a site and air-compressor assessment to address Britannia’s long-term requirements for a stationary air compressor.

Following the assessment, Sullair developed a detailed plan for the new compressor installation, and recommended that the temporary diesel compressor ‘take the load’ during the process.

Sullair ensured that Britannia was kept informed throughout the entire process and consequently the installation was completed seamlessly.

Britannia was particularly pleased by how smoothly the transition from the temporary compressor to the new ShopTek compressor was managed by Sullair.

“We were looking for an affordable compressor, with fundamental features including energy efficiency,” says James Burt of Britannia.

“ShopTek satisfied all of these requirements.”

The package that Sullair offered Britannia included the provision of an electrically powered, energy-efficient ShopTek 30 compressor, complete with mechanical installation. The MEPS2-compliant ShopTek 30 is rated at 30kW, with 79.2litres per second of free air delivery at a working pressure of 8.0 bar. With intelligent electronic controls and a space-saving energy-efficient design, the ShopTek 30 also features a choice of configuration options to allow each compressor to be tailored to the end-users’ exact requirements.

The key to the success of Britannia’s Sullair experience came down to the combination of services that the company offers: installation; commissioning; routine and programmed maintenance; 24/7 breakdown service; plus hands-on and online training. Sullair also evaluates, monitors, and manages an end-user’s compressed air system to ensure the compressed air supply/demand requirements are optimised for cost efficiency.

AMT May 2015

Moreover, as Sullair’s products are available through a network of more than 15 locations Australia-wide, customers have the security of reliable 24/7 support, with dependable availability of spare parts at short notice no matter where they are located – factors that help reduce production downtime.

In addition to the service benefits on offer from Sullair, the ShopTek solution itself also delivers key advantages to Britannia. With more than 70% of the life-cycle cost of a compressor typically arising through energy use when measured over a ten-year lifecycle, the energy efficiency of the ShopTek compressors improves environmental performance and reduces the overall cost of ownership.

According to the team at Sullair, the success of this project was down to their ability to provide a one-stop solution to Britannia: responding rapidly to its existing compressor problems; providing an interim solution to keep the facility in production; designing a tailored long-term solution; supplying, installing and commissioning the new ShopTek compressor; providing training to Britannia’s production crew at no extra cost; and managing the entire process.

As Britannia moves forward, it is with the surety that if it experiences any further problems with its compressed air systems, Sullair is only a phone-call away. www.brit.com.au

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AMT May 2015

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Compressors

Pneumatic control specification for systems small-to-large Many processing plants have adopted pneumatic process control system methodologies. However as the complexity of these control systems has grown, reliability and integrity has become more critical – as has the need for appropriate specification.

Not every system requires large format valves, or fieldbus communication, to achieve the required level of automation.

Bürkert offers a range of automation and control technologies for small, mid and large-sized processes.

Pneumatic control has been in use for many years, especially in the pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries where hygienic conditions must be maintained. Pneumatics have many advantages, including simplicity of design, low maintenance requirements, and excellent reliability due (in part) to the use of compressed air as the power source.

In addition, these systems are intrinsically safe and so can also be used in hazardous atmospheres, such as those in the petrochemical industries.

Modern control systems can be divided into two groups: centralised and decentralised.

As the names suggest, the main control functions will either be grouped at a central point or located at the point of control, such as a process control valve. A centralised control solution is the more traditional solution and will usually involve a control panel containing a bank of control solenoids which are connected to the process control valves using air lines alone.

In a decentralised system, the air supply is fed direct to the control valve and the integral control head uses control signals to determine what action is required. The choice of system is dependent on the application since both have their advantages depending on the circumstances. The crucial point is to ensure that the system is properly designed and installed to ensure efficient and reliable operation.

Once the design scope is agreed, even for the simplest of installations, it is important to ensure the proposed design will produce an effective and efficient control system that will be easy to maintain, expand, and (if necessary) clean to the required standard.

Although many of the components used in a pneumatic control system are relatively inexpensive, the cost of generating the compressed air is not, and so it is crucial that the air is used in the most efficient way.

This also impacts the ‘green rating’ of your process line, which is increasingly impacting profitability, and being reported on the ‘triple bottom line’.

The first step is to clean and regulate the compressed air supply to the control system using air preparation units that filter and

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regulate the air supply. These units remove water and oil aerosols while also controlling the system air pressure, all of which makes them crucial to ensuring correct operation of the system as well as reducing wear and corrosion of the components. Bürkert offers standardised filter-regulator air preparation units, with and without isolation valve kits, for all manifold sizes available from local stores.

Air preparation units are available with a range of filter sizes, down to 0.01 micrometres, as well as having the option of an activated carbon filter which can remove oil aerosols to a level of less than 0.005mg per cubic metre. In addition, a range of connection sizes is available, plus explosive environment certification to comply with regulations when operating in hazardous atmospheres.

As the system starts to take shape, there is a need for flow restrictors, one-way valves and check valves to ensure that the air pressure and flow direction is correct for the equipment it is supplying. These need to be matched to the application with regard to construction material, sealing properties and connection sizes, to ensure reliable and efficient service.

An example is the type TRG001, also from Bürkert, which contains a complete range

of restrictor valves, check valves and flow control valves, with non-standard versions, materials and seals also available.

All of this equipment will need to be connected together and this requires careful selection of connectors, threaded, push-in or a combination of both. In all cases the application is the deciding factor when determining the correct design of connector, especially the material choice or the corrosion resistance of stainless steel.

Whether installing a new system or making alterations to an existing system, access to a wide range of reliable connectors is crucial.

Bürkert has developed a wide range of individual products for use in pneumatic process control systems as well as a process for designing, building, installing and commissioning complete systems. From the simplest closed-loop control system, to the largest factory-wide production facility with the latest fieldbus communications and intelligent control valves, Bürkert has the experience and expertise to deliver a huge range of reliable, efficient and economic projects. www.burkert.com.au

Compressors

EXAIR – Heavy Duty Dry Vacs now CE compliant Independent laboratory tests now certify that EXAIR’s Heavy Duty Dry Vac meets the rigorous safety, health and environmental standards of the European Union that are required to attain the CE mark.

Available from Compressed Air Australia, EXAIR’s Heavy Duty Dry Vac attaches to an ordinary 205-litre open-top drum to turn it into a rugged, powerful, industrial-duty vacuum cleaner. It has been engineered to vacuum higher volumes of dry materials in less time and with less wear than ordinary vacs. The wear-resistant design is suitable for the clean-up of abrasive materials like steel shot, garnet, metal chips and sand, yet it can also be used for general-purpose applications.

Electrically operated vacuums have motors and impellers that clog and wear out quickly. There is also a potential shock hazard when electric vacs are used in standing liquids. The Heavy Duty Dry Vac is powered by compressed air, which eliminates the shock hazard.

A static resistant hose prevents painful shocks when vacuuming dry, dusty materials. In addition, there are no motors and impellers to clog or wear out, assuring a long life and maintenance-free operation.

The Heavy Duty Dry Vac is extremely quiet at 82dBA (half the noise of electric vacs), making it suitable for a wide variety of applications.

Moreover, its 0.1-micron filter bag ensures that the surrounding air is kept clean by trapping particles when vacuuming dusty materials.

Compressed air, normally at 5.5-6.9 Bar, flows through an inlet into an annular plenum chamber, from where it is then injected into the throat through directed nozzles. These jets of air create a vacuum at the intake, which draws material in, accelerates it through the unit, and directs it to the bottom of the drum. The airflow exhausts through the port in the drum lid, while any airborne particles are trapped by the filter bag.

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The Heavy Duty Dry Vac System comes complete with a lever lock drum lid, shutoff valve, reusable filter bag, 3-metre polyethylene static resistant hose, hose hanger, 6.1m compressed air hose with swivel fittings, pressure gauge and heavy-duty aluminium chip wand. Deluxe Systems add a drum dolly, heavy-duty aluminium tools and tool holder.

Designed for tough industrial environments, it boasts a hardened alloy construction that resists premature wear, and is covered by a fiveyear warranty. www.caasafety.com.au

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Compressors

Optimising energy efficiency in compressed air systems Kaeser Compressors Australia assisted Wilson Transformer Company (WTC) in meeting the increased demand for compressed air at its new state-of-the-art facility, while optimising the energy efficiency, with the installation of six CSD-series rotary screw compressors.

