AMT APRIL/MAY 2018

Australian Manufacturing Technology Your Industry. Your MagazinE

APRIMAy18

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Contents

Volume 18 Number 02 APR/MAY 2018 ISSN 1832-6080

FEATURES NATIONAL MANUFACTURING WEEK Where Innovation Meets Opportunity

42

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CLEAN TECH Renewable energy – Powering Australia’s prosperity Renewable energy storage co. – heating up Innovation in renewable energy procurement Powering Africa RMIT in battery breakthrough Semi-transparent solar cells

48 52 54 56 58 59

ROBOTICS/AUTOMATION High-tech future of automotive plastic repairs Soft robots - factory workers of the future?

Five trends driving automation NZ robot tech – a manufacturing ‘disruptor’

64 66 67 68

STATE SPOTLIGHT: SOUTH AUSTRALIA High-tech innovation hub in SA SA sets the pace in precision manufacturing SA manufacturers take lead on innovation

70 72 74

CUTTING TOOLS Harmonising vending systems with Industry 4.0 How traditional HSS tools meet today’s needs Efficient machining for new materials The secret behind Y-axis parting

78 80 82 84

SHIPPING, RAIL & LOGISTICS Facilitating the future of supply chain and logistics Australia’s capability in commercial shipbuilding Fostering innovation in rail

86 88 90

MATERIAL REMOVAL CNC takes machining to a new level Making turrets terrific

92 94

WELDING Austin Engineering: Cylinder fleet upgrade Facility for Intelligent Fabrication

96 98

ADVANCED MAT/COMPOSITES Electronically-smooth ‘3D graphene’ Crystal Tech for submarines Clever coating opens door to smart windows

100 101 101

FORMING/FABRICATION Cutting sheet metal up to one inch thick Demanding more from nesting software

103 104

REGULARS

Renewable energy – Powering Australia’s prosperity Exciting Australian advances in renewable energy technologies - hydrogen, battery energy storage, and fuel and solar cell know-how - are setting the scene for Australia to move forward on the global stage.

60 One-on-One Melinda Cilento is the CEO of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA).

She explains CEDA’s objectives to AMT.

70 High-tech innovation hub to revolutionise manufacturing in SA

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

10 12 14 16

INDUSTRY NEWS Current news from the industry

18

VOICEBOX Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

28

PRODUCT NEWS Our selection of new and interesting products

34

ONE ON ONE Melinda Cilento – CEO of CEDA

60

COMPANY FOCUS Broens SA – Starting a new chapter

76

AMTIL FORUMS

106

AMTIL INSIDE The latest news from AMTIL

110

MANUFACTURING HISTORY – A look back in time

118

AMT Apr/May 2018

48

The Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation Hub, launched in Adelaide, will help Australian companies shift from traditional manufacturing to advanced, value-added products.

76 Broens SA – Starting a new chapter Broens was one of the best known names in Australian manufacturing and engineering for decades.

Now, following a period of instability, its SA arm is under new management and is being reinvented.

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From the Editor William Poole

Balancing the risks of new technology This issue of AMT went to press just a few days after the scandal broke over the UKbased “data mining” company Cambridge Analytica (CA) and its alleged harvesting of 50m Facebook profiles to create targeted political advertising that may or may not have swung the balance in recent elections including the 2016 US presidential race.

At time of writing, CA has suspended its CEO and denied any impropriety, while the hashtag #DeleteFacebook is trending on social media. Anything could have happened by the time this magazine comes out. Including, of course, that it could all have blown over, replaced by the next “outrage of the week” to dominate the news cycle.

Irrespective of the eventual outcome, the story highlights the high levels of trust that so many people are willing to place in new technologies such as social media, without really considering the possible consequences. But so much for the personal information freely offered up by private individuals. What about businesses – in particular manufacturing businesses – and the risks that new technology poses for them?

Through all of its activities, including via AMT Magazine, AMTIL has consitently taken a strong position in advocating the adoption of the latest emerging technologies as a strategy to advance the manufacturing industry in Australia. And currently manufacturing is undoubtedly going through a technological revolution, with advances in areas such as robotics & automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile communications, cloud computing and articicial intelligence ushering in the era of Industry 4.0.

These technologies undoubtedly offer enormous potential benefits, but they also come with an inevitable degree of risk. And according to new research from KPMG, we may not be taking those risks as seriously as we should be.

KPMG’s Tech Risk Management Survey found that while companies across a variety of industries are increasing their focus on emerging technologies as a means to transform their businesses, many are not assessing the risks that come with their adoption.

Nearly half (47%) of 200 senior IT risk management executives surveyed whose companies have adopted mobile applications and devices, have not included them in recent IT risk assessments. The findings for other emerging technologies are similar, with 46% that adopted IoT, 44% that adopted cloud computing, 34% that adopted artificial intelligence and 32% that have adopted robotic process automation not performing adequate assessments of the risks.

While they may not be actively assessing the risks of adopting emerging and disruptive technologies, the majority of those companies surveyed were acutely aware that these risks exist. Moreover, the risks may only escalate as companies increase investments in these technologies over time. The KPMG survey found that companies expect to make significant investments over the next year in mobile (48%), IoT (46%), cloud computing (46%), robotic process automation (41%) and artificial intelligence (40%).

“Change and disruption has never moved faster and the speed of technology deployment is critical, but it can’t be at the enterprise’s expense,” says Phil Lageschulte, Leader of Global IT Advisory Services for KPMG. “Tech risk management should anticipate changes while or before they happen and determine the associated risks. Accordingly, tech risk management should be involved in strategic business planning, embedding the risks and adding value upfront.”

Your Industry. Your Magazine.

Australian Manufacturing Technology

Editor William Poole wpoole@amtil.com.au Contributors Brent Balinski Carole Goldsmith 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.

1380AMTAPR/MAY2018

AMT Apr/May 2018

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From the CEO Shane Infanti – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

AMTIL and RXA sign extension to long-term partnership The Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL) and Reed Exhibitions Australia (RXA) recently signed an extension of their Partnership Agreement. This agreement ensures the co-location of their respective trade exhibitions, Austech and National Manufacturing Week, until 2021 and is a great outcome for the industry in general. It continues a relationship which goes back to 2000, when Austech and NMW first co-located in Sydney at Darling Harbour.

Australian advanced manufacturing is undergoing one of the most exciting transformations in its history. The advent of new technologies, such as 3D printing with metals, advanced materials such as composites and graphene, digitalisation and the Internet of Things, has meant that there is a great deal of education, support and promotion needed to highlight the benefits of these technologies.

Austech runs every two years in Melbourne, and is the only show specifically targeted at the metalworking, machine tool and ancillary market - being held in Australia in 2019. The product sectors covered

by Austech include CNC machine tools, sheet metal fabrication equipment, special purpose machines, laser cutting marking and engraving, additive manufacturing & 3D printing, digitalisation, inspection & measurement, automation & robotics and general engineering.

National Manufacturing Week runs every year, alternating between Melbourne and Sydney and showcases sectors including manufacturing technology, equipment and services covering electrical, health & safety, automation, robotics, air technology, welding, engineering, materials handling, electronics, process control & instrumentation.

Currently, the two shows take up 15 bays at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre covering 22,500 sqm of space. Austech Exhibition Manager, Kim Banks, says “Austech and National Manufacturing Week provide a great forum for showcasing products and services to some of Australia’s most influential customers. We pride ourselves on the high calibre of visitors that the shows attract.

Key decision makers such as company owners, directors and general managers make up a large portion of the total visitor numbers at the combined shows. We are really pleased to be working again with RXA to deliver this important event.”

2019 will see some key initiatives from the past few years at Austech continue.

The Manufacturers Pavilion is a showcase of Australian SME manufacturers that make up the supply chain into larger

AMT Apr/May 2018

AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti signs the Partnership Agreement with RXA Executive Director John Gorton in Melbourne

OEMs or that have their own individual products and services. With the support of OEMs wanting to expand their local supplier links and organisations such as the Industry Capability Network, this area is one of considerable growth and a great opportunity for Australian SMEs to network and market themselves.

AMTIL also has an agreement with the Rising Media Group to run Inside 3D Printing Melbourne, a conference which covers 3D printing innovation. The 2019 event will have a strong focus on metal 3D printing and the advances in the speed of this technology.

Austech is proudly owned and operated by AMTIL. Suite 1, 673 Boronia Road, Wantirna VICTORIA 3152 Melbourne, Australia Tel: +61 3 9800 3666 www.amtil.com.au

And finally, the advancements in the areas of digitalisation, the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 will be highlighted in a new expanded area of the show and will feature technology displays, on the floor speaker programs and interactive demonstrations.

I think this is an exciting new area for our show and one that is sure to grow and become a major part of Austech moving forward. How we gather data, analyse it and use it to improve our knowledge and manufacturing processes will be critical to being globally competitive.

Venue

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Dates

Tuesday 14th May Wednesday 15th May Thursday 16th May Friday 17th May 2019

Contact Us Exhibition Manager: Mrs Kim Banks

Tel: +61 417 146 102

Email: kbanks@amtil.com.au Partners AMTIL is proud to co-locate Austech

with National Manufacturing Week (NMW) www.amtil.com.au/austech www.nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au

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From the industry Innes Willox – Chief Executive Australian Industry Group

Gas markets improve but problems remain Manufacturers in particular will be relieved to hear that the Eastern Australian gas markets are in a better place than they were one year ago.

Then, industrial gas users were facing extraordinary price offers, in some cases above $20 a gigajoule, with retailers blaming surging spot prices and a lack of contractible supplies.The situation has now improved after action by the gas industry, taken in response to pressure from the Federal Government, which in turn acted on the urgent advice of Ai Group and horrified energy users.

The commitments that have been made to supply the domestic market are significant. Prices have fallen and more supply is available for contract. There are a number of emerging mediumand long-term options for more suppliers and sources of supply to avoid future shortfalls.

Shell’s Arrow gas development in Queensland is very significant at 240 petajoules a year once at full scale. We don’t see big barriers to this delivering a significant easing to the market balance.

We now also have at least two serious proposals for East Coast LNG imports: AGL at Crib Point, and Australian Industrial Energy at a New South Wales industrial port to be determined. If they both decide to go ahead this year – and they easily could – we will have the capacity to bring in around 200 PJ a year from 2020-21. That gas could come from Western Australia, the Middle East or the US, and turn export parity into a price ceiling as well as a floor.

Northern Territory (NT) onshore shale gas could be huge, though more drilling is needed to establish commerciality. Some of that gas could come east with expanded or new pipelines. The current NT Fracking Inquiry seems likely to recommend tough regulations to replace the current moratorium. If the Government gives fracking the go ahead, as Ai Group and many energy users have urged, it will take a few years to bed the system down and get development going. Narrabri gas (up to 50 petajoules /year) would be handy, but faces high costs and significant regulatory hurdles. Victorian onshore conventional gas is probably eight years away from market, if there is actually commercial gas there and politics is co-operative.

If lots of these options go ahead, we will have a more vibrant and competitive gas market. Scarcity should be banished. However: • All of these supply options have significant costs – for extraction, for transport, for compliance.

Australia’s large unconventional gas resources seem to be relatively high-cost, with valuable oils low or absent. We are at risk of a structural disadvantage for gas-intensive activities in Australia versus the US, or the Middle East, where low-cost conventional resources remain plentiful.

Without great strides in competition and efficiency, we can expect Australian domestic gas demand to decline across all segments.

Gas-intensive industry is obviously vulnerable. For many households, electrified heating, cooling and cooking are increasingly attractive.

And in power, the two roles of gas – providing large volumes of energy and highly flexible capacity – are both vulnerable to high prices as rival technologies improve.

Ai Group is keen to see Australia’s energy-using industries prosper, and so I hope is the gas sector. Efficiency is going to be vital on both the supply and demand sides.

Can producers and suppliers wring substantial costs out of production, transport and retail? You don’t know what you can achieve until the crunch comes, and the Australian gas supply chain has felt intense cost-down pressure over the past few years of low oil prices. Can we achieve further cost reductions? I hope so. But I have two doubts:

• None of them change the expectation of export-linked prices.

• Geology is not co-operative. Gas has been cheapest when co-produced with oil, and most of our new resources are oilfree coal seam gas.

That would still see very substantial challenges to gas use in Australia.

• Even if production costs can be cut further, export parity pricing is likely to remain dominant.

Ai Group’s member businesses are still reporting gas prices up to the mid-teens, well above a simplistic netback benchmark – though Japanese spot LNG prices have also risen in recent months. There seems to be an emerging consensus that once Eastern Australia is over the gas pinch, prices will wobble around in a broad range of $8 to $12 per gigajoule. Ai Group doesn’t deny that consensus – that seems to be where oil-linked netback and relatively expensive supply options take us.

That said, let’s see what cost reductions gas suppliers can come up with under strong competitive pressure.

• Many of them face challenges to their social licence.

But there is a very big problem here.

On the demand side, high prices make efficiency and judicious substitution vital. More and more energy users are looking at their options. Some are making use of the information, capacity-building and financial support available through the grab-bag of State Government efficiency initiatives. Scaling up these policies – and making them more consistent and coherent – would be a good investment in jobs and growth.

Even after a recent bounce, spot gas prices in the US are less than AU$5 per gigajoule. Recent conversations with a range of US gas stakeholders suggest that huge shale resources rich in both oil and gas will keep American prices low. Even businesses bullish on strong American LNG export growth saw this only pushing US prices to the AU$5-AU$6 range.

Efficiency can help gas users remain competitive, particularly if they have high value-added or other strengths to play to. But the most large-scale gas-intensive activities will be increasingly challenged in Australia if we remain a permanently high-cost gas market. Either they won’t be gas-intensive – or they won’t be in Australia. Local suppliers would lose out either way.

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From The Union Paul Bastian – National Secretary Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

The future of work The question of what work will look like in the future is a discussion we’ve been having in the manufacturing industry for decades. In the history of the global manufacturing industry, the only constant has been change. However, in recent decades, the pace of that change has increased with no suggestion that it will let up any time soon.

Changes in technology have changed the work done in manufacturing across the world with Industry 4.0 set to further change the relationship between workers and capital yet again.

The growth in global trade has also changed the distribution of the manufacturing work that is undertaken, with predictable impact on a high skill, high wage economy like Australia’s.

In addition to the changes in technology and trade, we’ve also seen changes in employer behaviour. This has led to waves of job shedding, contracting out, casualisation and an increased use of labour hire. This increase in precarious work has led to reductions in apprenticeships and trainees as younger workers look elsewhere to build a career.

While the changes in technology and trade reduced the number of jobs, the changes to management practice have impacted the quality of jobs in our industry. Many regional and outer suburban communities have borne the brunt of these changes. Around the world the hollowing out of the labour market due to those twin forces outlined above is having a significant effect on what work looks like and gives as a sense of what it might look like in the future.

The future of work in manufacturing Manufacturing continues to play a significant role in the Australian economy. The industry accounts for more than 6% of Australia’s GDP, provides over $96bn in exports and employs over 850,000 workers, many of them in regional areas. This is all despite decades of poor capital investment, especially compared with the mining sector, which employs a much smaller number of workers.

Manufacturing has been, and will remain, on the cutting edge of technological change. The type of work that is undertaken in the Australian manufacturing industry has evolved significantly over time and the industry will continue to change as technology, investment, consumer preference, global trade and many other factors continue to exert their influences on the domestic market.

Globally, it is fair to assume that a significant number of high-quality, high-wage jobs will continue to exist for decades more at least. To ensure that Australia gets its fair share of those jobs, it is vital that we maintain a skilled and productive manufacturing workforce.

It is also important that Australia improve its investment in research, design, innovation and commercialisation. Many of Australia’s successful manufacturing industries, like aerospace engineering and medical devices, are based on research, design and industrial processes developed here in Australia. We must do more to ensure that we’re innovating across the board, not just in a few handpicked sectors of the manufacturing industry.

Areas like food manufacturing and printing are just a few areas in which Australia’s natural advantages could be further enhanced by investment in research. A decision to properly invest in a high-tech future will have a significant impact on what the future of work looks like in Australia.

The future of work in Australia will also depend heavily on how our economy is able to integrate with the rest of the world. Despite decades of trade liberalisation, the Australian economy is still remarkably “simple” by international benchmarks. We do not produce enough elaborately transformed manufactures (ETMs)

AMT Apr/May 2018

and we are overly reliant on the export of primary products. This can and must change if we are to secure good jobs in the future.

This is in part based on the poor connection between research & development, innovation, and production in Australia.

Good work where it’s needed The future of work in our regions and outer suburbs will also depend heavily on the future of Australia’s manufacturing industry. The promise of remote work based on high-speed internet has been just over the horizon for decades, and looks to be decades away still thanks to the disastrous maladministration of the NBN under the current government.

Despite the constant emphasis of its benefits, many of the world’s largest cutting-edge firms still prefer their staff to work in the same geographic location. As such, Australia’s regions and outer suburbs will likely have to rely on employment opportunities that are located close to their homes, or face significant commuting times.

With that in mind, we need a plan to emphasise the benefits of investment in these locations – skilled workers, lots of space, lower rents, and so on – to ensure these places continue to thrive.

Government investment will play a key role in keystone industries like rail, shipbuilding and defence, but this must be leveraged through the supply chain to grow Australian businesses in our regions into companies that can compete on the world stage.

Australia’s manufacturing industry can continue to provide highquality, high-paying, highly rewarding jobs for Australian workers in the city, the outer suburbs and the regions for decades to come.

But this will only be possible with investment in skills, capital, procurement, research, development and commercialisation.

The future of work is what we make it We should reject the ultra-pessimistic or ultra-optimistic “technological determinism” and market fundamentalism that characterise the debate about the future of work. The idea that the market and the technological developments will determine the future of work is without basis.

There is nothing inevitable about the amount of work, the quality of Australians’ experience of work, the incomes earned by workers or the level of inequality that Australia will experience in the future. It is up to us to engage with the challenges posed by technology and globalisation. Those responses will determine whether Australia wins the global race for good jobs now and in the future.

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industry news

Digital transformation to contribute $45bn to Australia’s GDP by 2021 Digital transformation will add an estimated $45bn to Australia’s GDP by 2021 and increase its growth rate by 0.5% annually, according to a new study produced by Microsoft in partnership with IDC Asia/Pacific.

‘Unlocking the Economic Impact of Digital Transformation in Asia Pacific’ was conducted with 1,560 business decision makers – including 100 in Australia – in mid and large-sized organisations across 15 economies in the Asia-Pacific region.

While companies cited benefits of digital transformation including improvement in profit margin and productivity, as well as cost reduction and increased revenue from new products and services, they also highlighted some of the challenges facing organisations as they transform. These include a lack of skills and resources plus siloed organisations and cultures which are resistant to change.

“Australia is clearly on the digital transformation fast track,” said Steven Worrall, Managing Director, Microsoft Australia. “However, it’s important to note, transformation is about people

as much as it is about technology. The top two barriers to digital transformation cited in the study are strongly anchored in an organisation’s ability to empower their people and transform their organisations to take advantage of the opportunity that digital transformation represents.”

According to the Australian business leaders surveyed, one of the societal benefits of digital transformation will be the creation of higher value jobs. Respondents in Australia believe that 83% of jobs will be transformed in the next three years due to digital transformation, with 54% redeployed to higher value roles or reskilled to meet the needs of the digital age.

“The rise of digital transformation will no doubt affect the labour market where many jobs will evolve and change,” Worrall said. “While it’s encouraging to see that 66% of respondents are confident young

professionals already have future-ready skills that will help them transition to new roles, organisations must focus on reskilling and upskilling those already in workforce who may not have the required skillset for the changing economy.

“Equipping the nation to succeed in the digital age – and ensuring all Australians benefit from it – must be a national priority if Australia is to remain competitive and maintain its record-breaking 26 years of economic growth. Employers across all industries need to commit to helping workers prepare for the digital age. It is going to take a collective effort to ensure that no Australians get left behind and we each need to play our part in shaping and building Australia’s future-ready workforce.”

Metal 3D printers ready for use by local manufacturers The most advanced commercially available metal 3D printing facility in Australia is now open in Adelaide’s North for local companies to manufacture parts for medical devices, dental, defence and other industries.

The Australian Advanced Materials Manufacturing (AAMM) facility in Edinburgh Parks opened on 16 February to print metals including titanium, stainless steel, aluminium and cobalt chrome into complex metal parts. Part of the Additive Manufacturing Applied Research Network (AMARN), the facility is the only metal additive manufacturing centre in Australia available to industry on a commercial basis. It provides access to technology that removes significant costs and barriers for local manufacturers.

One early user of the facility will be local medical device company Austofix, which will be able to produce commercial quantities of its revolutionary wrist fracture device Volar Radius Plate, enabling the company to take advantage of export opportunities.

The University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and the Optofab Australian National Fabrication Facility, together with the Stretton Centre and CSIRO’s Lab 22 additive manufacturing centre, established the AMARN. They received a $1.4m state

AMT Apr/May 2018

rapidly evolving manufacturing sector,” said Chuter. “The SA Government should be applauded for the significant investment it continues to make to guarantee the future of manufacturing in SA, and for removing barriers – particularly for small and medium manufacturers – to invest in R&D, particularly with Australian Universities and CSIRO.”

government grant through the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC) to buy a number of UK-made 3D printers.

David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of the IMCRC, said at the opening that the SA State Government’s investment in the network and facility will help further catalyse the transformation of the manufacturing industry in South Australia and ensure businesses can remain relevant in this sector.

“The ability to access world-class facilities, such as the AAMM, will remove a significant barrier for businesses looking to invest in technologies and research and benefit from the opportunities presented by a

Professor Andre Luiten, Director of IPAS, added: “This network and facility has been borne out of three years’ work by the IPAS and our Optofab Australian National Fabrication Facility. Clients who use our current small 3D metal printing facility have had to go overseas to get access to larger printers for manufacture of products. The new facility will enable many advanced manufacturing projects in defence, medical devices, dental and injection moulding to be undertaken in Adelaide. This will significantly enhance local advanced manufacturing and we are proud to be part of it.”

To contact the AMARN, please email ipasadelaide@adelaide.edu.au or call 08 8313 9254.

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industry news

Economic Development Australia partners with Australian Made Campaign Economic Development Australia (EDA) and the Australian Made Campaign have formed a new partnership to help strengthen the connection between economic development professionals and local growers and manufacturers.

EDA is the peak national body for economic development practitioners, strengthening and promoting economic development through state and national events, professional development, advocacy and member support. The relationship was announced at the annual Australian Made Campaign Supporters Forum, where Council Mayors, CEOs and economic development professionals discussed the positive impact ‘buy local’ policies and messages have on the economy and the community, and developed tactics to help businesses leverage country-of-origin and localised branding.

In its role as an Australian Made Campaign Associate, EDA will facilitate access to Australian Made Campaign resources for economic development professionals and co-ordinate events to keep members informed on current initiatives and opportunities. EDA joins councils from all over Australia in integrating the Australian Made, Australian Grown kangaroo logo into economic development communications.

“EDA is proud to partner with the Australian Made Campaign, Australia’s most recognised and trusted country-of-origin symbol,” said Jacqueline Brinkman, EDA

Economic Development Australia (EDA) Director David Power (left) and Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive Ian Harrison

Executive Officer. “The partnership between EDA and Australian Made is a fantastic way of demonstrating how effective regional branding and marketing can drive economic development. EDA represents the professionals working with industries and communities across Australia to drive economic development, and they are ideally placed to leverage the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo as a key competitive advantage for Australian exporters.

“EDA looks forward to working with the

Australian Made Campaign, and through this partnership, helping to increase the competitiveness of Australian businesses and drive economic growth.”

Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive Ian Harrison said the organisations shared the same goals of driving business and jobs growth, and reinvestment in the local economy and community: “The Australian Made Campaign looks forward to working with EDA to support economic development professionals.”

Crane manufacturer to create 190 jobs at former Holden site A new crane manufacturing centre on the former Holden site at Elizabeth, South Australia, will create 190 jobs as part of a $16m investment by Victorian-based Australian Crane and Machinery (ACM).

The manufacturing centre will deliver jobs and apprenticeships in Adelaide’s northern suburbs for former automotive workers and those in metal trades including welders, fitters, auto electricians and machinists. The announcement is expected to lead the way for further investment and industry on the former Holden site, which was purchased by developer Pelligra Group to transform it into an industrial and manufacturing hub – Lionsgate Business Park.

exports of technically-advanced, largescale equipment. ACM is the largest privately-owned manufacturer of cranes and Elevated Work Platforms (EWPs) in the Oceania region and exports to the US, Chile and Canada. The South Australia facility will play a major role in servicing its EWP fleet.

The 190 new jobs being created will build on ACM’s current Adelaide workforce of 17 staff including sales and hiring, technicians and EWP operators.

Following construction of the new crane manufacturing centre, production is expected to begin in early 2019. The manufacturing plant will cover up to 28,000sqm and enable ACM to compete in the international market and grow its

ACM Managing Director, Ben Potter said his team is excited to bring manufacturing to Adelaide, and is especially looking forward to producing their innovative machines from the State.

AMT Apr/May 2018

“Our ACM products are designed for the world and are globally competitive, and due to the ever-increasing global population and customer demand, ACM needs to expand our manufacturing facilities,” Potter said. “We have chosen South Australia as the location for ACM’s newest production facility, due to the presence of skilled labour, engineers and a stable workforce and political environment. The location is excellent for export market shipping and access to wind farms where our largest units are used for maintenance. Of course, the weather is also great, which is important for us working and testing our machines in the field.”

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industry news

New partnership to boost nanotechnology research Monash University and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) have formalised an agreement with international advanced materials equipment manufacturer Ulvac, that will enable ground-breaking new research in nanotechnology.

Monash will work with Ulvac to develop cutting-edge fabrication technologies with a particular focus on medical diagnostics and related biomedical fields. These research areas are dependent on the ability to manipulate structures a fraction of a human hair in size – the combination of Monash’s research prowess, Ulvac’s expertise, and MCN’s facility is envisaged to improve the understanding required to do this.

“The agreement demonstrates the ability of the Monash Platforms Network and the world-leading nanotechnology facilities available in the area such as MCN to attract international and established business opportunities, while also reiterating Ulvac’s long-standing commitment to the Australian research community,” said Professor Nico Voelcker, Scientific Director at the MCN. Ulvac specialises in developing the machines necessary for the fabrication of modern sensors and detectors. Its work is part of the enormous field of nanofabrication, which is rapidly becoming essential not just to medical devices but also electronics, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing. The nanoscale structures that allow these technologies to work are far smaller than dust and any contaminants

Officials from Ulvac, Monash University and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication celebrate the recent signing of an MoU.

can completely compromise a device.

This means that to push the limits of these devices requires hyper-clean environments.

This kind of research environment is only available in a few places and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere is the MCN, next to Monash University’s Clayton campus. The Centre is the flagship facility of a network of open-access nanofabrication equipment called the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), which has worked closely with Ulvac for a number of years.

Expert engineers at the MCN and academic

research teams will work with Ulvac to better understand the fabrication processes behind these cutting-edge nanotechnologies. As the MCN is open to all researchers from industry and academia, the aim of this collaboration, which could include the placement of new scientific equipment at the Centre, will be able to benefit both national and international research communities.

“I’m looking forward to the discoveries that are made both during and because of this collaboration,” Professor Voelcker added. “It truly is an exciting time.”

Smartline to manufacture world-first digital solution for medical industry A collaborative project with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) focused on servitisation will position Australian medical equipment manufacturer Smartline Machinery to develop a digital solution allowing customers to better meet strict upcoming standards.

Smartline is introducing a new data management system for its leading endoscope drying cabinets, combining expertise around compliance and software development. CleanPath software, the solution being fast-tracked, will deliver Smartline’s customers the ability to track medical devices’ locations, operator activity, and cleaning of sensitive surgical equipment.

“Australia’s manufacturers like Smartline Machinery are well placed to gain a competitive edge through product and service differentiation,” said Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, whose team is supporting CleanPath’s development through $150,000 in cofunding. “Smartline Machinery will be first to market with an offering that will help their

AMT Apr/May 2018

clients meet increasingly tough standards in Australian, European and US markets, as well as increase Smartline’s earning potential through servitisation.”

By 2022, these markets will have to meet standards under AS4187 and EN 16442, with stricter requirements around monitoring and recording parameters such as temperature, pressure and humidity. The system allows remote monitoring of equipment and devices, and the possibility of creating new roles for high-skilled technicians at Smartline’s headquarters, providing services such as value stream mapping and infection control reports. This solution, delivered by Smartline, illustrates the role servitisation plays in enabling Australian manufacturers to enter the global supply chain by adding value beyond production.

“What we’ve done is pioneered beyond basic-type products and are now going into higher-technology products, utilising RFID, database and cloud-hosted technologies, and the ability to do remote services and tailored customer support into new and emerging markets, which is supported by our patented technology,” explained Will Smart, Managing Director and founder of Smartline Machinery.

The company has an installed base of around 350 endoscope cabinets in Australia and 180 overseas. Established in 1996, Smartline Machinery provides a range of solutions for the healthcare and medical markets, and manufactures products including sinks, tables, loanset and CSSD equipment, trolleys and IV poles.

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industry news

Autocare 2018 brings out the big names A highly impressive schedule of keynote speakers, leading local and international industry figures and events will form Australia’s premier automotive aftermarket industry convention, Autocare 2018, on 4-5 May at the Sydney International Convention Centre.

Autocare 2018 is an event focused on education, information and industry development, designed to address the latest developments, trends and issues facing the automotive aftermarket parts and service supply chain sector. Organised by the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA), the national body representing the $14bn Australian automotive aftermarket industry, the event leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that anyone involved in the automotive parts manufacturing, distribution, wholesale and retail sectors will benefit from taking part.

Rod Sims, Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), will provide the opening keynote address, in which he will outline the major findings and recommendations arising from the watchdog’s market study into the new car retailing industry and its implications for the Australian automotive aftermarket industry. Sims will also outline what the ACCC intends to do to ensure that the independent aftermarket can have confidence in the future.

speakers combines outstanding global and local expertise with specific focus on market research, customer trends and emerging technologies to ensure that our members will be able to learn from their experiences and gain the knowledge required to position their businesses to prosper into the future.

Other highlights of the speaker program include Saul Eslake, one of Australia’s best known and trusted macro-economists, and leading social commentator Bernard Salt from The Demographics Group. The AAAA has also made a significant investment in ground-breaking consumer research, the findings of which will be presented for the first time at the convention by leading automotive market research firm TKP. According to Stuart Charity, Executive Director of the AAAA, the scope and structure of Autocare 2018 has surpassed all expectations: “The bumper Autocare 2018 schedule of keynote presentations and supply chain industry sector-focused

“The convention also includes a gala dinner, live training and technical demonstrations, along with a special outdoor feature car display and a trade display featuring over 100 of our market leading companies demonstrating the very latest in technologies and services,” Charity added.

“We anticipate over 3,000 automotive professionals will attend the combined two-day formal Convention Program, free trade display and onsite activities, making Autocare 2018 an education, networking and business development event that should not be missed.”

Autocare 2018 will be held at the Sydney International Convention Centre on 4-5 May. Full program details and online registration can be found at www.autocare.org.au.

Doxa’s Cadetship Program offers diverse, driven talent for STEM sector Victorian not-for-profit Doxa is seeking to partner with businesses across Victoria as part of its flagship employment pathways Cadetship Program.

Doxa has selected 12 businessminded young achievers from a diverse range of backgrounds for Cadetship. These individuals are motivated, talented, tenacious and have overcome enormous barriers in their pursuit to stay engaged in education. 44% of applicants this year are studying a STEM subject.

This CSR-aligned social investment opportunity offers Program Partners a talented STEM undergraduate as part of their team; skilled volunteering opportunities for existing staff; and a chance to change the life of a high-achieving young Australian from a disadvantaged background.

Doxa supports Cadetship Program Partners by providing a shortlist of talented applicants relevant to their sector; building

AMT Apr/May 2018

rural/regional areas.

These young people are experiencing significant disadvantage. They don’t have the social capital, financial support or professional networks that you and I had.

What they do have is the skills, growth mindset and incredible drive to succeed in business and in life. But they need your help in order to achieve this.”

a learning and development framework; providing mentoring; and recruitment support as well as on-boarding advice.

“We have a diverse range of Cadets, all in great need,” says Doxa CEO, Steve Clifford.

“51% live off a family income of below $30,000 per annum, 24% are refugees/ newly arrived migrants, 18% come from

Since 1993, more than 400 young people have participated in the Doxa Cadetship Program.

It is open to Year 12 students transitioning into university and is a three to five-year program, depending on the length of the degree the student is undertaking.

To get involved or for more information on the Doxa Cadetship Program, visit: www.doxa.org.au.

Interlloy celebrates their 30th year in business and 17th year buying Everising bandsaws.

Interlloy is one of the leading sellers of engineering steels and alloys.

With branches in most states and a very large quantity of Everising saws, Interlloy services Australia wide with a commitment of next day delivery and customer service. Over the years Interlloy and Complete Machine Tools have formed a solid relationship where a supplier has turned into a solutions provider.

Everising is one of the top selling bandsaws and with one of the largest national steel merchants continually buying Everising saws it’s a true testament to the reliability and quality of Everising.

Everising is the bandsaw steel merchants choose.

E-530 High Speed Bandsaw Recently installed in Interlloy Brisbane

P-150 High Speed Circular Saw Recently installed in Interlloy Melbourne

026

Government news

Government launches Defence Export Strategy The Federal Government on 29 January announced an ambitious new Defence Export Strategy, aimed at making Australia one of the top ten global defence exporters within the next decade.

The plan is designed to boost Australian industry, increase investment, and create more jobs for Australian businesses.

According to the Government, a strong, exporting defence industry in Australia will provide greater certainty of investment, support highend manufacturing jobs, and support the capability of the Australian Defence Force.

The Defence Export Strategy includes several new initiatives and investments, including: • A new Australian Defence Export Office, which will work handin-hand with Austrade and the Centre for Defence Industry Capability to co-ordinate whole-of-government efforts, providing a focal point for defence exports.

campaigns, an additional $3.2m to enhance and expand the Global Supply Chain program, and an additional $4.1m for grants to help build the capability of small and medium enterprises to compete internationally.

The new plan was announced at Thales Australia’s facility in Rydalmere, NSW. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “What this is doing is, for the first time, establishing a solid, continuing Australian defence industry in Australia. Not since wartime have we seen such a level of investment in our defence forces and in particular, in our Navy.

Now, what we want to do is make sure that we export more defence technology and more of the product of our defence industry.”

“One of the features of course, of defence industry is peaks and troughs, depending on the Australian Government’s demand for equipment and platforms,” added Christopher Pyne, Minister For Defence Industry. “By investing in defence exports, we are giving defence industry the opportunity to see through those peaks and troughs and establish very long-term investments in their equipment, in their skills, in their workforce, in their management, in their research and development.

• A new Australian Defence Export Advocate, who will provide high-level advocacy for defence exports and work across industry and government to ensure all efforts are co-ordinated.

• A new $3.8bn Defence Export Facility administered by Efic, Australia’s export credit agency. This will help Australian companies get the finance they need to underpin the sales of their equipment overseas. According to the Government, it will provide confidence to the Australian defence industry to identify and pursue new export opportunities knowing that Efic’s support is available when there is a market gap for defence finance.

• Funds of $20m per year to implement the Defence Export Strategy and support defence industry exports, including $6.35m to develop and implement strategic multi-year export

Australian Industry Group Chief Executive Innes Willox welcomed the announcement, saying: “Defence exports are a critical underpinning in the development, growth and prosperity of our defence industry, which contributes significantly to national security and economic outcomes. The development and release of a Defence Export Strategy is recognition that the Australian defence industry depends on both domestic acquisition and development of overseas markets.” www.defence.gov.au/exportstrategy

$5,000 grants for QLD small business Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ) has joined forces with National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), the Industry Growth Centre for the energy resources sector, to help Queensland businesses in the oil & gas sector access new markets.

The ‘Smart Australia: Take Local Global Program’ will target natural resource companies working in or looking to diversify into the oil & gas sector by helping to identify and accelerate international opportunities. Companies are invited to apply for a $5,000 grant to take part in the program, which includes workshops in Brisbane or Perth. Participants will then arrange travel to Gastech 2018, in Barcelona, Spain from 17-20 September. Businesses throughout Australia are encouraged to apply.

entrepreneurs. Many home-grown innovative and entrepreneurial enterprises seek access to international markets to achieve longterm growth, sustainability and success. But without strategic support and guidance, this can be a challenging and complex task.

Smart Australia is a tailored business support program for Australian entrepreneurs and businesses looking to make connections in overseas markets by helping participants to identify in-market opportunities and scope relevant commercial and financial strategies. The workshops will equip participants with the skills and tools required to translate opportunities into tangible commercial outcomes.

TIQ helps Queensland businesses develop the networks and acumen needed to successfully enter export markets. TIQ Chief Executive Virginia Greville said Queensland companies are well positioned to take their innovation and skills to global markets: “Queensland is Australia’s gas powerhouse, producing 70% of the total East Coast gas supply. Queensland companies have a wealth of knowledge and skills to offer at an international level and this Smart Australia program is designed to connect them with global growth opportunities that will result in tangible outcomes.”

NERA Chief Executive Miranda Taylor said NERA was perfectly placed to connect small businesses with international growth opportunities: “NERA recognises significant value in the services and technologies being developed by local small businesses and

AMT Apr/May 2018

“With Australia being the world’s second-largest exporter of LNG, NERA believes encouraging and promoting our innovative small businesses and entrepreneurs will have significant benefits for the sector, as well as for the Australian economy.”

www.nera.org.au

Commonwealth Government Entrepreneurs’ Programme partnering with AMTIL

It’s all about you.

Business Management

The Entrepreneurs’ Programme (EP) is a Commonwealth Government flagship initiative focused on raising the competitiveness and productivity of eligible companies at an individual level. AMTIL is an industry partner organisation working with the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science in the delivery of the EP. The Programme offers support through three key elements: 1. Business Management 2. Innovation Connections 3. Accelerating Commercialisation To run a successful business, it’s not enough to have a great product or service. You need to understand your challenges and continually identify and leverage growth opportunities to improve business performance.

The Business Management element of EP provides practical support to help businesses improve and grow through sustainable, strategic management and capability.

EP’s Business Management element offers: • On-site support from an industry specialist Adviser or Facilitator who will give you objective insight and recommendations to improve and grow your business.

• Funding through matched grants of up to $20,000 to implement practical activities focused on supporting growth.

• Access to business networks, government services, and specialist assistance for growth and supply chain projects.

Plus depending on the results of the Business Evaluation, your company may be: • Given recommendations, and be eligible for funding, to improve your business and maximise opportunities; • Introduced to scientific researchers via Research Connections; • Given advice or financial assistance to rapidly commercialise new products under Accelerating Commercialisation.

Every business has different needs.

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028

voice box Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

No clear target in Australia’s 2030 national innovation report The Federal Government on 30 January released ‘Australia 2030: Prosperity through Innovation’, a strategic plan for Australia’s innovation future. According to Leigh Dayton and Roy Green, instead of a roadmap for action, it’s more of a sketch with detours, dead ends and red lights.

This plan started as a commitment in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s 2015 National Innovation and Science Agenda. It has now been prepared and released by an independent public agency, Innovation and Science Australia (ISA), after a Senate inquiry and broad consultation across the community. The report offers 30 recommendations categorised into five “imperatives for action”: Education, Industry, Government, Research and Development, and Culture and Ambition. Under this last imperative, ISA also proposes an ambitious National Missions initiative, comparable with moon shots.

Australia 2030 has been widely anticipated in industry and in the research and education sector, and it is much needed. The nation has a problem. On most international measures, such as the widely recognised Global Innovation Index, Australia consistently lags behind. In 2017, we ranked 23rd of 127 countries in terms of research performance. But on innovation efficiency – how well we translate research into commercial outcomes – we were a lowly 76th.

Even New Zealand beat Australia on both measures. And it gets worse. Australia was last on the 2017 OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard when it comes to high-growth enterprises.

Before he was appointed Chair of the ISA Board, Bill Ferris bluntly declared of the nation’s research & development (R&D) performance: “Australia has internationally competitive R and bugger-all D.” So it comes as a disappointment that the new strategic plan is something of a “curate’s egg” – good in some parts, but with missed opportunities in others. It is perfectly right, for example, in: • Restating the need for urgent action if Australia is to maintain its social, economic and environmental well-being.

• Recognising that the nation’s science and innovation system is a fragmented collection of institutions, programs and enterprises – public and private – cobbled together in a complex array of federal and state jurisdictions.

• Identifying a leading role for government in establishing the policy and regulation settings within which participants in the innovation system operate.

• Urging government to take an active role in the innovation process – for instance, encouraging pre-commercial procurement of products from industry and “role-modelling” 21st-century service delivery.

