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$37,500

45 Models Available Online

ex GST

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METALMASTER GUILLOTINE FEATURES • Hydraulic individual sheet material clamping system with nylon inserts to protect material from indentation from clamping cylinders.

• Estun E21S programmable digital control stores up to 40 unique programs with 25 automatic progressive bending steps in each individual program, assuring production accuracy & repeatability every time • Estun E21S programmable hardened ballscrew backgauge system, simply enter the desired measurement into the controller and press go, the backgauge then will move quickly into the position you have requested. The superior hardened ballscrew system eliminates any backlash that leadscrew type machines produce • Pneumatic operated material sheet supports mounted to rear of machine. This feature assists in shearing thin material to the correct cut length required simply by preventing thinner material flexing and falling below the backgauge prior to shearing

• Blade gap adjusting dial from 0.5 - 6mm mounted on the side of the machine.

• Control unit mounted on swivel pendant arm to allow access to the control from the side.

• Shadow line lighting has been incorporated into the machine frame providing a clear cutting line on the work piece and enabling scribed or marked material to be cut with simplicity as required.

• Transfer balls inserted into work table allows material to be easily moved to the cut position and squaring arm.

• Three photo electric rear guards are fitted to the steel side gates ensuring that the machine will be disabled when person enters rear of machine, even if in use.

• Top shearing blade made from 6CrW2Si quality composite and has two cutting edges, minimising down time in blade rotation.

• Safety reset button for guarding system located at rear of machine.

• Bottom shearing blade made from 6CrW2Si quality composite and has four cutting edges minimising down time in blade rotation.

• The heavy duty squaring arm is fitted with a graduated rule, adjustable flip-up front stops and mitre guide, allowing operator to the required size from the front of machine. Flip over stops can be set to repeat cutting length.

• Sliding material chutes are fitted with inserted ball transfers allows the operator to retrieve cut pieces without disabling machine.

• Safety three photo electric rear guards fitted to steel side gates ensuring that the machine will be disabled when person enters rear of machine when in use.

• Mild steel capacity is rated on hot rolled material with 250MPA.

Available at www.machineryhouse.com.au Specifications are subject to change without notice.

All prices exclude GST and are valid until 31-08-20

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METALMASTER PRESSBRAKE FEATURES

• CNC FASFOLD 202 programmable hardened ballscrew backgauge with adjustable height finger stops.

• Segmented heavy duty 86° offset top punch for return bend clearance.

• Multi vee ('V') bottom die is made from one 4000mm solid die block, safety edge vee ('V') is incorporated in bottom die block.

• European style top punch and clamping system, allowing operator to change position of tooling to suit multiple requirements on complex applications.

This feature ensures minimum down time, more productivity and results in reduced cost per finished product.

• Manual crowning system allows operator to adjust table bed to correct deflection.

NSW

(02) 9890 9111

1/2 Windsor Rd, Northmead

• Enclosed rear gate with micro safety switches complete with sliding rear door for easy access.

• Includes sliding steel fabricated sheet supports. Sheet supports are adjustable vertically to support material with return bends already folded.

• Adjustable sliding blocks control the machine's beam to provide desirable opening height to the mute bending point. Locking knobs for quick adjustment enables accurate repeatability.

• Metal safety guarding with rear sliding door and micro switch ensures operator safety. Clear access panels to view tooling and work piece during bending.

MetalMaster specially design gates to suit Australian safety requirements.

• Hydraulic MPA pressure gauge with quick adjusting pressure control knob allows operator to set the required pressure, incorporated with hydraulic overload protection.

QLD

(07) 3715 2200

625 Boundary Rd, Coopers Plains

VIC

(03) 9212 4422

4 Abbotts Rd, Dandenong

• Mono-block steel frame design.

• Welded steel fabricated synchronised torsion bar horizontally supporting main bending beam to provide consistent parallelism that also can be adjusted for taper correction.

• The vertical supporting slides are treated to provide greater ware resistance and increased accuracy.

• Reinforced side frames providing additional support strength to machine throat.

• Australian made Foldsafe closed loop safety control system with European light curtains that continuously monitor machine performance.

• Mild steel capacity is rated on hot rolled material with 250MPA.

WA

(08) 9373 9999

11 Valentine Street, Kewdale

04_AMTIL_010820

• Hydraulic/Mechanical ram, synchronised positive stop design. Electronically controlled by CNC FASFOLD Programmable control for accurate repeatability.

006

CONTENTS

Volume 20 Number 04 AUG/SEP 2020 ISSN 1832-6080

FEATURES MEDICAL Surging ahead in times of COVID-19 42 Export/import controls on medical equipment for COVID-19 46 RAM3D – Bringing additive manufacturing to medical 48 From bomb-detection to virus-detection – World-first 50 Better prototyping: Nidek cuts time-to-market with 3D printing 52 3D-printed medical implants 54 Howard Wright: Simple, smart, human 56 Robots in labs: Making healthcare more productive 58 FORMING & FABRICATION Jmar expands capabilities with new Yawei investment 64 Can fabricated metals industry easily transition to onshoring? 66 CUTTING TOOLS Iscar – Cast-iron LogIQ 68 Guhring additive tool cuts costs for aerospace subcontractor 71 MAPAL: Process-reliable face milling with a long tool life 72 QUALITY & INSPECTION Overcoming metrology bottlenecks in Additive Manufacturing 78 Creaform announces release of brand-new Metrascan Black 81 CONSTRUCTION Robovoid: Using AM to support construction innovation NEPEAN - Strength, service and uncompromising quality Constructing South-East Asia’s largest 3D printer

82 84 86

MATERIAL REMOVAL Tornos: Growing up ‘Swiss’ Carving out a path for India’s economic boom

88 90

SOFTWARE Digitally transforming businesses in the manufacturing sector ANCA: Time-saving enhancements for offline productivity Lucidworks – Building digital ecosystems Manufacturing under COVID-19: Overcoming challenges

92 94 95 96

STATE SPOTLIGHT: WA & NT Kalgoorlie business thrives under pressure ADE & Austin deliver revolutionary truck tech to NT mine

98 99

WORKHOLDING Dimac Tooling – Comprehensive workholding SCHUNK improves efficiency for gear manufacturer

42 Surging ahead in times of COVID-19 Two medical manufacturers are surging ahead despite the negative impact which COVID-19 has had on many industries. And there is an exciting new national program to develop the industry.

60 Forme Technologies – Breaking the mould Originally producing plastic components, Forme Technologies has impressively transitioned to advanced manufacturing - offering specialist expertise in highly demanding sectors, with exports a large percentage of business.

74

102 104

REGULARS From the Editor From the CEO From the Ministry From the Industry From the Union

8 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

COMPANY FOCUS Forme Technologies – Breaking the mould

60

ONE ON ONE Ben Lazzaro - CEO of the Australian Made Campaign Ltd.

74

AMTIL FORUMS

106

AMTIL INSIDE The latest news from AMTIL

110

MANUFACTURING HISTORY – A look back in time

118

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

One-on-One Ben Lazzaro - CEO of the Australian Made Campaign - spoke to AMT about its objectives, the obstacles to embracing Australian-made goods and the lessons learned from COVID-19.

82 Robovoid: Additive manufacturing to support construction innovation Victorian start-up Robovoid needed to develop sophisticated new tooling for its innovative new concrete construction system. Turning to 3D printing, it enlisted Amiga Engineering and AMTIL’s AM Hub.

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08

FROM THE EDITOR WILLIAM POOLE

Support, stimulus and recovery So we’re not quite out of the woods then.

At the time of writing, the Victorian Government has made wearing masks compulsory outside the home, while a second period of lockdown restrictions has been in effect for the last three weeks. The daily numbers for new cases are again running in the hundreds.

The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t done with us just yet.

And as the pandemic drags on, so do its economic impacts. In his pre-budget economic statement on 23 July, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced that GDP will have contracted by 0.25% in 2019-20 and is expected to shrink 2.5% in 2020-21, while unemployment is projected to hit 9.25% by Christmas. So it has been reassuring to see a number of positive measures from the Federal Government to mitigate the worst impacts of the downturn.

First and foremost was the announcement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison on 21 July that the JobKeeper Payment will be extended, with some modifications, till March.

This had been the subject of considerable speculation for some time, with the original JobKeeper plan scheduled to expire on 27 September. The payment has played a key in helping businesses maintain cashflow, while keeping on staff and retaining their experience and skills. The extension will provide welcome relief for businesses and employees.

While the JobKeeper extension is arguably the biggest news, it is one of a number of other welcome initiatives recently emerging from Canberra that will provide much-needed support for businesses, in particular in the manufacturing sector. Notable among these is the decision to extend the Government’s $150,000 instant asset write-off to 31 December 2020. The extended scheme will help to improve cash flow for businesses while encouraging investment in assets that will help them thrive when economic conditions improve. There have also been announcements around helping businesses to go digital, and the provision of free financial counselling for small regional businesses struggling with the impacts of COVID-19.

While these are all welcome measures, we should keep in mind that something like the JobKeeper Payment is more than just a nice way to support struggling businesses and workers. It’s not just an act of charity. It is a crucial stimulus measure needed to sustain the economy in an unprecedented crisis. Keeping businesses afloat and staff in jobs help all of us.

And there are strong arguments to say we can afford to go further. In his pre-budget statement Frydenberg announced record blowouts in the budget deficit and in government debt, the latter expected to reach $677bn – 35.7% of GDP – by the end of June next year. But it’s important to keep these numbers in perspective. Australia’s net public debt is comparatively small; according to the IMF, the average across advanced nations was 94.6% in April. Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has stressed that Australia’s debt is “entirely manageable and affordable”. A survey of 50 leading Australian economists in July found an overwhelming majority thought the Government should keep spending to support the economy — even if it meant a substantial increase in debt.

So what form should any further stimulus take? The Government has flagged an increase in defence spending, and rumours emerging from its National COVID-19 Coordination Commission have pointed to a substantial ramping up of the gas industry. But there is room for more ambition, from addressing weaknesses exposed by the pandemic in our healthcare system, to modernising our transport networks, decarbonising our energy infrastructure, or developing new industries such as clean steelmaking. The possibilities are endless. And there are huge opportunities for manufacturing to play a big part.

Editor William Poole wpoole@amtil.com.au Contributors Carole Goldsmith Head of Partnerships & Sales Anne Samuelsson asamuelsson@amtil.com.au Publications Co-ordinator Gabriele Richter grichter@amtil.com.au Editorial Assistant Sarah Cayless 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 PEFC™ Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification Chain of Custody certified from sustainable forests 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 bi-monthly.

Subscription to AMT Magazine (and other benefits) is available through AMTIL Associate Membership at $175 (ex GST) per annum.

Contact AMTIL on 03 9800 3666 for further information.

1512AMTAUG/SEP2020

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

Materials Services

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010

FROM THE CEO SHANE INFANTI – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

Introducing Australian Manufacturing Week With so much depressing news out there lately, it’s good to be able to share something that we believe is a really positive development for our industry. So I’m very pleased to announce the launch of Australian Manufacturing Week, a comprehensive new industry exhibition, brought to you by AMTIL, and coming to Melbourne next May. Australian Manufacturing Week will be an industry exhibition encompassing all aspects of manufacturing in Australia. With Australian Manufacturing Week, AMTIL is widening the scope of our exhibitions portfolio with an event that will provide a more comprehensive showcase of manufacturing in Australia. The inaugural Australian Manufacturing Week will be held in Melbourne on 11-14 May 2021.

Since 2000, AMTIL has operated Austech, Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition. With more than 170 organisations exhibiting state-ofthe-art manufacturing hardware, software and support services, the last edition of Austech, held in May 2019, was attended by more than 12,000 industry professionals from across Australia and around the world.

With Australian Manufacturing Week, our ambition is to build on the success we’ve had with Austech over the years and create a truly fantastic platform for the entire manufacturing industry in this country.

The launch of Australian Manufacturing Week follows the news that Reed Exhibitions has decided to cease the operation of its National Manufacturing Week (NMW) exhibition. NMW has been held annually since 1999, at venues alternating each year between Sydney and Melbourne. For the last 20 years, NMW was held in co-location with Austech. When we heard the news that Reed was discontinuing NMW, we immediately saw a tremendous opportunity for AMTIL to develop a more extensive event that demonstrates the full scope and diversity of the manufacturing industry in Australia today.

Australian Manufacturing Week will provide AMTIL with opportunities for growth that will benefit all our members, and support us in our efforts to promote and advance the industry. Austech has gained a strong reputation over the years, while the AMTIL team boasts so much expertise in running shows of this kind and a real in-depth understanding of the manufacturing sector. So we’re confident Australian Manufacturing Week will be big news for anyone with an interest in our industry.

Next year’s Australian Manufacturing Week and Austech exhibitions will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). The 2021 event will run with the two exhibitions co-located side by side, with all exhibitors offered the existing

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

pricing structure that long-time Austech exhibitors have become accustomed to, including package options, AMTIL member discounts and other opportunities.

Both exhibitions will also feature a number of specialised areas focusing on specific manufacturing technologies. As in previous years, Austech will include sections devoted to Additive Manufacturing, Digitalisation (Industry 4.0) and Air Technology. It will also include the Manufacturers Pavilion, highlighting the capabilities of some of Australia’s most accomplished advanced manufacturing businesses. Meanwhile Australian Manufacturing Week will house dedicated zones covering a range of specialist categories, such as robotics & automation, safety, and welding technology.

Our aim is for Australian Manufacturing Week to be more than just an exhibition; we hope instead it will come to be seen as the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of manufacturing in Australia today.

Alongside Australian Manufacturing Week and Austech, a variety of additional events will be taking place in parallel to the twin exhibitions.

AMTIL will be staging UNLIMIT3D, a twoday conference on additive manufacturing and 3D printing, following on from its successful launch during Austech 2019.

UNLIMIT3D 2021 will take place on 11-12 May within the MCEC, allowing conference delegates to also spend some time exploring the exhibitions. With the theme ‘Additive Manufacturing – Strengthening and Securing Australian Supply Chains’, the UNLIMIT3D 2021 conference will be sponsored by Amiga Engineering (further sponsorship opportunities available).

In addition, AMTIL will once again be a sponsor of the annual Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame awards show and dinner. Since 2001 the Hall of Fame Awards has highlighted the strength and competitiveness of Victorian manufacturing, recognising outstanding businesses and individuals in the industry. We’re very pleased to be supporting this event again.

Finally, while Australian Manufacturing Week represents an exciting new episode for AMTIL, the cessation of NMW will mark the end of our highly successful collaboration with Reed Exhibitions, after two decades running co-located exhibitions. Reed did a terrific job running NMW over the last two decades, and as Kim Banks, AMTIL’s Events Manager, said the other day, it will be strange to be running the show next May without having them “just down the hall”. Our collaboration with Reed has been a key factor in making Austech the success it is today. We’re grateful to all of the team at Reed and we wish them all the best for the future.

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012

FROM THE MINISTRY THE HON KAREN ANDREWS MP – Minister for Industry, Science and Technology

Backing Australian businesses In recent times, we have seen some outstanding examples of Australian companies rising to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. From ventilators to face masks, much has been made of the incredible efforts to manufacture essential medical supplies for the national stockpile.

Right at the outset the Federal Government knew we had to act quickly. We set up a tiger team to identify the production capabilities and capacity of Australian manufacturers.

Specialist engineers from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) were also brought in to assist with repairing and constructing production machinery. In the space of three months, we supported a 100-fold increase in domestic mask production capacity.

We also helped facilitate the production of thousands of ventilators.

It was that display of Aussie ingenuity and the way manufacturers stepped up that has in part reinvigorated the Australian public’s willingness to support local industry. We need a healthy local manufacturing industry, not only to meet domestic demand for essential products in a crisis, but for the economic health of the nation.

During this crisis that has been reaffirmed for many Australians, I’ve been thrilled at the level of public support shown to Australian businesses and the Australian Made campaign. The Australian Made logo of a gold kangaroo on a green triangle is an instantly recognised and trusted symbol of quality, and I was delighted to recently help launch a three-month advertising campaign to support Australian made products.

The campaign’s tagline sums up the sentiment I’ve been hearing from across the country: “There's never been a better time to buy Australian Made than right now.”

And there never has been. We all need to play a part to help our nation emerge from the economic hit we have suffered as a result of the pandemic. I encourage all Australians to consider buying products made by Australian companies in Australia.

Doing this supports local business and provides jobs for fellow Australians. It creates an increased demand for everyone along the supply chain – from local courier drivers to packaging suppliers, manufacturers of various components, and primary producers. All Australians benefit from consumers buying products made in Australia.

Many of our manufacturers cannot compete simply on cost, but they are world-leading on quality.

A great example of a business making premium quality products is UGG Since 1974, which produces UGG boots on the Gold Coast out of local sheepskin. Hannah

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

Industry Minister Karen Andrews with Hannah and Todd Watts, owners of UGG Since 1974

Watts, one of the owners of UGG Since 1974, spoke of the importance of the Australian Made brand when I visited the company recently. Although UGG boots are an Australian innovation and seen by many as being an Australian product, about 96% of the world’s UGG boots are actually made overseas.

Trade is very important to the health of our small and medium businesses. That is why our Government has boosted funding to promote the Australian Made logo in overseas markets and is backing our exporters.

As Hannah said, “Australian made products do come with a price tag, but what’s been amazing out of COVID-19 is that people are actually starting to really care about the origins of where the things [are made].”

One way we are helping exporters is through our very successful Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme. We provided an extra $60m dollars for the scheme in the 2019 budget and, as part of our response to COVID-19, have injected a further $49.8m.

Hannah added that her company had benefited greatly from the surge of interest in buying goods made in Australia and has been able to rehire all the staff who had originally been stood down at the start of the pandemic.

Our JobMaker program is also helping businesses to access export markets and create jobs. Our support to small and medium businesses, including the JobKeeper program, has kept many businesses afloat during the pandemic.

Embracing the quality of Australian-made products is not about being insular or shutting ourselves off to the rest of the world. In fact, helping our own companies domestically is just one side of the story, and on its own will not support Australian manufacturers to grow. Australia is a trading nation and we have to export to the world.

Now we need to do more than just help businesses stay afloat. Our businesses need to thrive. The Government is doing its bit to help, but everyone can play a part. If we work towards the common goal of supporting our local manufacturing industries, we will emerge from the COVID-19 crisis better and stronger than ever.

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014

FROM THE INDUSTRY INNES WILLOX – Chief Executive Australian Industry Group

Manufacturing must seize the moment The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted economic vulnerabilities, raising questions about our domestic capabilities and the resilience of global supply chains. In this uncertain climate, industry faces an opportunity to emerge more globally competitive by embracing the possibilities of Industry 4.0 and digitalisation.

In recent weeks, we have seen greater public and political attention directed towards manufacturing than at any time for a generation, with Industry Minister Karen Andrews outlining a positive vision for strengthening Australian manufacturing, and with the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC)’s Manufacturing Taskforce delivering its final recommendations to government. It will be equally important that we develop our capabilities across other industries, which promotes the strength of diversity in our economy and helps manufacturing secure a local supply chain and demand base.

Well before COVID-19, Australian manufacturing was evolving into more advanced modes, requiring very different mindsets, business models, skills and capabilities. These innovative approaches built on digital technologies are often referred to as Industry 4.0 or Smart Manufacturing. In Ai Group’s 2019 report The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Australian businesses in transition, we highlighted the journey of some businesses, especially manufacturers, transitioning to and within Industry 4.0. There has been substantial progress. But the gap between Industry 4.0 leaders and the majority of businesses is substantial – and this current pandemic has the potential to swing that pendulum either way.

Local companies are punching above their weight, doing amazing things with new technology and leading the way for others. Some of these are discussed in our report. Indeed, many SMEs are progressing Industry 4.0 strategies without using this label. Instead, their primary objectives are to implement new approaches to enable them to manage their operations, become more energy-efficient, improve productivity, lower costs, or meet new demands from customers. On the other hand, others are not yet adopting Industry 4.0 building blocks under any label.

Now, amidst a pandemic-driven recession, businesses are facing challenges greater than any in living memory. The pandemic has also highlighted broader economic vulnerabilities, raising questions about the scope of our domestic capabilities and resilience of global supply chains.

This unstable environment presents an opportunity for industry to emerge more globally competitive by taking fuller advantage of Industry 4.0 and digitalisation.

Anecdotal reports suggest that businesses who already had digital transformation projects underway have reprioritised and accelerated their projects to respond to the immediate impact of COVID-19, driven by social distancing and quarantine safety measures. Remote working and online collaboration have become a fundamental operational necessity for many, and previously marketed benefits for productivity, efficiency and work-life balance are being realised. This has led to a significant rise in digital technology uptake and digital literacy skills, including increased use of digital teleconferencing, videoconferencing and collaboration tools, and reliance on digital and communications infrastructure. These are likely to be built on, not abandoned, as the pandemic comes under control.

The COVID-19 crisis has also brought out the best of our community, inspiring innovative ideas where manufacturing can provide public value. It has seen local manufacturers and others pivot and collaborate to respond to shortages of vital equipment.

Striking the right balance between local production capability and reliance on global markets does not mean insulating Australia from

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has brought out the best of our community, inspiring innovative ideas where manufacturing can provide public value. It has seen local manufacturers and others pivot and collaborate to respond to shortages of vital equipment. international engagement and competition. One of the major intrinsic benefits of advanced manufacturing is the increased capacity to export to global markets and integrate with global value and supply chains. In this area, Industry 4.0 technologies and digitalisation can also play a role in building resilience in our global network.

For example, there are opportunities to shift from slow and complex manual management of supply chains to a more agile approach, and improve whole of supply chain transparency to identify weak links and gaps through increased monitoring of global suppliers.

Embracing global standards will be an important success factor in enabling this shift. Technologies such as blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have the potential to help address these issues.

While just-in-time manufacturing has helped increase efficiencies and reduce supply chain costs for manufacturers (especially in hightech industries) in recent decades, COVID-19 has highlighted its vulnerability to sudden shocks and supply shortages. Greater use of 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) can allow faster response to supply shocks and changing demand.

Increased attention to local manufacturing and immediate concerns with human social distancing may also spark a renewed conversation about leveraging deeper into automation, AI and robotics to boost our manufacturing capability and resilience.

There are many other relevant technologies and applications with new business use cases continually evolving. These innovations are an important piece for solving the larger puzzle of growing Australia’s manufacturing competitiveness.

Other areas for action include building a policy environment that incentivises investment in innovation and R&D; lowering regulatory barriers for manufacturers to compete globally; reforming workplace relations to increase flexibility and productivity; developing the appropriate skills and talent to help businesses innovate and compete; and building global competitive advantage through a successful transition to net zero emissions by 2050.

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FROM THE UNION PAUL BASTIAN – National Secretary Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

A fair share for Australian manufacturing Manufacturing is a growing industry globally. Almost every other job relies on manufactured goods, and demand for manufactured goods is growing here in Australia, but our domestic manufacturing sector is shrinking.

New research commissioned by the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) shows that Australia has the lowest level of manufacturing self-sufficiency in the OECD. Manufacturing selfsufficiency is the proportion of manufactured goods produced domestically compared to the volume of manufactured goods that are consumed. On this measure, Australia is at the bottom of the pile, outstripped not only by well-known manufacturing powerhouses like Germany, but every other OECD country from New Zealand to Latvia to Chile and Greece.

We need a fair share for Australian manufacturing. We need to grow our local manufacturing sector by almost half to match our output with consumption of manufactured goods over the medium-tolong term. According to our research, this would create 400,000 direct jobs in manufacturing, and a further 265,000 jobs throughout the supply chain as well as creating more than $40bn per year in manufactured exports. Our goal is ambitious, but with the right policy settings it is possible.

The alternative is to allow the gap between what we consume and what we produce to grow, deepening a trade deficit that already stands at $180bn a year. Two-thirds of international trade is in manufactured goods. If Australia does not grow our manufacturing sector, we will be locked out of trading opportunities in the future.

A fair share for Australian manufacturing does not mean that we produce everything that we use. We should aim to scale up subsectors of manufacturing where we have a competitive advantage, and continue to import goods in other sub-sectors. This will enable us to engage in mutual and balanced two-way trade. Local capability should be built up in sectors of critical importance including defence, energy, and health to ensure that we can manufacture essential goods here at home instead of relying on long global supply chains.

The first step in rebuilding Australian manufacturing is for governments of all levels to leverage their procurement powers to support Australian businesses and Australian workers by buying Australian. Stimulus measures like infrastructure projects should have industry participation plans and other measures put in place to ensure maximum local content. It just makes sense for our taxpayer dollars to be spent here to drive our domestic economy.

Secondly, the Government needs to develop sub-sector strategies to co-ordinate funding and interventions across departments and programs to deliver the best ‘bang for you buck’ in the sub-sectors identified as having the greatest potential for growth and strategic significance. The patchwork approach that exists at present has proven woefully inadequate in supporting our manufacturing sector.

We need to take a cohesive and long-term approach to reach our goal of self-sufficiency. The Government needs to facilitate cross-sector co-operation through networks or clusters, bringing together the public sector, private sector, universities and research institutions. Collaboration amongst a diverse group of stakeholders is crucial.

Manufacturing is the most innovation-intensive sector in Australia.

Despite only accounting for 6.9% of Australian employment, manufacturing makes up 26.4% of Australian research & development spending. No country can be an innovation leader without manufacturing.

Australian firms need to be better supported to up-scale and commercialise their innovations here. The Government should create an Advanced Manufacturing Investment Fund with an initial

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A fair share for Australian manufacturing is possible – and it’s necessary for our country’s future prosperity… The commonly accepted wisdom that manufacturing will disappear as we move to a ‘post-industrial’ economy is simply untrue. capitalisation of $1bn to make strategic equity investments in new projects, and amend tax laws to allow for accelerated depreciation measures and investment tax credits, which would better support local manufacturing firms. Our tax settings should ensure that research & development conducted here translates to products being manufactured here, rather than ideas being shipped offshore in the production phase.

As part of this, the Government must scrap its proposed Research & Development Tax Incentive Bill 2019. This Bill, which is currently before the Parliament, has the perverse effect of making it harder for manufacturing firms that are research-intensive to qualify for the tax incentive if they do their manufacturing here instead of offshore.

It’s the exact opposite of what our manufacturing sector needs.

We should be making the most of our natural advantages in renewable energy. The decreasing costs of renewable energy infrastructure, including solar panels and batteries, can bring down energy costs for Australian manufacturers. We have an opportunity to not just mine the resources required for so many renewable energy products, but to be a part of the value-adding process for minerals like lithium. Australia should be a world leader in lithium battery manufacturing.

And of course, we need to invest in skills and training. TAFE has been gutted, and desperately needs additional funding to ensure it can continue to deliver high-quality vocational education.

A fair share for Australian manufacturing is possible – and it’s necessary for our country’s future prosperity. With a coherent and co-ordinated approach, we can rebuild our manufacturing sector and create hundreds of thousands of well-paid secure jobs.

Australia’s lack of domestic manufacturing capacity makes us an outlier in the OECD. The commonly accepted wisdom that manufacturing will disappear as we move to a ‘post-industrial’ economy is simply untrue. Demand for manufactured goods will only continue to grow. Almost every job in almost every industry relies on manufactured goods.

We can change the trajectory of Australian manufacturing, and build back better from the COVID-19 crisis.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

New partnership delivers world-leading ‘smarts’ to shipbuilding Partnering to a deliver world-leading manufacturing technologies to the Hunter Class Frigate Program, the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), the University of South Australia (UniSA) and BAE Australia’s shipbuilding business, ASC Shipbuilding, will make a co-investment worth more than $4m in data visualisation research.

The research, spearheaded by UniSA, will drive the development of digital manufacturing (Industry 4.0), improve shipyard planning and add unique data analytics and problem-solving capacity to the Hunter program, which will deliver nine anti-submarine frigates to the Royal Australian Navy. The research outcomes and findings from the project will prepare Australian industry for a future driven by digital innovation.

IMCRC CEO Managing Director David Chuter said the partnership will ensure the Hunter class frigates are built using some of the most sophisticated innovations in manufacturing, while developing extraordinary capabilities and ongoing capacity for Australian shipbuilding and manufacturing.“This partnership will provide enduring and uniquely Australian sovereign industrial capability and advance and mobilise local manufacturers, particular small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to support Australia’s naval shipbuilding strategy for generations to come,” Chuter said.

Karen Andrews, Federal Minister for Industry Science and Technology, said the project represents innovation at its most powerful – embracing technology and a new way of doing things to improve production. “Not only will harnessing data visualisation research help the Hunter program itself, it will also assist critical local supply chains and future projects across the manufacturing landscape. This type of industry-led innovation that can be applied in a range of different settings will be key to charting our COVID-19 economic recovery.”

The Hunter class frigates will be the world’s first bow-to-stern digitally designed anti-submarine warfare frigate, and each ship

involves highly complex supply chains.

ASC Shipbuilding Continuous Naval Shipbuilding Strategy Director Sharon Wilson welcomed the opportunity to partner with UniSA and draw on the expertise of local researchers to drive innovation in digital manufacturing.

“Digital shipbuilding is all about connectivity – not just within the physical and digital shipyard but with our supply chain and customer – and the research will support everyone and every single part and product on the Hunter program to be connected,” Wilson said. “Together we’re creating a first-of-its-kind digital environment through the entire ship design and construction to improve productivity, quality and safety outcomes in the shipyard, and underpin growth and longevity in the naval shipbuilding industry in Australia. These innovations will be significant across the local supply chain so that Australian manufacturers can start their digital journey, building their capability to be involved in the Hunter program and future shipbuilding projects.”

UniSA chief collaborator, Professor Bruce Thomas, from the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, said the research will focus on how narrative visualisation and big data processing can deliver, reshape and refine the manufacturing environment.

“Fundamentally, the research project will be changing the way processes are carried out internally and externally to the shipyard.

What we learn by adapting, trialling and testing to suit the Hunter class frigate’s design will support the prototyping later this year, but will also build significant knowledge for wider application in Australian manufacturing.”

Engineers Australia announces Jane MacMaster as Chief Engineer Engineers Australia announces the appointment of Jane MacMaster to the newly created role of Chief Engineer.

Engineers Australia CEO Dr Bronwyn Evans said the Chief Engineer will lead the organisation’s engagement and policy discussion with industry, government, academia and other key stakeholders.

“The Chief Engineer will play an important part in delivering the organisation’s strategic vision and we are thrilled to have secured someone of Jane’s calibre,” said Dr Evans. “She will help ensure that Engineers Australia is well-positioned to provide leadership for the profession in Australia in the crucial areas of infrastructure, energy, technology and climate change.”

MacMaster has a wealth of engineering experience gained in Australia and internationally, including senior systems and design engineer roles for BAE Systems Australia, for various aerospace and defence programs including a supersonic ship self-defence system project for NATO. MacMaster has postgraduate qualifications in International Relations and has

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

previously worked as a Senior Strategy Advisor for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and as a management consultant in the financial services sector.

Most recently she was Founder and Director of Ponder Enterprises, where she used her engineering skillset to address complex societal challenges.

MacMaster has a long association with Engineers Australia, including volunteer positions on the Accreditation Board and the Mechanical Engineering and Women in Engineering committees.

“Jane has a strong professional network that spans the industry, higher education and government sectors and I am confident she will make an immediate impact,” added Dr Evans.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Australian automotive manufacturing gets new lease of life Launched in Sydney on 12 June, H2X is an Australianowned company that aims to develop and manufacture a new range of vehicles in this country.

H2X’s aim is to produce hydrogen-powered hybrid vehicles, maximising the benefits of battery electric, kinetic energy capture and hydrogen. Initially H2X is focusing on supporting the growth of renewable energy usage in Australia by offering products concentrating on vehicle fleets around renewable energy hubs. The company will offer a balance between hydrogen energy and kinetic and externally charged electricity, using an advanced hybrid system that can determine the most efficient approach for any given journey.

“Today we launch our company, which not only demonstrates the advanced technology and engineering capabilities of Australia in the clean energy arena, but also provides a real clean alternative in terms of transportation,” said Brendan Norman, Chief Executive Officer of H2X. “With the development of many green energy projects in Australia at the moment, we have a unique opportunity to bring a significant manufacturing operation back to into the country.”

H2X aims to launch several new vehicle lines, including locally designed and built heavy and industrial vehicles as well as a range of passenger cars. According to Norman, the company aims to reach market-leading volumes by 2025.

H2X begins with imported chassis from third-party manufacturers, coupled with a powertrain platform previously developed and already operating in vehicles in service in Asia. The vehicle bodies and interior parts will be locally manufactured, with supply localisation a key priority for the company. With a focus on efficiency of design of the body and chassis, and renewable materials inside and out, the goal of H2X is not only to bring to market clean power technologies but also make the most efficient, cost-effective and sustainable vehicles right from the outset.

The core team at H2X has been working for a number of years on hydrogen and alternative vehicles in Asia. Chris Reitz, H2X’s Chief Design Officer, says Australia is now becoming a platform for the development of these vehicles.

“H2X is an Australian company which aims to demonstrate a unique Australian spirit to the vehicle industry,” he remarked. “We have a unique character in our vehicles and we are using Australia’s strong resource, educational and innovation strengths to come up with products developed to excel in extreme conditions.”

H2X will base its operations in regional New South Wales, focused initially in the Illawarra district. The company’s ambition is to create a community of manufacturing in Australia that is dynamic, engaged in leadership in the clean energy power field, and one which has the potential to lead the world in this sector.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Elexon Electronics unveils new cutting-edge plant Leading Brisbane engineering and electronics developer Elexon Electronics has responded to calls for new state-ofthe-art electronic manufacturing capabilities by investing $2m in a new cutting-edge production facility.

Elexon CEO Frank Faller was joined

by Glenn Butcher, the Queensland Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing, to unveil and launch the new intelligent factory line.

“Pre COVID-19, the company had growing demand from customers who were wishing to manufacture onshore,” said Faller. “That demand has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit with many customers unable to source or ship due to restrictions, and overseas manufactures hit hard by the virus.

“In order to expand our production capabilities, Elexon Electronics heavily invested in a state-of-the-art, automated surface-mount technology (SMT) equipment from the leading European electronics machinery producers Mycronic and Asscon. The intelligent material handling system – and an X-Ray inspection system for ultimate quality assurance – set us apart from the competition.”

The investment in the Industry 4.0 facility was possible thanks to a generous grant from the Queensland Government. The investment

enables Elexon to reach new markets including the aerospace and defence industries, which require fast and versatile production with impeccable precision and integrity of final products.

Elexon received $890,325 from the $46m Made in Queensland program to introduce leading-edge electronics manufacturing equipment and transform the business into an intelligent Industry 4.0 factory.

Minister Butcher said: “Elexon is a great example of how this Government is helping to bolster Queensland manufacturers to unite and recover through tough economic times like what we’re seeing in COVID-19.”

Faller confirmed the Made in Queensland grant not only helped to keep existing manufacturing jobs in Queensland, but also empowers Elexon to assist other domestic businesses to re-shore some of their products and have them manufactured locally. As a result of the investment, Elexon has also created a number of new work positions and upskilled existing staff.

Rail Manufacturing CRC closes its doors The Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has ceased operations, ending its six-year focus on delivering industry-leading research to support the growth of Australia’s rail industry.

The Centre was established in July 2014, and subsequently funded the delivery of 65 projects, supported the studies of 51 Australian-based PhD students, and worked with 35 rail organisations and universities. Project successes include: • Dwell Track passenger tracking technology (developed by the University of Technology Sydney and Downer) patented, trademarked and trialled by the Sydney Trains rail network from August to November 2019.

• Projects with CRRC and CSIRO resulting in enhanced supercapacitor technologies to support catenary-free rail, with impending commercial trials of the CSIRO-developed energy management system.

• Arc welding software developed by CSIRO for use by CRRC to enable optimised welding parameters to be modelled and predicted.

• Bombardier and the University of Queensland axle bearing projects that developed modelling software for use by for rolling stock maintainers to understand wear and maintenance cycles of axle bearings.

• Smart Rail Route Map process, delivered by Deakin University and the Australasian Railway Association as a complementary subset to the On Track to 2040 roadmap, bringing together rail industry leaders to develop a digital and communications roadmap and to support solutions implementation through an industry-led steering committee.

• Melbourne SME Airlinx completing computational fluid dynamics modelling on air conditioning diffusers and airflow in train cabins to develop a model for improved thermal and air quality properties in passenger trains, even a more key focus now following the current COVID-19 pandemic.

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• High performance brake discs using advanced metal matrix composite materials with improved wear resistance and heat dissipation properties manufactured by CSIRO. With rail investment likely to hit $150bn in the coming decades, greater opportunities are required to leverage such investment in an aggregated way, to grow and enhance the national rail industry of the future. According to Dr Stuart Thomson, CEO of the Rail Manufacturing CRC, new models of co-operation between industry and researchers, and federal and state governments will need to be explored to achieve this.

“A national strategy for rail and rail innovation would be a great impetus for ensuring a future innovative rail sector,” said Dr Thomson. “There is a need to strengthen the domestic rail supply chain. By providing incentives for SMEs to invest in research and development, and encouraging global suppliers currently not investing in local innovation or local supply chains to invest in the long-term future of the local rail sector, this will create future advanced manufacturing businesses and employment opportunities.”

Following the Centre’s closure, the Rail Manufacturing CRC has launched a legacy website (www.rmcrc.com.au), containing project achievements, publications and outcomes all in the one location, with a number of video profiles included on key projects and a full suite of PhD student profiles.

“The Rail Manufacturing CRC legacy website will remain online to recognise the efforts of our participants and students in the delivery of industry-leading rail research,” said Dr Thomson. “It is hoped that the online materials will be a vital resource used when future rail research is being proposed and conducted.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Swinburne and Able Australia develop 3D-printed ‘Swin Shields’ In a project to help protect COVID-19 transmission among workers in the disability sector, Swinburne engineers, together with Able Australia, have produced 3D-printed headbands that can fit commonly-found plastic page protectors and form a simple but effective, low-cost face shield.

The coronavirus pandemic gave rise to a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) through the community and what equipment was available was very costly. Able Australia’s CEO Kate MacRae, saw a need for low-cost face shields that could be worn by disability support workers.

“When the first wave of the pandemic hit in March, PPE was in short supply,” said MacRae. “While the health and aged care sectors were given access to the government’s PPE stockpile, the disability sector was excluded. We knew we needed to come up with our own solution.

“Able Australia and other disability support providers like us support a significant number of people who fall in the ‘high-risk’ category for COVID-19. Social distancing at all times when supporting someone with a complex disability is virtually impossible. For the safety and wellbeing of our clients and staff we needed PPE and we needed it urgently.” Together with her husband Richard, MacRae had developed a headband prototype with fixing points matched for a four-hole punch to which plastic page protectors could be attached, but they were seeking assistance to hone the design and produce a large number. In April she engaged Dr Kwong Ming Tse, a researcher in Swinburne’s Department of Mechanical and Product Design Engineering. With formal approval from the university to work on campus during the coronavirus lockdown, a team of researchers and technical staff from Swinburne, led by Professor Guoxing Lu

and Dr Tse began working on the project. Dr Tse took the lead in developing the design and worked with technical staff to complete the products. “After two weeks of initial trials of the face shield prototype, we were able to advance the face shield design to a far more comfortable, user-friendly and safer design, with a shorter printing time,” said Dr Tse. He took his design with a few earlier prototypes to Vanessa Steele, Group Finance and Corporate Services Manager at Waverley Industries, a not-for-profit organisation that provides employment for people with special needs to try. The new design was found to be the most comfortable. The Swinburne team massprinted 1,100 of the face shields, dubbed ‘Swin Shields’. The university covered the cost of the 3D printing materials, while the team took care of the 3D printing, product quality and delivering the face shields to Waverley Industries.

MacRae said Swinburne had been incredibly generous in partnering with the disability sector on this endeavour: “The disability sector really appreciates this partnership and the outcome of increasing safety for staff and clients. This was an amazingly generous offer not only of product but of service and skill too.”

Steele added: “We thank Professor Lu, Dr Tse and the team from Swinburne for their technical genius in helping us to protect those we support in a safe and affordable manner.”

National Traceability Advisory Group to support Australian industry and government GS1 Australia, a not-for-profit standards organisation, has announced the establishment of an industry-led National Traceability Advisory Group.

The Advisory Group will provide advice on global standards for trade and traceability based on industry need and aligned with the role of government to ensure Australian industry maintains and builds sustainable capability, international market access and global competitiveness.

Marcel Sieira, Chief Customer Officer at GS1 Australia, said: “The primary objective of the Advisory Group is to inform GS1 Australia on the requirements of industry and government for traceability standards. The group will play a key role in communicating, educating and co-defining a roadmap with industry and government for implementing endto-end traceability and trade modernisation in Australia.”

GS1 Australia will not only provide the secretariat support for this industry group as well as providing expert, trusted advice and global best practices. Ram Akella, Business Partner focusing on Product Traceability within the Woolworths Group, has been

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

appointed Chair of the Advisory Group.