Manufacturing in Victoria since 1933, WTC has grown steadily to become the largest Australian manufacturer of power and distribution transformers by investing in people, technology and assets. At its four-hectare head office in Glen Waverley, Melbourne, the Power Business Unit designs, engineers, manufactures and tests a range of quality power transformers including generator, substation and auto transformers up to 550MVA and 400kV. Over the past five years, the company has committed major resources into developing its power and distribution transformer capability. A major expansion of its Glen Waverley facility included upgrading the compressed air system.

“In planning the expansion of our production facility it became apparent that our existing compressor station was not going to be able to meet the new compressed air demand,” says Alan Veitch, Improvement Manager for the Power Business Unit at WTC. “The ageing system was also becoming increasingly inefficient and costly to operate.

The expansion therefore presented us with the ideal opportunity to address this issue at the same time.”

The plant incorporates two main workshop areas: one for the electrical operations of core cutting, insulation preparation, coil winding, control wiring, transformer assembly, processing and testing; and the other to handle the mechanical operations, which include fabrication, welding, grit blasting and painting.

Compressed air is used to power a number of operations across the two workshop areas, from breathing air used in the blasting facility, to general-purpose pneumatic control systems on, for example, the drying ovens and oiling systems. The biggest requirement for compressed air in planning the upgrade, however, was the introduction of air skates.

Powered by compressed air, air skates can lift and move heavy-loads on a cushion of air.

As Veitch explains: “We wanted to introduce air skates into the facility in order to lift and manoeuvre the largest transformers into restricted access areas such as the testing bays where the cranes cannot go.”

To meet the increased compressed air demand and ensure optimum energy efficiency, WTC chose to invest in six Kaeser rotary screw compressors: four CSD T models with integrated refrigeration dryers, and two CSD(X) T SFC variable-speed drive

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Powered by the Kaeser compressors, the air skates at WTC can lift up to 300 tons and are responsible for moving the transformers into the testing bay.

models. Kaeser’s CSD series of rotary screw compressors are available with drive powers up to 90kW producing free air deliveries from 1.07 up to 16.16 cubic metres per minute.

“We primarily chose these compressors because Kaeser is well known for manufacturing high-quality, reliable and efficient compressor solutions,” says Veitch.

“And, one of the reasons we were aware of this is because Kaeser was one of our customers and we had in fact supplied them with a Wilson Transformer some years earlier!”

The CSD(X) T series delivers premium-quality compressed air and superior efficiency. At the heart of every CSD(X) T rotary screw compressor lies a low-speed Sigma Profile airend equipped with flow-optimised rotors.

Developed by Kaeser, the Sigma profile achieves power savings of up to 15% compared with conventional screw airend rotor profiles for a highly energy-efficient solution. In addition, all Kaeser rotary screw airends are powered by premium-efficiency IE3 drive motors for maximum performance and reliability. Combining a rotary screw compressor with a compact integrated refrigeration dryer makes the CSD(X) T units ideal where the user requires an all-in-one solution. The integrated refrigeration dryers in these units also provide further energy savings, with a sophisticated control on these dryers ensuring that they are only active when compressed air actually needs to be dried.

This achieves the required compressed air quality with maximum efficiency.

WTC chose to invest in six Kaeser CSD series rotary screw compressors.

Moreover, where compressed air demand fluctuates the CSD(X) T SFC series really comes into its own. Utilising a variable-speed drive, these units have been designed to vary the speed of the airend to directly match the FAD (flow) required by the end user. This saves energy, maximises service life and enhances reliability.

Since their installation, WTC has continued to rely upon Kaeser partner Air Maintenance, based in Seaford, Victoria, for ongoing maintenance.

Veitch concludes: “The main compressor system is now effortlessly powering the new air skates, which together can lift and manoeuvre some 300 tons of weight. All of the Kaeser compressors have proven to be efficient and reliable in operation, and we are particularly impressed with their ease of maintenance. It is also evident to us that upgrading the compressed air equipment is saving us energy.” www.wtc.com.au www.kaeser.com.au

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Composites

Tiny composites research has big implications The Thin Film Coatings Group at The University of South Australia follows the motto ‘Innovation with application’. They’re a rare breed of research team whose core aim is to collaborate with industry on useful, value-adding techniques and technology. By Jack Baldwin.

“It’s easy to find something interesting, but it’s so much harder to find something meaningful,” says PhD candidate and Thin Film Coatings Group researcher Kamil Zuber.

superhydrophobic coating performed worse than a less hydrophobic surface. At a cruising speed of 50kph, water droplets are pinned to the surface of a superhydrophobic surface, whereas the airflow over a hydrophobic surface produces enough drag to remove the water. Rougher surfaces also scatter more light, which dramatically decreases the visibility through a windscreen. A lot of Zuber’s work focused on finding a balance.

The group focuses on materials science and surface engineering, with an eye on designing for manufacture. Past collaborations include developing the world’s first plastic automotive mirror with SMR Technologies, which is now in mass production. In October last year, Zuber received the Best Paper Award at the Auto CRC 3rd Technical Conference for his work on transparent hydrophobic coatings for automotive windows – nanocomposites that repel water.

“The concept of hydrophobic or waterrepelling coatings is not entirely new,” says Zuber. “There are products like sprays you can apply on a surface temporarily. Some people have also developed technologies that allow them to apply similar coatings under a vacuum environment.”

The difference in Zuber’s research is making a permanent coating for transparent materials that can be applied under atmospheric pressure. While the practicality of that might not be immediately obvious, it has far-reaching implications. It could eliminate the need for windscreen wipers, which in turn would eliminate the need for glass windscreens. Lighter plastic windscreens would also require less reinforcement in car bodies, meaning cheaper cars and better fuel economy. That kind of practical endgame is where interesting meets up with meaningful.

“In our work we always try to look for applications of materials we develop,” Zuberadds. “So in the development process, we always look at ways to make these materials that could be easier to transfer for industrial processes.”

Thin Film Coatings Group researcher Kamil Zuber.

The ability to apply coatings under atmospheric pressure allows for many more materials to be trialled – not everything can stand up to a vacuum. In addition, the whole process is very fast and applies the materials in a single step – critical for an efficient manufacturing environment.

“There are two ways to achieve a hydrophobic or superhydrophobic surface,” Zuber explains. “Firstly, you have to have the right chemistry for your coating. Some chemical groups such as hydrocarbons or fluorocarbons are known to produce hydrophobic properties.

“Then, making the material or coating rougher enhances the hydrophobic properties. To produce a super-hydrophobic coating, you need to have a combination of both.”

Finding the balance Zuber tested a number of coatings under conditions that a car windscreen would typically encounter. In some cases, a

“The golden point in optical materials is not necessarily to go superhydrophobic with very rough materials, but to find a point between, with no haze,” he says. “Tuning the properties to get them robust also takes some time.

Most of these hydrophobic materials are reasonably soft. In my work I started using siloxanes, which are materials similar to glass. They are transparent and hard, but can produce hydrophobic properties.”

Zuber outlines several methods of synthesising siloxane coatings. They include vulcanisation, sol-gel formulation, thermal and UV curing of siloxane resins, and plasmaenhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). The last seems the most promising according to Zuber – PECVD processes allow rapid, one step deposition of nanocomposite coatings of PTFE powder (a fluoropolymer) in a siloxane matrix.

“Some deposition processes we use are already in use in industry in larger scales. In this particular example of my work, it could also be transferred. Basically I developed my materials using atmospheric plasmas. Such systems are maybe not very common, but they are found on an industrial scale.”

Of course, more research needs to be done before plastic hydrophobic windscreens can be widely made and used in the automotive industry. Zuber’s paper was just one part of his PhD project and provided an initial

Water droplets on siloxane PTFE nanocomposite superhydrophobic coating.

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Composites Continued from previous page

exploration of the idea, which can be expanded upon if industry partners require it.

Even with a limited scope, he quickly identified the potential of the concept – as well as its issues. While water is no problem for the coatings, condensation and ice provide their own challenges. In addition, it doesn’t wholly replace the ability of windscreen wipers to clean dirt from a windscreen, though hydrophobic materials are easier to clean than their counterparts. In this case, the research doesn’t just focus on the scientific details of chemicals and manufacturing techniques, but possible solutions to design hurdles: perhaps a standard windscreen washer can blast contaminants from the surface.