The problem is that details about how to turn such ideas into reality are less easy to find. This is surprising as there are many programs and approaches, in Australia and internationally, which offer models and solutions. For example, many Australian universities are taking steps to ramp up “commercialisation capability” by hiring people with industry experience, encouraging scientists to collaborate with endusers of their research, and simplifying management of intellectual property.

Similarly, little is said about the broader research and innovation system in which the policy proposals are supposed to achieve results? Its deficiencies are noted, not tackled. In contrast, global players like the UK, Germany, Finland, Sweden, South Korea and Singapore are busy reshaping their innovation systems with targeted industry policies to identify areas of competitive advantage.

AMT Apr/May 2018

While the ISA’s strategic plan paints a broad picture of where Australia needs to be in 2030, it does not provide any guide, let alone analysis, of these areas of potential advantage. What is this country good at?

What must it learn to do to compete in global markets and value chains, and in which sectors?

Answering such questions is the job of technology foresight exercises where future scenarios are mapped out and planned for – something ISA seems not to have tried. It certainly had plenty of time. Instead, the plan offers national missions and strategic opportunities, with only isolated illustrations of how they can be achieved.

For example, the plan proposes a mission to make Australia “one of the healthiest nations on Earth”. Who could argue? But in targeting “genomics and precision medicine”, where Australia does indeed excel, it avoids more controversial issues like controlling the population’s sugar intake.

Moreover, some major issues facing Australia were seemingly not up for discussion, such as the challenges of renewable energy and super-fast broadband. Though these are mentioned as “beyond the scope of this plan”, can we realistically sell new national missions while current ones are unresolved?

For a plan intended to embody longer-term thinking, it is disappointing to see such capitulation to short-term political pressures. Why not deal head-on with the reality that the current Government – every Government – is ruled by politics and the three-year political cycle.

It’s frustrating for everyone that policies, funding and programs are chopped and changed, according to the Government of the day.

Right now, the Turnbull Government is moving in the opposite direction to the policies and priorities needed to underpin Australia 2030’s ambitions. It is cutting research and education, ignoring climate change, and clinging to a commodity economy. Of course these are difficult challenges for a body like ISA. However, it is the function of a national science, research and innovation strategy to identify challenges and address them. It must offer both a clear direction for the future and coherent and effective pathways that enable those operating in the innovation system to deliver tangible outcomes.

No doubt the ISA strategy contains elements that will hit these targets, which is why we must wish it well. But equally it needs an organisational rethink: what are the national goals? What are the problems, and how do we go about fixing them, step-by-step, in a systematic way? Maybe this can be the next item on its agenda.

Glossy plans and lofty ambitions are good, and their educational value for both the political classes and the wider community should not be underestimated. But a blueprint for a constantly evolving, properly funded and joined-up research and innovation system would be better.

Leigh Dayton recently completed a PhD at Macquarie University. Roy Green is Emeritus Professor and innovation adviser at the University of Technology Sydney. This article was originally published by The Conversation. www.theconversation.com www.mq.edu.au www.uts.edu.au

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voice box Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

Small and medium-sized businesses to benefit from Defence Export Strategy The announcement of the Defence Export Strategy signals a new era of opportunity for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in Australia’s manufacturing sector. Efic, Australia’s export credit agency, outlines how defence companies can utilise the Strategy to access funding and compete on the global stage.

The Federal Government’s initiative intends to develop Australia’s defence export potential to enable Australian industry to grow, innovate and enhance the country’s defence capabilities. Given the fundamental changes the manufacturing sector is going through, this announcement could not be timelier. Instead of ‘production on the factory floor’, the sector is now far more focused on advanced technology and niche production, with numerous firms already making a significant contribution to technological capabilities and high-end R&D in the global value chain.

Herein lies Australia’s competitive advantage: manufacturing niche and specialised parts for supply chains of large defence corporations.

A sector primed for growth While success stories don’t often receive a great amount of publicity, the past few years have revealed a steady rise in the number of Australian defence manufacturers taking on new opportunities in the export supply chain. Over the last three years there has been an average increase of 44% in value for export permits, with a total of $1.5bn worth of export permits for military goods issued in 2016.

An analysis of around 2,700 businesses in Australia’s defence industrial base, undertaken to support the development of the Defence Industrial Capability Plan, revealed that those businesses reported a total of $7.65bn dollars of exports in 2013-14. Since 2007 Efic’s Global Supply Chain program has helped 151 SME exporters win supply chain contracts worth $950m.

While Australia is currently ranked 20th among the world’s top defence exporters, with the support outlined in the Defence Export Strategy, Australia has a great opportunity to take on the world, and win.

An opportunity for manufacturers When thinking about the export potential brought about by the Defence Export Strategy, manufacturers should be clear on where Australia’s competitive advantage in the supply chain is.

For Australia, it’s our knowledge and expertise in highly advanced technology and niche products that can complement global supply chains. This is a view shared by former senior Commonwealth bureaucrat Michael Keating, who predicts we’ll be doing ‘bits of military equipment and small-scale military equipment’.

An example is Axiom Precision Manufacturing, a South Australianowned business that specialises in tool making, moulding and precision manufacturing. Axiom recently won a significant contract with Boeing through the Global Supply Program.

Another example is Ferra Engineering, a Queensland-bsed business that specialises in the design, manufacture and test of defence and aerospace sub-assemblies. The company has found multiple opportunities in the global supply chain program, including Thales’ tactical navigation radar system for submarines, and the Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range Wing Kit for Boeing.

Ferra and Axiom are two companies that have leveraged their specialised expertise to export through global chains. Their success stories provide a great model for similar businesses that can offer specialised products and services abroad.

How to finance your defence projects Exporting brings a different set of challenges. Running an international business requires substantial operational expansion which requires financial support. A business must balance between preparing itself for a large international project by bringing on the appropriate resources while maintaining adequate cash flow during normal operations.

The Government’s $200bn-dollar investment in defence capability over the next decade includes $20m in additional annual funding from 2018-19 to support Australia’s defence exports. This extra support gives defence contractors the confidence to pursue new direct export and supply chain contracts.

SMEs should consider the financial requirements associated with taking on new supply chain opportunities. From attaining the right permits to managing long payment cycles, SMEs must consider how they will finance business growth: 1. Understand your cash flow requirements. One of the most common problems encountered by growing businesses is when their growth rate outstrips their capacity, which can create pressure on working capital. By developing detailed cash flow projections into the future, you can ensure you are able to plan and manage cash flow accordingly to avoid problems.

2. Consider your options. Another common problem for Australian businesses is funding growth. When a contract comes in, it’s important to think carefully about how you could fund it without entering into risky debt or putting a strain on cash flow. If your bank is unable to help, Efic can help to provide financial support for those involved in an export supply chain in the forms of loans, guarantees and bonds to support specific export contracts and general operations relating to defence exports.

The future for the manufacturing and defence industries looks promising with support from the Australian government, financing expertise from Efic, and a skills base ready to compete globally. www.efic.gov.au To download the ebook, scan the QR code below or type the following into your browser: goo.gl/hteZwm.

AMT Apr/May 2018

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voice box Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

Australia takes up space in 2018 You might have heard that Australia will be establishing its own space agency. But you might also be wondering what that actually means. Does it mean we’ll be sending rockets to Mars? Or landing the first Aussie on the Moon?

CSIRO sets out some of the trends we can expect.

A review into Australia’s space industry capability is currently underway and due to deliver its recommendations on the shape of the national space agency to the Australian Government soon, so watch this space. What we do know is that much has changed since the space race of the 1950s and 1960s.

CSIRO’s Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder at night. © Alex Cherney/terrastro.com.

When most people think of a space industry, they think about big projects like the International Space Station, the Voyager program, or the Mars rovers – but today organisations are launching their own satellites, and they are the size of a loaf of bread. So we’re asking ourselves, what’s next for this new frontier? Here are the top five trends we see for the space industry in 2018.

Growth in global collaboration For Australia to be successful in the global space market, technical capabilities alone won’t be enough. The most successful innovation is driven by partnerships. In January we announced that our nearly 30-year research and development relationship with international aerospace company Boeing will enter a new phase: we’ll be working together on space technologies as both our organisations focus on the opportunities presented by Australia’s fast-growing space industry.

The joint research will explore opportunities for space infrastructure and ground-based space facilities in Australia that could be beneficial for a range of space-related activities. Other possible areas of spacerelated research include the development of novel materials, sensors and software for data analytics.

Big data 2018 will see the greatest amount of data ever captured from space, from satellites observing Earth from above and via instruments on the ground seeking to learn more about the Universe in which we live.

When our new Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope is complete it will be transmitting a mind-boggling amount of data at a rate of one terabit per second from each of its 36 antennas, to be processed at our observatory site and via the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in Perth.

Our researchers co-developed the original Australian Geoscience Data Cube in a close collaboration led by Geoscience Australia and with National Computational Infrastructure. This has now grown to become an international ‘OpenDataCube’ partnership, which supports the establishment and operation of over 25 Data Cubes around the world. These are capable of housing and processing petabytes of global satellite Earth observation data from multiple satellites.

Not only do we need massive computing power to handle the massive volumes of data from space, we also need to interpret that data – more than any human could sift through in a lifetime. That’s where automated techniques come in. Our teams are using machine and deep learning techniques to interrogate big data sets in ways that would otherwise be impossible or far too time-consuming.

Faster and more frequent detection of major events In 2017 we saw the detection of major astronomical events, including more gravitational waves and fast radio bursts. And we’re likely to see more of these and in much greater detail as new telescopes come online.

AMT Apr/May 2018

We’ve been leading the way in the development of new technologies for telescopes here in Australia and around the world that will help to paint an even richer picture of the Universe. In fact, we’ve just delivered a 19-beam receiver or ‘radio camera’ for the world’s largest single-dish telescope, FAST, in China. We expect that FAST will discover many new pulsars (rapidly spinning neutron stars) that may, in the future, be used as navigation tools for space travel.

Life on Earth It’s not just looking out into space that will be bigger and better in 2018. It will be the year we are able to see planet Earth more clearly than ever before. This will be made possible in part because of the increasing rate at which small satellites, called CubeSats, are being launched into space. Together with larger satellites, we’re being provided with a wealth of data about our planet from which we can gain valuable insights for managing natural environments, and creating agricultural and industrial opportunities.

Last September we announced that we would be taking a 10% share of the NovaSAR satellite due to be launched early this year. We’ll be running this as a national facility, giving Australian researchers access to near-real-time radar Earth observation data over Australia and worldwide. This data could be used in disaster response which is particularly significant during bushfire season.

Democratisation of space access 2018 will also see space become accessible to more people. This will be in line with increased venture capital investment in start-up space companies and the growth of boutique space agencies focused on niche areas. There is a growing number of Australian small-tomedium businesses seeing challenges and opportunities presented by this new era in space – Space 2.0.

The range of partnerships, joint ventures, co-investing and licensing options we have to offer will help position Australia at the centre of ‘new space’. These include Main Sequence Ventures, our new venture capital company, which is looking to invest in Australian deep tech ideas from publicly-funded organisations and SMEs who partner with a publicly funded organisation.

This year is really the year of space and it’s safe to say, we’re excited about the future and the role that Australia, and we, can play.

This article originally appeared on CSIROscope. blog.csiro.au

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Tech News

Germany: “Climate chamber” for machine tools

Germany: Live-streaming from the moon

Influences like temperature variation, drafts, and air humidity can heavily compromise machine tools’ precision. Fraunhofer’s IWU is exposing machines to various climate zones around the world without actually shipping them overseas via their newly inaugurated climate chamber which is able to test how ambient conditions affect the function of lathes and other machines. Manufacturers and users now have the ability to configure their machine tools in advance, and to adapt them to future ambient conditions. For example, exposure to sunlight and drafts causes thermal interactions in the form of structural stretching, which this chamber is able to reproduce.

Temperatures of 10 to 40deg.C can be configured with a tolerance of plus/minus 0.1 Kelvin as well as air humidity of 10%-90% with a tolerance of 3%. When displacement does arise, the researchers implement corrective algorithms they have developed.

Vodafone Germany plans to create the first 4G network on the Moon to support a mission by Berlin-based company PTScientists in 2019. This mission will include Nokia and Audi. Due to launch in 2019 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, this will be the first privatelyfunded Moon landing. Two Audi lunar quattro rovers will be connected to a base station and Nokia will create a space-grade Ultra Compact Network that will be the lightest ever developed.

The base station should be able to broadcast 4G, transfer scientific data and send back the first-ever live HD video feed of the Moon’s surface, which will be broadcast to a global audience. A 4G network is highly energy-efficient compared to analogue radio.

Vodafone

Fraunhofer

USA: Super-wood could replace steel Engineers have found a way to make wood more than 10 times stronger, creating a natural substance that is stronger than many titanium alloys and which could be a competitor to steel.

Comparable to carbon fibre, but much cheaper, it is as strong as steel, but six times lighter - this combination of strength and durability is something not usually found in nature. It can even be bent and moulded at the beginning of the process, which commences by removing the wood’s lignin, then it is compressed under mild heat. This causes the cellulose fibres to become so tightly packed that they form strong hydrogen bonds. Any defects like holes or knots are thereby crushed together. The compression makes the wood five times thinner than its original size. This kind of wood could be used in cars, airplanes, buildings – any application where steel is used.

University of Maryland

USA: Folding wings in flight – new alloy NASA has successfully applied a new technology that allows aircraft to fold the outer portion of their wings and their control surfaces to optimal angles in flight using a cutting-edge, lightweight, shape memory alloy which is built into an actuator on the aircraft.

Folding wings has been done in the past, but has been dependent on heavy motors and hydraulics. This project - Spanwise Adaptive Wing project (SAW) – proves the feasibility of doing this using shape memory alloy technology, which is compact, lightweight, and can be positioned in convenient places on the aircraft. The alloy is triggered by temperature, and uses thermal memory in a tube to move and function as an actuator. Upon heating, the alloy activates a twisting motion in the tubes, which moves the wing’s outer portion up or down. In test flights. the wings were folded between zero and 70 deg. up and down in flight.

NASA

AMT Apr/May 2018

USA: High-performance composites via novel 3D printing A research team has demonstrated a novel 3D printing method (rotational 3D printing) that yields unprecedented control of the arrangement of short fibres embedded in polymer matrices in specified locations. This enables the creation of structural materials that are optimised for strength, stiffness, and damage tolerance.

Rather than using magnetic or electric fields to orient fibres, the flow of the viscous ink itself was controlled to impart the desired fibre orientation. This concept could be used on any material extrusion printing method and with any filler material. The orientation of the fibres can be locally optimised to increase the damage tolerance at locations that would be expected to undergo the highest stress during loading, hardening potential failure points. Being able to locally control fibre orientation within engineered composites has been a challenge.

Harvard/SEAS

Singapore: Mould templates with microscale features Scientists have developed a method for fabricating moulds that can quickly create microfluidic channels in polymer substrates, addressing a critical problem in mould insert fabrication for microfluidic chip production. Injection moulding involves shaping a material while in a molten state using a metal template. However, engineering a mould with precise micrometer-scale features and smooth surfaces is challenging as burrs and tool marks create defects and it is difficult for polishing tools to access the recessed

Tech Heading News corners of microstructured surfaces and remove unwanted material uniformly. The template was milled on a special aluminium alloy for a microfluidic channel which included two fluid inlets. This template was then polished using magnetic field-assisted finishing. Two magnetic rollers rotating in opposite directions create a magnetic field which controlled a magnetic abrasive which removed any unwanted material and smoothed the surface.

can make lighter and stronger blades using a hollow structure as well as single-crystal alloys that can withstand high temperatures and a special coating to facilitate cooling. These advances are at the centre of a possible sale to Germany along with manufacturing equipment that uses lasers to drill ultra-fine holes in turbine blades to keep blades cool by increasing air flow. Aerospace is one of the key sectors of the “Made In China 2025” initiative.

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

The National Interest

France: 3D printing – First self-reinforced fuselage panel

Australia: Fewer waste-tyre infernos

Stelia Aerospace has presented a demonstrator of auto-stiffened metal fuselage panels made via 3D printing - with stiffeners directly manufactured on the surface. This new technology should eliminate the current added stiffeners, which are attached to the fuselage panels with fixing screws and welding. The process- known as WAAM – Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing – deposits the stiffening aluminium wire to the inner surface of the 1sqm panel. Currently, the web-like stiffening structures inside fuselages are screwed or welded into place by hand. According to Stelia, the new technique could present an opportunity to rethink and redesign fuselages, removed from the constraints of having to attach the reinforcing lattices at a later stage.

Pearl Global - a Perth-based company - has developed a non-toxic technology which could reduce the amount of tyres dumped in landfill – and the huge choking fires they can ignite. The technology known as thermal desorption, uses heat to separate waste into its constituent parts, which can then be sold or processed into even more valuable products. Shredded tyre-rubber is passed through a number of variable zones that precisely manage the temperature, time and motion of the material. The sealed oven has a discharge port with multiple air locks from which the carbon and steel products exit. Gases generated by the process are passed through a condenser, where useful hydrocarbons are captured.

Currently only 5% of the 51m tyres discarded each year in Australia is recycled. Worldwide, more than 1.5bn tyres are discarded pa, a vast opportunity for Pearl Global.

Stelia/The Engineer

Pearl Global

USA: Longest 3D printed object During 2017, US company “Made in Space” used their Archinaut system’s 3D printer to successfully manufacture multiple truss structures in NASA’s earth-based thermal vacuum chamber. This successful test marked the first time humans have successfully 3D printed in space-like conditions. Using the same technology, in 2017 Made In Space manufactured a beam measuring over 37m. This has now been recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest non-assembled 3D printed object in the world. This 3D printer (the ESAMM - which stands for Extended Structure Additive Manufacturing Machine) is the AM component of Made In Space’s innovative Archinaut system. The Archinaut is an in-orbit robotic 3D printing system which is designed to function in the cold abyss of outer space, where it will use a system of robotic arms to assemble and repair large components and structures such as satellites.

Made in Space/3ders.org

China: “Our machine has outperformed Germany’s on some benchmarks” According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese scientists are trying to impress upon Germany that their Made-in-China turbine blades are capable of withstanding temperatures several hundred degrees Cel. higher than the melting point of metallic alloys.

Engineers in China have reportedly developed new processes that

Australia: Supercharged water purification CSIRO is using their own specially designed form of graphene - ‘Graphair’ – to replace the complex, multi-stage processes currently needed for water purification with a single step. Graphair is composed of a film with microscopic nano-channels which let water pass through, but stop pollutants. Consisting of renewable soybean oil, it is simpler, cheaper, faster and more environmentally friendly than graphene to make. It potentially solves the problem of fouling. Over time pollutants coat and impede water filters.

Graphair works even when coated with pollutants. The new filtering technique is so effective, water samples from Sydney Harbour were safe to drink after passing through the filter. All that’s needed is heat, CSIRO graphene, a membrane filter and a small water pump.

Field trials in a developing world community are planned for next year and CSIRO is looking for industry partners to scale up the technology so it can be used to filter even a town’s water supply. It’s also investigating the treatment of seawater and industrial effluents.

CSIRO

“The moon is getting a reliable 4G connection before certain parts of the UK” – Alan Martin, technology journalist, PC & Tech magazine. See “Live-streaming from the moon” included in this edition of Tech News.

AMT Apr/May 2018

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product news

High-pressure coolant during thread turning Seco Tools has introduced Jetstream Tooling high-pressure coolant technology for threading shank holders. The range includes square shank holders, boring bars, and GL-heads for use with Steadyline bars. a hose connection, and DuoJet applies one or more additional coolant jets from a second direction. Incorporation of these features brings optimised heat removal, effective chip elimination, longer and more predictable tool life and enhanced thread surface quality to thread turning operations.

The Jetstream Tooling threading turning holders deliver a concentrated highpressure jet of coolant - up to 150 bar or hose connections for up to 275 bar coolant inlets – to the optimum position close to the cutting edge, making it possible to guide or steer chips a certain direction away from the cut. The toolholders are available in 22 external, 28 internal and 14 GL-heads types in insert pocket sizes 16, 22 and 27.

For parts made from titanium or similar materials, Jetstream Tooling technology is capable of breaking the tough threading chips to increase tool life. When threading steel and stainless steel, the improved chip control of the new thread turning tools

allow for potentially 30% to 60% higher cutting speeds without compromising thread surface quality.

The square shank holders also include the JETI and Duojet features. JETI delivers coolant through holders without using

Use of the JETI feature with square shank holders requires the use of adapters. The new range includes both face mount and star mount adapters for Seco-Capto C5, C6 and C8 turrets and star mount adapters for HSK-T 63 multi-tasking machine spindle interfaces. The adapters accommodate square shank sizes 20mm and 25mm. www.secotools.com

Osaka Jack – Water-operated jack & cylinder The OJ-TWAS water pressure hand-operated pump is designed for use with Osaka Jack’s precision-manufactured range of water-operated jacks and cylinders.

Available from Stainelec Hydraulic Equipment, the unit is manufactured from 316 stainless steel material and is solely pressurised by normal distilled water, with a fully OHS-compliant design.

The system has been specially designed

by Osaka Jack for many situations where hydraulic oil could be a safety problem,

with works in the industrial and mining sectors. Given that the system uses water instead of hydraulic fluid, there is no risk of a fire or other hazardous situations; thereby protecting the operator and surrounding infrastructure against any fire-related injury or damage. All Osaka Jack products and equipment are designed and precision-

manufactured in Japan to the highest international standards. www.stainelec.com.au

Easy measurement of complex parts Bucher Municipal acquired the perfect measurement solution with the acquisition of a ROMER Absolute Arm from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, backed by local expertise and support from distributor Hi-Tech Metrology.

Bucher is a leading provider of equipment to the Australian waste industry. The company boasts an impressive product range, including side, rear and front-loading refuse machines, as well as compact/ truck-mounted road sweepers, vacuum tankers and stationary and transportable compactors. Every Bucher machine is manufactured in Victoria and supported by a passionate after-sales support team.

to achieve accurate repeatable results,” Tisbury explains. “We were looking for a measurement system which can help us to easily measure the same dimensions in a fraction of the time and repeat the measurements. We were immediately seduced by the ROMER Absolute Arm’s flexibility and functionality, as well as the professionalism of Hi-Tech Metrology, their distributor here in Australia.”

Jason Tisbury, Bucher’s Quality and Continuous Improvement Manager, is responsible for the design, implementation and maintenance of the company’s quality management systems. These systems include the monitoring and measurement of processes and outcomes.

The opportunity to add a scanner to the portable measuring arm played a big part in the decision to invest in the Absolute Arm.

“Our products are quite large and diverse in design, meaning it can be quite challenging

AMT Apr/May 2018

“We can scan our jigs and fixtures into a model and audit on a cycle by quickly measuring and overlaying to see any variation,” says Tisbury, who recalls how complicated this was before working with the arm. “We would spend more time setting up

a measurement than actually measuring the product! Using the arm has helped improve our jigging and manufacturing repeatability by enabling us to easily measure large, complex parts. We’re also building a library of blank chassis to facilitate faster design and application engineering.”

Hi-Tech Metrology offers both local expertise and support for the product as well as the great advantage to being able to perform equipment calibration locally.

“This is a massive bonus,” says Tisbury. “But just as importantly, the team at Hi-Tech is always happy to go over and above to help with any questions or problems. The training is always customised to our needs, so we get the most benefit for the time.” www.hitechmetrology.com.au www.buchermunicipal.com

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036

product news

New FARO Design ScanArm 2.0 improves product design workflow FARO has released the next-generation FARO Design ScanArm 2.0, specifically designed to address the most demanding challenges and requirements faced by product design and product engineering professionals. It offers an exceptional combination of flexibility, reliability, value and performance through best-in-class accuracy, resolution and ergonomics.

The new Design ScanArm 2.0 delivers up to 25% improved system accuracy compared to the previous generation. Design and product engineering professionals can now have increased confidence that the real-world design output conforms even more tightly to the look, feel and complex geometry of the source object. Furthermore, productivity is enhanced with the addition of FAROBlu Laser Line Probe HD that incorporates advanced blue laser technology and rapid scanning of up to 600,000 points per second.

The FARO Design ScanArm 2.0 is now available in three highly maneuverable arm lengths – 2.5 metres, 3.5 metres and 4 metres – to ensure that end users can select the option that optimally fits with the specific design objectives for their projects. Furthermore, it includes the option of dual, hot swappable batteries that enable continuous operation wherever needed without the requirement for external power. Users can now bring the scan to the project rather than needing to bring the project to the scan.

Enhanced ergonomics and a 25% overall weight reduction enables less operator fatigue. This leap forward in comfort, combined with improved maneuverability, significantly increases productivity by facilitating continuous use over extended periods during the workday.

The Design ScanArm 2.0 enables a new level of efficiency with integration of a kinematic intelligent probe system for projects that require contact measurement. This system includes a toolless quick release for fast connect/disconnect and allows operators to quickly

transition from contact to non-contact projects without needing to spend any significant additional time and effort to switch out or recalibrate probes.

“In 2016, FARO made a strategic decision that our combination of technology and unique understanding of the needs of design engineers positioned us to facilitate significantly better efficiency in the product design workflow”, states Thorsten Brecht, Senior Director Product Design Vertical. “The initial Design ScanArm validated our thinking and we developed the next generation ScanArm based on those key learnings with more flexibility, higher accuracy and improved, user-centric ergonomics”. www.faro.com/sg

New HMI software features improve operator efficiency Rockwell Automation has updated its HMI software to equip industrial workers with better information to run and maintain their systems. New features in the FactoryTalk View software version 10.0 include greater access to information, new mobile device support and better cross-software integration to improve productivity.

Operators can now use the TrendPro tool in FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) software to overlay alarm information on trend data.

This feature can help them connect alarm occurrences with datapoint values to speed up troubleshooting. They can also use the tool to save and share ad hoc trends with other workers.

“This version also adds support in the HMI for flexible alarming with the Allen-Bradley Logix line of controllers,” said Dean Tresidder, Commercial Specialist – Software, Rockwell Automation. “Previously, users had to manually create alarm conditions in both the controller and the HMI. With tag-based alarming, operators can now create the alarm configuration in Logix and the HMI will process it automatically, which saves time by reducing the need for programming.”

FactoryTalk View SE v10.0 also integrates the ThinManager software login into the FactoryTalk View platform. In the past, users had to separately log in to both systems. Now, they can bypass the second security point with an automatic login passthrough for easier and faster operations.

For process industries, the FactoryTalk View SE software introduces an abnormal situation management (ASM) multimonitor framework. This feature allows operators to see different

AMT Apr/May 2018

levels of data across multiple screens in accordance with standards-based ASM guidelines. It can also provide operators with more viewable information, helping them more efficiently run and maintain their systems.

The updated FactoryTalk ViewPoint software, which extends the FactoryTalk View SE software to mobile devices, now supports recipe management. This update allows workers to view and download recipes on the device of their choice. And now, with ViewPoint v10.0 software, FactoryTalk Alarms and Events alarm history is also available on their mobile devices. The FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ME) software v10.0 adds design-time and run-time enhancements to improve user efficiency and productivity. The HMI software now better supports restoring and upgrading legacy projects and improves usability when editing displays.

Prior to this release, operator actions could be logged to an audit trail, but there was no guarantee that the system would capture them. Now with onboard audit trails, this information is captured locally on the terminal, and audit data is securely stored there until it can be backed up. www.rockwellautomation.com

An improved design makes the already outstanding Perfomax drill even better. Innovative features – such as a new flute design, wave pattern and laser hardening – add strength, stability and accuracy to ensure consistent performance and dependability for all applications.

WWW.SECOTOOLS.COM

THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER SECO TOOLS AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED TEL 1300 55 7326 FAX 1300 65 7326 EMAIL: SECOTOOL@SECOTOOLS.COM

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product news

Small, portable, powerful: A compact powerhouse from Kaeser Outstanding power and efficiency paired with quiet operation and exceptional manoeuvrability makes the Mobilair 17 from Kaeser a compact portable solution for smaller compressed air requirements.

With a flow rate of 1.6 cubic metres/min at 7 bar, the M17 from Kaeser is capable of powering breakers, drills, saws, grinders, impact wrenches and even impact borers. In addition, the 7-bar version is perfect for powering pneumatically driven pipe inspection robots. For added flexibility, this highly versatile portable compressor is also available in a 15-bar version.

At the heart of every model lies a powerful, proprietary Kaeser screw compressor block equipped with the energy-efficient Sigma Profile rotors.

Developed by Kaeser and continuously enhanced ever since, the Kaeser Sigma Profile achieves power savings of up to 15% compared with conventional screw compressor block rotor profiles.

An air-cooled four-stroke Honda petrol engine provides the necessary power via a maintenance-free V-belt drive system. This ensures dependable power transmission between the engine, motor and screw compressor block.

The M17 comes equipped with a generous 20-litre capacity fuel tank that enables uninterrupted operation during long work shifts, eliminating the need for frequent refuelling. A continuous air delivery control system precisely matches compressor performance to suit actual compressed air demand, which further reduces fuel consumption of these already highly efficient compressor units.

The M17 is also highly durable with a corrosionproof rotation-sintered PE enclosure, which contributes to its remarkably quiet operation with a guaranteed sound power level of less than 97dB (A).

The M17 portable compressor from Kaeser is so compact and lightweight that it can be easily transported in any delivery vehicle or on the loading floor of a truck or pick-up, leaving the vehicle’s tow coupling free for use.

For applications that may require cool and condensate-free compressed air, the M17 can be equipped with an external compressed air aftercooler. The aftercooler is installed in a frame equipped with fixed connections for compressed air, condensate return and electrical power (12V supply from the compressor) to drive the aftercooler fan. Accumulating condensate is vaporised with help from the hot engine exhaust.

The M17 is also especially user-friendly when it comes to maintenance and handling: manoeuvrability is made simple thanks to the long handle, rugged wheels with pneumatic tyres, four convenient liftinglugs and a counter-sunk crane eye. Maintenance tasks are easy to carry out as the wide-opening sound enclosure enables excellent component accessibility. www.kaeser.com.au

Tool Management 4.0 – Transparency in all areas Mapal is now offering its Tool Management services based on the c-Com open cloud platform. Tool Management 4.0 allows maximum overview of all data and inventory movement, as well as costs.

According to Mapal, efficient Tool Management means inaccuracies in inventories and tracking usage data are a thing of the past – as is downtime due to missing tools, time-consuming data trawls, restarts, and tool selection. Tool Management 4.0 takes care of all of that.

It is crucial that a well-functioning system is modularly constructed, so that it can be built to meet customers’ individual requirements. For this reason, the basic Tool Management platform offered by Mapal is a modular system with 12 individual services that can be specifically configured for a customer’s particular production site. Digitalisation opens a world of new opportunities to Tool Management. Data and information is available to all participants – production, purchasing, planning, tool managers and suppliers – in a transparent and consistent fashion.

As a result, the entire process is more efficiently structured.

Mapal uses the c-Com open cloud platform and offers digital tool management on this. This gives companies a functional, groupwide technology database. Redundant structures are eliminated.

AMT Apr/May 2018

This means that transparency and complete cost control are available to customers at all times, as are suppliers’ prices, conditions, and production dates, all of which are available in real time via c-Com. Previously, individual lists with limited access were used, but now data is consistent and transparent thanks to the platform. Data must no longer be maintained in different systems. Media breaks are prevented.

With Tool Management 4.0, customers have access to automatic analysis of data concerning production dates, current stock levels, reconditioning status of a tool, and tool costs per component.

Furthermore, technology transfer is made easier. Process parameters such as tool life and cutting values are managed at a central location and can be accessed by the customer’s manufacturing and planning departments, for example. This exchange can occur within a specific plant or across several sites. Customers at any time can easily access the entire Tool Management system as well the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). www.mapal.com

Product news

Magnetic chucks allow more machining in one set-up When it comes to workholding, any product that can offer productivity gains is certainly welcome news and is one of the primary reasons why magnetic chucks are increasing in popularity. Eron magnetic chucks offer a number of benefits to operators of CNC milling machines.

Dimac Tooling is the sole distributor for the Eron range of magnetic chucks from Nabeya Eron. Very few companies in the world today can boast such a rich engineering history as Nabeya Eron.

The company was formed in 1560 and was famous for such products as temple bells, Samurai swords and cooking utensils. Today its is still a major foundry in Japan while also specialising in machine tool workholding equipment.

“Unlike conventional chucks, Eron magnetic chucks allow heavy duty machining of the entire surface area and sides of the workpiece in one setup; especially beneficial for 5-sided machining,” says Dimac Managing Director, Paul Fowler. “Plus the set-up of the chucks is extremely fast; place the part and flick a switch, that’s all. They are ideal for distributing clamping force over the entire workpiece unlike a vise so less part distortion is a feature.”

The workpiece is fixed by a powerful 6150N magnetic force using Neodymium magnets. Magnetism flows from the North magnetic pole within the workpiece, so chips are not attracted to the surface of the workpiece.

Magnetic chucks also prevent the infiltration of metal working coolant. Resin and brass are not used on the top surface that the

workpiece is placed on. The surface is completely metal, preventing infiltration of metal working coolant and increasing durability. Both vertical and horizontal chucks are available and an electronic controller is included with all chucks.

“Another benefit is that permanent electromagnetic chucks have the ability to maintain clamping force even after the power cable has been disconnected,” adds Fowler.

“Furthermore, since the workpiece is clamped from underneath, there’s no need to worry about interference with cutting tools.”

Optional peripheral devices are available, including a Magnetic Height Block, which protects the top surface of the magnetic chuck while improving the precision of the top surface of the magnetic chuck. The Mag-work Support allows support of uneven workpieces, eliminating chatter.

“Eron Magnetic chucks are built to an uncompromising standard with cutting edge design and superior materials that make them a very logical choice for increasing productivity and quality,” says Fowler. “Like all the products we sell, Eron Magnetic chucks have the full back up and support of Dimac technical personnel to ensure the products are installed correctly and operate at optimum performance.” www.dimac.com.au

Big on… CHOICE, QUALITY & VALUE Dealing with 600MachineTools means you aren't limited to a single brand, style or build of the machine tool you are looking for. We are focussed on meeting your needs, so have assembled the best selection of quality brands that meet the requirements of today's fast paced industrial economy.

From CNC machining centres and lathes, mills, bandsaws, drilling machines, chucks and lasers we also have the experience and credibility to assist you in selection and support over the lifetime of your purchase!

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AMT Apr/May 2018

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Your Trusted Partner for 20 Years!

2018 marks a significant milestone for Industrial Laser as we celebrate 20 years as a trusted partner in the Australasian laser industry. Whether you’re a small job shop, a large sheet metal cutting business or require a specialised solution, Industrial Laser has the best advice, machinery and support available.

Industrial Laser introduces you to the

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P and S SerieS • Fast, accurate, consistent fiber laser cutting • High accuracy high stability cast iron machine beds for 24/7 operation • Fiber laser options from 1kW to 8kW using IPG, Precitec Disk or Max Photonics Options include: • Precitec All in light with second generation disk laser • Precitec Procutter with PIERCE TEC and EDGE TEC • Large table sizes with sheet and tube automation All machines have motorised lens and capacitive height sensing with cutting ‘smarts’ making it one of the easiest machines to own and operate.

T SerieS • Full automation on round, rectangle and oval tube to 270mm diameter

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Demonstration Centre Unit 20, 17-23 Keppel Drive, Hallam, Victoria Service Centre Unit 8, 17-23 Keppel Drive, Hallam, Victoria

Cutting • Welding • Marking • Laser Metal Fusion • Parts

AMTAprMAy2018

E: sales@industriallaser.com.au • www.industriallaser.com.au

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National Manufacturing Week

National Manufacturing Week 2018 – ‘Where Innovation Meets Opportunity’ National Manufacturing Week 2018 (NMW 2018) will be held from 9 to 11 May in Sydney.

The free-to-attend event offers unrivalled access to renowned exhibitors and worldclass speakers over three days. Themed ‘Where Innovation Meets Opportunity’ in recognition of the leads, lessons and partnerships formed at the event each year, NMW 2018 will focus on and explore the impact of digital transformation, innovative design and business management on the manufacturing industry.

The exhibition area will showcase more than 150 exhibits by leading companies from around the world, across 12 Product Zones: advanced materials, additive manufacturing, automation & robotics, electrical, engineering, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), machine tools, packaging and plastics, industrial safety, supply chain and logistics, warehousing and materials handling, and welding technology.

This year’s speaker program also features a leading-edge series of seminars, showcases, workshops and networking sessions. The event will host 40 presenters including Dresden Optics Founder Bruce Jeffreys, Plastfix’s CEO Mario Dimovsk, Apollo Kitchens’ Managing Director Peter Bader, AusIndustry’s Director of Accelerating Commercialisation Larry Lopez, and SSS Manufacturing’s CEO Chris Brugeaud.

“National Manufacturing Week is Australia’s only fully integrated annual manufacturing exhibition, and provides an unrivalled opportunity for delegates to network, collaborate and learn from one another,” said 2018 Exhibition Director Robby Clark.

“Last year was one of our record events in Melbourne, with more than 10,000 attendees coming through the doors. We

are ready for another great NMW in Sydney this year, with a number of high-quality speakers and exhibitors already confirmed.”

NMW 2018 will again be co-located with the Safety First Conference & Expo and the Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo.

The Safety First Conference & Expo is a dedicated event showcasing the latest technologies, products and services to improve safety standards and compliance and reduce safety expenditure.

Inside 3D Printing has quickly grown to become the largest professional 3D printing event series worldwide. This year’s event will feature two days of conference sessions led by top industry experts, plus three days of exhibitions presenting the latest 3D printers, solutions and services. Inside 3D Printing will provide comprehensive coverage and analysis on where the 3D printing industry is today and what business opportunities are on the horizon.

NMW 2018 is expected to attract thousands of visitors, exhibitors and speakers from more than 20 countries around the world.

It will also feature a Business Matching Program, which provides attendees a personalised itinerary of meetings and content sessions that match their specific needs and maximises their time onsite.

Major industry partners and sponsors for NMW 2018 include the Australian Manufacturing Growth Centre, SafeWork NSW, and Welding Technology Institute of Australia.

National Manufacturing Week 2018 will run from 9 to 11 May at the Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park. To register, visit the NMW 2018 website: www.nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au

Visit AMTIL at NMW AMTIL will be one of the exhibitors at NMW 2018, so pop along to Stand 3426 at any time for a chat. And if you’re an AMTIL member, there’ll be ‘Happy Hour’ drinks to help you wind down at the end of the day.

The Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL) is the peak national body for the precision engineering and advanced manufacturing sector in Australia.

Having a stand enables it to show its support for AMTIL members visiting or exhibiting at NMW, while also providing the opportunity to engage with Australian manufacturing businesses more generally and discuss the ways it can help them.

For AMTIL members, ‘Happy Hour’ drinks will be held on the Wednesday and Thursday of the show (9 and 10 May) , from 4.00pm at the AMTIL stand. Any members at the show are invited to drop by the AMTIL stand for refreshments and a chat.

AMTIL has a long-standing relationship with NMW, having co-located its own Austech exhibition with NMW for many years, and continuing to do so every second year in Melbourne. AMTIL’s participation in this year’s event is a demonstration of its continued support for NMW and its organiser Reed Exhibitions Australia (RXA).

“It’s great that AMTIL is going to be taking part in NMW this year,” says AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti. “We’re really looking forward to being there, both in support of our existing members who are exhibiting, and as a way of reaching out to potential new ones. Any members visiting the show should drop by our stand.”

Stand 3426 www.amtil.com.au

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National Manufacturing Week

A number of AMTIL members and partner organisations will be exhibiting at NMW 2018. Here are some of the organisations that will be out in force at the show.

Alfex CNC Australia Alfex CNC is one of Australia’s largest suppliers of laser-based solutions. Its products include both metal and non-metal cutting systems, large format flat-bed engraving, marking and cutting machines, high-speed galvo marking solutions and even fully customised machine solutions.

Alfex will be unveiling the all-new Kern OptiFLEX Laser, as well as demonstrating the latest in combined CO2 and fibre laser technology via the Epilog Dual Source laser series, high-speed laser marking systems from Lotus Laser, and compact CNC routing systems from Vision Engravers.

On the stand Alfex will be demonstrating a variety of machines including: the KERN OptiFLEX100 400W laser system; the Epilog dual source laser system; Lotus Meta C1 / uMETA high-speed laser marking solutions; and Vision engraving systems. A wide range of materials and consumables will also be available.

Stand: 3116 www.alfexcnc.com.au

BAC Systems Pty Ltd BAC Systems will be showcasing its latest product release – the BAC Wall Storage System, featuring the BAC Wall Rack. This next-generation tool rack can be mounted upon a wall, in a BAC Cabinet, on the top

of a workbench, or as part of an A-Frame Flightline Toolboard. With brand new tool bars and hooks, visitors to the BAC stand will get a chance to see how the BAC Wall Rack and BAC’s range of drawers and benches can enhance workplace productivity.