“Global supply chains are continually being tested,” said Akella. “This has been made more evident through recent, unprecedented events such as the global pandemic. Australian industry is well-positioned to lead and leverage the next wave of transformation and innovation in global and domestic markets based on enhanced traceability and trust.

“This transformation will require all sectors of industry and government to align on open global identification and data standards. The Advisory Group is a key step in bringing together key industry stakeholders from all sectors of the economy and segments of our supply chain who share a common interest in enhancing product traceability.”

Invitations to join the group are being sent out to key industry and government stakeholders. To register your interest, please visit: www.gs1au.org/ngtag.

INDUSTRY NEWS

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David Thodey AO, Chair of the CSIRO Board, commended Dr Marshall’s achievements: “Over the last five years, Larry’s leadership of CSIRO has seen our impact on Australia grow. We have seen significant progress across a number of areas including: growth in economic benefit for Australia from CSIRO’s science; a ten-fold increase in CSIRO’s equity portfolio; a capable and engaged team of scientists and researchers committed to serving our nation; and the highest number of partnerships with industry for 30 years.”

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The Board of Directors of CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has reappointed Dr Larry Marshall as Chief Executive for a further three years. Marshall joined CSIRO in 2015.

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CSIRO reappoints Marshall as CEO

Shortly after joining CSIRO, Marshall introduced ‘Strategy 2020’ to focus the organisation towards continued science excellence, while aiming to amplify the delivery of solutions from science – translating endeavour to initiatives that put science in the hands of the community, business and the public.

“The Board thanks Larry and CSIRO’s 5,500 people for their achievements over the past five years,” Thodey added. “Under Larry’s leadership, our vision for the future of CSIRO will ensure our world-class scientific and research organisation continues to make an impact. We are delighted that Larry has agreed to lead the organisation in the next chapter of its history.”

Karen Andrews, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, thanked Dr Marshall for his passion in leading CSIRO. “The role of science and the work of the national science and industrial research agency has never been more crucial after the summer of bushfires and during the COVID-19 pandemic," Minister Andrews said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Dr Marshall across a range of important areas of science and industry research which will benefit all Australians.”

Commenting on his reappointment, Dr Marshall thanked ‘Team CSIRO’ for their commitment and passion: “It’s a privilege to lead an organisation trusted by so many Australians. Our people are inspiring – committed to creating a better future for all Australians.

While we have achieved much, there is more to deliver as we emerge from the current crisis. Our focus on delivering real solutions from science will help Australia grow to even greater strengths, just as we have seen before over CSIRO’s 100-year legacy.”

Thodey concluded: “CSIRO plays an important and unique role in the lives of all Australians as the national science agency. Recent events have brought this into sharp focus, including the devastating bushfires and COVID-19. CSIRO is a great Australian institution that helps our nation respond to our changing world, anticipate the future, and deliver great science and research that benefits society, the environment, and the economy.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Australian companies increase or maintain digital transformation spend amid pandemic A new study by IFS has revealed that 54% of Australian companies believe if they don’t take risks with digital transformation projects they will cease to exist in five years.

Today’s macro-economic disruption has failed to dampen digital transformation plans, with 58% of Australian companies stating they will increase their spending on digital transformation projects.

While many people might assume that respondents concerned with the economy would pull back on technology spending, the reality is that investment is increasing.

The research findings indicate that during these dynamic times, plans to increase spending on digital transformation tracks closely with concerns about economic conditions disrupting the business.

Globally, the study has found people concerned with economic disruption were 20% more likely to plan for increased spending on digital transformation.

Despite a widespread willingness to invest, the study reveals digital

transformation execution as a fraught area for many decision-makers. For nearly half (44%) of Australian decision-makers the two main concerns were keeping internal stakeholders satisfied, and managing conflict between strategic needs and the ability to deliver at the frontline.

Victoria was the most anxious state when it came to economic outlook, with 29% citing the economic climate as a key disruption to business, followed closely

by New South Wales (28%) and Tasmania (25%). Failed digital transformation projects take the biggest toll on Victoria, with local businesses on average needing 2.5 years to recover. Queensland companies were the most guilty of implementing digital transformation projects only when they fell behind competitors (63%), closely followed

by New South Wales (50%) and Victoria (38%).

According to Australian companies, the risk of a failed digital transformation projects may set the business back by up to two years, but without these projects they risk falling behind or worse.

The study found that 54% of companies believe they will cease to exist in five years if they don’t take risks with their digital transformation projects.

“The study confirms that many companies are wisely using the global downturn to divert resources to technological renewal and innovation,” said Warren Zietsman, Managing Director for IFS Australia and New Zealand. “As the majority of companies are adapting to the anticipated economic recovery, and not permanently scrapping digital transformation initiatives, there is reason to believe that companies with a progressive mindset toward technology investment will be well equipped to rebound.”

EVOK3D to supply 3D printers to Defence Science & Technology (DST) EVOK3D announced on 13 July that it has been successful in a public tender to supply Defence Science and Technology (DST), the Federal Government’s lead agency responsible for applying science and technology to safeguard Australia and its national interests, with three HP Jet Fusion 3D printing systems, along with automated post-processing equipment suitable for serial manufacturing.

The industrial-grade HP Jet Fusion 4200 printers will be used by DST for production of robust end-use parts, tooling and jigs, as well as concept models and prototypes.

Due to the high output possible from the HP 4200 machines, they can also be used for on-demand local manufacturing of critical parts in the event of supply chain disruption. This revolutionary technology is set to enable the reinvention of manufacturing in Australia due to its flexibility and agility compared to traditional manufacturing processes.

Joe Carmody, EVOK3D Managing Director, said: “3D printing has moved beyond just prototyping and is now a viable and flexible direct manufacturing technology.

DST’s motto is ‘Science and Technology for Safeguarding Australia’ and we are very proud to be playing a part in securing supply chain sovereignty for this country.”

“The fact the Department of Defence has selected EVOK3D and HP’s production-

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

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GOVERNMENT NEWS

Queensland boosts support for small and medium businesses The Queensland Government has set itself a target to do business with more local Queensland small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

Minister for Employment and Small Business - Shannon Fentimanannounced that Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Government was leading the way in backing local businesses by setting a minimum target to engage SMEs for goods and services.

“Queensland is home to more than 438,000 small businesses and we want to help them to grow and succeed,” Minister Fentiman said. “And now more than ever they need our support. That’s why we have introduced a target of 25% of all government purchases to be from Queensland small and medium sized businesses from 1 July. The target will be extended to 30% by 30 June 2022.

“The Palaszczuk Government is leading by example. We’re the first state to set a target which is well above the Commonwealth target of 10%. This target is expected to provide around $4.1bn from the Queensland government to Queensland SMEs from next financial year.” Minister Fentiman added that the SME sector is crucial to the economy, accounting for 99% of businesses that employ Queenslanders. “We have a plan for Queensland: Unite and Recover,” she said. “It’s about supporting Queensland businesses and industry as well as supporting Queensland jobs.”

Minister Fentiman made the annoucement during a visit to manufacturing business Macrack Australia, based in Mansfield,

Instant asset write-off scheme extended for six months The Federal Government has announced that it will extend the $150,000 instant asset write-off for six months to 31 December 2020.

The instant asset write-off threshold was initially increased from $30,000 to $150,000 in March, with access expanded to include businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $500m (up from $50m). Under the extended scheme, Australian businesses with annual turnover of less than $500m will be able to take advantage of the prolonged timeframe to invest in assets to support their business as the economy reopens and Coronavirus health restrictions continue to be eased.

The measures are expected to support more than 3.5 million businesses. They are designed to support businesses in sticking with investments they had planned, and to encourage them to bring investment forward to support economic growth over the near term.

The instant asset write-off also helps to improve cash flow for businesses by bringing forward tax deductions for eligible expenditure. The threshold applies on a per asset basis, so eligible businesses can immediately write-off multiple assets provided each costs less than $150,000.

The extension will also give businesses additional time to acquire and install assets, as they will now have until the end of the year.

Assets can be new or second-hand and could include, for example, a truck for a delivery business or a tractor for a farming business.

Legislative changes will be made to give effect to this measure, which is estimated to have a cost to revenue of $300m over the forward estimates period.

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

in Brisbane’s south-east suburbs. Member for Mansfield Corrine McMillan said more than 1.4 million Queensland jobs were supported by SMEs. “Companies like Macrack in my local community need support to grow,” she said. “They are critical to the post COVID-19 recovery.

Targets for procurement spending reinforce the government’s commitment to the sector.”

Macrack is one Queensland business that has worked for the Queensland government, having provided a pallet racking installation. Joanne Glasson, Director at Macrack, welcomed the announcement, which will support more Queensland businesses.

“We are proud to be a local home-grown manufacturing business,” Glasson said. “Today’s commitment from the Queensland government will support more local businesses like ours and will also assist the Queensland manufacturing industry.”

Queenslands’s On-time Payment Policy (OPP), reducing payment terms for small businesses from 30 to 20 days, commenced after 1 July. Small businesses are encouraged to enter their details on the Small Business Register to ensure they can be identified in payment systems. To register visit: www.business.qld.gov.au

Victorian Business Growth Fund established The Victorian State Government has announced the establishment of a $250m Victorian Business Growth Fund for small and medium enterprises to help them access capital and create jobs to grow the Victorian economy.

The Victorian Treasurer announced a $50m contribution towards the Fund, which will be developed with leading industry superannuation groups First State Super and VicSuper. The Fund will be the largest of its kind in Australia, seeking to create thousands of jobs by investing in established Victorian businesses with compelling potential for growth and jobs creation.

Many Victorian small and medium enterprises find it difficult to access affordable capital, limiting their ability to expand their business. The Reserve Bank and the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman have repeatedly noted that the economy is being held back by a lack of access to finance.

The Victorian Government, First State Super and VicSuper are continuing to work together to finalise the design of the fund, which is subject to a formal agreement. A high-quality, independent fund manager will be appointed through a competitive process.

The Fund will complement existing Victorian Government’s programs which already support businesses, such as the Victorian Jobs and Investment Fund and payroll tax cuts announced in the Victorian Budget 2019/20.

GOVERNMENT NEWS

WA announces $800,000 from New Industries Fund The Western Australia State Government is advancing up to $800,000 from the $16.7m New Industries Fund (NIF) to support start‑ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) impacted by COVID-19.

Western Australia’s innovation sector has been impacted by COVID-19, with start-ups and entrepreneurs facing problems with cash flow, potential data breaches, supply chain integrity and changed business models.

Announcing the measures, Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly said: “Our innovation community has told us they most need business advice and mentoring to help guide them through the COVID-19 recovery period. The extra funding for business education programs and hubs will be a big help to retain jobs, especially with its focus on cyber security and diversity and inclusion.

The New Industries Fund was established to support and accelerate new and emerging businesses to diversify the Western Australian economy and create new WA jobs. The $800,000 package from the New Industries Fund consists of the following support programs: • Innovation Vouchers Program: An additional $300,000 to support 16 more Innovation Vouchers, worth up to $20,000 each, to start-ups and SMEs. This is in addition to the existing $400,000 allocated for the 2020 program, bringing the total value to $700,000. The total 36 Innovation Voucher grants will support SMEs to access professional skills, services or knowledge to advance their ideas and commercial activities.

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• WA Data Science Innovation Hub and the AustCyber WA Innovation Hub: $400,000 funding to help build the Hubs’ capacity to advise start-ups and SMEs on cyber security and the use of data science for business development, including in regional areas.

• X-TEND WA Program: $100,000 funding for education and mentoring programs, which will be delivered by existing X-TEND WA program recipients. This will help boost entrepreneurs and innovative projects that support diversity and promote inclusion in the innovation community. This will also support WA business that wish to pivot their business model.

“Extra funding for the data science and cyber innovation hubs will build their capacity to support organisations and businesses who need guidance on best-practice to safely deliver online products and services – an area seeing huge increases in demand during the pandemic,” Kelly added. “Helping innovative start-ups and SMEs during the State’s economic recovery period is critical to both preserving existing jobs, while ensuring these organisations are wellpositioned to create new viable businesses and as a result; additional jobs.

For more information about the New Industries Fund, visit: www.newindustries. wa.gov.au/new-industries-fund

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VOICE BOX OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Change is inevitable. Your progress is optional The current economic dislocation is as much a challenge as any before it, but also will not last forever, and it will present opportunities for Australian manufacturers who are prepared to adapt to accelerated change in the emerging post-COVID-19 world, writes Brent Whyte.

Never has the axiom ‘Change is inevitable’ been more relevant to manufacturers than in the emerging post-COVID era, when Australian industry is being reshaped by tectonic events. We already know supply chains will change, automate and truncate to become more rapidly responsive to domestic and international events. The way we work, communicate and engineer the future will also change.

The degree to which countries must be more self-sufficient in key areas may emerge as a national priority. Technologies focused on flexible manufacturing, health, hygiene, energy, infrastructure, defence, construction, sustainability and environmental risk management will all be among the winners from change. Some of the changes will be new; some will be an acceleration of trends that were already underway; and some will kill off old practices that were already on life support before COVID-19 struck.

And while no-one has a clear chart to the future (that would be like having tomorrow’s race results or share prices) we do know there will be challenges and opportunities; and there will be winners and losers, depending on how they see the future.

So, while most of us right new are focused on survival – and rightly so – it might also be time to look over the parapet to the world ahead and position ourselves for change.

Ask yourself, is it time now to get out and get your abilities known?

To position yourself early as a master of change in the area in which you operate? To present yourself as an authority with a vision of the future – as someone who sees challenges and change as a time of opportunity, a positive thinker?

Or do you do nothing and believe your old reputation will carry you through?

That might work for some, if their corporate vision is clearly understood by the people who sit down to make choices about who gets considered for work, or who is selected for tender lists.

But it can be a risk to presume that everyone knows your company and the full extent of your capabilities. The fact is they often don’t.

Based on our decades of experience in the B2B business here at Whyte PR, we find it mostly falls into three categories: • Some customers will have a strong idea of who you are and what you do, because they deal with you frequently.

• Others will have a less clear idea – they may know that you do one thing well, but they may not understand that you are good at other things as well.

• And others just won’t have a clue, because some reputations are rooted firmly in the past and will die out with their old customer base, or they depend too much on one sector – even one large customer – and tie their fortunes to them.

Failure to communicate your business’ advantages is surrendering your future to someone else – because business is based on constant renewal and clear and systematic communication of who you are and what you do.

It is fundamental to understand that all businesses have a reputation in the marketplace. Your choice, really, is not whether you have a reputation, but whether you choose to define that reputation – or choose to let others do it for you (often competitors).

So how do you get yourself known without paying a fortune (before you have generated a fortune)?

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My first tip would be to join in some of the forums and events sponsored by AMTIL, to help find out from your peers who is a dud and who can actually understand what you are talking about.

Have a chat with the people at AMTIL – about membership, editorial, advertising, events – and with the same cohort of people in other print and electronic media that are respected in the vertical markets you focus upon. These are the people working on the front line, sorting fact from fiction and credibility from waffle. Some of the tales they will tell you will be well worth learning in advance, because there are traps for new players (and indeed for some big companies whose heads are so elevated into marketing clichés, they may be alienating the down-to-earth, engineering-oriented audience that forms their key audience).

Above all, they have to be self-starters – after all, you don’t buy a working dog and bark too. And when you do find the right people to talk to (naturally our company is happy Brent to talk), enter a discussion that should Whyte be without obligation, and with an eye to a shared future.

It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive, but those who can best manage change.

Brent Whyte is Managing Director of Whyte Public Relations, working alongside Senior Consultant Jack Mallen-Cooper, who joined the company in 2012. Whyte Public Relations works with local and international companies operating throughout Australasia, South Asia, Europe, America and China. www.whytepr.com.au

Jack MallenCooper

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VOICE BOX OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Manufacturing an edge in safety The Federal Government estimates that COVID-19 closures have cost the national economy $4bn a week. This has long-term implications for the financial wellbeing of all Australians. But as we’ve seen from other nations that have relaxed their restrictions, this is a dangerous time because everywhere is now a high-risk environment. Alistair Venn explains how manufacturers can make safety their edge in a post-COVID world.

For most manufacturers, COVID-19 has been one of the most challenging periods, with organisations having had to navigate large hits to the bottom line. The crisis saw shifts in labour, supply and demand critically affect the entire industry. Manufacturers have had to deal with a sharp decline in consumer spending, disrupted supply chains, and facility shutdowns — often, all at once.

As the world gets back to business, the key challenge for manufacturers lies in normalising safety procedures, ramping up operations as demand for goods return to normal levels, and minimising the risk of COVID-19 being contracted and spread throughout their facilities — resulting in halted operations and putting local communities at risk.

The businesses who will come out on top are those who implement an early warning system — a set of procedures to guide the organisation as restrictions loosen, but to also enable leaders to react quickly if another outbreak occurs. These early warning processes will help manufacturers build long-term immunity to risk and disruption.

SafetyCulture is one of the world’s leading platforms for workplace safety and efficiency. Working with more than 27,000 companies around the world, we have witnessed how COVID-19 has exposed the failings of a top-down business compliance model, where traditionally, safety has been the responsibility of a compliance officer.

This is true in the manufacturing industry too. To stay ahead in today’s environment, managing a business’ health & safety obligations can no longer simply be a box-ticking exercise to meet compliance requirements. Safety is the responsibility of everybody.

Democratising safety by empowering teams to act appropriately, reporting issues, and taking action to solve problems is how the manufacturing world can get safely back to business.

As we look to life post COVID-19, it’s the people on the frontline of every industry who have the visibility to build a culture of safety from the ground up. It’s down to each and every member of your team to ensure procedures and guidelines are followed.

Here’s how manufacturers can take action to ramp up operations and inspire confidence in employees and suppliers:

Make safety the #1 priority Consistently high standards in managing hygiene, exposure and traceability have always been important in the industry, but they are now imperative. Reduce opportunities for contamination by removing unnecessary processes that involve human interaction and implement strict safety protocols for all – including staff and visitors to facilities. Make sure everyone knows they are responsible

for ensuring strict cleaning regimens are being applied to all touchpoints throughout factories and warehouses – and reporting when they are not.

Create an early warning system A huge priority will be establishing an early warning system that provides real-time data and the transparency required for staff to trust the new factory environment. Increasing the frequency of checks is critical as you get back to business. Empower front-line staff with simple, digitised checklists and inspection processes that give you real-time insights and turn issues into actions while creating an audit trail to keep track of everything. Get rid of inefficient paperbased safety inspections.

Make safety everyone’s responsibility Employees are looking for confidence to sustainably get back to work. Communication is going to be critical. Everyone needs to take responsibility to create a genuine culture of safety, from the frontline to senior management, putting the safety of their colleagues and customers first. Compliance alone won’t cut it. Use checklists to cover areas including correct personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing and hygiene processes.

Lead by example Manufacturing has always been a risky industry. Use your years of experience to lead by example and become a sector that others look to for tips and guidance.

A digital approach Using SafetyCulture’s iAuditor app, thousands of businesses worldwide have been able to simplify the auditing process and gain visibility and insights to help raise safety and quality standards across their organisations during COVID-19. Acting as an inspection management software, iAuditor is an easy-to-use application that enables your team on the frontline collect consistent data, standardise operations, send reports, identify failed areas and get problems resolved fast To support Australia’s manufacturing industry, SafetyCulture has digitised hundreds of the world’s COVID-19 reopening guidelines into simple mobile checklists in an inspection app that any team member can use in minutes. The ‘Return to Work’ templates, based on policies and procedures recommended by the Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy, and guidelines from health organisations like the WHO, can be relied upon to guide organisations through this challenging time.

Alistair Venn is the Chief Operating Officer at SafetyCulture. www.safetyculture.com.au

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VOICE BOX OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

COVID-19: How can the manufacturing supply chain respond?

This year has presented a steep learning curve for global supply chain sites, as typified by the dramatic disruptions to supply chains caused by the COVID-19 crisis. By Danielle Dadello.

In March, metalwork manufacturers across Australia who rely on overseas suppliers for their materials saw drastic supply shortages, and many manufacturers waiting on materials or ingredients have had to make the difficult decision to put their businesses on hold. As a result, this places enormous pressure on the supply chain.

Globalised supply chains require globalised visibility Manufacturers and suppliers providing services and stock to businesses such as food processors face a lot of pressure and responsibility, propping up the smooth running of producers’ ability to provide goods for end-of-the-line consumers. For example, food manufacturers utterly depend on the smooth running of the supply chain, but all too often relationships with suppliers can be problematically complex and unclear.

Globalisation and complicated supply lines mean that some manufacturers and supply chain sites might be in risky and unreliable supply chain relationships without even knowing it. This can mean supply chain sites tasked with receiving and delivering goods and services can unexpectedly become affected by international crises, much like COVID-19, without the means to properly address and overcome this.

Even in the case of less dramatic but nonetheless critical issues like product recalls, manufacturers can be held accountable for any improper product handling and poor management performed by the suppliers of materials and components earlier on in the supply chain. Enhanced insight into supply chains from the very first source is essential for manufacturers to have greater visibility into all ingredients sourced and used in production, to significantly minimise recalls due to incorrect or missing labelling, and on a greater scale, get ahead of international crises, and safeguard business performance against supply chain issues.

Many manufacturers are using cloud-based technology to gain this critical, business-bolstering insight. Having complete visibility over your suppliers, materials, and all points of production means you can know where your goods are at all times, and ensure nothing gets changed or compromised along the way. It also means the goods you pass along to your customers will be the highest quality they can be.

Bolster yourself against risks With enhanced visibility into suppliers, it’s essential you identify supply chain characteristics that seem risky and address them head on. With healthier supply chains, manufacturers can be better supported and far more resilient in times of uncertainty, or when supply chain sites fail.

Building strong relationships with your suppliers is essential to abate risk, and establish productive systems of trust – trusted relationships where you can truly rely on your suppliers to provide quality goods, so you can then do your best work. Strong relationships are also critical in multi-supplier strategies, which manufacturers should consider exploring for trusted back-ups and support when primary suppliers can’t provide. Establishing supplier relationships in different countries and regions means that if one supplier falls due

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

to political, economic or environmental events, you can draw on unaffected suppliers to keep business running.

It’s also best to identify risky supply chain characteristics and cut them as soon as you can.

For example, relying on suppliers in low-cost countries can leave manufacturers at a higher chance of receiving low-quality goods, forced to wait out delays, or seriously affected if that supplier goes under. It’s essential to review any suppliers’ track record too, and ensure they’ve consistently met demands and quality standards with their customers.

In today’s globalised and digitised world, best supply chain practice comes down to implementing technology. Technology tools like cloud software is the only way suppliers and manufacturers can gain truly accurate, real-time visibility across all their stock and goods.

Customer communication For companies in metalworks and production, keeping customers happy is a must. In uncertain, challenging times like this, it’s more important than ever that your customers understand that, as much as they rely on smooth running supply chain processes and product deliveries, so do you. When product recalls or unexpected events like COVID-19 strike, suppliers need to communicate clearly and openly with customers. Customers will appreciate you conveying the reality of hold-ups and offering more realistic timeframes around when services and products will be available, so they’re not left in the dark and can make decisions about their own business operations. It’s important that these timeframes are based on datadriven, real-time insights gleaned from smart technology, so they’re accurate and legitimate.

Talking to key stakeholders in your customer base can also help you better communicate next steps and showcase that you’re invested in each customer’s wellbeing. Chatting to heads of finance, growth, or product can help you tailor communications to each part of customers’ companies, and keep specific sectors informed.

Customers will appreciate this comprehensive approach.

Moreover, if stock and goods are held up, see how else you can support customers. Perhaps there are other services or products that you can provide at this time instead. This works to keep customers satisfied, before they start searching for different products.

Whether it be metalwork, food production or other manufacturing sectors, manufacturers are facing significant supply chain challenges as disruptions leave goods and resources held up overseas. It’s critical that in crises like this, manufacturers can continue to cater to their customers, and work on strengthening their supply chain relationships and practices to ensure best practice in the future.

A globalised and highly complex line, the supply chain can be vulnerable at the best of times. Now more than ever, manufacturers of all kinds need to prioritise supply chain technology, gain visibility into their goods and protect themselves.

Danielle Dadello is a Country Manager at Unleashed Software www.unleashedsoftware.com

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TECH NEWS

Australia: Using electricity to clean up toxic water University of Sydney engineers have developed an electrochemical oxidation process to clean up heavily polluted industrial wastewater.

The process involved treating wastewater with electricity using specialised electrodes. After discharging electricity, oxidation reactions near the electrode surfaces were driven, transforming the organic contaminants into harmless gasses, ions or minerals.

The powerful process eliminates even the most persistent nonbiodegradable pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides, as well as various classes of organic compounds that can be found in many industrial effluents. The process is relatively simple, does not require the addition of chemicals or severe operation conditions, and does not produce additional waste streams. Worldwide, researchers are investigating methods for the development of biofuels from algae.

Developing alternatives for the treatment and reuse of this industrial effluent is a hot research topic and can bring opportunities for energy and resource recovery within a circular bio-economy framework.

A UNESCO report found that the opportunities from exploiting wastewater were vast, and that safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials.

University of Sydney

size, and a wind turbine that could produce a small amount of electricity at its larger size. The new material isn’t as strong as polystyrene foam, but could be used for cushioning, airfoils, buoyancy aids or expandable habitats for astronauts.

American Chemical Society

Australia: New QLD-designed rocket system boosts Australian space industry Australian rocket company Gilmour Space and the University of Queensland have partnered to develop new technologies for an Australian-made rocket that will be launching small satellites into low Earth orbits from 2022. Gilmour is pioneering the development of next-generation hybrid rocket technologies that are safer and more cost-effective than traditional chemical-propulsion rockets. The company reached a milestone with a successful hot-fire of its upperstage hybrid rocket engine last June - a key demonstration of its ability to produce repeatable, stable, high-performance combustion over a long duration burn. The engine will have the capability to power the upper stage of the Eris orbital launch vehicle, and deliver customer payloads. More recently, Gilmour achieved one of the longest hybrid rocket engine test firings in the world: a 110-second mission duration burn of its upper stage engine. 110 seconds is the time period expected for the final stage to deliver customer payloads into their specific orbit. This proved many of the technologies needed for the company’s larger engines.

Gilmour Space and mixed

The water before, during and after treatment.

Hong Kong: High strength steel with unprecedented fracture resistance In the latest breakthrough in “super D&P” steel (a novel super-steel) scientists attained an unprecedented strength-toughness combination for ultra-high fracture toughness. This changes the conventional view that attaining high strength will be at the expense of deteriorating toughness. The team also made an important scientific discovery: It has a unique fracture feature in which multiple micro-cracks are formed below the main fracture surface, through a novel “highstrength induced multi-delamination” toughening mechanism. These micro-cracks can effectively absorb energy from externally applied forces, resulting in the steel’s much higher toughness resistance compared to existing steel materials. The cost of raw materials of the D&P steel is only 20% of the cost of maraging steel, and can be produced by conventional rolling and annealing processes, so no complex fabrication and special equipment are required.

University of Hong Kong

USA: Expandable foam for 3D printing of large objects It’s a frustrating limitation of 3D printing: Printed objects must be smaller than the machine making them. Now, a new material can be used to 3D print small objects that expand upon heating. Testing many different resin formulations, researchers 3D printed a hollow, latticed sphere. Heating the sphere in an oven caused a volatile component of the resin to bubble out as a gas.

This created a porous, polystyrene foam-like material that was up to 40 times larger in volume than the original printed object. With this method, the team also 3D printed many other shapes, including a boat, which could carry about 20 times more weight at its expanded

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

USA: Technology to remedy 3D printing's 'weak spot' Plastics are commonly used for extrusion 3D printing and finding a way to remedy the inadequate bonding between 3D-printed layers has been an ongoing quest. A sophisticated technology has been developed that can bolster welding between layers all while printing the 3D part. To promote inter-layer bonding, the surface of each printed layer was coated with carbon nanotubes which were heated using electric currents. To overcome inadvertent damage to the part, the team generated plasma which could carry an electrical charge to the surface of the printed part. This technique allowed electric currents to pass through the printed part, heating the nanotubes and welding the layers together. When the researchers tested the strength of 3D printed parts, their strength was comparable to injection-moulded part.

Texas A&M University

USA: Far-UVC light safely kills airborne coronaviruses More than 99.9% of seasonal coronaviruses present in airborne droplets were killed when exposed to a particular wavelength of ultraviolet light that is safe to use around humans. Conventional germicidal UVC light (254nm wavelength) can be used to disinfect unoccupied spaces such as empty hospital rooms, but direct exposure to these conventional UV lamps is not possible in occupied public spaces, as this could be a health hazard. To continuously and safely disinfect occupied indoor areas, researchers have been investigating far-UVC light (222nm wavelength). Far-UVC light

TECH HEADING NEWS cannot penetrate the tear layer of the eye or the outer dead-cell layer of skin and so it cannot damage living cells in the body. Researchers estimate that continuous exposure to far-UVC light at the current regulatory limit would kill 90% of airborne viruses in about 8 minutes, 95% in about 11 minutes, 99% in about 16 minutes, and 99.9% in about 25 minutes. The sensitivity of the coronaviruses to far-UVC light suggests that it may be feasible and safe to use overhead farUVC lamps in occupied indoor public places.

them transparent and also recyclable and biodegradable. Using a manufacturing process called electrospinning where an electrical charge is used to create ultra-thin threads, the new polymer features fibres spaced just 100 nanometres apart which is the same as conventional disposable masks that allow air particles to pass through but block bacteria and viruses. They may be available by early 2021.

Gizmodo

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Australia: World-first thermal coating A new lightweight, fire-resistant cladding that can withstand temperatures of more than 1000°C developed by the CSIRO, is set to change the face of ships around the world, creating advanced manufacturing jobs in Tasmania and reducing carbon emissions. The material, developed in collaboration with Tasmanian small business, CBG Systems, has already been installed on two new ships and used to replace cladding on another. The prototype paneling, called Rapid Access Composite (RAC) Plus, is the first of its kind in the world, withstanding temperatures of over 1000°C and remain structurally stronger than conventional fire protection coatings and weighing half as much.

CSIRO

Germany: Clean without scrubbing or using chemicals Scientists have developed a self-cleaning metallic surface by structuring an aluminium plate with a laser process in such a way that water droplets no longer adhere and dirt particles can be removed from the surface - completely without chemical cleaning agents or additional effort. For several years, scientists have been developing functionalised surfaces by means of laser-based manufacturing processes. Now, they have created a periodic surface structure that is not only water and ice-repellent, but also removes dirt particles solely by rolling water drops. In this context, they particularly focussed on the material aluminium. In particular, the scientists studied the function of self-cleaning laser-structured aluminium.

Australia: Record-breaking heavy-lifting Australian-based heavy lifting tower crane specialists, MARR Contracting P/L was awarded the contract to deliver specialised heavy-lifting crane services on the construction of an earthquake-prone bridge and motorway project in Turkey (the 1915 Çanakkale Project). This bridge will cut a 90min. boat trip to a 6min. car ride. The record-breaking construction feat saw one of MARR’s M2480D Heavy Lift Luffers - the world’s largest capacity tower crane - undertake the world’s heaviest (155 tonnes) craneage lift at a height of 318m, on what will be the world’s longest spanning suspension bridge.

The bridge will join the towns of Gallipoli in Turkey to Lapseki in Asia. The feats of engineering required to complete the construction are “staggering” and could be a game changer for the future of bridge construction. A milestone development was the installation of the centre section of the upper cross beam (UCB) on the Asian side of the bridge on 7 June. The European side was completed 24 hours later, with the final centrepieces installed on both sides of the Bridge on 8 June.

Key to the plan was using the heavy lift tower crane’s ability to carry heavy modular sections, instead of lifting and welding small pieces of steel at height. Fully assembled in a dry dock, the cranes, each weighing 600 tonnes, were lifted by a floating crane and transported 1 km to the caisson in the middle of the Canakkale Strait. The bridge is due to open in March 2022.

Marr/mixed Record-breaking 155-tonne lift of a section of the UCB, 318m above sea level

Technische Universität Dresden

Switzerland: Transparent, breathable face masks Researchers have devised a transparent design for face masks. Over the past few months, the prototypes for see-through masks mostly involved replacing a part of a mask with clear plastic panels which reduce breathability and often quickly fog up. Researchers from the EPFL and Empa in Switzerland have spent the past two years developing a better alternative that offers near full transparency while still being breathable and protective. The result is the HelloMasks, which are made from organic biomass-based materials – rendering

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

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PRODUCT NEWS

RMIT launches new online short courses for CNC machinery Workers across Australia will have the opportunity to learn how to operate programmable CNC machines and lathes, with RMIT University launching two new online short courses for beginners and advanced operators.

The Centre for Digital Enterprise (C4DE), a partnership between RMIT University, Wodonga TAFE and Sunraysia Institute, has collaborated with Okuma Australia to offer workers throughout Australia the opportunity to learn how to operate and program the latest Computer Numerical Control machines used in advanced manufacturing. By offering the courses fully online, it not only means that learners from anywhere in Australia can benefit from this new program, but it highlights RMIT’s readiness to innovate and quickly pivot to digital models of learning. Both courses are in line with the current trends toward industry-tailored, short, bite-sized segments of learning to upskill and reskill workforces rather than undertaking full qualifications.

These courses are aimed at addressing the potential impacts that new smart skills and Industry 4.0 are having on the Australian workforce. C4DE Senior Manager Stephen Joyce said that digital skills in advanced manufacturing will be vital in driving job creation in the post-COVID economy.

“We designed these courses to fill a gap in Australian industry,” said Joyce. “There are many different CNC machines used in businesses across Australia and employers often struggle to attract and retain workers with high level programming and operational skills. Working closely in partnership with one of the largest suppliers of CNC machines, Okuma Australia, we have been able to develop upto-date courses accessible on computers or mobile devices. And while the courses are built around Okuma machines, the knowledge obtained is transferable to all CNC style machines.”

To support this online training, the C4DE has also released a free app for mobile devices to support those learning new digital skills in Industry 4.0. XR LearnHub, available on the iOS App store, enables

students to experience augmented reality learning experiences on mobile or tablet devices.

The App includes a full-sized, augmented reality (AR) model of a virtual Okuma multi-axial lathe machine and information about Industry 4.0.

The CNC Operator – Introduction Course introduces basic CNC terminology, operations and programming. It is ideal for people with minimal or no knowledge of CNC machines, for metalwork practitioners who have a Certificate III level qualification, or for people with an interest in CNC technology – such as engineers, industrial designers and manufacturers who want to develop a better understanding of how to design for and/ or implement these building techniques into their production or design environments. The CNC Operator – Advanced Course is for practitioners already working as a CNC operator/machine setter/quality controller with intermediate skills. It is intended for practitioners wanting to expand their skills to take on new duties or employment opportunities around CNC machines and to enrich their programming and high-quality finishing skills in a modern Industry 4.0 setting.

Students who have completed the CNC Operator – Advanced Course will soon also have the opportunity to gain practical experience on CNC machines through face-to-face CNC Operator Advancing Skills Days (subject to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions). These small group, face-to-face single training days will be offered in five locations across Victoria: Melbourne, Wodonga and at Sunraysia Institute’s Mildura, Swan Hill and Horsham campuses (with interstate options to potentially follow).

The development of both of these courses was supported by the Victorian Government. www.rmit.edu.au

Walter boosts high-feed milling range Walter is introducing three new high-feed milling cutters – the Xtra·tec XT M5008 high-feed milling cutter for diameters of 16mm-66mm; and the MC025 Advance and MD025 Supreme solid carbide milling cutters for diameters of 1mm-25mm – with application ranges that perfectly complement one another.

The key characteristic for all three roughing tools is a shallow approach angle and easy-cutting geometries, which facilitate high feeds per tooth at low cutting depths. Together with the high number of teeth, this ensures high machining volumes, stability and process reliability.

Furthermore, vibration tendency is reduced for long tools. The tools’ shallow approach angle reduces the radial load on the tools. This means that the MC025 Advance and MD025 Supreme solid carbide milling cutters are perfectly suited to machining thin-walled connecting elements, such as hinges and struts in aircraft construction. The MD025 Supreme is the benchmark in the aerospace industry. This is due to short machining times and its versatility for smaller ISO S components; and the short, stable peripheral cutting edge, reduced neck and compact design, which are very advantageous for milling deep cavities. All three

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milling cutters can be used in the ISO material groups P, M, K and S and satisfy high demands, for example in mould and die making.

The Xtra·tec XT M5008 high-feed milling cutter enables near-net roughing and combines stability with wear-resistant Tiger·tec cutting tool materials – for optimum cutting data and tool life, such as for milling deep pockets, grooves or freeform surfaces. The most striking feature of both solid carbide milling cutters fitted with a parallel shank or ConeFit exchangeable head is their end-face geometry, which is specially developed for high-feed milling. www.walter-tools.com

PRODUCT NEWS

Konica Minolta unveils MiR 500 and MiR 1000 mobile industrial robots Konica Minolta Australia has announced the availability of the MiR 500 and MiR 1000, through its partner Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), a leading manufacturer of collaborative mobile robots that help increase efficiency and drive productivity.

The robots are designed to help move pallets and heavy material around factories and logistics hubs. For organisations that rely on forklifts and conveyors to move pallets, robots offer an opportunity to take on this load with the added benefit of improving workplace safety.

According to the Worksafe Queensland website, since July 2013, there have been 178 notified forklift incidents involving crush injuries or the risk of serious crush injuries and 114 statutory notices for the risk management of an incident involving a forklift crush injury have been issued. On average each year, 281 workers' compensation claims are accepted for crush injuries involving forklifts. 40% of these involve serious injuries requiring five or more days off work.

Martin Keetels, National Manager of Robotics & Innovation at Konica Minolta, said: “Workplace injuries involving forklifts represent a massive cost to the industry. Workplace safety is paramount in these industries to protect staff but also to protect the bottom line and organisations’ reputations. The MiR 500 and MiR 1000 can assist organisations with this as well as offer economic efficiencies associated with deploying the right technology to complete tasks autonomously, giving organisations the opportunity to redeploy people to higher value tasks. In a 24/7 manufacturing or logistics facility, the MiR can offer a return on investment inside a year.”

COVID-19 has highlighted the potential for a resurgence in manufacturing in Australia. Robots have a role to play in assisting smart manufacturers to leverage smart technology. And, in the instance of widespread crises such as a pandemic, robots offer a unique solution in both quickly scaling up operations to handle increased workload as well as helping with government restrictions such as social distancing.

“The MiR 500 and MiR 1000 will have a critical role to play in the manufacturing and logistics organisations of the future and will play an important part in protecting workers and businesses and helping them de-risk and future-proof their operations,” Keetels added.

“Konica Minolta is excited to play a role in that by bringing these robots to the local market backed by Konica Minolta’s service and support expertise.”

The MiR Pallet Lift 500 ensures stable handling and transport of pallets and shelves. The MiR 500 lifts pallets autonomously from the MiR Pallet Rack and lowers the pallet for stable transportation of payloads up to 500kg. It can integrate with conveyors and with customers’ Warehouse Management Systems.

The MiR Pallet Lift 1000 ensures stable handling and transport of pallets. The MiR 1000 can lift pallets autonomously from the MiR Pallet Rack and lowers the pallet for stable transportation of payloads up to 1,000kg. It can integrate with conveyors and with customers’ Warehouse Management Systems. www.konicaminolta.com

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Kaeser: Compact and highly efficient next-gen dryers Kaeser Compressors recently launched the latest generation of its smaller heatless regenerated desiccant, dryers for flow rates from 0.2 to 1.13 cubic metres/min.

Compact, highly efficient and exceptionally reliable, these enhanced models present the ideal choice for compressed air supply systems serving sensitive industrial processes such as those found in the food, beverage, medical and pharmaceutical industries, to name only a few.

The DC series of desiccant dryers from Kaeser Compressors can lower the pressure dew point of the compressed air to -70 degrees Celsius. They combine reliable system design, high energy efficiency and extremely low maintenance costs, delivering dependable frost protection for control valves and lines while producing dry compressed air for sensitive processes at minimal cost. The design of the smaller DC series heatless regenerated desiccant dryers has recently been enhanced.

The new DC 2.0 to 11.3 models can operate in, for example, tenminute cycles to achieve pressure dew points down to -40 degrees celcius. During this process, the dryer switches between the two desiccant chambers only once every five minutes. This dramatically reduces the number of switching sequences between the chambers and resulting material wear on the valves and desiccant.