“Developing any product is a very challenging process, but if it was easy, probably someone else would have done it,” Zuber says. “We have strong experience in this process – our group has examples of successful development.

“That could also be a possible way for the Australian economy, not just to focus on resources, but look at high-tech, high-value products that could solve big problems of high labour costs in the country.”

The Thin Film Coatings Group is also a good example of why industry and research cooperation holds so much potential – in fact, why it’s a necessity.

“Working on new things gives you a cutting edge in marketing. You develop a brand new product that no one else has on the market, and that gives you great advantages. If you don’t do it - well, look at Nokia. They weren’t so innovative as other mobile phone brands.

If you don’t move forward, in fact you’re going back, because everyone else gets ahead of you.”

The intense focus of the research is another indicator of its value. Permanent transparent coatings on an optical surface have plenty of interesting applications beyond windscreens – imagine a pair of spectacles that never got wet or dirty – but the strong direction ties research to more practical, meaningful opportunities, in this case driven by industry supporters SMR Technologies and the Auto CRC. “It’s quite different to what other pure academics are doing,” Zuber says. “When you develop a new thing, you always have a number of ideas. But, you quickly find out that many of them are not feasible for industry partners.”

“They can help you to focus on things that are meaningful for them. This has a mutual benefit, because on one hand I’m making new things, but also the work is being applied. It’s very rewarding when you see that what you do can be put in to a practical product.” www.unisa.edu.au

Plastic parts for internal combustion engines Cars must become lighter in order to reduce fuel consumption. For most designers this principally means body parts, but also engine components, such as the cylinder casing, which could shed up to 20% of its weight if made of fibre-reinforced plastic – without added costs. Such parts are even suitable for mass production.

Until now, carmakers have relied on aluminium to reduce the weight of engine components such as the cylinder block. In the future, further savings will be achievable by designing cylinder blocks with certain parts made of fibre-reinforced plastics. An experimental engine developed by the Fraunhofer Project Group for new drive systems demonstrates this principle.

“We used a fibre-reinforced composite material to build a cylinder casing for a one-cylinder research engine,” reports Dr Lars-Fredrik Berg, project leader and manager of the Lightweight Powertrain Design research area at Fraunhofer. “The cylinder casing weighs around 20% less than the equivalent aluminium component, and costs the same.”

It seems an obvious solution, but it involved numerous technical challenges.

The materials used must withstand extreme temperatures, high pressure and vibrations. That plastics possessed these qualities was recognised back in the 1980s, but it was only possible to produce this type of parts in small volumes with extensive manual labour – a no-go for the automotive industry, where cylinder blocks are massproduced in the millions. So how did the researchers ensure their engine would be sufficiently robust?

“First we looked at the engine design and identified the areas subject to high thermal and mechanical loads,” explains Berg. “Here we use metal inserts to strengthen their wear resistance.”

One example is the cylinder liner, in which the piston moves up and down millions of times over the vehicle’s life. The researchers modified these parts’ geometry to ensure the plastic is exposed to minimal heat.

The plastic material also needs to be sufficiently hard and rigid, and resistant to oil, gasoline and glycol. It must demonstrate good adherence to metal inserts, and not have a higher thermal-expansion coefficient than the metal. Berg’s team uses a glass-fibrereinforced phenolic composite comprising

55% fibres and 45% resin, though a lighter but more expensive alternative would be a carbon-fibre-reinforced composite.

The researchers produce these components from granulated thermoset plastics using injection-moulding. The melted composite material, with the glass fibres already mixed with the resin, hardens in the mould. The scientists used computer simulations to determine the best method of injecting the material to optimise the finished product’s performance.

“We have proved that it is capable of the same performance as conventionally built engines,” says Berg.

The process is compatible with mass production, with manufacturing costs significantly lower than those for aluminium engine parts. It also promises further advantages such as lower running noise and less heat radiated into the environment. The scientists intend to take their research further by developing a multi-cylinder plastics-based engine, including the crankshaft bearings. www.fraunhofer.de

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forum – Finance

Annual reporting requirements for SMEs Various changes have been made to the Corporations Law which have reduced the compliance requirements of Proprietary Limited Companies, as explained by Damian Sutherland and Tony Mitcham.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not incumbent on directors and shareholders of a Proprietary Limited Company to hold regular meetings or an Annual General Meeting. Confusion also exists with regard to financial statement requirements, the need to maintain registers and presence at meetings. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has supported these various changes to ensure that the compliance and regulatory framework for smaller companies is much simpler and easy to administer.

A company now only needs to attend to a few annual compliance requirements, as discussed below:

Annual Company Statement A company will receive, within 14 days of its annual review date (the anniversary of its registration), an annual company statement (ACS). If any of the information in the ACS is incorrect, ASIC must be notified within 28 days of the ACS issue date. Within two months of a company’s annual review date, it must pay an annual review fee to ASIC, and the Directors must pass a solvency declaration, which is a type of resolution.

Shareholders can make decisions about the company by passing a resolution. This can be done in the following two ways: • at a meeting; or

• consolidated revenue of less than $25m for the year; • consolidated gross assets of less than $12.5m at the end of the year; • fewer than 50 employees at the end of the year.

A company that does not satisfy at least two of these tests is classified as large.

It is also important to note that wholly owned foreign subsidiaries that would typically be considered a small proprietary company are actually subject to the more expensive and involved reporting requirements of large companies. This includes lodging annual audited financial statements with ASIC. However, some companies may be relieved from these obligations if they are eligible for relief and elect for relief under class order 98/1418.

Under the Corporations Act, all proprietary companies must keep sufficient financial records to record and explain their transactions, financial position and performance, and to allow true and fair financial statements to be prepared.

The Corporations Act only requires a small proprietary company to prepare an annual financial report (an annual profit and loss statement, a balance sheet and a statement of cash flows) and a Director’s report if:

• by having all the shareholders, who are entitled to vote, record and sign their decision.

• the shareholders with at least 5% minimum direct it to do so; or

If a meeting is held, an ordinary resolution must be passed by a majority of the votes cast by shareholders of the company entitled to vote on the resolution. A special resolution must be passed by at least 75% of the votes cast by shareholders of the company entitled to vote on the resolution. In both cases, votes can be cast at the meeting, in person or by proxy. The solvency declaration is an ordinary resolution and, as such, more than 50% of members entitled to vote should sign the resolution.

However, even though the Corporations Act does not require a small proprietary company to prepare an annual financial report (except in the circumstances noted above), it is good business practice to do so.

It assists with reconciling and checking balances as well as assessing business operation and financial risks on a year by year basis. Most banks will also require financial statements to be produced as part of any finance application process.

A company must keep a written record (minutes) of the members’ resolutions and meetings.

Registers A company must keep registers, including a register of shareholders and a register of charges. These registers must be kept at one of the following places: • the company’s registered office; or • the company’s principal place of business; or • a place where the work in maintaining the register is done.

Typically, for many smaller or private companies, the registers are maintained at the accountant’s office. The reason for this is twofold: • the accountant has the necessary software to produce minutes, ASIC forms, resolutions, etc. and it is practical for the accountant to hold these records; and • the software that produces these various forms is also automatically updating all required registers in softcopy form.

Annual financial reports The accounting requirements imposed on a proprietary company under the Corporations Act depend on whether the company is classified as small or large. A company’s classification can change from one financial year to another, as its circumstances change.

A company is classified as small for a financial year if it satisfies at least two of the following tests:

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• ASIC directs it to do so.

For the Directors to sign a solvency declaration on an annual basis, the requirement to have adequate financial statements completed would seem obvious.

It is important to note that you do not need to provide these financial statements to ASIC if you do complete them.

For many Directors operating smaller private companies, the simplification of the corporate annual reporting requirements would mean that it is something largely left to their external accountants.

This is good news for company Directors as it further reduces regulatory costs and makes their life easier.

Damian Sutherland and Tony Mitcham are directors of William Buck (Vic) Pty Ltd Chartered Accountants, based in Hawthorn East, Melbourne. They specialise in the manufacturing industry particularly in assisting businesses progress. William Buck is a leading network of Chartered Accountants and advisors with offices across Australia and New Zealand, wholly owned and operated in Australasia. More than just advisors, they offer a full range of services.