Stand: 2926 www.bacsystems.com.au

ECi Solutions M1 is ERP software that helps manufacturers grow by integrating every facet of their business within a single, robust system. From accounting to inventory, purchasing, sales and production, to shipping and receiving, M1 streamlines critical daily processes. The advantage that M1 provides is real-time visibility into all aspects of your business, enabling you to respond proactively as needs arise. M1 fits the way you do business, helping you grow your operation, improve efficiency, and increase profitability.

Stand: 2512 www.ecim1.com

Emona Instruments Pty Ltd Emona’s additive manufacturing solutions cover 3D printing in plastics, composites, carbonfibre, metals, electronics and

biologics.

Markforged prints parts reinforced with composite fibres such as carbonfibre, Kevlar and fibreglass to achieve truly high strength parts. The Markforged Metal X prints metal parts using a bound metal filament, which are then sintered in a furnace fusing the metal powder into solid metal. Optomec LENS systems use high-powered lasers together with powdered metals to build fully dense structures and hybrid systems with integrated CNC machine tools. With the Optomec Aerosol Jet series, liquid inks are aerosolised and the droplets are aerodynamically focused to a micron-scale point on the target substrate in up to five axes. Airwolf 3D printers for FFF plastics boasts professional features including an enclosed chamber, auto-leveling and high-temperature dual printing in over 40 materials. Sintratec’s printers for SLS nylon allow complex objects to be printed without the need for additional support structures, including free-form moveable parts. And from Nano Dimension, the world’s first multilayer PCB printer for rapid prototyping deposits one conductive and one dielectric material to build complete multilayer PCBs.

Stand: 1800 www.emona.com.au Continued next page

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National Manufacturing Week Continued from previous page

Epicor Software Epicor Software provides industry-specific business software designed around the needs of manufacturing, distribution, retail, and services organisations. Epicor Manufacturing is designed to support various manufacturing processes including discrete, make-to-order, engineer-toorder, configure-to-order, mixed-mode and make-to-stock environments. Continuing over 40 years of tradition in providing industry-leading solutions for rapidly expanding emerging manufacturers, midsized companies and large multinational subsidiaries, Epicor is scalable and modular.

Its rich feature sets support your company’s growth, with rapid implementation and easy expansion regardless of size and complexity of manufacturing process while offering complete flexibility when it comes to deployment – in the cloud or on premises. Epicor’s comprehensive 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, inspiring a competitive edge.

Stand: 2504 www.epicor.com

EVOK3D/HP Inc evok3d supplies, services and supports professional and production 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions.

Designers, engineers, manufacturers, educators who are planning their next 3D printer investment need to make the very best choice for their organisations, and avoid purchasing outdated technology.

The new HP Jet Fusion 3D printer can prototype and manufacture durable parts with engineering-grade materials – in a fraction of the time.

Stand: 1408 www.evok3d.com.au

Gravotech Australia Pty Ltd Gravograph is a trademark of the Gravotech Group. The Gravotech Group represents a worldwide network present in 30 countries with more than 900 employees working around the clock to provide customers with exceptional engraving and permanent marking solutions. With more than 150,000 machines installed worldwide, Gravograph

by Gravotech is a global leader of engraving and marking technologies for rotary CNC

AMT Apr/May 2018

milling/engraving machines and CO2, hybrid and fibre laser equipment, materials and supplies. According to Gravotech, quality is much more than a norm or a concept; it is a state of mind driven by continuous improvement. For over 75 years, the company has been committed to upholding these values and doing its utmost to meet the most demanding requirements.

Stand: 1932 www.gravograph.com.au

HG Farley Laserlab HG Farley LaserLab is a world leader in the fields of high-definition CNC plasma cutting, oxy cutting, laser cutting, waterjet cutting, and CNC drilling machines. Farley LaserLab has been manufacturing and supplying CNC laser and plasma cutting machines to the world industry for over 30 years. Today Farley has thousands of CNC profile machines installed in more than 23 countries worldwide and now has teams in Australia, the US, the UK, China, Indonesia, and India, with more opening in South America.

Stand: 1332 www.farleylaserlab.com.au

Industrial Laser Services Pty Ltd Industrial Laser is a privately owned company established in 1998 in Melbourne, Australia to support Australian and New Zealand laser users, with expert, factorytrained engineers. As market demands changed, so too did Industrial Laser, firstly developing and manufacturing specialised laser equipment where off-the-shelf models were not appropriate, then by adopting new laser technologies and processes as they emerged. Today, Industrial Laser

sells and services CO2 lasers, fibre lasers and Nd:Yag lasers for cutting, welding, cladding, engraving, marking and additive manufacturing – covering both the laser and the machine it is on. The newer fibre laser technologies have opened up opportunities in nano manufacturing and scientific research. Industrial Laser’s sole agencies include some of the top suppliers in the world, including the fastest growing area today – fibre lasers. Industrial Laser places a heavy emphasis on its service ability, reputation and knowledge as a platform on which to retain and build on its customer base.

Stand: 2232 www.industriallaser.com.au

Jubilee Spring Company Pty Ltd Established in 1938, Jubilee Spring Company Pty Ltd has been manufacturing springs in Australia for 80 years. It designs and manufactures compression, tension and torsion springs, wire shapes and flat pressings in both ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Customers range from small businesses to large enterprises, both nationally and internationally. As a 100% Australian-owned and -operated business, Jubilee has built a solid reputation based on hard work, reliability and integrity. As a leading spring manufacturer and supplier in Australia, Jubilee’s organisational goal is for the continual improvement in both workmanship and service delivery, so that it is able to fully meet customers’ needs and expectations, now and well into the future.

To achieve these goals the company has established a quality control system that is based on the requirements of AS/NZS ISO 9001.

Stand: 3112 www.jubileesprings.com.au

National Manufacturing Week

3D Printing High Strength Composite Carbon Fibre

LEAP Australia LEAP Australia has a long established reputation for successfully delivering engineering, simulation and enterprise software and services to thousands of Australian and New Zealand customers – from global leaders to small local companies. LEAP stands for Leading Engineering Application Providers, and the company prides itself on having the experience and desire to solve engineering problems that no-one else can. The LEAP team provides support, training, advice and customisation with expertise in CAD, CAM, simulation, product development, Internet of Things design & management, and product visualisation, including augmented reality.

Stand: 3526 www.leapaust.com.au

Multicam Systems Pty Ltd Multicam Systems’ range of fully Australian-made CNC routing machines are designed for profile cutting sheet product and extrusions including metals, aluminium composite materials (ACM), plastics, insulation materials, foam, rubber, and timber products and laminates. They are used in the manufacture of aluminium boats, aerospace components, aluminium and plastic engineered products, truck body parts, caravans and motor homes, kitchens, furniture or any other flat sheet product. Productivity features ensure that Multicam machines are an excellent alternative to plasma and laser machines, which have higher running costs and greater servicing demands. Machine process areas range from 2,500mm x 1,300mm, 4,000mm x 1,500mm, 3,600mm x 1,800mm and more. Multicam can also manufacture machines to customers’ specific requirements. Multicam machines can be supplied with vacuum hold-down beds, fully automatic rotary tool change

systems, automatic material loading and unloading, chip extraction and a host of accessories for cutting anything from metal products to cardboard. With offices in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, Multicam machines are backed by a dedicated team of factory-trained technicians ensuring that you get quick, reliable service when you need it.

Stand: 2226 www.multicam.com.au

“Markforged Print Amazing High Strength Parts” =Continuous Carbon Fibre

Reinforcement With The Strength of Metal

=Micro-Carbon Fibre With Twice the Strength of Plastics

OneCNC OneCNC has more than 30 years of research & development focused exclusively on the needs of CNC manufacturers. As a CAD/CAM innovator, OneCNC has direct contact with global users, which has enabled its products to become consistent leaders with a proven track record in manufacturing. With unparalleled ease of use and sophisticated toolpath generation, OneCNC’s CAD-CAM system is fully equipped for milling, turning, mill-turn, wire EDM, laser, plasma, router or flame cutting machines.

Tools, Jigs & Fixtures

End Use Products

Stand: 2244 www.onecnc.net

Prototypes

ProfiStop ProfiStop is a revolutionary automated length stop and feeding systems suitable for transforming your saws into simpleto-use, automated, high-productivity workstations. In addition to mechanical automation, ProfiStop streamlines your production management in the most intuitive ways possible, from the initial order to finished parts. ProfiStop’s engineers will be on hand to dicuss how ProfiStop can save you time, money and stress, showcase some of the productivity features their technology offers, and highlight the differences ProfiStop automation can make Continued next page

Call us now on

1800 632 953 and discuss how you can print high strength parts instead of milling

EMONA

www.emona.com.au AMT Apr/May 2018

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National Manufacturing Week Continued from previous page

to your bottom line. On display at NMW 2018 will be the ProfiStop lazer measuring stops for saws, ProfiStop automatic saw displays, and OptiCut-1D cloud-based management software, working as one with ProfiStop machines.

Stand: 2032 www.profistop.com

RAM3D RAM3D is a market leader in additive manufacturing focusing on selective laser melting (SLM) in titanium, stainless steel and inconel metal alloy powders, with one of the few commercial SLM facilities in the Southern Hemisphere. RAM3D prints in a range of metals, including titanium 64, stainless steel and Inconel 718. RAM3D works with its clients to improve the design of production parts and prototypes. It also uses additive manufacturing to make these parts in a more efficient and costeffective manner. RAM3D is collaborating with companies as far afield as the UK and the products manufactured at its Tauranga centre are used around the world. The diversity of the parts RAM3D manufactures ranges from Inconel suppressors for Oceania Defence for the defence sector, to customised handlebar extensions for the New Zealand Olympics cycling team, as well as titanium lugs for high-end Australian custom bike-maker Bastion Cycles. Its services include metal 3D printing, design/ consultation and polishing options.

Stand: 2012 www.rapidman.co.nz

recruitaustralia.com recruitaustralia.com is an Australianowned, Melbourne-based agency with a strong understanding of the Australian market and the challenges it faces. It offers a complete, tailor-made HR solution – including profiling, career guidance, recruitment and training.

Stand: 1416 www.recruitaustralia.com

Renishaw Oceania Pty Ltd Renishaw is one of the world’s leading engineering and scientific technology companies, with expertise in precision measurement and healthcare.

The company supplies products and services used in applications as diverse as jet engine and wind turbine manufacture, through to dentistry and brain surgery. It is also a world leader in the field of additive

AMT Apr/May 2018

manufacturing, where it is the only UK business that designs and makes industrial machines that print parts from metal powder. The Renishaw Group currently has more than 70 offices in 35 countries, with over 4,000 employees worldwide.

Around 2,800 people are employed within the UK, where the company carries out the majority of its research & development and its manufacturing.

Servo Waterjet Pump to the five-axis cutting head. TECHNI has been operating for more than 29 years and has an installation base of almost 1,000 waterjet machines or water cut systems spread across six continents and some 26 countries. The company has dedicated sales and service offices in the USA, Australia, Asia and Europe, with spare parts, sales and service support throughout the world.

Stand: 1402 www.renishaw.com

Stand: 1626 www.techniwaterjet.com

Sutton Tools

Trotec Laser Australia /New Zealand

Founded in 1917, Sutton Tools began as a family enterprise manufacturing threads and gauges, and over time has expanded its expertise into a broader portfolio of cutting tools. Today, Sutton Tools remains an Australian family business that is renowned for its high-quality power tool accessories and cutting tools for the hardware market and a wide range of specialised industrial applications. Sutton Tools manufactures cutting tools at two sites across Victoria, both for the domestic market and for export. The bulk of general production occurs at its head office site at Thomastown, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, with more specialised operations centred at its Maryborough facility. Sutton Tools also has overseas production plants in Auckland, New Zealand, and in the Netherlands.

Stand: 1726 www.suttontools.com

TECHNI Waterjet Pty Ltd TECHNI Waterjet is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of profile waterjet cutting systems. TECHNI is the only company in the world which can offer complete water jet cutter solutions utilising its own patented in-house technologies for everything from the revolutionary Electric

Trotec is the world’s leading manufacturer of laser machines for marking, cutting and engraving solutions. Designed and built in Austria, Trotec offers a diverse range of laser solutions specifically designed to maximise workflow, quality and profitability for industrial applications and manufacturing. The Speedy Series is the most advanced flatbed laser engravers on the market, with a maximum acceleration of 5G and a maximum processing speed of 3.55 metres/second. Available in CO2, fibre or with both laser sources integrated into the one machine, these machines are suitable for a huge range of materials and applications. Trotec’s ProMarker and SpeedMarker series of high-speed galvo lasers are ideal for many industrial applications including metal marking and integration into manufacturing processes.

The SP series is Trotec’s award-winning range of large-format CO2 laser cutting machines, with a working area up to 2.2m x 3.2m and easy accessibility for demanding cutting applications in wood, plastics, textiles and more. Trotec also offers Australia’s largest range of engraving and rotary material including Trotec’s own brand of laminates, TroLase and TroPly.

Stand: 2832 www.troteclaser.com.au

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ACCOUNTING

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Renewable Energy & Clean Tech

Green energy

Powering Australia’s Prosperity Exciting Australian advances in renewable energy technologies - hydrogen as a clean energy source, battery energy storage, and fuel and solar cell know-how - are setting the scene for Australia to move forward on the global clean energy stage. By Carole Goldsmith.

AMT Apr/May 2018

Heading

The field of renewable energy and clean technology is highly diverse, encompassing everything from wind and solar power, through to technologies for improving energy efficiency and electricity storage.

One area that is relatively undeveloped and has generated comparably limited media coverage is hydrogan fuel technology, but it is an area with enormous potential.

Hydrogen Mobility Australia (HMA), publicly launched on 2 February, is the voice of Australian’s emerging hydrogen industry.

With a membership comprising vehicle manufacturers, energy companies and infrastructure providers, it is a national body with a vision of a hydrogen society for Australia built on clean and renewable energy technology, including hydrogenpowered transport. HMA is also working in collaboration with the Australian Government on developing regulations, codes and standards for hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen production.

The organisation’s CEO, Claire Johnson has extensive experience in policy development across the public and private sector. Based in Melbourne, she recently led Toyota

Australia’s advocacy for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles to Australia, and is very excited about hydrogen as a clean energy source.

“Our aim is to accelerate the commercialisation of new hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for transportation, storage and export,” says Johnson. “Our members comprise every part of the hydrogen value chain. We see our key role as advocacy and education.”

The HMA board was established in May last year. Eighteen months prior to that, Hyundai Australia and Toyota Australia conducted several informal forums with government and industry. The two auto manufacturers invited interested companies to start talking about hydrogen as a clean energy source and about its commercialisation.

The 10 businesses that expressed interest in developing a strategy on how to maximise hydrogen opportunities in Australia, joined as HMA’s inaugural members. Along with Hyundai and Toyota, these include BOC, BP Australia, Caltex Australia, CNH Industrial, Coregas, ITM Power, Siemens and Viva Energy Australia.

According to Johnson, both Toyota and Hyundai produce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in their home countries - Japan and South Korea respectively, and a small number have been imported into Australia.

“Similar to a battery electric vehicle, fuel cell vehicles also operate on electricity,” explains Johnson. “However, fuel cell vehicles are fuelled with compressed hydrogen gas. The electricity is generated in the fuel cell, when this hydrogen gas combines with oxygen resulting in a chemical reaction, creating electricity which powers the vehicle.”

A fuel cell vehicle has no carbon dioxide or noxious emissions. Water is created as a byproduct during the generation of electricity.

“Hydrogen is mainly being produced using natural gas now, but it can also be made from water using electrolysis,” Johnson says. “This is a process in which an electric current is used to separate the hydrogen molecules from oxygen molecules. It takes approximately 10 litres of water to create one kilogram of hydrogen gas. If renewable energy is used in the electrolysis process, then the hydrogen production and vehicle use is environmentally friendly, with no emissions.”

Continued next page

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Renewable Energy & Clean Tech

Claire Johnson, CEO of Hydrogen Mobility Australia.

Continued from previous page

Opportunities for Australia “Ford, Holden and Toyota have all retained research & development (R&D) functions in this country, so potentially hydrogen fuel cell R&D and production could be conducted in Australia in the future,” says Johnson.

Toyota is moving its Australian R&D department from Port Melbourne to its Altona site, where it is establishing a Centre of Excellence. Several Australian state and local government departments are also investing in hydrogen production and applications.

“South Australia is leading the way with a hydrogen road-map announced in September 2017,” adds Johnson. “Port Lincoln will see a $117.5m 15MW hydrogen electrolysis project, which is set to be one of the largest in the world. It will be powered by green electricity generated by wind and solar. The hydrogen generated will be supplied to the grid and used to power homes and businesses.”

The Federal Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is also providing a $20m Hydrogen for Export R&D fund. Applications for this round are now closed. Johnson says that there are potential opportunities to export clean hydrogen to Asia, especially Japan, South Korea and China. Japan aims to be the first nation worldwide to be significantly powered by hydrogen.

The Toyota Mirai and Hyundai ix35 fuel cell vehicles with Toyota Australia’s portable hydrogen refueler

to be part of this exciting hydrogen sector should contact HMA.

CSIRO focuses on Hybrid Energy Systems CSIRO is also actively working on new ways of generating and storing renewable energy. Dr Christopher Munnings is the project leader of CSIRO’s Centre for Hybrid Energy Systems (CHES), and has an extensive background in energy generation and storage technologies such as fuel cells, electrolysers and batteries. In addition to working at CSIRO, he has conducted R&D within large international organisations such as Rolls-Royce and MEL Chemicals.

Based at CSIRO’s Clayton site in Melbourne’s east, CHES opened almost two years ago and is a state-of-the-art research/ industry hub targeted at assisting local Australian industries develop new products or integrate emerging technologies into their existing business model. In particular it focuses on the development of systems containing battery, fuel cell, electrolysis or fuel processing technologies into solutions for a wide range of commercial power

She suggested that manufacturers wanting

AMT Apr/May 2018

“Australia has an abundance of renewable energy and this can be used to produce hydrogen via electrolysis,” Dr Munnings explains. “That hydrogen can be recombined with oxygen from air to produce electricity.

The challenge in this space, and where CSIRO is focusing its effort, is the efficiency of the cycle and how to export the hydrogen.

“Hydrogen can be exported as a liquid in the same way as LNG, but at a far higher expense, due to the colder temperatures required to transport hydrogen and its lower energy density. One of the alternatives is to turn the hydrogen into a synthetic fuel, such as ammonia, which can be easily transported. Where CSIRO is working in this chain, is the development of new ways of making ammonia and, rather paradoxically, ways of breaking it back down into hydrogen and nitrogen, as these are the most energyintensive steps.”

He adds that the Australia’s hydrogen market is fairly modest and in general not energy-focused. The big opportunity is the East Asian energy markets, namely Japan and South Korea, that are currently reliant on coal, oil and LNG imports. If the challenges around storage and transport of hydrogen can be solved, then Australian renewable hydrogen could be used by these export markets to power their economies.

So how can Australian manufacturers make the most of the opportunities that hydrogen fuel cell technology represents and get involved in its production and export?

“The sector is in the early stages and currently most products and equipment are manufactured overseas,” says Johnson.

“However, as the hydrogen industry grows, we expect there will be opportunities for Australian manufacturers to get involved in the manufacture of equipment across the hydrogen supply chain.”

applications. It also acts as a showcase for CSIRO-developed technologies and concepts. The breadth of technologies looked at within CHES includes domestic battery storage systems all the way through to large-scale renewable energy export concepts.

Exporting renewable energy is only one of the opportunities that CHES is exploring, with the facility also containing a range of hybrid energy systems, being powered by the building’s solar renewable energy.

Dr Christopher Munnings, project leader at CSIRO’s Centre for Hybrid Energy Systems (CHES).

“We provide advice and work with industry on safe adoption of new hybrid energy technologies,” Dr Munnings says. “At CHES we can test batteries, electrolysers for hydrogen generation and fuel cells under a

Renewable Energy & Clean Tech The Greatcell Solar glass team with an array of six perovskite solar panels.

Hydrogen stores at CHES.

wide range of conditions. This can help our industry partners to develop hybrid energy systems using renewable energy or just to understand what the next big opportunity is on the horizon.”

Revolutionising renewable energy storage Dr Munnings adds that that there are many opportunities for Australian manufacturers to produce components and devices relating to emerging storage technologies such as batteries. These are high-value, high-tech products that can be built in advanced manufacturing plants. This has been recognised by international players such as German battery manufacturer Sonnen, which plans to set up a battery manufacturing site in Adelaide later this year.

Sonnen’s battery production plant in Adelaide will create 430 manufacturing and installation jobs. According to the Adelaide Advertiser, the company plans to produce 50,000 energy storage systems over the next five years with prices ranging from $7,000 to $30,000. Sonnen’s Australian Managing Director Chris Parratt says that site is still to be selected, but it will only take six to nine months, until it is up and running.

Western Australian company Carnegie Clean Energy announced on 21 February that it had been awarded a $3m government grant to design, construct, operate and maintain a 2MW/500kWh Battery Energy Storage system (BESS) at the General Motors Holden Site in Elizabeth, South Australia. The grant has been awarded from the Renewable Technology Fund, part of the South Australian Government’s Energy Plan.

Carnegie is a solar energy, battery storage and wave energy project developer. It is the sole owner and developer of the CETO Wave Energy Technology intellectual property and also fully owns the leading Australian battery/ solar microgrid engineering procurement

and construction company Energy Made Clean (EMC).

Greatcell Solar takes lead in high-tech solar Queanbeyan-based manufacturer Great Cell Solar Limited (GSL) is a global leader in high-tech solar, specialising in solar cell materials and photovoltaic (PV) panels. The company is currently finalising the design of its glass-based third-generation perovskite solar cell (PSC) prototype development centre at CSIRO’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre in Clayton.

GSL’s Chief Technology Officer Dr Damion Milliken explains: “Our state-of the artfacility in Melbourne will be fitted out with clean rooms and equipment for large PSC panel prototypes to be produced. This will be completed by the end of this year and several of our engineers will be working at the facility.”

Dr Milliken adds that GSL engaged Netherlands-based company VDL Enabling Technologies Group to assist in designing the new facility and process line: “Among their many projects, VDL has designed automated lines for BMW and for the aerospace industry.”

ARENA provided $6m to GSL in late 2017 to accelerate the new printable PSC development. This funding was part of the company’s $17.3m Major Area Demonstration project to develop a new world-class prototype facility to scale up fabrication and commercialisation of highquality, large-area perovskite devices.

Dr Milliken says: “PSC uses an exceptionally strong light harvesting perovskite crystal structure which can absorb sunlight, with 100 times thinner active layers than silicon solar cells. The fastest advancing PV technology of all times, PSC technology has in just five years improved in efficiency to levels that took half a century for silicon solar cells to reach.

“PSC can be integrated into glass, cement, steel, polymers and other substrates to generate energy and improve energy efficiency. This is the ‘holy grail’ of PV – building integrated photovoltaics.”

Dr Milliken adds that GSL will be working in partnership with CSR Building Products at the new Clayton facility: “CSR has a large glass production line at its nearby Dandenong factory. Together with CSR, we will be researching and developing PSC for integration in CSR glass building materials.

Previously known as Dyesol Limited, the business was rebranded to GSL last year.

It was founded in 2005 to develop, scaleup and commercialise the rapidly emerging third-generation PV technology known as Dye Solar Cells (DSC). Dr Milliken, who has been with the business since 2007, explains that GSL employs 50 people, with around 35 in Australia, and the rest located in the UK, Europe and South Korea. At its Queanbeyan factory, GSL uses advanced manufacturing processes such as 3D printing and CAD systems to produce materials and precursors that are used for its DSC and PSC. “We use around 10% of that ourselves and export the rest to our customers globally.

These sales support our R&D for panel commercialisation activities,” advises Dr Milliken.

GSL’s Managing Director Richard Caldwell told shareholders in August last year: “The future for GSL is very exciting. During 2016, the global PV market grew by approximately $70bn, a growth rate of 50%. Our commercialisation schedule plan is: glassbased products in 2019 and steel-based products in 2020.” www.hydrogenmobilityaustralia.com.au www.csiro.au www.sonnen.com.au www.carnegiece.com www.greatcellsolar.com

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Production heats up for renewable energy storage company Energy storage company 1414 Degrees has opened a new factory in Adelaide southern suburbs where it has started building its first commercial system.

1414 Degrees has spent almost a decade developing its Thermal Energy Storage System (TESS) technology to store electricity as thermal energy by heating and melting containers full of silicon at a cost estimated to be up to ten times cheaper than lithium batteries. The South Australian company moved into a 3,000sqm factory on the site of the former Chrysler / Mitsubishi engine plant late last year. The Lonsdale plant housed one of the largest iron foundries in the Southern Hemisphere in the 1960s and 1970s and was closed in 2005.

1414 Degrees recently began building its first 10MWh TESS-IND system and expects to have at least two sites for installation in the first half of 2018. Work on the first 13.3MWh test cell for a 200MWh TESS-GRID system is expected to begin soon. The company is planning to initially build two grid-scale 1GWh systems in South Australia, which would be comprised of five 200MWh units and potentially play a significant role in stabilising the state’s renewable energy-dependent electricity network.

An artist’s impression of the 1GWh integrated system planned by 1414 Degrees.

is something that’s proven, scalable and is going to provide a low-cost solution that can be adopted everywhere. If we are going to solve the issues around renewable energy we have to solve the issues around storage.

“South Australia is a particularly good laboratory because it’s one of the first places in the world where a very large proportion of renewable energy is exposing the issues around incorporating these technologies into the electricity grid.”

1414 Degrees has also received $1.6m in funding from the South Australian Government’s $150m Renewable Technology Fund, which has already allocated up to $20m towards Tesla’s ‘world’s biggest’ lithium-ion battery being built in the state’s Mid North. The grant will fund half of a $3.2m 1414 Degrees project at the Glenelg Waste Water Treatment plant in Adelaide. The project involves building a 0.25MW/10MWh thermal energy storage device that holds heat generated from the combustion of biogas produced on site.

According to 1414 Degrees Executive Chairman Dr Kevin Moriarty, SA Water already generates electricity to power its operations from the biogas as it is produced by wastewater treatment processing at the site. Dr Moriarty adds: “The 1414 Degrees technology will instead burn the biogas and store the thermal energy, so the heat and electricity can be harnessed to better coincide with SA Water’s operational needs and times of high electricity market prices.”

A tonne of silicon can store enough energy to power up to 28 houses for a day. Its high latent heat capacity and melting temperature of 1414 degrees Celsius make silicon ideal for storing large amounts of energy. The process also generates clean

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South Australia leads the nation in the uptake of wind energy and rooftop solar, with renewable sources accounting for more than 40% of the electricity generated in the state. However, the intermittent nature of renewable energy has been the cause of intense debate in Australia in the past 18 months.

1414 Degrees Executive Chairman Dr Kevin Moriarty.

useable heat, which can easily be utilised for district heating or industrial purposes.

“We can extract about half of the energy as electricity and the rest is available as heat.

If we can use that heat, which is required by industries and households around the world, we can achieve 90% or more efficiency from the renewable sources,” Dr Moriarty says. “There’s a number of solutions out there, from batteries to pumped hydro, but the one thing missing

In January 1414 Degrees also received approval in-principle to submit an Australian Stock Exchange listing application. Dr Moriarty says 1414 Degrees is hopeful of listing on the ASX in April. He said the IPO would plan to raise at least $30m to support the development of the technology.

“It hasn’t been difficult to raise money but we do need to offer liquidity to shareholders so we are planning to list at the earliest opportunity rather than continuing to raise privately,” Dr Moriarty says.

The 10MWh systems would use about 20 tons of silicon and be targeted at industries that require electricity and heat. It is likely the first units will be sent to New South Wales and used in large greenhouses. The

Renewable Energy & Clean Tech

1414 Degrees has moved into a 3000sqm factory on the site of the former Mitsubishi engine plant in the southern Adelaide suburb of Lonsdale.

first 10MWh “off-the-shelf” unit is expected to be commissioned in the coming weeks.

“Our target is industry seeking to reduce energy costs or emissions,” says Dr Moriarty. “We allow them to do all of that by putting in their own solar or buying energy when it’s cheap and then releasing it when it’s expensive.”

The proposed 1GWh systems include one near the 1414 Degrees factory in Adelaide.

It would be connected to the electricity grid and purchase electricity when prices are low, store it and sell it back at times of peak demand and higher prices. According to Dr Moriarty, the second system would likely be connected to a solar farm and would store the excess energy it couldn’t sell directly to the grid. He says ideally it would be colocated with industries that were looking for a lot of heat such as poultry producers, food manufacturers and greenhouses.

“These industries all currently use gas and this will mean that solar will effectively be displacing gas and therefore reducing emissions,” he says. “Once you generate the electricity the heat that’s coming off is anything from 400 to 600 degrees and that’s ideal for driving steam and other processes.”

1414 Degrees has been approached by distributors in Australia, South Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe to sell the 10MWh systems as part of a renewable energy technology solution. It has entered into agreements with partners in Australia and overseas. Distributors so far are all engineering specialists with an interest in refining the technology for particular market segments such as energy efficiency for poultry farming and displacement of gas as a source of process heating.

“This means the company can use its workforce to manufacture the machines and the distributors will take care of the assessment of sites and sales,” Dr Moriarty says. “Once we get a production line going it will be quite fast – it’s just a question of building a supply chain.

“This technology is going to have major growth and it’s going to be manufacturingintensive because the market is huge. That means there’s going to be thousands of the smaller 10MWh units and hundreds at least of the large units required in Australia and around the world.” www.1414degrees.com.au

A tonne of silicon can store enough energy to power up to 28 houses for a day.

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Innovative approaches to renewable energy procurement Businesses globally are increasingly adopting an innovative new ‘Direct Model’ for the procurement of renewable energy. Marko Filipovic explains what is driving this trend.

As issues abound with respect to escalating electricity prices and the Energy Security Board (ESB), and the Turnbull Government scrambles to unveil the National Energy Guarantee, more and more corporate acquirers of large-scale electricity are turning their minds to how best to procure cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly energy.

Globally, a trend is beginning to emerge whereby large corporate manufacturing and retail businesses such as Ikea, Volkswagen, General Motors and Dow Chemical have undertaken to purchase their electricity directly from offsite renewable energy generators such as solar and wind farms. This ‘Direct Model’ of procurement is a departure from commonly recognised approaches, which involve a recognised retailer acting as middleman for the procurement.

This international trend reveals the potential for a new Australian market to emerge with respect to offsite renewable energy procurement by corporate entities.

Models for offsite renewable energy procurement The proliferation of new market structures supporting renewable energy procurement presents challenges of complexity to energy users looking for a better deal. The most commonly used model for largescale procurement or renewable electricity generally involves a retailer acting as intermediary between the purchaser and the offsite generator, whereby the end user enters into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the retailer.

The difference between the ‘Intermediate Model’ and the ‘Direct Model’ can be defined as follows: • Intermediate – An independent generator sells renewable energy through retailers to specific end users.

This involves a PPA between the generator and the retailer.

• Direct – This involves an end user establishing a PPA with the generator at an offsite location, in parallel to the overarching retail contract.

The Intermediate Model The Intermediate Model is often considered to be straightforward from the end user’s perspective, given that the complexity of procuring generation resources remains

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to change retail suppliers during the PPA contract term is far greater, provided there is an availability of other retailers providing acceptable terms should generation value pass-through be desired. A mature market for these services will therefore be required to enable this flexibility to a useful degree.

with the retailer. However, there remain a number of limitations with this approach, namely: • End users need to be able to trust the retailer to faithfully execute the renewable energy procurement terms of the PPA. • Smaller retailers often require additional credit support through end user guarantees. As a result, the Intermediate Model may only be available through large electricity retailers who are less likely to offer economically attractive solutions within a constrained market.

• End users need to be locked in with a single retailer in order for the retailer to adequately balance supply and risk management costs.

• Long‐term retail agreements may provide electricity retailers with unreasonable pricing power over elements of an end user’s electricity costs.

The Direct Model Under the Direct Model, the primary feature is that the PPA is between the generator and the end user. A direct arrangement may either be decoupled from the electricity retailer that is managing physical supply and settlement, or it may see a role for the retailer with respect to pass-through of generation value, balancing supply, and the management of risk associated with renewable energy intermittency.

For end users, this approach offers considerable value from a marketing and communication perspective. Furthermore, in contrast to the Intermediate Model, the Direct Model does not require a ‘back-toback’ retail agreement matching the terms of the PPA. As such an end user’s ability

Smaller electricity retailers are particularly amendable to this approach. And it is generally more suitable to larger users with a certain level of capability. The Direct Model has also shown that it can provide the customer with access to competitive Large Scale Generation Certificate (LGC) pricing on top of saving on retail prices.

A very recent example of the use of the Direct Model involves the University of NSW (UNSW), with Maoneng Australia as the solar generator, and Origin Energy as the retailer. The 15-year solar supply agreement with Maoneng is the first of its kind in Australia – bringing together a retailer, developer and corporate – and will allow UNSW to achieve a goal of carbon neutrality on energy use by 2020.

The PPA between UNSW and Maoneng will see UNSW purchase up to 124,000 MWh of renewable energy per annum from Maoneng’s Sunraysia Solar Farm near Balranald in south-western NSW. A three-year retail firming contract was also signed with Origin, as the electricity retailer, to manage the intermittency of solar production.

Conclusion Australia is facing electricity cost pressures and the need to meet environmental objectives, and is likely to replicate the US experience, resulting in the dramatic growth of offsite renewable energy procurement by corporations and institutions, who are already very interested in this avenue.

The Direct Model has the potential to drive new investment in renewable energy and accelerate Australia’s transition to a cleaner energy supply. It also delivers a host of benefits to the end users, including stable electricity prices and lower costs, as well as a reputation for leadership, sustainability and innovation.

Marko Filipovic is a Principal at law firm Macpherson, Kelley where he specialises in the energy sector and advises on the relevant modes, structures and agreements underpinning it. www.mk.com.au

Renewable Energy & Clean Tech

ANCA to power its headquarters with renewables from Flow Power ANCA has become one of the first businesses to team up with Australia’s fastest growing business power retailer, Flow Power, to buy power generated by renewable energy sources for its headquarters in Bayswater, Victoria.

Using an innovative and progressive business model, Flow Power tackles the issue of price and environment with a unique offering.

Its renewable power, sourced from Ararat Wind Farm, can be used in real time to offset grid electricity consumption, potentially saving thousands of dollars in energy costs.

ANCA, a market leading manufacturer of CNC grinding machines, will now buy its power from Ararat Wind Farm through a power purchasing agreement (PPA) to access fixed rates for long-term savings. While very common around the world, this deal is one of the first in Australia.

The generation is offset against the business’s use, so that when ANCA uses more than what is generated in an interval, Flow Power sources additional electricity from the wholesale market to power the operation. When ANCA uses less, there is an option to selling the electricity back to Flow Power at an agreed price or back to the wholesale market.

Corporate PPA,” added Matthew van der Linden, Managing Director of Flow Power. “This agreement is one of the first of its kind in Australia and will allow Australia to catch up with other international markets that have proven this model to be a success.

“Flow Power wants to empower businesses to take control of their energy consumption. Our Renewable Corporate PPAs help businesses to lower their carbon footprint and reduce overall emissions, while benefitting from lower power costs.”

Renewable Corporate PPAs allow businesses to contribute to a lower-carbon economy and reduce overall emissions, as well as potentially saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy costs.

“ANCA has succeeded on a global scale by taking an innovative approach to manufacturing,” added Anderson. “We see Flow Power’s unique model of giving companies back the control over their energy costs as an approach that shares our core value of innovation.

“At ANCA we are always looking for opportunities to reduce our impact on the environment and, as a manufacturing plant, the partnership with Flow to access renewable power will bring us tremendous benefits,” said ANCA Group CEO Grant Anderson.

“This is a win-win helping both our business and the environment.”

“Furthermore, being part of a wholesale strategy helps futureproof us in a market where fluctuating power costs are increasingly become a concern for businesses. The wholesale strategy generally outperforms fixed retail contract prices and provides greater transparency on spend and increased flexibility.”

“We’re very pleased to welcome ANCA as a customer and one of the very first companies to benefit from Flow Power’s Renewable

www.flowpower.com.au www.anca.com

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Powering Africa By using intelligent cabling technology, operators were able to get a hydroelectric power plant in western Africa online quicker. By Wolfgang Zosel.

As an enabler of high-performance Industry 4.0 concepts, IO-Link has become indispensable in tool machine engineering and in production facilities. In addition, however, hydro power plants can be wired quickly and efficiently using IO-Link: at the Mount Coffee dam in Liberia an intelligent IO-Link installation connects dozens of sensors and actuators over long distances simply while saving time and cost.

The power plant operator had already come to appreciate the typical IO-Link benefits when it came to diagnostics and maintenance. By December 2016 the time had finally come: after more than 20 years of interruption the first turbine was started up, and now all four turbines are feeding 22MW each into the power grid. The integrated wiring solution developed by project partners Balluff and Andritz Hydro has the potential to be utilised in future power plant projects as well.

The origins of the Mount Coffee dam, which lies 30km north-east of the Liberian capital Monrovia, go far back: the former dam was finished in 1966, but was almost totally destroyed during the Liberian civil war from 1989 to 2003. When in June 2014 the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) contracted an international consortium of companies to rebuild the dam, extensive parts of the plant had literally turned to grass.

Together with other companies, the Austrian firm Andritz Hydro was contracted to rebuild the power plant on the Saint Paul River. As a global supplier of complete electromechanical equipment and services for hydroelectric power plants, Andritz Hydro is one of the largest companies in the market for hydraulic power generation.

Andritz Hydro can look back over more than 170 years of experience and employs around 7,300 people at various locations worldwide.

The responsibilities of Andritz Hydro included the complete hydraulic steel structures, consisting of all the electronics, drive technology and control systems. The company refurbished the 10 radial gates on the dam and the four intake gates for the turbines. The radial gates are used to control the water level on the upstream face of the reservoir and are driven by cable winches. The intake gates bring the water to the turbines and block the inflow (shut-off valve) when a fault occurs such as a break in a pressure line. The drive is hydraulic. This includes electric and hydraulic drive units as well as various supporting systems.

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Since the end of 2016 Mount Coffee Dam in Liberia has again been producing electricity chiefly for the metropolis of Monrovia.

Although it is 160m long with 10 radial gates (each 15m), the Mount Coffee Dam is not the largest of its kind. Nevertheless several dozen analog and digital signals have to be collected across the entire dam over long distances and made available to the control level.

“In terms of the complexity, the numerous tasks to be performed in the peripherals and the required level of networking, the dam is essentially nothing more than a widely distributed industrial system,” emphasizes Bernd Schneider, Industry Manager for Energy at Balluff.

Baluff specialises in industrial and factory automation, with products ranging from the simple sensor to linear measurement systems to intelligent RFID solutions. As far back as 10 years ago, the company recognised that IO-Link is the right standard for overcoming the communication crisis and wiring clutter between the bus and process levels. As a point-topoint connection with a high degree of standardisation, this universal interface is indispensable for Balluff and its customers – not least when simple wiring, overview and the highest requirements for diagnostics and configuration are high up on the list of requirements. And this is almost always the case in today’s highly automated systems.

Although Andritz Hydro and Balluff have a long-standing partnership in the field of turbine construction, IO-Link was not yet in use in the company. Time and increasing cost pressures are also a central topic in power plant construction. It is also presumed that systems integrators will thoroughly test their components themselves during precommissioning, before they are installed in the shortest possible time, far from home, where they have to function smoothly and error-free within the overall system.

“It’s a fact that in many areas of the industry copper cable and junction boxes are still used all the way up to the control level − representing a huge investment in materials and time,” says Berthold Wiesinger, lead electrical engineer at Andritz Hydro.

An IO-Link presentation made by Balluff sealed the deal: together with engineers from the Baluff’s Austrian subsidiary, Andritz Hydro developed a coherent electronics concept with the goal of simple wiring, standardisation and modularity. Two Balluff IO-Link masters are installed in a switch box at each of the 10 radial and four inlet gates to collect up to 20 different signals in the field.

These signals originate from: inductive or mechanical limit switches; sensors for determining the rotation direction of the radial gates; control, regulating and shutoff valves; signal lamps; and illuminated switches. Two IO-Link masters each are installed at the hydraulic stations for linking the involved sensors and actuators there as well.

Without exception all the components in the field are connected using the same three-wire standard cable type and uniform M12 connectors. Where analog signals from a particular sensor cannot be directly processed, a compact Balluff adapter plug converts the analog signal into a noiseimmune digital signal. Stub lines from a Balluff IO-Link master carry the data to the control level via Profibus DB. Because the system is redundant the weir is divided into two sections, a maximum of 75m of cable are required.

“The benefits become soon evident: because we are using standardised cable and connectors instead of individual wiring, cabling took just half the usual time,” Wiesinger explains. “With IO-Link you

Renewable Energy & Clean Tech

The offering of universally applicable IOLink products continues to grow. For the user this brings with it further opportunities for optimisation in wiring, diagnostics and configuring.

can test each module in advance at the factory and just have to plug them in, which noticeably reduces costs.”