Moreover, long cycle times additionally reduce the amount of compressed air required to restore pressure following the desiccant regeneration phase. As an example, whereas 7.6% of the compressed air must be diverted for a two-minute cycle, this proportion falls to just 1.3% with the ten-minute cycle of the small DC units. This reduction makes them highly efficient, saves energy and extends desiccant service life. On/off control of the DC 2.0 to 11.3 series models allows for intermittent operation, which saves energy when there is frequent interruption of duty cycles. This employs ‘reverse regeneration’ - where the regeneration cycle always uses up air from the downstream air receiver. This is particularly reliable as a completely regenerated desiccant chamber is always available each time the drying cycle restarts. This technique eliminates the

possibility of extreme pressure dew point values from occurring at the outlet as a result of excessive loading of the desiccant. Kaeser DC series dryers are provided with a generous fill-volume of desiccant material. Moreover, the desiccant supplied with the units features outstanding crush strength and resistance to liquid water. This keeps pressure dew points reliably low even under demanding operating conditions. Long term reliability is assured thanks to the tried-andtested valve technology which ensures trouble-free cycling over the long term. In addition, the durable desiccant chamber is designed for continuous operation for at least 10 years.

As standard, these models come equipped with an Eco Control Smart Controller, a Modbus TCP interface for quick and easy Network setup. Network enabled - they can also communicate with the Sigma Air Manager 4.0 compressed air management master system from Kaeser. Here the dryer(s) can be optimally controlled and managed as part of an entire compressed air supply system.

Highly effective silencers ensure that these latest DC models are also quiet in operation. Averaged across a cycle and depending on the model, the equivalent noise level is just 60 - 63 dB(A).

Space-saving and easy to install, the compact design of the protective all-round enclosure makes these smaller desiccant dryers ideal for decentralised compressed air treatment. They are also perfect for wall installation.

Compact, durable, efficient and reliable - the DC 2.0 to 11.3 models deliver flow rates from 0.2 to 1.13 cubic metres/min – and form part of the wider range of DC series heatless regenerated desiccant dryers from Kaeser Compressors that in total deliver flow rates up to 154.53 cubic metres /min. A pre micro filter and a post dust filter are also included as standard with the DC 2.0 to 11.3 models. au.kaeser.com

MYOB supports Australian manufacturers with bespoke business management software MYOB has released the MYOB Advanced Manufacturing Edition, a software package designed specifically for Australian manufacturers, enabling them to efficiently manage their entire business using one system.

The edition is purpose-made for manufacturers and integrates with MYOB Advanced, Australia’s fastest growing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. Features include bill of materials, production management, material requirements planning (MRP), product configurator and estimate tools.

“The MYOB Advanced Manufacturing Edition is rich with features specifically tailored to an industry that will play a pivotal role in rebuilding Australia’s economy,” said Kim Clarke, General Manager – Enterprise at MYOB. “The Edition integrates production and resource management, sales and finance from one central system. This helps manufacturers streamline business processes as well as provide real-time visibility to generate accurate pricing, calculate and manage manufacturing costs, maintain revisions and track financials.

“In addition to catering to accounting and compliance needs, this purpose-built edition is a way for leaders of manufacturing businesses to manage their total supply chain, including financials,

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all in one system without the need for expensive and cumbersome third-party manufacturing add-ons. Using MYOB Advanced, manufacturing leaders will now be able to make real time, datadriven decisions, ensuring their business is set up for growth.”

With manufacturing the seventh largest industry for employment in Australia last year, it will be a key sector for the economy as the country recovers from the economic impacts of coronavirus.

“Manufacturing and wholesale have been among the hardest hit

by COVID-19, according to recent research from MYOB,” said Clarke. “This data shows a decrease in revenue for two-thirds of respondents (66%) compared to last year, with 60% of those blaming COVID-19. However, manufacturing is also an industry we expect to receive solid investment as Australia and New Zealand diversify their manufacturing operations.

“It’s those manufacturing businesses that are equipped to take advantage of this growth at scale and efficiency that will succeed.” www.myob.com.au

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PRODUCT NEWS

Skills Lab industry-based diploma provides timely i4.0 skills Skills Lab has launched a nationally accredited course to upskill the Australian workforce in the use of smart manufacturing technology and the navigation of a data-driven ecosystem.

Skills Lab has partnered with Ai Group and a number of TAFEs across Australia to deliver the nation’s first industry-based Diploma of Applied technologies, supporting top-tier and midmarket manufacturers in their pursuit of a future focused and innovative workforce. Students in South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland have commenced the study of units including ‘Working in Industry 4.0’ to support them in navigating their rapidly changing workplaces.

While COVID-19 has thrust a light upon the need to move quickly towards new technologies and initiatives, it has been a focus for many companies already. The CSIRO NAB Australian National Outlook 2019 suggested 20% of predicted GDP growth could be attributed to investment in human capital, according to their vision of a preferred 2060 outlook, which calls for a digitally upskilled workforce.

Course modules delivered in the diploma produce immediate benefit for businesses as students research and solve current problems using emerging technology. Students will design and troubleshoot the development of a range of advanced technology systems, including cyber physical equipment.

“The project-based learning builds throughout the diploma, starting with an overview of the concepts and principles of working in Industry 4.0 (i4.0),” said Peter Rundle-Curry, Skills Lab Trainer and Instructional Designer. “The culmination of the training will involve the design and manufacture of a cyber-physical sensor which will connect to the i4.0 environment through an edge device. The project encourages innovation and adaptation of i4.0 technologies into their current workplace.”

Trainers for Skills Lab bring a wealth of industry maturity to the diploma, with access to the knowledge base and the manufacturing expertise of SAGE Group engineers and technicians. A comprehensive knowledge of the new manufacturing value chain

has been built through the development of an industry leading in-house manufacturing facility and an extensive portfolio of automation projects.

The Diploma is resourced with industry-leading technology, with students gaining real-time experience in workplace problem-solving for their current employers. A range of practical assessment tools will be used to track learning that can be contextualised to add value to manufacturing clients through a focus on fully connected systems that boost uptime and increase responsiveness to customers.

The diploma will also have a strong focus on communication skills, with students encouraged to collaborate across teams to innovate, and to find digital solutions for manufacturing challenges such as maintaining cost efficiency and product flexibility.

“We want to build on communication skills and bring people together to think about how we problem solve things not just in their own way, but to think about what they could be doing differently to enable new ways of working,” said Laura Mabikafola, Skills Lab General Manager.

Skills Lab is positioned to provide a specialised solution for those wanting to improve their digital skills while continuing to work within current restrictions, with the systems delivery model allowing for flexible time frames and tailored content specific for individual business needs. The cyber-physical training allows for remote learning with the unique support of live facilitated training.

The sophisticated software enables active participation while learning with real-time guidance from trainers.

The Diploma will be delivered over a period of one to three years, providing graduates with hands-on experience and an industry recognisable qualification. Off-job training will be delivered in blocks, or via a part-time option that supports local industry requirements. www.skillslab.com.au

Hypertherm announces release of ProNest 2021 Hypertherm has announced the release of ProNest 2021, a major version update of its advanced CAD/CAM nesting software for automated cutting.

This new release contains new features and enhancements designed to make customers more efficient and profitable. A redesigned 2D CAD package provides improved font support, the ability to shape text, and other new features that are especially popular among sign makers.

CAD editor preference allows users to set a default CAD program for edits to parts in the ProNest part list – either the embedded ProNest CAD software or a third-party software such as AutoCAD.

“ProNest 2021 builds on the strong foundation of ProNest 2019 to make the programming process more efficient,” said Tom Stillwell, Marketing Project Manager for Hypertherm CAD/CAM software products. “Whether using plasma, waterjet, laser, or oxyfuel cutting, this new version provides the powerful tools fabricators and manufacturers need to increase material savings, boost productivity, lower operating costs, and improve part quality.”

Part reports can be quickly opened from the part list, so users can add individual part reports with an image of the part, plus dimensions, size, material, class, process, costing information, and more. Interior bridge cutting allows the addition of bridges to text and other interior geometry so that pieces don’t drop when cut.

This helps minimise interior cutouts on parts for aesthetic purposes and reduces tip-ups.

In addition, Hypertherm is releasing upgrades to its ProNest LT software for lighter production environments. Users with an active subscription, and customers with an active maintenance plan can upgrade to the new version of their respective product at no additional charge and continue to receive unlimited technical support, and other benefits.

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www.hypertherm.com

PRODUCT NEWS

OnRobot launches Eyes 2.5D vision system Robotic arms are often tasked with picking items not presented in the same orientation, shape or size. To provide consistent positioning, manufacturers frequently add fixtures, bowl feeders and other hardware, adding cost and complexity to what ends up being rigid applications that lack the ability to easily pick different objects or achieve quick changeover times.

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Cable-less Data Collection

“A significant part of our customer base does not want to be tied to a fixed incoming position of a product they want to pick,” says Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot. “They would love to eliminate complicated, bulky and expensive part feeders and fixtures to achieve this, but until now, vision systems have felt out-of-reach.

Our new Eyes vision system changes all that.”

As opposed to other vision systems on the market, Eyes just needs to take a single image for calibration and part recognition, and has automatic focus to work at different distances within the same application. Eyes is ideal for sorting a wide variety of objects or for CNC machine tending with metal parts that are defined by outer shape, as well as many other pick-and-place applications where orientation is important. Eyes also offers depth perception within its affordable and easy-to-deploy 2.5D vision.

“2.5D is rapidly emerging as the perfect technology for visionguided applications,” says Iversen. “Compared to 2D it adds not only length and width but also height information for the specific part, which is ideal when objects may vary in height or if objects must be stacked.”

Eyes can be easily mounted on the robot wrist or externally, and integrates seamlessly with all leading collaborative and light industrial robot arms through OnRobot’s One System Solution, a unified mechanical and communications interface based on the company’s Quick Changer, now an integrated part of all OnRobot products.

The new vision system directly interfaces with other OnRobot devices making it is very easy to use Eyes together with any of OnRobot’s grippers. With a dual set-up, using a dual Quick Changer, the gripper’s tool center point (TCP) can be automatically configured by Eyes, eliminating any potential conflict between different software packages from different tool vendors. The optimal mounting depends on the application. Advantages of having Eyes mounted externally include not having to worry about cables running alongside the robot, and the ability to optimise cycle time, since Eyes can take the picture and process it while the robot is doing another operation.

Promotes Smart Factory by Collecting and Managing Measurement Data Advantages of Introducing U-WAVE Higher Efficiency Data can be input by single button operation! Since there is no need for manual input misinput does not occur. Efficiency is greatly improved!

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Kemppi unveils new Alfa and Beta e-series welding helmets and respirators Kemppi has launched its next-generation Alfa and Beta welding helmets and respirator models. The new e-series models provide excellent protection for arc welding, cutting, grinding, gouging and inspection processes, and deliver refined performance, durability and comfort to suit various budgets.

The new e-series range has been designed using feedback from ‘active welders’ to deliver greater wearable value. Highly robust and durable, both the Alfa and Beta e-series models feature an impact-rated shell that is tough and strong, yet lightweight.

A spacious design accommodates eyeglasses and half masks, while also allowing good access to tight spaces.

Various settings and features support easy adjustment for the best personal fit and extra welding comfort, including a comfort headband, integrated magnifying lens holder and an overall 20% weight reduction when compared to previous Beta models.

Users can also choose from new optional leather neck and shoulder protectors.

Both Alfa and Beta e-series models include a flip-up welding lens that is perfectly positioned for pre- and post-weld inspection. The lenses’ GapView feature is especially suitable for tacking and setting work. The large and clear impact grade inspection lens has a viewing area of 80 sqcm and is certified to EN 175B and AS/ NZS 1337.1. Users can choose from a wide range of welding lens options.

Starting at just 467g, the Alfa e-series welding helmets are Kemppi’s most lightweight and compact face shields in its welding safety product range. A durable, low-cost solution that provides protection for all general welding applications and grinding, the Alfa e-series welding helmets are equipped with either a passive glass welding lens or auto-darkening ADF welding lens.

The Beta e-series has been designed for professional welders. Certified for welding, cutting and grinding according to EN175 B and AS/NZS 1337.1, the lightest model in the range weighs only 473g.

The range includes three models that are equipped with either passive or automatic ADF lenses. Fitted as standard on the Beta e90A and Beta e90 SFA models is the new

SA60B ADF welding lens. The SA60B ADF welding lens offers a 30% larger viewing area, excellent optical performance and brighter colours due to LiFE+ Colour technology.

The lens measure 60mm x 100mm and features a welding shade range 3.5/5/9-13 with cutting and grind models. It is powered from a solar cell panel, supported by two replaceable CR2032 batteries.

The Beta PFA/SFA/XFA e-series respirators offer reliable protection from work-related, airborne contaminants and are certified with a maximum inward leakage level of 2%. The respirators provide cool and clean breathing air from either a PFU 210e battery-powered filter unit, offering optimal freedom of movement around the workspace, or a supplied breathing solution, featuring RSA230 connection to a breathing source. www.kemppi.com

mCaliper – Digitalising results from any type of manual instruments Tracking data from quality control tools has always been important, but is even more so now when businesses are working remotely and the collection and monitoring of measurement data is quite difficult.

EngView Systems has recently expanded its range of products for metrology and quality control with an innovative mobile/server application for safe transfer and storage of measurement results collected from calipers, micrometers and other manual tools. The solution is called mCaliper and supports instruments with various types of connectivity: Bluetooth and USB cable, and even tools with no data output like standard Vernier calipers.

The software consists of a mobile application and a locally installed server, guaranteeing maximal data security. The mobile app is available for download in Google Play, for all Android versions 6.0 or higher.

The mobile app displays a step-by step measurement plan for a quality control operator to follow. It gives colour-coded

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the data is uploaded on a server and stored for further analyses and reporting. Results are reviewed in graphical or table view.

Measurement protocols and reports can be generated for a single measurement as well as for a specific part ID over a period of time.

The mCaliper solution can easily be integrated with internal SPC or ERP systems to ensure a streamlined workflow.

indications showing if the measured dimensions are in or out tolerance. The plan is based on a CAD drawing or an image and can be prepared within minutes. For each part ID the measurement plan is prepared only once and is used for all parts of the same ID. Once measurement is completed,

In compliance with the global COVID-19 situation, EngView Systems is releasing a free cloud-based version of mCaliper with a full set of features and the following limitations: number of allowed instruments (5 pcs), and limitation of 12 months for the safe storage of data. www.metoptix.com.au

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SURGING AHEAD Since COVID-19 hit Australia earlier this year, the pandemic has had a negative impact on many industries.

The med-tech and pharmaceutical sector, in particular, has faced significant challenges, notably in terms of running research projects and clinical trials during lockdown. Carole Goldsmith reports on two medical manufacturers that are nonetheless moving forward, and an exciting new national program to develop the industry.

The BridgeTech Program is a national professional development program that trains researchers and entrepreneurs on how to effectively navigate the med-tech commercialisation pathway.

The program’s Director - Professor Lyn Griffiths, is also Executive Director of the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She explains that the BridgeTech Program is convened and administered by QUT. “Funded by MTP Connect and industry, the BridgeTech Program commenced in April 2018. It involves a consortium of 16 partners including med-tech and pharmaceutical companies, universities

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and industry associations. Leveraging off the industry expertise and global connections that the consortium offers, the BridgeTech Program equips its participants with the skills and networks to enable med-tech commercialisation.”

The Program’s 16 partners are a powerhouse of organisations comprising universities (Melbourne, Western Australia, Newcastle, Macquarie, Flinders and ANU) and industry-leading companies (Cochlear, Stryker, Siemens, Vaxxas, Bosch, Gadens, Solentropy, Magnetica), as well as industry association Life Sciences Queensland, and the Australia China Technology Incubator (ACTI), a business accelerator providing access to the Chinese healthcare market.

“Each year we select 80 participants for the BridgeTech Program, and 100 participants for the Bridge Program, which trains people for commercialisation in the pharmaceutical industry,” Griffiths explains. “The Bridge Program, which I am also director of, is funded by MTP Connect and industry. It has been running for four years and together 460 alumni have gone through our training programs. Around 30% of participants in both of the programs are entrepreneurs and 60% to 70% are mid-career researchers.”

On the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on the sector, Griffiths says:

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Professor Lyn Griffiths, Director of the BridgeTech Program.

“COVID-19 has put a dampener on some of the research projects and clinical trials being conducted

by Australian med-tech and pharmaceutical companies. They have found it difficult to recruit participants, particularly during lockdown periods. Also, our educational seminars and lectures have been conducted online instead of in face-to-face sessions.”

Both the BridgeTech and Bridge Programs are free of charge to all selected participants and they can access the program’s online training modules delivered via QUT’s website. The BridgeTech Program provides specific training on the scientific, legal, financial, clinical, regulatory and reimbursement disciplines that are essential to med-tech commercialisation. It also involves webinars, specialist speakers, followed by a three-day BridgeTech symposium.

A BridgeTech Program seminar in Perth: (from left to right) Professor Griffiths, Graham Marshall (Motherson Innovation), Professor Fiona Wood (Fiona Wood Foundation), David Cannington (Nuheara Innovation), Rolee Kumar (UWA).

“Each year we do a review of the programs with our participants,” Dr Griffiths advises. “We asked the 2018 BridgeTech cohorts how the program had helped them: five participants have R&D contracts, eight have pitched to investors or industry, four have had discussions with incubator staff, three have initiated or completed a patent, two have launched a new product, and four have developed a new start-up business. These participants will be followed up every year to continue to see their progress.”

Continued next page

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MEDICAL Continued from previous page

Dr Griffiths adds that this year will see the launch of an exciting extension of the Bridgetech and Bridge Programs: “The Researcher Exchange & Development Initiative (REDI) Bridge/BridgeTech Intern Fellowship’s program will provide 20 competitive fellowships annually. It will support travel costs and enable the recipient to spend time with an industry partner, either in Australia or overseas.”

Funded by the Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund, this initiative will roll out this year over a four-year period.

Vaxxas – Revolutionising vaccine delivery For all of us who don’t like being jabbed by needles for our annual flu shots or other vaccinations, then Queensland-based clinical stage biotech company (and Bridgetech partner) Vaxxas may have the answer, in the form of its HD-MAP (High Density Microarray Patch) vaccine patch technology. Chief Development and Operations Officer Angus Forster has been with Vaxxas for eight years. Speaking from the company’s Brisbane head office and lab, he explains: “Our technology is still in the stage one phase of clinical trials in Australia; however there has been a lot of global interest in it, since the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March this year.

“Also, in May, we announced two independent partnerships with international industry leaders: Harro Höfliger, a global leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing; and with pharmaceutical giant Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) to support the commercialisation and industrial-scale manufacturing of our HD-MAP vaccine patch technology. That’s generated a lot more interest, and we have been working with both companies for several years in research phases.”

Harro Höfliger will partner with Vaxxas to develop the world’s first pilot sterile production line of HD-MAP in Australia during 2021.

This pilot line will hopefully be set up in Brisbane, and will have the capacity to manufacture up to five million vaccine-coated patches per week. A modular approach will enable the later expansion to fullscale lines to produce tens of millions of vaccine-coated HD-MAPs per week. Simultaneously, the collaboration with MSD will see one of MSD’s vaccines advance towards clinical development utilising HD-MAP. This partnership is a validation of Vaxxas’ technology given MSD is one of the world’s largest vaccine companies. MSD has an exclusive license from Vaxxas conferring worldwide rights for a specific vaccine.

Manufacturing clinical trial products in the cleanrooms of the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane.

“HD-MAP has good stability for 12 months at temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius, eliminating refrigeration, which vaccines need.

Clinical research reveals that only one-sixth of a dose of influenza vaccine on the patch produces an immune response similar to a full dose by needle and syringe. Theoretically, in a pandemic, if a person has used the vaccine before, the HD-MAP could be put in the post and they could apply it themselves, particularly if they are in isolation.”

Founded in 2011, Vaxxas employs 42 people including biological scientists, researchers, engineers, pharmacists, a quality team and other professionals. David Hoey, the company’s CEO, works at Vaxxas’ US office in Boston. Dr Forster, a pharmacist and previously a life sciences consultant, explains that Vaxxas is participating in several global vaccine research projects.

“Among these are a $10m Gates Foundation funded clinical study to develop rubella and measles vaccine patches. We are also researching the development of polio vaccine patches with the WHO.” COVID-19 has certainly affected the business, advises Dr Forster: “We have, however, been very fortunate to keep the R&D activities going in the lab. Maintaining a physical distance is challenging with intensive clinical research. Some employees are working from home, such as our Quality Manager who manages her Brisbane quality team from her home office in Melbourne. At least we can move the business forward, which is important for a privately-funded business.”

On Vaxxas’ future, Dr Forster says: “We will deliver on our collaboration with MSD to help them progress their vaccine to market, as well as continue our research with the Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO). We want to grow the business to around 100 employees, progress to late-stage clinical studies and eventually commercialise our technology, working with our investors to global successful outcomes.”

Med-Con – Whirlwind success

Mike Junger, Head of Medical Device & Process Engineering at Vaxxas, applies the HD-MAP vaccine patch to a subject.

So, how does the H-D MAP technology work?

“Previously called the Vaxxas Nanopatch, our HD MAP combines a vaccine coated patch with an applicator for its delivery,” explains Forster. “It’s easy to use and comes with instructions in a sterile pack. You apply it to the skin of the upper arm, just like the flu vaccine. Push the button on the top of the device and that triggers the patch to vaccinate. Remove the patch and dispose of it like a Band-Aid, in the bin.

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Regional Victorian medical manufacturer Med-Con’s co-owners Steve Csiszar and Ray Stockwell have experienced a whirlwind turnaround for their business since COVID-19 hit Australia. Before the pandemic they had both been planning an early retirement, with family members trained up to continue operating the business. The Shepparton-based company was running only four by seven hour shifts a week, which was enough work to keep them and their 17 loyal staff busy. They were producing around two million disposable surgical face masks a year, plus the other items of protective apparel in their range of products.

Since March, Med-Con’s manufacturing operation has been running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with plans to produce a total of 59 million face masks by December this year. The Federal

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Med-Con’s manufacturing facility in Shepparton has been running 24 hours a day, seven days a week since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Australia.

Government is its main client for the masks, which Med-Con supplies to hospitals, doctors and medical centres around Australia.

“So much for our early retirement,” says Csiszar, who has been MedCon’s CEO since 1992. “Ray is our Operations Manager and we are both back to working full time. We expect to have 100 employees by the end of the year to handle our face mask manufacturing and other operations. Most of our employees have been recruited from the Shepparton region, so that’s a great boost for the regional economy.”

When the bird flu and SARS pandemics hit in recent years, MedCon had approached the Federal Government offering to supply Australian-made face masks, but at the time Canberra was happy to stay with imported masks. It was a different story when COVID-19 hit Australia; the Department of Industry, Science & Technology (DIST) approached Med-Con to produce disposable surgical face masks.

At that time Med-Con had three original mask-making machines that its founder and original owner, engineer Joe Carmody, had built.

“Once the Government got on board, together with an appropriate grant for the project, they helped us to source more raw materials from around the world and with freight logistics,” Csiszar continues.

“Until we could engage more staff, DIST also sent Australian Defence Force personnel, to assist with mask production. When we identified that we needed more mask manufacturing machines, the Government helped us to purchase three more machines initially, and two months later four more machines, all from Foodmach, an Echuca machine manufacturer. “ Csiszar speaks highly about Foodmach and its ability to work with Med-Con to produce the machines it needed in record time.

Foodmach has a dedicated ‘Project Med-Con Delivered’ daily log link on its website, and its challenge was to recreate the seven lifesaving mask production machines, which were originally designed and manufactured by Carmody 40 years ago.

Foodmach took just 60 days to produce the first three machines and have them running successfully at Med-Con. The extra order for the other four machines was rolled out weekly thereafter.

“We are very grateful to Foodmach for its dedication to our project and working 24/7 to get our machines completed in such a short time,” says Csiszar. “It’s also been a massive challenge for us to handle the mask production output over the past four months. What we have achieved as a small regional family business is nothing short of a miracle.”

As with most family-owned businesses, it’s all hands on-deck at Med-Con. Csiszar’s oldest son Justin occupies the role of Marketing Manager, while Csiszar’s wife Michelle and Stockwell’s son Mitchell handle Med-Con’s customer service, and Stockwell’s ex-wife Lyn is a senior machine operator.

Med-Con plans to produce a total of 59 million face masks by December this year

“We’ve extended the factory to handle the increased production and we needed more warehouse space, “says Csiszar. “That included building a mezzanine level and now we have a double decker factory, part of which will be used for warehousing, and we’ve put a temporary clean room in. We are also renting a new manufacturing facility in Shepparton.”

Med-Con has a five-year contract with DIST for ongoing mask supply. Csiszar explains: “We needed a long-term contract with the Government as the other part of the business in personal protective gear and our imported sterilisation products from Europe has been a bit slower than usual. Our European suppliers are happy, however, with all the publicity that we have received and they are hoping that will result in increased sales.

“Med-Con has been really lucky this year with the face mask contract, as we have gone Med-Con co-owners through a couple of horrid years Ray Stockwell (top) of low sales and devastating and Steve Csiszar. competitiveness. All of a sudden, the business has been turned around in an upward move and we have never been busier. My advice to all manufacturers is: if you believe in your business, your staff and your product, make sure you persevere and never give up. Success will come to you.” www.research.qut.edu.au/bridgetech www.vaxxas.com www.medcon.com.au www.foodmach.com/project-med-con

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Export/import controls on medical equipment for COVID-19 During the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of many has been on the manufacture of medical equipment required for the treatment of the virus, and its urgent movement through the international supply chain. That movement has required the management of new and existing export and import controls, as well as steps to facilitate the movement of those items by air freight. By Andrew Hudson of Rigby Cooke Lawyers.

Support from the Federal Government for Australian exporters has included the following initiatives: • Additional funding for the Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) program. The EMDG is an Australian program providing limited reimbursement for approved exporters for their export development activities.

• Air cargo funding assistance through the International Freight Assistance Mechanism to assist exporters of seafood and other primary produce with the return flights bringing personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical equipment. This has provided funding for limited replacements for air cargo space lost with the cessation of international passenger aviation.

• The establishment of the new Export Capital Facility, administered by Export Finance Australia.

• The provision of grants to Export Hubs assisting small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Again, this is intended to provide financial assistance to SME export hubs developing local, regional and Indigenous brands. The hubs will work with Growth Centres in each sector to take advantage of export opportunities.

• The adoption of new export controls on PPE and related medical equipment.

Many countries have adopted export controls, but in the Australian context, the controls have been aimed at stopping opportunistic exporters by allowing exports by “legitimate” and existing exporters already involved in the manufacture and export of the items.

The regime has been different to the regime in other countries such as China, where the items have needed quality certification of items before export.

There have been significant controls on the export of medical equipment required for the treatment of COVID-19 conditions.

Rigby Cooke has been involved in the review of these controls within Australia and overseas. Among these actions is a new Chinese regime for the quality certification of equipment intended to be exported by the National Medical Products Association as a response to complaints on the quality of Chinese equipment. Other nations (including Australia) have introduced other controls on the export of such equipment made in their jurisdiction.

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Another important development has been the agreement to defer customs duty and GST (or VAT) on the import of such equipment in certain countries. In related developments, several nations have further established temporary exemptions from customs duty otherwise payable on the imports of medical equipment. Those exemptions are only intended to operate on a temporary basis during the period of the pandemic and, importantly, do not create exemptions from any dumping and countervailing duty.

In our region, New Zealand moved some time ago on the exemption from duty issue by creating specific exemptions from duty and confirming that certain equipment would otherwise be included under existing tariff concession items. There had been industry requests for similar action in Australia, and at a meeting of the National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) held on 29 April the industry was given notice that the Australian Border Force (ABF) was proposing to take action to create temporary exemptions from customs duty on a number of categories of medical equipment required in the treatment of COVID-19. As promised in the NCTF meeting, the ABF has subsequently provided details of the arrangements in ACN 2020/20 discussed in more detail below.

It is in the best interest of all producers, importers and their licensed customs brokers to be aware of the details of these changes so that the exemptions can be implemented for future imports and for customs duty refunds to be secured from the effective date of 1 February 2020. The exemption is only temporary for so long as the relevant Biosecurity Determination regarding the pandemic is in place. It is being effected by way of a new Item

57 to Schedule 4 of the Customs Tariff Act (1995) to give effect to new By-law number 2019608. That By-law identifies the types of goods to be covered by the new arrangements. Importantly, it only provides for use if no other concessional arrangements apply, whether in Schedule 4 or a TCO. Moreover, the By–law does NOT apply to hand sanitiser, taking into account significant local production of that item.

More details on the arrangements for claiming the By–law for imports and refunds are found in ACN 2020/20. The Notice includes some indicative classifications of goods affected but they are only indicative and those seeking to use them need to properly classify the goods, determine whether they meet the By-law and then use that By-law correctly.

No doubt, many within the industry will be busy with these issues now and into the future.

Andrew Hudson is a Partner – Customs & Trade at Rigby Cooke Lawyers. www.rigbycooke.com.au

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RAM3D – Bringing additive manufacturing to medical Additive manufacturing has the potential to become a game-changer for the medical industry. From its base in Tauranga, New Zealand, 3D metal printing service provider RAM3D has worked on a number of different projects in the sector that demonstrate the techology’s potential. By Gilly Hawker.

Printing ventilator parts for COVID-19

The RAM3D ventilator adapter.

RAM3D became an essential supplier to the medical industry during the lockdown period. This project was a combined effort involving RAM3D, Doctor Andrew Robinson of Lakes District Health Board, and Kilwell Fibretube Engineering, who have been involved in reverse engineering and prototyping. The parts RAM3D were asked to 3D print were for an anaesthesia machine that was being converted to an intensive care ventilator for COVID-19. RAM3D successfully redesigned the valve (bridge) and will be full-scale manufacturing the part.

The key aspects of the design were that it had to be simple to install and needed to have limited risk of failure; it was imperative there was no leakage through the seals during operation.

RAM3D was sent the original CAD file of the part; it was made up of two pieces and had been designed for CNC manufacturing. After several failed attempts to 3D print the functional parts, the team at RAM3D decided to redesign the part as a single piece that required no further assembly. The successful prototype had a simpler design and required very little post-processing.

The bridge parts were printed in Titanium 64 (medical-grade alloy) as this is RAM3D’s choice of powder for medical projects. They were quick to install and conversion only took two minutes, including testing. The Maquet Flow-i anaesthesia machines from Gettinge Group are underutilised in many hospitals world-wide. Consequently this project could potentially increase the number of ventilated beds in intensive care units (ICU). There are 7,000 of these Maquet Flow-i anaesthesia units installed globally and most of the machines are in Europe.

Asked about the project, Dr Andrew Robinson remarked: “In this instance 3D printing provides a simple, quick to innovate and costeffective method of manufacture. It is very important to note that fused deposition modeling (FDM)-style printers (the most common around the world) are not well suited for this device.”

Custom titanium implants for veterinary surgery Since 2013 RAM3D has been metal 3D printing surgical instruments, prosthetic limbs, sleep apnoea parts, and human and animal implants. RAM3D trialled its first artificial dog jawbone in mid-2013, working with a design company Axia and Massey University vet surgeons to save the life of a boxer dog with aggressive mouth cancer.

The vets take the CT scans of the animal and send them to the design company to create a 3D CAD model, and this is sent to RAM3D to be printed. The turnaround time is quick, and the implant is then sent back to the vets at Massey to complete the surgery. The titanium jawbone was printed on a Tuesday, fitted to the dog on a Wednesday, and 12 hours later the animal was eating happily.

RAM3D prints in Grade 5 Titanium 64 because it is the most widely used titanium alloy in biomedical implants, where high strength is required. Titanium is the perfect metal to make human and animal body parts because it physically bonds with the bone. Once the implant is inserted, natural tissue and bone form over the titanium replica. Because of its durability, titanium implants can last up to 20 years inside the human body. Titanium is not magnetic and does not interfere with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment. It also has a higher strength-to-weight ratio – it is stronger and lighter than stainless steel.

RAM3D have printed hundreds of dog and cat implants, including leg and hip bones. More recently it provided an implant for Kora, a Land Search & Rescue (LANDSAR) dog in training. Kora was getting close to becoming certified when Nick (Kora’s handler and operational field member with LANDSAR) noticed her performance had dropped off and she was a bit lame. In Nick’s own words, “like any performance athlete, injury for a working dog is a high probability”.

After a visit to the vet, Nick was told she would need some surgery on her lower back; the damage was done between the last disc of her spine and sacrum. The surgery was a success; Nick was surprised she walked out of the clinic straight after her operation, and even though she was a bit sad and heavily medicated, he knew it wouldn’t be long until she was back to her normal self. She is now fully mobile and raring to go.

Production potential RAM3D knows that metal 3D printing is a competitive production technology with an unprecedented potential for industry. The team at RAM3D work with companies to improve the design of production parts, and 3D printing them makes them more efficient and costeffective.

The bridge parts on a build plate after printing.

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The diversity of parts RAM3D manufactures ranges from titanium knives used by the Team NZ America’s Cup crew, to customised handlebar extensions for the New Zealand Olympics Cycling Team, as well as Oceania Defence’s Inconel and titanium suppressors for military operations.

MEDICAL Kora needed an implant on her lower back between the last disc of her spine and sacrum.

Over the last three years, the company has seen a big shift from prototyping to full production work. To keep up with customer demand, it now has a total of seven printers in its growing facility.

The team have seen an unprecedented increase in both large and smaller companies interested in trying 3D metal printing as an alternative to other forms of manufacturing. This is possibly because of having time to work on projects during the COVID-19 lockdown.

RAM3D has more than 10 years’ experience in the additive manufacturing industry. Its services includes metal 3D printing, and consultation on design for additive manufacturing. It can print in stainless steel 15-5ph and 316L, titanium 64, Inconel 718 (high temp alloy) and aluminium (AISi10Mg). www.ram3D.co.nz

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RAM3D recently provided an implant for Kora, a Land Search & Rescue (LANDSAR) dog in training.

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From bomb-detection to virus-detection In a fascinating tale of transformation and ingenuity, Melbourne-based GreyScan worked with the University of Tasmania in a race to develop the world’s first mobile virus detection device, re-engingeered from a device that was originally an explosives-detector.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strain at the heart of the the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be seen, is difficult to detect, and is continuing to mutate as scientists race to find a vaccine. According to recent studies, the virus is detectable in aerosols for up to three hours, up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and two-three days on plastic and stainless steel. Currently there are no means to check how effective cleaning protocols are, or to determine the virus’s presence in public places. There is therefore a significant need for environmental testing for COVID-19 to determine whether hospitals, schools, surfaces and personal protective equipment are clear of the virus.

In order to jumpstart the economy, proactive – rather than reactive – methods to quickly identify the virus must be developed. A company developing such a proactive tool is Port-Melbourne-based GreyScan, in collaboration with the University of Tasmania. This exciting research project could pave the way for the development of a world-first: a mobile virus detection device that will be able to detect the coronavirus on surfaces.

The science of “trace detection” expands on the trace explosives detection technology invented 15 years ago by Professor Michael Breadmore’s team at the University of Tasmania, and commercialised, manufactured and deployed by GreyScan.

Breadmore recalls the challenge: “We were asked to rapidly detect explosives and reduce a 30-minute process to 30 seconds.”

The resultant device, the GreyScan ETD-100, was the world’s first compact, inorganic explosives trace detector, which is capable of detecting trace levels of explosives in a few minutes. The technology is the first in the world to detect homemade inorganic explosives, overcoming the limitation of existing screening techniques that struggle to detect modern explosives. Employed globally, it outperforms by up to ten times the current standards sought by the US Government.

The modular nature of the explosives-detector allows it to be reengineered to detect a wide variety of substances, including viruses.

“It is not possible to implement existing diagnostic approaches in a time that is suitable for rapid screening,” says Breadmore. “Our approach is truly unique in the world and in the diagnostic space.”

GreyScan CEO Samantha Ollerton says the research represented the first step towards developing the GreyScan TVD-1 (Trace Virus Detector), which could be used to detect the virus in airports, public transportation systems and places of mass gatherings, as well as being deployed in the testing of people. The device would help the public to feel safe again and enable people to return to their normal routines by demonstrating that cleaning or decontamination protocols have been followed.

“The use of contact tracing and people testing will be augmented by the capability of the TVD-1, providing fast, accurate detection that can be used by anyone anywhere” adds Ollerton.

The technology is based on capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) – a technique previously used for the analysis and characterisation of human viruses such as common cold virus and adenovirus. The initial research is supported by $260,000 in co-funding from the CSIRO Innovation Connections Grant scheme and industry partner GreyScan.

“This is a product for the future fight against this and any other viruses that we encounter in our lifetimes.” Adds Ollerton.

The research is taking place in the University of Tasmania’s lab facilities, where Breadmore will be joined by a team of researchers

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Professor Michael Breadmore and Mostafa Adel Atia Abuzeid with the GreyScan unit at the University of Tasmania.

"Our research will develop a way to collect, analyse and detect viruses from surfaces within a few minutes."

Professor Michael Breadmore who will develop biosensors to help detect the virus. Professor Anna King explains that biosensors played an important role by binding to and detecting viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.

“We will be developing multiple types of biosensors that can bind to the virus in different ways, as well as the systems that best allow us to detect even the smallest amounts of the virus,” she adds.

GreyScan believes this device will be the first in a line of products that will be able to detect surface viruses as they evolve and spread throughout the globe. It is suggested that an engineering prototype will be ready within six months, then a more advanced prototype for testing in the field is expected to be ready in 12 months.

The GreyScan ETD-100TM explosives-detection device was a world-first then, and its transformation to virus-detection is a worldfirst now, as it tackles one of the world’s biggest health challenges. www.greyscandetection.com www.utas.edu.au

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Personalised nutrition smart patch to be developed in Australia A wearable smart patch designed and manufactured in Australia will deliver precision data to help people personalise their diets and reduce their risk of lifestyle-related chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.

The world-first personalised nutrition wearable patch being developed by Melbourne-based start-up Nutromics painlessly measures key dietary biomarkers and sends the information to an app, enabling users to precisely track their bodies’ response to different foods. A collaborative team led by Nutromics, RMIT University, Griffith University, and established medical device manufacturer Romar Engineering, with support from the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), is now developing the capabilities required to pilot manufacture the device.

Diabetes is one of the largest chronic health challenges globally, but with early interventions and lifestyle changes, the condition is often preventable. Nutromics co-CEO Peter Vranes said the smart patch leverages emerging technologies to empower people to take greater control of their health: “Research has shown that what we eat affects us all differently; two people might have the same meal but their post-meal response can vary wildly. People want to make healthy food choices but with so much conflicting nutrition advice, many of us are confused. Being able to easily monitor key dietary biomarkers will give you the knowledge to personalise your diet to suit your own body, get healthy and stay healthy.”

The smart patch combines a complex sensing platform and stretchable electronics for improved conformity to skin. The fabrication of sample collection will be led by Griffith University and Romar Engineering, with sensor integration and stretchable electronics

fabrication undertaken at RMIT’s cutting-edge Micro Nano Research Facility. Professor Sharath Sriram, Research CoDirector of RMIT’s Functional Materials & Microsystems Research Group, said RMIT researchers would integrate the technologies in a prototype smart patch manufactured via roll-to-roll (R2R) printing.

“This smart patch is a significant evolution in wearable health monitoring technology,” he said. “Current wearable technologies can track your heart rate and steps, but they can’t monitor your health at a molecular level. This technology goes deeper, targeting the precise biomarkers that drive lifestyle-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes.”

Alan Lipman, CEO of Romar, said collaboration was the way forward for Australian manufacturing: “Working with entrepreneurs, academics and researchers to develop new medical technologies is essential to maintain Australia’s international competitiveness and to build a strong domestic manufacturing skills base.” www.nutromics.com.au www.rmit.edu.au www.griffith.edu.au www.imcrc.org www.romareng.com.au

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With over 10 years’ experience in the additive manufacturing industry, their services Include: • Metal 3D printing, consultation on design for additive manufacturing and polishing options.

• They print in Stainless Steel 15-5ph and 316L, Titanium 64, Inconel 718 (high temp alloy) and Aluminium (AlSi10Mg).

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A vision for better prototyping: Nidek boosts clinical trials, cuts time-to-market with 3D printing Nidek Technologies (Nidek), located in Padova, Italy, specialises in the development and prototyping of high-technology ophthalmological diagnostic systems.

With all of its products having direct contact with patients, it’s crucial that Nidek produces fully functional prototypes that precisely replicate the final product. This enables a comprehensive evaluation of the fit, form and function of new devices before investing in expensive clinical trials and moving to final production. As this process often proved costly in terms of lead time and capital, Nidek turned to Stratasys 3D printing in a bid to optimise its prototyping process and, as a result, accelerate its clinical validation.

The assembled Gonioscope prototype, built with 3D-printed parts.

This was demonstrated in a recent project that saw Nidek produce a new automatic Gonioscope, a device designed to observe the space between the iris and cornea. Typically, the R&D team would create the prototypes using traditional manufacturing, requiring expensive injection moulds or using CNC machines to create the individual device components. This led to escalating lead times and, should iterations be required, substantially increased prototyping costs. To overcome these barriers, Nidek invested in a Stratasys Objet500 Connex3 3D printer.