As an AMTIL member, your first meeting with us is complimentary and gives you access to one of our Directors to access a wealth of advice, such as: asset protection strategies; equipment and property financing; budgeting; profitability analysis and product costing.

If you would like to arrange a complimentary appointment please contact Damian or Tony on 03 9824 8555. www.williambuck.com

forum – Import/Export

Advantages of using a Licensed Customs Broker for your exports Chris Mckirdy explains the highly specialised work of a Licensed Customs Broker and how the services of this professional can assist when creating your Formal Import Declaration.

When creating an export declaration for goods exiting Australia you currently do not need to be a licensed or authorised individual or entity to communicate the details to border control agencies.

When creating a Formal import declaration (FID) relating to goods imported to Australia you are required to engage the services of a licensed and authorised individual or entity to communicate the details to the various border control agencies. These individuals are Licensed Customs Brokers or an entity who holds a Corporate Customs Broker’s License.

A couple of reasons why you need to engage a Licensed Customs Broker is because they are qualified and trained in this highly specialised field of work and it is a legislated requirement for FID entries.

While it may not be a legislated requirement for a licensed and authorised individual to communicate an export declaration, some goods may require an export permit or may even be prohibited to certain countries or certain goods may be restricted or prohibited for export.

“Dual use goods”, as listed in the Defence and Strategic Goods List (DSGL) and the international movement of such goods is legislated in many countries. The importation or exportation of restricted or prohibited dual use goods without permits can attract severe penalties for all parties involved in the transaction. The DSGL is in two parts: Part 1 lists military goods and Part 2 lists the dual use goods.

In addition to possible prohibitions or permit requirements, other potential areas of interest of export goods may be Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to specified countries. If your products are able to gain duty free import to country of destination, you clients will enjoy the benefits or reduced import cost of goods.

As a Licensed Customs Broker I always suggest to clients who are looking for overseas suppliers to first consider countries with an FTA with Australia. For goods that would normally attract import duty, with an FTA they save 5% on the value of the imported goods. The reduction on the duty value also decreases the import GST liability.

If Australian importers are looking at FTA partner countries to reduce import costs it makes sense that overseas FTA countries will be keen to do business with Australia to reduce their import costs also.

The Customs Gazette lists Tariff Concession Orders (TCOs) before they are approved for duty free import into Australia. TCOs may be approved on all sorts of goods that importers are importing to Australia, claiming they cannot buy from local manufacturers, therefore requesting a concession on the import duty.

If you are a manufacturer you can look through the Gazette and identify any goods that your organisation does and can manufacture (in the ordinary course of business) as it may provide some opportunities for your organisation. Lodging an appeal or objection can bring to the importer’s attention your firm’s capabilities and you could even engage in a win-win situation where the TCO is not granted, benefiting your organisation and supplying the local buyer with goods they might normally import from overseas.

You may also come across existing TCOs which you may lodge an objection to, have the TCO revoked and open up the possibility of gaining contracts to supply local buyers with substitutable goods.

Part of my role as a Licensed Customs Broker is to ensure importers comply with the requirements of import permits, prohibitions and restrictions on specific goods. Some goods are prohibited under the Customs Act and not allowed entry to Australia, other goods may be restricted and some require an import permit or permission from permit issuing agencies. AQIS and Imported Foods also prohibit the importation of certain goods and many foods items require import permits.

AQIS is a great source of information for export advice on goods such as biological products, food, animals and plants. AQIS is the permit issuing authority for many of these types of goods. Having the correct statements, certificates, permits and declarations to accompany your goods to the country of destination will help to ensure a quicker border clearance in the export country.

A similar situation applies when importing: if the correct documents are not in place, the clearance is delayed and costs are incurred.

Sometimes a simple statement on the commercial invoice might suffice. Such as “ goods are new and have not been used or field tested and have not come in contact with food, soil, plants or any other biological agents.”

Your Customs Broker or expert professional is the best place to start your enquiries, they can then advise you which departments can issue export permits or certificates for you and what sort of statements you can include with your export documentation.

I have much joy when I see a “complete set of documents” with certificates, statements and declarations that cover all the necessary requirements to enable me to clear the importer’s goods quickly.

All Licensed Customs Brokers are authorised to work in all areas of the Commonwealth, therefore a customs broker can clear goods from any state in Australia, into any state into Australia.

Ms Chris Mckirdy, a licensed Customs Broker with 14 years industry experience, is Director, SAC Import Clearance. SAC Import Clearance offers assistance on any aspect of Customs clearance, logistics and freight-forwarding – at reasonable rates and personal, 7-day per week service.

Ph: 0428-782-557. Email:admin@sacimportclearance.com www.sacimportclearance.com

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forum – Law

Are Intellectual Property myths costing you money?

Ben Mott dispels 10 common myths associated with intellectual property infringement.

If you were considering making a significant investment in a new piece of equipment, you would do your homework, right? You’d carefully consider the options, talk to an expert or two and maybe track down someone who has bought similar equipment to see what they think of it. It’s just common sense.

Whilst it might be common sense when it comes to equipment purchases, it seems that logic often goes out the window when it comes to intellectual property (IP) – patents, design registrations, trade mark registrations and the like. It seems that, in this context, important business decisions are often based on myths and misunderstanding.

So let’s dispel some common myths.

Myth #1 – We can sell our product because we didn’t copy Patent, design and/or trade mark rights can be infringed regardless of whether you copied. They are different from copyright. Copyright infringement does require copying, although the copying could be unintentional or subconscious.

Myth #2 – We can sell our product because we simply imported it Patent, design and/or trade mark rights are granted on a country-bycountry basis. Importing a product from, say, the US may well infringe an Australian patent that has no counterpart in the US.

Myth #3 – We can sell our product because we have an intellectual property right Patent, design and trade mark rights give you the right to stop others doing certain things. These rights do not give you permission to (for example) make, use and/or sell the product covered by your patent.

Let’s imagine that you improve upon your competitor’s patented product. You may well be able to obtain patent protection for the improved version of the product, but not be allowed to make the improved version if it is also covered by the competitor’s patent. In this case, nobody can make the improved version unless you co-operate with the competitor.

Myth #4 – It’s illegal to copy new products Generally speaking, aside from the copyright, patent, design and trade mark systems, copying of products is allowed.

Copyright is automatic (i.e. there is no need to apply for it), but in Australia it is generally ineffective once a three-dimensional product is produced in commercial quantities.

Patent, design and registered trade mark rights are not automatic. If these rights are of interest, you must apply for protection. Generally speaking, it is better to apply sooner rather than later. For design and patent protection, applications for protection should (and often must) be filed whilst your product (or process) remains secret.

Myth #5 – That’s not clever enough for a patent The degree of innovation required to obtain a valid patent is often overestimated. Based on this misunderstanding, many potentially valuable patent rights are not pursued. The result is lost profits when competitive products (and/or processes) enter the market.

To obtain a valid standard patent, only a ‘scintilla of invention’ is required. This merely requires a non-obvious variation. For innovation patents, the bar is even lower. Innovation patents can validly cover obvious variations of existing products and processes.

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Myth #6 – A change of 10% avoids infringement Assessing infringement involves comparing the wording of the patent with the potentially infringing product or process. Some patents are worded so that it is very difficult to conceive of a competing product that avoids the patent’s coverage. Other patents might easily be designed around. It depends what the improvement is and how well the patent was written.

Design registrations cover products that are substantially similar in overall visual impression to the registered design.

The amount of change necessary varies significantly from product to product.

Trade mark registrations cover the use of deceptively similar trade marks in relation to defined goods and/or services. Two trade marks are deceptively similar if a potential purchaser would be caused to wonder if the products came from the same source.

Myth #7 – It’s covered by a worldwide patent There is no such thing as a worldwide patent. Generally speaking, patents are granted on a country-by-country basis.

Confusingly, there is such a thing as an international patent application.

International patent applications cover most countries, although eventually (usually about 2.5 years after the first patent application is filed) separate action is required in each country of interest.

Myth #8 – Inventions must be kept secret until patents are granted Once an effective patent application has been filed, it’s no longer necessary to keep the invention secret – the invention can be made, sold and used, etc, without affecting patent rights.