Wiring mistakes are virtually precluded, while the IO-Link philosophy also saves space and provides a clear overview.

Internationally active companies in particular appreciate the advantage that IO-Link can essentially be used with any bus system: the complete structure beneath the bus level always remains the same, only the bus nodes need to be adapted for a particular country.

The bi-directional communication standard provides greater perspective in other ways as well: IO-Link diagnostics information enables quick localisation for fault and error correction, which in turn reduces unnecessary downtimes.

“For some reason we had a problem with a sensor hub in the startup phase, but it was easily replaced and reinstalled by a colleague,” says Wiesinger. “The hub gets its data then from the IO-Link master, which contains the relevant parameter values.

After just a short interruption the system was back up and running.”

This is a benefit wherever systems aren’t located close by and specialised personnel are not available for the majority of the

Balluff IO-Link masters collect the signals at the hydraulic station.

tasks that arise. Thanks to IO-Link, remote maintenance all the way down to the process level is possible. In addition to clear diagnostics and targeted actions and action instructions when a fault occurs, preventive maintenance concepts are easy to implement.

Wiesinger even goes a step further, suggesting that intelligent sensors will continue to improve system availability in the future: “Sensors which measure oil temperature and oil moisture, monitor highly stressed motors for temperature and bearing condition, and autonomously notify of service intervals will become indispensable to our sector in the future as well.”

“Balluff for example offers an analogue hub that can be used among other things for connecting thermo-couples and similar devices to a module,” says Mario Ober, who had local responsibility on the part of the Austrian Balluff subsidiary. “Using the new safety concept ‘Safety over IOLink’ IO-Link and Profisafe can now be used to directly connect safety auxiliary equipment. The advantage: in the future this standardised wiring concept will require just one infrastructure for both automation and safety technology. And with the highest level of safety up to PLe/SIL3.”

Since the end of last year the Mount Coffee Dam in Liberia has again been producing electricity chiefly for the metropolis of Monrovia. For Wiesinger there is no question that IO-Link will find increasing use both in new construction and reconstruction projects. Especially as facilities continue to age and modern control and electronics concepts will be demanded. www.balluff.com

t is constructed of three

Reach high. Think differently. Invent Our thriving culture of innovation delivers a competitive advantage and we are extremely proud of our market leading position. Operating in over twelve countries and with customers in over fifty other countries our products touch almost everything you touch in your daily life. From smart phones to the car you drive to space exploration, ANCA is helping solve every day problems to extraordinary challenges. Visit anca.com/careers to learn more or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date with ANCA news. linkedin.com/company/anca instagram.com/ancacncmachines

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All power to the proton: RMIT in battery breakthrough RMIT University researchers have demonstrated for the first time a working rechargeable “proton battery” that could re-wire how we power our homes, vehicles and devices. The rechargeable battery is environmentally friendly and has the potential, with further development, to store more energy than currently-available lithium ion batteries.

Potential applications for the proton battery include household storage of electricity from solar photovoltaic panels, as done currently by the Tesla ‘Power wall’, which uses lithium ion batteries. With some modifications and scaling up, proton battery technology may also be used for medium-scale storage on electricity grids – like the giant lithium battery in South Australia – as well as powering electric vehicles.

The prototype proton battery, shown here connected to a voltmeter, has a range of potential applications.

The working prototype proton battery uses a carbon electrode as a hydrogen store, coupled with a reversible fuel cell to produce electricity. It’s the carbon electrode plus protons from water that give the proton battery its environmental, energy and potential economic edge, says lead researcher Professor John Andrews.

“Our latest advance is a crucial step towards cheap, sustainable proton batteries that can help meet our future energy needs without further damaging our already fragile environment,” says Professor Andrews. “As the world moves towards inherently-variable renewable energy to reduce greenhouse emissions and tackle climate change, requirements for electrical energy storage will be gargantuan.

“The proton battery is one among many potential contributors towards meeting this enormous demand for energy storage. Powering batteries with protons has the potential to be more economical than using lithium ions, which are made from scare resources. Carbon, which is the primary resource used in our proton battery, is abundant and cheap compared to both metal hydrogen-storage alloys, and the lithium needed for rechargeable lithium ion batteries.”

During charging, the carbon in the electrode bonds with protons generated by splitting water with the help of electrons from the power supply. The protons are released again and pass back through the reversible fuel cell to form water with oxygen from air to generate power. Unlike fossil fuels, the carbon does not burn or cause emissions in the process.

The researchers’ experiments showed that their small proton battery, with an active inside surface area of only 5.5sq.cm (smaller than a 20 cent coin), was already able to store as much energy per unit mass as commercially available lithium ion batteries. This was before the battery had been optimised.

“Future work will now focus on further improving performance and energy density through use of atomically-thin layered carbon-based materials such as graphene, with the target of a proton battery that is truly competitive with lithium ion batteries firmly in sight,” adds Professor Andrews.

In electricity supply mode this process is reversed; hydrogen atoms are released from the storage and lose an electron to become protons once again. These protons then pass back through the cell membrane where they combine with oxygen and electrons from the external circuit to re-form water.

A major potential advantage of the proton battery is much higher energy efficiency than conventional hydrogen systems, making it comparable to lithium ion batteries. The losses associated with hydrogen gas evolution and splitting back into protons are eliminated.

Several years ago the RMIT team showed that a proton battery with a metal alloy electrode for storing hydrogen could work, but its reversibility and rechargeability was too low. Also the alloy employed contained rare-earth elements, and was thus heavy and costly.

The latest experimental results showed that a porous activatedcarbon electrode made from phenolic resin was able to store around 1 wt% hydrogen in the electrode. This is an energy per unit mass already comparable with commercially-available lithium ion batteries, even though the proton battery is far from being optimised. The maximum cell voltage was 1.2 volts. www.rmit.edu.au

RMIT’s research on the proton battery has been partly funded by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Group and the US Office of Naval Research Global.

How the proton battery works The working prototype proton battery combines the best aspects of hydrogen fuel cells and battery-based electrical power. The latest version combines a carbon electrode for solid-state storage of hydrogen with a reversible fuel cell to provide an integrated rechargeable unit.

The successful use of an electrode made from activated carbon in a proton battery is a significant step forward and is reported in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. During charging, protons produced by water splitting in a reversible fuel cell are conducted through the cell membrane and directly bond with the storage material with the aid of electrons supplied by the applied voltage, without forming hydrogen gas.

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Professor John Andrews (centre) with the RMIT team that conducted the latest proton battery experiments: Dr Shahin Heidari (left) and Saeed Seif Mohammadi (PhD researcher, right). Not pictured: Dr Amandeep Singh Oberoi (now at Thapar University Patiala, India).

Renewable Energy & Clean Tech

Semitransparent solar cells: A window to the future?

Solar windows can harness the sun’s energy while maintaining enough transparency to function as a window, write Matthew Wright and Mushfika Baishakhi Upama.

Can you see a window as you are reading this article? Windows have been ubiquitous in society for centuries, filling our homes and workplaces with natural light. But what if they could also generate electricity? What if your humble window could help charge your phone, or boil your kettle?

With between 5bn and 7bn sqm of glass surface in the US alone, solar windows would offer a great way to harness the Sun’s energy.

Our research represents a step toward this goal, by showing how to make solar panels that still let through enough light to function as a window.

The economics of renewable energy are becoming increasingly favourable. In Australia and many other parts of the world, silicon solar cells already dominate the rooftop market. Rooftop solar power offers an increasingly cheap and efficient way to generate electricity.

But while great for roofs, these silicon modules are opaque and bulky.

To design a solar cell suitable for windows, we have to think outside the box.

When we put a solar panel on a roof, we want it to absorb as much sunlight as possible, so that it can generate the maximum amount of power. For a window, there is inevitably a trade-off between absorbing light to turn into electricity, and transmitting light so we can still see through the window.

When thinking about a cell that could be fitted to a window, one of the key parameters is known as the average visible transmittance (AVT). This is the percentage of visible light (as opposed to other wavelengths, like infrared or ultraviolet) hitting the window that travels through it and emerges on the other side.

Of course we don’t want the solar window to absorb so much light that we can longer see out of it. Nor do we want it to let so much light through that it hardly generates any solar power. So scientists have been trying to find a happy medium between high electrical efficiency and a high AVT.

A matter of voltage An AVT of 25% is generally considered a benchmark for solar windows. But letting a quarter of the light travel through the solar cell makes it hard to generate a lot of current, which is why the efficiency of semitransparent cells has so far been low. But note that electrical power depends on two factors: current and voltage. In our recent research, we decided to focus on upping the voltage. We carefully selected new organic absorber materials that have been shown to produce high voltage in non-transparent cells.

When placed in a semitransparent solar cell, the voltage was also high, as it was not significantly lowered by the large amount of transmitted light. And so, although the current was lowered, compared to opaque cells, the higher voltage allowed us to achieve a higher efficiency than previous semitransparent cells.

Having got this far, the key question is: what would windows look like if they were made of our new semitransparent cells?

If your friend is wearing a red shirt, when you view them through a window, their shirt should appear red. That seems obvious, as it will definitely be the case for a glass window. But because semitransparent solar cells absorb some of the light we see in the visible spectrum, we need to think more carefully about this colourrendering property. We can measure how well the cell can accurately present an image by calculating what’s called the colour rendering index, or CRI. Our investigation showed that changing the thickness of the absorbing layer can not only affect the electrical power the cell can produce, but also changes its ability to depict colours accurately.

A different prospective approach, which can lead to excellent CRIs, is to replace the organic absorber material with one that absorbs energy from the sun outside the visible range. This means the cell will appear as normal glass to the human eye, as the solar conversion is happening in the infrared range.

However, this places limitations on the efficiency the cells can achieve as it severely limits the amount of power from the sun that can be converted to electricity.

What next?

So far we have created our cells only at a small, prototype scale.

There are still several hurdles in the way before we can make large, efficient solar windows. In particular, the transparent electrodes used to collect charge from these cells can be brittle and contain rare elements, such as indium.

If science can solve these issues, the large-scale deployment of solarpowered windows could help to bolster the amount of electricity being produced by renewable technologies. So while solar windows are not yet in full view, we are getting close enough to glimpse them.

Matthew Wright is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Photovoltaic Engineering at UNSW and Mushfika Baishakhi Upama is a PhD student in Photovoltaics & Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW. This article was originally published on The Conversation. www.theconversation.com www.unsw.edu.au

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Melinda Cilento is the Chief Executive of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), stepping into the role in October 2017. She spoke to William Poole.

AMT: Tell us about CEDA and what its aims and objectives are as an organisation.

Melinda Cilento: CEDA has been around for about 60 years now. We are a member-based organisation; we’re passionately committed to advancing good public policy debates in Australia with a view to driving better policy outcomes that support social and economic development in Australia.

AMT: What areas of policy are you seeking to influence?

MC: I’m relatively new to the role. For me, the priority this year is to actually take a bit of a step back from the agenda that we’ve had in recent years and reaffirm our purpose by exploring the whole concept of economic development. It’s a phrase we use in our title, but when you think about a country that’s now grown consistently for 27 years, and we are an advanced developed economy, I think it’s time to circle back to the concept of economic development and have a conversation about what that actually means, what we think that means for the future, and then to think about what the key policy issues are that underpin that.

So we’ve got a piece of work coming out in the very near term that’s going to look at the issue of inequality which is something people have been talking a lot about. And I think that leads to the broader question about what is the purpose of economic development.

We’re going to do some attitudinal work – looking at exploring community attitudes about economic development and policy priorities. Then we’re going to look at releasing some research that really unpicks the concept of economic development and what that means for Australia now. What does it mean for business, what does it mean for the community, and what sort of agenda is required to support 21st century economic development?

AMT: Can you go into a bit more detail about what sort of programs and activities you run for members?

MC: One of the key things that we do is run events. In fact when you join the organisation one of the things that first strikes you is just how much activity there is around the events and the huge appetite for and interest in CEDA events. We literally run hundreds of events a year around the country. And those events aim to inform people about some of the key issues facing our economy and society, and to give people an opportunity to engage in those issues, and for constructive public conversations to be held around those issues without it becoming too contested, if I can put it that way. This is a really important aspect of our agenda and work.

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Of course we also undertake our own research, and we release a number of publications each year which seek to steer public debate and raise awareness around issues that we think are particularly important at that point in time for the future of Australia.

Those are two of the main things that we do. We’ve also got a leadership program – the Copland Leadership Program – that we run. So there are a lot of different ways we connect with our members and with the wider community.

AMT: How much of your work focuses on the manufacturing industry and companies in that area?

MC: We did some research in 2014 that looked specifically at advanced manufacturing. However, I think a lot of the work that we do, the broader policy agenda that we address, has relevance to all sectors and particularly those sectors that are at the forefront of competing in global marketplaces. So everything, from looking at taxation policy to budget settings, has relevance to the manufacturing sector.

AMT: We often hear that a well-developed manufacturing sector is a vital component in having an advanced economy. What’s your view on that?

MC: I think having a diverse economic base is a really important factor to economic resilience. In some ways we’ve seen that the diversity of our economy, particularly relative to other economies in the world, has helped us see our way through some of the big global challenges that hit other countries hard. If you rely very heavily on one sector, when it turns down you feel the ripple effects throughout the rest of the economy. So a diverse economy that’s able to engage across many markets and sectors is fundamental I think, and it’s fundamental to creating the employment opportunities that we need.

The interesting thing about manufacturing in this country is that I think it’s almost a glass-half-empty conversation. We tend to talk so much about the demise of manufacturing sectors – the car industry and the like – and I think in a way it almost risks casting a negative tone, when what I think we need to do is actually embrace the fact that we do have a vibrant manufacturing sector. We do have an emerging, growing, thriving advanced manufacturing sector. And we need to be focussing more on that, and showcasing that we are able to do these things well and we are able to compete. We need to focus a bit more on what we’re able to do rather than sectors which I think a lot of countries have demonstrably failed to compete effectively in.

South Australia Heading

AMT: What would you say are the strengths which the industry in Australia can bring that we can capitalise on in a global market?

MC: Well if I take a step back and look at what other people sing our praises for, I think we’ve got a fantastic education system; we produce high-quality graduates. When I go overseas and people talk about Australia and they talk about Australians working overseas, the things they talk about are the skills, the adaptability of the workforce and the workers, the innovative approach that Australians tend to bring, and again I think we tend not to sing our praises on that, but they’re all tremendous strengths.

We’ve got sectors that I think we can build upon. To do that we need to focus on our strengths and success. One of the things we tend to do, even in areas we do well, is to simply define our strengths in a really narrow way. For example, in the resources sector we say: “We rip things out of the ground and sell them overseas.” Well, actually if you’re involved in LNG, it’s a bit more complex than that and there’s a tremendous application of technology and innovation in those businesses as they evolve to be cost-competitive and the like. So again I think there’s a simplistic narrative that we use around our economy, which doesn’t do it justice.

AMT: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing manufacturing in Australia?

MC: I think obviously if you look at the nature of the Australian economy and Australia’s place in the world geographically, we’re a big country with long distances between markets. Obviously making sure that we are making the right investments in infrastructure is fundamental. Transport infrastructure is really fundamental, making sure that those businesses can connect across the country but also connect into global marketplaces. I think that’s a real challenge and we need to be really alert to that.

If we’re going to be looking at inserting ourselves into global supply chains, how we do that, how we connect into new opportunities around the world, how we make sure that we’ve got our finger on the pulse of what’s happening and vice-versa, I think they’re really big challenges for Australia. And I think there’s a risk that people assume that information and communication technologies immediately reduce or remove that challenge, and in fact I don’t think that’s the case. We can’t be complacent about our need to be connected to the rest of the world and the different ways we need to do that.

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AMT: What measures do you think Government should be adopting to support industry in overcoming those challenges?

MC: I think we need to continue to be focussed on making sure the education system is producing the skills and quality outcomes that we need and I think infrastructure is absolutely fundamental.

Government also needs to be thinking about how we connect to the world and remain open to the world.

CEDA actually did a piece of research toward the end of last year on Australia’s place in the world. We looked at this whole issue around the question of globalisation and what felt like a little bit of backlash towards that, and concerns particularly with the US and its rhetoric, and its pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

If the US was shifting in its attitude towards globalisation, what did that mean for a country like Australia? And I think firstly the facts are that the rhetoric wasn’t always matched by what’s going on on the ground, and in effect the world probably isn’t turning its back on globalisation. But more importantly that Australia has to continue to embrace that. That’s where our future is.

So whilst challenges are associated with globalisation, we need to remain an open, flexible economy, we need to be open to investment, we need to be open to imports, we need to think about how to attract and retain the skills in this country that we need. That means being open to skilled migration, and for instance, the recent changes in 457 Visa scheme caused tremendous angst around the business community and I think rightly so. I think we’ve got to be really alert to how those types of policies influence our competiveness.

AMT: Certainly skills issues are often an issue we hear about from AMTIL members – about how hard it is to find decent people and to retain them as well.

MC: My view for a while has been that Australia should be as open as it possibly can to the brightest people in the world. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we have an expectation that people come and stay for the rest of their lives. But that connectedness to ideas is critical… yes, you can do it over the internet, but fundamentally getting to know people and being connected to their networks at a personal level is really important.

AMT: Where do you see manufacturing in Australia in 10 or 20 years?

MC: Well I hope it’s thriving. I’ll take you on a slight tangent: I happened to be at a presentation of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s monetary policy statement, and there was a question asked around wages. Basically, everyone’s been talking about the need to see a bit more wages growth, and someone put the view that: “Well, I run a business, higher wages kill my business, and I think it’s outrageous that the Reserve Bank would be advocating for wages to go up.”

That perspective was interesting but in fact we should be advocating to be a highly productive, highly skilled, competitive, high-wage economy. Not high-cost but high-wage, with competitive unit labour costs because we’ve got a highly productive economy. I hope through CEDA we can really get a productivity conversation going again. Because as boring as it sounds, and I know the wider community sees productivity as a bad word because they see it as them working more hours and all the rest of it, fundamentally

productivity is the source of future living standards. It is the driver of competiveness and what will enable us to succeed in advanced manufacturing and more generally productivity is what will deliver a really advanced, high-productivity, high-wage, competitive economy.

AMT: What sort of steps should we be taking to foster productivity?

MC: It’s interesting because immediately prior joining CEDA, I was a part-time Commissioner at the Productivity Commission. The Productivity Commission has just released its productivity review and I think there’s quite a rich agenda there that needs to be talked about a lot more and needs to be explored fully. The challenge for us is that some of the areas where we need to be exploring productivity are in services, and people struggle to get their heads around that.

It sounds simplistic but I think we need to be seriously looking at how we can do more with less, and how we can drive productivity across the board through infrastructure, investment, through skill.

And from the Government’s perspective, I can point to another piece of work I did in the Productivity Commission which was around data access and use. I think there are a tremendous number of areas where the Government can lift its game and where better use of data and greater transparency would actually lead to a tremendous lift in productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.

AMT: Can you tell us more broadly your professional background leading up to your position with CEDA today and how you came into the role?

MC: Sure. I’m an economist by training. As I said, I was at the Productivity Commission immediately prior to joining CEDA. I’ve got other board positions as well, so I sit on a couple of commercial boards. And I co-chair a not-for-profit: Reconciliation Australia.

Before that, I was Deputy CEO and Chief Economist at the Business Council of Australia.

AMT: And what is the most satisfying aspect of your job with CEDA? MC: The most satisfying aspect of the job is having a board that gives you the task of trying to lift the impact and voice in the public policy stage of a great organisation. I’ve tried my hand at a few different things in life. I am a company director, I’ve worked in funds management for a period of time, but I keep finding my way back into public policy. It is clearly, a real interest and passion of mine. And I think at the moment there is a real opportunity for CEDA to lift its voice, to think further about how it can impact the policy debate, and ultimately policy outcomes.

I feel like there is a real appetite for that. It’s what I hear from people when I attend CEDA events. They want genuine conversation around these really critical issues. I think a lot of people accept that many of the issues are complex and there aren’t simple answers, there are rightfully different perspectives on the right policies. But we really need to hear those conversations and debate and have thoughtful policy deliberations and really clear communications of priorities and decisions around that, so people have a sense of what the future is and a sense of consistency around policy, and so they have a belief that in 10 years’ time Australia is going to be enjoying the sorts of prosperity that we’ve seen in the past. www.ceda.com.au

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Robotics & Automation

The high-tech future of automotive plastic repairs Swinburne University has partnered with the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) and leading repair solutions company - Tradiebot Industries - to catalyse the transformation of the automotive repair industry in Australia through the use of automation technologies, additive manufacturing, and advanced materials.

The collaborative project, ‘Repair Bot’, will employ robotics and 3D printing, along with complex materials, to enable an automated rapid repair service for plastic car parts. Inspiration for the project stemmed from the need for a technology-driven solution to overcome numerous issues facing the automotive repair industry.

These issues range from material wastage, complex and restrictive design elements, the limited availability of skilled labour, and the long lead times and inventory holdings for replacement parts.

David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of the IMCRC.

Tradiebot Founder Mario Dimovski believes the project’s potential benefits go far beyond just the automotive collision industry.

“The ability to repair previously non-repairable parts using worldfirst technology will reduce overall repair times and repair costs,” explains Dimovski. “It will also create real and significant export opportunities and has flow-on benefits for the environment by reducing land-fill. Tradiebot will also deliver new future skills to the industry as more processes become automated.”

Research the key to unlocking future benefits The Swinburne research team will play a major role in the development and ultimate success of the Repair Bot project.

“We will rely heavily on the Swinburne team to research, develop, document and problem-solve,” explains Dimovski. “This will be vital as we invent various aspects of this world-first automated system that will revolutionise repairs of plastic components.”

As well as improving procedures in the automotive repair industry, the project could have a lasting impact on the future of advanced manufacturing within Australia and Industry 4.0. Dr Mats Isaksson, Senior Research Fellow from the Swinburne Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, believes the project is perfectly aligned with Industry 4.0 principles.

“Industry 4.0 is all about ways of using digital technologies and connectivity to integrate the value stream,” says Dr Isaksson. “In the case of this project, knowledge can be captured regarding design information, supply and logistics, as well as distributed manufacturing capacity.”

Collaboration the key to catalysing change David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of the IMCRC, is enthusiastic about the positive implications of the Tradiebot Repair Bot project for other Australian manufacturers and industries.

“We at the IMCRC are excited about this project and the resulting collaboration between Tradiebot, Swinburne University and IMCRC,” he says. “This is a unique partnership that explores and invests in advanced manufacturing technologies. It is a great example of how research-led innovation ensures that the Australian automotive repairs industry can meet the challenges and opportunities of the global economy.”

The IMCRC is a not-for-profit, independent cooperative research centre that helps Australian manufacturing companies increase their relevance through collaborative, market-driven research in business models, products, processes, and services. Its vision is for a thriving, relevant and globally integrated Australian manufacturing industry. In collaboration with manufacturing businesses, research organisations, industry associations, and government, the IMCRC co-funds broad, multidisciplinary and industry-led research projects that deliver commercial outcomes, and advances the wider cause of manufacturing transformation through industry education and public advocacy.

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Additive manufacturing tested to high standards Due to the necessarily robust regulatory and manufacturing requirements that govern the automotive industry, in particular those pertaining to safety and quality control, there are a number of challenges associated with the repair of automotive parts.

“Typically, the design process for any automotive part requires that those parts will go through an extensive process of validation and testing, and therefore any associated repairs to these parts must also be tested to the necessary standards,” says Chuter. “Using a real-world example, if you’re going to replace or repair plastic lugs that attach an automotive component to a vehicle, you need to be confident that the replacement will be as good as – if not better – than the original part.”

Therefore, one critical factor to the long-term commercial success of the project will be validation of the repair work being done to the same stringent standards as set by the global automotive industry.

Upon completion Repair Bot will utilise 3D printing technologies, in conjunction with smart material solutions, to enable a lowcost rapid repair service for automotive plastic trim and assembly components.

Robotics & Automation

One potential idea of how the Repair Bot robot is expected to look.

Many automative repair jobs cannot currently be automated, creating numerous issues for the automotive repair industry.

This will be achieved through a 24-month research project that will integrate additive manufacturing, 3D scanning and robotics for insitu automotive part repairs. It is expected that when this technology is commercially implemented, it will have the potential to enable a same-day repair service that eliminates the need for replacement parts when a repair option is feasible. www.swinburne.edu.au www.imcrc.org www.tradiebot.com

A phased approach to achieve success As a finished product, Repair Bot will represent the culmination of 24 months of research and manufacturing innovations. The project has been divided into three phases.

The first phase will focus on the material science and analyse the challenges of developing 3D printing materials compatible with those commonly used in automotive parts. This phase includes an evaluation of the feasibility of 3D printing directly onto automobiles, versus the alternative of existing printing techniques, such as printing a one-off, in-situ temporary mould to then cast a compatible material.

The second phase of the project is dedicated to the investigation of automatic scanning technologies, allowing for the identification of repairable damage to component features on an assembly, such as a headlight housing.

The third and final phase of the project will focus on the development of novel 3D printer architecture that will integrate the scanning, preparation and printing functions explored in the previous phases for the repair of automotive components.

The Tradiebot Repair Bot has accumulated over $1.2m in funding, and research will take place throughout 2018 and 2019.

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Soft robots could be the factory workers of the future As the presence of robots in manufacturing workplaces increases, the threat they they pose to human workers also grows. Steve Davis examines some of the options for mitigating the risks.

Killer robots are already among us. Not weaponised drones, but industrial robots working alongside humans in factories that can cause significant injuries and occasionally deaths if an accident occurs. In 2015, an employee at a Volkswagen factory in Germany was killed when a robot picked up and crushed him.

Factory workers are typically separated from robots by a physical barrier to minimise accidents. But this prevents all except the most basic of co-operation. A simple way of trying to make robots less dangerous is to coat them in foam to absorb the impact of any collision. But this method has had only limited success.

An alternative that could be much more effective is to make the robots themselves soft and squishy, so they’re more like a fleshy animal than a cold, hard machine.

These soft robots would be made from lightweight and deformable materials such as plastic and rubber. If they collided with someone, the effect would be like bumping into another person – annoying but unlikely to cause injury. So there would be no need for safety barriers and robots and humans could work more closely together. A robot might do the hard work of supporting a heavy component while the human performs a complex assembly task on it. The machine provides the brawn and the person provides the brains, significantly improving what human-robot collaboration currently can achieve.

Some efforts have already been made to reduce the impact of collisions by placing springs between the motors and mechanical links. But robots that are springy instead of stiff are much more difficult to control accurately. Imagine trying to hit a target with the end of a long, flexible fishing rod. Other systems have been developed that can switch from being very springy to being stiff when more precise control is needed. But these kind of robots still tend to be heavy so can cause significant injury if they do collide with people.

Animal-inspired robots Instead, the latest research is focusing on flexible robots inspired by animals that do not have skeletons, such as caterpillars, worms, octopuses or an elephant’s trunk. These would have some unique abilities such as grasping delicate objects without damaging them or wrapping themselves around obstacles. And because they would be lightweight, the force of impact if there were a collision would be low. Plus a soft robot would deform on impact, spreading the force over a larger area and reducing the chance of injury.

So far, soft robots have generally been small and unable to carry

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large amounts of weight. Without a rigid skeleton, larger robots – and indeed animals – would not have enough strength to support their own weight. This has limited the application of soft robotics to devices such as grippers and hands.

My colleagues and I at the University of Salford’s Centre for Autonomous Systems and Robotics have built a variable stiffness robot arm that we hope will make progress towards larger soft robots.

This new arm weighs around 1kg but can lift and move a 5kg load.

This is a much higher power-toweight ratio than traditional stiff industrial robots.

Whereas traditional robots are built around a skeleton with joints that enable it to move, our device uses a series of pneumatic muscles made from lightweight rubber and plastic sacs that contract when filled with air – essentially an inflatable robot. Its shape and size are determined by which muscles are inflated, and it can bend, flex and stiffen like an elephant’s trunk.

Just like in our bodies, some of the robot’s muscles act in the opposite direction to others. If the robot increases the output force of all the muscles, the robot becomes more stiff. We can see the same effect in our own bodies; if we tense our triceps and biceps our elbow stays in the same position but the joint becomes more rigid. This isn’t the only way to make larger soft robots. For example, another approach involves using artificial tendons to transmit forces from heavy and rigid motors (located well away from people) to a soft arm. Different approaches are likely to be needed for different kinds of robots.

Despite this research, developing large and useful soft robots remains a challenge. The larger a robot gets, the heavier it will likely be and the more dangerous it will become. But new materials may be able to help here. For example, the two-dimensional form of carbon known as graphene is very strong but lightweight and flexible. So perhaps we could one day see large graphene-based soft robots. With these kind of advances, factory workers could soon see the barriers lifted and find themselves working side by side with their robotic colleagues.

Dr Steve Davis a Lecturer in Manufacturing, Automation and Robotics at the University of Salford in the UK. This article was originally published by The Conversation. www.salford.ac.uk www.theconversation.com

Robotics & Automation

Five trends driving automation Down Under Industry throughout Australia and New Zealand can gain huge efficiency, quality and safety advantages from emerging developments in digitalisation and automation technology. Simon Pullinger, General Manager of Lapp Australia, looks at five trends providing signposts to the future.

1. Intensified networking and miniaturisation Digitalisation is changing the connection technology environment, as an increasing number of products and even individual components can and need to communicate. This means an increasing volume of data must be transmitted at increasingly fast speeds – something familiar in offices for years is now moving into the factories.

Continuous increases in the performance of microchips are not only driving digitalisation but also – in conjunction with efforts to improve resource efficiency – are resulting in a move towards increasingly smaller and more compact products and devices.

A smartphone now has the processing power of a 1990s supercomputer but at a fraction of the size, energy consumption and price. This is having a big impact on industrial connection technology.

Robots and other machines are becoming more compact and demanding an increasing number of data connections.

Special cable designs and technical tricks – such as insulation, for example – help to save space. As a result, we are seeing increasingly frequent use of hybrid cables, which combine the power cable, data cables and even hoses for pneumatics and hydraulics in a single sheath. Where large data volumes are being transmitted, one high-speed Cat.7 Industrial Ethernet cable can replace several slower varieties, and one fibreglass cable can replace even more copper-based ones.

Connectors are also having to slim down.

Circular connectors are getting leaner, and modular connector systems combine numerous contacts for different cables in a single housing. Special materials and optimised internal cable constructions are also necessary for other reasons, as the standard cable types used in offices are simply not suitable for production environments. In those environments, the cables have to withstand lubricants, hot vapours, millions of bends and torsion.

2. Connectors instead of direct wiring A TV set today, a vacuum cleaner tomorrow – on the same production line. Industry 4.0 means production is becoming more modular and flexible. Individual production modules are exchanged or rearranged in next to no time. This has consequences for connection technology. While electrical connections were previously fixed, soldered installations that were subsequently not touched for many years, today’s flexibility calls for connectors that can be disconnected thousands of times and still create a reliable contact.

Connectors are also becoming more modular. They combine contacts for high currents – drives for example – with gigabit-speed data connections and sometimes even pneumatics or hydraulics.

Everything is easy to configure and can be reassembled again and again, for example if a machine is upgraded.

3. System solutions Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, open innovation processes: the tasks facing machine builders are growing remorselessly. This makes it even more important for companies to concentrate on core competences. These do not normally include assembling cables, shortening cables, attaching connectors and creating complete energy chains. As a result, machine manufacturers are increasingly demanding tailored ready-to-use assemblies easily incorporated into

their machines. Ready-to-use assemblies are also more durable as the supplier guarantees the quality of the entire system, and the user does not have to worry about installation errors. With assemblies direct from the manufacturer, customers can also benefit from expert know-how and always be sure the technology is topnotch. The development work manufacturers of connection systems engage in would not be economically viable for users.

This does not mean the challenge is less significant for the manufacturers. They have to introduce efficient, ideally automated processes and must be capable of quickly delivering complex customised one-off solutions. This requires more than just changing priorities in the traditional quality, cost and time framework.

Today’s optimum processes bring about improvements in all three dimensions.

4. DC replacing AC Alternating current’s (AC)’s days are numbered. Photovoltaics generate direct current (DC), which is converted into AC to be fed into the network. Moreover, an increasing number of electronic devices (TVs, computers, smartphones, etc.) demand DC, which first has to be rectified from the AC network. This raises the question of whether it still makes sense to use AC. The conversion involves huge energy losses – numerous power stations could be shut down if DC voltage networks were installed in industry and households.

Bringing about the paradigm shift is not as easy as it may sound. Conventional switches and connectors are not suitable for DC because the polarity of the voltage does not change and there is no arc breakage when switching off, which is hazardous.

New connectors and automatic switch-off mechanisms are needed, but these issues can certainly be resolved.

There are challenges for cable manufacturers too. There are strong indications that plastics used for insulation and cable sheaths age differently under the influence of the fields generated by DC. Research projects are currently exploring these issues.

5. Coexistence of cable and wireless These days, wi-fi is almost ubiquitous in households, while wireless technology for data exchange is also gaining its adherents in factories.

Wireless is generally cost-effective and offers great flexibility when systems are modified. However, this does not mean that cables will no longer be used. On the contrary: advancing electrification and networking in factories will, if anything, require even more cables to guarantee high transmission rates.

In addition, cables have the edge where data reliability and latency are important, as industrial production is based on strict cycles and information must be transmitted reliably in the millisecond range. This is difficult using wireless solutions without disproportionately high costs. Multiple wireless connections can easily interfere with and eliminate one another, and can be interrupted by moving objects such as forklift trucks. Cables are also less susceptible to malicious disturbances or hacker attacks. Consequently, there is little prospect of wireless technology pushing out cable-based systems in the future – in fact they will increasingly complement one another. www.lappaustralia.com.au

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NZ robot tech proving a manufacturing industry ‘disruptor’ A small company from Christchurch, New Zealand, is taking the non-destructive inspection services industry by storm with its state-of-the-art mobile climbing robots, and the innovative new technology is attracting interest across the manufacturing sector, as well as among technology investors.

Invert Robotics’s patented climbing robots are installed with high-definition cameras and sensor technology that allow for equipment to be assessed for maintenance and preventative analysis on a remote basis. The robots enable precise and accurate remote inspection of surfaces, even those made from nonferromagnetic materials such as stainless steel, carbonfibre, aluminium and glass.

Inspectors are fed real-time video during the inspection, enabling immediate and highly accurate analysis.

Invert Robotics’s patented climbing robots are installed with high-definition cameras and sensor technology tp allow precise, accurate remote inspection of surfaces.

“Unlike other inspection methods using dyes, drones and optical or laser devices, Invert Robotics’s technology provides 360-degree diagnostics and does so in up to half the time of traditional inspections,” says Invert’s Managing Director Neil Fletcher.

The robots are already being used by the major Australian and New Zealand dairy companies and co-operatives such as Fonterra, Synlait and Murray Goulburn, as well as a number of global brands throughout the food & beverage manufacturing industry in Europe and Asia, such as FrieslandCampina and Heineken.

However, Invert’s technology is also attracting interest across other manufacturing sectors. The aviation industry is about to benefit from the technology, where using robots in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector presents another huge potential for growth for Invert. The remote-controlled robots use the suction mechanism to adhere to and traverse a range of aircraft surfaces, even when the planes are wet or require an upside-down inspection.

Installed with high-definition cameras and sensor technology, Invert’s robots can assess the surfaces of equipment for defects such as pits and cracks, whilst also recording the location and size of these defects. Inspectors are fed real-time video during the inspection and are able to identify and classify defects from a safe distance outside the vessel. Additionally, maintenance staff can see defects and other issues in real time, allowing repair assessment like never before. Initial results are instantaneous and a full assessment report is provided within 72 hours.

The Invert mobile robot records and

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transmits video images to a groundbased screen for real-time analysis by linemaintenance staff, enabling efficient visual inspections (GVI and DVI) on the tarmac or in the hangar. Images can be used for more detailed repair assessments and as a record of ‘current state’ for future comparison purposes. Rapid set-up and efficient inspection can reduce checks for operational damage from hours to minutes, while eliminating the risks of staff working at height.

Moreover, the technology will soon include ultra-sound and thermographic testing, allowing many labour-intensive and tedious maintenance inspection processes to be performed. This frees up skilled aircraft engineers to attend to more complex tasks and reduces the time and cost of aircraft maintenance.

“This shows how we’ve evolved to deliver tools and technologies for difficult-toaccess areas, quickly and safely,” says Fletcher. “The opportunity to go from inside concave surfaces to outside convex surfaces brought the aviation industry into clear focus as a significant market for us.”

Aircraft maintenance group SR Technics, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is the first MRO company to use Invert’s technology, in a programme that has significant potential

to change the nature of many aircraft maintenance and inspection processes.

“SR Technics is constantly looking for ways to improve the services and reduce the costs to our customers in this highly competitive industry,” said SR Technics CEO Jeremy Remacha. “Time savings mean our customers have their aircraft back in service sooner, and for airlines that is a huge benefit. Being able to record the state of an aircraft proves the need for and quality of our work, and allows more accurate scheduling of required maintenance. We are excited to be part of this innovation that we believe will have a significant effect in our industry.”

Invert is also looking at potential opportunities in the chemical industry, in addition to further work with energy, oil and gas companies.

Practical technology attracting interest Invert began as a spin-out from the New Zealand University of Canterbury’s School of Engineering, and has rapidly emerged as an industry ‘disruptor’, changing the way crack and defect inspections can be conducted. The company was quick to attracted client interest within the New Zealand dairy market, and now

Robotics & Automation Heading James Robertson, Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Invert Robotics.

Invert’s climbing robots are being adopted in the aviation industry for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft.

Invert works for six of the top eight dairy companies in the world. Invert’s technology is now sought out by major consumer and industry brands throughout Australasia, Europe and Asia.

Given the practical nature of the technology presented by the company, it originally attracted initial investments totalling NZ$1m in a crowdfunding campaign through the Sydney-based platform Equitise. More recently a further NZ$6.4m was raised from a limited private investor round. Australiabased shareholders now include the former CEO of Macquarie Group Ltd, Allan Moss, and Inception Fiduciary Pty Ltd. These investments add to the considerable funding received from the New Zealand government and private venture capital

sources soon after the company was founded by James Robertson, now its Chief Technical Officer.

Since 2015-16, the company has experienced exponential growth; for the 2018-19 financial year, its revenue is expected to further quadruple. A significant contribution is expected to come from its European operations – home of some of the behemoths of the dairy processing and food & beverage manufacturing industries.

New offices in Germany and Denmark will soon join its European presence in the Netherlands.

A major driver of the company’s success is that Invert’s mobile climbing robots provide an industrial inspection service with unprecedented levels of safety, accuracy

and speed. With the use of high-definition cameras and other sensor technology, the robots can detect cracks, defects and malfunctioning components that might be missed by the human eye. Moreover, Invert’s mobile climbing robots use advanced sliding suction cup technology, enabling robotic inspection of nonferromagnetic surfaces for the first time.

In addition, the remotely operated robots eliminate many of the health and safety risks associated with traditional inspection methods. Operators and inspectors remain safely on the ground outside of any confined spaces at all times.

Invert’s service is offered independent of any repair work. This is an important factor because it allows clients to determine the method and urgency of repairs, while also offering to manage third-party repair contractors as the client chooses. The need for manufacturing companies to meet their clients’ expectations is another reason for the popularity of using mobile robotic technology.

“The accuracy, efficiency and the valueadding environmental and safety benefits of robotic technology makes it an obvious choice as global consumer demand for product safety, brand integrity and transparency grows,” Fletcher explains. www.invertrobotics.com

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State Spotlight

High-tech innovation hub to revolutionise manufacturing in South Australia An innovation hub to help Australian companies make the shift from traditional manufacturing to more advanced, value-added products has opened in Adelaide.

The Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation Hub (TMI Hub) at Flinders University’s Tonsley campus in Adelaide is designed to accelerate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technology among high-tech and manufacturing businesses, as well as fostering research & development. The launch of the state-of-the-art facility comes at a time when the Australian economy is transitioning from a traditional manufacturing base to more digitalised, knowledge-based industries following the end of automotive manufacturing with the closure of Holden’s Adelaide plant late last year.

The TMI Hub was officially opened on 9 February by South Australian Manufacturing and Innovation Minister Kyam Maher. The Minister said it was important to ensure the advanced manufacturing workforce and companies had the ability to compete globally in niche markets as the economy transitioned.

“Industry 4.0 is the next technological wave that will create opportunities for South Australia’s advanced manufacturers to diversify into growth sectors such as defence, food and health,” said Maher. “The TMI Hub will further cement Tonsley’s reputation as a global centre of excellence for industry and research collaboration, with modern facilities to train people for the jobs of the future.”