“Our prototyping process has become much more streamlined since incorporating Stratasys 3D printing into our workflow,” says Cesare Tanassi, CEO at Nidek. “The technology enables us to develop complex parts with intricate geometries on demand. The ability to validate designs early in the product development cycle helps us eliminate costly iterations during manufacturing, as well as significantly reducing our time-to-market compared to traditional prototyping methods.”

Deploying 3D printed devices into clinical trials According to Tanassi, waiting for production parts to conduct clinical evaluations creates costly delays.

“Previously we were constrained by the time restrictions associated with traditional manufacturing,” he explains. “3D printing overcomes these bottlenecks and permits us to quickly enter our devices into clinical trials. As you can imagine, fully verifying our products is crucial to ensuring that premium healthcare is maintained.

“In the case of the Gonioscope, the quality of the Stratasys 3D-printed components saw the device pass a year-long clinical trial where eight global medical centres examined it. It will soon be utilised by clinics and hospitals around the globe, contributing to a novel way to diagnose glaucoma.”

Beyond the Gonioscope, the benefits of 3D printing are impacting numerous other products. According to Federico Carraro, Mechanical Division Manager at Nidek, this occurred when developing the company’s micro-perimeter, a device used to determine the level of light perceived by specific areas of the retina.

Previously Nidek used metal fabrication for this device, which took around two months to create and dramatically delayed the prototyping cycle.

The external case of the prototype Gonioscope was built on a Connex3 3D printer.

“With our Stratasys Objet500 Connex3, we can combine a wide range of 3D printed materials with contrasting mechanical characteristics,” explains Carraro. “This allows us to accurately emulate final parts, including threads, seals, rubber and transparent components. In this case, we achieved the same functional result within 24 hours by replacing metal parts with robust 3D printed components.”

Tanassi adds: “In the case of the Gonioscope, utilising the tough flexibility and snap-fit characteristic of the Stratasys Rigur 3D-printing material, we could replace several aluminium parts with a single 3D-printed component. The ability to quickly 3D-print high-quality parts that require no post-processing has proven instrumental in cutting our iterations and directly reducing our product development cycle. In fact, since introducing Stratasys 3D printing, we have slashed our prototyping costs by 75% and accelerated our development time by 50%.”

A clear case for transparent 3D-printed parts Nidek is now pioneering a new proprietary polishing process for its prototype illumination lenses. Traditionally the development of lenses requires several months of build time and costs thousands of euros per lens.

“In the future, with the VeroClear material, we may quickly 3D print prototype lenses with high clarity and smooth surface finish devoted to our illumination optics,” says Tanassi. “We used a proprietary robotic polishing process for our 3D-printed lenses.”

The versatility of Connex3 PolyJet materials gives Nidek the tools to quickly overcome multiple challenges throughout the product development process. From ideation, to iterating prototypes, to clinical evaluation, 3D printing drives innovation, improves product design, saves cost and reduces product development time. www.objective3d.com.au

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World-first in 3D printing gives personal touch to keep the blood flowing Researchers from CSIRO have made it possible to 3D print tailor-made stents, a critical biomedical device used to treat narrow or blocked arteries.

The breakthrough, made in partnership with Wollongong-based Medical Innovation Hub, represents a paradigm shift in the production of self-expanding nitinol stents for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), which afflicts more than 10% of Australians. PAD is a condition in which fatty deposits collect and reduce blood flow in arteries outside the heart — most commonly in the legs. People with PAD typically experience pain when walking and in severe cases may develop gangrene.

metallurgists around the world. The team of scientists at CSIRO’s Lab22 in Melbourne cracked the problem using selective laser melting (SLM).

CSIRO Principal Research Scientist Dr Sri Lathabai said the process allowed them to create complex products with high geometric accuracy that are patient-specific.

“Nitinol is a shape-memory alloy with superelastic properties,” Dr Lathabai said. “It’s a tricky alloy to work with in 3D printing conditions, The proof-of-concept stents offer the potential for customisation to individual patient requirements, due to its sensitivity to stress and but are equally as suitable for mass production. heat. We had to select the right Minister for Industry, Science and 3D-printing parameters to get the Technology, Karen Andrews, said the home-grown technology had ultra-fine mesh structure needed for an endovascular stent, as well the potential to revolutionise the $16bn global stent manufacturing as carefully manage heat treatments so the finished product can industry. expand as needed, once inside the body.”

“This is a great example of industry working with our researchers to develop an innovative product that addresses a global need and builds on our sovereign capability,” Minister Andrews said.

Chief Executive of Medical Innovation Hub Dr Arthur Stanton is a vascular surgeon who has treated thousands of patients and saw a need for an improved treatment.

Until now, surgeons have been restricted to accessing ‘off-theshelf’ stents for operations. The ability to 3D print stents is expected to improve sizing options, preserve essential anatomy, and enable diameters and shapes to suit individual patient requirements. The process could also allow for individual stents to be made on-site, under the surgeon’s direction, reducing inventory and saving money.

“We believe our new 3D-printed self-expanding nitinol stents offer an improved patient experience through better fitting devices, better conformity to blood vessel and improved recovery times,” Dr Stanton said. “There is also the opportunity for the technology to be used for mass production of stents, potentially at lower cost.”

Finding a way to 3D print a self-expandable nitinol stent without compromising the metal’s unique properties has challenged

A new company, Flex Memory Ventures, has been established to drive commercialisation of the technology. www.csiro.au www.flexmemoryventures.com

Locally-made COVID swabs end Australian overseas reliance Melbourne-based 3D Printing Studios has been working with state governments and health departments to produce medical nasal and throat swabs used in COVID-19 test kits.

The process of developing a swab that not only collects the mucus but also allows for the mucus to be transferred for testing has taken several weeks to develop.

“We tried several different 3D-printed designs obtained from Harvard Medical School and finally came up with a simple design that is flocked with a safe nylon material,” said Howard Wood & Stuart Grover, joint-CEOs and founders of 3D Printing Studios. “The design, coupled with the EOS P 396 industrial 3D printer for plastic parts will allow us to produce thousands of these medical swabs per day.”

South Australian Pathology has tested the latest 3D printed swabs and has given the green light on their use. This makes 3D Printing Studios the only Australian company to manufacture medical nasal swabs, essential products in the fight against COVID-19. This will reduce the need to import these vital products while bringing manufacturing back to Australia. www.johnhart.com.au www.3dprintingstudios.com

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Made to measure: 3D-printed medical implants for joint and musculoskeletal patients Media outlets frequently run stories detailing how uniquely designed 3D-printed parts implanted into patients are offering a welcome, ‘never-before-available’ solution to medical problems.

These stories have featured items such as a 3D-printed prosthetic jaw designed by the patient’s own doctor; spinal parts to support fractured or damaged vertebrae; a patient-specific sternum, and so on. These are just some of the phenomenal achievements 3D printing technology can bring to suffering patients. Becoming increasingly aware of solutions they can offer their patients, doctors are embracing the technology, applying their own knowledge of anatomy, using the latest imaging technology, and working with CAD designers to construct unique parts for their patient. What we are really talking about is a world of ‘customised body parts’ – customised because all human beings are unique and no one size fits all!

More common implants occur for hips and knees, but here, most replacement parts used in operations come in a standard size and form. Injuries to knee and hip joints generally arise as a result of musculoskeletal trauma from accidents, sports injuries, improper training practices or when a person is not sufficiently warmed up or stretched in readiness to undertake their exercise regime or compete in an event. These can be acute injuries that require immediate treatment. Chronic injuries arise from overuse of one part of a particular joint or simply due to the aging process.

Hip replacement is common practice with the Federal Government, through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), monitoring implants since 1999 – specifically of metal-on-metal (MoM) parts such as hip replacements. Interestingly, problems appear to arise in complete hip replacements, where the size of one part does not suit the patient, the ‘standard’ part either being too large or too small.

Surgical procedures associated with hip implants have been revised, resulting in better outcomes, but the situation negates the emerging opportunities of making patient-specific implants using 3D printing technology.

Another advantage of 3D printing that will overcome secondary issues cited by the TGA, is by printing in titanium, specifically Tu6Al4V, a safe, lightweight material. This is replacing products made using chromium and cobalt, which are known to produce undesired side effects due to metal ions entering the body’s blood stream.

Advances in titanium hip replacement parts are numerous. Recently, SLM Solutions, a manufacturer of 3D metal printers headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, entered a strategic partnership with Canwell Medical, a leading medical device manufacturer based in China that supplies 30 countries across Asia, the Americas and Europe. SLM

Orthopaedic hip implants

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An orthopaedic knee implant.

Solutions has supported the installation of metal 3D printing laser systems by providing technical training along with assistance on research and development.

Jerry Ma, General Manager of SLM Solutions Asia Pacific, indicated: “Laser melting technology and medical is an important application field. Our global experience accumulation and innovation will help us develop China’s medical field.”

SLM’s unique technology applies complex geometries that guide multiple lasers selectively melting deposition powder layer by layer, resulting in densities as high as 99.9%, highly suitable and safe for orthopaedic hip implants. A recent example produced on an SLM 280 twin laser system are acetabular cups. These items are usually built in a ‘standard’ size but offer distinct advantages. The technology allows the structuring of a porous or lattice structured exterior surface that directly facilitates ‘osseointegration’, the connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing artificial implant – a distinct achievement for long-term patient outcomes.

According to a study by public health researchers at Monash University, hip replacements are predicted to rise from 25,945 in 2013 to 79,790 by 2030. This has become a ready-made market for an innovative Australian manufacturer. In addition, hip replacement parts are small and easy to ship, providing a real possibility of tapping into an overseas market such as the USA, where more than 300,000 hip replacement surgeries occur annually.

Knee replacement, or knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure replacing those parts in the knee joint that bear weight and cause pain in patients. Knees are a complex ‘hinge’ joint that bends and straightens with movement. However, the complexity lies in the way the bone surfaces glide and roll each time a knee bends. Knee issues commonly arise from rheumatoid or osteoarthritis, and can be exacerbated by obesity; irrespective of the issue, a great deal of pain is often experienced.

While a range of medical options are available to ‘fix’ the problem, knee replacement is quite a common surgical solution. Surgery using standard knee replacement implants can result in a ‘nearly right’ fit.

Surgeons are provided with a box of assorted sizes, male or femalespecific, from which they can select. Guided by both image scans and a view of the damage, a suitable selection is often possible.

However, an off-the-shelf knee implant may have an overhang or underhang if slightly too large or small, leaving patient outcomes less comfortable than desirable.

MEDICAL The SLM 280 3D printing system from SLM Solutions.

In a complete knee replacement operation, three parts are usually replaced: a femoral component that wraps around the femur, a tibia component and a patella component. A CoCr28Mo6 femoral knee implant has been developed using selective laser melting on an SLM 280 twin laser system. The company’s flagship system, the mid-sized SLM 280 twin selective laser melting system is equipped with a twin laser configuration of 2 x 400W or 2 x 700W, and a bidirectional loader to increase build rates in the 280mm-by-280mm build chamber.

The complex software geometries afford integrating a functional lattice structure to assist with implant retention. The item can be produced in multiples as standard replacements but the flexibility in the geometry and build capability offers a cost-effective advantage of producing a patient specific component. Aside from productivity and cost advantages, a further advantage exists in using an SLM 280 twin laser system as the item can be used for a ‘unicondylar’ knee replacement, a partial replacement where damage is confined to only one section.

The number of Australians undergoing knee surgery for full or partial replacement has risen by some 38% since 2005-6. Records indicate in the period from 2016-17, there were 53,148 knee replacements carried out in Australia on persons over the age of 18. To meet this rapidly expanding market, support, training and advice are available for manufacturers of medical equipment from SLM Solutions.

Opportunities for series production of acetabular cups and intervertebral fusion cages are just some examples of what can be achieved. SLM Solutions undertakes research and exploration projects to improve and enhance their machine offerings, and in developing the all-important process parameters to support users.

For example, updates continue on 60-micron process parameters for titanium alloy to print acetabular cups. With knee replacement parts, development of 60-micron process parameters in cobaltchromium alloy continues.

Another area into which SLM Solutions’ laser systems are moving is in the development of craniomaxillofacial (CMF) implants. These items are patient-specific, designed and produced for an individual who needs repair or restructure following trauma or illness resulting at times in psychosocial consequences. A number of these implants have been designed and constructed for individual patients.

Computerised tomography (CT)-scanned images allow accurate development of computer programs utilising complex geometries. Using lightweight titanium and built in an

Hip implants on a build plate for series production.

SLM 125 system, SLM Solutions has managed to develop implants that fit and support functionality, demonstrating that it is possible to produce reliable patient-matched customised items economically and effectively.

SLM Solutions understands the importance of quality assurance and process documentation to qualify the production of biomedical components and is willing to share knowledge and best practice procedures to ensure success in using an SLM laser system.

Queensland University recently posted a report regarding the need for standards and regulations to be instituted to meet medical and surgical regulations. Custom-made devices are exempt from stringent testing and documentation, but the situation requires some form of monitoring.

A recent example of producing a medical device occurred where SLM, working closely with Forecast3D, a European service bureau, produced a surgical instrument overnight to be used for an orthopaedic shoulder replacement surgery. Using minimal material – 17-4PH stainless steel – and no wastage as waste metal powder is harvested and reused, and with a build of 30-micron layer thickness, the complex construction provided an ideal answer.

This case provides an example of shifting additive manufacturing strategies in today’s world of fast, on-demand, customised products. While the introduction of regulations is at the discussion stage, it will be important that flexibility is not hindered and innovation encouraged, perhaps within a loose set of parameters.

Nonetheless, right now in 2020, after a pandemic and its economic fallout, opportunities exist to enter or expand this exciting aspect of the medical market both locally and internationally, using selective laser melting systems. www.raymax.com.au

A craniomaxillofacial (CMF) implant in situ.

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MEDICAL

Howard Wright: Simple. Smart. Human Howard Wright Limited designs and manufactures specialised hospital beds and stretchers at its plant in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Production Manager Greg Jones recently spoke about the company and how equipment from TRUMPF helps it maintains an edge over its competitors.

AMT: How long has Howard Wright been in business?

Greg Jones: The company has been in business for almost 60 years, and we have just over 55 staff members. It’s a nice place to work in terms of a manufacturing facility.

As we make hospital products, it has to be clean and it’s well heated so it’s comfortable to work in.

More recently we have increased production to meet the increased number of COVID-19 orders from the UK and Australia. Most of our market is export, so 50% Australia, 30% New Zealand, 10% the UK, with Japan and Belgium making up the balance.

We continue to see our growth coming from overseas markets. When competing overseas, it’s highly competitive, with a lot of beds coming from Asia as well as Europe.

We compete well as our products focus on end user needs, quality and service support.

AMT: What are the keys to your company’s success?

GJ: We manufacture a highly specialised product. We were one of the first to go completely electric, with a battery backup. Many stretchers around the same time would have had some electric components, but not the entire unit. We have certainly led the industry in terms of innovative design and workplace health and safety, right from the start.

Our design philosophy is “Simple. Smart.

Human”, so we are extremely customerfocused. For example, our stretchers can go really low to the ground, the existing designs are usually quite high and can cause problems. We help prevent a lot of falls around hospital beds through our design and R&D approach. We work closely with nurses and doctors to help design products that are intuitive to use, so they can focus on the patient.

AMT: Tell us about your role in the company.

GJ: I’m Production Manager now; however, prior to this role I was working on the R&D side for over seven years. I think it helps, my background in R&D within the manufacturing department as I understand both sides. Essentially, we are a customer of the R&D department. I work closely with them to ensure we have more common components and more common suppliers.

AMT: How you do remain ahead of the competition?

GJ: Our whole philosophy is working with all end users and ensuring that they are

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front of mind with all our design thinking.

We also keep on top of new technology and how we can improve production.

AMT: What equipment do you currently have?

GJ: We have a TRUMPF TruLaser Tube 5000, which converts raw tube, with a bundle feeder to load the machine. We also have some Haas equipment, a gantry router, milling machines and some welding robots. All powder coating is done in-house.

For the manufacturing department, we work hard on a single piece flow, this enables us to be more agile. We have an assembly line with inline QA checks. This is followed by an independent QA check at the end of the process, before the product is dispatched.

We operate with low levels of stock to ensure cashflow is optimal, and we also

measure performance daily and quarterly.

AMT: What problem were you trying to solve when you purchased the TruLaser Tube 5000?

GJ: I started just after the purchase was complete. However, I was still privy to the decision-making and reasons why. While it’s been one of our biggest purchases, it’s been wonderful in terms of manufacturing components of 1-3mm thick. The reason we purchased the TRUMPF machine was that we were moving away from outsourcing this process; we also moved away from a lot of manual processes in-house.

Almost instantly we could see benefits from not paying the margin on production costs.

We also benefited from the ability to carry less inventory; we could also change the design quickly. The laser completed up to

MEDICAL

four to five processes at once. We found that we could grow quickly, we could double the amount of beds, but not the amount of people in the department.

The R&D team can also have more flexibility in terms of their design. All and all this has kept us competitive. Without this machine we would need three or four times the staffing and floor space.

AMT: Why did you purchase this product over the competition?

GJ: We looked at a few competitors; we didn’t see a company like TRUMPF that could provide a complete solution, it just didn’t appear to be as seamless. TRUMPF do the whole shooting box and it works really well.

AMT: What are your thoughts on the support you receive in New Zealand for your TRUMPF machine?

GJ: We were with the previous distributor Aotea Machinery, which has now moved to Headland Machinery. It’s been quite seamless in terms of support as the same technicians have moved across and that knowledge has carried across with them – they know what they are doing and support us well. We also receive good support from TRUMPF Singapore if needed; it’s

nice to know we can access support from Australia and Singapore (in more normal circumstances) if required. We also enjoy being part of the TRUMPF network and meeting and networking with like-minded manufacturers.

we hope we have been able to support the frontline staff. I do know that many industries have not fared so well and hope that by moving to Level One (New Zealand moved to Covid-19 Alert Level 1 on 8 June), things will begin to improve for them.

AMT: How has New Zealand manufacturing fared through COVID-19?

www.headland.com.au www.howardwrightcares.com

GJ: During lockdown we were deemed as essential services; by remaining open

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Robot helpers in laboratories worldwide make healthcare more productive Healthcare has never been more in the spotlight than it is right now. From pharmaceutical and medical device production to medical and research laboratories, the latest robotic solutions can support the human workforce and transform the quality, capacity and cost of operations.

Pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers are under more pressure than ever before, and need creative solutions that can improve the efficiency and quality of their operations, control costs and speed up research & development (R&D) times to launch products more quickly, while coping with a worldwide shortage of skilled professionals to accomplish these tasks. Automation can help overcome these challenges and improve staff safety, with robots able to complete repetitive tasks up to 50% faster than current manual processes, enhancing productivity and enabling highly skilled manufacturing, medical and laboratory staff to undertake more valuable activities.

Accurate, fast, flexible, tireless and able to work 24 hours a day, robots are well suited to repetitive tasks, while also being flexible enough to switch between jobs, as needed. Recent technological advancements have brought robots a long way from their big, heavy-duty predecessors, designed primarily for the automotive industry. Today, robots have smaller footprints, far greater flexibility and integrated vision.

at short notice. For example, YuMi can support process tasks such as device tending, collection and storage, sample transportation and filing alongside human lab workers.

Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm (SCARA) robots are a good example. Tabletop mountable and with a small footprint, SCARA robots fit well into the confined spaces typical of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. Whether they are dealing with tablets, test tubes, or syringes, SCARA robots are fast and accurate, performing articulate point-to-point movements, such as picking and placing, parts transfer, and parts handling.

In one notable application, a YuMi has been integrated by researchers from the European Institute of Oncology, to help staff manage an immuno-assay preparation process used to quantify the presence of virus antibodies. The assay preparation is extremely time-consuming, previously requiring lab staff to perform several repetitive operations, including the washing of well-plates, and YuMi has successfully taken over the washing process.

The development of collaborative technologies means robots are also increasingly well suited to laboratories and medical facilities, as they don’t require safety fences to operate safely and efficiently alongside people. Collaboration enables people and robots to safely work together for maximum flexibility and efficiency, sharing the same workspaces and even co-operating on the same tasks, without jeopardising speed and safety.

Meanwhile Copan Diagnostics in the USA is using YuMi-based HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air)-filtered bio-safety workstations to manage tissues, bone, and sterile fluid samples, as well as transporting traditional swabs and blood cultures. After the technologist scans a barcode, the robot automatically presents a sequence of plates and materials for sample inoculation. The robot then streaks the plates and transfers them to a system that completes the transportation process.

Laboratory and healthcare applications Modern robots are not just found in manufacturing environments or logistic centres, they are increasingly incorporated as components of medical devices in laboratory environments, supporting anything from R&D in the pharmaceutical industry or universities, to healthcare testing in medical facilities. Today’s robots can perform multiple tasks, are easy to program, and may even be able to manage other laboratory equipment.

When it comes to general lab work, ABB’s YuMi collaborative robot may be integrated into a device to undertake a range of repetitive, delicate and time-consuming laboratory activities, such as dosing, mixing and pipetting tasks, sterile instrument kitting and centrifuge loading and unloading. Devices integrated with robots may also be able to support temperature-controlled processes by automatically inserting and removing samples to and from special ovens to ensure they are incubated under the correct conditions.

While YuMi is the fastest fully collaborative robotic component currently on the market, it is inherently safe in design. With padded arms, collision-detection and no pinch points, YuMi is able to operate safely among its human colleagues in relatively unstructured environments with no need for added safety measures, such as fencing. This enables it to take on a range of repetitive, high-volume tasks, even when they require human-like dexterity or might change

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The next step Word is spreading about the advantages of robots in healthcarerelated applications. According to internal ABB research, the global market is estimated to reach nearly 60,000 non-surgical medical robots by 2025, which is a four-fold increase from 2018.

In October 2019, ABB opened a new research centre at the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in the US to work alongside the best minds in academia, science and medicine to advance on new robotic and automation concepts for hospitals and medical facilities, laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and medical device manufacturers.

TMC is the largest medical hub in the world, treating 10 million patients a year, and is at the forefront of life science innovation.

“With robots now available in a growing range of hygienic designs and able to handle an expanding range of tasks, robotic automation is already making production, testing and R&D more efficient and productive across the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry,” said Marc Segura, ABB’s Managing Director – Consumer Segments & Service Robotics. “The ABB team in our healthcare research centre in Houston is researching new applications and supporting development of new cutting-edge robotics solutions with our partners. Our aim is to reduce the number of manual procedures that need to be performed by people and improve the cost and

MEDICAL

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accuracy of laboratory work, which will enhance patient satisfaction and ultimately patient safety.”

Prototype technologies showcased by ABB at the Healthcare Research Hub since it opened include YuMi robots that may be able to aid in centrifuge tending and test tube handling systems, and an IRB 1200 robot that could execute liquid transfers in a pipetting application.

Another prototype concept under development for ABB Healthcare Robots is a mobile dual-arm YuMi robot. Designed to assist medical and laboratory staff with laboratory and logistics tasks in hospitals, it may be able to sense and navigate its way around its human coworkers autonomously, while learning to find different routes from one location to another. It has the potential to undertake a wide range of repetitive and time-consuming activities, including preparation of medicines, loading and unloading of medical devices, pipetting and handling liquids and picking up and sorting test tubes.

The mobile YuMi could also be developed to be used in hospitals for a wide variety of logistics roles, including dispensing medicines, transporting them to where they are needed in hospitals, bringing medical supplies to hospital staff and bed linen direct to patients’ bedrooms.

All prototype activities are focused on future technologies that apply to common medical laboratory tasks that robotic automation may be able to support, by combining consistent performance with a level of flexibility and continuous operation that may increase throughput and quality while also minimising costs. As prototypes, they are not medical devices and are not yet available for sale.

While YuMi and other ABB robotic components have broad potential in medical applications, each medical device must undergo a robust design and testing process to assess if the device can safely perform its intended use for each unique medical application before being commercialised. It is the sole responsibility of the medical device manufacturers to conform to all applicable laws, standards, and guidelines. www.abb.com/au

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COMPANY FOCUS

Forme Technologies – Breaking the mould Originally set up as a ‘Mom-and-Pop’ business producing relatively standard plastic components, Forme Technologies has managed an impressive transition to become an advanced manufacturing company offering innovative solutions and specialist expertise for clients in highly demanding sectors. By William Poole.

Forme Technologies has invested heavily in state-of-the-art machinery and in automating its production processes.

The company that would eventually become Forme Technologies started life in the early 1990s, when Charles Land established CL Plastics in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs. For its first decade in business the company achieved a solid degree of success as a contract manufacturer of plastic components. In the mid-2000s it was acquired by the Anderson family investor group, with Mirko Tappero appointed as General Manager shortly after that. Since then the business has undergone a significant modernisation process, as well as a name change.

“The company started out as a nicely run ‘Mom-and-Pop’ sort of organisation, and I think we’ve turned it into a fairly sizable player in the industry,” says Tappero. “We’ve spent a lot of money on automation, mechanisation, streamlining processes and just getting smarter about how we do things. Our biggest investment over the last five or six years has been very modern machinery, coupled with a lot of automation. That’s probably the biggest way the organisation has changed.”

Today Forme operates out of three factories, all within walking distance in Carrum Downs – a fourth site, next door to the head office, is due to commence operations later this year (more on that later). While it nowadays employs a team of around 30 staff, its extensive investments in technology have seen a drop in the number directly involved on the shopfloor.

“When we took this thing on, we had eight machines on the floor and we employed about 14, maybe 16 people out on the factory floor,” Tappero adds. “Today we’ve got 12 machines and five people on the floor, purely by virtue of automation. It’s gone from a lot of people on a few machines to very few people on a whole bunch of machines.” As well as upgrading and automating its processes, Forme also has a fully equipped clean room, and recently it installed its own tool room; while most of its production tooling is sourced externally, this new facility allows it to undertake more prototyping and product development work in-house.

“We’ve put in a small but nicely sophisticated tooling facility of our own, which means we can hop in and out of there as and when we see fit. It’s been one of the absolute best things we’ve done.”

All these efforts to enhance the company’s technical capabilities

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haven’t been undertaken without a broader ambition in mind.

While plastics remains at the core of everything it does, Forme has spent the last few years carving out a distinct niche for itself as an advanced manufacturing business specialising in providing comprehensive design and engineering solutions, and the manufacture of sophisticated, high-precision plastic components.

“Historically, we were pretty much a ‘me too’ sort of organisation,” says Tappero. “Somebody came to us with a piece they wanted moulded, and we converted it into a piece of plastic. These days we’re getting involved more at the conceptual level, working with people who have designs or ideas in mind, and literally taking it from a concept, through prototyping, through all the engineering levels, and finally the piece of plastic that pops out at the end.

We’ve invested heavily in engineering skillsets just to be able to play at that level.”

Today the company services a broad array of clients across some of the most demanding manufacturing sectors. Medical accounts for a key part of Forme’s business. Another major area is in the manufacture of housings and encapsulations for electronics, though this goes beyond simple moulded parts on which circuitry can be mounted – for example, Forme was recently closely involved in the design and development of a helipad landing light, a product with an exacting set of specifications in terms of loads, impacts, weathering and so on.

The company does still take on a certain amount of less sophisticated work as well, though Tappero stresses this is more out of necessity than choice: “Being an Australian company, you’ve got to do what you can to keep the doors open. So we’ve got the odd job that we probably don’t like doing but we have to. We’ve got a little bit of the ‘rats-and-mice’ stuff. But we try not to play that game as much as possible; we don’t do buckets and basins and bottletops. Even CL Plastics never lived in that space. It always had a portfolio of products that was above the ‘rats-and-mice’ stuff.”

In the last couple of years the team’s expertise in materials means metal replacement has been a big part of its activities, taking components typically made from aluminium and converting them into plastic, with all the engineering challenges that come with that.

061 Forme Technologies specialises in extremely high levels of precision.

These devices, used in cancer diagnostics and research, are manufactured to within seven microns straightness from edge to edge, a distance of about 50mm.

Forme Technologies’ headquarters is based in Carrum Downs, Victoria.

“I think what would probably define us is our use of some really, really exotic materials,” says Tappero. “There’s quite a few that as far as we know we’re the only users in the country. And we’re progressing more and more into solutions providers rather than just plastics providers.”

“We teased out the requirements until the point we could formulate a specification and then progress it through the various levels of prototyping. It’s just getting into the manufacturing production stage now. It’s been through an absolute barrage of testing and all the regulatory rigmarole that goes with a product like this.”

Medical grade

Another project the company has been working on is a device initially developed by a group of scientists in Queensland as a way to dose cattle against ticks, fleas and other parasites. This would normally be undertaken by rounding up each cow and walking it through a dip filled with insecticide solution. This device utilises a projectile loaded with insecticides and fired at the cow. On impact the projectile fractures and its contents are dispersed and absorbed, doing the job of a dip in a controlled fashion, without the need for labour-intensive handling of the animals.

Like many Australian manufacturers, Forme Technologies had been quite heavily involved in the automotive sector, though Tappero and his team were quick to anticipate the closure of the Australian carmakers, and they began planning their diversification well in advance. While this saw the company seek opportunities in a range of markets, the medical sector is the one where it has really found its niche. Tappero estimates medical makes up as much as 60% of the company’s business, and it’s an area where further growth is being actively pursued.

Forme boasts a long record of developing innovative products and solutions for the medical sector, from a resuscitation kit that features a non-contact mouthpiece mask, to an electronic device that enables CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to be administered in a precise way that does not endanger the patient. The company also runs a subsidiary, Forme Medical, which produces its own product line of patient-lifting and patient-positioning devices.

Tappero explains: “Anything that you sit on for physio, proctology, gynaecology, urology – all those sorts of things, we make devices for. We don’t focus on the run-of-the-mill, general practitioner sorts of tables. It’s more the speciality disciplines that we engineer for.

And those are all our own products, they’re all our own designs.”

One recent project that offers a vivid demonstration of Forme’s capabilities was a new design for an oxygen mask for resuscitating patients coming out of surgery. The problem that needed to be overcome was that in the hectic environment of operating theatres and hospital wards it’s easy for the pipe supplying the mask to become disconnected or blocked, with potentially fatal consequences, and there was no easy way to check that the patient was actually getting oxygen. Typically, the only way to ensure everything was functioning correctly was for a medical practitioner to remove the mask and listen for the hiss of gas.

The solution Forme helped to develop was a mask fitted with a valve that exposes a bright orange cylinder when the flow of oxygen is present. When oxygen is flowing, the cylinder becomes visible, providing a clear indicator right at the patient’s mouth. Able to measure in ranges from two litres to 16 litres per minute, the device is entirely hands-free, with the orange indicator visible from as far as nine metres – a feature that is particularly crucial in today’s coronavirus environment.

“We got involved in that at a very early stage, with people who had no engineering background –two doctors,” Tappero recalls.

“That involved developing materials that would survive the initial propulsion, as well as fragmenting on impact – the opposite extremes of the mechanical scale,” says Tappero. “So that was an interesting kind of challenge. And that’s been quite successful for us. We’re probably onto the several millionth paintball now. It’s a very simple product, but with huge implications.”

One of Forme’s specialisms is working to extremely high levels of precision and quality, coupled with consistent repeatability.

One product it manufactures in very high numbers is a device used in cancer diagnostics and research that essentially traps biopsy samples under a sheet of glass. Similar in appearance to a microscope slide, it might easily be mistaken for a simple piece of cheap, mass-produced plastic. However as Tappero explains, each device is manufactured to an extraordinarily high standard.

“Because of what it does has to be super-precise and superconsistent. We measure seven microns straightness between one edge and the other, which is a distance of about 50mm, and we make millions of them. It’s very rigorous, even though it looks like a tiny sliver of plastic. That’s the sort of stuff we like to do. It’s not your everyday piece of plastic.”

Exports account for a large percentage of Forme’s business. One product – a reagent containerisation device for cancer therapy medicines – that it supplies to the UK operation of a major medtech corporation offers an illustration of the challenges of working in a globalised, highly demanding sector like medical.

“They’re disposable, so the volumes are substantial,” says Tappero.

“We had to find a way of getting this product to the UK inside of 72 hours, which was a big challenge. We eventually ended up securing a Middle Eastern airline who make the only one-stop flight from Melbourne to Newcastle, in the north of England, as opposed to Heathrow and Gatwick in the south, in order to cut out a whole step.

We’ve been doing that for years now without missing a shipment.”

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COMPANY FOCUS While Forme Technologies has a fully equipped clean room, it will soon be opening a new, purpose-built clean manufacturing facility.

Mirko Tappero, General Manager at Forme Technologies.

Continued from previous page

It’s just one of the hurdles the team at Forme have had to overcome in establishing itself in the medical space, a sector where the demands for quality, accuracy and reliability are coupled with notoriously rigorous requirements in terms of regulatory compliance. Tappero likens the transition to the difficulties faced when emigrating to a different country: you might not do it if you could see what challenges lie ahead.

“I think the first one for us has just been the sheer learning curve.

We never really anticipated what it meant in terms of regulatory affairs and all that stuff. It’s colossal. If I could give anyone just a glimpse of what goes on beyond that curtain, it’s quite daunting.

Just the sheer volume of stuff: paperwork, measuring, diagnostics, analysis, statistics... It’s just huge.

“I think we’re over the hump of it now. We’ve developed enough of an internal skillset to manage it efficiently. But two or three years back when we didn’t have that skillset and we were learning as we went, there were some pretty dark moments along the way. I guess one of the reasons we pick up the clientele that we do now is because we’ve worn that pain and we can respond accordingly.

“So it’s been worthwhile. We like the challenge. We’re all engineers, so we think clearly in that sort of space. It’s been good for us.”

Planning for growth The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has not had a hugely significant impact on Forme Technologies. The company closed down some parts of its operation for a week at the start of the crisis, but otherwise has remained at two shifts, five days a week – with the appropriate workplace safeguards in place of course.

There was some inevitable fallout in business terms, but that too seems to have passed.

“It certainly affected the order book in the early days,” says Tappero.

“Our customers obviously had a negative reaction. In March and April we felt a bit of a dive in the order book, but nothing too dramatic. It all recovered by May-June, and we’ve hardly missed a beat. We’ve been extremely busy through the whole period.”

Indeed, Tappero is broadly optimistic regarding the outlook for manufacturing in Australia, despite the prevailing mood of gloom surrounding the economy: “I think Australia is probably well

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on its way to getting somewhere in terms of the added-value manufacturing sector. It’s obvious the days of mass production at cutthroat prices are a thing of the past, and that’s why we’ve done what we’ve done: we see this higher-technology game being where Australia needs to play. And I think there’s a sentiment and there’s a general willingness to go down that road.”

Nonetheless he’s sceptical when it comes claims that the pandemic will spur a sustained drive to bring a lot of manufacturing activity that had been moved offshore back to Australia: “COVID-19 has introduced an interesting kneejerk reaction in the industry: we’ve had a flurry of inquiries from people who want to bring manufacturing back to Australia, but we’re finding that memories aren’t all that good. As soon as things look like they’re going back to normal, Chinese prices are still Chinese prices. In the last two weeks or so, we’ve had maybe 12 inquiries from people who want to bring stuff back, and apart from one, I don’t think any of them are going anywhere. People have an emotive reaction around bringing things back to Australia when we’re vulnerable, but as soon as things improve a bit, we prefer to leave them where the profits are higher.”

Regardless of what lies ahead for Australian manufacturing as a whole, Forme is pressing on with its plans for continued growth.

The company is extending its tentacles internationally, with one business relationship starting to show significant potential in the Middle East. Closer to home, work has been completed on the new fourth factory, which will function as a dedicated clean manufacturing facility. While Forme’s existing clean room has met its needs so far, in Tappero’s words it was “cobbled together” amid the organic growth of the company. Having a bigger, purposebuilt facility will expand Forme’s ability to pursue more ambitious projects, in medical or in any sector that requires a clean, nearsanitised manufacturing space.

“I think predominantly what it’ll do for us is it’ll set up a culture and a mindset,” says Tappero. “That’s probably the biggest thing we want to get out of this thing: to have an environment where the mindset is all about advanced manufacturing.

“I guess sophisticated, advanced manufacturing is where we want to continue growing towards,” he adds. “We’re not quite there yet, but I think if you measured us on a scorecard, we’d have to say we’re well past the 50%-60% threshold in terms of getting there.

We’re relaxed about where we’re going.” www.formetechnologies.com.au

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FORMING & FABRICATION

Jmar expands capabilities and customer base with new Yawei investment Based in Shepparton, Victoria, Jmar Engineering was founded by Mark and Janice Hooper and recently celebrated 25 years in business. Its ongoing success is based on a commitment to providing outstanding customer service, staying abreast of local trends, and ongoing diversification.

Using precision turning and milling equipment, Jmar specialises in component manufacturing, repairs and maintenance across a broad range of industries. Their work typically includes a considerable amount of ‘reverse engineering’; fabricating components and parts that customers may have previously bought from overseas suppliers who often are now defunct or uncontactable due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to component manufacturing, the company has been a supplier to the agricultural industry for almost a quarter of a century, with a unique product called the Christopher Dairy Bails; a retrofit product suitable for herringbone dairies that allows the farmer to feed in the bail at milking time.

Jmar has also invested heavily in 3D modelling, which has been a great sales tool as the company can now provide customers with an accurate representation of the concept design prior to actual full-scale production.

Nearly all of Jmar’s business comes from around the Goulburn Valley area, within a 50km radius of Shepparton. Expanding its sheetmetal and cutting capabilities with a view to obtaining more local work was what first prompted Mark Hooper to invest in a fibre laser, installed by Applied Machinery.

“Our original laser proved a huge success in securing us heavier and more voluminous work and expanding our customer base – particularly those companies that had previously sent work to

Jmar Engineering’s Founder and Managing Director Mark Hooper with the new Yawei fibre laser cutter.

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Melbourne or Sydney,” says Hooper. “We ended up becoming a contract cutter and it was this that prompted us to invest in an additional Yawei fibre laser. We were struggling to keep up with the work and we couldn’t afford to let our customers down; this second machine ensured we could always offer consistency of supply and maintain our lead times.”

With its 4kW capacity, a Precitec auto-focus cutting head and a Siemens CNC controller, the Yawei HLF has also provided Jmar with a huge increase cutting speed, material capacity and quality of cut. This improvement in laser cut parts feeding into the company’s seven-axis Yawei press brake means the quality of the finished product is far superior, particularly with stainless steel.

“When it comes to comparing the two machines, the new Yawei 4kW HLF is so much better,” adds Hooper. “It really is chalk and cheese.”

The Yawei’s additional capacity and high-quality cut has allowed the company to fabricate a more diverse range of sheetmetal products that simply wasn’t possible before. One of these is a customdesigned, all stainless-steel evaporative air conditioner that is being manufactured for a local commercial kitchen builder.

“We’re seeing work that we would never have seen before and quoting on jobs that we have previously not been able to quote on,” Hooper adds. “The new Yawei fibre laser is really transforming and expanding our business.

FORMING & FABRICATION

Empower Workshop Productivity & Scheduling Software For progressive engineers, fabricators and metal workers to manage your core business, your labour

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Jmar specialises in component manufacturing, repairs and maintenance across a broad range of industries, including a considerable amount of ‘reverse engineering’.

“Like our previous dealings with Applied, the service was just outstanding with the purchase of the Yawei. Every call to Service Manager Matt Keogh and Service Engineer Mark Bury was answered quickly, every technical question was responded to; I couldn’t have asked for a better association with a machinery supplier. Given our regional location, the quality and speed of service is absolutely critical to us and something we value greatly.

It’s so refreshing to know that Applied really have got our back.”

Hooper is optimistic about the outlook for manufacturing in Australia as the country recovers from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

“Once we’re through the COVID-19 crisis, I think there’s going to be renewed interest in sourcing locally manufactured parts and components,” he explains. “There’s certainly a realisation that whilst we may be a little more expensive, the quality of the local product and personal attention we can provide is something overseas suppliers cannot match. The fact that we’ve had to rebuild so many overseas-sourced parts is confirmation of that.

“This new fibre laser not only allows us to produce the highest-quality products in a faster time, but also provides us with the opportunity to add to the diversity of products we produce. I see a very positive outlook not just for us, but for all Australian manufacturers over the next few years.” www.appliedmachinery.com.au www.jmarengineering.com.au Jmar Engineering’s facility in Shepparton, Victoria.

50 inch TV Monitors on Office Walls and Workshop Floor Walls – Report: Jobs, Tasks, Staff, Times, Job Status, ... in Real Time

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• Software developed for engineers producing custom one off products or projects, 6 to 150+ workshop staff • Empower Software is simply an App • Empower is Cloud-based and Web-based • Empower can interface to any accounting or ERP software • Pricing is Low Cost Subscription. Eg 10 workshop staff is $108 per week for 3 years dropping to $44 per week after 3 years • Supplying Australian engineers for 13 years • Available to you on request: info pack and free trial software • Engineering Client Short Videos on youtube.com. In Youtube type in and search: Empower MARs Transport, Empower Peppertree, Empower Express Sheetmetal, Empower Delta Stock Crates • 90% of engineers using tablets on the workshop floor and Empower Software achieve a 20% to 40%+ reduction in time on jobs – therefore a 20% to 40%+ reduction in labour cost on jobs.