Myth #9 – I can use my trade mark because it’s just common words If your use of a word might cause customers to wonder whether your goods (or services) originate from another supplier, it may well be trade mark infringement or a similar offence. By way of example, if a competitor sells a lot of product branded ‘Rugged’ and/or has registered that word as a trade mark, using ‘rugged’ prominently in your own marketing materials may well be problematic.

Myth #10 – No one else can use my business name Registering the business name ‘My Trade Mark’, the company name ‘My Trade Mark Pty Ltd’ and the domain name ‘www.MyTradeMark. com.au’ does not give you the right to stop others branding their goods and services with ‘My Trade Mark’. That is the purpose of trade mark registration.

The registration of business names, company names, domain names and trade marks occurs on separate and unrelated registers that are not officially cross-checked against each other.

Ben Mott is a Principal, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Attorney at WADESON – patent and trade marks attorneys providing a wide range of intellectual property services, combining engineering and IP experience. Ph: (03) 9818 3808 ben.mott@wadesonIP.com.au www.wadesonIP.com.au

forum – OHS

New WHS laws for mining have commenced The new WHS (Mines) legislation commenced on 1 February. Brendan Torazzi highlights the key changes.

The new WHS (Mines) laws are designed to increase harmonisation between the different states and territories of Australia. They have been developed in consultation with other states, in particular the other major mining states of Western Australia and Queensland. The new mining-specific laws have also been developed to align with and build on the Work Health and Safety Act and Regulation. The new laws replaced the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act 2002 and the Mine Health and Safety Act 2004. There will no longer be separate mine safety legislation for coalmines, metalliferous mines and extractives mines.

The Work Health and Safety (Mines) Act 2013 (WHS Mines Act) align specific mine safety laws with general work health and safety laws. They also provide a single legislative framework for the regulation of safety in mining workplaces in all sectors (eg. coal, metalliferous and extractive). It has a wider application than previous laws and applies to all workplaces which are defined as mines – such as: • Where mining operations are carried out; or • A ‘tourist mine’ Certain activities are expressly included in the definition of ‘mining operations’, and these include: • Handling, storing, preparing or processing extracted materials; and • Constructing a site where a mining activity is or may be carried out.

The scope of the term ‘mining operations’ means that the WHS Mines Act 2013 may extend to certain other activities which are not within a colliery holding or mining title, or at a place where extraction of material is carried out.

Duties of a “mine operator The Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulation 2014 (the WHS Mines Regulation) places primary obligations on the “mine operator” for the “mine”. The “mine holder” is the mine operator, unless the mine holder has appointed another person to be the mine operator.

The “mine holder” is the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU) with control over a right or entitlement to carry out mining activities, or the preparation or processing of extracted materials carried out in connection with mining activities or at an adjoining site or in the vicinity of such a site.

The WHS Mines Regulation places requirements on the “mine holder” to only appoint a person as a “mine operator” if: • The person is a PCBU and is appointed to carry out mining operations at the mine on behalf of the mine holder; • The person has the skills, knowledge, experience and resources to exercise the functions of the mine operator; and • The mine holder authorises the person to have management or control of the mine and to discharge the duties of the mine operator under the WHS Act and WHS Mines Act and Regulation.

The WHS Mines Regulation introduces the ability of the Regulator (The Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services (DTIRIS) to direct that one or more mine operators be

appointed at a mine. The Regulator can give a direction, for example, that there be a single mine operator for the mine holding where the colliery holder/mine holder may have wished to appoint separate mine operators for separate and distinct mines.

Managing Risks – general requirements A PCBU must ensure that a risk assessment is conducted by a person who is competent to conduct the particular risk assessment having regard to the nature of the hazard. This is a new requirement under the WHS Mines Regulation.

There are new obligations requiring PCBUs to maintain certain records in relation to risk assessments, control measures and reviews of those control measures. PCBUs which are mine operators have specific obligations concerning records of control measures which are to be reviewed in relation to certain events, such as notifiable incidents. The mine operator must maintain records relating to the causes of an incident, any WHS issues arising, recommendations, and a summary of any changes to the safety management systems. Similar obligations are imposed on other PCBUs at a mine.

These new obligations may impact on how mine operators currently conduct and retain internal investigations and claims for legal privilege. There are also penalty provisions which can result in fines being imposed for noncompliance.

Safety management system The Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulation 2014 requires that a safety management system be established and implemented by the mine operator. These requirements are similar to the “health and safety management system” under the CMHS Act and the “mine safety management plan” under the MHS Act and Regulation.

Organisational charts are also required to show the positions and persons who have WHS responsibilities. In relation to all underground mines, there are particular and detailed requirements for air quality and ventilation including that the mine operator must prepare a ventilation control plan for the mine.

Principal mining hazard management plans The WHS Mines Regulation requires development, maintenance and review of principal hazard management plans and principal control plans. The primary concept for such plans has been transposed across from “major hazard management plans” under the CMHS Act and Regulation, to now apply to all mines under the WHS Mines Regulation There are many areas that are new under the WHS Mines Act 2013 and The WHS Mines Regulation 2014 and it will be necessary to review existing systems to ensure they comply with the new laws.

Further information can be found at www.resourcesandenergy.nsw. gov.au/safety Brendan Torazzi is CEO of AlertForce - a Registered Training Organisation. AlertForce specialises in compliance training for Workplace Health and Safety by offering quality online, face-toface and/or blended training approaches to create fast, flexible and competitive OHS training & compliance solutions.

Ph: 1800 900 222 www.alertforce.com.au

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manufacturing history

Big wheels & little wheels – the story of Sir Laurence John Hartnett (1898 – 1986)

Part 4

A slow, old bird

UK-born Sir Laurence Hartnett arrived in Australia in 1934. He was known as Australia’s ‘Father of the Holden’, but he was much more than that as he tirelessly devoted himself to the country he loved via his visionary “Made in Australia” campaign. Apart from undertaking the remarkable revitalisation of striferiven GM-Holden in 1934, he contributed much to Australia’s manufacturing sector. This included being appointed Director of Ordnance Production in World War II, setting up the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and numerous other ventures. Our previous instalment saw the young Sir Laurence being admitted to the Royal Naval Air Service. In this instalment his training as a World War 1 pilot nearly ends in disaster at the edge of a tarmac.

I

was listened to quietly by Vickers (my workplace) as I spoke of my earnest desire to serve in the UK Royal Flying Corps or the Royal Naval Air Service.

Finally they gave me their blessing and I immediately applied to both Services as I sat back to await the postman, determining that the first to accept me, would get me.

The Royal Naval Air Service was the winner (or the loser – depending on how much they valued the planes I was fated to wreck in training). I wanted to start flying immediately, but had to wait for a few weeks until the postman delivered another letter, with a blue warrant ordering me to report to the Royal Naval College at Greenwich (UK) for training.

The six months’ course was excellent: design and operation of aero engines, theory of flight, navigation, gunnery, enemy craft recognition, and all the drill, practices and procedure of the Navy.

When my basic training period was finished, I was posted to a Naval Air Service base at Chingford to learn the business of flying. Chingford was a terrible place - as an aerodrome it was a deathtrap. It had a reservoir on one side of the landing field and a lot of telephone wires on the other.

Fortunately, though, I hardly had the chance to risk my neck there, because The Royal Air Force came into being soon after I was posted and I managed, through a little bit of

wangling, to get reposted to Northolt R.A.F. station, in the suburbs of London.

My first flying instructor was a delightful Australian: a lanky, smiling, good-natured fellow called Muller-Chateau - a most unlikely name for an Australian - but there you are.

He gave me my first dual instruction in a Maurice Farman, a pusher-type aircraft with the cockpit out in front and an eightyhorsepower Renault engine behind. It had lots of piano-wire and bamboo held together with string and was a slow old bird. Slow, sloppy and damned dangerous! The Maurice Farman had to be almost forced to fly and once airborne, the machine itself seemed more surprised than the pilot that it could actually take to the air.

Most of the early World War I aircraft were unstable in flight. There was no inbuilt correction and no natural tendency in the machine to regain a normal flying position.

This meant careful, deliberate action with feet and hands on the controls to manoeuvre the aircraft, and as much care and skill to bring it out of the manoeuvre back into normal flight. There was no question of’ ‘hands off, she’ll right herself”, as came about when planes were designed to be stable in flight.