The TMI Hub will provide practical training and real-world research opportunities for students, researchers and businesses wanting to learn more about automation, advanced robotics and the Internet of Things. It will tap into the work of mature global companies, local enterprises and start-ups already located at Tonsley including Siemens, Zeiss Vision, ZEN Energy and SAGE Automation, as well as extending its training reach into South Australia’s fast-growing defence industry and the advanced manufacturing sector nationally.

Professor John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformational Institute at Flinders University, says the TMI Hub will play a catalytic role in promoting the understanding and application of the Industry 4.0 agenda, including robotics and automation in highly networked and flexible cloud-based production systems.

The adoption of the latest digital technology was crucial due to the highly competitive environment of manufacturing internationally.

“Without the automotive industries we need new sectors and new industries that will be at the forefront in the uptake of new technologies,” he said. “The TMI Hub will showcase the latest generation of Future Factory technologies which are revolutionising the way we design and make things. It’s a prime example of how traditional manufacturing is making way for advanced manufacturing in the new economy.

The TMI Hub provides industry and researchers with the technologies to design, visualise and test production processes in a virtual environment to greatly mitigate risk prior to physical production. It goes hand in hand with Flinders University’s new Innovative Manufacturing Accelerator Program, which will support manufacturing-based companies to fast-forward product development and commercialisation processes.

According to Professor Spoehr, the TMI Hub will enable closer collaboration between educational organisations and businesses to better understand digital technology and its impact on the performance of companies and workers.

“It will also help organisations to build their Industry 4.0 capabilities through accredited and non-accredited education and training programs,” he explained. “Companies that engage with the TMI

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The Bionic Handling Assistant – a cobotic gripper arm modelled on the structure and function of an elephant’s trunk.

Hub will greatly improve their chances of successful participation in defence supply chains to tap into the $90bn worth of shipbuilding projects taking place in South Australia.”

Factory of the Future The centrepiece of the new TMI Hub is the South Australia’s first Cyber-Physical (CP) Factory, a state-of-the-art, small-scale Industry 4.0 robotics & automation platform for research, training and capability-building. Made in Germany by technology giant Festo and funded by the South Australian Government, it showcases the latest automation, sensor, monitoring, robotic and cobotic technologies and provides the opportunity for world-class education and training in advanced manufacturing within a research environment. This includes the Bionic Handling Assistant – a cobotic gripper arm modelled on the structure and function of an elephant’s trunk.

Situated on the ground floor of the Flinders University building at Tonsley, Professor Spoehr said the new ‘Factory of the Future’ was highly modularised and could be reconfigured in a variety of ways.

“It’s a great education and training tool for students and workers who are wanting to become familiar with how these new systems operate,” he said. “But it’s (also) a great way for companies to think about how to adopt some of these technologies in their own workplace.”

Other facilities at the Flinders Tonsley campus include autonomous sea vessels and testing capacity, photonics technologies, a Faraday cage, interactive co-bots, a large hexapod robot for biomechanical testing and a variety of digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping machines.

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The centrepiece of the TMI Hub is the Cyber-Physical (CP) Factory, made by technology giant Festo.

Australia’s first innovation district The Tonsley precinct in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, which was once a former car assembly plant, is Australia’s first innovation district. It is a prime example of the changing face of South Australian manufacturing. The last Mitsubishi sedan rolled off the production line at Tonsley in 2008, sounding an early warning for the future of traditional manufacturing in South Australia.

Almost a decade on and the site has been transformed into a leading innovation hotspot, bringing together advanced manufacturing companies, university STEM programs, renewable energy leaders and high-tech pacesetters in the one precinct. The site is now home to more people than the last days of Mitsubishi.

Sage Automation is a national control services and industrial automation company founded in South Australia and is among 20 businesses associated with Flinders University at the TMI Hub. The Tonsley-based business specialises in automation technologies and services for manufacturers across Australia.

Sage Automation CEO Adrian Fahey said the company’s strategic partnership with Flinders University and relationships with other businesses in the precinct were among the main benefits of its association with the TMI Hub.

“Being in this hub is an opportunity for us to continue to focus on what we’re doing in industry 4.0, but also to tap into some of the best thinking and new thinking from the institutes and the university,” said Fahey. “I think this is going to be a precinct that’s going to draw potential customers who have problems that need solving and will come here and see this is an environment where that can happen.”

The establishment of the TMI Hub is a result of collective work between Flinders University, the South Australian Government and the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC). Based in Melbourne, the IMCRC provides collaborative, market-driven research across a range of areas for Australian manufacturers seeking to implement Industry 4.0 technology.

David Chuter, IMCRC CEO and Managing Director, says that the opportunity to catalyse investment in South Australian manufacturing is exciting.

“The IMCRC embraced the opportunity to work strategically with the South Australian Government and Flinders University, investing collaboratively to identify projects with the potential to ignite innovation and catalyse manufacturing growth,” said Chuter. “The South Australian Government should be applauded for its foresight to invest in the Future Factory as part of their financial contribution to IMCRC, making the innovation process tangible and accessible for manufacturers. This can now facilitate effective collaboration between the research community and industry through the utilisation of these technologically advanced facilities.”

Professor Spoehr said Flinders University’s partnership with the IMCRC would ensure its continuing support in working with companies over the next five years in the new facility.

“This could come in the form of awareness raising, education and training programs, or small projects that are designed to test out ideas for the adoption of new technologies,” said Professor Spoehr.

“This is just the beginning. We have an ambition for this new facility to become the Australian showcase of advanced manufacturing and digital technologies … a one stop shop here at Tonsley.”

Professor John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformational Institute at Flinders University; Professor Colin Stirling, Vice Chancellor of Flinders University; and David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC).

www.tmihub.com.au. www.flinders.edu.au/campus/tonsley www.imcrc.org

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State Spotlight

South Australia sets the pace in precision manufacturing An inside view of two precision engineering operations in South Australia provides a valuable insight into the approaches that skilled engineering shops are taking to achieve internationally competitive prices proding highprecision, quality components.

Kennewell CNC Machining Based in Murray Bridge, 76kms east of Adelaide, Kennewell CNC Machining is a precision engineering company that has successfully launched a project supported by the Government of South Australia’s Regional Development Fund, integrating a Fanuc Robot with an Okuma Genos M560V vertical machining centre, and also purchasing an Okuma LB3000EX-IIMYWx800 multi-axis CNC lathe with OSPP300L Control.

Established in 1995, Kennewell had already been an important Okuma customer for many years. The company’s Managing Director Brett Kennewell had served his apprenticeship on Okuma machines more than 25 years ago.

“The Okuma machines are robustly built for stability and precision - as an example our 11 year-old machine, is still operating and is as accurate today as it was on installation,” says Brett. “Okuma personnel do everything they can to assist us with technical advice and support which is readily available locally and remotely. The ongoing training is a key factor in the relationship with this partner as we strive to make use of every technological feature within the Okuma machines,” he said.

The Development Grant is allowing the company to push towards full automation, with the use of multi-axis precision machines coupled with robotics to allow the operation to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, along with communication monitoring from anywhere via the internet.

Okuma has also been providing intensive on-going training in API software and additional apps, in a strong partnership relationship that provides peace of mind.

“The most recently commissioned Okuma machine provides spindle speeds almost double that of current machines with Hi Cut Pro accuracy and a controller jampacked with features,” Brett explains. “Antivibration technology eliminates harmonic problems resulting in longer tool life and improved surface finish.

“Customer demands on some products have required us to double our output without jeopardising the quality, and at the same time retain a competitive advantage against international competition. This latest investment is enabling us to retain production within Australia rather than it being redirected overseas.”

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The Fanuc robot will be used to tend the Okuma Genos M560V vertical machining centre, and later also the older MB56. The racking in foreground will hold mini pallets for all-night production.

To inspire members of the Kennewell machining team, Brett sent three of his personnel to the USA to attend the Okuma 2017 Winter Showcase for Training and Information, where the very latest technology was on show. The three were also privileged to see this technology in operation in a real-world environment, during conducted tours of some of the most advanced engineering shops in the USA. The tour opened their eyes to the use of advanced CNC machines to the maximum of their capacity and utilising all of the Okuma technology.

The Okuma M560, equipped with a Kitagawa fourth axis and tailspindle, allows ten workpieces on each of the two mini pallets.

Since their return from Okuma America, the company has been pushing further advancements in automation. Brett sees collaborative robots, upgraded machine tools and bar feeders and metrology to enhance and increase productivity.

the limit as we move to operate these to the maximum of their capacity with the use of advanced technology, tooling and advanced communications.”

The market for this enterprising company is Australia-wide with indirect export sales via customers. Its diverse range of products and components include intricate clinical devices, components for agricultural, mining and defence machinery, and motorsport components.

Operating from its modern 2,000sqm facility at Edwardstown, in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, NYLASTEX Engineering Solutions is a South Australian manufacturing business that produces plastic injection moulds, manufactures special purpose-built equipment, and conducts precision machining services and fabrication of complex metal and non-metal products for their clients. The company’s products are manufactured by Nylastex for a diverse range of industries, including key companies in the mining, defence, construction, agricultural and renewable energy sectors.

“It is my view that the Australian economy will be buoyed by the introduction of advanced technology and investment, creating exciting career opportunities for young people in manufacturing, design and development,” says Brett. “We are privileged to own Okuma machines and we know that the machine itself is never

NYLASTEX Engineering Solutions

South Australia targetted audience 9000+ contacts

impact 20.02% average open rates

outcome 4.89%

Nylastex Engineering Solutions Managing Director Geoff Philips (right) in his workshop.

Nylastex has been in business for 27 years under its current owners Geoff and Winnie Philips, and has built a reputation for innovative thinking and consistently high-quality machining processes. These qualities have allowed Nylastex to retain and build its customer base and diversify away from the automotive industry over the last decade. This diversification, coupled with capabilities such as laser scanning and 3D design, high-tech machinery and skilled qualified personnel, provide Nylastex with the capability to complete projects from concept to final commissioning, followed by after-sales service. The company has ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, along with a NATA accredited laboratory for metrology and calibration operating from the same premises.

Nylastex has had a strong relationship with Okuma that spans more than eight years. The company has invested heavily in high-end manufacturing equipment, with the latest acquisition being the Okuma LB3000EX-II-BMYC multi-axis CNC lathe with OSP-P300L Control, complete with a full-length bar feeder and product unloader.

Nylastex now has a total of six Okuma CNC machines within its facility, capable of machining components up to 400mm in diameter by 2,000mm long on CNC lathes, and 1,000mm with 500mm of travel on CNC mills with an integrated fourth axis. Okuma was selected because of its performance, consistent stability, service, technical support and training, all available from its Adelaide office.

“With improved tool change features, the machines are ideally suited for both short and long production runs and our production can also cater for both large and small customers” says Geoff Philips.

“Our machine operators get great job satisfaction from producing high-quality precision components on these excellent machines.”

results statistical reporting submitted

AMTIL PRODUCT E-BLASTS call anne samuelsson on 0400 115 525 or email asamuelsson@amtil.com.au for all enquiries.

There is an air of confidence going into the future for this quality precision machining company with long term contracts and customers experiencing strong growth. www.kennewell.com www.nylastex.com.au

www.amtil.com.au

AMTIL1305

The new machine complements two other similarly optioned machines but has additional features including ECO suite

energy saving functionality. The combination of the three machines positioned within close proximity to each other can provide 50% more capacity, while it may have just one operator at times.

average click thrus

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State Spotlight

SA manufacturers take lead on innovation Ranging from medical devices to clean tech and even humanitarian-relief shelters, South Australia is host to a burgeoning array of innovative manufacturing businesses.

Ellex is a global leader in medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease. It has about 10 core products across five areas: glaucoma; diabetic eye diseases; secondary cataracts; agerelated macular degeneration; and vitreous opacities (commonly known as eye floaters). The company officially opened new headquarters in the northern Adelaide suburb of Mawson Lakes in December.

The new 2.18-hectare facility allows Ellex’s machine shop, clean rooms and administration to be co-located for the first time. A major feature is the Controlled Environment Room (CER), a state-ofthe-art, dust-free space where the lasers are built, eliminating contamination risk.

Early indications have shown measurable reductions in costs and manufacturing time per unit, without any risk of compromising the quality and reliability of products.

Ellex sells its laser and ultrasound systems in more than 100 countries and has offices in the US, France, Germany and Japan. Executive Director Dr Meera Verma said Ellex almost doubled the laser and ultrasound side of the business between 2013 and 2017 and was experiencing remarkable growth – from 10,000 units to 50,000 units a year – with its illuminated, micron-scale microcatheter iTrack. She said the new manufacturing facility provided more than double the production capacity of Ellex’s former plant and offered significant operational efficiencies.

“The new facility positions us well and has given us the capacity to grow and explore a number of other opportunities on the global stage,” Dr Verma said. “It’s a larger space with purpose-built clean rooms that allow us to develop our proprietary laser technologies with a very high degree of compliance to regulations. We also have co-located our machine shop, which really improves the input of our machine shop into what we do; it allows us to actually consider swapping out imported parts for locally produced components and that has huge potential for assisting our profitability as well as our market reach.”

Ellex began in Adelaide in 1985 and is SA’s largest medical device manufacturer with more than 280 employees worldwide. Dr Verma said while products for the treatment of glaucoma were the company’s biggest seller, there was a significant opportunity for growth in the area of age-related macular degeneration. She said Ellex was developing a new product that was due to finish a three-year clinical trial in 2018.

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Ellex’s machine shop is co-located with its new headquarters in Mawson Lakes.

“It’s a very gentle laser and it help rejuvenate cells in the retina that have been affected by macular degeneration to help people recover their sight and stop it from getting any worse,” Dr Verma said. “So this year will be an interesting year because the clinical trial is going to finish, which will give us data around age-related macular degeneration.

We’ve got people using it for degenerate case studies to see how well it works in this particular area so doctors have it right now, but to get maximum commercialisation it will take until probably next year until we see a pick up in sales and direct revenues from it.”

carbons and pushing them out of the vehicle’s exhaust.

Cutting costs on carbon clean-up

According to D-Carb Global CEO John Stewart, 200 units would be manufactured in the first production run. He said the portability, cost-effectiveness and short treatment times of the units made them ideal for automotive outlets, vehicle dealerships, transport companies, mining operations, fishing fleets, public transport providers and mechanical workshops.

According to Stewart, tests and modelling at a transport company with a fleet of 100 trucks that were treated with the machine as part of regular servicing led to initial fuel savings of 7.8% and net savings of $100,000 a year.

New technology developed in SA that reduces exhaust emissions while increasing fuel efficiency began commercial production in February. The 30-litre portable D-Carb Global machines take 30-60 minutes to clean an engine and can be used on up to three engines – such as passenger cars – simultaneously, significantly reducing labour costs.

“There’s a significant environmental benefit and cost benefit,” Stewart said. “So anyone who puts it in is not just saving the world (through reduced carbon emissions), they’re saving money as well. What we’ve got here is an opportunity for continuous carbon reduction. It reduces all forms of toxic emissions – nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons.”

While the device can treat any internal combustion engine, it is extremely effective on diesel motors, which can quickly build up carbon, releasing black smoke, particulates and unspent fuel into the atmosphere.

Engines that are free of carbon build-up offer greater power, torque, fuel efficiency and reliability.

D-Carb Global is working with a local manufacturer in Adelaide to ensure production can be scaled up quickly. It is also looking for distributors in international markets, particularly the US and South-East Asia. With the first units attracting strong early interest from China, Canada and Australia, D-Carb Global is also working on classified projects to elevate the system both in terms of carbon reduction and data management, for commercial release midyear. D-Carb Global is initially targeting companies with high truck usage such as heavy transport, mining and agriculture.

The exclusive global licence for the technology has been secured by SA company D-Carb Global. The mobile machine initiates electrolysis to create hydrogen and oxygen vapour, which is then piped through the engine via a hose attached to the air filter, effectively oxidising

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The portable D-Carb Global machine takes 30-60 minutes to clean an engine and can be used on up to three engines.

and Europe. The Base Camp model is the starting point for the fully scaleable design, which also has a Village model suitable for refugee camps of up to 2,500 people. The larger villages also have utilities huts to supply potable water, power, wireless communications and waste water treatment.

“Transport companies are a huge potential market,” Stewart said. “They are prolific users of fuel and are based in every country throughout the world. A similar scenario exists in the mining industry, which we have also flagged as a great opportunity. We can save between 4% and 7% guaranteed, that’s a huge saving considering that their trucks, generators and a lot of their machinery run on expensive diesel. If we can reduce the emissions of vehicles going underground, we are improving working conditions for the miners too.”

Stewart said there was a global focus on environmental improvement as well as reducing consumer costs. He said his units were also well suited to passenger vehicles because they could be easily adjusted to deliver an exact amount of hydrogen and oxygen depending on engine size and could treat multiple engines at one time.

“It’s a mobile unit, so it can be used on any application, anywhere and it’s cost effective,” he explained. “The units can also be used to generate carbon credits so a big emitter of carbon might look at this as an opportunity and say ‘let’s own them, lease them out and generate carbon credits to offset our other operations’.”

Humanihut set for deployment Humanihut wants to use its first major sale as a springboard into the global market when it delivers its first ‘Base Camp’ portable emergency shelter village to SA’s State Emergency Service (SES) in the first half of 2018. The autonomous camp can be transported on trucks in six 20-foot shipping containers and can be assembled by five people and a forklift in four hours.

The camp includes includes 32 dormitory huts that sleep up to eight people, two bathroom containers, a community room and a canopy shelter.

Humanihut Co-founder and Managing Director Neale Sutton said the first deployment to the SES was a “huge” milestone for the company. He said although the camp, with four double bunks in each dormitory hut, could sleep 256 people, the SES planned to use it for 128 personnel, reserving the ground level bunks in each hut for luggage and equipment storage.

“There’s quite a lot of expectation globally but the international market was looking for some confidence in the product and wanted to see an Australian buyer to be the first,” Sutton said. “It will be mainly used when they have to set up a deployment for fighting a major wildfire, but it can be used in any event where emergency services are sent to support a community hit with some level of crisis.”

The hut has steel-skinned, insulated walls, helping the shelter to maintain a comfortable temperature, and has a lifespan of at least 20 years. About 65% of the volume of each hut is manufactured in SA with help from local companies Enviroclad and Kadego.

The remainder, including the fitting inside the shipping containers for transportation, is done in China.

Sutton, who spent 35 years in the Australian military where he undertook senior roles in response to humanitarian crises, said the

company would use the first deployment as an opportunity to target similar agencies around the world.

“Now we’ve got our foot in the door we will be introducing ourselves to all the emergency services agencies in Australia and New Zealand and we’ve already started conversations with their compatriots in the UK and US,” he said. “We’re also dealing with the Italian Government which is looking to put refugee camps into Libya.

“The SES conducted due diligence that involved an eight-month operational evaluation against known competitors,” he added. “So not only have we won a sale, we have won a competitive evaluation and that’s important because other governments like the comfort of knowing that someone else has already conducted their due diligence on us.”

The camps have a payback period of 3.5 years when compared to the cost of replacing tents in a refugee camp setting. Sutton said this would save camp managers millions in maintenance and tent upgrade costs over its 20-year lifespan.

Humanihut is looking for a significant investor to help it ramp up its production to tackle larger projects.

“We have no difficulty in delivering the smaller solutions like the SES Base Camp,” Sutton said. “But if we want to get to a point where we can really take effect quickly on the international market then we are looking for an investor to join us and help us to do that.” www.ellex.com www.dcarbglobal.com www.humanihut.com

Humanihut co-founders Neale Sutton and Andrew Hamilton.

Humanihut started in 2013 in Adelaide with an idea to help house the thousands of refugees in the Middle East, North Africa

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Company Focus Timothy Lillie (right), Managing Director of Adelaide City Engineering and Broens SA, with Jason Allen, Managing Director of Iscar Australia.

Broens SA – Starting a new chapter Broens has been one of the best known names in Australian manufacturing and engineering for decades.

Now, following a period of instability, its South Australian arm is under new management and is being reinvented and rejuvenated for a new era.

Broens began operations in Sydney’s south-west suburbs in 1979.

Thriving as a manufacturer providing subcontract toolmaking and general engineering services, it soon diversified into sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical, mining and heavy industry. In 2007, it took over two companies in Elizabeth, northern Adelaide – Static Engineering and Calbic Engineering – and consolidated them to form Broens SA. By then, Broens was a globally respected provider of design, manufacturing and engineering solutions, exporting to more than 16 countries and involved in projects such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the F35 Joint Strike Fighter.

However, towards the end of 2016, the company was placed into liquidation. At that point Adelaide City Engineering Pty Ltd came into the story.

Adelaide City Engineering was formed in 2003 by Timothy Lillie as a new venture. The aim of the business was to provide quality services with continual improvement to its customers while also providing a safe work environment for its employees. Adelaide City Engineering strives to offer Australia’s most comprehensive service & repair facilities including special-purpose machine design and manufacture capabilities, and existing machine redesign and improvement. It has extensive experience and ongoing involvement across a wide range of industries, including mining, agricultural, marine, transport, construction, manufacturing and steel processing. It also has a branch in Perth to support itscustomers in the steel , mining and paper sectors in Western Australia.

When news emerged of the Broens liquidation, it offered an opportunity for Adelaide City Engineering to further diversify and expand. In December 2016, Lillie was contacted and asked if Adelaide City Engineering would be interested in any plant and equipment. Lillie and a group of valued employees visited the Broens SA site.

“We found the equipment to be complementary to the Adelaide City Engineering business,” says Lillie, Managing Director of both Adelaide City Engineering and now Broens SA. “So we went ahead with the purchase of all the IP and the plant and equipment in Adelaide.

“The acquisition allows us to further support our customers by increasing our extensive manufacturing facilities and expertise,”

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Lillie adds. “Importantly, it also opens up the potential to break into defence markets, allowing us to continue our diversification and future-proofing program. Defence was an area Adelaide City Engineering was keen to and in which Broens was a longestablished player.”

As part of its five-year vision and business plan, at the end of 201516 sector Adelaide City Engineering decided to venture into the defence sector. In 2016 it employed a Business Development and Key Account Manager to start this task, as well as purchasing land at Techport.

Lillie explains: “When the opportunity to purchase the IP, plant and equipment at Broens in Adelaide came up, this allowed Adelaide City Engineering to enter the defence sector immediately. Components and equipment for the defence industry are still being designed and manufactured out of Broens SA: all their aircraft-loading equipment and special-purpose equipment. This is why it was such a good fit, because it was in an industry that Adelaide City Engineering wasn’t currently in, but had transferable capability and knowledge.”

To support the move, Melissa Parr has been employed as Defence Business Manager. Parr has an extensive background in defence and automotive manufacturing including a 12-year stint at a major Defence Prime. Parr expands on the reasoning for the drive into defence markets.

“Despite the fact that the acquisition side of the defence programs tend to run for quite a long time, the through-life support can run for 10-20 years beyond that initial term,” says Parr. “With the service capability gained through Adelaide City Engineering , we can be a valuable asset as an industry partner.”

Lillie, Parr and the team are confident that in combining Adelaide City Engineering and Broens SA’s respective strengths, the new business will have a lot to offer clients in the defence space.

“The broad capability that we’ve got here, bringing Adelaide City Engineering’s capabilities together with Broens, can offer quite a diverse range of products and services from design to delivery and ongoing support,” says Parr. “That’s attractive to the defence primes and all of our customers; we can act as an industry partner rather than just a supplier or sub-contractor.”

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“We offer turnkey solutions and form partnership with our customers and suppliers,” adds Lillie. “It’s really a one-stop shop for our customers because of our comittment, networking and the alliances we have with other great companies throughout Australia and the world. This allows our customers to be able to work with one supplier for there project.

Technology and processes While the Broens acquisition clearly offers a substantial array of new opportunities, it has not been without its difficulties. For the team at Adelaide City Engineering, developing an understanding of a whole new sector in such a short time was by no means easy.

“The team at Adelaide City Engineering deserves special thanks, as does the Business Development and Key Account Manager, for all the hard work bringing this together,” says Lillie. “We have also lost good people during these challenging times, and have learnt life-changing lessons. There’s been a huge learning curve in how the defence industry works, what they require and how they do it and still return profits back to the company. It’s definitely different to the other sectors.”

There were also challenges in integrating the two businesses with their differing organisational cultures. According to Lillie and Parr, Broens was dominated by processes that could hamper its ability to make profit and to meet customer requirements with the sort of agility that Adelaide City Engineering has long prided itself on.

The new management has been conducting an extensive review of processes across the business, with a strong emphasis on moving towards operating with Industry 4.0.

“We’re looking more broadly into how we can service our exsting customers and the upcoming defence programs,” says Parr.

“Industry 4.0 is going to important for us in the future, so we’re preparing for that now. There’s such a wide range of defence programs that are available at the moment, across land, air, sea.

The technology of Industry 4.0 is going to be essential moving forward.”

One aspect of this is the company’s involvement with Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which comprises a raft of 3D design, analysis, simulation and intelligence software. The team recently spent time in Paris doing a lot of training on the platform, and Dassault personnel from France will be working with Broens SA to upgrade its procedures. Implementing this software allows the company to support its customers better, giving them a clear understanding of their projects.

Broens SA also uses the Iscar Matrix tool management system.

For Lillie, developing close collaborative relationships with suppliers such as Dassault, steel suppliers, engineering companies, tooling suppliers. As part of this, Iscar is vital.

“We look at all of our suppliers as partners,” he says. “The good thing about the Matrix system is that it’s actually working in with all of our improvements. It will talk directly to our job costing system, to our invoicing system, to our purchasing. It works well with our ERP system. And that’s great for us – for tracking costs and for traceability as well. We aim to be running a paperless system in 12 months.”

Jason Allen, Managing Director of Iscar Australia, echoes this point: “That relationship is crucial, it’s vital to the growth of both companies.

And the Matrix system also provides a foundation for Industry 4.0, collecting that big data and storing it in the Cloud; utilising the information for continuous improvement and performance tracking.

The next step would be bringing in RFID chipped tools, which is the release we have now for toolholders, creating connectivity from machine tool to measurement to Matrix. By creating new efficiencies around that, we reduce human interaction with the tool, ultimately elliminating any chance of error.”

Broens SA’s headquarters in Elizabeth, north Adelaide.

Revitalising a brand Lillie believes that the situation for manufacturing in Australia remains tough. He cites skills shortages as a major issue, and Broens SA and Adelaide City Engineering are taking decisive steps to tackle the problem for itself “We have to get a lot smarter in how we do things,” he says. “The biggest key to sustainment and success for the future is training.

It’s going to be so important to train staff, keep bringing apprentices through the group. We’re recruiting a full-time trainer to upskill our people, and we will collaborate with hign schools and other companies to cross-train.”

Lillie’s company is a member of the Australian Precision Manufacturing Group (APMG), a network of manufacturing companies and organisations who meet regularly and look for ways to co-operate and thereby grow the industry. Broens SA and Adelaide City Engineering have had discussions with the APMG about ways the member companies can work together on crosstraining staff, sharing skills. The group is also engaged in seeking areas where its members can access global supply chains by collaborating.

“Moving forward, it’s only going to get stronger and stronger, with people working together,” says Lillie. “It’s so important in the sectors we’re in, that we get a strong team and work together to offer the end-customer a total package and provide the customer a greta product and a easy experience. When we’ve spoken to various companies overseas, that’s what they’re interested in – a one-stop-shop. We might deal with 20-30 different partners, but the end-customer is dealing with one.”

Meanwhile, Lillie and his team are in the midst of a major rebranding campaign. This will see the creation of a new overarching umbrella group brand, to be announced later this year, while its three core divisions – Broens SA, Adelaide City Engineering, and Static Engineering (which specialises in ground support equipment) – will continue to exist as sub-brands. It’s a strategy that gives a new identity for the new enlarged group, while retaining the strong individual identities of its component businesses.

“Adelaide City Engineering has a respected name in the sheet and coil industry,” says Lillie. “We are the leaders in Australia for any of that larger equipment for the steel industry. Static has got a fantastic name for ground support equipment. And Broens has a great name for defence.

“The most important asset we have is our employees,” adds Lillie.

“To ensure employee retention ,we have developed a worklife balance for our trades to allow 50% work and 50% home life balance. We believe family and balance must come first. I enjoy being a leader of a workforce that continues to grow in experience and enjoy what they do and where they work. I enjoy the enthuisiasm of this work group and am excited what we can achieve as a group in the future.” www.broens.com.au

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Cutting Tools

Harmonising vending systems with Industry 4.0 New tool vending and vending-related solutions inspired in part by Industry 4.0 have been popping up on the horizon recently, with a shared aim to provide manufacturers with better, leaner ways to manage and dispense items to the shopfloor. Raoul Rapke, Director of Commodity Tool Management Services at IMC Group, gives an overview of options that are harnessing the most relevant, exciting Industry 4.0-inspired developments to maximise and harmonise production efficiency.

Compact smart vending Big bulky machines have their place, but they will never be fully point-of-use or provide the smart manufacturing cell with its own autonomy. Some suppliers offer bench-top units that are compact in size but pack a punch well above their weight when it comes to features. They typically offer a full software suite and provide 100% control and accountability per bin or per individual item. This makes them ideal for the modern shopfloor, where the machining process and selection of cutting tools cannot be compromised.

Mobility Mobility has been one of the catch words of the last decade or so.

Today we take it for granted that our office, social activities and more sit in our pocket. Users expect to be able to transact and track tool crib activity on the go. A new generation of Androidbased hand-held devices – each one loaded with a rich menu of reports and data presented in a mobile friendly format – allows users to see what’s happening.

These devices can be a full substitute for those old cumbersome Windows CE hand-held devices that you needed to lug around to issue items from stock in your warehouse or tool room. You can be sure that the user interface is what you’d expect of a modern Android-based app, with a clear uncluttered interface that gives you just enough of the information you need to promptly and easily carry out day to day transactions.

And there’s more good news – the Android devices are usually a fraction of what you used to pay for the older Windows-based systems. There are also some great devices out there that combine a professional 2D scanner within a rugged hand-held device that sits comfortably in the palm of your hand, supported by convenient accessories like a trigger for heavy-duty scanning.

The Internet of Things Recently a number of unique ideas have surfaced that bring the Internet of Things (IoT) to the shopfloor in a manner that doesn’t require complicated and expensive installation, or subscription fees that can virtually break the bank. One such innovation is the integration of real-time location systems (RLTS) into a host of production assets that tend to be very nomadic, such as gauges, fixtures, measuring devices, test equipment and more. Knowing where they hide out can save money by lowering capital investment and reducing downtime.

There are various different technologies out there using RFID (passive) and BLE (active Bluetooth low energy). The trick with all this stuff is to make it simple to use and focused on what the end user really needs. Flashy dashboards with tons of graphs and analytics look great, but it’s usually just a simple location ID that allows the user to quickly locate an asset.

Accuracy can be affected by the physical environment, and where and how many gateways are deployed to receive data transmissions. However, knowing the general position, within a metre or so, will normally be enough, and the current technologies can deliver on this. Metrics that log and analyse location history allow for greater optimisation in the use of production assets for further indirect cost savings.

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Smart manufacturing RFID chips on tooling and adapters can be loaded with tool assembly and other production data to allow for an error-free experience at the point of use. Tooling is placed in a modular housing where the chip data is read and transmitted to the tool management software, which then limits vending to tools that have been authorised for the job. The cost of using the wrong tool can be exorbitant and lead to scrapped parts, delayed orders and risks compromising the reputation of the manufacturer. In aerospace, for example, eliminating the risk of using the wrong tool is mandatory and nonnegotiable. Where the bill of materials is fixed, this technology will be extremely useful.

Cloud tool and data management Several companies already offer cloud-based applications to find, select and assemble the right tools for the job. Many cutting tool manufacturers develop and offer digital catalogues and tool selection apps. Integrating these with job planning and vending platforms makes sense. When creating the job, you want to know the most basic of things: Is my preferred tool in stock? And can I reserve it, so it won’t be used for another job in the meantime?

Some vending systems offer this important integration.

Real-time data analysis Pulling it all together with advanced reporting options, analytics and customisation is essential for targeted and efficient navigation through the huge quantities of data a vending system can generate.

This includes thousands of stock keeping units (SKUs), hundreds of thousands of transactions, multiple users, cost centres, logistics parameters and more. Mining out what you need and calculating the performance metrics will make all the difference between staying ahead or drowning in all that data.

The above innovations already provide us with tangible advances, bridging the gap between the past and the future smart factory – where automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), artificial intelligence and robotics will probably deliver tools to the point of use just in time. www.iscar.com.au

JUBILEE SPRINGS A LEADING AUSTRALIAN COMPRESSION, TENSION AND TORSION SPRING SUPPLIER E-mail websales@jubilee-springs.com.au

Phone 02 4389 1411

Business Hours Mon-Fri: 8.30am-5pm

COMPRESSION SPRINGS

TENSION SPRINGS

TORSION SPRINGS

WIRE FORM SPRINGS

FLAT SPRING CLIPS

DIE SPRINGS

RETAINING PINS

SPECIALISED SPRINGS

Established in 1938 we have been a spring manufacturer in Australia for 80 years. We design and manufacture all types of springs in both ferrous and non-ferrous materials.

Our customers range from small businesses to large enterprises, both nationally and internationally. As a 100% Australian owned and operated business, we have built a solid reputation based on our hard work, our reliability and on our integrity. As a leading spring manufacturer and supplier in Australia, our organisational goal is for continual improvement, in both workmanship and service delivery, so that we are able to fully meet our customer’s needs and expectations, now and well into the future. To achieve these goals we have established a Quality Control System based on the requirements of AS/NZS ISO 9001- 2015.

We offer – Professional spring design assistance, custom made springs, small and large run specialist compression, tension and torsion springs, as well as flat and wire formed shapes, metal pressings, die springs and retaining pins.

Please visit us at our Display Stand No. 3112 at National Manufacturing Week, Homebush Stadium, 9th to 11th May 2018. Feel free to meet our CEO, Mr Garry Burton, our Managing Director, Mr Mark Guest, plus our technical representatives. We are very happy to offer technical or sales assistance or even just chat about your needs.

Come visit Jubilee Springs at National Manufacturing Week 2018, or please contact us today.

Jubilee Springs is the exclusive manufacturer of AUSTRAP At Jubilee Springs we have used our extensive engineering and design skills to create the perfect Australian made plastic mouse and rat traps. Called Austrap, our traps are fabricated from both recycled plastic and quality wire.

www.jubilee-springs.com.au

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Cutting Tools

How traditional HSS tools meet the needs of today Cutting tools made from high-speed steel (HSS) are witnessing a level of growth around the world that shows no signs of slowing down. Ricky Payling looks at why HSS remains a popular option, the different compositions available, and how the material has adapted to a fast-changing industry.

The global market for HSS cutting tools is expected to grow to more than $10bn by 2020. This is a significant amount, especially when the current global market for the entire cutting tools industry is valued at around $18.5bn. The increase is supported by a steady demand from key segments, such as automotive and construction, as well as heavy electrical and industrial equipment.

Despite the growing competition from solid carbide, HSS continues to be popular with manufacturers due to its high wear resistance and excellent hardness and toughness properties. HSS cutting tools are best suited to mass production environments where tool life, versatility, productivity and tool cost are of the highest importance to an end-user. It therefore still has a major part to play in efficient and reliable machining of many components.

Also, the current focus for a good-quality product that meets the customer application requirements at a cost-effective price is proving attractive in the present global economic climate. To support the growing worldwide demand for HSS, cutting tool manufacturers have committed extensive resources to this segment. This includes increased investment in not just new product development but also research & development activities.

This has led to HSS tools becoming more reliable, with a reduction in the number of defects, lower production costs and shorter lead times. The addition of improved substrates, including powder metallurgy and coatings, has been instrumental in further enhancing performance.

Across Dormer’s range of round tools there are currently four different material types available; high-speed steel (HSS), highspeed cobalt (HSS-E), high-speed steel/carbide (HSS HM) and HSS-E powder metallurgy steel (HSS-E PM). These materials are used across our assortment of drills, countersinks, reamers, taps and milling cutters.

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HSS composition A typical HSS composition features chromium (4%), tungsten (approximately 6%), molybdenum (up to 10%), vanadium (around 2%), cobalt (up to 9%) and carbon (1%). The different grade types depend on the varying levels of elements added.

Chromium improves hardenability and prevents scaling. Tungsten offers greater cutting efficiency and resistance to tempering, as well as improved hardness and high-temperature strength.

Molybdenum – a by-product of copper and tungsten production – also improves cutting efficiency and hardness, as well as resistance to tempering. Vanadium, which is present in many minerals, forms very hard carbides for good abrasive wear resistance, increases high-temperature wear resistance and strength, as well as retention of hardness.

Cobalt improves heat resistance, retention of hardness and slightly improves heat conductivity, while carbon, increases wear resistance and is responsible for the basic hardness (approximately 62-65 Rc).

The addition of 5% to 8% more cobalt to HSS improves strength and wear resistance. Typically, drills made with the addition of more cobalt are used in application specific operations.

Advantages HSS tools can resist vibrations, whatever the type of machine tool, even if rigidity has been lost over time and regardless of workpiece clamping conditions. It can prevent mechanical shocks at tooth level in milling operations and cope with varying lubrication conditions which may result in thermal changes.

Also, thanks to the unique strength of HSSs, tool manufacturers can produce extremely sharp cutting edges. This make it easier to machine difficult materials, offers less work hardening of austenitic stainless steels and nickel alloys, and gives a better surface quality and tolerances of machined parts.

Cutting Heading Tools

As the metal is cut and not torn, it provides longer tool life with lower cutting edge temperatures. It also requires lower cutting forces, which ultimately means less power consumption from the machine tools.

From a tool life point of view, HSS performs very well with intermittent cutting applications. However, it has limited cutting speed range, which is far lower when compared to carbide tools.

Coatings and substrates HSS may be an established cutting tool material, but it does not mean it has not been subject to constant development and improvements since it was first used back in the late 19th century.

Dormer Pramet’s range of HSS substrates, for example, is anything but outdated. We have invested in powder technology to develop a material that provides better results.

HSS-E with powder metallurgy offers a higher content of alloy elements and a combination of unique properties to improve toughness, wear resistance and hardness. Using HSS-E-PM prolongs tool life, makes it more predictable, improves feed and speed performance, as well as helps reduce chipping problems.

The most recent application of this powdered metallurgy technology is in Dormer’s Shark Line taps. They are manufactured from a HSS-E-PM substrate, specifically developed for taps to give the additional toughness required, consistently stable properties and superior grind-ability compared to conventional high-speed steels. These improved characteristics mean the taps have a more predictable and assured life.

Also, HSS-E and HSS-E-PM are excellent substrates for a variety of coatings, such as titanium nitride (TiN), titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN), titanium carbon-nitride (TiCN), as well as multilayer coatings.

Case Study: Larssons Mechanical Workshop An example of a real-world application comes with Dormer’s A553 high-speed cobalt (HSS-E) drill, which has become a key component for Swedish manufacturer Larssons Mechanical Workshop.

Founded in 1951, Larssons manufacture subcontracted metal products, as well as processing and assembly support for a wide range of industries. One particular job involved the machining of thousands of holes in its packaging machine rollers made from 2346 and 2333 stainless steel.

A 12mm diameter A553 drill – which features a TiAlN top coating and internal coolant – is used to drill thousands of holes to depths of up to 70mm, which equates to 70-75 metres of drilling. For Larssons, HSS is the preferred option.

“It is flexible drill that, unlike a carbide drill, is more forgiving if something happens,” says Gunnar Wistrand, CNC operator at Larssons. “Another safety advantage of the A553 is that we can leave the machine without risk of failure.”

In this respect, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages as Wistrand confirms: “Utilising the A553 it takes an extra 30 seconds for each reel to be produced. However, the process is more predictable and changeover time is greatly reduced.

The extra time it would take to change tools would cost us far more. Not changing the tool as frequently also eliminates any safety concerns with tool changes.”

Coatings considerably improve tool life and further boost the performance of HSS tools in environments where productivity and speed and feed rates are high, as well as in dry operations and for machining of difficult materials. They offer increased surface hardness for higher wear resistance, reduced friction for better chip creation, reduce cutting forces, heat generation and crater wear resistance, and offer improved surface quality of finished parts.

TiAlN-coated HSS-E cutting tools, for example, are highly suited to dry machining of cast iron as this helps resist high temperatures, while TiAlN coated HSS-E-PM tools are suitable for the machining of titanium and nickel alloys.

Summary In an age where users require reliable, consistent, versatile tools at a cost-effective price, HSS is still the ideal choice for many applications. As such, it can still hold its own in the market place against younger and more technically advanced materials.

If anything, HSS has over the many years become stronger, by adapting itself with new coatings, adjusting its composition and adding new technology, all helping to retain its position as a vital material in the metal cutting industry. The cutting tool industry has always been a competitive landscape and HSS remains a key component to offering customers what has always been an essential requirement: choice.