• An Engineer with 10 workshop staff is projected to increase production by 80 hours per week, therefore increase revenue by $6,000 per week and (80 hours by $75 per hour overhead cost), therefore increase revenue by $312,000 per year. This $312,000 per year is largely additional profit because overhead costs have been incured in existing production. Your 10 year investment $3.12m additional revenue, largely additional profit.

Sean O’Sullivan

B Com (Hons) Otago University

Founding Director, Empower Software sean@manufacturingandengineering.co.nz +64 27 2284211 AMT Magazine 06/07/2020

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Can the fabricated metals industry easily transition back to onshoring?

After decades of relying on steel produced overseas, recent events have driven Australian metal fabrication companies to seriously consider onshoring again. By Rob Stummer, CEO for Asia-Pacific at SYSPRO. Why the change? It turns out that many manufacturers have learned a hard lesson regarding the negative side of offshoring over the last 30 years that do not occur when manufacturing remains onshore in Australia. Can the industry easily transition back to onshoring?

First, let us look at why so many manufacturers moved metal fabrication outside of Australia in the 1980s and 1990s to places like China and Vietnam. Australia’s steel production according to Trading Economics, was at its peak in the late 1990s and today it has fallen to around 50% of that, with 400,000 tonnes produced in April 2020.

The development of computer-based automation technologies, programmable logic controllers and cheap offshore labour are the rationale for so many to have moved their production offshore.

As a result of offshoring, there have been countless issues over the past two or so decades with quality control, which is an extraordinary challenge when it is managed from 7,000km away. There have also been frustrations over production times and poor protection regarding the theft of intellectual property. Not least to say, there have been issues that are not easily controlled or predicted, including trade conflicts, strikes, wars, natural disasters and of course, global pandemics.

Industries consuming steel How do the issues with offshoring affect Australian industries? Well, three of our key industries are the main consumers of steel fabricated products, including construction at 50%, manufacturing at 20% and mining at 17%, comprising almost 90% of total demand, according to a report by the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. The performance of the steel fabrication industry and of the diverse sectors within the industry are driven, in large part, by changes in demand from these industries. All three industries demand a wide variety of steel fabricated products for a diverse range of uses, but the largest consumer is the construction industry, with the manufacturing industry the second largest consumer.

The industry is a major employer despite the trend towards offshoring, with Australia’s welding and fabrication industry responsible for the employment of over 78,900 people, 91% of whom are full-time employees, according the Australian Government’s Job Outlook site. Australia’s welding and fabrication industry has a total output capacity of over 1.6 million tonnes per annum.

Steel is one of the most common, versatile and recyclable materials in the world. It is used in housing, transport, food and water supply, energy production and distribution, and healthcare. Steel builds the roads, railway lines, buildings and bridges, schools and hospitals – almost everything we use is either made of steel or manufactured by equipment made of steel.

Who are our domestic steel producers?

The Australian steel supply chain starts with either iron ore shipped from Western Australia and South Australia and is combined with coal and limestone to produce crude steel in the form of semi-finished products or recycled scrap steel. These semi-finished products are sent to product mills to be turned into finished products.

There are two major crude steel producers in Australia: BlueScope Steel and Liberty Steel. A third producer, Moly-Cop, manufacturers speciality steel products mainly for the mining industry. BlueScope and Liberty Steel are vertically integrated, with subsidiary businesses operating through their supply chains. Liberty Steel has steel making and product mills in Whyalla, Laverton, Sydney and Newcastle, and

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BlueScope’s steel making and product mills are in Port Kembla.

Liberty Steel is looking to build a new steel plant in Whyalla capable of producing ten million tonnes a year, the largest in any developed nation. As well as the domestic crude steel producers, imports produced offshore are a significant source of steel product inputs that either compete directly with Australian producers or supplement their supply as our domestic companies do not produce all types of steel demanded by the Australian market today. But are three crude steel producers enough to support increased onshoring or is there an opportunity for another key player?

Tightly managed supply chains Manufacturers of fabricated metal products know that success depends on tightly managing their complex supply chains, collaborating with customers to design the most effective products, while meeting quality, tolerance and material specifications. They also need to provide a full range of services from design to delivery and maintain flexibility to change capacity requirements while operating effective continuous replenishment systems. When these replenishment systems fail, it is usually due to the unpredictable issues associated with offshoring as we have seen with recent world events.

To transition back to onshoring, the Australian metal fabrication industry needs to not only offer the types of steel demanded by the key industries here, but it also needs to manage production costs, product quality and on-time delivery to be more competitive against offshore producers. An ERP system will help them by automating and integrating business processes and improving management information, giving fabricated metal manufacturers a 360-degree picture of what is happening within their businesses.

Given the 90% demand from our own industries, there is certainly an appetite to reconsider our onshoring strategy and investment into fabricated metals manufacturing and crude steel production. To reduce our over-reliance on imports, we need to support and invest in our steel industry. au.syspro.com

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Iscar – Cast-iron LogIQ Machining cast iron is not considered to be problematic, partly due to its higher graphite content compared with steel.

Graphite makes generated chips brittle and short, and possesses anti-friction properties that contribute to cuttingedge lubrication. Moreover, graphite’s ability to absorb vibrations helps to improves machining stability. While these are undoubtedly significant advantages, the nuanced world of cast iron demands more detailed examination.

As can be construed from its name, cast iron is intended for castings. Machining cast iron parts involves removal of nonuniform and variable stock – for example sand inclusions, casting skin, blowholes, hot tears and other casting defects, which affects cutting tools. From a machining point of view, the higher graphite content also has a disadvantage: it accelerates abrasion wear. This means that the cutting tools must have good wear resistance to ensure high productivity.

It is also worth noting that the term “cast iron” may in fact refer to different types of ferrous alloy, for which machinability can vary significantly. The latter is often neglected, which can lead to the wrong choice of cutting tools and incorrect definition of cutting data.

There are several types of cast iron. Grey, nodular and malleable cast iron form the application group K (with a red identification colour), in accordance with the ISO 513 Standard classification.

Hardened and chilled cast iron relate to group H (grey identification colour). These specifications offer clear guidelines for manufacturers regarding the application of cutting tools – correct tool material, cutting geometry and cutting data selection.

Usually, machining ISO K cast iron is not a problem for manufacturers.

Ferritic grey cast iron, for example, is an easy-to-cut material.

However, machining ISO H cast iron is more difficult. Although similar to conditions for machining hard steels, the material’s specific features demand appropriate solutions from cutting tool producers.

In addition, some types of cast iron demonstrate a certain duality in their machinability, emphasising the broadness and heterogeneity of the definition “cast iron”.

For example, machinability of Ni-Resist cast iron can be compared with grey cast iron; however, the required cutting geometry seems more suitable for austenitic stainless steel. Workpieces from austenitic ductile iron (ADI) are delivered in different material conditions and hardness levels that impact on selecting right cutting tools. Machinability of ADI before hardening is sufficient and is similar to cutting high-alloy steel. Nevertheless, if this cast iron is machined in a high-hardness condition, only the tools intended for the ISO H application group will meet the customer’s expectations.

A TopGrip insert with T-land.

The situation with cast iron of high hardness in ISO H group is challenging. Machining cast iron with a hardness of HB 400 …

440 is usually less of a problem for manufacturers. However, the picture changes radically when dealing with hard abrasion-resistent high-chrome cast iron. The general hardness may be around HRC 52…54, but in the thin-wall areas of a machined part, the hardness can reach HRC 60 and even more. In combination with the high chrome content, it makes machining extremely difficult and significantly diminishes tool life.

Selecting the most suitable cutting tool for machining cast iron should be based on a detailed study of a cast iron type and its hardness. Cutting tool application specialists, who are involved in selecting right tools, need to be fully accurate when specifying characteristics of the cast iron that is intended for machining. In turn, cutting tool manufacturers make every effort to find the most effective solutions for machining cast iron, taking into account the diversity of the cast iron world. Among the main consumers of cast iron are the automotive, die-&-mould, machine tool, and heavy industries – all demanding increasingly efficient products from their cutting tool partners.

The tools for machining cast iron form a large part of Iscar’s product range. Iscar has brought to the market a variety of interesting designs and tool materials targeted precisely for cutting this popular material. Some of these designs are quite indicative of their creator’s logic, which was aimed at finding an appropriate answer to customer needs.

On a firm basis

CBN-tipped ISO-type inserts.

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The difficult-to-cut hard/high chrome cast iron mentioned previously produces serious barriers for machining productivity.

A cutting tool experiences high mechanical and thermal loading.

In milling this cast iron by cemented carbide tools, for example, a typical cutting speed is low: 40-50 metres/min. Intensive heat generation often forces manufacturers to apply wet coolant. As a result, the tool operates under conditions of a heat shock effect, which considerably shortens the tool life.

CUTTING TOOLS tool life. Computer modelling played a crucial role in optimising the edge geometry. The insert is made from the CVD-coated carbide grade IC5010 that was developed especially for grooving cast iron.

Extra fine finisher Iscar’s recent launch of new products in its LogIQ marketing campaign included the TangFin family of face milling cutters designed for extra fine surface finish, which has been of great interest to producers of cast iron parts. The tangentially clamped inserts are positioned in a TangFin cutter with a gradual displacement in both radial and axial directions. The design causes each insert to cut only a small portion of the material. This concept, together with the highrigidity tangential clamping principle and the long wiper edge of the insert, results in an impressive machined surface finish, with an Ra up to 0.1 microns roughness parameter.

Customised solutions A TangFin cutter.

Iscar developed the DT7150 grade especially for this type of operation. DT7150 is a DO-TEC carbide grade that has a tough substrate and combines medium-temperature CVD and PVD coating processes. Due to its extremely high wear and chipping resistance, DT7150 provides customers with an effective tool material for cutting hard cast iron.

A fundamental significant change in productivity can be reached with the use of cubic boron nitride (CBN), which enables a considerable increase in cutting speeds. In machining hard cast iron, for instance, the speeds are two to five times higher when compared with cemented carbide. Iscar’s high-performance milling cutters carrying tangentially clamped inserts with CBN tips are extremely popular in the automotive industry. For hard turning applications, the company expanded the range of CBN tipped ISOtype inserts for both continuous and interrupted cut.

In ISO K applications (machining grey, nodular and malleable cast iron) in medium-duty loading, ceramic tools have demonstrated good results. Peripherally ground tangentially clamped TangMill milling inserts, made from the silicon nitride (Si3N4) grade IS8, ensure increases in cutting speed by up to three times and provide excellent surface finish. In turning, cutting speeds of up to five times faster can be achieved by using the CVD-coated silicon nitride inserts, even for roughing operations.

The automotive industry is one of the largest producers of cast iron parts. In efforts to reduce cost per part in the mass production of automotive components, cutting tool manufacturers have developed customised highly engineered tools that perform specific machining operations with maximum productivity, and lead to reducing the non-cutting component of cycle time.

A customised solution for machining steering knuckles provides an excellent example of these combined tools. Iscar proposed this solution as a part of a turnkey project for one of the biggest car producers. The combined assembled tool performs several operations: cutting inner thread in holes for dust shield by tapping; milling two grooves (for snap ring and grease seal) by helical interpolation; and milling the outer face. The tool carries different radially and tangentially clamped inserts and has a tapping attachment with a misalignment compensating mechanism. The strict tolerance limits for linear dimensions ensure successful utilisation of the tool in multi-spindle machines.

It turns out that machining cast iron is not such a simple matter after all, as is sometimes believed. Understanding the colorful world of this material and following the cast-iron rules for correct cutting tool application will ensure maximum efficiency and demonstrate the tool’s “IQ” capabilities to achieve – and sustain – highly effective machining practices. www.iscar.com.au

The role of geometry Cutting geometry and edge preparation are crucial for tool performance. There are several types of cutting-edge preparations: rounded, chamfered and so on. Although selecting the required preparation might appear to be a simple task, it is not so easy.

Which width or angle of chamfering will be the most effective? How to ensure the defined angle during tool production?

These questions are particularly critical when using ceramic or CBN inserts. The answers require appropriate professional skills and experience. Today, tool engineers are armed with a powerful design instrument – computer modelling of chip formation – that seriously contributes to finding an optimal shape. This instrument considerably shortens developing cutting geometry and represents an important factor in successful tool design.

A good example of an optimised edge condition in combination with a carbide grade, which is dedicated for machining cast iron, is the TGMA grooving insert. This insert was introduced over the last few years as part of Iscar’s TopGrip family. The frontal and side areas of the insert cutting edge feature the chamfered condition forming so-called T-land to increase the edge strength and extend A combined tool for machining steering knuckles.

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1426AMTLOVITTTECH

Keeping me up to date with our industry As a member of AMTIL since its inception, Lovitt Technologies has appreciated the information we obtain from AMT Magazine, from the editor to CEO reports through to manufacturing trends and processes.

Also comments from various government personnel regarding our industry and general advertising of new machinery and tooling is of great interest to our organisation.

Marcus Ramsay, Manufacturing Director LOVITT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA

APPROX

31,500

READERS AMT the No. 1 trusted industry publication.

For information or advertising rates visit www.amtil.com.au or contact Anne Samuelsson, Sales Manager on 03 9800 3666 or email asamuelsson@amtil.com.au AMT proudly owned and published by Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL)

CUTTING TOOLS

Guhring additive tool cuts costs for aerospace subcontractor Working closely with companies like Rolls-Royce, Collins Aerospace, Safran, Bombardier, ITP Aero, Marshall and Incora, XCEL Aerospace is a subcontract manufacturer with an aerospace pedigree that few in the supply chain can match. Offering services from CNC machining, fabrication, assembly, additive manufacturing, kitting and even its own range of braided leads, the UK-based manufacturer is an integral part of the supply chain for many aerospace OEMs. To retain its position as a key supplier to the aerospace industry, XCEL invests heavily in the latest technology and innovation to ensure cost-effective manufacturing of high-quality precision components. As part of this drive to ensure cost-effective manufacturing, the company recently invited tooling manufacturer Guhring to review the machining process on an aerospace valve component. The problem for XCEL was the cost-efficiency of its existing Woodruff type cutters that were being used to machine a cast aluminium component with a 9% silicon content.

The previous solid carbide Woodruff cutter consisted of three teeth on a 21.7mm diameter tool, which was both expensive with relatively poor tool life. Only capable of cutting 10 components before tool replacement, the abrasive high-silicone-content aluminium was creating productivity, cost and surface finish issues for the aerospace experts. With two batch types, the manufacturer is machining over 100 parts per month of this long-term project – a figure high enough to cause concern over tool life and productivity.

Invited to investigate the situation by XCEL’s Engineering and Machine Shop Manager Alan French, Guhring’s Regional Sales Manager Dewar McKinlay offered an innovative solution.

“We explained to XCEL that Guhring has a new method of manufacturing PCD tools by printing them on a MarkForged Metal X 3D printing machine,” McKinlay says. “We made the point that the benefits were the rapid production time in manufacturing these tools. Additionally, this method gives us the design flexibility to produce any tool design we desire.

“Firstly, we printed a plastic tool to demonstrate the 3D-printing concept tool to the customer. We then made a three-flute tool that was similar to the current tool but with brazed PCD tips. Despite the PCD tips lasting considerably longer on the abrasive high-silicone aluminium than the previous tool, we wanted to go further.”

The design flexibility Guhring now has with its 3D printing facility enabled the company’s engineers to internally develop an enhanced design within a matter of weeks. The new design increased the number of cutting edges from three to five, allowing XCEL to increase the feed rate to significantly reduce production times while extending tool life.

An aerospace component manufactured at Xcel with Guhring tools.

The Guhring Woodruff type cutter in action.

Quantifying the benefits Manufactured from H13 tool steel, the tool body of the 3D-printed Woodruff cutter has a 13mm diameter shank with a 70mm overall length and the identical 21.7mm diameter at the cutting edge.

The difference is evident in the performance, cost and productivity improvements.

“This aerospace part is a long-running project for XCEL and we have increased tool life beyond comprehension,” says KcKinlay. “The previous solid carbide tool was worn and required a changeover after 10 parts, we have machined more than 180 parts with our new 3D-printed PCD Woodruff cutter and it is still performing well. This is giving the customer a significant tool cost saving whilst reducing the down-time and inconvenience of changeovers.”

From a design perspective, additive manufacturing is extending the realms of what is possible. As McKinlay states: “Putting five cutting edges on a 21.7mm diameter Woodruff tool with a solid carbide body would create significant manufacturing challenges. The main benefits of printed tools are we can produce multiple designs very quickly, in this instance evolving from a three-flute to a five-flute tool in a matter of weeks.

“The cost saving comes from the reduced production time to make the printed tools compared to solid body tools, something we can pass on to the customer. Another benefit with the printed tool is it can be retipped. This reduces the cost of the tool further, as the body can be reused, whereas the solid carbide tool is disposed of.” www.xcelaerospace.com www.guhring.com.au

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CUTTING TOOLS

MAPAL: Process-reliable face milling with a long tool life MAPAL customers rely on the FaceMill-Diamond PCD face milling cutter for face milling work at high volumes on unstable parts and in the high-performance cutting (HPC) sector. With a solid steel tool body and permanently brazed PCD cutting edges, the FaceMill-Diamond achieves top feed rates and material removal levels that are second to none.

Following a comprehensive process of development, MAPAL has increased the productivity of the PCD face milling system once again.

“Particularly in the area of high performance cutting, the number one customer requirement is the achievable material removal rate alongside the best possible component surface,” reports Andreas Wittenauer, Head of Application Technology in the PCD Tool division at MAPAL. “For this reason, the FaceMill-Diamond features an exceptionally high number of permanently brazed cutting edges for its diameter. The cutting edges are designed for a cutting depth of up to 10mm. Furthermore, the robust tool body absorbs the vibrations generated during machining and prevents damage to the component surface.”

Additionally, the FaceMill-Diamond can be inserted directly into the machine when newly equipped – without time-consuming adjustment work requiring operator expertise. Based on this, MAPAL further developed the PCD face milling cutter in two ways in 2019, increasing its potential for further productivity.

Longer tool life and improved chip removal “High cutting values and the resulting chip volume may, under certain circumstances, lead to washout of the tool body,” explains Wittenauer. “To counteract this effect and maintain an economical product life cycle, we have optimised the cooling concept and positioned the coolant outlets directly at the cutting edges. This ensures improved chip removal and protects the tool body, especially for applications with minimum quantity lubrication or air cooling.”

A direct comparison between the new generation of the FaceMillDiamond and the previous model reveals a number of improvements.

Even more economical and flexible to use – MAPAL has upgraded its FaceMill-Diamond cutter.

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A customer machines a part made of AlSi1 with cooling lubricant on a machining centre. The application parameters of the 63mm diameter milling cutter have deliberately been left the same for the comparison: a cutting speed of almost 3,000 metres/min and a spindle speed of 15,000 revs/min. Due to the high-gloss surface requirement, the feed per tooth is 0.04 mm and the cutting depth is 0.8-1.2 mm.

“The customer was delighted with the new tool right away,” says Wittenauer. “The surface it achieves is noticeably higher in quality and it removes the chips more effectively. We are pleased that we were able to increase the tool life by 15% with the new FaceMillDiamond, and that the customer is now successively converting their entire inventory.”

Modular variant provides greater flexibility Customers with a diverse range of machinery want a certain degree of flexibility as far as tool use is concerned. In order to meet this demand, the FaceMill-Diamond is now also available in a modular version with a milling head. Wittenauer explains: “The modular version of the FaceMill-Diamond can be used flexibly – particularly for small series production and machinery that uses different interfaces, or even for large series where production is initiated on one machine and then continued on another.”

In the context of a customer project, the modular version offered improvements for both the surface and the cycle time compared to the competing tool used previously. With a spindle speed of 12,000

CUTTING TOOLS

With the further developed FaceMill-Diamond, customers achieve significantly improved surface qualities.

Andreas Wittenauer, Head of Application Technology in the PCD Tool division at MAPAL.

revs/min and a feed per tooth of 0.1mm, the machining tool variant of the FaceMill-Diamond mills was about three seconds faster than the previously used tool. As such, the quadruple mounting on the machine results in a saving of 12 seconds in the cycle time.

Optimised wheel carrier machining The FaceMill-Diamond is used not only in the standard variants available, but also as an individual specialised solution, as demonstrated in the machining of a wheel carrier made of AlSi12(T4) on a machining centre. The employees responsible for the process complained about the use of a face milling cutter in the original process.

With the competing tool that was used originally, the high cutting values required for cycle time reasons combined with the stock removal led to process-critical burr formation. Specifically, the chip was bent at 90 degrees on perimeter of the part and was not cut, being instead retained as a so-called burr flag on the edge of the part. Several challenges became apparent in initial conversations with the customer.

“The heat-treated part has a strong tendency to vibrate and the hard chips wash-out the tool body,” Wittenauer says. “On top of that, several milling operations are required at different positions on the part – the stock removal is up to 7mm axially and up to 3mm radially.” The FaceMill-Diamond is a high-performance product for face milling that can be used even more economically and flexibly thanks to the latest enhancements. The specialists at MAPAL have delivered a combined special cutting edge geometry that enables it to meet all the requirements provided.

At the unchanged cutting values of a feed rate of 15,400mm/min and a spindle speed of 7,000 revs/min, the tool life was increased exponentially: the FaceMill-Diamond now reliably mills 40,000-wheel carriers, contrasting with the previous output of 3,000. Today, MAPAL’s customer has 16 FaceMill-Diamonds in circulation to machine its annual production quantity of 600,000 parts. www.mapal.com

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ONE-ON-ONE

Ben Lazzaro is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Made Campaign Limited.

He spoke to William Poole.

AMT: Tell us firstly about the Australian Made Campaign and its objectives.

Ben Lazzaro: The Aussie Made Campaign’s remit is to administer and promote the famous Australian Made, Australian Grown logo, the green and gold kangaroo. That’s everything from compliance, to ensure that products that carry the logo comply with the criteria, through to promoting the brand and all the products that carry the logo. Essentially we’re running what’s called a country of origin certification trademark. It’s the only one in Australia.

The logo itself has been around since 1986. Our organisation was established in 1999 by our governing members, which are the Australian Chamber of Commerce, the state and territory chambers of commerce, as well as the National Farmers Federation. So we have links into the business community and to the agricultural sector.

Being a certification trademark, the Australian Made brand is governed by a set of criteria that products need to meet in order to ensure compliance. And that’s a big part of what we do. We have a compliance team that ensures the products that apply to use the logo meet those criteria based on Australian consumer law. This is where your average consumer would probably just glaze over, which would be quite right, because you don’t want to know how a watch works, you just want to know the time, and that’s what this brand does to some extent.

When a consumer or business sees this product, they know that a third party has done the appropriate checks to ensure that it meets the Australian Made criteria set out in Australian consumer law. That means it satisfies what’s called a substantial transformation test, which essentially means the finished product is new in identity and in essential character to that of its imported or potentially imported input components.

A very simple example is you can make a cake out of five ingredients that are all imported, but you turn those imported ingredients into a cake. That cake has been determined to be substantively transformed and therefore can be sold as an Australian-made cake.

That is a very simplified version obviously, and with AMT’s audience it becomes more and more complicated and detailed with some of the manufacturing processes that our team would deal with. But that’s essentially the way we try to explain it.

Another part of our job is policing. We make sure we maintain the integrity of the Australian Made logo. We run our own auditing processes. The best policeman is the competitor, so a lot of the time if someone’s misusing the logo, then it will be another logo user or a competitor, or a very eagle-eyed consumer that will report misuse.

We follow up on every single issue that’s brought to us, and we go out and do our own checks as well.

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

So that’s a big part of what we do, which is also testament to why the logo enjoys a wonderful reputation, which we get (market research company) Roy Morgan to measure regularly. The Australian Made logo is recognised by 99% of Australians and trusted by 88%. And that second one is the one that we were most proud of, because our job is to make sure this logo makes the Australian connection instantly and clearly. That’s its prime job, that’s its role. We want to make sure that it makes the Aussie connection, it’s recognised, and most importantly it’s trusted, in that the products that carry the brand are indeed Australian.

It evokes other attributes, of course; being Australian is positive in most contexts. And recently we did some more research and 84% of consumers associate the brand with jobs. And in the current environment with COVID-19, these things have never been more important, particularly jobs. Buying Aussie, there’s a direct correlation there with jobs.

AMT: And how much clout does the Australian Made logo have internationally? For companies that are exporting, how much value is derived from the fact that those products are made in Australia?

BL: Australia is viewed very positively overseas. In Asia, for example, we have a wonderful reputation for our clean green environment, our high standard of manufacturing; we’re known for quality, and the logo conveys a lot of those attributes. We did some research in China, and for many years now, we’ve been hearing about the 300 million middle-class in China who have an appetite for Aussie products, and of course who have the disposable income to buy them. When we did some research in China back in 2017, we found that 70% of shoppers that fell into that middle-class category knew that the brand was Australian – with products that carried our logo they made the Australian connection. So our brand, and Brand Australia in general, are certainly very highly regarded in that market.

Now let’s not forget the US are also there, Europe’s there, all the other countries are there trying to sell products there as well, but there is absolutely opportunity overseas.

I should point out we’re a not-for-profit organisation funded by licence fees. However AMCL recently secured a $5m Federal Government grant to promote the famous Australian Made logo in key export markets, as well as establishing trade mark registrations in the United Kingdom, the European Union and Canada. That’s become increasingly difficult in recent times of course, but there’s a lot of planning going on right now. So what you’ll see is a lot of online activations in the first instance. And over the next three years, we’re aiming to provide Australia Made logo users with more opportunities to promote Aussie products in export markets.

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AMT: Obviously you’ve got impressive levels of recognition and trust among the public, but when it comes to getting people to take that next step and really embrace Australian-made goods, what are the obstacles to that?

BL: It’s always an issue to some degree. When we’re asked, we always say we want to do the right thing, the thing that contributes back to our local community and our society. But of course, when push comes to shove, when we get to the cash register, people are ultimately going to vote with their wallets. Intention doesn’t always translate into practice. And that has always been a challenge for any kind of buy-local initiative.

But what we are finding is quite interesting: even before COVID-19, we were finding that a lot of the things that the younger demographic in particular were interested in were attributes that often went hand-in-hand with Aussie products. So they’re interested in ethical production, they’re interested in sustainability. Well those are all attributes associated with a lot of Aussie-made products. So what we’ve done in recent times is we’ve been changing the way that we talk about that. In our marketing messaging, for example, we might not just go out there with a very simplified “Buy Aussie” message.

We would be more targeted and try to talk to various demographics about the things that are going to hit with them. So we have to be part of the solution by changing the way we talk about being Aussie.

Continued next page

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ONE-ON-ONE Continued from previous page

Because long gone are the days where we were just talking about the auto industry and some of the more traditional things made here, such as food products. We’re making all sorts of new and interesting products here, a lot of bespoke, specialised products that might not have the mass market initially, but might be very appealing – particularly among younger demographics – as something that is unique or that is not mass-produced. And that’s where a lot of Aussie manufacturers are quite good.

When you look into the more industrial sector, even though we’re not making cars anymore, we are making trucks, trailers, tankers – all that stuff is still being made here. At the Australian Made Campaign, we’re quite proud of our relationship with Volvo Trucks.

They’re still producing Volvo and Mack trucks up in Queensland.

They’ve got trucks rolling around Australia with the Australian Made green and gold badging all over them. In fact, we did a launch with them when they came on board and they’ve had orders for more of those badged trucks. I think there’s about six or eight of them rolling around at the moment with the green and gold paint all over them.

Australian industry is also getting into battery production. Over in South Australia, Sonnen Australia has taken up residence in one of the old automotive factories, rehired former automotive workers, repurposed the facility and are now making their battery systems for the home where you store solar energy. Then there’s all the 3D printing initiatives that are coming out.

And who knows what will happen with electric vehicles, whether we can get some of that back here. I read just the other day about a company that is launching here, H2X, to develop and manufacture electric vehicles in Australia. So manufacturing here in Australia… it’s just evolving.

AMT: The COVID-19 crisis has certainly brought a lot of public focus on our overdependence on international supply chains and the need for local production capability. What do you think the big lessons have been?

BL: Well we saw with COVID-19 that it was Australia’s manufacturers that retooled overnight and changed dramatically what they were doing to help start making the emergency equipment that we so desperately needed. It just demonstrated what we can do with a moment’s notice. Imagine the capacity of what we could do with a bit more planning and a bit more foresight, maybe some additional support from all the relevant groups. It’s not something you can just turn the tap on, and there needs to be a lot of planning, but we’ve got quite a resource on our doorstep. And that was really illustrated when we needed it. They were the guys that came to the rescue and continue to do so.

I think that needs to be expanded, beyond just those items of selfsufficiency. Yes, we’ve got to make sure we have certain things on hand more readily in case this happens again. But if we can do that, why can’t we do the other things? I think COVID-19 has clearly opened our eyes to the imbalance between locally produced products and the imports that we’ve grown comfortable with. I think now more than ever it’s time to address that imbalance. We’re practical about this; we’re not silly. You’re always going to require imports. There’s going to be things that we’re always going to have to bring in. Any economy works best with balance. But I think there’s been an imbalance for some time, and it’s unfortunate that it takes milestone events like this to open our eyes a little bit.

And everyone from those in business through to your average consumer have started to really acknowledge the benefits of buying local. That’s one thing that’s clearly been highlighted. For example our engagement on our digital platforms with consumers has gone through the roof. We’ve always had a very strong level of engagement on our social media platforms, but in the last couple of months it’s gone up 300%. We have the biggest online directory

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of certified Aussie-made products, and the traffic to that has gone up two and a half times in the last couple of months as well. And the phone calls and email enquiries from consumers have all gone through the roof. There’s a huge appetite out there for the products, and that is not being unnoticed by business, because applications to use the Australian Made logo have also increased – we’ve seen a fourfold increase over the last few months. So we are in a lucky position from a business point of view in that we have never been busier and relish the opportunity to welcome these new businesses on board. While there are certainly businesses doing it tough, there are others that are seeing that now is the time to really leverage what we would describe as their Australian advantage. It’s always been positive to be Aussie, and even more so now.

AMT: And do you think this shift in the public mood can sustain itself as the crisis abates and everything opens up again, or will it snap back to business as usual?

BL: There’ll always be a percentage of the population that is going to be price-driven, and that’s always going to be the case. But from what we’ve seen, I’d be staggered if we didn’t see the needle move back towards buying Australian in a significant way.

The challenge there is obviously to make sure that the choice is there, that the products can be found, that they’re clearly identified as Australian. We’ve got to make it easy for the consumers. So if you’re a business or a retailer that’s selling Aussie products, I think with a collective effort we can make sure we clearly identify where those products are and give consumers every opportunity to exercise that preference for Aussie that they keep telling us they have. Ultimately time will tell, but I am confident we will see that dial move in a more positive direction.

You’re never going to get everyone, but I think we’ll increase the amount of people that are seeking out and prioritising Aussie products for sure.

AMT: And how do companies go about engaging with the Campaign and getting themselves certified?

BL: They can certainly call the office and have a chat with someone to find out if it’s right for them, or they can simply go online at www. australianmade.com.au. It’s a very short online application process, our compliance team gets in touch, it goes through the approval process, and then we issue artwork and away you go. And it’s a very modest licence fee to use the logo, as little as $300 up to a maximum of $25,000 a year. We’re here to help Aussie manufacturers, we want to add value where we can.

The logo is registered across all 34 classes of goods in Australia, so our team has to get pretty up to speed on a range of different sectors. You know, the compliance team is assessing a mattress one day, then a face cream the next, and then a Volvo truck. So it certainly keeps it interesting.

AMT: Tell us about your background and how you ended up with the Campaign.

BL: I was an engineer for a number of years. I worked in the oil & gas sector, and then I worked in a marketing & communications consultancy that serviced engineering-based companies. So that role required someone that understood the technology, but also had the marketing and comms capacity. I worked there for a long period, then I transitioned into a marketing role here in Australia Made. So again I was working in that sort of technical and industrial area, with an understanding of marketing and comms. I worked my way up to Deputy CEO, and I’ve been the boss for two years now.

The role is quite diverse. We’re a small business, so it’s often all hands on deck, depending on what’s happening. I feel very lucky to be in this position, and hopefully we’re adding value to our licensees and are other stakeholders. www.australianmade.com.au

Real Business Real People Real Members Why am I a member of AMTIL? Aside from supporting our industry through membership of our peak body, I find the developed network of like-minded companies and individuals invaluable. As an engineering and manufacturing group we all face similar challenges. Often when issues arise I am able to pick up the phone and discuss a problem or get advice from other members who all share our common values and goals of seeing Australian manufacturing prosper.

Peter Sutton, Sutton Tools

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/PS

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QUALITY & INSPECTION

Overcoming metrology bottlenecks in additive manufacturing Metrology is becoming a critical area of focus in additive manufacturing as it moves towards becoming a serious production technology. The nature of the process and the surface characteristics it produces create challenges for many metrology tools. By Eric Felkel of ZYGO Corporation.

Undoubtedly there are many benefits associated with the use of additive manufacturing (AM) as a production technology. Across industries, manufacturers exploit the fact that with AM they can not only build complex parts in one piece that were previously impossible, but they can also build stronger, lighter-weight parts, reduce material consumption, and benefit from assembly component consolidation across a range of applications.

These advantages have been well documented over the last 1020 years, as AM has emerged as atruly disruptive technology for not just prototyping but also production. They are invariably seen as being enabled by the additive hardware that builds the parts.

In reality, this is a partial picture, particularly for serial production applications of AM. The hardware systems are just one part – albeit a vital one – of an extensive ecosystem of technologies that enable AM, both pre- and post-build.

Of unique importance today is the role of post-process metrology to validate the integrity of AM builds. One specific reason for this importance is that many parts produced by AM today end up in safety-critical applications where end-use functionality is of vital importance. The nature and relative roughness of AM surfaces, whether analysing individual layers within a build, or the surface of a finished part render conventional metrology solutions somewhat impotent. Recent developments from ZYGO are allowing hitherto unattainable metrology results that are being used to enhance the use of AM as a production technology by making validation protocols more efficient.

Metrology and additive manufacturing Richard Leach, Professor in Metrology at the University of Nottingham in the UK, has been working with ZYGO on a number of projects related to the use of metrology in AM. Leach believes the issue of metrology is crucial to the success of AM as it begins to establish itself as a true production technology.

“There is absolutely no doubt that inadequate metrology solutions are a huge obstacle to overcome if AM is to be used as a viable production technology across industry,” says Leach. “Basically, as we stand today, there is a lack of clarity as to the precise nature of defects that you get when undertaking an AM build, and you also have little idea how they may cause problems in terms of part functionality. We don’t have a detailed enough map of how the topography of the defects and the anomalies that you get during the AM process propagate through to the part in an end-use scenario.

Leach offers the example of a turbine blade being made in an AM layering process, and where a blip occurs in the topography in layer four.

“This layer will in-time be covered up, so its characteristics will be fundamentally different by the time the finished part is complete,” he explains. “And it is at this moment impossible to know – without the clarity that good metrology provides – whether the blip is in fact still there when the build is complete, and if so, if it was actually significant in the first place. Essentially, we are working on, but still haven’t completely solved, the problem of understanding what issues you get on the surface and under the surface when using AM, and how these relate to product functionality.

“Therefore, it is difficult to predict the mechanical properties, the thermal processes, the fatigue properties, etc … from the types

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A sample part made at Nottingham University from Ti6Al4V using selective laser melting (SLM) measured by a ZYGO Nexview CSI microscope.

of structures we are seeing post-process. Defect-function analysis may allow us to move towards controlled AM by just stopping the process when things go wrong, as right now we spend hours building a part that may in fact have a problem in layer one.”

Despite these challenges, many companies are already using advanced AM successfully for the production of critical parts and components, often in aerospace applications where part failure is not an option. To ensure that these AM-produced parts conform fully with design intent, part suppliers undertake far more mechanical testing and metrology verification than they would normally employ for conventional manufacturing processes.

Manufacturers are forced out of necessity to focus on process development and throw all the validation resources they can to ‘prove’ the integrity of the finished AM part. This latter is effectively a belt-and-braces approach, relying on Gage R&R reproducibility and repeatability as a stand-in for a more rigorous measurement uncertainty approach when evaluating the integrity and functional characteristics of AM parts. The current solution is what could be termed ‘extreme-testing’.

“Everyone blames the confusion on a lack of standards for measuring AM parts, but this is not where attention should be focussed,” Leach comments. “You cannot develop standards if you don’t have the correct measurement technology in place to start with. Standards being developed without the technology solution ready to use are actually worse than no standards at all.

“That is why the emphasis with ZYGO and other metrology instrument suppliers is on adapting metrology solutions to make them better aligned with the unique characteristics of the AM process and AM end-use parts. In the respect of standards, our focus today is on producing a Good Practice Guide showing OEMs what metrology

QUALITY & INSPECTION headquarters in the US on AM surfaces conclusively demonstrated that ZYGO’s CSI implementation was well suited to the task. The ZYGO system is arguably a reference standard today for AM metrology, and other research groups have confirmed its superior capabilities. Today, we work with ZYGO’s Nexview optical surface profiler.”

A true colour 3D image of the AM Ti6Al4V part produced using the ZYGO Nexview CSI microscope.

solutions are in place today, and how to get the best results from these when applied to AM surfaces, and setting the instrument up in the best way to understand the data.”

ZYGO – Coherence scanning interferometry for AM A key focus in the area of metrology for AM is to reduce the time and cost inefficiencies inherent today of relying on a vast range of duplicated and often inadequate metrology steps to validate that an end-use part is fit for purpose. As Leach works on this vital area, he is involved with a number of metrology instrument suppliers using a variety of measurement technologies. ZYGO is perceived to be a trusted supplier with nearly 50 years of history in the ultra-precise metrology regime.

“For post-process metrology, a number of alternatives exist including confocal and focus variation, and ZYGO’s coherence scanning interferometry (CSI),” says Leach. “Initially it was thought that CSI was not suitable to the vagaries of post-process AM parts (with their unusual surface roughness). But ZYGO enhanced its CSI instruments by introducing new ways of playing with the optical light source, illumination conditions, and detection conditions, which led to the attainment of high-quality results with extremely rough and complex AM surfaces. I have to admit that before looking in depth at the ZYGO CSI solutions, even I thought that they probably wouldn’t be able to be applied to AM parts, but it actually works extremely well.”

Leach’s initial work with CSI, which informed his early view of the inappropriateness of the technology for AM super-rough surface metrology, was based on CSI from an alternative supplier other than ZYGO. The CSI instrument his work was initially focussed on was a CSI instrument in terms of its basic measurement principle, but it differed from the ZYGO system in terms of hardware, firmware and data analysis.

Using data from the alternative CSI solution provider, Leach and his team at Nottingham concluded that interferometry was fundamentally not suitable for AM metrology, because the example instrument failed to capture most of the highly irregular topographic features. However, by then ZYGO had already solved this problem with the introduction of its Nexview instrument in 2014.

It is the Nexview technology that Leach and ZYGO work on together today, and which is now accepted to be a strong and viable AM metrology tool.

The Nexview instrument and its sister product the NewView include a package of innovative hardware and software upgrades referred to at ZYGO as ‘MoreData’ technology, which have made the instrument much better suited to AM parts. “We installed a NewView 8300 instrument at Nottingham in October 2016,” Leach recounts. “Measurements made at Nottingham as well as at ZYGO’s

The ‘MoreData’ capability has been part of ZYGO’s complete product line (including ZeGage and NewView optical profilers, and the Nexview system) for several years now and has been shown to be one of the most successful technology developments for the product line. ‘MoreData’ significantly improves the baseline sensitivity of CSI and enables high-dynamic range (HDR) operation, making it valuable for a wide range of parts, from steeply sloped smooth parts to exceptionally rough textures with poor reflectivity. Additionally, HDR is able to measure parts with a wide range of reflectance, often a struggle for other CSI instruments. HDR is unique to ZYGO, meaning that an alternative implementation of CSI may not be able to achieve the performance on AM parts that ZYGO can provide.

Today, the focus is on using the ZYGO HDR CSI technology to undertake surface texture analysis and to attempt to better understand its links with the AM production process.

Leach concludes: “My work with ZYGO is centred around understanding precisely how the CSI instrument works, and accurately modelling it for AM applications. At the moment, the issue is that AM surfaces are so different from what we are used to in terms of the raw surface and the post-processed surface that there is no standardised way of measuring and characterising these surfaces. We are working with ZYGO to ensure that we continue to optimise metrology solutions for the increasingly important area of AM for production scenarios.”

Eric Felkel is a Product Manager for Optical Profilers at Zygo Corporation. www.zygo.com

VALE

IAN SMITH – M.T.I. QUALOS

The Management and Staff of M.T.I. Qualos sadly advise to the many friends and colleagues around Australia, the passing of our Managing Director and Chairman, Ian Smith.