Some manoeuvres were really deadly in the Maurice Farman. The spin was one of them.

It was physically impossible to get the heavy, lumbering crate out of a spin of any kind. If

you got into one, it was curtains for the pilot and the plane. On the other hand, few other aircraft gave the pilot such an exhilarating feeling of riding in space. Seated way out in front in the open cockpit with the engine well behind you, you felt like a bird After seven or eight hours of dual training, Muller-Chateau said to me one day, “Take it up yourself now.” And then came the great thrill of the first solo. For me, it was almost a case of first and last. Actually, the first three flips went well. One circuit of the field, and then down, with the mechanics nodding approvingly and saying, “That’s good, sir.”

Perhaps their praise made me a little careless, for on the fourth flip I must have fouled up my throttle control, because when I had landed I found myself scooting along on the tarmac when she should have been coming to a stop. The old kite had no brakes, of course: you throttle down to stop and waited for her to come to a standstill in her own sweet time.

If I had been more experienced, I would have opened the throttle wide and taken her up again, but while I was still wondering what had happened and why she wasn’t slowing down, I ran smack into a tree on the edge of the tarmac. I came to rest with a jolt and somersaulted out of the cockpit. The engine toppled out of its frame and the Maurice Farman was a write-off.

To be continued…

Left: My first aircraft: a Maurice Farman, 80HP with a Renault engine. This was my third solo flight and my first crash. The aircraft never flew again, but I did – 10 minutes later, when my instructor took me up to “restore my confidence”.

This time HE crashed! (below)

This is an extract from ‘Big Wheels & Little Wheels’, by Sir Laurence Hartnett as told to John Veitch, 1964. © Deirdre Barnett.

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Supported by: Machinery Forum (NSW) Pty Ltd 43 Brodie Street, Rydalmere NSW Pty Ltd Phone: +61 2 9638 9600 e-mail: machinery@mafosyd.com.au

Shane Infanti – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

Welcome to Austech As CEO of AMTIL I extend the warmest greetings to all those who will be attending the 15th Austech exhibition.

Austech is Australia’s leading showcase for products and processes for the manufacturing technology and advanced manufacturing industries. Austech comes at the right time for manufacturers and users to get out and take a good look at the next generation of manufacturing methods that can help to apply “innovation” to their business. It provides a forum for visitors to not only view the latest technology available today but also talk about applications that help them provide value added, innovative and hi-tech solutions.

Innovation in manufacturing is a key to global competitiveness and sustained economic growth. Austech, together with its co-located exhibition National Manufacturing Week, offers the opportunity to network, exchange best practice, gain access to comprehensive resources and formulate ways to strengthen our industry – all under the one roof.

I need to remind our readers that Austech does no longer run in Sydney and is now only in Melbourne every two years. So the next opportunity to visit the show will be in May 2017. From that point of view, the expectation is that if you have an interest in precision engineering or advanced manufacturing, this is the year to visit.

We are also very pleased that ALL the major machine tool dealers have committed to exhibit and we are looking forward to an excellent event.

It is our great hope that the exhibition provides some stimulus for investment in manufacturing technology and that this investment leads to business growth and prosperity for the future. I trust your visit to Austech is a success and wish you a rewarding remainder of 2015 and beyond.

For more information (including a full exhibitor list and floor plan) and to register to attend please visit www.amtil.com.au/austech

Australia’s Premier Advanced Manufacturing & Machine Tool Exhibition 26 May – 29 May 2015 • Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia

AMTILinside

EIP – Are you now eligible?

Are you eligible for the support that is provided by the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Programme (EIP)? Bruno Bello reports on recent changes to the criteria.

The EIP is a national programme that connects businesses with quality industry facilitators and advisers, at no financial cost, to provide advice and support aimed at helping them improve their competiveness and productivity. The primary focus is to provide access to advice and networks that are often of significant value to business. In addition to this, co-funded grants, advice on technology, vital connections and collaboration opportunities also form part of the extensive support available for businesses nationally.

So are you eligible? The EIP considers and alters its eligibility criteria in order to support local businesses and their suppliers. While historically the programme was largely known to have targeted traditional manufacturing business, the criteria for participation in terms of turnover have been reduced from $2.0m-$100m to $1.5m-$100m. In addition, for applicants from remote Australia, the turnover criteria is between $750,000 and $100m, in recognition of the many businesses that are not able to scale up the size of their business due to a potential lack of opportunities and the challenges in relation to their remote location.

While the low-end turnover threshold for participation has been reduced, the nature of businesses that can participate has evolved to include the following broad categories: 1. Advanced Manufacturing. This includes businesses that adopt innovative technologies or business practices to improve or develop manufactured products, processes or services. This includes the adoption of improvements or innovations across a range of manufacturing steps, such as concept, research and development, design, production, logistics, marketing and after-sales services, in order to achieve high-value products, services or business outcomes, including improved responses to market demands.

2. Food and Agribusiness. This includes businesses that transform raw materials or ingredients into food or beverages, or supply integral services, technologies or inputs for food or beverage production. This also includes businesses that provide integral services, technologies or inputs to support primary production of food and beverages.

3. Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals. This includes businesses that develop or produce therapeutic, medical or pharmaceutical products or technologies, including complementary medicines. This also includes businesses that provide integral services, technologies or inputs to the development and production of therapeutic, medical or pharmaceutical products or technologies.

4. Mining Equipment, Technology and Services. This includes businesses in mineral exploration, extraction and mining supply chains, including businesses that provide integral services, technologies and equipment for mining and minerals extraction.

5. Oil, Gas and Energy Resources.

This includes businesses engaged in the exploration, development and extraction of energy and fuels from oil, gas, coal and uranium. This also includes businesses that provide integral services, technologies and equipment for use in oil, gas and energy resource sectors.

6. Enabling Technologies and Services. This includes businesses that provide enabling or supporting technologies, inputs or services to drive business growth or improve business competitiveness in one or more of the five sectors mentioned above. Enabling technologies include: freight and logistics, infrastructure-related construction and services, information and communications technologies, digital technologies and professional services. However this excludes routine business operational activities such as legal advice, financial accounting/bookkeeping services, catering and insurance.

With a national network of more than 100 experienced private sector advisers, the EIP provides support across Australia. While the above is aimed at providing you with a summary of eligibility in terms of turnover and the category of your business, the EIP website will be able to provide you with more information that I hope will help you better understand this initiative. If you are uncertain about your eligibility you can use the contacts provided on the website.

The address of the EIP website and a link to the application form for the support described above are listed below. I think that you will be surprised how user-friendly and straightforward the application form is.

Bruno Bello is a Business Adviser with the Commonwealth Government’s Enterprise Infrastructure Programme (EIP). AMTIL is a partner organisation working with the Department of Industry in the delivery of the EIP. www.business.gov.au/advice-and-support/EIP forms.business.gov.au/aba/ausindustrysys/business-evaluationapplication-form

At your service.

AMTIL supports its members through its select range of AMTIL Service Partners.

1252/BAMTIL

www.amtil.com.au/Membership/Service-Partners

AMT May 2015

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AMTILinside New AMTIL Members

See you at Austech Right now everyone at AMTIL is hard at work making the final preparations for Austech, to be held at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 26 to 29 May, but it’s not just setting up the show itself that’s been keeping us busy.

As well as being the organisers of Austech, AMTIL will as always have a stand right in the heart of the exhibition.

The AMTIL stand will be located right at the entrance of the Manufacturers Pavilion, with staff on hand throughout the week that the show is running.

“We’ve had a stand at every Austech since it began, and it’s very important for us to have that presence in the exhibition,” says Anne Samuelsson, AMTIL Sales Manager. “Being part of the show provides a vital showcase for everything AMTIL has to offer its members.”

With so much of the Australian manufacturing concentrated in the one place, Austech presents a unique opportunity for AMTIL to

interact direct both with its existing member base and with potential new members. Our staff will be available to discuss the numerous products and services that AMTIL can offer to help your business, from AMT magazine to ManufactureLink, from our Member Hotspots to our Corporate Partnerships, and of course the show itself. In addition, Austech is simply a great chance to reconnect with some familiar faces.

“I always look forward to Austech as I get to catch up with so many of our members,” Samuelsson adds. “If you’re at the show and you’ve got a little time, drop by the stand.