Thomas Lundqvist and Gunnar Wistrand from Larssons Mechancial Workshop.

Ricky Payling is a Product Strategy Manager for Round Tools at Dormer Pramet. www.dormerpramet.com

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Cutting Tools

Efficient machining for new materials The automotive industry is undergoing a radical transformation, and Walter is playing an active role in driving change.

While the industry is developing electric vehicles and enjoying a global upsurge in demand for cars, it is also faced with the urgent need to refine combustion engines to reduce consumption.

Lightweight yet high-performance drive systems are the order of the day. This presents the machining industry with a challenge, since some of the new materials used to achieve this are difficult to machine. Added to this is the increasing pressure to improve the efficiency of the production process.

Lightweight yet high-performance drive systems are in growing demand as the automotive industry seeks to refine combustion engines to reduce consumption.

Rarely throughout its history has the automotive industry been under such intense pressure to implement change: within the next two decades, the combustion engine is set to give way to the electric drive. National governments and the EU administration in Brussels have started to introduce tax incentives to promote electric vehicles over vehicles with combustion engines.

And that is just the beginning. Car manufacturers face penalties if they fail to comply with the political requirements for reducing CO2 emissions. At the same time, private transport is becoming ever more popular, and with this rise in popularity inevitably comes an increase in demand for energy. These trends are occurring against a backdrop of seriously depleted fossil fuel reserves and everincreasing fuel prices.

One thing is clear: the pressure to design more energy-efficient systems is increasing rapidly, for instance to design engines that are lighter and more compact, while exhibiting performance that rivals, or even outstrips, that of their predecessors. One of the consequences of this is the growing trend towards turbochargers, which allow manufacturers to “downsize” drive systems without compromising on performance. The industry is anticipating that the number of petrol cars with turbochargers will have increased globally between 2015 and 2020 by more than 80%.

New materials – incredibly lightweight yet robust Gianfranco Dell’Aquila, Automotive Business & Application Development Manager at Walter, says: “The trend towards weight reduction in order to lower fuel consumption has one consequence in particular: We can no longer use the materials we have traditionally been using until now – steel and cast steel. We need to look at using different materials. This is one of the main challenges that the industry is facing right now.”

Consequently, researchers in the laboratories of the raw material suppliers have been hard at work developing new, incredibly lightweight yet robust materials. Turbochargers, for example, have a hot and a cold side. With diesel engines, temperatures can reach up to around 650 degrees Celsius; with petrol engines, this is even higher, at around 1050 degrees or more. Currently, compacted graphite iron is used for diesel turbochargers; nickel-based alloys are usually used for petrol turbochargers, which generate even more heat than their diesel counterparts.

Dell’Aquila explains: “Nickel is relatively expensive. This is why more and more materials are being developed with a lower nickel content. However, almost all of these materials have one drawback in common: They are much more difficult to machine than the materials with a higher nickel content that have been commonly used to date, as the nickel must be substituted with other alloying elements.”

Alternative materials to steel and cast steel that are currently being tested and improved for manufacturing crankshafts, camshafts, connecting rods, engine blocks, cylinder heads and casing include hybrid materials that often combine steel with materials such as aluminium.

AMT Apr/May 2018

“We are expecting these kinds of hybrid materials, aluminium, diecast aluminium and wrought alloys to be popular choices when ultra-lightweight materials are required.”

According to Dell’Aquila, Walter recognised this very early on, and responded with measures such as creating new tool coatings to adapt to the challenges presented by high-temperature-resistant materials that are difficult to machine: “Our new Walter Tigertec Gold grade generation, for example, boasts significant benefits for these kinds of applications. In virtually any scenario, it allows us to increase the processing speed and productivity, achieve longer tool life, and in turn reduce the costs per component.”

Digitisation for increased efficiency Alongside the technological challenges that machining these materials entails, car manufacturers are experiencing a growing need for system expertise and comprehensive services with digital support. Ultimately, the new focus in this industry needs to be managed both on an organisational and on an economic level.

Walter’s tool management experts have a key role to play in this. Using digitised information, among other things, they have developed a concept for optimising tool use and processes. A number of customers, including customers from the automotive industry, are already capitalising on this novel concept.

Another example is Walter’s Tool ID: while pre-setting a machine tool would take on average several minutes in the past, it now takes a mere five seconds. This is made possible thanks to Tool ID from Walter, which automatically transfers the pre-setting parameters to the machine.

Unlocking the potential for optimisation One of Walter’s tool management specialists’ specific objectives is to use ‘digital processes’ to unlock the potential for technological optimisation in their customers’ processes. To do this, they take an in-depth look at these processes and develop optimisation solutions tailored meticulously to meet their customers’ precise requirements.

The first step is always to take stock of how the customer’s processes are currently implemented: How does the tool flow work from a purely logistical perspective? How does the reordering process work? Which processes, machines and applications are running? How much is kept in stock?

Cutting Tools

Dell’Aquila says: “To achieve this, we work closely with both car manufacturers and material manufacturers.”

This way, Walter’s specialists are armed very early on with the knowledge of which new materials will be available to them over the coming years, as well as the kind of component innovations that might be in store.

The industry anticipates that the number of petrol cars with turbochargers will have increased globally between 2015 and 2020 by more than 80%.

“This allows us to provide our customers with optimal machining concepts and tools as soon as they need to machine the first new components,” Dell’Aquila adds. “From the very first component, we are able to use optimised tools and machining concepts, lower costs and significantly reduce the time to market.”

The next step aims to make processes transparent. Walter’s specialists analyse how many tools of each type are used. They examine how the machining processes are carried out and how quickly tools become worn. In addition, they summarise the total costs, including non-productive time and set-up and takedown costs.

However, these are not the only advantages of outsourcing responsibility for components, tools and machining: it also provides the customer with a single point of contact that acts as their manufacturer, service provider and technology partner, as well as implementing all their requirements. They can introduce process integration and digitisation in a way that benefits them immediately, allowing them to adapt quickly and efficiency to a changing industry.

In addition, they can be sure that their production always uses the latest technology.

They use the data they obtain to determine both the areas in which costs could be reduced and the areas in which productivity could be improved, as well as the measures with which this could be achieved – for example, by reducing non-productive time, extending tool service life or adapting tool usage more effectively to component-specific processes.

The user generally sees an immediate benefit from these optimisations. For many projects, the increase in productivity or the savings fall in the single-digit percentage range; however, it is not uncommon for improvements of 20% or more to be observed.

Complete component cost concepts This is a strategy that pays dividends: by taking a systematic approach to analysis and optimisation, Walter’s experts are able to develop complete component cost concepts. This enables them to produce components for a clearly defined, guaranteed price. The amount to be paid is then simply based on the number of units produced. Walter is responsible for ensuring that the machining processes are optimised and the components are machined to the required standard. The customer can calculate their costs based on a fixed price per component – a crucial factor for the automotive industry.

Broadening our digital expertise To consolidate its digital expertise to cater to the requirements of this evolving industry, Walter has recently acquired long-standing software partner Comara. This acquisition is part of Walter’s plans to systematically transform itself from a pure tool manufacturer to a supplier of comprehensive production solutions.

Comara has worked in close collaboration with Walter since 2012.

The company specialises in collecting, analysing and exploiting real-time data. Drawing on their respective areas of expertise, the two partners have been working together to develop software solutions, to more effectively network components in the production environment, and to optimise processes.

Combining the fruits of their labour with Walter’s Tool ID, they have been able to come up with intelligent tooling solutions, or “smart tools”. These tools help Walter’s customers in industries such as the automotive industry to overcome the increasing challenges in their markets and to strategically implement their digital transformation so that they are well positioned to cope with the demands of the future. www.walter-tools.com

Gianfranco Dell’Aquila, Automotive Business & Application Development Manager at Walter.

The new Walter Tigertec Gold grade generation boasts significant benefits for applications involving materials that are difficult to machine.

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Cutting Tools

An incredibly simple principle – the secret behind Y-axis parting The Y-axis option has broadened the possibilities to use rotating tools in multi-tasking machines and turning centres.

This capability has inspired a great innovation in one of the original missions of these machine tool types: Y-axis parting.

Implementing this new tool and method brings significant machining improvements in potentially any parting operation.

Adding rotating tools to turning centres means you can combine several set-ups in a single machine for a more streamlined and productive machining process. To accomplish this, turn-mill machines were introduced in the 1990s.

The initial idea was to enable driving a milling cutter, drill or threading tap on one or more tool positions in the turret to eliminate limitations of polar interpolation and other related programming difficulties.

To improve reach, an extra set of ways was added to move the rotating tool across the spindle face. This was accomplished by mounting the tools on revolver sides or on its face, by installing the Y-axis ways on a slanted bed or by using an independent milling head.

Both machine tool makers and manufacturers soon recognised the benefits of integrating both milling and turning operations. Today, the Y-axis option has become a standard feature in most multi-tasking machines and optional in many new turning centres.

Given that a potential tool breakage comes with a risk of costly machine downtime or scrapped components, parting off is a stage of the machining process where manufacturers don’t compromise on security. To meet the high demands put on these type of tools, the system CoroCut QD was developed by Sandvik Coromant in 2013.

While considering how to improve this high-performing system even further, the tool developers started looking at these modern machines with Y-axis capacity.

This resulted in an innovation that involved more than just the tool design but also a completely new method: Y-axis parting.

The Y-axis parting principle The principle behind Y-axis parting is incredulously simple. While conventional parting off tools align with the X-axis of the machine tool, the Y-axis tool has simply been rotated 90 degrees anti-clockwise to align with the Y-axis.

In a conventional tool configuration, the relatively long and slender parting blade and holder is fed at a 90-degree angle into the rotating workpiece. The largest cutting force is generated by the cutting

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The force calculation principle behind Y-axis parting.

speed and the rest by feed motion. The consequence is a resultant force vector that is directed diagonally into the tool at an angle of roughly 30 degrees, in other words across a very weak section of the blade. To avoid tool breakage, this is compensated by reducing the blade overhang and by increasing the blade height, which in turn sometimes compromises the usability of the tool.

By turning the tip seat 90 degrees and utilising the Y-axis, the tool can cut its way into the workpiece essentially with its front end, which nearly aligns the resulting cutting force vector with the longitudinal axis of the blade. Finite element method

(FEM) analysis performed by the Sandvik Coromant R&D team confirmed that the new solution eliminates critical stresses and increases the blade stiffness by more than six times compared with conventional blade design.

To cut a long story short, when switching to parting in the Y-axis plane you get a beneficial direction of the cutting force resulting in less instability and vibration.

This means you can ramp up feed rate without losing stability or breaking the tool for an extremely secure and productive parting process. Simple as that. www.sandvik.coromant.com/corocutqd

While conventional parting off tools align with the X-axis of the machine tool, the Y-axis tool has simply been rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise to align with the Y-axis.

“When Quality Counts”

www.pretooling.com.au

03 9464 0912

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Shipping, Rail & Logistics

Facilitating the future of supply chain and logistics MEGATRANS2018, the inaugural exhibition for the supply chain trade, will take place at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 10-12 May. Show Director Simon Coburn spoke to AMT about who will be attending the expo and what they can expect to see.

The movement of goods from A to B may seem a simple process on paper for the average consumer. But it has taken years of development, progress and innovation to reach this level of streamlining, and that process is only becoming faster and more efficient.

For the industrial supply chain, this can be an intricate process, involving a variety of stakeholders with countless variables to consider along the way when moving goods from one place to another. Road, rail, air and sea transport, warehousing, packaging services – there are many different facets involved in the process and adding value to every step of the supply chain.

Giving the freight and logistics providers, and their customers – manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers – the opportunity to see the businesses, technology and innovation leading the cutting edge of progress within the Australian and international supply chain firsthand is one way to help the industry grow and reach a new level of supply chain safety, connectivity and efficiency.

The future of supply chain and logistics MEGATRANS2018, a new multimodal supply chain trade expo, aims to provide this unique platform and bring industry together under one roof. The event, delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government, is designed to bring together those who plan, implement and control the efficient and effective forward flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and point of consumption.

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In the grand scheme of things, this supply chain covers all facets of Australia’s industrial transport and logistics sectors. These specific industries comprise the main features of the trade show, which makes its debut 10 to 12 May this year at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, based in the heart of the world’s most liveable city – Melbourne.

But just who will be attending the trade expo? MEGATRANS2018 Show Director Simon Coburn talks about who will be making their way to Melbourne for the major industry event.

“MEGATRANS2018 is poised to be the biggest supply chain and logistics trade event in Australia and the southern hemisphere,” he says. “By spreading the expo across all 30,000sqm of exhibition space at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, we’re trying to include every business, service provider and leader within the supply chain.

“From warehousing to road transport, infrastructure, telematics businesses, manufacturing companies and packaging specialists – the show is including everything and everyone involved in the movement of goods from one place to another, with significant focus on the technology driving this process.”

The show is designed around the needs of the logistics firms, freight companies and various technology innovators and service providers involved in the supply chain. Those coming to the event will be the manufacturers, retailers and third and fourth-party logistics providers (3PLs and 4PLs) utilising the supply chain and looking for new ways to increase efficiency and security in the movement of goods.

Shipping, Rail & Logistics together international thought leaders in a world-class conference and exhibition hosted in Melbourne. ARTSA will be holding its 2018 Leaders Summit as part of the scheduled events, featuring industry authorities from around the globe debating the business models, systems and equipment that will continue to deliver for the customer.”

The GSF, likewise, will host its GSF2018 conference and AGM in Australia for the first time. The Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA), the peak body for Australia’s containerised exporters, will host the GSF2018 in co-ordination with the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), the Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and MEGATRANS2018.

Paul Zalai, Director and Founder at the FTA, the Secretariat for the APSA, says the GSF2018 is set to host policy makers and international trade practitioners from around the world – people whose decisions have a lasting effect on the way cargo is moved in Australia. As the event is run in conjunction with MEGATRANS2018, which covers all facets of the supply chain, Zalai says it will attract representatives from across the sector.

MEGATRANS2018 Show Director Simon Coburn

“Those who need to move goods by sea, air, rail or road are those who will benefit the most from hearing about the latest in telematics, data optimisation, freight forwarding, Industry 4.0 and future developments in the industry,” says Coburn. “Those are the people – the business leaders and decision makers – who will be making their way to Melbourne for the show, and we can’t wait to hear about all of the successful partnerships, business meetings and engagement coming off the back of this event.”

Bringing industry together Many major industry conferences and events are being held in conjunction with the show and are aimed at drawing even more national and international leaders from across different facets of the supply chain.

MEGATRANS2018 brings together a variety of international and domestic conferences, including the Australian Logistics Council’s (ALC) inaugural Supply Chain Technology Summit 2018, the Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association (ARTSA) Global Leaders’ Summit, the Logistics & Materials Handling Mercury Awards, a Ministerial Breakfast delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government, Transport Certification Australia’s (TCA) Technology Hub, and the 2018 Global Shippers Forum (GSF) Conference.

The ALC Supply Chain Technology Summit, for instance, will gather key industry leaders and businesses, taking place on 10 May onsite in partnership with MEGATRANS2018.

“It’s quite unique to have transport operators, freight forwarders, customs officials, cargo owners and policymakers all in the one room discussing logistics and trade issues,” he says.

GSF2018 takes place alongside MEGATRANS2018 and a range of other events either running concurrently with or book-ending the show. As a result, Coburn expects Melbourne will be the place to be for leaders and stakeholders in the global and national supply chain sectors come May. “We envisage the week of MEGATRANS2018 will set a few milestones for the national and international supply chains,” he says. “With so many industry leaders and decision makers from around the globe heading to the events, I’m confident we’ll see some positive outcomes for the future of the industry.”

According to Coburn, as the borders between industries blur, new multi-dimensional concepts have to rise to the challenge and facilitate conversation between the key stakeholders in these areas, and MEGATRANS2018 is leading the way. A trade event with the same scope as MEGATRANS2018 hasn’t been done before in Australia, and it will be an exciting hub for representatives across the entire supply chain.

“We’re inviting everyone to be a part of this game-changing expo format and we anticipate that everybody, from hands-on decision makers in the supply chain and logistics industry to CEOs, COOs, regulatory bodies, urban planners and government on all levels, will be out in force,” he explains. “Watch this space for more developments – MEGATRANS2018 will facilitate the topics of discussion, networking and decisions around the future of Australia’s supply chain process.” www.megatrans2018.com.au

“Technology is a major component of the logistics supply chain and will play a dominant role in the exhibitions at MEGATRANS2018,” said Michael Kilgariff, Managing Director at ALC. “The Supply Chain Technology Summit 2018 will align well with the technology theme and ensure that those who attend the integrated event can maximise their time and investment.

“The dedicated Supply Chain Technology Summit will focus on the policy priorities articulated by ALC in Freight Doesn’t Vote – our submission to the Inquiry into National Freight and Supply Chain Priorities. This includes collecting greater data on freight movements, adapting to automated technologies and global labelling standards.”

Peter Hart, Chairman at ARTSA, says MEGATRANS2018 and the industry players it will draw are a good fit for his association’s annual summit: “We see this event as an opportunity to bring

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Australia’s capability in commercial shipbuilding and services The Federal Government on 16 February released ‘Australia’s Capability in Commercial Shipbuilding and Services’, a new report by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and the export credit agency Efic, that showcases the unique strengths of Australian shipbuilding. The following is an excerpt from the report.

Australia, as an island continent, has had the sea as its lifeblood and maritime expertise was developed through necessity. Today, Australia’s maritime industry is renowned for its innovation and flexibility, with the appetite and ability to tackle unique challenges.

Australian designs, manufacturing processes and concepts reflect a technologically-forward and outwardly-focused industry.

Australian commercial marine companies are advanced, experienced and offer world-class safety and manufacturing standards. Australian engineers and designers are highly trained and adaptable, and offer innovative solutions to complex problems.

The results of these abilities are vessels that are winning international awards for both quality and effectiveness.

The industry offers leading-edge capabilities from design to manufacturing, supported by incountry fabricators, outfitters and component/ systems manufacturers. The combined capability ranges from small tourism and work boats through to the world’s fastest ships.

Australia is continuing to see investment in the marine sector, and there are a healthy number of designers, shipbuilders, refit and repair yards and equipment suppliers with capabilities to contribute to this growing sector.

Industry overview The Australian marine industry is made up of the commercial, recreational, and naval sectors. Australian shipbuilders have an impressive record of efficiency and innovation, with Australian-made ferries, super yachts, patrol boats, fishing boats, and recreational vessels operational worldwide.

Australia’s shipbuilding and maintenance repair overhaul (MRO) sector is made up of approximately 470 organisations that cater for both the defence and commercial market. With revenue set to grow at 4.3%, the sector is expected to generate $3.8bn in revenue during the 2017-18 financial year, with exports valued at $251.7m.

Australia’s commercial marine industry offers diversified capabilities, comprising of small, medium-sized and large facilities situated across the country. Factors that contribute to the industry’s success include effective quality control systems, excellent through-life support, and after-sales support arrangements.

Australian-built vessels are renowned for their sea-ferrying capabilities, fuel economy, innovation, ingenuity and workmanship.

These capabilities, along with a reputation for providing practical solutions to challenging marine situations, are the hallmarks of Australia’s maritime industry.

Australia’s competitive advantage comes from investment in innovation and in research & development, including access to the latest and most efficient technology and manufacturing techniques.

The Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is at the cutting-edge of transformational technology in Australia’s manufacturing industry. In response to a request from a leading cable manufacturer, Olex, CSIRO developed a plastic cable coating, a polymer, which transforms into a fireproof ceramic in a fire. This protects electrical circuits for alarms, pumps and fans vital for safe evacuation and firefighting, and could keep electricity flowing in a fire at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius.

In addition, all the materials in the cable have low calorific value, which prevents a fire from advancing or spreading and minimises smoke and hazardous gas emissions. Ceramifying polymers could transform fire prevention in ships.

From the complex software used to ensure that the world’s largest ships don’t touch the sea bed, to seemingly simple devices to make vessel handling easier, many of the latest innovations in the industry have an Australian pedigree.

Australian-built ferries, for example, are world-renowned and a number of Australian firms such as Austal, Incat and Strategic Marine are leading ferry manufacturers. Incat Tasmania has the distinction of being the builder of the world’s fastest ship, which is fuelled by LNG and is of super-light construction.

The Australian marine industry offers:

The offshore support vessel (OSV) industry has grown rapidly in size and vessel range. Australian-built OSVs can be found servicing offshore tasks as far away as the North Sea, with great success.

• Internationally renowned marine architects and marine consultants

Work boats are essential for various operational needs and often have to be customised to suit specific purposes.

• Manufacturers of a range of marine equipment and accessories.

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• Product design and development capabilities • Cutting-edge manufacturing technologies • Superior repair and refit facilities

• Ship/boat/yacht builders

Shipping, Rail & Logistics

Australian marine equipment and accessory manufacturers have also gained global recognition for a diverse range of marine hardware, components and accessories, including marine ropes, winches, radars, buoyancy aids, autopilots and dock flotation systems.

Australian success stories include Muir, which exports windlass and anchoring systems to 50 countries around the world for recreational, commercial and military purposes; and VEEM, an engineering company known for, among other products, gyrostabilisers and propellers for the marine, oil and gas, aerospace and defence industries. A company at the forefront of maritime safety is Liferaft Systems, whose liferafts and survival products are well known and used worldwide by recreational, commercial and military customers.

There is some cross-over between the recreational and commercial industries – particularly at the higher end of the market, where huge super yachts and luxury vessels are often built for commercial purposes. Fit out and refit expertise, as well as component design and operating systems, are most likely to service both markets.

Government assistance The Australian Government is committed to helping international maritime companies take advantage of Australia’s unique capabilities. The Australian Government provides support to Australian businesses and buyers of Australian exports through its specialist agencies – Austrade and Efic.

The two agencies provide customer-centric services and solutions to engage and work with Australia’s world-leading shipbuilding industry, and their international clients and business partners.

Austrade helps companies around the world to connect with the Australian shipbuilding industry and can introduce international buyers to Australian shipbuilders, suppliers and service providers.

Efic is a specialist financier, offering buyer finance solutions to help international businesses invest in Australia’s high-quality shipbuilding products and services.

Both Austrade and Efic have worked with some of Australia’s leading shipbuilding brands, such as Austal and Incat. These – and other case studies contained in the report ‘Australia’s Capability in Commercial Shipbuilding and Services’ – demonstrate the depth of Australia’s expertise in this highly specialised segment.

Reprinted courtesy of Austrade and Efic. The full report can be accessed at: http://bit.ly/2GMXsiE. © Commonwealth of Australia 2016 www.austrade.gov.au www.efic.gov.au

Government and industry associations Australian Shipbuilding and Repair Group (ASRG) is the recognised peak industry body representing the Australian commercial, defence and other marine industry sectors.

ASRG represents and promotes the capability of the Australian shipbuilding and repair industry sectors to the domestic and international market. The group circulates details of enquiries and potential export opportunities to all members, and provides professional advice relating to marketing and support and including exports, international banking, insurance, port security, legal, crew and other visas, tax including GST, environmental issues, and classification societies. www.asrg.asn.au

Australian Commercial Marine Group (ACMG) represents a group of Australian companies involved in providing shipbuilding and repair facilities and services and associated marine products to the commercial and defence shipbuilding industries. ACMG develops and promotes Australia’s international competiveness in the commercial marine sector. www.commercialmarine.com.au

The Department of Industry and Science is an Australian government department helping industry to become more efficient, competitive and innovative. The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DoIIS) facilitates the growth and productivity of globally competitive industries, to help build a resilient and dynamic Australian economy.

DoIIS works to achieve this goal by supporting science and commercialisation, growing business investment and improving business capability; and making it easier to do business in Australia. www.industry.gov.au

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Fostering innovation in rail With Industry 4.0 heavily influencing future trends in manufacturing, considerable opportunities exist for rail companies to continue evolving and taking advantage of new and emerging innovations in advanced manufacturing. By Dr Stuart Thomson, CEO of the Rail Manufacturing CRC. The focus of research & development (R&D) activities in the manufacturing sector is guided by many factors, including the global economic environment, domestic and international demand, regulations and standards, the nature of competitive global supply, the general level of confidence within the sector, and the subsequent capacity of domestic manufacturers to invest in research, innovation, capital equipment and human resources. To assist the rail industry to reduce barriers in undertaking R&D activities, the Rail Manufacturing CRC was formed.

The Rail Manufacturing CRC is an industry-led Cooperative Research Centre supporting industry to develop new products, technologies and supply chain networks to increase Australian rail manufacturing’s competitiveness, capacity and productivity. The Centre is funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and will operate until June 2020.

Making connections in rail The Rail Manufacturing CRC connects Australian rail businesses with universities and research institutions that are leading the way in innovative rail research. Rail businesses are asked to identify their challenges, with specific projects then matched to research institutions with the most suited capacity to develop and deliver aligned projects.

Participating organisations in the CRC include Bombardier, Downer, Knorr-Bremse, CRRC, HEC Group and Sydney Trains, who are partnering with Australian education institutions such as CSIRO, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Monash University, University of Queensland, University of Wollongong, Queensland University of Technology, CQ University, Swinburne University and RMIT University.

The Rail Manufacturing CRC currently has 13 active industry projects underway across its three key research areas of Power and Propulsion, Materials and Manufacturing, and Design, Modelling and Simulation.

Research focus 1 – Power and Propulsion This research area has the potential to significantly change the rail industry through the development and implementation of energy storage solutions utilising high-energy-density lithium ion batteries or supercapacitors, which can charge and discharge very quickly for potentially 100,000 cycles. There are a number of applications for energy storage in rail, including back-up power and regenerative braking, but the largest application exists for catenary-free light rail systems where the overhead lines are replaced by charging stations at tram stop platforms.

Working with CRRC, HEC Group, CSIRO and the UTS, the Rail Manufacturing CRC has a number of projects in this program area that are looking to enhance the performance of energy storage devices for use in rail applications. This includes research to increase cycle life in high-energy-density lithium ion batteries and to increase the energy density of supercapacitors through changes to cell chemistry.

Research focus 2 – Materials and Manufacturing This area incorporates a variety of projects relating to maintenance and durability of rail track and rolling stock, which has emerged as a key focus for industry, likely due to the integration of build-andmaintain agreements that span the life expectancy of the rolling stock.

The majority of projects underway involve the durability analysis of

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The development of supercapacitors at CSIRO in Melbourne

critical rail componentry, where the performance of materials and systems in these projects enables maintenance programs to better match durability properties.

For example, the development of accelerated durability testing of rail components at CSIRO will enable Knorr-Bremse to validate the high reliability requirements of their equipment in a range of environments, while a number of projects between Bombardier and the University of Queensland could significantly reduce maintenance and overhaul requirements in rail bogies.

Research focus 3 – Design, Modelling and Simulation With Industry 4.0, automation, the Internet of Things and virtual reality gaining increasing attention throughout the rail sector, this research area focuses on the use of design and simulation techniques to model operations, develop more efficient processes and equipment solutions, and increase efficiency by extending the asset life of rail systems.

UTS and Downer Rail are well advanced in developing an autonomous system capable of sensing and interpreting passenger behaviour and train events to monitor the movement of passengers on and off trains. The interest in responsive passenger information systems resulted in project trials at rail operator sites in Sydney and Brisbane in 2017.

Sydney Trains has also embarked on a new project to scope passenger information system technologies for use on its train network, while RMIT and Airlinx are collaborating on the use of fluid dynamics to create simulated models to design improved airconditioning ventilation systems.

Student-focused rail R&D projects In addition to industry and university project partnerships, the Rail Manufacturing CRC has also established its Rail Innovators PhD scholarships, focused on funding postgraduate students working on rail PhD research. These leading projects will provide the rail sector with improved capability in areas such as: • Condition monitoring of rail components in real time.

• Unmanned aerial vehicles for infrastructure assessment.

• Laser cladding technologies for rail components.

• Augmented reality and virtual reality technologies.

Shipping, Rail & Logistics Axle bearing maintenance project underway at the University of Queensland

Ingraining the importance of innovation Despite these programs, more still needs to be done to support greater innovation in rail.

• Big-data analytics for condition monitoring.

• Automated assembly of rolling stock fabrication.

• Stabilising ballast in rail tracks.

• Smart axle condition monitoring.

Projects like these demonstrate the capacity for the rail industry to collaborate with research institutions to develop high-value products and services, while also further developing the skills of the potential next generation of future leaders in the rail industry.

Dr Stuart Thomson, CEO of the Rail Manufacturing CRC.

Many rail businesses have identified the need to hire more management personnel with multidisciplinary research experience and R&D adoption/commercialisation skills. To fill this need, the Rail Manufacturing CRC is working with the rail sector to identify the next round of project opportunities and postgraduate-trained researchers to enhance the Australian rail industry, whether in condition monitoring, digital design and manufacturing, virtual reality, responsive passenger information, improved energy storage, or something entirely different.

With a pool of $42m to co-fund rail research to benefit Australia’s rail industry, the Rail Manufacturing CRC is always interested in hearing project ideas from businesses, either working in rail or with the potential to do so, who are interested in addressing today’s challenges to build the rail industry of the future.

For more information, visit: www.rmcrc.com.au/register-your-project

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CNC takes machining to a new level The world was a very different place before the creation of the microchip, and nowhere more so than the engineering workshop. The widespread availability of microchips, together with massive advances in software, have enabled the creation of CNC – computer numerical control.

In CNC systems, the design of a mechanical part and its manufacturing program is highly automated. The part’s mechanical dimensions are defined using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and then translated into manufacturing directives by computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. The resulting directives are transformed by post-processor software into the specific commands necessary for the chosen machine to produce the component.

What that means, in simple terms, is that the days of “one man, one machine” are now a fast-fading memory. One programmer at a computer console can program, implement, and supervise machine work that would be the equivalent of several operators on lathes, grinders, routers, mills, and shapers in earlier times. Computercontrolled, automated machining methods can achieve reaches, holds, and other actions that human operators and conventional machines typically don’t do efficiently.

Generally, lathes and machining centres have two axes, but more sophisticated models have more, allowing for more advanced jobs to be machined. Basic machines have cutting implements along X and Y- axes that can each work independently, yet simultaneously.

Advanced machines may have up to five axes that perform similarly, and have the capacity to turn and flip the part; for example, the Z-axis moves up and down. Some models include special features and accessories that further simplify the production process – for example touch-screens and automated tool changers, and robotic feeders for ‘lights out’ night work.

Sydney-based company Meeke Engineering sees CNC as being very important, considering the continuing shortage of skills in conventional machining, and the key role played by CNC in guaranteeing the consistent quality and accuracy of jobs.

“We have found that the latest controls are fairly easy to understand and operate,” says Satish Sawant, General Manager at Meeke.

“And together with on the job training, they have helped us overcome the skills shortage, increase our precision, and expand our daily throughput.”

This was a contributing reason for the company’s decision to acquire a a brand-new YCM TV 158B CNC vertical machining centre (VMC). Throughout Australia, YCM machine tools are sold, serviced, and supported by Sydney-based 600 Machine Tools, a member of the global machinery manufacturer and distributor 600 Group, which was founded during Queen Victoria’s reign.

“I am not in the least surprised that such a technology-driven manufacturer as Meeke Engineering has chosen to extend its capacity and capability with a VMC designed and manufactured

by YCM,” says Cliff Purser, Asia-Pacific Managing Director for 600 Machine Tools. “An ISO-9001 accredited manufacturer, YCM was founded in 1954 and has built a worldwide reputation for technological innovation. Its latest model – a ‘smart’ multi-tasking mill/turn machining centre – won the Supreme Excellence Award of the Taiwan Machine Tools Industry 2017.

“The TV 158B is a popular choice for workshops in Australia, because its standard gearhead spindle provides up to 6,000rpm speed with 48kg-m torque. The 10,000 rpm spindle is deployed with IDD spindle design and oil-air lubrication to lower the deformation caused by heat, ensure the accuracy, and extend the life of the spindle.” Over the past three decades, Meeke has built a reputation for being the ‘go to’ company for excellence in engineering.

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600 Machine Tools Sales Executive Patrick O’Doherty (left), with Meeke Engineering General Manager Satish Sawant and Workshop Foreman Derrick Vuong.

“We provide the diversity our customers need – machining, fabrication, assembly, testing, and painting – all at the same location,” says Sawant. “Our Wetherill Park workshops in Sydney’s industrial heartland provide a lot more than just production capacity.

“Senior staff members frequently interact with customers to devise knowledge-based solutions to specific problems, often going on to design and engineer a prototype – even before the chips start to fly.”

According to Sawant, who has a degree in Production Engineering, the company regularly provides hydraulic cylinders and refurbishing, complex welding jobs, specialised CNC machining, and quick turnarounds when required. Typical challenges include centre barrels and impellers for the mining industry, gearbox cases for the gear industry, moulds for the rubber mould industry, rollers for the conveyor industry, and hydraulic cylinders for the earthmoving industry.

“In our workshops, we have the expertise and experience to produce everything from a batch of tiny components to a complete system that has been designed, manufactured, assembled, and tested under an ISO 9001:2015-accredited QA regime,” adds Sawant.

In recent years, 600 Machine Tools has supplied several machine tools to Meeke, including Harrison Alpha lathes, and machining centres from YCM. “The third YCM machine we have configured for Mr Sawant and his team is a ‘best-in-class’ VMC that is capable of producing complex components at high speed,” says Steve Drummond, Sales Manager of 600 Machine Tools. “However, despite the sophistication of the TV 158B, the Fanuc MXP200FB control ensures operators can approach this machine with confidence, due to its ease of use and simplicity of operation.

“Even if you haven’t used a lathe since your schooldays, you could walk up to a YCM machining centre now and start cutting metal.” www.meeke.com.au www.600machinery.com.au

Material Removal

Makino helps RUAG Australia remain competitive RUAG Australia works in a highly competitive market supporting a range of international customers. To remain competive, it recently invested in two Makino machining centres from Headland Machinery.

RUAG Australia develops and markets internationally sought-after technology applications in the fields of defence and aviation for both the Australian and international markets. Located across five sites in four states, RUAG Australia has a proud history of providing manufacturing and technology services to trusted partners.

RUAG Aviation, the RUAG division that includes RUAG Australia, is headquartered in Emmen, Switzerland, with facilities at locations in Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil and the USA, employing around 2,200 employees worldwide. Matthew Oakley, Production Engineering Manager at RUAG Australia, explains that an element of the company’s success stems from maintaining strong customer and supplier relationships: “We work closely with our customers to achieve long-standing relationships; this goes beyond intrinsic elements like quality and delivery. We want to understand everything, from their market to where RUAG fits in, so that we are able to build a solid partnership.”

Oakley reiterates the importance of RUAG Australia’s relationship with Headland: “Our policy on the purchasing of machine tools is clear: RUAG Australia purchases only those machine tools which come with a firm guarantee of support. We have a long history with Headland, simply because Headland’s service and support is outstanding. They have continuously proven their service and

support of our work, enabling our operations to remain accurate and on schedule. We look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come.”

Within a rapidly expanding aerospace industry, RUAG Australia continues to produce high-quality products for its customers.To remain globally competitive and maintain its excellent reputation within the industries it services, RUAG Australia actively seeks new ways to stay at the forefront – through new equipment, technology and trends. Makino is widely recognised for manufacturing high-precision, state-of-the-art machine tooling.

Having used Makino machine tools since 2003, RUAG Australia favours their accuracy and ability to withstand long periods of continuous operation. Its latest purchase of two Makino five-axis horizontal machining centres from Headland, is set to free up existing machines, allowing the company to improve production and enhance its portfolio of projects.

“The purchase of our Makinos mean that we’ll have the capacity to consolidate our position,” confirms Oakley. “And as the machining centres are equipped with the proven technology to capture any potential issues before they arise, our production stays on track.” www.ruag.com.au www.headland.com.au

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Making turrets terrific Still using standard lathe tooling? It’s time for a quick, but big, change! As machine tools become increasingly complex and the need to produce parts in less time grows, CNC lathe owners and managers must look to the latest technologies if they’re to improve shop floor efficiency.

Schuffenhauer. “As clamping force is applied, the tail end of the taper expands while the toolholder is pulled back against the locating face.

Together with a small amount of interference at the gage line, this three-point contact provides extremely precise radial and axial positioning and repeatability, as well as high clamping forces. Simply put, it is the most rigid and accurate quick-change system available in this size range.”

The irony is that one of the most productive of these solutions is far from new— in fact, it’s been a champion in the war on machine tool downtime for nearly three decades. It’s called KM Quick Change Tooling from Kennametal.

Now, Kennametal has now launched an entirely new KM product line: TurretAdapted Clamping Units.

In addition, the company has partnered with global lathe tool specialist, EWS Tool Technologies, to manufacture and support this series of KM adapters. Together, the two companies plan to redefine how shops will tool up the turrets on their DMG MORI, Okuma, Mazak, Haas, Doosan, Nakamura, Hwacheon, and Hyundai lathes, with more to come.

Embracing change Some companies have looked at quickchange tooling and decided not to invest, on the grounds that it is too expensive or not worth the hassle that comes with implementing any new technology. That might be why many machine shops apparently choose to take the path of least resistance and use the standard turret tooling that came with their CNC lathe.

“I spoke to a lot of customers at the last IMTS and EMO shows, and my best estimate is that 80% of them do not use a quick-change tooling system,” says Michael Schuffenhauer, Manager, Tooling Systems at Kennametal. “I was very surprised, and to me, it indicates a tremendous opportunity for these shops to become more competitive.”

Turret-adapted clamping units support this opportunity by replacing the standard block-style turret tooling with quick-change capable adapters made specifically for any brand of CNC lathe. This is true for both VDI and BMT-style turrets, whether they are rotating or static, and for toolholders with axial, radial, and even angular orientation.

Suddenly quick-change is much easier to implement. Total tooling costs are reduced.

Concerns over toolholder rigidity are eliminated. And because each clamping unit model was created by EWS to be a perfect match for prescribed machine tool builders, it’s as if the machines were designed with a KM turret.

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Building bridges “Available machining time is one of the key contributors to any manufacturing company’s productivity,” notes Schuffenhauer. “Obviously, reducing setup is a big part of improving this metric, something that quick-change tooling systems excel at. But there’s also the downtime that comes during tool changes, when the operator spends 10 minutes looking for the screw that fell in to the chip pan, for example, or the time lost by having to touch off a drill in the middle of a job.

KM eliminates this non-productive time, and turret-adapted clamping units are the bridge between the system’s quick-change capabilities and the machine tool.”

This bridge is both robust and comprehensive. Offset and inline clamping unit models are available, as are ones for right or left-hand placement. Hydraulic chucks, ER-collet holders, shell mill adapters, ID and OD turning cutting units after close to 30 years of development - the list of KM adapters is extensive. So too is the clamping unit size range, with interfaces ranging from 32mm to 63mm (KM32 to KM63). So whether a lathe, mill-turn machine or multitasking centre produces tiny medical screws or bearing hubs large enough for tractor trailers, turret-adapted clamping units and KM can meet all requirements.

“KM uses a pair of hardened steel balls that sit within a tapered tool shank,” explains

Jay Verellen, Kennametal’s Director of Global Product Management, Tooling Systems, points to the return on investment (ROI) calculator on Kennametal’s website as a way to quantify improvements in machine utilisation. He notes that a potential positive ROI in as little as three to six months is not unusual, and that the company’s Customer Application Support (CAS) team is ready to help customers ensure they are getting the value they seek.

“It’s not a terribly complex calculation,” he says. “Enter a few inputs such as hourly rate and number of setups per shift and it’ll make sense pretty quickly. But you also need to consider the less tangible effects of KM. Set-ups and in-process tool changes are simpler, so having a less skilled operator isn’t a scary proposition. And flexibility is greatly increased.

“This doesn’t refer so much to the wide variety of tools and adapters that are available (although this is certainly important) but is more about the flexibility to make your customer happy—if you can set up a machine in five minutes, it becomes much easier to meet their changing demands without losing your shirt. That’s what KM and turret-adapted clamping units bring to the table.” www.kennametal.com

Material Removal

Simple, effective crosshole deburring of complex metal parts By integrating flexible hones into the machining process, complex parts with cross-drilled holes and other difficult-toaccess features can be deburred in-house at less cost. Here’s an effective way to do it. reach the burrs, particularly if the walls were thick, is extremely difficult.”

In automated machining, the removal of burrs and sharp edges in cross-drilled holes and other difficult-to-access areas, such as undercuts, grooves, slots, or internal holes, can be tedious and time consuming.

One particular challenge is deburring the intersection of cross-drilled holes that are frequently found in engine and transmission components.

Despite the challenges, the removal of burrs from this production process is an absolute must for high quality, precision parts. In many applications, cross-drilled holes act as conduits for fluids, lubricants and gases. Failing to remove burrs can cause blockage of these critical passages or create turbulence in the flow. Burrs can also lead to part misalignments, affect dimensional tolerances, and limit the overall efficiency of machined components.