Ian began work with M.T.I. Qualos in 1974 as a Sales Representative essentially to promote the Japanese brand Mitutoyo to the Australian engineering sector.

In 1989 Ian was appointed Managing Director and expanded the market share of the Mitutoyo brand throughout the country until his retirement in 2007, where he took on an overseeing role as Chairman.

Ian was a long-standing supporter of the Australian Manufacturing Industry, and as such M.T.I. Qualos was a founding member of AMTIL back in 1999.

We thank Ian for his involvement in the industry and pass on our condolences to his family and friends at M.T.I. Qualos.

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QUALITY & INSPECTION

Quantum physicist, defence scientist take top awards on World Metrology Day With the theme ‘Measurements for global trade’, World Metrology Day took place on 25 May, recognising the importance of the science of measurement in helping Australian industry to access and compete in global markets.

To mark the day, Australia’s National Measurement Institute (NMI) Chief Executive Officer and Chief Metrologist Dr Bruce Warrington announced the recipients of the Barry Inglis Medal and NMI Prize.

The awards are held annually and recognise significant contributions to measurement science, research and leadership. This year’s recipients highlighted the broad range of organisations undertaking and applying measurement research in Australia.

“I would like to congratulate Professor Warwick Bowen as the 2020 Barry Inglis Medal recipient, for his role in the development of quantum technologies and innovative practical solutions to the benefit of measurement science,” Dr Warrington said.

The Barry Inglis Medal recognised Professor Bowen’s work at the University of Queensland developing ground-breaking sensors, enabling the study of individual molecules, medical imaging, and mineral exploration. He has partnered with Australian industry to commercialise these technologies, and made an outstanding contribution to health, industry, and fundamental research outcomes.

Dr Renée Webster was the recipient of the 2020 NMI Prize in recognition for her work as part of the Department of Defence Science and Technology Group. Dr Webster’s efforts included the development of new analytical approaches to improve our understanding of the complex chemistry of fuels at high temperatures and trace impurities produced prior to combustion.

“This work is particularly important for high performance military aircraft and contributes to the safe and effective operations of the Australian Defence Force,” Dr Warrington said.

As Australia’s peak measurement body, NMI plays a vital role in supporting manufacturing to innovate, as well as giving regulators, industry and consumers confidence in the safety and quality of products and services. World Metrology Day is held annually on 20 May to celebrate the international Metre Convention, signed in 1875 to establish a global measurement system for trade and innovation. www.worldmetrologyday.org.au

Reverse engineering in the spotlight with worldwide parts shortages The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on industry right around the world, and the knock-on effects will continue to be felt for many months and even years. Illawarra-based engineering firm, Leussink, believes reverse engineering of scarce parts can play a role in helping with the shortfall.

In short, reverse engineering is the reproduction of a product or part that cannot be obtained by other means.

It involves measuring an object and reconstructing it as a 3D model, then manufacturing the part. The process is primarily used for machinery parts, rather than the production of parts for mass assembly line manufacturing.

“Reverse engineering is the only option when OEM parts are no longer available, particularly for an aged piece of equipment,” says Leussink’s Managing Director Jason Leussink. “However, there is no reason why reverse engineering processes cannot be used for newer components. The process can be applied in many industries and applications.”

Reverse engineering can be undertaken using a variety of tools and technologies. Generally, the complexity of the part being reverse engineered will dictate the type of equipment and software used.

“The simplest reverse engineering process is manual measurement and data collection of a physical model’s dimensions,” says Jason.

“In this process, hand tools such as micrometers, Vernier calipers, and gauges are used to capture the critical dimensions needed to generate a part drawing.

“A more sophisticated approach is to use a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) like the Tomelleri Space Arm distributed by Leussink in Australia & New Zealand. The CMM measures the geometry of physical objects by sensing discrete points on the surface of the object with a probe.” The part or product is measured and the dimensions immediately digitised and transferred to a CAD

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system, where surfaces are developed and drawings are finalised. Besides reducing the risk of measurement errors, processing data electronically significantly reduces the time required for the overall reverse engineering effort.

“Reverse engineering is particularly applicable where there are machines that can run 24/7 for months on end, repeating the same process over and over again,” Jason explains. “This type of high use means parts and accessories are going to need to be replaced regularly, and in some cases major components as well. Given the potential life span of some machinery, by the time a major part is required, it may no longer be in production or may be too expensive to replace, or in the case of our current times may not be available to order in a reasonable time frame. The data gathering of the reverse engineering process can also take place on-site, which is a huge advantage for large equipment that cannot be moved easily.

Leussink’s team delivers reverse-engineered components through the use of scanning and datapoint collection metrology equipment.

The data is imported directly into CAD software, where a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) can be conducted for optimal performance and lifecycle. Once Leussink has the FEA, engineers can make adjustments to the design to increase efficiency and add value to the project, before putting the component into production.

“Reverse engineering was not possible a few decades ago,” says Jason. “But with technological advancements, it has become feasible and economical.” www.leussink.com.au

QUALITY & INSPECTION

Creaform announces release of brand-new Metrascan Black With 15 blue laser crosses, four times more resolution, increased scanning speed, no warm-up time and ISO 17025 accredited factory calibration, the latest MetraSCAN 3D is the ideal 3D scanner for demanding quality control applications.

Creaform has announced the release of the latest version of the MetraSCAN 3D line-up, the company’s advanced optical CMM scanner designed specifically to perform metrology-grade 3D measurements and inspections — right on the production floor. As the fastest and most accurate portable optical CMM scanner, the MetraSCAN BLACK can be seamlessly integrated in any quality control, quality assurance, inspection, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), or reverse engineering workflow and operated by users of any skill level in any type of environment.

The MetraSCAN BLACK dimensional metrology system has been developed to measure complex parts and assemblies from an array of industries such as automotive, aeronautics, power generation, heavy industry, and processes such as metal casting, metal forging, sheet metal, plastic injection and composites. Features include: • 4X faster: Featuring 15 blue laser crosses for a larger scanning area that takes up to 1,800,000 measurements per second, and live meshing ultimately cutting down the time between acquisition and workable files.

• 4X resolution: MetraSCAN BLACK features a measurement resolution of 0.025mm to generate detailed scans of any object.

• More accurate and traceable measurements: High accuracy of 0.025mm, based on the VDI/VDE 2634-3 standard and tested in a ISO17025-accredited laboratory, ensures reliability and traceability to international standards.

• Shop floor accuracy: The MetraSCAN BLACK features unique, patented dynamic referencing that compensates for surroundings instabilities.

• Maximum versatility: Masters complex, shiny and highly detailed parts • No warm-up time: Operators can be up-and-running in minutes.

• Touch probing capability: When paired with the HandyPROBE, the MetraSCAN BLACK lets users harness the power of both 3D scanning and probing for a complete, streamlined inspection process.

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“Today’s manufacturers are facing tremendous challenges. They need to rely on innovative 3D measurement technologies, like the MetraSCAN 3D, to refine their product development and quality control processes,” explained Guillaume Bull, Product Manager at Creaform. “This new version of the MetraSCAN 3D takes dimensional measurement speed, accuracy and versatility to a whole new level. We believe manufacturers will appreciate its performance within their workflows.”

The MetraSCAN 3D is available now from Hi-Tech Metrology in Australia. www.hitechmetrology.com.au

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gamer.com.au/shinano-Industrial AMT AUG/SEP 2020

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CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE

Robovoid: Using additive manufacturing to support construction innovation When Victorian start-up Robovoid Pty Ltd needed to develop sophisticated new tooling for its innovative new concrete construction system, it turned to 3D printing – and AMTIL’s Additive Manufacturing Hub – to find a solution.

Robovoid Pty Ltd was established in July 2018 by Dr John Stehle and Scott Olding for the specific purpose to research, develop and commercialise Stehle’s Robovoid Invention. The Robovoid Invention is a patent-pending recycled plastic void former for concrete construction applications. The Robovoid Invention has drawn on Stehle’s previous experience developing new and innovative precast construction solutions, an example being the innovative dowel connection system adopted in the flooring system implemented for the Leadenhall Building (aka the “Cheesegrater”) in London.

On the back of Stehle’s 25-year career in the construction industry, and with a strong desire by Stehle and Olding to introduce new solutions to the industry that reduce the environmental impact of new construction, the Robovoid Invention commenced its development journey. The Robovoid Invention involves multiple research & development (R&D) components but one of the key areas identified at the beginning of the project was how to make the Robovoid recycled plastic components, or Robovoid Components.

Of course, a key criterion in determining how to make the Robovoid Components was the anticipated cost per unit – the production process had to be efficient! It had to be a production process that could produce Robovoid Components in large volumes at a low cost.

The challenge Robovoid’s product design heavily involved the application of DfMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) principles, of which Stehle had extensive experience from the construction industry. In going down the path to research, design and develop an injection moulding tool to produce the Robovoid Components, the Robovoid team met and spoke with many suppliers to the industry about the complexity of its mould design (which continued to evolve), and the ability to achieve a suitable cycle time to make the process as efficient as possible.

Two of the reasons for the complexity of Robovoid’s mould design were the complex part geometry itself, and the configuration of the cooling channels within the mould. The design complexity and the observed limitations of traditional toolmaking techniques resulted in Stehle and Olding considering metal 3D printing for some elements of the injection moulding tool.

During this phase of the project they met with Amiga Engineering and discussed their mould design with Managing Director Michael Bourchier and his team. At this stage they also met with John Croft, Manager of the Additive Manufacturing Hub (AM Hub) at AMTIL, and to hear about the Hub’s voucher programme to promote and support additive manufacturing. The experience and expertise of the Amiga team coupled with the support of the AM Hub enabled Robovoid to continue exploring the process and benefits of metal 3D printing components of the overall injection moulding tool.

“We had to think about things such as: plastic flow (as defined by rheology), thermal shrinkage, support conditions during the 3D build process, how to incorporate cooling channels in the mould, and the part ejection method and mould draw requirements,” says Stehle.

Robovoid, its toolmaker Geetha Engineering and the team at Amiga agreed that the moulding tool would utilise H13 tool steel, which is a very tough, high-strength steel. This material is commonly used in injection moulding applications to deal with the high stress and repeat loading environment. However, to the best of the team’s collective knowledge, H13 tool steel had never been used before

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

Dr John Stehle developed the Robovoid Invention.

to 3D print an application this large and complex (approximately 200mm by 200mm by 170mm high). Indeed, Amiga was advised by experts in Germany that it could not be done.

This, of course, was the motivation the team needed to get it done!

The solution It goes without saying that 3D printing requires 3D modelling to happen first, which included parametric modelling, and basic mould flow and finite element analysis. Before committing to part geometry and steel mould investment for a prototype mould, the Robovoid team wisely tested its part geometry using 3D printing methods via a selective laser sintering (SLS) method and nylon material. 3D Systems Asia Pacific provided an excellent service with this part of the process (which was also financially supported by the AM Hub voucher). In particular, Robovoid was able to physically test and evaluate multiple versions of the ‘click together connection’ design developed by Stehle.

CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE Since injection moulding involves the flow of hot plastic in its liquid state, it can easily escape from any gaps, so Robovoid needed a tool to be produced within a tolerance of +/-0.05mm. While the complex analyses carried out by Amiga indicated that this was theoretically possible, there remained a very real technical risk that it may not be feasible. As it turned out, this was not a straightforward assignment and there were unforeseen technical challenges and some delays. However, with a lot of hard work and persistence, Amiga was (to their great credit) able to produce all the pieces requested and supplied them to Geetha to be incorporated into the wider injection moulding tool.

Key developments that Amiga pioneered on this R&D journey included bespoke cooling and air filtering and extraction systems.

Amiga also implemented state-of-the art build analysis so that thermal distortions caused by the high-temperature lasers required to melt the metallic powder could be predicted and compensated via an iterative nonlinear time-history optimisation routine.

Geetha, which predominantly uses traditional mould-making techniques, was very pleased with the accuracy eventually achieved from the 3D printing process and the toughness of the material. Geetha did have to manually polish the mould and

make a number of manual adjustments over a period of time as Robovoid tested (and continues to test) the performance of the mould in a trial production environment.

The financial support provided by the AM Hub voucher program was a key enabler for Robovoid to consider and pursue metal 3D printing as part of our overall project.

The AM Hub voucher also provided financial support for the testing of part geometry in collaboration with 3D Systems Asia Pacific.

The outcome The Robovoid team was aware of the limitations of traditional toolmaking techniques and the impact that this would likely have on the performance of its injection moulding tool.

Despite the new challenges and uncertainty faced from opting to use metal 3D printing as part of the overall process to produce the mould, the desired design outcomes could not have been achieved by solely adopting traditional mould-making techniques.

In recent times Robovoid has successfully produced Robovoid Components in small batches using this prototype injection moulding tool. At the end of the day, Stehle and Olding believe they now have a better tool design and production process to move forward with, and to take the learnings from their wider R&D program to produce version two of the tool in the near future. www.amhub.net.au www.robovoid.com

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NEPEAN: Strength, service and uncompromising quality For more than 45 years, NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation (NEPEAN) has maintained a company culture that recognises and respects the importance of all participants in the business, building lasting relationships with employees, as well as customers and sub-contractors. It’s a fact well understood by its new General Manager, Peter Buckley, who recently returned to the company where he had initially commenced his career in 1998 as an apprentice fitter/machinist.

Opening its doors in 1974, NEPEAN is now one of Australia’s largest privately-owned engineering service providers, having built up an elite design and project management team who understand the diverse nature of engineering. Today, NEPEAN still produce goods locally from its site in south-west Sydney and delivers to customers and sites all over Australia and globally. Items produced at NEPEAN’s facility in Narellan make their way into a wide variety of industries including civil works, infrastructure and earthmoving, as well as mining, pharmaceutical, scientific, aerospace and defence.

Buckley discusses the importance the company places on investing in people: “Team members resourced to each job are hand-picked according to specific project requirements in terms of experience, specialist skills and problem-solving capabilities. We are proud of the deep relationships with our employees, with many engineers, project managers and tradespeople employed with our company for over 25 years. To continually develop our organisation it is vital to invest in new people, with five apprentices commencing in 2020 along with two graduate engineers and additional engineering and professional staff.”

As a result, NEPEAN boasts a depth and diversity of capability and experience that enables it to successfully deliver on the largest and most complex engineering projects. The company’s engineering services are supported by extensive facilities, including over 50,000sqm of workshop space, in-house design capability, a fully-equipped state-of-the-art CNC and machine shop, steel fabrication shops, laser cutting, sheet metal, shot blasting, painting and powder coat finishing.

NEPEAN has the capability to provide complete turn-key project solutions. The team listens and responds to their clients’ needs to provide a specialist solution for manufacture, installation and commissioning to enable asset optimisation. They have proven products operating across multiple industries.

The quality and projects team are continually working to ensure that NEPEAN complies with all relevant governing body requirements.

NEPEAN has achieved ISO 9001:2015 quality certification for more than 25 years, as well as PCCP accreditation for paintwork, and is a signatory for the ASI Environmental Sustainability Charter and other peak industry bodies.

Buckley is particularly proud of the company’s investment in safety and quality systems: “All of our products are manufactured under a quality assurance system complying with ISO 9001:2015, ensuring manufacturing processes and final products are completed with the highest degree of quality.”

Utilising a consultative approach ensures the delivery of superior product outcomes, meeting even the most demanding specifications for all customers, both local and global. NEPEAN has the capability to exceed a client’s expectations on quality, timeliness, and continued service. According to Buckley, the company’s longevity in the market provides the customer with a peace of mind that the processes, equipment and suppliers used are tried and tested.

“Our reputation and business strength of the NEPEAN global organisation means we will continue to innovate and develop new capabilities to support our customers,” he adds. “NEPEAN’s

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Peter Buckley, General Manager at NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation.

competitive advantage is the ability to leverage deep engineering domain expertise and unique capabilities, developed by investing in machine infrastructure and tooling.”

These investments encompass heavy machining, CNC equipment and a high-precision toolroom, along with design-for-manufacture experience, and the installation and commissioning of complex components, products and structures. NEPEAN uses the latest 3D modelling software and design applications for its workshop manufacturing process, whether this is for a precision aerospace component or a 1,000-ton structural steel highrise building. The company also guarantees confidentiality with intellectual property by incorporating on-site security links for secure data and file transfer.

Buckley believes Australian manufacturing has the strength to build a bright future. As the nation rebounds from the COVID-19 crisis, NEPEAN will be well placed to support its existing and new customers. www.nepeanengineering.com.au

CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE

Bidim Green: Australian made geotextile using recycled plastics Geofabrics Australasia has launched Bidim Green, the only Australian-manufactured geotextile which incorporates Australian sourced recycled plastics.

The launch of Bidim Green takes plastic bottles from Australian recycling bins and converts this plastic waste into a hightech geotextile to be used in building Australia’s infrastructure; roads, rail, landfills and mines. This initiative reduces waste to landfill and provides the civil engineering community with a sustainable and green option to be deployed in infrastructure projects, from large national road programmes and mining applications to local DIY and small projects. Bidim Green is manufactured at the Geofabrics’ manufacturing site in Albury, NSW and supports regional and local jobs in the community. It’s the only geotextile manufactured in Australia with recycled Australian plastics. The recycled content includes not only the polymer raw material but also the consumables central to the product, including the product wrap and the core, both of which are also manufactured from Australian recycled plastics.

For Dennis Grech, CEO and Managing Director of Geofabrics, going green means customers who share the company’s commitment to softening the environmental footprint of their projects have a product that is recycled, sustainable and innovated right here in Australia.

range and contains Australian-sourced recycled plastics,” says Grech. “It responds to the increasing call for greater recycled content in the construction and infrastructure industry.

“Many infrastructure projects are calling for improved sustainability, and we’re the only Australian manufacturer in the market that is using recycled Australian plastics as a component of a geotextile, helping to reduce waste to landfill. Bidim Green has been made in Australia, developed and tested in Australia, and I am proud to lead a business that contributes to maintaining and creating local jobs and to reduce the environmental impact of our business and our customer's projects on the Australian community.”

Geofabrics has branches throughout Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. Within Australia, the company has branches in every state as well as offices in strategic regional centres along the east coast staffed by Geofabrics own employees.

In New Zealand, Geofabrics has offices throughout the North and South Islands.

Geofabrics products are manufactured in its two manufacturing plants, in Albury and in southern Queensland.

AMTIL-ADVERT-MAIN-2020-OUTLINED(FA).pdf 1 17/1/20 10:49 am “Bidim Green is an addition to our world-leading Bidim geotextile www.geofabrics.co

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Constructing South-East Asia’s largest 3D printer CNC Design recently completed a project with Witteveen+Bos to develop and supply a 3D concrete printing system for construction in Singapore. The system is South-East Asia’s largest 3D printer.

As Singapore’s public housing authority, the Singapore Housing & Development Board (HDB) is responsible for the development of 80% of the housing in the island city-state. There is a great demand for housing, and 3D concrete printing could help to speed up the housing development task that HDB faces.

On 16 September 2019, HDB declared South-East Asia’s largest 3D printer for construction operational. The Virtual Smart Factory (VSF) 3D Concrete Printing System is capable of printing concrete components up to 9m long, 3.5m wide and 3.8m tall. The project was a joint effort involving Robin Village Development, Nanyang Technological University, Witteveen+Bos and CNC Design.

Witteveen+Bos is an independent engineering consultancy that services clients in water, infrastructure, environment and construction projects.

Witteveen+Bos engaged CNC Design for the development of an advanced six-axis gantry robot as part of the 3D Concrete Printing System. This is now operated for HDB by Witteveen+Bos. CNC Design is an Australian-owned company established in Melbourne in 1984, with core competencies in machine tools, production machinery and associated motion control products.

The project saw CNC the two companies successfully combine their respective fields of expertise: CNC Design’s machine tool and industrial automation knowledge; and Witteveen+Bos’s experience in the use of 3D printing in concrete engineering. The result is a 3D printing system that is customised to HDB’s requirements. It includes full turnkey solutions with design, engineering, installation and delivery of the fully integrated system, with all the electrical and mechanical parts designed to ensure efficient set-up and easy operation.

CNC Design was responsible for the delivery and installation of the turnkey system. Witteveen+Bos provided on-site training for the client’s staff, with detailed knowledge of 3D concrete printing technology, settings and software. CNC Design’s presence in Australia and South-East Asia, including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, together with Witteveen+Bos’ Singapore location, will ensure ongoing local support in these regions.

Printing in concrete During the last few years, Witteveen+Bos has been involved in various innovative R&D projects in Singapore, such as the ‘Development of Additive Manufacturing Technology for Construction’ and the ‘Smart Integrated Construction System’ for the HDB. Currently, the design and fabrication of concrete building elements using the conventional method of precast production is timeconsuming and requires high labour content. In addition, the moulds used in construction typically end up being discarded, resulting in material wastage.

Construction using 3D printing, on the other hand, combines digital Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology with additive manufacturing techniques to allow free-form construction without the need for moulds or forms, reducing the environmental burden of material waste. The method also opens up new opportunities for creating geometric forms that would be near impossible to create with traditional methods.

The Virtual Smart Factory system The basis for the 3D Concrete Printing System is CNC Design’s VSF concept. The VSF concept has been applied to machining, handling and additive manufacturing, not only for concrete, but

CNC Design’s Virtual Smart Factory (VSF) 3D Concrete Printing System for prefabricated module manufacture uses an advanced six-axis gantry robot that engables high accuracy and scalability to very large sizes.

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CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE The Virtual Smart Factory (VSF) 3D Concrete Printing System is capable of printing concrete components up to 9m long, 3.5m wide and 3.8metres tall.

The Siemens SINUMERIK 840Dsl flagship CNC control system is well suited to the VSF-Concrete system with its ability to handle multiple technologies and multiple operations from a single system.

Technology functions such as five and six-axis machining, multichannel operation and velocity- dependent process control, provide an advanced CNC system that also scales to suit the application.

Proving the concepts Shortly before the 3D Concrete Printing System’s operational date, the system was visited by Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s Minister of National Development; and Cheong-Chua Koon Hean, the CEO of HDB. They were shown a room-sized 3D-printed component measuring about 11sqm (3.6m long and 3m wide and 2.75m high), produced in 13 printing hours during successful trials of the new system.

also for high-density wax (used for making GRC Panel moulds) and composite thermoplastics such as ABS with carbon-fibre.

Using Güdel three-axis Cartesian gantry modules as the platform for the VSF means CNC Design has a well proven system with high accuracy and scalability to very large sizes. The ability to add additional bridges (additional and independent X, Y and Z axes) allows unlimited flexibility from a single machine, e.g. placement of material between print layers or surface milling.

For Witteveen+Bos, this milestone proves the viability of its efforts in the field of 3D printing for construction. Witteveen+Bos has been working as one of the pioneers in 3D concrete printing since 2015. As a frontrunner in this area, it has paved the way for the first 3D-printed pilot projects around the world, such as the first 3D printed structural bridge, and the first liveable 3D printed houses.

The 3D Concrete Printing System brings together CNC Design’s core knowledge of machine tool and industrial automation, based on Siemens Sinumerik CNC technology & Güdel Cartesian gantries, with Witteveen+Bos’s knowledge of 3D printing for and the related software elements. www.witteveenbos.com www.cncdesign.com.au

New Australian Free Trade Agreement with Indonesia > The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) came into force on 5 July 2020. > Australia is an important supplier of manufactured and other goods into Indonesia, including inputs into construction and production processes.

What’s the Deal?

The IA-CEPA provides opportunities to reduce import charges and increase export opportunities.

6.2% of tariff lines eliminated for manufactured and other goods.

$2bn Australia’s exports of manufactured and other goods to Indonesia were worth around $2.0 billion in 2018.

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of imports of manufactured and other goods from Australia will be duty free by 2025.

will have immediate elimination of tariffs.

Mention your AMTIL membership to receive member discounts with us.

www.rigbycooke.com.au

To understand how the FTA will affect your business, contact Andrew Hudson: AHudson@rigbycooke.com.au | + 61 3 9321 7851

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Tornos: Growing up ‘Swiss’ Mike Gajewski, the founder and president of US manufacturer Minic Precision, grew up ‘Swiss’, working on Tornos cam-operated machines from the young age of 19.

Contacted for an apprenticeship by a local machine shop that operated Tornos cam machines, the apprenticeship turned into a full-time job for Gajewski, who eventually worked his way up to the role of Plant & Production Manager, where he remained for nine years. After nine years, Gajewski decided it was time to open his own machine shop.

In 1992, Gajewski rented a 186sqm space in Woodstock, Illinois, purchased six Tornos and Bechler cam machines, and established Minic Precision. Founded to meet the growing demand for electronic assemblies requiring high-precision contacts, he named his business Minic, an acronym after his two sons’ names, Michael and Nicholas.

By 1995, he had filled up his shopfloor with 28 Tornos and Bechler machines. Some of the early Tornos cam machine purchases included M7s, R10s and R125s, and to this day Minic still operates many of those original machines. Even now, Gajewski is proud to have recently purchased three Tornos Swiss CNC lathes in the last 18 months.

Minic’s growth and relocation Minic Precision has experienced significant growth and expansion over the years, driving the business to purchase and relocate to an expanded facility in Spring Grove. Its quality control program and ISO 9001:2015 certification is a major factor of the shop’s continued growth. The commitment to quality is still evident in the parts Gajewski’s company produces on its Tornos machines today.

Aside from quality management, value-added engineering is also what separates Minic from the competition. Its speciality is in micromachined parts. When end-users in stringent quality and designfocused industries such as medical, electronics, automotive and aerospace bring their part requirements to Gajewski, Minic Precision facilitates smooth flow from design to prototyping, and production.

Minic Precision helps end-users to not only select the best materials but overall offers expert machining and design processes to help realise the highest cost savings. This has helped the company build key relationships with electronics assemblers, medical companies, the US Military, and customers in the automotive and aerospace fields.

Minic components on display, with a coin to emphasise the size of machined parts.

Expanding the machine fleet In order to continue providing higher cost savings and increased efficiency over time, Gajewski realised there was a need to expand and purchase a CNC when he was getting cross-over work that better-suited CNC equipment. Enabling quick turnaround times wasn’t 100% feasible or possible on the cam machines.

In 2004, the company originally went to another sliding head lathe manufacturer as Tornos was not offering entry-level to mid-range machines – only more high-end lathes. Shortly after the purchase of the lathe, Gajewski realised that it was not on par with the quality that has been the company’s driving success. Then in 2015, Tornos came out with the Swiss GT lathe series.

As Minic’s vision and goals put quality at the forefront of what it manufactures, the company needed machines that lived up to the task. Its main purchasing strategy has always been to invest in something that will go the long haul and be reliable, hold tight tolerances with quick chip-to-chip times. The team also wanted a machine that could run over 10,000 revs/min on the main and counter spindles. The long-awaited solution had arrived, and Gajewski scheduled a trip to the Tornos factory in Moutier, Switzerland, in the summer of 2016.

Christian Barth, Product Manager at Tornos, provided Gajewski with the tour. After observing the production and assembly of the spindles, guide bushings and the overall Swiss manufacturing process from design to completion, Gajewski saw first-hand the high levels of quality that go into manufacturing the highly rigid, stable and precise Tornos CNC Swiss lathe. His visit to Tornos gave him the confidence to change over from the rival vendor to Tornos.

Mike Gajewski, President and Founder of Minic Precision, with the Swiss GT13 lathe from Tornos.

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While competitors of Tornos or other manufacturers may offer similar types of sliding head lathes, Gajewski explains: “Everything from the weight of the Tornos machine to the way the spindle is built gives the Swiss GT13 durability for cutting tough materials, including the many exotic stainless steels we use, with no chatter. This is a major win-win for Minic and sets us apart from our competition.”

MATERIAL REMOVAL Minic Precision’s speciality is in micro-machined parts.

In early 2018, Minic made its first Tornos CNC Swiss sliding head lathe purchase with the Swiss GT13. Just three months after purchasing that first Tornos Swiss GT13, Gajewski also purchased a Swiss DT13. The investment decision was an easy one, as both machines would be equipped with the same sets of tools after Minic also purchased the TISIS module to use across both machines.

The modularity of the Swiss DT range was crucial in selling Minic on the Tornos machines, and both machines manufacture connectors, as well as other small parts. The parts handling with the vacuum extractor was a value-added benefit, especially as Minic’s specialty is manufacturing sub-miniature parts. On these two machines, the company can run at higher speeds with beryllium copper, while still holding tight tolerances. According to Gajewski, the impeccable surface finish, which was difficult to achieve previously, was now made possible on his Tornos CNC lathe.

Software that brings success In addition to the two new equipment purchases, Gajewski says that the purchase of TISIS, Tornos’s machine communication and programming software, has been a gamechanger for his business.

His production engineer, Raul Rodriguez, was able to very easily learn the Fanuc control, simply by using TISIS. For example, through TISIS, he can put his tools data inventory directly into the program file and these are loaded to the control with the part program. TISIS has been so easy to use that Minic recently purchased the Tornos Connectivity Pack for all its Tornos machines.

Tornos and Minic have both been committed to the highest-quality products. This has facilitated Minic’s growth tremendously and given the company the capability to handle parts that it couldn’t before. The shared commitment to quality, design and local service keeps Minic investing in more equipment purchases from Tornos.

In July 2019, Minic received its second Swiss GT13, and its third Tornos CNC lathe overall. Gajewski expects to purchase the new SwissNano 7 in the coming months. The entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to consistent quality has paid off for Gajewski, and he looks forward to what the future holds for this longstanding relationship. www.minicprecision.com www.tornos.com

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Carving out a path for India’s economic boom India’s economy has grown rapidly since the launch of the ‘Make in India’ economic initiative in 2014. One of the key manufacturers taking part in the initiative is Basco Tool Industries, based in Faridabad, south of New Delhi.

The company manufactures carbidetipped circular saw blades and has relied on sharpening technology from Vollmer for more than 15 years. The specialist in grinding and erosion machines has previously supplied seven machines, including sharpening machines from the CP and CHP model series.

“We are currently manufacturing around 3000 carbide-tipped circular saw blades a month for companies in the wood and metal industry,” says Vikas Tiwari, CEO of Basco Tool Industries. “Our vision is to not only increase the quality of products and services, but also achieve further growth.

Specifically, we want to produce at least 10,000 saw blades per month within a few years.”

Basco Tool Industries’ ambitious goals reflect how the Indian economy looks. For two decades, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has grown by more than 7% a year. Six years ago, the ‘Make in India’ initiative was established in the country, with the goal to support Indian manufacturers to produce goods in their own nation.

Employing around 20 people, Basco Tool Industries develops over 25 variants of carbide-tipped circular saw blades for Indian manufacturers, which they then use to process plywood, solid wood, wood composites, plastics and aluminium.

Economic life is booming in the neighbourhood around Basco Tool Industries, with small workshops, mediumsized factories and large manufacturing companies all witnessing prolonged growth. Many global companies have regional subsidiaries in Faridabad, including German companies such as the agricultural machinery manufacturer

Employing around 20 people, the Indian company Basco Tool Industries produces its carbide-tipped circular saw blades using seven VOLLMER sharpening machines.

Claas and technology firm Voith. German workmanship also plays a key role at Basco Tool Industries, since the company relies on machines from Vollmer to sharpen its carbide-tipped circular saw blades.

“The connections between Faridabad and Germany have been successful and strong for decades,” says Tiwari. “For that reason, it was clear to us from the start that we, too, could rely on German quality for our machines. Our first Vollmer sharpening machine arrived from Biberach (where Vollmer is headquartered) back in 2003.

Now there are seven machines that we use to manufacture circular saws and tools around the clock.”

Growth with Vollmer sharpening technology

Basco Tool Industries manufactures its carbidetipped circular saw blades with machines such as the VOLLMER CHP 840 sharpening machine in a fully automated, around-the-clock process.

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Vollmer has sent a range of equipment on the 6,000km journey to Faridabad, including one CHP 840 and two CP 200 sharpening machines. With the CHP 840, carbide-tipped circular saws can be sharpened in a single set-up. Its four CNCcontrolled axes allow complete machining of all common tooth geometries in just one cycle – even when sawing with an axial angle and group toothing. The CP 200 machine is equipped with multi-processor technology and integrated software programs. Consequently, whether its tooth faces or tooth tops, the grinding speed can be freely selected and there’s no need to set tooth pitch or blade thickness.

In addition to the sharpening machines, the service technicians at Basco Tool Industries have also received training at Vollmer’s site in Biberach.

The customers of Basco Tool Industries are primarily based in the north and east of India. Apart from circular saws and tools, the company also offers a range of services including tool resharpening, tool repairs and technical consultation. The customers from the wood and metal industries are supported with training to help them design efficient and profitable production processes for furniture, window and door technologies from Basco Tool Industries. The aim is to establish additional regional distribution and service centres and ultimately become the leading manufacturer of carbide-tipped circular saws in India.

“Basco Tool Industries is a typical example of the customers we have in India; small, agile and innovative,” remarks Dr Stefan Brand, CEO of the Vollmer Group. “In order to fully cater to the needs of Indian companies, we have maintained a presence in the region for many years already; we also founded our own subsidiary in Bangalore in 2013. We are pressing ahead with our internationalisation plans so that we can also support Indian manufacturers in achieving national and global growth over the long term.” www.vollmer-group.com www.bascotool.in www.camcointl.com

MATERIAL REMOVAL

Opening up a clean, green era in the metal tool industry EcoCooling is a ground-breaking innovation in which ionized air is used to cool and lubricate workpieces and cutting tools, replacing the need for expensive metalworking fluids. The product has the potential to transform the metalworking, machine tool, and metal component manufacturing industries.

EcoCooling is the result of long-term, interdisciplinary R&D from the same team that developed the technology behind Amazon’s ground-breaking family of front-lit Kindle devices. Now the group of scientists, engineers and experienced businesspeople from various disciplines has developed a dry, clean and environmentally friendly method to lubricate metal workpieces with ionised and cooled air, without using any emulsions.

“Workshops have wanted to get rid of fluids and many have tried to find a solution to the problem, but with poor results”, says Leo Hatjasalo, co-founder and CEO of EcoCooling. “Now we have the answer to this demand, since EcoCooling can be used even with the hardest known metals like chrome, titanium and tungsten carbides.”

The global market value for metalworking fluids is estimated at approximately US$12bn this year. It is growing steadily, with estimates for the global market value for machine tools expected to grow from US$120bn to US$150bn in five years’ time. The growth is driven, for example by the accelerating need for components in the aerospace, automotive and transport sectors. “EcoCooling is based on the fact that ionised air penetrates the cutting zone and forms a dry lubricant that decreases cutting friction and generated heat, at the same time speeding up the oxide layer formation,” Hatjasalo explains. “The process is patented on all continents, and at the moment we are validating it to include all types of machine tools.”

Hatjasalo emphasises that EcoCooling is not only a way to cut down the costs of emulsions, but also a way to improve productivity through higher cutting speed, reduced wear of cutting tools and minimised maintenance costs.

SUPPORTING

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MANUFACTURERS

“Since the metal chips are not contaminated by any fluids, they can also be fully recycled without cleaning,” he says. “Another big advantage is that it eliminates toxic fluid waste and fumes, in addition to minimising CO2 emissions, since no oil is used.”

The technology makes it possible to build smaller and cheaper metalworking machines, since the EcoCooling unit is very compact in size.

“The unit does not need any service and it has proved to prolong the lifetime of the cutting tools significantly,” Hatjasalo says.

“The system can also be easily retrofitted to older machine tools.”

During the past few years, EcoCooling has been successfully trialled in numerous commercial tests in demanding surroundings internationally. Now that the process has proved to give excellent results, big savings and substantially less environmental impact, the aim is to create a versatile EcoCooling product family that includes all machine tools in addition to just turning machines.

“We are also planning to integrate the system to suit different CNC machine tools and to create optimal solutions for all machine tools and workshop environments,” Hatjasalo says. “However, for that purpose we need more funding than we can raise on our own. Therefore, the next step is to find an industrial partner to help us to commercialise EcoCooling globally and to develop the ways the technology can be used.” www.ecocooling.fi

Compact and maintenance-free, the EcoCooling unit facilitates smaller, cheaper metalworking machines.

• High Performance Solutions • Made & Stocked Right Here • Custom Made Specials Available • Regrinding & Coating • Heat Treatment & Nitriding

Contact us for more information digital@sutton.com.au

www.suttontools.com

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PhoenxPLM: Digitally transforming businesses in the manufacturing sector Founded in 2010 with headquarters based in Eight Mile Plains in Queensland, PhoenxPLM specialises in digitisation of the manufacturing process. Reece Moore, Head of Digital Technologies at PhoenxPLM, discusses the importance of adapting to new technologies, streamlining processes and data management.

AMT: What are manufacturers talking to you about right now?

Reece Moore: Definitely Industry 4.0 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Manufacturers are obviously keen to utilise a lot of the new transformative technologies, to help them develop products, but also to transform the actual manufacturing process itself. What manufacturers are particularly talking to us about though is how to improve the management of their product data and processes to harness these technologies.

They look to us for advice on how to digitally transform their businesses using product lifecycle management software.

AMT: What is your advice to those who are keen to adopt these technologies?

RM: We advise them on how to achieve digitalisation throughout the product lifecycle phases: the ideation phase, where you’re doing your concepts and designs; the realisation phase, where the

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manufacturing takes place; and utilisation – how the product is used and maintained by the customer.

systems that aren’t connected together. It’s time to look at PLM and see how we can solve those particular issues.

Many manufacturers are trying to manage product data in multiple different systems and often siloed systems. They may have a document management system managing their product documentation, a product data management (PDM) system managing their CAD data, another system managing requirements. Basically, a whole host of spreadsheets that are managing their product. It’s very hard for them to link that data together and understand the impacts when they perform change.

AMT: So what is PLM?

Environments with siloed systems can lead to inefficient processes. It can become slow and expensive to develop products, and product quality is sacrificed. There are often recurring issues during the manufacturing process too. My advice is: it can become complex to solve these issues when you’re having to manage data that’s in multiple

RM: PLM stands for product lifecycle management, and the idea of a PLM system is to manage all intellectual property (IP) and product knowledge throughout the lifecycle of a product. It manages data from when you are developing requirements right at the start; then the design process; manufacturing; how you service and maintain a product; right through to the end, which is disposal.

In terms of some of the key features of PLM, it allows you to design across domains. It brings together into one system the mechanical designs, electrical design, software designs, and simulation data.

It allows you to manage your product documentation in the same system and manages your Bills of Materials (BoMs).

SOFTWARE

The other thing we find is people try to configure their ERP system to meet some of the requirements that a product lifecycle manager has. From our experience, it generally fails. You often take years to try to configure the ERP and it just never works.

My advice is to use the right tool for the right job. Don’t try to perform ERP functions in PLM, and vice versa.

AMT: What are some of the main business drivers that would steer a company to adopt PLM? RM: In the global marketspace it’s becoming more important to be first to market, and to do that you need to reduce your design lifecycle. PLM allows you to do that in a collaborative environment. It increases what we call the digital thread across stakeholders and domains – through design, manufacturing, and supply. Product information becomes connected across the business, which in turn can quickly shorten the design lifecycle.

Remember that PLM is generally not just one BoM too. In a product there’s multiple BoMs, depending on what view of the product you want. Engineers obviously may want their engineering BoM, which is defined in terms of function processes, whereas a manufacturer’s BoM, is defining how they manufactured the Bill of Material.

PLM allows you to define all these different BoMs and link those BoMs together.

Product data management though is only a small part of PLM, and it’s often just a good starting point to introduce PLM. In terms of what PDM system does though, it’s really around management of documents, drawings, and CAD models, so it provides things like revisioning and version control.

It allows you to check out and check in product data. PLM offers much more functionality than PDM.

PLM is a workflow process engine that allows you to standardise and streamline processes across all those different domains, and across the lifecycle of the project. It also allows you to manage your change across the product, so if you’re changing a requirement, for instance, it allows you to easily assess the impact in the engineering world, manufacturing world, and service world.

AMT: How is PLM different to ERP?

PLM brings together requirements, service plans, service execution, process plans and suppliers. It can transform your business by allowing closed loop quality of management, cost management, managing compliance, material, supply chain management, etc.

In essence PLM is the single source of truth for your product. You can begin to look at your products at various points in the lifecycle, and it presents that view to you in the way you need it, when you need it.

AMT: And how is PLM different to PDM? RM:That’s a common question we get asked. A lot of our customers think they’re one and the same. Historically PLM systems have been generally developed from the starting point of an original PDM system.

RM: A lot of customers, particularly in Australia, already have an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, and they ask: why do we need a PLM system as well? Their ERP system is, as far as they’re concerned, the source of their product data, but in reality, they serve different purposes.

ERP does manage Bills of Materials, but it’s mainly focused on what manufacturing needs to build at that particular time. It doesn’t handle historical BoMS or different views of the BoM as well. An ERP is more transactional based. It really lacks the flexibility that you need for that innovation process when you’re designing the products. That’s really where PLM fits in.