We’re happy to chat.” www.amtil.com.au

Awards recognition for AMTIL members AMTIL member GP Graders has won the 2015 APPMA Export Achievement Award.

The Award is given to an Australian company who has made a worthwhile contribution to an existing or new export market over the last two years. GP Graders Managing Director Stuart Payne acknowledged his team in accepting the award for their continued focus on innovation and setting the industry standard for others to follow.

“I am delighted GP Graders has been recognised for its commitment to international export markets,” said Payne.

“Our team has been unapologetic in its approach to pushing what may seem to others a fairly traditional industry to use revolutionary technology and machinery that delivers what was once a manual task.”

The Award was in recognition of GP Graders’ AirJet cherry defect grader, adoption of which has reportedly seen customers in the US, Europe and South America experience revenue increases of up to 25% and cost reductions of up

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to 35% per year – unheard of in the fruitsorting industry.

In December GP Graders was named 2014 Australian Exporter of the Year, and also received the 2014 Governor of Victoria Export Award for Manufacturing in October.

“This award further cements our position in the designated GP Graders markets and most importantly the role our technology plays in transforming the industry,” Payne added.

AMTIL FOOTY TIPPIng 2015

Gold not so shiny Three rounds in and it’s starting to heat up!

After three rounds of the 2015 AFL season and the much lauded, talentladen Gold Coast Suns sit firmly at the base of the ladder without a win to their name. With them are the once mighty blue-bloods Carlton with no real light on the horizon, guess no-one wants to be associated with losers.

The power teams of 2014 are beginning to settle with both teams from Sydney and Adelaide proving more than competitive. Fremantle are beginning to flex their muscle with superstar Nat Fyfe absolutely flying and will no doubt be eyeing a top two spot come season’s end. Nice work Louise as she leads the field – til next time. Sanchez

Round 3 1 Lou 2 Waverley Reds 3 Matthew Ferguson 4 Seco 5 SKN 6 Damian 7 Brendan Smith 8 Daniel Fisher 9 Conrad 10 John Macdonald

22 (119) 20 (90) 20 (96) 20 (98) 20 (110) 20 (129) 20 (131) 20 (135) 20 (155) 20 (170)

Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited

Keeping it Simple.

One Membership, Many Benefits.

connect.inform.grow.

MeMbershIp pAckAges AvAILAbLe AMTIL membership for companies, individuals and supporters within the precision engineering and advanced manufacturing sector.

For more information visit www.amtil.com.au or contact corporate services Manager greg chalker on 03 9800 3666 or gchalker@amtil.com.au

1220AMTIL

www.amtil.com.au

industry calendar

Please Note: It is recommended to contact the exhibition organiser to confirm before attending event

INTERNATIONAL AmCon USA Kansas City 12-13 May 2015 Arizona 2-3 June 2015 New York 23-24 September 2015 Texas 6-7 October 2015 Utah 27-28 October Michigan 10-11 November 2015 Design & contract manufacture expo rom prototypes to production parts. Printing; forming/fab; machining; engineering; prototyping; assembly. www.amconshows.com Eastec USA, Massachusetts 12-14 May 2015 Design, engineering & rapid technologies tooling, workholding & machining accessories, automation, precision manufacturing. www.easteconline.com Intermach Thailand, Bangkok 13-16 May 2015 Sheet metal fabrication technology and machinery exhibition. Co-located with Subcon Thailand and Sheet Metal Asia www.intermachshow.com FEIMAFE Brazil 18-23 May 2015 International machine tools and integrated manufacturing systems trade fair. Machine-tools and quality control in Latin America www.feimafe.com.br/en Metaltech Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 20-23 May 2015 Event for the machine tool, metalworking and manufacturing industry, hosting providers of metalworking and machine tools technologies www.tradelink.com.my/metaltech Metalloobrabotka Russia, Moscow 25-29 May 2015 nternational Specialised Exhibition for Equipment, Instruments and Tools for the Metalworking Industry. State-of-the-art technological solutions. www.metobr-expo.ru/en Amtex India, Mumbai 29 May - 1 June 2015 Asian machine tool exhibition. Machining centres, metal forming machine tools; drilling and boring machines; milling and grinding machines; CAD/CAM. www.amtex2015.com/event.html The Big M USA, Detroit 2-4 June 2015 The latest ideas, innovations, and technologies and .dynamic and immersive technology experiences. Expert manufactures share how they’re achieving success and transforming manufacturing. www.bigmevent.com

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West Texas Industrial & Tool Show USA, Texas 3-4 June 2015 Industrial products and services that supply this rapidly expanding industrial region. www.expoindustrialshows.com/westtexas. htm Intec India, Coimbatore 5-9 June 2015 Trade fair for machine tools and accessories, automation, material handling, software. http://intec.codissia.com Automation Technology East USA, New York 9-11 June 2015 The newest technologies, equipment, products, and services relating to custom automation and assembly; robotics; vision inspection systems; control software/hardware; and more. http://atxeast.designnews.com ITM Poland Poland 9-12 June 2015 Machtool Machines & Tools exhibition. Machine tools; robotics; rapid-technologies. http://machtool.mtp.pl/en Manufacturing Surabaya Indonesia, Surabaya 10-13 June 2015 Manufacturing machinery, factory equipment and supplies exhibition. Showcasing products for the manufacturing machinery, equipment, materials and services industries. http://manufacturingsurabaya.com Western Manufacturing Technology Show Canada, Edmonton 15-17 June 2015 Manufacturing technology event. Includes machine tools, tooling, metal fabrication, automation, advanced manufacturing. www.wmts.ca International Paris Air Show France, Paris 15-21 June 2015 Over 100 years old, this show is the largest and longest-running aerospace trade show in the world and the key event for the industry. www.siae.fr/EN Automation Technology Expo Canada Canada, Toronto 16-18 June 2015 Co-located with Design & Manufacturing Canada, Packex, PTX and Plast-Ex www.canontradeshows.com/expo/atx_ca13 Amerimold USA, Illinois 17-18 June 2015 Tradeshow and technical conference for the plastic injection mould manufacturing industry. www.amerimoldexpo.com SCM Logistics Singapore 23-25 June 2015 Coverage of end-to-end supply chain across all industries, from suppliers to manufacturers, to distributors and to the retailer/customer www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/scm-logistics

Rosemould Russia, Moscow 23-25 June 2015 Dedicated to mould making and related industries. Mould making tooling, design & engineering, prototyping; 3D technologies; CAD/CAM; metals/ composites; metalprocessing equipment; automation; quality control. www.rosmould.com Design Engineering & Manufacturing Solutions Expo Japan, Tokyo 24-26 June 2015 Specialised exhibition of IT solutions for the manufacturing industry. www.dms-tokyo.jp/en M-Tech Japan, Tokyo 24-26 June 2015 Mechanical components & material technology.

Includes all kinds of mechanical parts (bearings, fasteners, mechanical springs) and metal and plastic processing technology. www.mtech-tokyo.jp/en Manufacturing Expo Thailand, Bangkok 24-27 June 2015 Three tradeshows: Intermold Thailand; Assembly & Automation and Automotive Manufacturing. Machinery and technologies, all-in-one sourcing platform for industrialists (from mould-making, auto-parts to automation), www.automanexpo.com IMTOS India, New Delhi 4-7 July 2015 India Machine Tools Show www.imtos.com MTA Vietnam Vietnam, Saigon 7-10 July 2015 Precision Engineering, Machine Tools & Metal Working Exhibition & Conference http://mtavietnam.com/en/home Interplas Thailand Thailand, Bangkok 9-12 July 2015 International plastics and rubber technology trade exhibition and conference, www.interplasthailand.com Taiwan Automation Intelligence & Robot Show Taiwan, Taipei 16-19 July 2015 Automation intelligence & robotics technologies, products and equipment. Based on manufacturing applications (factory production, manufacturing, assembly and other processes) for a broad range of industries. www.tairos.tw/en MTT Expo Indonesia, Jakarta 4-7 August 2015 Includes machine tools, metalworking & precision tooling, automotive engineering & related manufacturing technologies. http://mtt-indonesia.com/expo

industry calendar local Australian Construction Equipment Expo Brisbane, Eagle Farm 14-16 May 2015 A broad spectrum of the latest equipment and innovations in the construction sector. http://aceexpo.com.au/queensland Austech Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 26-29 May 2015 Australia’s premier advanced precision manufacturing and machine tool exhibition.