With a background in aerospace parts as well as mould making, Spaulding is currently focused on creating products of his own design, such as high-end pocket knives and cycling components for BMX, road and mountain bikes. He also continues to perform contract manufacturing work and particularly appreciates how the flexible hone’s abrasive globules each have independent suspension that is selfcentering, self-aligning to the bore and selfcompensating for wear, all of which facilitate close tolerance finishing work.

Before deburring

“Getting rid of burrs is really important because if there is any loose material that gets dislodged when the component is in use, it can cause major problems,” says Anthony Scott, the lead machinist at Orange Vise Company, a California-based manufacturer of machine vises and quick change fixturing components.

Although there are many techniques for deburring internal passages at crossholes, the majority require sending out parts or investing in equipment to complete the work in-house that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. These options, which include thermal, abrasive flow, electrochemical and high-pressure water, effectively remove excess material, but they also build time into the manufacturing process and add to costs. The more ideal option for many machining operations is to integrate deburring into the automated process with a simple, effective crosshole deburring tool, such as a flexible hone (Flex-Hone) from Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM).

By doing so, operators can speed up the manufacturing process and ensure uniform quality for precision parts.

According to Scott, flexible hones are ideal because they cost effectively smooth edges and produce a blended radius for crosshole deburring: “It is really about accessibility, because there aren’t really any other tools that can do what a flexible hone can.

Whether it is internal grooves or multiple crossholes, there is really no way to reach those areas with any sort of other tool.”

“The hone conforms to whatever you are working with, even if it’s irregular,” notes Spaulding. “For example, if the back side of the part is not flat or not on consistent level plane in Z, the tool is flexible enough to still remove any burrs.”

For best results, the deburring tool is typically rotated into the main bore into which the crossholes break. After a few clockwise strokes, the tool is removed and the spindle reversed to rotate and stroke the flexible hone in a counterclockwise direction for a few more strokes. The forward and reverse rotation creates a symmetrical deburring pattern. Coolant should be used to keep metal cuttings and deburred metal in suspension.

After deburring

For engineers in the automotive, aerospace, manufacturing and machining industries, the ball-style hone is a highly specialised abrasive tool that is instantly recognisable by its unique appearance. Characterised by the small, abrasive globules that are permanently mounted to flexible filaments, the product is a flexible, low-cost tool utilised for sophisticated surfacing, deburring and edge blending. Available in sizes ranging from very small diameter hones (4mm), up to diameters of 91cm or more (a size appropriate for large engine cylinder bores), these deburring tools can be customdesigned to the size, shape and abrasive grit to fit any application’s needs.

“I used the Flex-Hone quite a bit when I was working in aerospace,” explains Ken Spaulding of Zodiac Engineering, a contract manufacturer in California. “We did a lot of parts that involved tubes with multiple crossholes and slots. Getting inside there to

According to Scott, while the Flex-Hone is often used with automated production equipment, it can also be used for secondary deburring options offline as needed.

“This tool can be used in CNC machines and also with a cordless drill,” he says. “So if you manage to deburr 90% of the holes in a machine but have a few left you can’t access easily, you can use it with a handheld drill and maintain the uniformity in surface finish and process.”

Additional customisation from BRM in a variety of shapes is also possible to meet the requirements of non-traditional applications.

This includes spherical-end configurations, stepped or multi-diameter configurations for double diameters and counterbores, tapered or cone shapes, segmented shapes, or combining Flex-Hone globules with other filament materials.

Reprinted courtesy of Fabricating & Metalworking. www.brushresearch.com www.fabricatingandmetalworking.com

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Welding

Austin Engineering: Cylinder fleet upgrade delivers safety and reliability Based in Kewdale, Western Australia, Austin Engineering is one of the busiest workshops in Perth, designing and manufacturing customised dump truck bodies, buckets and ancillary products for some of the biggest mining companies in Australia. With up to 200 workers on the floor on any given day, a top priority is to ensure maximum efficiency by using a continuous improvement approach.

Austin is a leading designer and manufacturer of customised dump truck bodies, buckets and ancillary products used in the mining industry. With more than 30 years’ experience in the mining and manufacturing industry, the company is an expert at solving engineering challenges. As a complete service provider, it offers on and off-site repair and maintenance and heavy equipment lifting services to customers including miners, mining contractors and original equipment manufacturers. With a presence in some of the world’s principal mining regions, Austin provides high-quality, costeffective solutions, delivered on-time and backed by through-life product support.

With a significant amount of welding carried out every day and anywhere between 80-120 G-size cylinders used each week, Austin was keen to work with BOC to improve safety of its workers and reduce costs by upgrading its gas cylinders to the new BOC F3 VIPR with an in-built regulator. Geoff Collins, Workshop Manager at Austin, explains: “We’re firm believers in continuous improvement and are always looking for better ways to improve our efficiency and that’s where these cylinders came in.”

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Meeting the challenges Working in a busy workshop with G-size cylinders meant some challenges for the Austin team – particularly when connecting regulators and transporting them around the workshop.

“When staff detached a regulator from a cylinder, there was always a risk that they would drop it on the ground, break it, or crack the valve open too fast and blow the diaphragm. We were getting a lot of damage with the regulators,” says Collins. “Also when transporting the welding machines around the workshop, the tall standard G-size cylinder could at times, restrict the vision of workers. Depending on which way you pushed it, you couldn’t always see over it.”

After an initial trial of several 33-litre F3 VIPR cylinders in the workshop, Austin made a decision to upgrade all its G-size cylinders for Argoshield 52 to the new cylinder. Ideal for welding workshops that need to easily move cylinders, the F3 VIPR cylinder was perfect for the Austin team because it had a slightly higher capacity than the G-size cylinders and an in-built regulator, eliminating the need to purchase separate regulators.

Welding

BOC celebrates $35m upgrade to Western Sydney site BOC Australia on 21 February unveiled a new $20m specialty gases production facility and $15m robot cylinder automation system at its Sydney Operations Centre in Wetherill Park.

The new investments were officially opened by Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matthew Canavan and Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres, at a ceremony attended by dignitaries, customers and staff.

Filled to a pressure of up to 300 bar, the innovative F3 VIPR cylinder offered both a higher capacity and smaller size - making it more portable. It also had improved safety features including a handle for trundling, protective casing for the regulator and a shorter height for easier transportation.

Smaller size, safer worksite With up to 60 welders in their workshop, minimising the risk of manual handling injuries was a top priority for Austin. Since the F3 VIPRs were implemented, safety has improved for workers transporting cylinders throughout the workshop.

“We have a diverse group of welders who have different heights and strength, so having this sort of cylinder makes it easier for them to handle,” adds Collins. “When moving them, they now have a better point of balance with the lower F3 VIPR height – bringing the centre of gravity down which makes a world of difference for them.”

Maneuverability of welding machines with the cylinder has also greatly improved with the new F3 VIPR. “Weight-wise it’s about the same as the standard G-size but it’s not as top-heavy, making it easier to maneuver with a welding machine.

It doesn’t restrict the worker’s vision at all as they’re a lot shorter.”

In-built regulators – improved durability Austin no longer needs to purchase its Argoshield 52 regulators separately and since switching over to the F3 VIPR, the workshop has already saved money and improved productivity.

“Having an in-built regulator saves us a lot of costs because it is permanently attached to the cylinder, making us less prone to damaging regulator equipment,” Collins notes. “It also means one less piece that we need to supply – saving us time. The top of the cylinder has a plastic casing which protects the regulator, so if it falls over it reduces the chance of the head breaking off.

“We also like that they’re all the same type of regulator because we previously had different types. We have a lot of workers where English is their second language, so now they’re used to the same BOC regulator, which certainly makes it far easier for them.”

Reliability of gas flow

John Evans, BOC South Pacific Managing Director, said the new specialty gases facility will increase BOC’s capacity to locally produce and supply more than 8,000 high purity and specialty gases to many high-value industries in Australia – from science and medical research, to manufacturing and energy exports.

“BOC is proud to be expanding our specialty gases capability to meet future demand for high precision gas mixtures and support Australia’s vibrant research and knowledgebased economy as it continues to grow,” said Evans. “With leading-edge laboratory technology and a highly experienced team of chemists, the new facility offers the best in quality, precision and safety – allowing BOC to supply many scientific and calibration gases in almost half the time and at higher packaging pressures.”

Embracing the new era of advanced manufacturing and digital technology, BOC also revealed a robot cylinder automation system that has transformed the way cylinders are sorted, picked and moved around the busy production site. The system is a world-first application of a six-axis robot combined with four turntables that can see, pickup and handle cylinders.

“The launch of this cylinder automation system is a landmark moment for BOC, driving a competitive advantage, and representing a significant safety investment for the Sydney Operations Centre, which produces more than 1.3m cylinders each year,” added Evans. “Designed with global experts and local engineers, the system integrates advanced laser vision technologies, automated guide vehicles, robots and 3D cameras – which has successfully automated manual handling processes and introduced new skills of the future into BOC’s workforce.”

BOC has invested more than $130m at the Sydney Operations Centre since it was opened. The site has a cylinder maintenance centre, dedicated medical gas filling facility, dissolved acetylene plant, nitrous oxide plant, specialty gases production facility and dry ice production facility. www.boc.com.au

With their large mining customers expecting high-quality welding work, gas flow from the cylinders was one feature that impressed Collins about the F3 VIPR. “A lot of other flowmeters and regulators can be inaccurate, which is not ideal, as gas flow is crucial to the welding operation,” he elaborates. “Knowing that we’ve got a BOC product with a BOC regulator in that cylinder, we can be sure of the quality because the regulator is actually protected and there is more consistency of gas coming through.” www.austineng.com.au www. boc-limited.com.au

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Welding

Facility for Intelligent Fabrication to guide local manufacturing to a new future A new one-stop-shop was launched on 9 March at the University of Wollongong (UoW) that provides expertise, technology, equipment and training in automating steel fabrication to help manufacturing businesses adapt and compete.

The Facility for Intelligent Fabrication (FIF) combines the knowledge and resources of the UoW, TAFE NSW and the Welding Technology Institute of Australia (WTIA). FIF was formed in recognition of the changing business climate, as the Illawarra transitions from large-scale heavy manufacturing, and the need for local manufacturers to innovate and adapt to remain competitive.

The facility draws on decades of researchbased welding and automation expertise and welding training at both UOW and TAFE NSW, enabling local firms with their own history of fabrication expertise to access specialised knowledge and skills in automation.

FIF will develop and implement solutions to industry challenges and provide demonstrations of technology and proof-ofconcept, including prototype development.

It will also support the adoption of new technology with technical education, training and certification support.

Gareth Ward MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Education and the Illawarra and South Coast, launched the facility on behalf of John Barilaro, Deputy Premier, Minister for Regional New South Wales, Minister for Skills, and Minister for Small Business.

Barilaro said the facility would be a valuable resource to ensure that manufacturing firms in the Illawarra and across NSW had access to the latest technology, training and certification.

“There are current and emerging opportunities for local fabrication companies to participate in steel-intensive defence and infrastructure projects that will be a source of long-term skilled jobs,” said Barilaro. “Connecting industry with training and accreditation partners and research will put local businesses at a competitive advantage and will be a game-changer for the region.”

Ward added that the FIF was an example of how governments, businesses, industry and training organisations can work together to promote innovation: “This type of business transformation program will help industry transition to a new future and attract additional investment to the region.

A strong economy will mean more jobs and go a long way to ensuring that Australia’s manufacturing industry is competitive on the global stage.”

The facility is an extension of existing UoW research, consulting and education

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WTIA CEO Geoff Crittenden; Professor Judy Raper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at UoW; Kerry Penton, Regional General Manager, South Region at TAFE NSW; and Gareth Ward MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Education and the Illawarra and South Coast (standing).

expertise, combined with TAFE’s complementary training and facilities, and WTIA’s network of companies in the welding and fabrication space and internationally accredited certification.

worked collaboratively with UoW and WTIA to establish a facility with capabilities across planning, research, vocational training and development as well as access to the latest technology.

Services the FIF partners offer include:

“TAFE NSW works in close partnership with industry, business and employers to design training that looks to the future and supports local economies,” Humphreys said. “TAFE NSW students are equipped with the skills and training that they need to respond to the opportunities provided by high-growth and emerging industry sectors as well as existing employer needs.”

• Expert, research-backed advice on automation technology adoption and implementation.

• Robotics and automation fabrication solutions.

• Augmented reality welding training for apprentices and trainees and ongoing welding training certification.

• Industry linkages and partnerships that offer opportunities for collaboration and sharing of knowledge within the industry.

UoW Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences Executive Dean Professor Valerie Linton said welding technology remained an integral part of the manufacturing industry, but firms needed to evolve rapidly.

“Solving challenges in adopting automation, accessing apprentice training and gaining welding certification would typically require multiple touchpoints with more than one agency or organisation,” Professor Linton said. “Here we are creating a one-stopshop where they can access impartial expert advice to improve their business.”

Karen Humphreys, Head of the TAFE NSW SkillsPoint for Innovative Manufacturing, Robotics and Science, said TAFE NSW

WTIA CEO Geoff Crittenden said: “The launch of the Facility for Intelligent Fabrication offers innumerable benefits to Australian welders, as well as manufacturing firms in Illawarra and across New South Wales. Together, the University of Wollongong, TAFE NSW and the WTIA will strive to secure the future of the Australian welding industry by producing highly skilled, qualified welding professionals, and delivering solutions that promote the adoption of advanced welding technology such as robotics and automation.”

The launch event was followed by a ‘lunch and learn’ session with Advantage SME, a program hosted by UOW that links businesses with researchers. Advantage SME is funded by the NSW Government’s Boosting Business Innovation Program. www.uow.edu.au

Real Business Real People Real Members AMTIL is the pre-eminent body representing the Australian machine tools industry.

Relationships have been developed with the global equivalents throughout the World, thus enabling access to the very latest developments. AMTIL continues to lobby on behalf of members and the industry, particularly to Governments, unions and industry stake holders, not only in Australia but also to the wider machine tool industry globally. Strong linkages have also been forged with Australian and international universities, providing the technological and intellectual linkages to the world for our industry. The staff at AMTIL are always willing to assist the membership and the regular networking and awareness sessions on topics of current interest are informative and thought provoking. I can highly recommend AMTIL to industry participants as a dynamic forward thinking industry association.

Grant Anderson, ANCA Group

Since 1999, AMTIL has been connecting business, informing of opportunities and growing the manufacturing community.

To be become an AMTIL member contact our Corporate Services Manager, Greg Chalker on 03 9800 3666 or email gchalker@amtil.com.au

amtil.com.au 1311AMTIL/GA

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Advanced Materials & Composites

Electronically-smooth ‘3D graphene’: A bright future Researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET) have found that the topological material trisodium bismuthide (Na3Bi) can be manufactured to be as ‘electronically smooth’ as the highest-quality graphene-based alternative, while maintaining graphene’s high electron mobility.

Na3Bi is a topological dirac semi-metal (TDS), considered a 3D equivalent of graphene in that it shows the same extraordinarily high electron mobility. In graphene, as in a TDS, electrons move at constant velocity, independent of their energy. This high electron mobility is highly desirable in materials investigated for fastswitching electronics. The flow of electrons in graphene can be, theoretically, 100 times as fast as in silicon.

However in practice there are limitations to graphene’s remarkable electron mobility, driven by the material’s two-dimensional nature. Although graphene itself can be extremely pure, it is far too flimsy to use as a standalone material, and must be bound with another material. And because graphene is atomically thin, impurities in that substrate are able to cause electronic disorder within the graphene. Such microscopic inhomogeneities, known as ‘charge puddles’, limit the mobility of charge carriers.

In practice, this means that graphene-based devices must be painstakingly constructed with a graphene sheet laid upon a substrate material that minimises such electronic disorder. Hexagonal boron-nitride (h-BN) is commonly used for this purpose. But now, researchers at FLEET have found that Na3Bi grown in their labs at Monash University are as electronically smooth as the highestquality graphene/h-BN. It’s a significant achievement, according to lead researcher Dr Mark Edmonds.

“This is the first time a 3D Dirac material has been measured in such a way,” Dr Edmonds says. “And we are excited to have found such a high degree of electronic smoothness in this material.”

The discovery will be critical for advancement of the study of this new topological material, which could have wide applications in electronics.

“It’s impossible to know how many fields of research this could open,” says Dr Edmonds. “The same finding in graphene/ h-BN sparked considerable supplementary studies in 2011.”

With the electronic-smoothness of Na3Bi now demonstrated, an array of other research possibilities open up. There have been many studies into the relativistic (highmobility) flow of electrons in graphene since

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Mark Edmonds, James Collins and Michael Fuhrer in the labs at Monash University

it was discovered in 2004. With this latest study, similar studies into Na3Bi can be expected.

Na3Bi offers a number of interesting advantages over graphene. As well as avoiding the difficult construction methods involved in bilayer graphene/h-BN devices, Na3Bi can be grown on a millimetre scale or larger. Currently, graphene-h-BN is limited to only a few micrometres. Another significant advantage is the potential to use Na3Bi as the conducting channel in a new generation of transistors – one built upon the science of topological insulators.

Next steps “The discovery of electronically-smooth, thin films of TDS are an important step towards switchable topological transistors,” says FLEET Director Professor Michael Fuhrer. “Graphene is a fantastic conductor, but it can’t be ‘switched off’, or controlled.

Topological materials, such as Na3Bi, can be switched from conventional insulator to topological insulator by the application of voltage or magnetic field.”

Topological insulators are novel materials that behave as electrical insulators in their interior, but can carry a current along their edges.

Unlike a conventional electrical path, such topological edge paths can carry electrical current with near-zero dissipation of energy, meaning that topological transistors can switch without burning energy. Topological materials were recognised in last year’s Nobel Prize in Physics.

Topological transistors would ‘switch’, just as a traditional transistor. The application of a gate potential would switch the edge paths in a Na3Bi channel between being a topological insulator (‘on’) and a conventional insulator (‘off’).

The overarching challenge is the growing amount of energy used in computation and information technology (IT). Each time a transistor switches, a tiny amount of energy is burnt, and with trillions of transistors switching billions of times per second, this energy adds up. Already, the energy burnt in computation accounts for 5% of global electricity use, and it’s doubling every decade.

For many years, the energy demands of an exponentially growing number of computations was kept in check by evermore efficient, and ever-more compact computer chips – an effect related to Moore’s Law. But as fundamental physics limits are approached, Moore’s Law is ending, and there are limited future efficiencies to be found.

“For computation to continue to grow, to keep up with changing demands, we need more efficient electronics,” says Prof Fuhrer.

“We need a new type of transistor that burns less energy when it switches. This discovery could be a step in the direction of topological transistors that transform the world of computation.” www.fleet.org.au

Advanced Materials & Composites

Crystal tech to help submariners breathe easier CSIRO has joined forces with technical and engineering services company QinetiQ on a groundbreaking project that aims to let submarines stay submerged longer while using less power with better conditions for sailors. All thanks to an advanced crystal technology called Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). and patented ability to make MOFs in large volumes, cheaply and with great precision.”

If successful, this cutting edge new technology could form part of the Government’s Future Submarines Program (SEA1000), the largest and most complex military program ever undertaken in Australia. SEA1000 involves the design and construction in Adelaide of 12 highly advanced submarines with a range in excess of 33,000km and capable of operating independently for up to 80 days.

For a non-nuclear submarine those figures are already impressive. CSIRO and QinetiQ will work on making it even more so.

“Together, we’ll be testing whether MOFs can allow submarines to remain submerged longer,” says CSIRO Project Leader Associate Professor Matthew Hill. “MOFs have the largest internal surface area of any known substance, which can be optimised to capture gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). The more CO2 MOFs can capture and store, the longer a submarine can potentially remain underwater, undetected.”

“If proven, MOFs could give Australian submarines an edge: a performance advantage that lets them dive longer while placing less demand on a submarines precious space and weight, as well as critical systems such as power,” adds Greg Barsby, Managing Director of QinetiQ Australia. “We’re focused on creating real capability gains for the Australian Defence Forces. This project plays to both partners’ strengths, our decades of experience and expertise in submarine operations and atmospheres; plus CSIRO’s unmatched

As submarines are an enclosed space, CO2 expelled by the crew’s breathing and other chemical processes builds up and can eventually become toxic. Carbon dioxide scrubbers avoid that, by removing CO2 from a submarine’s atmosphere and storing it for later release. However, current CO2 scrubbers take up a large amount of the limited space, weight and power available in submarines. They can also generate corrosive by-products, which have both health and sustainment implications in the close confines of a submarine.

A MOFs-based system would use a smaller amount of space, place less demands on a sub’s systems and wouldn’t rely on damaging gases. It could also be incorporated into existing submarines such as Australia’s current Collins-class to extend their operational life and capabilities. www.csiro.au www.qinetiq.com.au

Clever coating opens door to smart windows RMIT researchers have developed an ultra-thin coating responding to heat, opening the door to “smart windows”.

The self-modifying coating, a thousand times thinner than a human hair, works by automatically letting in more heat when it’s cold and blocking the sun’s rays when it’s hot. Smart windows have the ability to naturally regulate temperatures inside a building, leading to major environmental benefits and significant financial savings.

The self-regulating coating is created using a material called vanadium dioxide. The coating is 50-150 nanometres in thickness.

At 67 degrees Celsius, vanadium dioxide transforms from being an insulator into a metal, allowing the coating to turn into a versatile optoelectronic material controlled by, and sensitive to light. The coating stays transparent and clear to the human eye but goes opaque to infra-red solar radiation, which humans cannot see and is what causes sun-induced heating.

Until now, it has been impossible to use vanadium dioxide on surfaces of various sizes because the placement of the coating requires the creation of specialised layers, or platforms. The RMIT researchers have developed a way to create and deposit the ultra-thin coating without the need for these special platforms – meaning it can be directly applied to surfaces like glass windows.

Lead investigator Associate Professor Madhu Bhaskaran says the breakthrough will help meet future energy needs and create temperature-responsive buildings.

“We are making it possible to manufacture smart windows that block heat during summer and retain heat inside when the weather cools,” says Bhaskaran. “We lose most of our energy in buildings through windows. This makes maintaining buildings at a certain temperature a very wasteful and unavoidable process.

“Our technology will potentially cut the rising costs of air-conditioning and heating, as well as dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of buildings of all sizes. Solutions to our energy crisis do not come only from using renewables; smarter technology that eliminates energy waste is absolutely vital.”

Smart glass windows are about 70% more energy efficient during summer and 45% more efficient in the winter compared to standard dual-pane glass. New York’s Empire State Building reported energy savings of US$2.4m and cut carbon emissions by 4,000 tonnes after installing smart glass windows. This was using a less effective form of technology.

“The Empire State Building used glass that still required some energy to operate,” Bhaskaran says. “Our coating doesn’t require energy and responds directly to changes in temperature.”

Co-researcher and PhD student Mohammad Taha says that while the coating reacts to temperature it can also be overridden with a simple switch.

“This switch is similar to a dimmer and can be used to control the level of transparency on the window and therefore the intensity of lighting in a room,” Taha says. “This means users have total freedom to operate the smart windows on-demand.”

The technology can also be used to control non-harmful radiation that can penetrate plastics and fabrics. This could be applied to medical imaging and security scans.

Bhaskaran says that the team was looking to roll the technology out as soon as possible.

“The materials and technology are readily scalable to large area surfaces, with the underlying technology filed as a patent in Australia and the US,” she said. www.rmit.edu.au

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Advanced Materials & Composites

New high-strength steels can cut vehicle emissions One of the most direct, effective ways to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles – and thereby lower greenhouse gas emissions – is to reduce its weight. However, this can come at the cost of vehicle safety.

For example, every 10% reduction in total vehicle weight achieves an average fuel economy improvement of 4.9%; however, a decrease of 100kg in the weight of a car can also cause a 3%-4.5% increase in safety risk. One way forward is to develop new materials that are lighter and stronger than those they replace. Responding to the needs of vehicle manufacturers, steel makers around the world are developing new advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs) that are both lighter and stronger than conventional steel, offering improved fuel efficiency without compromising safety.

According to an environmental case study reported by the World Steel Association, the use of every 1kg of AHSSs in a fivepassenger family car could achieve a total lifecycle saving of 8kg greenhouse gas, which corresponds to a 5.7% reduction in emissions over the life of the vehicle.

In their paper ‘Thermomechanical processing of advanced high strength steels’, University of Wollongong (UoW) researchers Professor Zhengyi Jiang and Dr Jingwei Zhao provide a comprehensive review of the first, second and third generations of AHSSs and also

of Nano Hiten steels, another type of highperformance steel used in the automotive industry. Thermomechanical processing is a metallurgical process that combines mechanical processes (such as forging or rolling) with thermal processes (heat treatment, water quenching, heating and cooling at various rates) into a single process.

Professor Jiang, from UOW’s School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering, says AHSSs are complex and sophisticated materials, with microstructures that are controlled by precise thermomechanical processing technologies.

“AHSSs are regarded as the most promising materials for vehicles in the 21st century due to the unique combination of excellent performance and competitive cost,” says Professor Jiang. “The unique metallurgical properties and processing methods of AHSSs will enable the automotive industry to meet requirements for safety, efficiency, emissions, manufacturability, durability and quality at relatively low cost.”

Professor Jiang adds that research into the

thermomechanical processing of AHSSs in the laboratory was essential for the optimal design of processing conditions by precise control of temperature, strain, strain rate, heat treatment and cooling parameters: “As each type of AHSS has a unique application in vehicles, specified thermomechanical processing technologies should be developed to produce highquality AHSS products where they might be best employed to meet mechanical property demands for the automotive parts.”

Professor Jiang’s research group is equipped with powerful facilities for the research on steel processing and manufacturing, including Hille 100 rolling mill, rolls cross and shifting system, accelerated ultrafast watercooling systems and lubricant emulsification machine, and has been conducting research in this area for more than 27 years.

Professor Jiang and Dr Zhao’s research was funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discover Projects grant, ARC Future Fellowships grants, and by the BaosteelAustralia Joint Research and Development Centre Research and Development Fund. www.uow.edu.au

Egg unboiling machine enables graphene battery development A team of Flinders University researchers are turning their attention to capturing the energy of graphene oxide (GO) to make a more efficient alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

The Flinders team has partnered with Swinburne University of Technology, advanced materials company First Graphene and Melbourne-based manufacturer Kremford. The collaboration is developing a GO-powered battery, a super-capacity energy storage alternative to emerging lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology.

Graphene is the lightest, strongest, most electrically conductive material available and has been predicted to generate revolutionary new products in many industry sectors.

But so far unreliable quality and poor manufacturing processes has prevented an industrial graphene market.

In 2015, Flinders scientists were awarded an Ig Nobel Award for creating the Vortex Fluidic Device (VFD) and using it to unboil an egg. The device has also been used to accurately slice carbon nanotubes to an average length of 170 nanometres using only water, a solvent and a laser, and to

AMT Apr/May 2018

process graphene to a high quality for commercial use. VFD creator and professor of clean technology at Flinders Professor Colin Raston said the production of GO from graphite ore with minimal waste was an important part of the collaborative project.

products. Researchers at Swinburne’s Centre for Micro-Photonics are working on a commercially viable, chemical-free, longlasting safe GO-based supercapacitor, which offers high performance and low-cost energy storage capabilities.

“This project aims to develop the manufacturing specifications for the commercial production of a graphene oxide super-capacitor with the ‘look and feel’ of a LIB but with superior performance across weight, charge rate, lifecycle and environmental footprint factors,” Professor Raston said.

Professor Raston said there was significant global research to improve energy storage capability to support its role in the development of sustainable energy storage systems.

The $3.45m project is being supported by a $1.5m Cooperative Research Centre Project grant through the Federal Government’s Advance Manufacturing Fund. First Graphene will use the Flinders technology to produce the highest-quality graphene at scale and to become a global supplier of graphene nanomaterials

“For example, we’re seeing the rapid rise of LIB around the world, notably with South Australia’s significant investment in the new storage facility near Jamestown in this state,” he said. www.flinders.edu.au www.swinburne.edu.au www.firstgraphite.com.au www.kremford.com.au

Forming & Fabrication

The king of cutting sheet metal up to one inch thick When jobs call for cutting sheet metal in thicknesses around one inch and under, waterjet and plasma cutting pale in comparison to laser cutting, writes Tom Bailey, Product Manager at Trumpf.

The cutting of materials is one of the most common processes performed in sheet metal fabrication. Shops must choose whether a laser cutting machine, a plasma cutting system or an abrasive waterjet will work best for their operation when cutting sheet materials. Many variables must be taken into account when comparing these three popular options: the type and thickness of the material to be processed is a primary consideration, as well as the specific geometry of the cut part, along with its quality and accuracy specifications.

Waterjets tend to be slower in terms of cutting speed and they can be costly to operate, but they can also cut very diverse material types, including metals, plastics, composites and even organics. Lasers and plasma cutting systems deliver better productivity and lower operational costs, but both are generally limited to cutting metals.

However, when jobs call for cutting sheet metal in thicknesses around one inch and under, waterjet and plasma cutting pale in comparison to laser cutting, the clear frontrunner with many advantages that are mostly due to its relatively low operational costs, speed of processing, and quality and accuracy of its cut parts. Shops that use lasers to cut sheet metal up to one inch thick can expect: • Lower operating costs. The best fibre laser cutting machines will cost around $4 an hour to operate. In contrast, a typical plasma cutting system can be six or seven times that, costing upwards of $25 an hour or more to operate. Waterjets tend to be, by far, the most costly option per hour of processing time and will also have the longest cycle times per part in sheet metal materials. The difference in operating costs can be attributed to a few major factors, such as wall plug efficiency, cost of consumables required for cutting, and maintenance requirements of the equipment.

• Faster cutting speeds. In addition to lower operating costs, laser cutting machines also boast faster cutting speeds than both plasma systems and waterjets. For example, a typical waterjet can process quarter-inch mild steel at approximately 45 inches/min.

A typical plasma cutting system will process it at about 70 inches/min. A laser cutting machine can process the same quarter-inch mild steel at 114 inches/min or more (depending on

the laser source). The laser cutter will always have a higher throughput when processing sheet metal.

• Better part quality. Along with fast cutting speeds, the part quality is excellent when cutting sheet metal on a laser. Waterjet and plasma cutting both tend to produce a rougher edge condition with lower geometric tolerances than laser cutting. As laser technology advances and the beam size can be optimised for cutting even thicker material, the traditional advantages for high-definition plasma and waterjet cutting (of thick materials) have been eroded.

• Versatility. A laser cutting machine can perform a variety of functions, including cutting, ablation, drilling and engraving, to name a few. In contrast, the plasma cutting system can only cut, and the waterjet is limited to cutting, ablating, and structuring.

• Maintenance. Both plasma cutting systems and waterjets require day-today maintenance, with waterjets being especially sensitive to maintenance requirements due to the water and abrasive medium. By comparison, laser cutting machines have few consumables and require minimal maintenance. With solid-state laser sources, the beam delivery system is maintenance-free. Also, the laser

cutting machine requires very little clean-up, while clean-up for a waterjet machine is both critical and labourintensive.

• Safety. While the waterjet generates significant noise and pollutants and requires safety gear, the laser cutting machine is very quiet and needs minimal to no safety gear to operate.

Laser machines are generally fully enclosed to protect personnel in the area of the machine while it is in operation, and normally include dust collection and filtration systems to eliminate dust and smoke generated from the laser cutting process. Plasma cutting systems also require safety glasses and create noise, though not as much as the waterjet. They also tend to produce copious amounts of smoke and dust in the environment while operating.

Taking all of these factors into consideration, laser cutting is the obvious choice when cutting sheet materials up to one inch thick: cutting speeds are faster, maintenance is less, safety equipment is often unnecessary, cut part quality and accuracy is superior, with higher productivity and lower operating costs. If your shop needs to compete in this type of work, when choosing a cutting machine, look no further than a laser.

Reprinted courtesy of Fabricating & Metalworking. www.trumpf.com

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Forming & Fabrication

Fabricators demand more from nesting software From lasers to plasma, punch, warterjet and beyond, metal processing equipment represents a significant investment for any manufacturer. Maximising and accelerating return on investment is, therefore, critical, so it makes sense to drive such advanced equipment with sophisticated software designed to fully leverage the machine’s capabilities.

To this end, more fabricators are replacing basic software with more advanced applications provided by the specialists.

Glenn Durham, Vice-President of Engineering at SigmaTEK, explains what the industry can expect from CAM software providers moving forward.

AMT: Scrap-reduction and accelerated cutting cycles are a few obvious benefits of nesting programs. Where else do they make a difference?

Glenn Durham: Nesting isn’t only about scrap-reduction. It’s also about partplacement for manufacturability. A main goal for fabricators – beyond simply cutting and processing materials, is to efficiently manage inventory. While companies like SigmaTEK want to help manufacturers reduce scrap, we also provide tools that make it easier and more efficient to track and reuse drops.

To elaborate, there are many situations in which the location of a part on the material must be optimised before we can even consider material utilisation. For example, vacuum table routers have the strongest suction in the center of a sheet. Therefore, nesting must prioritise placement of the largest parts, which need less suction to remain stable during cutting, around the outside of the sheet – and furthest from the center of the table. Smaller parts must be nested toward the center of the sheet where the table suction is greater.

Another example is nesting for machines that drag the sheet. In these nests, we must lay the largest parts down closest to the clamps and then cut parts furthest from the clamps. Design for manufacturability must understand machine specifics to make the best nest and apply a proper toolpath.

AMT: Cutting machines generally come with a pre-installed nesting program. At what point should a fabricator consider upgrading to more advanced software?

GD: The basic software package delivered with a new cutting machine can help most smaller shops get up and running quickly.

At SigmaTEK, we partner with machine manufactures to provide a basic version of SigmaNEST, called Companion. What makes Companion useful is that it’s quick and easy to get parts imported and then cut. However, when professional fabricators want to move beyond cutting a few parts and into managing business in the most profitable and efficient way, it’s time to move to an advanced package.

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AMT: What should one look for in a more sophisticated nesting program?

GD: The answer really depends on the needs of the fabricator. We find that as newer, smaller shops grow, they first need to add the capability to import parts from a wide variety of CAD systems, nest those parts in a very efficient way and then machine them with an optimised tool-pathing algorithm.

Advanced importing, nesting and NC are usually the basic requirements. Beyond that, most shops quickly want to manage inventory and work orders, controlling remnants and reducing waste; then managing the quote-to-delivery process in a robust and comprehensive solution. We find that at each step in this process, the return on investment (ROI) is such that advanced CAD/CAM solutions like SigmaNEST pay for themselves very quickly.

AMT: Can you cite examples of the ROI that SigmaNEST is delivering?

GD: For some industries and companies, the material cost drives the ROI. We recently completed a project where our nesting improvements saved an entire sheet over a production run. That was due to about a 3% better nesting efficiency compared to what the company was previously able to get.

Three percent may not sound like a lot, but since they had runs of more than 25 sheets, they got to the end of the job using one less sheet. This is a great example of saving material. But think of the savings in handling time, in machine on-time, in worker hours, and in machine wear and tear.

ROI can also be seen in situations where material utilisation wasn’t the main goal.

As an example, a fabricator working with plywood had more orders than they could cut and no room to add another machine.

Therefore, they needed to reduce the time to cut a nest. Through a combination of nesting and motion optimisation, the SigmaNEST software helped them reduce machine on-time by more than 10%. Since they were running seven machines, 24 hours per day, they suddenly fulfilled production demand without purchasing additional machines, adding head count or hours to the workweek.

AMT: A 10% run-time improvement is significant. Can those running metal fabrication equipment expect similar results?

GD: No, I wouldn’t suggest that 10% runtime improvement can be expected. That was a very specific case where ROI was

based solely on machine on-time rather than material utilisation. Certainly, we want to cut more material faster, but the advantage that SigmaNEST brings to the professional fabricator is a comprehensive solution that allows the business to maximise the ROI based on a variety of factors.

For example, we worked with a company that cuts 36-inch-thick stainless with their waterjet. Processing a sheet typically takes four to 10 hours, so they wanted to set up a run at the end of each day and let the machine process it overnight. To minimise the chance of tip-up for these types of lightsout tasks, the company uses SigmaNEST’s Part Avoidance feature. By setting Part Avoidance to a very conservative value, an extra safety factor is injected into the operation. This gives the company the confidence to run the machine all night without direct supervision. Although the “safety factor” adds a few minutes to a multi-hour run, it allows a plate to be cut every night, ramping up ROI beyond nesting efficiency.

AMT: What are the biggest nesting challenges fabricators face today?

GD: Fabricators are challenged by both the high cost of machines and the difficulty of finding skilled employees qualified to program and run increasingly complex machines and shop process. But we can help address those challenges through a twofold process. We are making software that helps keep machines running continuously and, at the same time, we are placing better tools in the hands of programmers and SigmaNEST users. We are increasing and improving automation control through sheet loading, part picking and scrap processing, while making it easier to run these advanced features from a software “command centre”.

One approach for dealing with these complex challenges is by importing assemblies and creating multi-machine process plans. Fabricators are increasingly concerned with more than simply drawing and cutting parts. They need a solution that also deals with the assembly of parts that may be cut on a variety of machines. The newest version of SigmaNEST recognises which parts need to go to the tube laser, the press brake and the plasma cutter. It can then unfold sheet metal parts, task and nest for each different type of machine – all while managing the flow of different kinds of parts through the shopfloor.

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AMT: How does SigmaNEST support JustIn-Time nesting and similar initiatives?

GD: Nesting and posting machine toolpath code is great, but fabricators often face challenges that require even more. This is what I mean by the importance of a software “command centre” and why we offer solutions like SigmaNEST Console, which allows automatic nesting at the machine based on the work needs of the day. This type of tool works because it can integrate SigmaNEST parts, orders and inventory with a company’s ERP/MRP system.

Furthermore, with our SimTrans integration tool, the SigmaTEK services group informs the SigmaNEST user within minutes of a new order or a changed order or even a new shipment of material – whether in a centralised programming office or at the particular machine that needs to nest and cut the part.

AMT: How does SigmaTEK capture and translate customer requirements into software features and how are enhancements prioritised?

GD: We use a methodology for software development called Agile. One of the principles of Agile is that we receive input and ideas from stakeholders – the people who actually use the software. That means we have a constant flow of incredible ideas from our global customer base. We are constantly amazed by the creative and innovative ways that customers use our products.

Some of the best examples of customer input are related to cutting on lasers, especially on new fibre lasers. For example, when a part has a small hole in it, the laser can cut out the material and drop it through the slats. However, we started receiving calls and messages that customers wanted

a way to automatically cut a larger drop (one too big to fall through the slats) into small pieces that would fall through.

In response, we added the Laser Destruct feature to do precisely that. It was a big success, but then customers called our support lines and began to register enhancement requests to the feature. Our initial design worked, but customers thought of ways to make the cuts in a more elegant way, which also made the cuts faster. After listening to those suggestions, we improved the feature and debuted it at Fabtech 2017 in Chicago.

Another example relates to tabbing parts into a sheet. Customers told us that they needed an automatic method for tabbing in parts that are small enough to fall through the slats of their machines while leaving tabs off parts that would not fall through. So, we created Center of Gravity Tabbing to provide this functionality.

When the SigmaNEST user activates the feature, we automatically tab parts that don’t have a slat on both sides of the centre of gravity of that part. Not only does this improve the manufacturing process, but it also makes the user experience more efficient and more enjoyable. And that’s all because a customer brought us a great idea.

AMT: What are some recent software enhancements of note?

GD: We introduced the X1 platform in the last two years, and with that system, we added many features and improvements designed to advance the work of professional fabricators. Of course, the centre of every shop is the machines that cut. Whether it’s a laser, punch or waterjet machine processing every metal imaginable, we continue to add new capabilities.

X1 also continues our history of innovation in nesting with new mathematical algorithms for automatic nesting and improved controls for those who prefer manual nesting. We also continue to roll out new tool-pathing features that optimise machine motion and tool placement and control.

Ease of use, ability to run the most machine types from the most machine manufacturers, and feature-rich software that handles all aspects of the workflow for fabrication are just a few of the things that make X1 unique.

These features and advancements are each significant for different people in a fabrication business.

AMT: Where do you see the industry as a whole five years down the road?

GD: Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things get a lot of press. However, I think it’s unlikely that these will be brought into the fabrication industry as a complete package. Instead, components of these new technologies will be incorporated into our workflows to improve processes, efficiencies and quality.

So, I think we will see more companies taking advantage of process monitoring and machine utilisation studies. Automation, just-in-time nesting and tool-pathing will be seen as powerful ways to get more return from investments already made.

On an almost daily basis, manufacturing processes are being revolutionised by more complete and more accurate knowledge of what is really happening on the shopfloor.

Therefore, when fabricators invest significant time and money into their machines, it’s critical that they use the very best nesting solution available to manage and extract the best quality parts. www.sigmanest.com

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Forum Logistics

How to convince an overseas buyer to choose your product It’s considered safer for a buyer to purchase the market leader’s product and not yours. How can this be overcome?