PLM will manage all the different phases of the lifecycle, from requirements, concept, design, build procedures, production, commissioning, maintenance, and then right down to disposal.

They have two different purposes; having said that, there is a crossover point between PLM and ERP, and that’s usually around that production phase. We often see a common requirement is to develop an integration between PLM and ERP.

A second key driver is the demand for more functionality within existing products; this means there is often going to be more complexity to the product data. In this case you need a PLM system to manage these now complex products. There’s too much information to be managing it all in spreadsheets and siloed environments. In addition to the complexities, customers are also wanting more variation, and to be able to configure to their exact requirements.

Finally, a third driver is compliance. There is a lot more regulatory compliance these days, particularly environmental and safety requirements. PLM really helps manage that compliance, so much so, we can attach compliance documentation to your product itself. When your product changes, you can make sure that you are still compliant. www.phoenxplm.com.au

Reece Moore

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ANCA’s new-look CIM3D V9: Time-saving enhancements for offline productivity ANCA’s new CIM3D V9 release of the industry-leading CIMulator3D software has an upgraded interface with fresh colours and icons and is even easier to use with intuitive functionality. Featuring the latest technology and software design, the new release offers time-saving benefits and interactive visualisation across the entire grinding process.

Thomson Mathew, ANCA Software Product Manager says: “This upgrade responds directly to what our customers want and need for effective tool simulation. CIM3D V9 allows for customisation based on regularly-used features no matter which industry. The simulation quality of ANCA’s software is unmatched and you can simulate complete grinding sequences.

“The offline capabilities of using the latest CIM3D version mean important background calculations are easily verified, increasing machine productivity. This not only maximises machine time but for those working from home, CIM3D can be run independently on any computer – so it is possible to do all the programming remotely.

“We have automated many manual steps and introduced process verification and analysis in a central hub to get improved cycle time, and better wheel and tool life. Collisions can be detected automatically and overall CIM3D V9 is more enjoyable and easier to use.”

The new software offers clearer visualisation with the customisable timeline panel – effectively a central dashboard for quicker and easier tool analysis. New tool programs can be verified for size, shape, machine clearance, cycle time estimates, and more.

The new features save time while simulating the programmed tool path exactly as it would be ground on the machine.

Updated look and feel • • • •

Brand new interface with new icons and colour scheme Better user experience and a modern look Customisable toolbars The animation toolbar has been replaced with a timeline

Progressive material removal • Provides a realistic and unique view of the material removal process • Allows visualisation of the grinding process during a move • Allows the visualisation of the wheel imprint at any point of time • Allows better visualisation of unexpected deviations in the wheel path

Clear visualisation with the timeline panel • Provides an interactive timeline of the grinding process that acts as an animation and analysis hub • Acts as a central dashboard for all analysis rather than having it distributed in multiple places

Tool balance analysis • Provides complete information about the balance of a rotating tool • The output includes the quality grade and imbalance of the tool • This information is then passed on to ToolRoom to balance the tool effectively

• Collisions - these are recalculated automatically when machine configuration is changed.

• Material removal rates - calculated when row is shown in timeline to display the MMR graph.

• Tool balancing - Tool balancing is calculated automatically when tool balancing dialogue is show.

Material removal rate • Provides visualisation of the material removal rate (Q) value to visualise jump in feedrates and is useful to normalise feedrates.

• A chart is provided to visualise the material removal rate (Q).

Measurement capabilities • Allows the placing of three points to measure a radius.

• Behaves like a 2D overlay – moves with the tool in translation, but not in rotation.

• Handles the same use case as a shadowgraph.

• Typically used to measure the cutting profile radii.

Changes to the sectioning plane dialogue • Multi-step sectioning plane orientations can now be viewed in the measurement view.

• Basic and Advanced dialogues merged into a single dialogue.

Machine models and accessories • The ‘wheel changer’ tab has been renamed to ‘wheel and coolant’.

• Option for MX splash guard for better collision analysis.

• FX5 Wheel Changer added to detect collisions with changer gripper.

• MX and TX machine models have been updated to use the current colour scheme (as per V8 updates).

Save time with background calculations

Chris Wagner, Tool Grind Lead at Acutec Precision Aerospace in the US, has been using CIM3D for 20 years. He says he can’t imagine going back to an earlier version after trialling the latest release: “The new look and feel is current and clean. One of the best features is progressive grinding – it gives the ability to see the exact material being removed as the wheel moves through.

Simplifies workflow by doing calculations in the background rather than having users kick this off. This saves time and the automatic display doesn’t allow for errors that are accidentally missed. Some of the tasks calculated automatically without needing to be initiated by users are:

“The resolution of the graphics is far better than any previous version.

Determining protrusion length, cycle time estimation, using the scroll function on a mouse to increment the position, magnification and cross-hair positioning are other great features that make using CIM3D V9 more efficient and productive.” www.anca.com

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

SOFTWARE

Lucidworks – Building digital ecosystems While the invention of the assembly line epitomised manufacturing’s drive to develop processes that boost efficiency, it has never managed to apply such innovations elsewhere, writes Scott Ho. To improve backend processes, organisations should focus on building digital ecosystems that break down silos that have little interaction, within businesses and between enterprises. By doing so, organisations will increase accessibility and visibility to critical data, enabling swifter corrective action on any issues.

Moreover, digital ecosystems allow organisations to make sales via ecommerce, providing more flexibility to customers.

There’s no quick fix for building a digital ecosystem; it requires dedication and resources. To develop a digital ecosystem, organisations must break down walls between departments and other enterprises. This can be done by investing in data collection and machine-learning technologies that enable inter-departmental and inter-organisational communication, improving collaboration.

With more complete information and real-time analysis, manufacturers can deliver better services and products.

Regular maintenance schedules are ever-present in manufacturing, but they can be thrown into disarray when machinery breaks down or requires urgent maintenance or repairs. Not only does this disrupt operations, but it creates unexpected costs for the business: purchasing new machinery, express shipping replacement parts.

Technologies such as IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) sensors can be implemented on the factory floor to collect signals on how machinery is operating, allowing analysts to anticipate problems before they occur. Sensors may indicate that a particular part is worn out and may cause the machine to break down; in preparation, the business can order a new part and install it immediately, reducing downtime. By doing so, the business saves time and money.

Equipment and processes are only one aspect of manufacturing; another is the supply chain. Supply chains include parties from differing organisations (and often countries), making it hard to track and accomplish shared goals. To overcome this, manufacturers should invest in technology that can aggregate and analyse data to see where issues may have occurred throughout the supply chain. For example, by analysing data as COVID-19 emerged in early 2020, organisations could have forecast potential delays, particularly for products coming in or out of China.

By having unprecedented levels of visibility, organisations can address and manage issues more efficiently. For instance, if fresh produce is found to have been contaminated after it has been distributed to stores across the country, it’s imperative to act quickly.

With AI-powered search and connected data sources, the produce can swiftly be identified and located, relevant information (such as where the produce was sent) can be found immediately, and recalls can be actioned, potentially stopping customers from falling ill.

So while developing a digital ecosystem is a major project that requires a lot of adjustment, it’s an essential process for manufacturing organisations to undertake to progress into the future. Just as manufacturing processes turns raw materials into finished products, manufacturers must take data, glean insights and use it to improve processes, and ultimately products.

Scott Ho is Vice-President – Asia Pacific Japan at Lucidworks. www.lucidworks.com

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Manufacturing under COVID-19: Overcoming challenges in a crisis The COVID-19 crisis has presented significant difficulties for the manufacturing industry. To overcome these issues, manufacturers must embrace Industry 4.0. By Eddie Stefanescu.

The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic are numerous. The requirement for social distancing has led to a surge in remote working. With supply chains disrupted, the demand for some products has shrunk, making it difficult to keep up with demand. Moreover, we’ve seen many production facilities be rapidly repurposed, such as distilleries that switched to making hand sanitiser, and car manufacturers that pivoted to making ventilators.

In order to rise to these challenges, manufacturers have to adopt the modern technologies of Industry 4.0, such as automation and robotics, large-scale monitoring systems that provide real-time information about production processes, and flexible systems that can be quickly adapted to produce modified or different products.

A prerequisite for Industry 4.0, and for an effective response to COVID-19, is for manufacturers to have tightly integrated operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT). At a foundational level, tight OT/IT integration enables better business planning and management. It enables production systems to be more responsive to business priorities and customer requirements, and to be more effectively managed remotely.

However, there are many barriers to effectively integrating OT and IT systems.

First and foremost is the considerable challenge of ensuring robust and manageable security.

OT networks run on proprietary protocols and typically use a lot of legacy equipment, which is incompatible with and inaccessible by the traditional IT security tools used in IT enterprise environments. As a result, IT security tools are unable to gather the necessary data from OT networks that is essential for risk calculation and mitigation.

Previously, OT networks have remained largely isolated from corporate IT networks – meaning they have also been isolated from the internet and the global community of hackers and cyber-criminals that it harbours. When OT and IT networks are suddenly integrated, the whole network becomes vulnerable and exposed to these threats.

As OT systems often control or monitor real-time processes, manufacturers can’t afford to have any system outages. The consequences of such an outage could

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

be catastrophic, such as in the case of a power plant. However, you cannot protect what you cannot see. Therefore, it is recommended that manufacturers have security tools that provide them with deep visibility into their networks, in order to identify all connected devices and network processes.

How can manufacturers overcome these challenges?

There is no single solution to these challenges, but an essential first step is network segmentation: by allowing only necessary connections to the network, manufacturers can reduce the risk of unsuspecting devices being used as attack routes. There have been numerous instances where vulnerable – and in some cases trivial – devices have given access to a company’s ‘crown jewels.’ Take, for example, the casino that was hacked through the smart thermometer in its lobby aquarium, giving the attackers access to its database of ‘high-roller’ customers.

A comprehensive approach that addresses all the potential weaknesses in the security of integrated IT/OT networks is required to overcome these challenges and ensure robust security. In particular, there are two important considerations to ensure robust OT network security: 1. Security professionals should aim to have a complete inventory of connected assets and the communication paths between them.

Fortunately, there are numerous OT-specific security tools readily available in the market that enable manufacturers to easily monitor all activity between their equipment.

2. It is crucial to define normal network operation – by monitoring the network and understanding how all devices interact with each other, any suspicious activities can be detected and shut down before an attack occurs. Security tools can assist manufacturers by monitoring all assets and communications on their networks, establishing a baseline of normal behaviour, and detecting any anomalies.

Factoring in the world’s increasingly remote workforce – a trend which has been consolidated by COVID-19 – investing in security tools that can support secure remote access to the network is highly recommended. By tracking and auditing all remote accesses, security tools can prevent any unauthorised access from bad actors.

The pandemic will eventually pass; however many of the changes it has imposed are likely to endure. The COVID-19 crisis has created a strong incentive for manufacturers to accelerate OT/IT integration and their take-up of Industry 4.0, but in order to do this as securely as possible, manufacturers need to deploy security tools that thoroughly protect their networks.

Eddie Stefanescu is Regional Vice-President, Business – Asia Pacific & Japan at Claroty. www.claroty.com

ADVERTORIAL

Growing the business with speed and efficiency

David Errington, proudly shows his new ByStar fiber 12kW

We often overlook the amount of manufacturing that occurs in regional Australia. Case in point is Apollo Engineering.

Situated in Tamworth north western New South Wales the second largest inland city.

Apollo Engineering. has been in operation since the early 1990s and today manufactures an extensive range of parts washes for the automotive industry. Over time Apollo has diversified into manufacture of components to the waste equipment manufacturing industry and more recently into food waste processing equipment for the hospitality, wholesale food, and commercial food manufacturing industry.

With a team of 35 staff and in-house design capabilities coupled with the latest in machining technologies that include four dual spindle CNC lathes with machine tending cobots, horizontal machining centres, fabrication, and a sheet metal workshop, Apollo is poised for further growth.

To continue to provide innovation within the business David Errington, Apollo‘s managing director has the philosophy of continued investment in the latest equipment to keep his business ahead of the curve. This includes his most recent acquisition of Bystronic’s ByStar 12kW fibre laser complete with ByTrans Extended Automation.

but with a strong relationship with another customer, he was able to visit and see the ByStar 12 kW with automation in operation.

Impressed with the machine and automation and with the federal government‘s recent initiatives around the purchase of capital equipment, it was all David needed to not only purchase the laser machine, but also the automation for loading and unloading, which will be key for his business growth.

The laser will be used primarily in the production of in-house parts. But word is out amongst local manufacturers that Apollo can produce parts in a more cost-effective manner compared to overseas competitors. This also has the additional benefit of reducing the need for outlay capital for his customers.

”

While chasing down spare parts for his older model CO2 to laser, provided him with a chance meeting with another Bystronic customer. David explains “I had travelled to Ballarat as sourcing new parts for our existing machine was becoming harder, and the company down there had the same model as our old machine which had been mothballed.

We got into talking about what laser he is currently using and I was overwhelmed with how enthusiastically they spoke about the Bystronic ByStar Fiber. Not only did the laser perform for them, they also heaped high praise for the backup and support from Bystronic Australia.

Having only dealt with agents before, the idea of dealing directly with the manufacturer was also a really attractive proposition to me.”

With the Covid restrictions in place, David was unable to travel to the experience centre,

David

While the speed of the machine improves our cutting times by 70%, the real advantage comes in coupling that with the native BySoft 7 nesting software. This allows our total processing time from concept to customer to be much more efficient.

”

Another real value with the BySoft software is its ability to integrate with ERP systems which is key for us.

When asked after testing what was the thing that most surprised him about ByStar fiber’s performance, the response was “The Wow factor, I still find myself looking through the glass into the machine and being blown away by the speed that it cuts.”

Not only is the performance of the machine quick, so was the delivery of the machine

”Everything happened quickly. Bystronic was quick to arrange the reference customer visit which helped reinforce that this is the machine we need. From there, it took only four weeks from the order placement to the machine delivery. The biggest challenge we had was preparing for the arrival of the new laser.”

“Working with Bystronic’s technicians during the install was easy. They arrived before the containers did and within three weeks, had the machine up and running, along with our people trained in both software and the operation of the laser machine. As with any new equipment we are learning new things every day and are very comfortable with the support that Bystronic is able to provide through their hotline. We have taken advantage of it on numerous occasions as questions arise as with any new equipment when you have just started using it.

Right: Cut parts processed swiftly and efficiently Bottom: Easy operator interface with ByVison Cutting.

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WA & NT

Kalgoorlie business thrives under pressure Hydramech Engineering was founded in West Kalgoorlie in 2013. The start-up involved one man and a lathe in the back of a mobile plant workshop. The idea was simple – build quality components, have the ability to warrant and support those components, and take away the external influences which affect quality and customers.

Fast forward to today and Hydramech boasts a fully fitted workshop with an extensive range of new precision machining equipment and a team exceeding 18 people with diverse skills from mobile maintenance to precision machining. The business is innovative and unafraid to move with technology and the constantly changing business environment.

Hydramech specialises in mobile mining machinery components including hydraulic cylinder services for underground mining equipment within the Kalgoorlie region. The company is the first choice for cylinder precision machining and fabrication tasks such as cylinder refurbish, repair, rebuild, exchange and sales. Hydramech carries an extensive range of service exchange components to suit Caterpillar, Sandvik, and Epiroc machines, along with complimentary parts for installation and service.

Continued business growth and a dedication to timely customer service has driven Hydramech to invest in smarter solutions. A recent investment in several Micron Technologies digital cylinder service units has resulted in cutting edge capability for disassembly, assembly, and testing completed jobs. It demonstrated the value of working smarter rather than harder, so the next logical decision was to reduce the company’s dependence on manual machining, which can be time-consuming and reliant on an individual’s skill. This brought about an investment in a Mazak Quick Turn 350MY CNC turning centre.

Steve Nappy, Hydramech’s General Manager, explains what prompted the Mazak investment: “Our business is growing and finding skilled labour in Kalgoorlie is a challenge. We had been at capacity for some time and run quite a lean model, so instead of adding to the labour force we decided to invest in technology to achieve greater volume – do more with the people we already have.

“I needed versatility and the ability to do a wide variety of jobs. The Mazak Quick Turn 350MY with a 1500Umm bed length gives us the ability to machine longer rod shafts. The optional Y-axis functionality adds milling capability resulting in less setups per part. It’s a very versatile machine that has performed well since we powered it up.”

The Mazak Quick Turn 350MY CNC turning centre with multi-tasking capability brings together advanced technology, productivity, and

value to deliver exceptional performance for machine shops large and small. As an MY configuration, the machine features milling capability and Y-axis functionality along with a standard through-hole chuck package, and an integral turning spindle motor to process a wide range of medium or larger diameter parts in a single setup.

Steve describes how Hydramech has benefited from the investment: “We have improved our turnaround times and job costs are down, which means the customer gets a more cost-effective repair faster.

Turnaround of parts has improved significantly, and we are definitely achieving more throughput in the shop. The Quick Turn 350MY is versatile and simple to use. We get a higher level of quality than we could ever achieve through manual machining.” When asked why Hydramech chose a Mazak over other brands, Steve says: “The Mazak brand was highly recommended by everybody I spoke to. We had to be realistic with our first machine as we had zero exposure to any form of CNC machining, so we needed a solution that was user friendly and allowed us to hit the ground running. Mazatrol has allowed us to do this and we are very happy with the decision to select Mazak for this and future purchases. I was also confident that I could rely on John Hart for world-class support and service. We live and work remotely in Kalgoorlie, so when things go wrong, we need to know we have access to timely and reliable support.”

Steve adds: “John Hart guided us through the purchase from an initial concept to installation. We’re the new kids on the CNC block and needed help with this decision. Hamish Todd, John Hart’s WA Branch Manager, gave us several potential solutions and visited the workplace to understand what we do and the problems we were trying to solve before we settled on this machine. It’s not something I could have done alone, and choosing the wrong machine would have been a costly mistake.”

Steve concludes: “Our investment in technology is already transforming our business model, so we have ordered a Mazak VTC 530C with a 2m table and fourth axis. We are also investigating additional technologies such as John Hart’s Agile Flex machine loading system, to further increase our overall productivity with the same number of people.” www.johnhart.com.au www.hydramech.com.au

Hydramech Workshop Manager Tony Herron (Right) and Lead Machinist Ryan Price in front of Hydramech’s Mazak Quick Turn 350MY.

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WA & NT

STATE SPOTLIGHT

ADE and Austin deliver revolutionary truck technology to NT mine One of the world’s largest mines, based in the Northern Territory, has introduced revolutionary water spray application technology to improve dust control and enhance mining operation safety; and the benefits are expected to be both swift and significant.

AMTIL PRODUCT E-BLASTS

McArthur River Mine, which excavates zinc, lead and silver, required two new water trucks to be added to its operations but, being mindful of improving dust control and ensuring better safety for its workers, decided to have trucks specifically designed that would address these issues. The result was the coming together of local Australian companies – Australian Diversified Engineering and Austin Engineering – that produced two uniquely designed CAT 789 water trucks for the mine patented as “Stairway Access Tank”, with a capacity of 159,000 litres.

The exclusive design has produced what is now known as the safest water tank in the mining industry, and is an engineering collaboration of which ADE General Manager Clive Gray says has set the bar for water truck technology to new heights.

“Controlling airborne dust on mine sites is incredibly important,” Gray explained.

“It minimises the risks to workers, but knowing just how much water to spray has its own challenges and can also become a hazard, leading to unplanned vehicle movement and even worse, closing a haul road for many hours.

“We have been manufacturing safety equipment for the mining industry for many years but being able to work together with Austin Engineering has allowed us to deliver an exceptional solution for the McArthur River Mine. We feel confident that they will see positive outcomes in terms of improved safety and better dust control very quickly, making this a great investment.”

ADE is world-renowned for its development of the ADE Spray System; a water truck spray control system that can consistently spray a controlled rate of water onto the ground, regardless of speed, to effectively control airborne dust. Road friction measurements can be used to determine the maximum safe water coverage rate which in turn reduces waste and decreases the risk of an unplanned movement. During operations, the system data logs all spray activities which can be used to generate reports and assess operations.

“By eliminating over and under-watering, costs, fuel and water usage are naturally reduced, but it is the safety of the mining workers that is at the forefront of our designs. By developing and implementing innovative technologies into mines around Australia we limit the risks involved to mining workers and that is something we are very proud of.”

The custom-designed trucks began their journey in Wyoming, USA, where they were initially designed, before then being manufactured in Batam, Indonesia, and finally making their way to Australia where ADE engineers installed their latest safety technology. All ADE products are both designed and manufactured in Australia.

The trucks were then delivered to the mine site where ADE engineers arrived to ensure all components were running like clockwork before the trucks started their first day of action.

“A haul road can be closed for several hours in the event of an unplanned movement with a mobile operations vehicle, costing both time and money as production is indefinitely halted,” explained Gray. “Our systems are designed to help sites save time, money and improve safety so we will always go above and beyond to ensure a positive experience for all concerned.” www.austineng.com.au www.ade.net.au

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Gray says it is this ability to both measure and monitor that makes the ADE Spray System such a game changer: “One of the biggest issues for mine sites is knowing how much water to spray on the road. Too much or too little have equal repercussions,

with safety issues being the greatest concern. Mining operators can quickly and easily monitor and track all aspects of their water truck operations using our on-board data logging system which effectively cuts costs and improves environmental factors in regards to monitoring water usage.

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Experience and passion the hallmarks of new WA engineering business Experienced machinist Joe Latham has established his new engineering business ProWest Engineering in Western Australia, driven by a passion to succeed in a climate of change in the manufacturing industry.

With more than 19 years’ experience in the industry, this awardwinning engineer with trophies for Top World Skills Machinist for Western Australia and a top ten World Skills entrant for Australia, has a business theme of ‘If you can dream it, we can machine it’.

When establishing a new green-field site with a pristine engineering workshop, Latham’s first purchase has been a brand new Okuma Model Genos L3000e-MY x 1000 CNC lathe.

“Over the years I have worked on a wide range of CNC machines and I love the Okuma machines for the easy interface and the outstanding finish they achieve,” says Latham. “The back-up service that Okuma provides is also outstanding from people who really care. This machine is a very big investment for us; however the new plant layout is planned for additional machines and I already know the next Okuma machine model I want.”

In following his dream, Latham has held a passion to start his own engineering business for some time, but the loss of a close family member was the catalyst for moving his plans forward to the start of 2020. While just an ‘Army of Two’ team with his wife Jasmine at start-up, Latham is keen to take on an apprentice as soon as possible and to grow the business. As ProWest kicks off, Latham is confident that business from clients in the broad market segments of mining, automotive, energy, marine and general engineering will grow rapidly, amid renewed confidence and support for manufacturing in Australia and concerns regarding an over-reliance on offshore manufacturing.

John Dale, Branch Manager – Western Australia for Okuma, commented: “Joe is supported by Okuma’s 12 months bottomless training support from our Western Australian team, along with access to our network of service and applications engineers Australia-wide”.

ProWest’s Joe Latham and the new Okuma machine.

Latham’s impressive engineering background and the pristine presentation of his workshop and machining centre cannot help but impress, and is sure to draw new and existing clients to this exciting engineering operation.

“At Okuma we are excited to be part of a new enterprise such as ProWest Engineering and to support its growth with the latest technology and machines,” said Okuma Australia Managing Director Dean McCarroll. “ProWest and all our customers can be assured of our on-going support.” www.okumaaustralia.com.au www.facebook.com/ProWestEngineering

Australian Army put pedal to metal with SPEE3D field trial In a world-first, a WarpSPEE3D metal 3D printer was put through its paces by the Australian Army during a field exercise in the Northern Territory in June, demonstrating the potential for this technology to be deployed to the field by the Australian Defence Force.

WarpSPEE3D is the world’s first large-format metal 3D printer to use patented cold spray technology that enables significantly faster and more cost-effective metal part production than traditional manufacturing. Developed by Australian manufacturer SPEE3D, the printer is capable of printing large metal parts up to 40kg at a recordbreaking speed of 100 grams per minute.

The printer arrived in Darwin in early June. Little over a week after being installed at Robertson Barracks, soldiers from the 1st Combat Service Support Battalion (1 CSSB) trucked the printer out to the bush for a three-day trial at the Mount Bundey field training area, 120km south-east of Darwin. The WarpSPEE3D was manoeuvred to various locations and different terrains. It was unloaded ready to print within 30 minutes, producing a variety of parts. SPEE3D printers make metal parts the fastest way possible, leveraging metal cold spray technology to produce industrial-quality metal parts in minutes, rather than days or weeks. The process harnesses the power of kinetic energy, rather than high-power lasers and expensive gasses, allowing 3D metal printing in the field at affordable costs.

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The Army announced a $1.5m investment in a pilot of SPEE3D technology in February, with a 12-month trial designed to test the feasibility of deploying 3D metal printers on base and in the field. The program aims to increase the availability of unique parts to the Army.

SPEE3D CEO Byron Kennedy said: “The first field deployment of WarpSPEE3D was an important milestone for SPEE3D. While initially designed for industrial use, this trial proved our equipment is actually very robust and can endure harsh conditions and rough handling very well. We look forward to future exercises and continuing to learn how we best serve the Australian Army and defence industry.”

1 CSSB Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Kane Wright, added: “This phase has seen the 3D printing capability deployed to the field, alongside vital military equipment, contributing to the mission during this training cycle. The ability to print repair parts in an environment like this has the potential to significantly reduce our footprint and repair damaged equipment – on the spot – to get us back to our main priority.” www.spee3d.com

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WORKHOLDING

Dimac Tooling – Comprehensive workholding, available nationwide With a range of workholding solutions to meet all its customers’ requirements, Dimac Tooling continues to unveil new products and services while its distributor network continues to grow.

Dimac is the sole distributor of leading workholding and CNC accessory brands including Kitagawa power chucks, Lang Technik five-axis vises, Freddy coolant recyclers, Reven air cleaners, Hydrafeed barfeeders and Royal’s Rota-Rack.

Dimac also manufactures its own soft jaws at its manufacturing facility at Dandenong, Victoria. Dimac soft jaws are precisionengineered and made from 1040 (or K1144) carbon steel and available in a large selection of sizes covering all brands of chucks. The company also offers custom sizes to suit any application, including complete custom workholding.

Mitee-Bite extends TalonGrip range Due to popular demand, Mitee-Bite has launched an additional product to the TalonGrip workholding range. Mitee-Bite’s products are an innovative product that increases the functionality of standard 100mm, 150mm and 200mm vises.

TalonGrip is a simple bolt-on system that allows operators to perform aggressive machining operations while clamping on as little as 1.5mm. It is ideal for small lot sizes, difficult applications or proto-type work when building a fixture would not be beneficial.

“The new TalonGrip long length serrated grips are designed for applications where specific grip location is not necessary or higher and full length penetration is desired,” says Dimac’s Managing Director Paul Fowler.

The new grips are designed as a “drop fit” into the original TalonGrip jaw sets or for use on a fixture, with a gripping height range of 1.27mm to 4.06mm. The grips are made from S7 steel, heat-treated and finished with a black oxide coating. The grips are laser engraved with a useful 10mm scale for reference on repeatable part placement.

TalonGrips are also available individually for fixturing with Pitbull and Dyna-Force clamps or for soft jaw applications. For more versatility, all jaw sets are tapped with two additional holes, providing an effective solution when down force or additional holding force is necessary. Jaws are not heat-treated to allow for custom modifications.

The revolutionary Pitbull clamp remains the lowest profile, highest-holding force clamp in the industry today. High vertical and horizontal clamping forces are generated – considering the size of the Pitbull clamps.

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With Dyna-Force the majority of the clamp is below the surface of the fixture which provides excellent clamp support and makes for a very low profile. The clamp jaw’s low profile design slides on an angle for positive down force providing incredible clamping and hold-down power.

“There is no need for pre-machining or dovetailing workpieces, which allows for very secure holding at lower clamping forces to avoid deforming the workpiece,” Fowler adds. “This results in both a higher cutting rate and less material waste than traditional clamping systems.”

Mitee-Bite Products LLC began in 1986 with the original Mitee-Bite hex clamp created to save time on a re-occurring production job. It has since grown to become the innovator of compact, lowprofile edge clamps for CNC machining.

Fast forward more than 30 years and the company continues to develop new products that provide customers with a wide assortment of high-density low profile clamping solutions – all designed to keep the spindle running, cutter engagement, reducing idle spindle time, savings on material cost and reduced set-up times.

TG GripSerts – Exceptional clamping stability Fairlane, a well-known US manufacturer of workholding grippers, has recently released TG GripSerts, a new range of grippers to complement its existing range. Michiganbased Fairlane design, manufacture and stock a wide range of workholding and positioning components.

Fairlane grippers grip and penetrate the workpiece to provide superior holding power. Used in jigs, fixtures and chuck jaws, these grippers are versatile enough to fit any number of applications and their modular and economical replaceable wear surfaces extend the life of expensive clamping mechanisms. The replaceability of the grippers enhances a fixture system by minimising downtime during setup.

Adjustable grippers are available in highspeed tool steel – with either tool steel or carbide serrations – in a number of thread styles and lengths. The fixed, nonadjustable grippers are available in round, square and angular configurations with a host of different serrated tooth patterns.

Materials include high-speed tool steel, solid carbide and carbide tipped.

The new range of TG GripSerts grippers offer many advantages over traditional clamping systems including exceptional clamping stability and vibration dampening.

“There is no need for pre-machining or dovetailing workpieces, which allows for very secure holding at lower clamping forces to avoid deforming the workpiece,” says Fowler. “This results in both a higher cutting rate and less material waste than traditional clamping systems. With only 3.5mm of clamp surface needed to securely hold the workpiece, TG GripSerts workholding grippers are ideal for 5-axis machining operations.”

Because of the geometry of the grippers, the TG GripSerts create a pull-down effect that prevents any lifting of the workpiece

WORKHOLDING with Dimac’s extensive range of CNC machine tool accessories and workholding solutions.

“Our suppliers and manufacturers are globally recognised as the most reliable and precise companies throughout the industry,” says Stumpf.

CTM’s expansion was completed late last year and is already paying dividends, Stumpf adds: “The expansion has allowed us to stock a much broader range of products, which in turn has enabled our customers to view products first-hand and take delivery of equipment in a much shorter timeframe.

“We are one of the few specialists in metalworking and workholding tools in WA and it is our extensive industry knowledge and advice that we give to our customers that sets us apart. Our expansive new training facility will allow us to provide greater technical support to our end users to ensure they get the most out of their new equipment and expand their product knowledge.” while clamping. These durable inserts combine tough-coated cemented carbide with specialised teeth and triangular shapes that penetrate different types of workpiece material. A range of different GripSerts are available to grip specific material including steel, hardened steel, titanium and aluminium.

Accessories include protective covers that protect jaws from dirt and debris when the GripSerts are not installed, screws that are used to mount the grippers onto the TG GripSert jaws and a cutting tool; this milling cutting tool is used to prepare jaws to receive TG GripSerts workholding grippers.

A retrofit jaw set allows operators to use TG GripSerts and snap-in parallels on six-inch vises.

in Perth’s northern suburbs, and added a new training facility to provide customers with an enhanced purchase experience.

CTM was founded by industry veteran Uli Stumpf, who started his career in Germany as an apprentice toolmaker before emigrating to Australia in 1989. He initially worked as a machinist before ending up working for the Sandvik Group for 15 years.

In 2013 Stumpf opened his own business to distribute and resell an extensive range of engineering equipment that included precision measuring tools and test instruments, precision cutting tools along

Fowler remarks: “We have always had an excellent working relationship with Uli and his team at CTM and this expansion will provide our WA customers with an enhanced service offering and shorter delivery times.

“The commitment and investment that CTM have made in additional training facilities will ensure that our WA customers enjoy the very best technical training available. Ultimately this will ensure that customers’ equipment operates at optimum performance and their return on investment is maximised.” www.dimac.com.au www.ctmes.com.au

The Fairlane range of grippers includes serrated grippers, low-profile edge grippers, single point and straight serration grippers, as well as the Swivots swivelaction modular component workholding system (incorporating a serrated or smooth contact area that rotates) and pivots for holding and positioning of irregular contour surfaces.

“Like all the products we sell, the Fairlane range has the full back-up and support of Dimac’s technical personnel to ensure the product is installed correctly and operates at optimum performance,” Fowler adds.

WA expansion for CTM CTM Engineering Supplies is one of Dimac’s largest and most successful distributors, responsible for the sale of Dimac’s extensive range throughout the Western Australian market. CTM has recently expanded its showroom in Malaga,

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WORKHOLDING

SCHUNK improves efficiency for gear manufacturer Clamping devices have a significant influence on precision and cost-effectiveness that can be achieved in the manufacture of gearbox components.

For maximum flexibility and efficiency of production, Swiss gearbox manufacturer Rollstar AG recently invested in a large six-jaw pendulum compensation chuck with a jaw quick-change system and jaw quick adjustment. The convenient solution minimises set-up times and delivers perfect results right from the start – faster and more economically than conventional clamping solutions.

The SCHUNK ROTA NCR 1250 six-jaw pendulum compensation chuck, which Rollstar uses to manufacture gears on a Pittler PV 1600 turn machining centre, is a large-dimensioned chuck with clever features. Christian Märki, Purchasing Manager at Rollstar considers whether it was a worthwhile investment.

“Definitely,” he says. “Due to the machine design, including the clamping devices, we were able to reduce set-up times by half while decreasing the reject rate by 75%.”

In particular the investment pays off when Rollstar uses the SCHUNK ROTA NCR 1250 for low-deformation clamping of gearboxes.

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it comes to thin-walled components and high-quality materials. The company’s aim was to achieve the necessary quality levels, reduce throughput times and lower the overall costs of producing deformationsensitive parts in two operations while ensuring process reliability. Due to the SCHUNK ROTA NCR, parts that were previously manufactured on another machine in a three-jaw chuck with a twopressure clamping system are now being produced faster, more precisely, and with greater process reliability.

“In the past, when we clamped a ring gear or a ring with a finished diameter of 820mm in a three-jaw chuck, the circularity or cross-sectional tolerance was higher than 0.1mm,” says Märki. “If we clamp the same component in the ROTA NCR, now we achieve cross-sectional tolerances of 0.02mm to 0.03mm. This high-precision increases the service life of our gearboxes even further because the rolling bearings

are subjected to completely uniform loads.”

This means that the gearboxes can be used much longer without any maintenance works, and sudden failures are extremely unlikely. Rollstar gearboxes are valued for their extreme reliability in applications such as in tunnelling and mining, where unplanned downtimes would be very costly.

An expertly co-ordinated system The clamping concept has been developed in close co-operation between Rollstar, Pittler and SCHUNK lathe chuck specialists. The necessary range of components, design requirements and set-up times was systematically taken into account. The decisive factor in choosing SCHUNK was the combination of the sixjaw chuck, jaw quick-change system, jaw quick adjustment, and SCHUNK’s ability to deliver quickly. Finally, the testimonials of other clients, which Rollstar visited, helped seal the deal.

WORKHOLDING The vertical position of the spindle also plays a role here. Maximum freedom of movement and therefore optimum centering are ensured because the components are put onto surface-ground pillars and not on the chuck jaws, as is the case with horizontal spindles.

Machine operator Willy Ummel sets up the second set of jaws while machining is still in progress.

The six-jaw pendulum compensation chuck SCHUNK ROTA NCR consists of a central chuck piston carrying three inner pendulums aligned at 120 degrees.

Each pendulum is connected to two base jaws. This ensures workpiece centering between six contact points, adjusted in pairs. As the clamping forces are directed towards the chuck centre, optimum centering is achieved without distortion of the workpiece. The chuck perfectly adjusts to the workpiece with its oscillating jaws. With conventional jaw clamping, this configuration allows for maximum roundness of the workpieces and ensures optimum centering at the same time.

Standard jaws can be used to replace elaborate system jaws and special solutions on the ROTA NCR jaw interface.

This saves time, avoids the need for costintensive special solutions, and reduces set-up costs. An integrated jaw quickchange system minimises set-up times on the idle machine.

In the past, up to two hours of machine downtime had to be calculated for a conventional set-up process of such workpiece sizes. Now it takes Ummel less than 30 minutes. Top jaw sets with hard chuck jaws and claw inserts are available for raw part clamping, and sets of soft top jaws are already bored in the different diameters for machining the part from the other side.

Perfect run-out – 75% fewer rejects One of the main goals of the investment was for the machine to run as smoothly as possible with only minimum interruptions.

“The lathe chuck is so precise that we can use jaws again and again without reboring,” says Fierz. “After exchange of the jaws, we achieve a run-out of 0.02mm without any additional actions.”

“The vertical machine allows for significantly better oscillation than machines with a horizontal spindle, where the friction between the component and the jaws restricts the pendulum effect,” emphasises Fierz. When finish machining or clamping rough turned surfaces, Ummel can clamp the ROTA NCR’s pendulum in the center position so that all six jaws are moving concentrically. The use of the lathe chuck has a welcome side effect: the reject rate has fallen by around 75% since the solution was implemented. This is due to the dramatically reduced deformation, the high precision of the jaw change process and the improved flat work surface of workpieces. The reduced reject rate results in considerable savings, especially with high-quality materials such as the ferritic casts frequently used by Rollstar.

According to Märki, a decisive advantage of the clamping solution is the flexibility that Rollstar has gained in production: “Even though we typically manufacture in batches of 10, we can now squeeze in rush orders at any time without losing efficiency.”

This allowed the company to reduce stock levels without compromising its excellent service level. In the near future, Rollstar plans to machine components with diameters between 400mm and 1,600mm on the chuck. The ROTA NCR 1250 is ideal for this range of parts.

“It’s easy to clean, a breeze to adjust and extremely easy to load thanks to its horizontal position,” says Märki. www.schunk.com www.romheld.com.au

“We use two sets of base jaws and set up the top jaws outside the machine, in other words, while machining is still in progress,” explains team leader Daniel Fierz. “The setup process for the second operation then takes only 20 minutes, including cleaning.”

To do this, the base jaws are pushed open, then they automatically lock in place, and are secured with a quarter-turn of the torque wrench. Due to the jaw quick adjustment, the base jaw position can be easily adjusted in just a few simple steps.

“The quick adjustment feature allows me to set the clamping range in defined steps,” explains machine operator Willy Ummel.

“The system works flawlessly and is easy to clean.”

The six oscillating jaws ensure optimum centering of the workpiece.

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FORUM COMPLIANCE

Australia’s new industrial chemical regulations There have been changes to Australia’s industrial chemical regulations. These changes include more monitoring and evaluation of products. Laura Whiteman and Lily Hou explain.

On 1 July 2020, Australia’s Industrial chemical regulations were changed. The National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) will be replaced by the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS). Industrial chemicals in Australia are regulated by exclusion, meaning that a chemical is an industrial chemical if it is not for therapeutic use, agricultural or veterinary use, or a food.

Anyone who imports or manufactures industrial chemicals in Australia must: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Register their business with AICIS and pay a fee.

Categorise the import or manufacture of each chemical.

Submit declarations and reports.

Keep records for a minimum of five years.

Provide information to AICIS if requested.

The new scheme will focus primarily on higher risk introductions and will have a greater use of international assessments. The use of animal test data for cosmetic ingredients will be restricted, and more monitoring and evaluation of products will be undertaken. The new Industrial Chemical Act (ICA) requires introducers of industrial chemicals to categorise their introduction into one of five main categories: listed, exempted, reported, assessed, and commercial evaluation. It’s important to note that it will be an offence to not know what you’re introducing, or not having access to the required information from a supplier. If you are not aware of all of the required information, you will need to contact your supplier to help you categorise your introduction.

Australia maintains a list of industrial chemicals that can be introduced or manufactured in Australia. This list is changing from the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances (AICS) to the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AICIS Inventory). This new inventory is solely for industrial chemicals, and approximately 1600 chemicals in the AICS will be removed from the inventory as they were not industrial chemicals. This new inventory will assist in protecting confidential business information (CBI) by using substitute terms, AICIS Approved Chemical Names (AACN) and Generalised End Use (GEU), where relevant. Where applicable, the new inventory will also include a defined scope of assessment, any conditions of introduction or use, and specific information requirements. For a “Listed” introduction, it will be important for manufacturers to ensure that they meet all the conditions associated with it on the AICIS inventory. This can include the volume permitted to be introduced or used, and where or how the chemical is allowed to be used.

For a chemical not listed on the Australia Inventory, unless you introduce it for commercial testing in Australia, you will need further evaluation. It might have protected CBI which AICIS can determine by searching through the listings which might have AACNs or confidential terms. Genuine enquirers of these chemicals then gain rights to be notified and make applications under CBI protection.

If the chemical is not on the inventory at all, then the importer or manufacturer will need to determine its risk level to humans or the environment for categorisation. There are three main categories for this: 1. Exempt introduction a. Chemicals which are a very low risk. b. A one-off declaration is required after you introduce the product. c. Recordkeeping is required.