The only show specifically targeted at the metalworking, machine tool and ancillary market held in Australia. Concurrent show: The new Safety First Conference & Expo: Australia’s complete safety event: this will feature a dedicated B2B exhibition showcasing the latest technologies, products and services to improve WHS standards and compliance and reduce safety expenditure. Includes industry-leading Safety First conference where high-level speakers will deliver essential information for the protection of businesses from workplace safety hazards. www.amtil.com.au/Austech-Exhibition National Manufacturing Week Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 26-29 May 2015 Fully integrated annual manufacturing exhibition showcasing the latest products and constantly evolving technologies in the expanding manufacturing market www.nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au Australian Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition Sydney, Australian Technology Park 3-4 June 2015

Deals with the energy storage industry at all levels – utilities, energy businesses, building management and the emerging electric vehicle markets. The expanded conference will incorporate ‘Lighting & Building Automation’ and ‘Emergent Business Technologies’ zones. www.australianenergystorage.com.au Adelaide Boat Show Adelaide 25-28 June 2015 Showcase of vessels large and small, products and accessories, services and expert advice, seminars and workshops, holiday destinations and entertainment. www.kjex.com.au Sydney Boat Show Sydney Exhibition Centre 30 July – 3 August 2015 www.sydneyboatshow.com.au AIMEX Sydney Showground 1-4 September 2015 Asia-Pacific’s international mining exhibition.

Featuring the latest in mining innovation www.aimex.com.au Safety in Action Melbourne Exhibition Centre 15-17 September 2015 www.safetyinaction.net.au/melbourne Australian Sustainability in Business Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 7-8 October 2015 Will look at the core fundamentals for a company’s sustainable future and how sustainable innovation improve their profitability and social responsibility while reducing their impact on the environment. www.australiansustainability.com.au

Hare & Forbes 32-33 Advertiser Index Headland 29 Alfex CNC 13 IMC Dalian 31 Amada Oceania 94.95 Industrial Laser Impact Card 66-67 AMTIL AMT 25, 75 Iscar 9, 96 AMTIL Austech 22-23 Lincoln Electric 79 AMTIL ManufactureLink 77 LMC Laser 47 AMTIL Membership 91 Machinery Forum 87 AMTIL Manufacturers Pavilion 37 Mapal 21 Applied Machinery 17 maxon motor 79 BAC Systems 61 MTI Qualos 39 Benson Machines 51 Okuma 7 BizTechWrite 74 OSG Asia Pty Ltd 4-5 BOC 64,65 Seco Tools 27 Bristow Laser Systems 15 Taegutec Australia 2-3 Compressed Air Australia 19 Tasman 3D Printers 45 Delahenty Machinery 79 Techni Waterjet 53 DMG Mori Front Cover Technical Forgings 77 ECI Software Solutions 69 Teco Tooling 71 Flecknoe Pty Ltd 79 Walter AG Singapore 11 Fountainline 41 Hardman Brothers 8

Would you like to advertise in Australia’s No. 1 precision and manufacturing magazine?

Call Anne Samuelsson of AMTIL on 03 9800 3666 or email asameulsson@amtil.com.au

Motorclassica 2015 Melbourne 23-25 October 2015 Australia’s premier event for rare and exotic, historic, vintage veteran classic and collectible cars & motorcycles. Celebration marques include 50 years for the Supercar, Dino, Shelby and Mustang; 70 years of MV Agusta and 50 years of the Bugatti Club Australia. www.motorclassica.com.au Queensland Gas Conference & Exhibition Brisbane 24-25 November 2015 Dedicated to the latest developments and issues surrounding Coal Seam Gas (CSG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in Queensland.

Rises in LNG exports of 8% pa for the last five years, predicted revenue for the CSG industry to grow 148% in 2015 and Qld holding over 92% of Australia’s CSG reserves, provide a perfect basis for personnel from the gas sector learn and share better production strategies. www.queenslandgasconference.com.au Motorworld Melbourne Melbourne 25-29 November 2015 A comprehensive automotive festival which presents the Australian automotive industry to buyers throughout Australia and Asia.

Includes the latest release motor vehicles and motor bikes in motion. Features 23 dedicated feature zones www.motorworldmelbourne.com

jun15 Australian Manufacturing Technology

Your Industry. Your Magazine.

NEXT ISSUE…

AGRICULTURE Find out about some of the Australian manufacturers who are seizing the growing opportunities emerging in the agriculture sector.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FORMING & FABRICATION CUTTING TOOLS MOTORS & DRIVES

AMT May 2015

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Amada introduces the new LCG3015 flatbed laser cutting machine. Setting a new benchmark for performance and price at this level of investment, the machine ensures optimum productivity and value.

Aimed at any sheet metal shop looking to achieve high speed cutting of thin to midthick materials, the LCG3015 sets new standards for quality and value on a flatbed laser cutter. In fact, the CO2 machine is capable of processing 20mm mild steel.

• Rapid feed rates: 170m/min, the fastest in class • Lightweight Y Axis carriage with low centre of gravity - 30% weight reduction

• New helical rack drive ensures high speeds and smooth operation

• New 3.5kW CO2 Oscillator - Highly tuned for quality and stability

• Energy saving - ECO Cut and reduced power consumption • VPSS Software Solution Pack for seamless part processing and programming

Amada Oceania Pty Ltd www.amada.com.au

GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

“The Amada team is very helpful and upfront.

If I was to buy another machine, it would just be one phone call straight to them.”

“Amada’s laser cutter has increased our efficiency by 50-60%.”

Darren Di Filippo, Director & Company Owner, D.P.E., Melbourne.

Commitment to excellence through all stages of the production process - from conception to manufacturing. That’s been D.P.E.’s mantra from the get-go. Founded in 2000, the Melbourne-based company specialises in total exhaust engineering for maximum performance, durability, appearance and sound. Company owner Darren Di Filippo followed his father's footsteps, who used to run a local exhaust shop in Melbourne and had a strong car and drag racing background. "We decided to go into manufacturing in 2000 and it has been an uphill journey from day one," he says.

Darren is a serious petrolhead (he owns and drives a Top Fueller and Nitro Funny Car and

built the world first nitro Doorslammer) and makes his living creating exhaust systems that improve both the performance and sound of whatever cars they’re attached to. Darren believes D.P.E headers, mufflers, exhaust systems and accessories are the absolute best one can buy. And he believes Amada machines are the best he can buy to guarantee his customers get all the available grunt out of their cars' engines, recovering latent power through an exhaust upgrade.

“When we decided to take laser-cutting inhouse, we invested in a second-hand Amada laser cutter,” Darren explains. “The machine was very reliable which made our choice to stick with that brand.” When the business

continued to grow, the machine was running six days a week, eight hours a day, trying to keep up with the workload. As a result, D.P.E. replaced the old machine with Amada’s LCG-3015 direct drive laser cutting machine.

The machine delivers higher speed and faster acceleration processing by utilising a carriage with a lower centre of gravity and the latest motion system incorporating high torque motors and helical rack drives.

The LCG-3015 has increased D.P.E.’s productivity by as much as 60%, Darren says. “The machine cuts twice as fast, which eases up our workload quite a bit, that’s for sure.”

For motoring enthusiasts, there’s nothing sweeter than the sound of an angry engine doing its work; for manufacturers, there's nothing better than watching a laser cut almost any material at amazing speeds: High quality: The new, Amada tuned, 3.5kW oscillator utilised in the LCG3015 laser cutting machine has been designed with a higher beam density. This 30% improvement in beam density (compared to a conventional laser cutting machines) also improves the surface roughness of cut parts.

High speed: High torque motors and a 30% reduction in mass of the Y-axis carriage, which is designed with a low centre of gravity, ensure high speed, smooth acceleration.

Energy efficiency: The LCG-3015 is equipped with a system to dramatically reduce the power required in two stages during machine idle times.

Sydney 02 8887 1100 Unit 7, 16 Lexington Dr., Bella Vista NSW 2153 Melbourne 03 9020 1400 Unit 1, 3-4 Anzed Court Mulgrave VIC 3170 | Perth | Brisbane

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