Christelle Damiens offers suggestions.

Many business owners claim that their product is unique and therefore will be successful in Europe. But how can they be so sure? How did they research their overseas competition? How different is their product? Is their product easy to copy?

Step into your customers’ shoes. You want to sell your product to an overseas multinational? Know the evaluation process they are going to go through to make their decision whether to buy your product or not.

Let’s start with basics : know your competitors and differentiators In any business venture there is competition. Potential buyers will compare your product to others. Select your top products and find the equivalent European products. Check which players are active in the economies of Germany, UK and France. If research shows another country with potential for your product, include it also. Most of you already know your major competitors.

Think about criteria to compare your product against, such as performance, design, ease of use, warranty, price point, or customer support. Most European products will have an online multilingual user manual. Study that. Your technical team can evaluate the competition’s product and your strengths. Buy some competitor products whenever possible.

How hard it is to switch to your product?

It is wonderful to know that your product has features that have a real ‘value-add’ for potential international buyers when compared with competitors’ products. You also need to assess how hard it is for them to switch to your product.

Let’s assume you are an Australian business and your overseas buyers have never heard of you before. Is it safe for them to stop buying a proven product they know and buy yours instead? This is where you need strong differentiators. It’s not always about how great your product is it is often how safe is it to do business with you and your reliability. Will you be around long-term? If something goes wrong, is your technical support excellent?

“Will this small business be around in the coming years?” Reiterate your strong credentials, you may have rock-solid customers that have used your product for years, or have tested it in-depth.

These customers can give you credibility, particularly if they are multinationals or government agencies.

“What if this new product has a high return rate? A faulty component? How will that be managed?” I’d like to share here two of my clients’ totally different attitudes towards this. For one of my clients, who has been in business for several decades their return rate is minimal. I can always argue that their product has been used in the tough outback. One of my other clients, who has not been in business very long is a team of outstanding engineers who initially were not 100% sure what their new product return rate would be.

They decided that they would systematically exchange, at their own expense, faulty products. This way they could learn from these faulty products and work towards product improvements. This is a great argument if you need to reassure an overseas buyer.

Key strategies to close the deal

It’s about showing what your overseas buyer will gain from switching to your product. And how much it is worth to them. A buyer working for a new distributor you are trying to set-up, may be interested in buying your product because it will help them differentiate themselves in the market. And that can be strategic to them.

You know that for a buyer it is safer buying the market leader’s product and not yours. Let’s have a look at some strategies to overcome this starting with listing your buyers’ perceived risks and mitigate them.

Consider an end-user, you can show them how much they can save or the additional revenue they can generate thanks to your product. Showing the business case for your product is a great way to close the deal.

Buyers’ common perceptions and how to overcome them

Offer them a trial period – this can build your overseas buyers’ confidence. These concepts are commonly called: Try&buy, Proof of Concepts, or Free trials. It enables you to get your client on-board at a low risk for them. The trial can prove the products’ credentials allowing clients to measure precisely what can be achieved with your product.

“Buying from a non-local supplier is considered high risk.” Your buyer must feel they are making a good decision when buying your product. Visit them regularly, not just annually, creating trust making them feel they can rely on you and are supported and important to you. If anything goes wrong you will be here to support them. Partner with local players who can be there, if needed, within 24 hours to support the client.

Another way to counterbalance this perception is to work with a reliable distributor. You will benefit from their credibility. By extension, they are a local representative for your business.

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Good luck!

Christelle Damiens is the MD and founder of Exportia. Exportia provides outsourced European Sales & Marketing Departments.

For every client Exportia takes on-board, the goal is to generate a million Euros in sales. You can contact Christelle on +61 2 8068 9155; christelle.damiens@exportia.com.au www.exportia.com.au

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OHS

Why the judge convicted the Officer Last year a worker was killed in a preventable workplace accident. Colston Vowles covers the circumstances of this tragedy and why the Judge determined that the Officer failed to comply with his duty of due diligence.

In a Sydney District Court judgement on 2 November 2017 an Officer was convicted of failing to comply with his duty to exercise due diligence under section 27 of the WHS Act, to ensure that his PCBU* complied with its Primary Duty of Care under section 19(1) of the WHS Act. A number of the PCBU’s workers were exposed to a risk of death or serious injury and one was killed in a tragic workplace accident.

The fatal incident The PCBU in this incident is a company that processes domestic and commercial waste. On the day of the fatality, the Site Supervisor was operating an excavator with a sieve bucket fitted. He would scoop up a bucket-load of material that had to be sorted and three workers sorted the contents. The excavator was stationary until the sorting was completed. Thinking that all three workers were still in front of him the Site Supervisor reversed the excavator. One worker was actually behind the excavator. He was struck and was caught up in the excavator track and the continued rotation of the track caused his lower limbs to rotate and his pelvis was severely injured.

The worker had a cardiac arrest and died.

The Officer At the time of the incident, the Officer was the sole director of the PCBU that had 23 employees and he was not onsite at the time.

He was involved in overseeing the management and business operations of the company. Also he was responsible for all of the company’s training and the development of systems associated with the site operations.

Why the Officer was guilty Under section 27 of the WHS Act, an Officer must exercise due diligence to ensure that their PCBU complies with any duty or obligation the PCBU has under the WHS Act. In this case the PCBU did not comply with its Primary Duty of Care as set out in section 19(1) of the WHS Act. The Judge noted that: • The Officer was aware of the requirement and need for work health and safety procedures as a Transport Operations Manual had been developed. However he did not ensure that any formal procedures were developed or put in place at the site. For example there was no procedure in place requiring the excavator operator to indicate to or communicate with the sorters on the occasions the excavator was to move.

• A mechanical inspection of the excavator after the incident revealed that it had 93 defects including a number of defects that reduced and restricted the visibility of the operator including his ability to see behind him and no working horn or side or rear vision mirrors.

The Officer’s Penalty In deciding on the appropriate penalty the Judge took into account that the Officer pleaded guilty at an early stage in the prosecution.

The Judge also considered other factors: the “objective seriousness of the crime”, “the need for specific deterrence”, “aggravating and mitigating factors”, and “capacity to pay”. The Officer’s penalty was thus reduced to $60,000. The PCBU was fined $300,000.

Systems of work following the incident A number of changes were made to the systems of work after the incident including the purchase of a much smaller excavator that was fitted with a number of additional safety features including a reversing camera and a travel alarm. When loading and unloading, the labourers now stand in a pedestrian zone. This zone is designated as a ‘plant exclusion zone”.

The company has introduced formal toolbox talks with the labourers at the site each morning and a number of new safety documents were introduced and Job Safety Plans developed. These comprise of JSAs (Job Safety Analysis), Safe Work Method Statement and Safe Work Instructions. Documents were translated into Tamil for the labourers.

Further details of changes can be found in the Judgement: SafeWork NSW v Harris Holdings NSW Pty Ltd; SafeWork NSW v Harry Zizikas [2017] NSWDC 299

• The four workers at the site performing sorting, were unaware or unclear as to what a risk assessment, safe work statement or toolbox talk (informal safety meeting) were.

“This awful death is a stark reminder of the responsibilities employers have to make sure they provide a safe workplace,” said Minister for SafeWork NSW, Matt Kean.

• The PCBU did not provide instruction, information and training to all workers about the need for, and the operation of, an exclusion zone around the excavator. Nor was there a traffic management plan.

*A ‘Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking’ (PCBU) is a legal term under the WHS Act for individuals, businesses, organisations and government bodies that are conducting a business or undertaking (see section 5 of the WHS Act).

• There were no documented systems of work that required the sorters to communicate with the excavator driver when there was any change in their location.

Courtenell is a WHS training provider which specialises in developing and delivering workplace health and safety training and providing consulting services to help employers deal with their legal and corporate requirements for providing a safe, healthy and productive workplace. www.courtenell.com.au ph: (02) 9516 1499

• The onsite verbal training that was provided was insufficient, unclear and undocumented.

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Forum LAW

How to prepare your business for sale Jeremy Streten explains the importance of having procedures in place in the event that you are forced to sell your business. Neglecting this plan could result in selling the business for less than what it is worth.

Do you know when you want to sell? Are you prepared for something to happen to you in your company that may force you to exit your business? Usually the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘no’. If you are in business you are doing everything you can to keep your head above water, service your customers or clients and bring money into your business.

Preparing for the sale of your company is a vital aspect of any business owner’s journey. It is so often something that is missed. It is for this reason that I have developed the Business Legal Lifecycle, which is a framework for business owners to understand what they need to do in business and when they should take those steps.

Why is this important?

In any business that you operate you need to keep the goal and the end in mind. The fact is, that most people usually do not know what their end goal for the business is. Having an idea of the general direction and an end goal in mind (that may change in the future) is vital for the success of your business. As a business adviser, I have seen countless examples of business people who are operating successful companies who are stopped in their tracks: they (or a family member) become sick or they might lose the passion for what they are doing.

If this occurs, then usually you will want to sell the business.

In my experience it can take two years from when a business owner decides that they want to sell until the business is in a position to be sold for the best possible price. This means that if something happens to you and you have not considered any of the sale of business factors, then you could be left selling a business for a lot less than you thought it was worth. During the operation of your company, there are many things that you can do to ensure that your business can be sold for the price that you deserve.

What are people looking for when buying a business?

It is important to understand why people buy businesses and what they look at for. Unless you have some great product or service that can be exploited, then generally a business will be valued by a multiple of their earnings. There will be a figure that the business owner takes that is

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profit (often called EBITDA – Earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) and a sale price is calculated as a multiple of that figure. Often other costs such as the value of plant and equipment can be added to the business.

- Do you have a debt collection process to ensure that the cash flows properly through your business?

- Do you have staff? If so what agreements do you have with them?

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- If you lease premises, is it a commercially viable lease and is it properly documented?

- Is there any litigation that the business has been involved in?

What do you need in place?

There are many factors that need to be considered before you sell a business including: • Firstly don’t take cash for your income; make sure you record all of your income through your books. All too often business owners think they are clever in taking cash for their income to save paying the tax on the income in a single financial year. In doing this you save yourself the tax - say 30c in the dollar. This may be great in the short term, but due to the fact that the money is not in the official books, it will not count towards your EBITDA referred to above. This means that if the sale price of the business is based on say a 3 or 4 multiple of EBITDA when the purchase price is calculated, you will lose $3 or $4 per dollar of earnings that you take as cash from the eventual sale price. I have seen examples where this has cost business owners hundreds of thousands of dollars; • Secondly, not having your legal documentation in place, for example

- How do you engage with your clients?

Have you protected your intellectual property for example do you have a registered trademark or patent?

Obtaining the advice of your consultants on all of these aspects of your business are critically important in preparing a business for sale. You may think that it will never happen to you but it is important to understand that if something goes wrong you may have to sell quickly and it is important to understand what you need to have in place.

Jeremy Streten is Director of Qld-based law firm Streten Masons Lawyers.

Streten Masons is an innovative law firm with progressive attitudes which gives accurate and comprehensive advice to clients in order to obtain the best possible outcomes. Jeremy is the author of the Amazon best-seller “The Business Legal Lifecycle”- a guidebook designed to help business owners understand what they are doing in their business from a legal perspective.

Phone: 1300 000 529 Jeremy@smslaw.com.au http://smslaw.com.au

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FINANCE

Impact of new revenue accounting standards Christopher Edwards explains the new accounting standard applied by the Australian Government’s Accounting Standards Board and how this may affect businesses, including those in the manufacturing industry.

The way in which revenue is accounted for will significantly change for many businesses this year, as a result of the introduction of new accounting standards known as “AASB 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers”.

Most entities with revenue or grant income will be affected by these changes. It means that those who prepare the financial information will need to look closely at each revenue transaction. Those with long-term contracts (greater than 12 months) will be the most affected, as will those with bundled-type products (e.g. a physical good provided with ongoing support or maintenance).

Therefore those in the construction and manufacturing industry and service-providers will likely have the largest changes to make; however we believe that all revenue-generating entities will be affected.

As with any considerable change, it is important to start early.

Entities that tend to be most efficient in completing their financial statements are those that prepare a set of ‘shell’ financial statements – draft financial statements with full disclosures and layout, but awaiting the insertion of final numbers. This allows early engagement with boards, audit committees and auditors.

Putting the effort in prior to the end of the financial year is a worthwhile investment that will ultimately save time and effort during the demanding year-end financial reporting period.

The least impact will likely be felt by those with spot, ‘cash-type’ sales. In essence, this new standard requires that revenue is allocated in accordance with the satisfaction of the performance obligations of a contract.

“…we believe that all revenuegenerating entities will be affected” Not for profits The introduction of the standards has been delayed by a year for NFP entities, which has allowed some reprieve.

HLB Mann Judd is an award-winning financial, businessadviser and accounting firm which uses its knowledge and experience to ensure companies’ financial success. With member firms throughout Australia and New Zealand, The HLB Mann Judd Australasian Association consists of eight member firms and two representative firms. It represents a group of specialists providing business advice and services to a wide range of business organisations and private clients.

Christopher Edwards is Manager, Corporate and Audit Services at HLB Mann Judd, Perth. cedwards@hlbwa.com.au www.hlb.com.au

The objective of this Standard

1. Identify the contract with the customer

The objective of this Standard is to establish the principles that an entity shall apply to report useful information to users of financial statements about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from a contract with a customer.

2. Determine the performance obligations under the contract

Meeting the objective

3. Calculate the full transaction price

To meet the objective, the core principle of this Standard is that an entity shall recognise revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.

This has been split into five steps:

4. Allocate the transaction price to each of the performance obligations 5. Recognise revenue as each performance obligation is met.

It is especially important to note that a contract under this standard can be written, verbal or implied.

The most significant change is the requirement to record revenue upon the satisfaction to performance conditions. This is intended to respond to concerns under the previous rules, that the method applied did not accurately match the level of effort required by an entity to generate revenue.

The new standard will require businesses to assess what their performance obligations under a specific contract are, determine what value to apply to each performance obligation and then record the revenue as each is met.

The timeline for the standard coming into effect is shown at the end of this article.

Another impact of the new standard is the requirement to break down contracts into their individual components, or un-bundling. An example is a mobile phone contract, where the sale of the handset and the provision of the service must now be analysed and recognised separately. Un-bundling is paramount when entities sell the bundled products separately, as well as part of a discounted bundle.

An entity shall consider the terms of the contract and all relevant facts and circumstances when applying this Standard. An entity shall apply this Standard, including the use of any practical expedients, consistently to contracts with similar characteristics and in similar circumstances.

This Standard specifies the accounting for an individual contract with a customer. However, as a practical expedient, an entity may apply this Standard to a portfolio of contracts (or performance obligations) with similar characteristics if the entity reasonably expects that the effects on the financial statements of applying this Standard to the portfolio would not differ materially from applying this Standard to the individual contracts (or performance obligations) within that portfolio.

When accounting for a portfolio, an entity shall use estimates and assumptions that reflect the size and composition of the portfolio.

Source: Australian Accounting Standards Board

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Amtil Inside

AMTIL Corporate Sponsors I am very pleased to highlight two new Corporate Partners that have joined AMTIL over the past month.

As a mid-tier accounting firm, William Buck offers all the usual accounting services such as audit, tax, business advisory, corporate advisory, business recovery and wealth advisory. The difference is the commitment and experience within the manufacturing sector. Typically, a William Buck manufacturing client seeks advice on improving profitability and forecasting, business planning and structuring for growth and/or exiting, as well as the R&D tax incentives and grants.

With a specialist manufacturing division servicing over 300 small to medium manufacturing businesses, William Buck understands the challenges and aspirations of business owners in the industry and can offer strategic, practical and relevant guidance to achieve both business and personal objectives.

If you are wanting to grow your business, improve cash flow or understand what government incentives you are eligible for, please contact a member of William Buck’s specialist manufacturing team.

Estelle Pentland – Manager, Marketing and Business Development T: 03 9824 8555 E: vic.manufacturing@williambuck.com

AGL understands every business is different and there is no “one size fits all” approach.

They will work with a business’ energy profile to inform how to best achieve a company’s business objectives and maximise the investment return. Typically, AGL’s team will help find the most efficient, cost-effective solution whether it is through low cost solar energy, energy-efficient lighting or smarter energy use, with Power Factor Correction technology.

AGL is a leader in renewable and energy solutions and one of Australia’s most established energy providers with over 180 years’ experience.

If you are wanting tailored solutions to your business’s energy use, premium products and high quality components, expert installers using CEC-accredited installers and qualified technicians and a hassle free process, please call AGL’s specific contact for all AMTIL enquiries.

Rania Ghantous – Commercial Channel Manager T: 0416 423 078 E: bcenergyservices@agl.com.au Our Corporate Partner Program is a very important part of our service offering to members and one that we value very highly. We are extremely confident that these two high profile companies will give great service to our members and we look forward to working with them over the coming years to deliver those benefits.

I would like to thank both William Buck and AGL Energy for their ongoing support and officially welcome them as AMTIL Corporate Partners.

Regards

AMT Apr/May 2018

Amtil Heading Inside

Entrepreneurs’ Programme – Building digital capability Neil Clarke is a National Innovation Connections Facilitator (IT Systems) with the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme. He explains what the role entails.

I use my role as an Innovation Facilitator to help the many SMEs out there to improve their digital capabilities. There was a swing towards digital systems in SMEs when the early accounting systems MYOB and QuickBooks first came to market in Australia in the 1980s.

Many saw the benefits instantly of these systems and they were adopted broadly. The productivity gains were immediate while the impact on businesses’ day-to-day operations was minimal.

Unfortunately for many Australian SMEs, this was pretty much the end of their digital strategy.

My services are offered at no cost to an SME under the Innovation Connections element of the Entrepreneurs’ Programme. You can apply online (https://portal.business.gov.au) and once your application is received I (or one of our facilitators) will give you a call to discuss your issues, wants and budget. This process takes between 30 and 60 minutes on the phone.

I use my 25-plus years experience in the industrial IT sector to talk through possible solutions that may help you. After the call I then undertake additional research (such as speaking with vendors about specific requirements, or looking for specific industry solutions) and provide you with a report summarising the issues discussed, an outline of the various ways this could be achieved, and then some recommendations of what I think are the most likely solutions for you. The report includes overviews of each suggested solution and contact details. This will help you to start a software project on the right track and remove some of the wasted time often experienced when trying to determine which application may suit you.

While we deal with a range of clients, there is typically a manufacturing component in around 80% or the businesses we engage with. Many of these are using MYOB to run accounting and payroll, and manual systems and spreadsheets to manage everything else. These days there are several ways to implement better digital solutions to help with production planning, job costing and financial analysis, from the classic medium-sized ERP solutions offering everything to run a business in a single solution, through to small, inexpensive Cloud-based solutions that help with specific parts of a business and interface into other solutions.

Every business needs to be moving towards open digital systems to allow better information availability, not only within the business but also to provide appropriate information to external partners, websites and mobile apps. With millennials entering the workforce and coming up through the ranks, it will become increasingly important to have information available to websites and mobile platforms, allowing easy searching and engagement. Otherwise your products may never even be seen by that new customer!

AMTIL is a partner organisation in the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme, focused on helping companies raise their competitiveness and productivity. For more information, please contact Greg Chalker, Corporate Services Manager at AMTIL, on 03 9800 3666 or email gchalker@amtil.com.au. www.business.gov.au/EP

1382AMTIL

AMTIL is delighted to announce the roll-out of its new Corporate Partnership Program.

AMTIL welcomes both AGL and William Buck as key corporate partners offering a selection of products and services that will benefit our members in their business.

For any enquiries about our Corporate Partnerships, and how they can benefit you, contact Anne Samuelsson on 03 9800 3666 or email asamuelsson@amtil.com.au

Our Partners. Our Members. Your Benefits.

www.amtil.com.au

AMT Apr/May 2018

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Amtil Inside

NMW kicks off packed AMTIL Events program AMTIL will be exhibiting at Stand 3426 at National Manufacturing Week (NMW) 2018, in Sydney on 9-11 May, setting the scene for a busy Events program over the coming year.

Having a stand enables AMTIL to show our support for members visiting or exhibiting at NMW, while also providing the opportunity to engage with Australian manufacturing businesses more generally and discuss the ways it can help them. For our members, there’ll also be ‘Happy Hour’ drinks at the stand from 4.00pm on the Wednesday and Thursday of the show (9 and 10 May). So any members at the show should drop by Stand 3426 for refreshments and a chat.

AMTIL’s presence at NMW will also serve as a curtain-raiser for an extensive program of events that we have planned between now and May of next year. Most notable among these will be the 2018 AMTIL National Conference, which will be held at Leonda by the Yarra in Hawthorn, Melbourne, on 22 August. The one-day event follows on from last year’s highly successful inaugural Conference, held at the same venue.

Conference plans taking shape This year the theme for the AMTIL National Conference will be ‘Strategies for Manufacturing Resilience and Growth’.

While details of the Conference are still being finalised, AMTIL has already confirmed Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), to deliver the keynote address.

Dr Goennenmann joined the AMGC in 2016, with an extensive background managing large manufacturing operations in Australia and Europe. He served as Managing Director of Airbus Group Australia Pacific and Airbus Helicopters, having previously spent six years in Germany with the former European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), today known as Airbus Group, and two years in Greece, where he established and managed the Eurofighter Office of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace, one of the three founding EADS partner companies.

He began his career with Daimler-Benz in January 1996. Dr Goennenmann’s keynote address will explore the topic ‘Building Resilience in Australian Manufacturing’.

Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

Also confirmed for the speaker program will be Claire Madden, the founder and director of strategy and communications agency Hello Clarity, and a leading voice on Generation Z. As an expert in interpreting social trends, demographics and generational change, Madden has been commissioned by leading companies and brands to interpret the changing landscape and communicate the implications for business and society.

She is the author of ‘Hello Gen Z: Engaging the Generation of Post-Millennials’, and is regularly interviewed on television and radio and in print media. Madden will be speaking on ‘Creating an Engaging Culture: Inspiring the Next Generation of Staff and Teams’.

An eventful time The AMTIL National Conference is just one of the highlights in a packed schedule of Events going forward. These will include Christmas social gatherings around the country in early December, as well as a number of CEO meetings for AMTIL members in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and several workshops and seminars organised in conjunction with the Federal Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme (in which AMTIL is a partner organisation). Our annual Corporate Golf Day will take place on 8 February of next

Claire Madden, founder and director of Hello Clarity.

year. Always a key fixture in the AMTIL calendar, the 2017 Golf Day was postponed in December when extreme rain swept across Melbourne and Victoria. Eventually held in February of this year, the timing for the rescheduled event proved highly popular among AMTIL members, so the move has now been made permanent.

Last, but definitely not least, the Austech advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition will return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in May 2019. Co-located once again with National Manufacturing Week, Austech 2019 promises to be a landmark event for the advanced manufacturing industry in Australia.

“It’s certainly looking like a busy year, right through to Austech next May,” says Infanti.

“Everything AMTIL does is intended to promote the manufacturing industry in Australia, and our Events program is a big part of that. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of our members – both existing and new ones – at these event.”

For more information about any of AMTIL’s upcoming events, please call 03 9800 3666, or email Events Manager Kim Banks on kbanks@amtil.com.au. www.amtil.com.au/Events

Dates for your diary • AMTIL National Conference

• AMTIL Corporate Golf Day

‘Strategies for Manufacturing Resilience and Growth’

Date: Fri 8 February 2019

Date: Wed 22 August 2018

Riversdale Golf Club Mount Waverley, Victoria

Leonda by the Yarra Hawthorn, Victoria

AMT Apr/May 2018

• Austech 2019 Advanced Manufacturing and Machine Tool Exhibition

Date: 14-17 May 2019

MECC, Melbourne, Victoria

Hotspots is proudly owned and managed

by AMTIL

Look further from a higher vantage point.

•

You need a specific component made, but don’t have the capabilities in house.

•

Your company has landed a major project, but your workshop or your workforce just aren’t big enough to handle the volume required.

•

Your business is diversifying into an area where the expertise available within the company is not sufficient.

HotSpots is a service designed to connect AMTIL members with opportunities to help their businesses grow. That piece of work that you need done might be just the sort of opportunity they’re looking for. And by featuring that opportunity as a HotSpot, you gain access to a wealth of Australian manufacturing capability and expertise.

Our regular AMTIL HotSpots email goes out to over 1,000 people every month, making HotSpots an incredibly powerful way to reach large numbers of key decision-makers from across the manufacturing sector.

Provided your opportunity meets our criteria for listing, inclusion in AMTIL HotSpots is free. If you have something you feel will meet our criteria, please forward it to AMTIL for assessment by emailing info@amtil.com.au with the subject line HOTSPOT. www.amtil.com.au/Membership/Hotspots

1285AMTIL2016/2

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Amtil Inside

Sun comes out for AMTIL Golf Day AMTIL’s Corporate Golf Day finally went ahead on 20 February, with a great turnout, and – thankfully – good weather.

The Golf Day had originally been scheduled to take place in December. However, it had to be postponed at the last minute after the Bureau of Meteorology issued an extreme weather warning amid forecasts of heavy rains in Melbourne and across Victoria.

Fortunately almost all of those who had booked in for the December event were still able to participate when the event was rescheduled for February, and there were even a few additional bookings as well.

With a strong turnout on the day, the Golf Day went ahead amid warm sunny conditions – and not a drop of rain. After play was completed, those in attendance enjoyed a Barbecue Dinner and networking drinks as the prizes were handed out.

The winning team on the day was Iscar Australia.

Following the success of the rescheduled event, AMTIL has decided to move the Corporate Golf day to February on a permanent basis. As the Golf Day had also served as our Christmas social event

Gary Simpson of Iscar Australia accepting the trophy on behalf of the winning team, with Estelle Pentland from event sponsors William Buck, and AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti.

for Victoria, AMTIL will also be holding a Christmas Dinner for Victorian nembers in early December.

AMTIL would like to thank William Buck for its generous support as the major sponsor for AMTIL’s Corporate Golf Day.For more information about AMTIL Events, please call 03 9800 3666, or email Events Manager Kim Banks on kbanks@amtil.com.au. www.amtil.com.au/Events

Overseas with AMTIL AMTIL will be heading overseas later this year, promoting Australian manufacturing and supporting our members at two of the world’s biggest manufacturing trade shows.

The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), the premier manufacturing technology show in North America, will be taking place in Chicago on 10-15 September.

This will be followed by JIMTOF2018, the Japan international machine tool fair, on 1-6 November, in Tokyo.

AMTIL will have stands in the international associations sections of both exhibitions, with our staff on hand to answer enquiries from exhibition visitors keen to know more about manufacturing in Australia and the opportunities here. In addition, AMTIL will be using the opportunity to engage with other international manufacturing associations.

AMT Apr/May 2018

“Having a presence at the big overseas shows like IMTS and JIMTOF is vital for AMTIL,” says AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti. “As well as representing our members on the global stage, they allow us to build stronger links with manufacturing associations from around the world and exchange ideas and information.”

AMTIL will be engaging in a range of activities in support of any members who will be attending IMTS or JIMTOF. If you plan to visit either event, please contact Shane Infanti on 03 9800 3666 or sinfanti@amtil.com.au for more information. www.imts.com www.jimtof.org

AMTIL FOOTY TIPPING 2018 Oh how sweet it is! Welcomed back like a long lost love, it was great to see the first bounce of the ball for 2018, and how sweet it really was for the mighty Tiger army. After 37 years, the tiggies won the 2017 flag and it now looks like winning will continue to be the expectation moving forward. Dustin Martin looked as strong as ever with the midfield dominating the young Blues. At the time of going to print the rest of Round 1 was beginning to wind up and come our next issue the ladder will begin to take shape.

How will Adelaide be placed after their insipid Grand Final effort?

Will the Demons be delivering the results everyone expects? How will the little master/messiah Gary Ablett Jr settle in the powerhouse Geelong midfield – would the gamble have paid off? And what of those prentenders parading in the black and white… would they have been able to win any games or will I be reporting the early season sacking of Buckley that so many experts have predicted?

Ahh, Aussie Rules I’ve missed you like anchioves on my favourite pizza, you give my existence the extra kick it needs. Sanchez

ManufactureLink proudly owned and operated

by AMTIL

Follow our members on

Go Get linked!

Manufacturelink is your directory for all things Manufacturing. processes. services. technology.

1186AMT

We’ve got the link to make it happen.

Visit www.manufacturelink.com.au to learn more.

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Industry Calendar

Please Note: It is recommended to contact the exhibition organiser to confirm before attending event

INTERNATIONAL HANNOVER MESSE Germany, Hanover 23-27April 2018 Leading industrial trade fair. www.hannovermesse.de/home#

Metal + Metallurgy China, Beijing 16-19 May2018 Metallurgical expo. www.mm-china.com/En

Saw ExpoGermany, Augsburg 19-22 June 2018 Metal cutting exhibition www.saw-expo.com/en

Fabex Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, Riyadh 29 April -2 May 2018 Metal fabricating exhibition www.fabxsaudi.com

MTA-International Thailand, Bangkok 16-19 May2018 Metalworking exhibition & conference. www.mta-asia.com

Manufacturing Expo Thailand, Bangkok 20-23 June 2018 Co-located with InterMold & InterPlast. www.manufacturing-expo.com

EMEX NZ, Auckland 1-3 May 2018 Engineering, machinery & electronics. www.emex.co.nz

BIE Italy, Montichiari 17-19 May 2018 Metal processing show. www.fierabie.com

ACMEE India, Chennai 21-25 June 2018 Industrial exhibition. www.acmee.in

FABTECH Mexico Mexico City 2-4 May 2018 Metalworking show. www.mexico.fabtechexpo.com

Automation Conference & Expo 2018 USA, Chicago 22-23 May 2018 www.theAutomationConference.com

CIMES China, Beijing 26-30 June 2018 Machine tool exhibition www.cimes.net.cn

METAL OSAKA Japan, Osaka 9 -11 May2018 Metal processing show. www.metal-kansai.jp/en iMT Taiwan. Taipei 9-12 May 2018 Intelligent Machinery & Manufacturing Tech. www.mtduo.com.tw CWMTE China, Chongqing 9-12 May 2018 Machine tool exhibition. www.cwmte.com.cn Inside 3D Printing Sydney 9-11 May 2018 Brazil, Sao Paulo - 11-12 June 2018 South Korea, Seoul - 28-30 June 2018 USA, NY - 30-31 October 2018 www.inside3dprinting.com KONMAK Turkey, Konya 10-13 May 2018 Metal process exhibition. www.tuyap.com.tr/en (“Fair Calendar”) METALLOOBRABOTKA Russia, Moscow 14-18 May 2018 Machine tool exhibition. www.metobr-expo.ru/en Elmia Machine Tools Sweden, Jonkoping 15-18 May 2018 Machine tool exhibition. www.elmia.se/en/verktygsmaskiner FIMAQH Argentina, Buenos Aires 15-19 May 2018 Machine tool exhibition. www.fimaqh.com/2018 Intertool Austria, Vienna 15 – 18 May 2018 Machine tool exhibition. www.intertool.at/en

AMT Apr/May 2018

METALTECH Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 23-26 May2018 Metalworking exhibition. www.metaltech.com.my BIEMH Spain, Bilbao 28 May -1 June 2018 Machine tool exhibition. www.biemh.com Hands-on Production Germany, Dortmund 5-6 June 2018 Metal cutting exhibition. www.hands-on-production.de ITM MACH-TOOL Poland, Poznan 5-8 June 2018 Machine tool show. www.itm-polska.pl/pl DMC Die & Mould China China, Shanghai, 5-9June 2018 Die & mould show. www.dmcexpo.com/en Future Steel Forum Poland, Warsaw 6-7 June 2018 Steel technology show. www.futuresteelforum.com FABTECH Canada Canada, Toronto, 12-14 June 2018 Metal forming exhibition. www.fabtechcanada.com AIAEChina, Beijing 13 -15 June 2018 Industrial automation exhibition. www.en.auto-wo.com Intermold Nagoya Japan, Nagoya 13-16 June 2018 Co-located with Die & Mold Asia & Metal Stamping Tech. www.intermold.jp/english

MTA VIETNAM Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City 3-6 July 2018 Machine tool show. www.mtavietnam.com AMTEX India , New Delhi 6-9 July 2018 Machine tool show. www.amtex-expo.com/amtex_delhi ALUMINIUM CHINA China, Shanghai 11-13 July 2018 www.aluminiumchina.com/en CHINA DIECASTING China, Shanghai 18-20 July 2018 www.diecastexpo.cn/en Vietnam Manufacturing Expo Vietnam, Hanoi 8 –10 August 2018 www.vietnammanufacturingexpo.com International Metalworking Philippines Philippines, Manila 22-25 August 2018 http://imtpexpo.com SINDEX Switzerland, Berne 28-30 August 2018 Industrial automation trade show. www.sindex.ch/sin-de Automation Expo 2018 India, Mumbai 29 August -1September 2018 www.automationindiaexpo.com IMTS USA, Chicago 10-15 September 2018 International Manufacturing Technology Show. www.imts.com EuroBLECH Germany, Hanover 23-26 October 2018 Sheet metal working technology exhibition. www.euroblech.com/2018/english

Industry Calendar Heading local AusMedtech 2018 Adelaide Convention Centre 1-2 May 2018 Premier medical technology conference. www.ausmedtech.com.au DesignBUILD Melbourne 2-4 May 2018 Building and Design Exhibition www.designbuildexpo.com.au National Manufacturing Week Sydney Showground 9-11 May 2018 Includes Industry 4.0 Theatre, Safety First conference, automation, AM, welding, plastics, advanced materials, supply chain, OHS, engineering. www.nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au Inside 3D Printing Sydney Showground 9-11 May 2018 Part of National Manufacturing Week.

The largest professional 3D printing series worldwide; conference sessions, presenting the latest 3D printers, solutions and services. www.inside3dprinting.com/sydney/2018 MEGATRANS 2018 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 10-12 May 2018 Debut event involving the future of global multimodal freight, logistics & supply chain. www.megatrans2018.com.au Queensland Transport Infrastructure Conference Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 15-16 May 2018 Examining both government plans and privately funded projects set to expand Queensland’s transport networks. www.qldconference.com.au Workplace Health & Safety Show 2018 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 23-24 May 2018 Cutting edge of the safety world and official exhibition of #SAFETYSCAPE Convention. www.whsshow.com.au

Advertiser Index

Australian Energy Storage Conference & Exhibition Adelaide Convention Centre 23-24 May 2018 Energy storage industry at all levels. www.australianenergystorage.com.au

600 Machine Tools

Northern Australia Food Futures Conference NT, Darwin 2-4 July 2018 Seeks to enable effective policy action to maximise agricultural development in Northern Australia by influencing strategic policies and taking advantage of new and emerging markets. www.foodfuturesntfarmers.org.au

Complete Machine Tools

25

DMG MORI

15

ECI Solutions

47

QME (Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition) Qld. Mackay Showground 24-26 July 2018 Innovative products and demonstrations of the latest mining equipment and technology. www.queenslandminingexpo.com.au

Industrial Laser

CEMAT Melbourne Convention & Exhib. Centre 24-26 July 2018 Innovation and Industry 4.0; The Future of Intralogistics, Materials Handling and Supply Chain. www.cemat.com.au

Manufacturing & Design Solutions

Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo Sydney 29-30 August 2018 Features recycling, manufacturing, waste collection and landfill professionals. www.awre.com.au

Sandvik 17

PrefabAUS Conference 2018 Brisbane Convention & Exhib. Centre 11-12 September 2018 For Australia’s prefabrication industry www.prefabaus.org.au/conference-2018

39

Alfex CNC

cover, 21

ANCA 57 Applied Machinery

13

Bystronic P/L

6-7

Emona Instruments

45

Hare & Forbes

4-5

Headland 120 HI-tech Metrology

53

IMTS 35 40-41

Iscar 2-3 79

Jubilee Springs

Kaeser 93 91

LAPP Express Machinery Forum

119

MTI Qualos

69 55, 65

Okuma 9 Precision Specialty Tooling P/L

85

Reed (NMW)

19

Robert Bosch

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Seco Tools

37

SICK 23 Whitelaw Machinery

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Dimac Insert Iscar Insert Modern Tools

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Sheetmetal Machinery

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Australian Manufacturing Technology Your Industry. Your MagazinE

All-Energy Australia Melbourne Convention & Exhib. Centre 3-4 October 2018 Cclean and renewable energy event. www.all-energy.com.au

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Advertise in Australia’s No. 1 ADVANCED manufacturing magazine Call Anne Samuelsson of AMTIL on 03 9800 3666 or email asamuelsson@amtil.com.au

STATE SPOTLIGHT: Victoria Additive Manufacturing DeFence

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Business Man agement State Spotlight: Tasmania

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AMT Apr/May 2018

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history

Big wheels & little wheels – the story of Sir Laurence John Hartnett (1898 – 1986)

Part 24

Ute-ilising farmers

UK-born Sir Laurence Hartnett arrived in Australia in 1934. The visionary Sir Laurence became known as Australia’s ‘Father of the Holden’ – and much more. Three short years after Laurence’s arrival, GM-H history was made – with a £1m profit! … but not before farmers’ dreams were realised.

I

n 1937, we made GM-H history with a profit of £1m. I recalled being told in 1933: “If you ever make a million pounds you will really be going places.

But it can’t happen for many, many years, if ever”. Well, we’d done it in just three years.

General Motors in New York congratulated us, but making that million was one of the least inspiring of my business milestones.

My only sense of achievement came from the doubt that it could ever be done. To me, there was a hollowness about a figure that simply couldn’t compare with the feeling of achievement we got with the opening of the new plant at Fishermen’s Bend or with the introduction of a successful new die or production-method. Or the development of the Ute! The Coupe Utility is a vehicle that Australia can call its own. It has the front end of a modern sedan, and the back for carrying loads. The story of the birth of the “Ute” is worth recalling, for it illustrates a point I have always strongly maintained: that every manufacturing business should be prepared to turn local needs and conditions to its own advantage.

On a drive to Sydney from Melbourne in 1934, I stayed overnight at Gundagai in NSW. The local GM-H dealer called on me at my hotel, and he was the unhappiest man in the town. He soon told me why: ‘’I’ve been working for a fortnight to sell a Chevrolet sedan to a farmer. I had the deal all settled, but the farmer had to call it off. His bank manager won’t let him buy it because this farmer - like most - has a bank mortgage. The bank reckons he’s in no financial shape to go spending his money on ‘luxuries’ like cars. However the farmer’s present car is a crock - he’s spending a fortune on service to keep it going. But the bank won’t budge, and all my work’s been wasted. It’s the same all round here: the banks are just killing the business.”

Next morning, with the dealer, I called on his bank manager who said: “this farmer was busted in the depression and we’re still carrying him. We’ve got to watch him.

We’re not going to let him buy a passenger car to take his missus around and go to the movies every night. No. Let him get on with his job.” The dealer pointed out that the farmer badly needed another car. He was isolated without one, and his present car needed major repairs. “I’m sorry it’s not my

decision. It comes from head office” said the bank man. I asked the manager, “Where do you draw the line between a passenger car and a commercial?” He said, “Oh, it has to be a car that will help him with the farm.

He must be able to cart things about in it.”

I thought about the problem as I drove to Sydney. I felt there must be an answer, one that would satisfy the bank and the farmer. Both the dealer and I agreed that the Roadster Utility with its canvas top was outdated. Then I hit it: make a Coupe Utility, with an all-metal cabin and a tray body at the back. When I got back to Melbourne I went to our body service depot and asked our chaps to design a Utility with a modern sedan-type of front end with a tray body big enough to carry useful loads. They made one up, fitted it beautifully inside, with a dandy little goods section behind the frontseat unit. We drove it a few weeks later to Gundagai and showed it to the farmer. He thought it was wonderful. Then we took it to the bank manager, and the poor man was in a quandary. But eventually he agreed to pass it. He couldn’t deny it would be useful on the farm, even though it was a modern, comfortable vehicle for the farmer to take

his missus to the pictures in. So the farmer got his new car, and GM-H got a new model*. We sent a sample Utility to Detroit and they were impressed.

A year or so later I was in Gundagai again.

Our dealer this time was the happiest man in the town. He took me to the main street and pointed to all the new vehicles parked with their noses in to the kerb. Most of them were Coupe Utilities!

To be continued… *The coupé utility was designed simultaneously by Lew Bandt of Ford and Holden engineers, with the Ford being released in July 1934 and the GM-H version, on Chevrolet and Bedford chassis, in September 1934.

Interestingly both ideas are claimed to have evolved from a farmer’s need for a dual purpose vehicle, a comfortable passenger car and a goods carrying utility. The marrying of a 2-door coupé and a roadster utility provided the answer and a unique Australian vehicle. Norm Darwin, author of “The History of Holden since 1917”

This is an extract from ‘Big Wheels & Little Wheels’, by Sir Laurence Hartnett as told to John Veitch, 1964. © Deirdre Barnett.

AMT Apr/May 2018

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