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2. Reported introduction a. Chemicals with a low risk. b. A one-off declaration is required before you introduce the product. c. Recordkeeping is required.

3. Assessed introduction a. Chemicals with a medium to high risk. b. An assessment certificate is required before you introduce the product. c. Recordkeeping is required. d. Leads to the chemical being added to the AICIS Inventory.

Other information that you might need to know about your chemical includes the introduction volume and concentration, the end use and end use concentration, hazard information on the chemical, and if your chemical is in any specified class of introduction. If your chemical is a polymer, then a molecular weight is necessary. If your chemical has undergone international assessments that would also be useful to reference in your submission. All of this information can then be used to help determine the introduction category for the chemical.

As part of the change, in March 2020, NICNAS published a list of chemicals with high hazards to human health and the environment for categorisation purposes under the Industrial Chemical Act. To provide introducers a tool for checking whether their chemicals are highly hazardous, NICNAS published the consolidated list of chemicals with high hazards that were based on one or more national or international information sources, such as the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Harmonised Classification and Labelling of Hazardous Substances (Annex VI to the CLP Regulation) and the Chemical Substances Control Law of Japan (CSCL) Class I and II Specified Chemical Substances. The list contains about 4,500 chemicals with their Australia inventory status, as well as the hazard classification data from the trusted sources.

Recommended action For more information on how to categorise your chemical introduction, please refer to the AICIS Guide to categorising your chemical importation or manufacture on the AICIS website.

Laura Whiteman and Dr. Lily Hou are both senior regulatory specialists at UL, which provides innovative material and regulatory data solutions to facilitate a transparent and sustainable product supply chain. With fully automated chemical compliance software platforms, industry-leading data resources, and an unprecedented global network of regulatory expertise, UL removes barriers and solves critical challenges to help companies stay one step ahead of global regulations.

For all of the latest regulatory news and the most important industry updates, you can sign up to UL’s monthly regulatory newsletter. Email: customerservice.anz@ul.com Ph: 03 9846 2751 https://msc.ul.com/en

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FORUM OHS

What are the new laws around asbestos?

New laws regulating asbestos in the workplace have been issued by Safe Work Australia. Brendan Torazzi explains.

Asbestos was banned in Australia in 2003 but remains a potential health risk in various workplaces. When asbestos is discovered by a WHS regulator, the regulator may issue a notice requiring the removal or containment of the asbestos.

Unfortunately, the laws related to asbestos were not entirely clear.

To address the uncertainty about possible gaps in the existing powers to regulate asbestos under the model WHS laws, Safe Work Australia introduced new laws.

What are the new asbestos laws?

The new asbestos laws are defined in the Model Work Health and Safety Legislation Amendment (Asbestos) 2019. The amendment includes 11 changes to the WHS Act and two changes to the WHS Regulations concerning asbestos in the workplace. The changes were made to add new compliance power for WHS regulators to issue prohibited asbestos notices at a workplace.

Before the amendment, there was some confusion surrounding the circumstances where a regulator may issue a notice.

WHS regulators are individuals that monitor and enforce compliance with the WHS laws in each jurisdiction. The new laws allow them to issue a notice when they reasonably believe that prohibited asbestos is present. The notice must be issued to the “relevant person in relation to a workplace,” which is typically the owner of the property.

If you are a company that carries out work in a setting where asbestos may be present, you should ensure that your employees have the necessary training. The new laws do not change the requirements for identifying or removing asbestos.

There are several types of asbestos removal training courses intended for different roles. Any employees whose work may reasonably involve exposure to asbestos should complete the 10675NAT Course in Asbestos Awareness. It is a nationally recognised training course, but it does not meet compliance for the removal of asbestos.

• Details of the asbestos, such as the potential location, condition, and type of asbestos

Employees whose work may require the removal of asbestos or asbestos-containing material (ACM) must complete the Remove Non-Friable Asbestos (Class B) course or the Remove Friable Asbestos (Class A) course.Non-friable (Class B) asbestos contains less of a health risk compared to Friable (Class A) asbestos. With non-friable materials, the asbestos is bonded to other products, such as cement or plastic mixed with asbestos. Friable asbestos includes materials that are powdery or can easily become dust when crushed, increasing the risk of inhalation and exposure. As the asbestos is easily released into the air, it poses a greater threat.

• Specific measures for dealing with the asbestos

What measures should companies take?

• A set date by which compliance is necessary

Companies should continue to follow the model Codes of Practice for dealing with asbestos and asbestos-containing material (ACM).

As mentioned, there are asbestos removal training courses available that directly address the identification and removal of asbestos.

When issuing a prohibited asbestos notice, WHS regulators must include the following information: • The basis for the belief that asbestos is present in the workplace

The amendment also includes various clarifications to the definitions included in the existing laws. For example, the amendment added “asbestos-containing material (ACM)” in the definitions for asbestos.

The laws also define the power of the regulator to take remedial action if the improvement notice was not complied with. The regulator now has greater flexibility for determining what measures need to be taken to deal with the asbestos.

While the immediate removal of asbestos is the ideal solution, removal is not always appropriate. For example, there are situations where the asbestos does not pose a health risk in its current state but may create a health risk during removal.

When did the laws come into place?

The new laws were introduced in 2019 as an amendment to the model WHS Act and model WHS Regulations. The original WHS laws were developed by Safe Work Australia in 2011. The laws are known as “model” laws.

For model WHS laws to become legally binding, each state and territory must separately implement them.

Who does it affect?

The new laws affect WHS regulators and the “relevant person in relation to a workplace.” In some cases, multiple people may be responsible for dealing with asbestos in the workplace due to different workplace arrangements. The relevant person may include the property owner, manager, or employer.

Why do you need to comply?

Failure to comply with a notice may result in steep penalties.The amendment makes it an offence to not comply with a prohibited asbestos notice. The law allows a maximum penalty of $500,000 for corporations and $100,000 for individuals.

WHS regulators also have the power to take other remedial action on top of the penalty. For example, a regulator may choose to carry out the measures specified in the notice and any other measures that the regulator believes may increase the safety of the workplace. In these situations, you are required to cover the costs of the measures.

The amendment was designed to increase the safety of workplaces concerning asbestos, which was banned in Australia in 2003. To maintain compliance with WHS laws, always follow the outlined recommendations when presented with a prohibited asbestos notice.

Brendan Torazzi is the CEO of AlertForce - a registered training organisation specialising in short Health and Safety courses to meet compliance. Brendan also runs the Australian Health and Safety Business Podcast and is the owner of OHS.com.au, an online marketplace for safety courses.

Ph: 1800 900 222 www.alertorce.com.au www.OHS.com.au

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FORUM FINANCE

Protect your business against foreign exchange fluctuations Colin White offers advice on how to protect your business from the impact of foreign exchange rate fluctuations during these challenging times.

If there's one thing that the current series of events has reminded us of is the fact that unforeseeable events can happen at any time, and with potentially devastating repercussions for any business that relies on transacting in foreign currency or purchases equipment from overseas suppliers.

According to recent findings by specialist banking market research and analysis firm, East and Partners, Australian businesses suffered currency losses of up to AU$3.4bn in the last six months - highlighting just how damaging changing business cycles and volatile financial markets can be.

Despite the current economic uncertainty, the good news is that there are ways you can protect your business from the impact of foreign exchange (FX) rate fluctuations during these turbulent times.

The key is to build a risk management strategy around your business, and not just the market, by suitably hedging your FX currency risk.

account can help you manage your cash flows and currency requirements and reduce costs associated with unnecessary conversions. If you have the flexibility, foreign currency deposits can provide a better rate over a fixed term, with a fixed rate of interest.

Unsecured Foreign Exchange – allows small-to-medium businesses to transact FECs without the need to pledge for assets as security; and

Trade Finance – working capital solutions provide your business with end-to-end funding options including shortterm trade loans, documentary letters of credit as well as escrow equipment finance. In situations where cross-currency transactions require cash-flow certainty, your business may also have the opportunity to overlay their working capital solutions with FX hedging.

Why do businesses hedge their FX risk?

Documentary Letter of Credit (LCs)

FX rate fluctuations can negatively impact any business that:

One of the most popular financial products to manage risk when importing equipment from overseas suppliers is the documentary letter of credit. This financial instrument protects the buyer as they pay a minimal deposit, coupling this with currency hedging minimises most of the risks in this type of transaction.

• imports or exports goods and services from overseas; • sends or receives funds in foreign currencies; or • requires greater certainty for cash flow planning and budgeting purposes.

The process of FX hedging includes: 1. Identifying your FX risk

FX risk arises when a company engages in financial transactions in a different currency other than that of where the company is based. Any change in the value of the relevant currencies against the other will affect the resulting cash flows of the transaction.

2. Setting your objectives

Your FX hedging policy should take into account whether you need to protect or improve margins, your market competitiveness and cash flow requirements. Once these factors are established, it is possible to better determine your hedging requirements.

3. Creating a plan

FX hedging can be complex, so it is recommended to speak with an FX specialist about the best FX products available.

Some of the most common products and services available include: Forward Exchange Contract (FECs) – an agreement to buy (or sell) a fixed amount of foreign currency at a fixed exchange rate on an agreed future date (usually chosen to align with a scheduled payment you expect to make or receive).

Establishing an FEC gives you certainty over the amount of Australian dollars that you will pay or receive in return for a fixed amount of foreign currency on that future date.

Foreign Currency Options – provides your business with the flexibility to protect against adverse exchange rate fluctuations and also take advantage of any favourable currency movements.

Foreign Currency Accounts and Deposits – whether your business is receiving or sending funds, a foreign currency

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Typically, a supplier will require a deposit of 30-50% to be paid prior to shipping, with a further amount payable on shipping usually 90% of the invoice value. Shipping is evidenced by production of original bills of lading. Most suppliers will reduce the deposit requirements when using an LC as the Documentary Letter of Credit is a guarantee of payment if they meet certain milestones.

Most financial institutions will require you to provide security of up to the full amount of the item cost until the asset arrives in the country and has cleared customs.

These facilities can be expensive and tie up additional cash or assets that are then difficult to release. There are products that allow for deposits of up to 20% to be paid overseas using just the asset as security and do not use any cash or business assets as additional collateral. Progress payments are made in line with agreed trading terms and converts to a simple finance agreement once the goods have arrived.

This allows for the business to preserve cash in the business and not have to go through the lengthy process of providing additional security. The supplier is guaranteed their monies so long as they meet the milestones outlined in the purchase agreement.

In summary there are multiple ways to minimise risk with international trade.

• Investigate foreign exchange hedging products to suit your needs.

• Minimise deposits paid to overseas suppliers.

• Minimise security given your bank for financial transactions.

This is not an offer of finance or financial advice.

Colin White is Director, Interlease Pty Ltd. Interlease can provide you with all these solutions and more. Feel free to discuss all your FX and Equipment import requirements with us. We are here to help.

Ph: 03 9420 0000 www.interlease.com.au

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FORUM LAW

The Wage Theft Act The phrase ‘wage theft’ has been introduced into the Australian industrial landscape. Nicholas Kelly and David McLaughlin explain.

The Wage Theft Act 2020 (Vic) (Wage Theft Act) passed the Victorian Parliament on 16 June 2020 and commencess operation on 1 July 2021. The underpayment of wages and entitlements have has been a particularly fraught issue in Australia over the past few years with a number. A range of large employers have self-reporting ed underpayments to the Fair Work Ombudsman. These instances of underpayments have coincided with a push to criminalise some types of deliberate underpayment. As a result, Tthe phrase ‘wage theft’ has been introduced into the Australian industrial landscape.

whether a withholding of employee entitlements is “dishonest” an employee’s consent is an irrelevant factor if the withholding, falsification of a record or failure to keep a record by the employer reduces the entitlement to less than the minimum amount required under relevant laws.

Underpayment of wages and record-keeping obligations are issues that have historically been governed by industrial relations laws that, if not abided by, may lead to civil penalties being imposed on employers. The Wage Theft Act is different. It is the first piece of legislation in any jurisdiction in Australia that creates statutory criminal offences related to non-payment of employee entitlements or the falsification of employee records.

Who is liable?

Offences Under the Wage Theft Act there are three main criminal offences.

Offence 1 - Dishonestly withholding of employee entitlements It is an offence under the Wage Theft Act for an employer or an officer of an employer to dishonestly withhold (or permit or authorise another person to withhold) the whole or part of an ‘employee entitlement’ owed by an employer to an employee.

Under the Wage Theft Act ‘employee entitlements’ include: • • • •

wages or salary; gratuities; and annual leave; meal breaks; and

• • • •

allowance; the attribution or: long service leave; superannuation

in accordance with relevant laws, contracts or agreements that apply to the employees.

Offence 2 - Falsification of employee entitlement record to dishonestly obtain It is an offence under the Wage Theft Act for an employer or an officer of an employer to falsify (or permit or authorise another person to falsify) a record of an employee entitlement with the view to dishonestly: • obtaining a financial advantage for the employer or another person; or • preventing the exposure of a financial advantage for an employer or another person.

Offence 3 - Failure to keep employee entitlement record It is an offence under the Wage Theft Act for an employer or an officer of an employer to fail to keep (or permit or authorise another person to fail to keep) a record of an employee entitlement with the view to dishonestly: • obtaining a financial advantage for the employer or another person; or • preventing the exposure of financial advantage for an employer or another person.

Defences The “dishonest” component of the offences is assessed objectively by the standards of a reasonable person. However, in assessing

An employer will be able to defend a charge under the Wage Theft Act by proving that it took all reasonable steps to prevent the conduct occurring. Therefore, the need for a proper due diligence process to be in place to demonstrate reasonable steps is essential.

An employer, officers of the employer (including key decision -makers) and individual partners in a partnership may be personally liable under the Wage Theft Act.

Penalties?

The penalties that are maybe imposed for committing an offence under the Wage Theft Act are steep and include: • fines of up to $990,000 for corporations; and • imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or fines of up to $198,000 for individuals.

Enforcement The Wage Theft Act establishes the “Wage Inspectorate Victoria (Inspectorate)”. The Inspectorate has multiple functions under the Wage Theft Act to promote and inform people in relation to the Wage Theft Act. However, the Inspectorate’s functions include: • the investigation of possible criminal offences under the Wage Theft Act; • bringing criminal proceedings in relation to alleged offences under the Wage Theft Act; and • to work with the Office of Public Prosecutions in relation to alleged offences under the Wage Theft Act.

What Next?

The commencement of the Wage Theft Act is about a year away.

The Federal Government has already indicated it intends to introduce legislation that relates to the criminalisation of deliberate underpayment of wages and has criticised the Victorian Government for introducing its own legislation.

There are potential arguments that the Wage Theft Act is unconstitutional and because it is inconsistent with the Fair Work Act and there may be further arguments that the Wage Theft Act is unconstitutional if the Federal Government introduces its own legislation that criminalises certain forms of underpayments.

It is very much an uncertain state of affairs. However, it is more important than ever that businesses understand their obligations to employees under legislation, modern awards, enterprise agreements and employment contracts in order to prevent the prospect of the Wage Theft Act ever being potentially applicable to them.

Nicholas Kelly is a Senior Associate at Rigby Cooke Lawyers Ph: (03) 9321 7839 nkelly@rigbycooke.com.au David McLaughlin is a Partner in Rigby Cooke Lawyers Ph: (03) 9321 7838 dmclaughlin@rigbycooke.com.au Rigby Cooke Lawyers is a full-service Victorian commercial law firm providing specialist legal expertise, supported by in-depth industry knowledge, to public and private sector clients across Australia. www.rigbycooke.com.au

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Keeping busy in difficult times Needless to say the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to have a big impact on our day-to-day lives and ability to operate the in the same way as we have in the past. For AMTIL it has meant the cancellation of 17 events around the country - events that provide great networking and social activity for our members. It also looks highly unlikely that we will be able to run our national program of Christmas activities later in the year as well, although we are still hopeful that some of them may eventuate.

On a positive note, we have successfully run seven webinars over the past few months with many topics including government assistance measures, the future of manufacturing post COVID, changes to the manslaughter legislation and how to manage working from home policies. These have all been well-attended by our members and the feedback has been excellent.

Our staff continue to operate business as usual, albeit working from home still the norm and not being able to see our members face to face.

With most of our staff based in Melbourne, we are hopeful that over the coming month or two we will have much more positive outlooks and start lifting the restrictions currently in place.

We recently signed an agreement with BMS Group to join us as a Corporate Partner for 2020/21. BMS Group is a global broker specialising in insurance, reinsurance and capital markets advisory services. We are excited to have them on board as a Corporate Partner and look forward to working with them to provide services and benefits to our members.

Another big announcement from us over the past month is the launch of Australian Manufacturing Week. The launch of Australian Manufacturing Week follows the news that Reed Exhibitions has decided to cease the operation of its National Manufacturing Week (NMW) exhibition.

NMW has been held annually since 1999, at venues alternating each year between Sydney and Melbourne. For the last 20 years, NMW was held in co-location with Austech. The discontinuation of NMW was seen as an opportunity for us to develop a more extensive event that demonstrates the full scope and diversity of the manufacturing industry in Australia today.

Australian Manufacturing Week will provide AMTIL with opportunities for future growth that will benefit all of our members, and will support us in our efforts to promote and advance the industry. Austech has gained such a strong reputation over the years and our team boasts so much expertise in running shows of this kind and an in-depth understanding of the manufacturing sector. So we’re confident that Australian Manufacturing Week will be something anyone with a connection with this industry is going to be paying attention to.

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Reed Exhibitions for a remarkable 20-year relationship which has resulted in Austech and National Manufacturing Week maintaining very strong reputations in the marketplace. We look forward to developing Australian Manufacturing Week as a replacement for NMW and continuing this exciting event.

Shane Infanti, CEO AMTIL

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

AMTIL HEADING INSIDE

BMS Group signs up as AMTIL’s latest Corporate Partner AMTIL has announced the appointment of BMS Group as the latest addition to its Corporate Partner program.

BMS is an agile, lateral thinking insurance broker that specialises in crafting bespoke solutions to protect the growth and reputation of its customers’ businesses. The BMS team has spent decades nurturing clients through the ups and downs of business.

We’re all used to receiving those insurance renewals at the same time year on year, but we rarely consider whether those policies are properly protecting the unique commercial risks facing our businesses. Circumstances can change quickly: your business structure; revenue and staffing; securing or divesting assets, or even a pandemic like COVID-19. Moreover, changes in your business often require alterations to your policies to ensure you are correctly covered.

Most importantly, you don’t have to wait for your insurance renewal to review your policies. Renewals may be annual, but reviewing and potentially updating your policies should be an ongoing process.

BMS knows manufacturing and its staff take the time to understand your business circumstances, before structuring a bespoke insurance solution tailored to each unique risk profile. That means that BMS becomes a natural part of each client’s team, allowing us to provide strategic, innovative risk management advice and related insurance solutions.

Moreover, BMS’ niche Australian business is backed by a global enterprise. This combination of personal attention and international scale affords it access to a full suite of products that can be finessed to align perfectly to each of its clients’ individual needs. Areas where BMS can assist you include: • Business Insurance • Public and Products Liability Insurance • Directors and Officers Liability Insurance

• • • • • • • •

Management Liability Insurance Professional Indemnity Insurance Cyber Protection Insurance Investment Manager Insurance Contract Works Insurance Motor Vehicle Insurance Workers Compensation Insurance Parametric Insurance

The BMS team is deeply integrated into each state market, which means that, wherever you are, they will have a Specialist Consultant eager to understand your unique circumstances and deliver an insurance outcome specific to your individual needs.

AMTIL’S Corporate Partners offer a range of products and services across various fields of expertise – all for the benefit of AMTIL members. The current line-up of AMTIL Corporate Partners is as follows: • • • • •

BMS Group – Insurance Interlease – Business Finance Rigby Cooke Lawyers – Legal SternaGL – Freight William Buck – Accounting/Financial Advice

Whether you are currently reviewing your policies, or you would like a second opinion on the policies you currently have, now is the time to talk to BMS. You can find them on 1800 290 978, or email them on amtil@bmsgroup.com. For more information about AMTIL’s Corporate Partner program visit: www.amtil.com.au/initiatives/corporate-partnerships 1382AMTIL

AMTIL is delighted to welcome BMS Group to its Corporate Partnership Program.

AMTIL’s corporate partners offer 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

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Resilience is the theme as AMTIL AGM goes online AMTIL will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 27 October, and this year for the first time it will be held online.

The decision to hold a virtual AGM was brought about by the COVID-19 crisis, and the significant possibility that social distancing restrictions may still be in place in October. However, as AMTIL Events Manager Kim Banks explains, the switch to an online meeting does also create new opportunities for the AGM. “The AGM is always one of the biggest events in the AMTIL calendar, so it’s disappointing that we won’t be holding it as a social gathering this year,” says Banks. “However, like other organisations, AMTIL has adapted as a result of COVID-19, and our online events such as the Virtual Meetings webinars have been a real success. And obviously you don’t have to travel to participate in an online event, so it means a more inclusive event with more AMTIL members from across Australia able to take part.”

As well as the usual association business that takes place at the AGM, AMTIL has booked keynote speaker Mike Rolls, who will be giving a special presentation on resilience in the face of adversity.

In September 2001, aged just 18, Mike contracted one of the deadliest diseases on the planet, meningococcal septicemia. His chances of survival were as little as 5%, and the infection left him with

Mike Rolls

horrific internal and external injuries, including the amputation of both his legs. Mike spent six months in hospital, and was told it could take years to perform even the most basic tasks, such as walking and driving.

Mike’s journey back to health was aided by a positive outlook, an adaptive mindset and a conscious decision to embrace challenge and change. His accomplishments as a double amputee include running again after many years, representing Australia in golf, climbing one of Australia’s tallest buildings, and supporting other amputees facing similar circumstances.

Mike’s method of building resilience by ‘Ditching the Dead Weight’ is simple yet effective – what can we take away from our life in order to improve it? Mike believes we are all far more powerful than we can ever imagine and must never underestimate our capabilities – a timely message for all of us as we face the continuing challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis.

The AGM will be held via the Zoom video conferencing platform, with timings and registration details to be released shortly. For up-to-date information on AMTIL’s AGM, as well as our Virtual Meeting webinar series, please visit the Events page of the AMTIL website, at: www.amtil.com.au/events/amtil

AM Hub announces automotive aftermarket partnerships AMTIL’s Additive Manufacturing Hub (AM Hub) has welcomed two major new members: the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) and the Automotive Innovation Centre (AIC).

Founded in 1980, the AAAA is a national industry association representing Australia’s automotive aftermarket, including manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, importers and retailers of automotive parts and accessories, tools and equipment. The AAAA also provides vehicle service, repair and modification services in Australia. With 2,250 members ranging from large multi-national corporations to small and medium-sized businesses, the AAAA hosts the Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo and the Australian Auto Aftermarket Awards, offers input on government policy, and publishes nine Australian Auto Aftermarket magazines each year.

The AAAA developed the idea for the AIC in 2013 and, having secured grant funding from the Government in 2018, two sites were opened in Australia, one in Victoria and one in South Australia, after these states witnessed the closure of two large auto manufacturing sites.

The AIC boasts three 3D printers that offer three different technologies – MJF, SLA, and FDM – and therefore three different capabilities. Each printer has a unique strength: one is best for larger volumes; one excels with incredibly detailed smaller parts; and one is perfect for very strong parts. This means the AIC can provide a more flexible service offering that is better suited to each customer’s application needs.

“We are proud to offer to companies all of the benefits of our newly established additive manufacturing facility,” said AIC Managing

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

Director Luke Truskinger. “The AIC is looking forward to assisting more companies with their innovative projects. Certainly, having the only colour HP MJF printer in Australia allows us to provide a niche service to those with boutique requirements.

“We are also getting ready to run training courses on additive manufacturing to help keep the industry abreast of the new technologies and even help them to add additive manufacturing capability to their own company if they so wish.

“Here at the AIC, we are very pleased to be partnering with the AM Hub and look forward to connecting with and helping more Victorian companies to reach their goals through the use of innovative additive manufacturing technology.”

John Croft, AM Hub manager, welcomed the AAAA and the AIC, and is eagerly anticipating working with Truskinger and AAAA CEO Stuart Charity.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with the AAAA and the AIC to further encourage the use of additive in automation,” said Croft. “New technologies such as additive lay the path for an exciting future for the automotive aftermarket industry. We aim to further support the expansion of the automotive aftermarket products manufactured by businesses that specialise in advanced manufacturing in Australia.” www.aaaa.com.au www.autoic.com.au www.amhub.net.au

Hotspots is proudly owned and managed

by AMTIL

Looking for the right support? HotSpots can help.

•

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

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How manufacturers are pivoting in the ‘New Normal’ While most businesses are focused on how they can keep the lights on, a few sectors such as manufacturing and biotech are quickly emerging at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis. By John Spender, Director, Business Advisory at AMTIL corporate partners William Buck.

While the pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in many operating models and supply chains, some businesses are quickly adapting to the new supply and demand.

We’re hearing stories of perfume and gin manufacturers shifting to make sanitisers, SMEs producing critical ventilators, and other companies repurposing production lines to make face shields and personal protective equipment.

Evaluate every part of your business and carefully assess how each will be affected by reinventing products or services. Identify and examine every asset and understand what parts align to the new change. Ask yourself what can be repurposed to create new value, and how can you deliver or monetise your product and service? Rethink your offering and consider options that will help you to shift fast.

Manufacturers are being forced to innovative and move fast. The pressure of disrupted supply chains and the shortage of medical supplies has created an unprecedented opportunity for our Australian manufacturers to deliver new solutions.

Be open to collaborating with supply chain members and local operators to create a complete solution. Look at the value in your ecosystem. What can you do with partners that you can’t do alone? Are there options that you would never consider under normal circumstances?

Surviving the outbreak – the race to pivot The need to create local medical equipment was an immediate response to market demand and a directive strongly supported by government. The question that most businesses have been asking is: How do you change direction at such short notice?

Switching products can be a lot easier and faster than you think.

It’s not about starting from scratch.

Manufacturers are looking at how they can reconfigure production lines and through planning and remodelling. While there are challenges for some industries to retool their factories – for example, automotive manufacturers with complex technologies – some manufacturers have already begun to successfully shift operations.

The latest facts from IBISWorld outline the biggest impacts to our manufacturing sector. With 2% of domestic demand for medical and surgical equipment derived from imports, companies such as MedCon, which is the only surgical facemask manufacturer in Australia, has increased its annual production capacity from two million to 50 million (see page 42). Detmold, a food packaging manufacturer, has announced plans to produce 145 million surgical and respirator masks over the next year. While the spotlight is on medical products, we’re also seeing examples of new Work From Home (WFH) supplies, health tech and supermarket protective equipment being created by manufacturers.

This is a critical time for manufacturers. To outlast COVID-19 and emerge stronger, manufacturers need to diversify and fill the gaps in the market. Pivoting to a new strategy can be done in many ways – either drastically changing the whole company or just one or two aspects.

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

Don’t try to create pivot options in isolation Innovative businesses have been pivoting for years. The COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that changing your business model is less risky that taking no action at all. If you’re wanting to create new revenue streams, and fast, you need to know your business levers.

Pivoting through adversity requires preparation and forecasting. Investing in good business intelligence and data analytics can help you to identify economic trends and future opportunities. www.williambuck.com.au

William Buck relaunches Financial Reporting Accounting and Advisory Service In light of the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, AMTIL corporate partner William Buck has relaunched its Financial Reporting Accounting and Advisory (FRAA) service.

While William Buck’s FRAA division has been operational for some time, it is significant to a wider range of businesses in the current environment given the regulatory changes, tax breaks, and widespread restructuring resulting from the global pandemic. FRAA advisors are available to assist CFOs and financial controllers to listed public, unlisted public and private companies on the proper implementation of Australian Accounting Standards (AASB) and the Australian equivalents to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

FRAA will also assist with complex accounting matters such as impairment testing, business combinations and share-based payments. The service line can also assist with the preparation of general-purpose financial reports for public interest entities to allow CFOs and financial controllers to concentrate on

operational matters rather than annual compliance.

With 13 years’ experience and strong insights across a broad range of industries and markets, William Buck’s Director Alan Finnis leads the FRAA division. Finnis says the FRAA team assists companies to understand the ‘real-life’ implications of abstract standards and interpretations, and their practical applications.

“We remove uncertainty and ensure compliance,” says Finnis. “Ineffective financial reporting can be costly and have serious impacts on an organisation’s management and productivity.”

For more information on the FRAA service offering or to register for an introductory webinar, please contact William Buck’s Melbourne office (03) 9824 8555 or visit: www.williambuck.com

AMTIL INSIDE

New members AMTIL would like to welcome the following companies who have signed up as new members of our association.

ANYWHERE BUT VIC!

And the madness continues!

Victorian clubs are playing home games in Perth, in Sydney, in Brisbane, on the Gold Coast – anywhere but Victoria! The state is suffering with outrageous numbers of COVID-19 cases increasing each day and tipping over 500 at the time of writing. Truly a season to remember… or forget. Clubs are finally beginning to figure out the reduced playing time and hitting the scoreboard more, avoiding continued criticism amongst the coaches regarding the ultradefensive style of play, making the game an ugly spectacle. Shining light is the improvement of the Gold Coast Suns and Port Power with fast moving aggressive football. Coming weeks will see all ten Victorian clubs based in Queensland in order to contain any outbreaks in footy-land but at what cost? Families are separated and the real issue of mental health has escalated amongst the players missing their dear ones… Staying apart is what will keep us together.

Sanchez ROUND 08 1 Nick Sear MIIB Ins 2 Tungaloy Australia 3 Mottdiggitydog 4 Brendan 5 davec 6 Lou 7 FrankC-SGP 8 Shane Infanti 9 Daniel Fisher 10 TWJ

50 (182) 48 (166) 48 (172) 47 (138) 47 (176) 46 (158) 46 (165) 46 (166) 46 (202) 45 (145)

AURARUM PTY LTD 13/103 Lewis Road Knoxfield VIC 3180 www.australwright.com.au

INTERMACH PTY LTD 14 Northern Avenue Mentone VIC 3194 www.intermach.com.au

AUSTRAL WRIGHT METALS PTY LTD 133-139 Cowpasture Road Wetherill Park NSW 2164 www.australwright.com.au

MACKAY CONSOLIDATED INDUSTRIES 260 Chesterville Road Moorabbin VIC 3189 www.mackayrubber.com.au

EFFICIENT LIGHTING SYSTEMS 39 Tinning Street Brunswick VIC 3056 www.elslighting.com.au

SELPAK AUTOMATION PTY LTD 1/56-58 Hoskins Avenue Bankstown NSW 2200 www.selpak.com.au

EXPORT FINANCE AUSTRALIA Level 10 Export House, 22 Pitt St Sydney NSW 2000 www.exportfinance.gov.au

SPECIALIST MACHINERY SALES 26 Islington Court Dudley Park SA 5008 www.smsales.com.au

GEETHA ENGINEERING PTY LTD 53 Willandra Drive Epping VIC 3076 www.geetha.com.au

TEKT INDUSTRIES PTY LTD 3/ 1G Marine Parade Abbotsford VIC 3067 www.tektindustries.com

Real Business.

Real People.

Real Benefits.

Call AMTIL’s Membership Manager David Mohorovicic on 03 9800 3666 to learn how your business can be part of the leading Advanced Manufacturing association in Australia. www.amtil.com.au

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INDUSTRY CALENDAR Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many industry events world-wide have been postponed, rescheduled or cancelled, while both domestic and international travel has been severely disrupted, with many countries’ borders still closed at time of going to print. Readers are advised to check direct with all event organisers for the latest information.

For up-to-date advice on coronavirus, visit: www.health.gov.au/health-topics/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov For more events, please visit www.amtil.com.au INTERNATIONAL FOODTECH PACKTECH NZ, Auckland 22-24 September 2020

MECSPE Italy, Parma 29-31 October 2020

EUROSURFAS Spain, Barcelona 1-4 December 2020

www.foodtechpacktech.co.nz

www.mecspe.com/en

www.eurosurfas.com

INTERMACH & MTA Thailand, Bangkok 23-26 September 2020

CEMAT ASIA China, Shanghai 3-6 November 2020

MACHINE TOOL INDONESIA Indonesia, Jakarta 2-5 December 2020

www.intermachshow.com/2020/en

www.cemat-asia.com

www.machinetoolindonesia.com

METAL SHOW & TIB Romania, Bucharest 29 September-2 October 2020

ITM INDUSTRY EUROPE Poland, Poznan 3-6 November 2020

METAL EXPO Japan, Tokyo 2-4 December 2020

www.metalshow-tib.ro

www.itm-europe.pl

www.metal-japan.jp/en

MANUFACTURING SURABAYA Indonesia, Surabaya 30 September – 03 October 2020

MTA VIETNAM Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City 4-7 November 2020

AUTOMATICA Germany , Munich 8-11 December 2020

www.manufacturingsurabaya.com

www.mtavietnam.com/en-us

www.automatica-munich.com/en

SIMTOS South Korea, Goyang 6-9 October 2020

AMTEX India, New Delhi 4-7 November 2020

VIMM Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City 9-12 December 2020

www.simtos.org/eng

www.amtex-expo.com

http://vimm-isme.vietfair.vn

PLASTPOL Poland, Kielce 6-9 October 2020 Plastics Processing exhibition

METALTECH Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 10-13 November 2020

IMEX India, New Delhi 17-19 December 2020

www.metaltech.com.my

www.imexonline.com

METAL EXPO Japan, Osaka 7-9 October 2020

FORMNEXT Germany, Frankfurt 10-13 November 2020 Additive manufacturing event.

2021

www.metal-japan.jp/en

www.formnext.de

METALEX VIETNAM Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City 8-10 October 2020

SIAMS Switzerland, Moutier 10-13 November 2020 Microtechnology exhibition

www.targikielce.pl/pl/plastpol

www.metalexvietnam.com

EMEX New Zealand 12-14 October 2020 www.emex.co.nz

MTA HANOI Vietnam, Hanoi 13-15 October 2020 www.mtahanoi.com/en-us

BI-MU Milan, Italy 14-17 October 2020 www.bimu.it

INDUSTRY DAYS Hungary, Budapest 19-22 October 2020 www.iparnapjai.hu/en

EUROBLECH 2020 Germany, Hanover 27-30 October 2020 www.euroblech.com

www.siams.ch/the-trade/presentation

GRINDTEC Germany, Augsburg 10-13 November 2020 www.grindtec.de/en

CHENGDU INTL INDUSTRY FAIR China, Chengdu 18-20 November 2020 www.cdiif.com

FABTECH USA, Las Vegas 18-20 November 2020 www.sme.org/fabtech

METALEX Thailand, Bangkok 18-21 November 2020 www.metalex.co.th

BIEMH Spain, Bilbao 23-27 November 2020 http://biemh.bilbaoexhibitioncentre.com

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

VIETNAM MANUFACTURING EXPO Vietnam, Hanoi 13-15 January 2021 www.vietnammanufacturingexpo.com

MACH UK, Birmingham 25-28 January 2021 www.machexhibition.com

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING UK, Birmingham 26-28 January 2021 www.advancedmanufacturingshow.co.uk

THAILAND INDUSTRIAL FAIR Thailand , Bangkok 27-30 January 2021 www.thailandindustrialfair.com

INDUSTRIE PARIS France, Paris 16-19 March 2021 www.industrie-expo.com/en

AI EXPO Japan, Tokyo 7-9 April 2021 www.ai-expo.jp/en-gb.html

HANNOVER MESSE Germany, Hannover 12-16 April 2021 www.hannovermesse.de/en

INDUSTRY CALENDAR HEADING LOCAL

Advertiser Index

PREFABAUS MELBOURNE, DEAKIN EDGE, FEDERATION SQUARE. 14-16 SEPTEMBER 2020 Leading materials, technologies and prefab manufacturing processes. Includes talks from leading practitioners in Education, Healthcare, Services, Technology, Research, Procurement and Project Management.

ALL-ENERGY AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE, MCEC 21-22 OCTOBER 2020 www.all-energy.com.au

DESIGNBUILD MELBOURNE, MCEC 27-29 OCTOBER 2020 Trends and strategies shaping the architecture, building, construction and design sector.

www.prefabaus.org.au/conference-2020

QLD MINING EXHIBITION MACKAY, QLD 22-24 SEPTEMBER 2020 Will feature over 250 suppliers and a free-toattend seminar series that will address the current technology needs of the industry as well as the global and domestic outlook.

www.designbuildexpo.com.au

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING EXPO (AMX) SYDNEY SHOWGROUND 18-20 NOVEMBER 2020 High-tech manufacturing products and advanced processes to upgrade production techniques, insights and case studies.

www.queenslandminingexpo.com.au

Adfoam 57 AirLiquide 41 Alfex CNC

19

Applied Machinery

23

Austral Wright

17

Automated Solutions

47

BMS Risk Solutions

49

Bystronic

97, 120

Complete Machine Tools

31

DDM Laser

37

Empower Software

65

Hare & Forbes

4-5

Hi-Tech Metrology

35

IMTS

13

Industrial Laser

15

Interlease

85

Intermach

Cover, 27

WA MINING CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION PERTH CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE 14-15 OCTOBER 2020 New mining event in Perth. "Accelerating WA's Mining Future to 2030" will be looking at the life of mine from operational strategy through to execution and address both the strategic and technical approaches to improve productivity, lower costs and optimise processes.

www.advancedmanufacturingexpo.com.au

2021

New Touch Industries

www.waminingexpo.com.au

COSPAR - SCIENTIFIC ASSEMBLY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH ICC SYDNEY 28 JAN-4 FEB 2021

Phoenix PLM

95

RAM3D

51

Rigby Cooke

87

Ronson Gears

21

Sheetmetal Machinery

11

AUSTRALASIAN WASTE & RECYCLING EXPO ICC SYDNEY 25-26 NOVEMBER 2020 Event for the waste, recycling and resource recovery sector. www.awre.com.au

VICTORIAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE 2020 MELBOURNE, MCEC 19-20 OCTOBER 2020 Victoria’s largest transport infrastructure conference. Features presentations that discuss the prioritisation, planning and delivery of critical transport infrastructure across the state. Topics covered-Transport, Ports, Roads, Railways & Airports.

Iscar 2-3 John Hart

67

Kaishan Aust. P/L

83

Linear Technik

59

M Gamer

81

Machinery Forum

119

MTI Qualos

39, 79

New Forge Engineering

101 25

Okuma 7

Space and solar physics, space situational awareness, planetary science, astrobiology and opportunity afforded by the application of small spacecraft and artificial intelligence to space research and space technology. www.cospar2020.org

www.expotradeglobal.com/events/ victransport

YOUR INDUSTRY. YOUR MAGAZINE.

SUPPORTING AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING

SternaGL 73 Sutton Tools

91

Thyssenkrupp 9 William Buck

89

Hare & Forbes

Inserts

Sheetmetal Tooling

Inserts

SternaGL

Inserts

OCT NOV 2020

AUG SEP 2020

Yet another issue we are really proud to deliver. Do enjoy the read!

These unusual times have seen more businesses turn to AMT to keep their marketing & branding strong.

HIG H PO WE R

IND UST RIA L

LASER SOLUTIO

If we can assist, please call me for a non-obligatory chat regarding how we can help.

Anne Samuelsson on 0400 115 525

RAIL, SHIPPING & LOGISTICS BUSINESS MANAGEMENT STATE SPOTLIGHT: QUEENSLAND

NS

PROTECTIN G HEALTH, MANUFACTUR ED HERE

www.intermach .com

.au

MEDICAL Special Feature: Constructio State Spotlight: Western Australlia n & Infrastructure & Northern Territo ry

AUSTRALIA’S NO. 1 ADVANCED MANUFACTURING MAGAZINE

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION WASTE & RECYCLING COMPRESSORS & AIR TECHNOLOGY CUTTING TOOLS FORMING & FABRICATION MATERIAL REMOVAL

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

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HISTORY

Big wheels & little wheels – the story of UK-born Australian Sir Laurence John Hartnett (1898 – 1986) Australia’s “Father of the Holden” and much more

PART 38

“LET’S MAKE IT OURSELVES!” PART 4 BHP’s back-room boys

1941. The desperate shortages in Australia exacerbated by World World 2 included a shortage of nickel which was urgently required for armourplate production. Was there an alternative to the inclusion of nickel for the manufacture of bullet-proof armourplate steel? The boys in the back-room of BHP – facilitated by Laurence - rise to the challenge.

I

wonder how many Australians appreciate the tremendous contributions of time, money and skill made to the war effort by the firms which co-operated with us at the Ordnance Production Directorate.

Australian industry came of age during the war. The experience it gained in working on war projects fitted it for the industrial expansion that came afterwards. There were unsung heroes and heroines in our factories, too; men and women who worked around the clock to solve production problems we bowled up to them, with never a thought of payment or privilege. Their reward was the knowledge that they were helping to give the serviceman weapons, and at a fraction of the cost of other countries.

One of the most enthusiastic, dependable, dedicated men in the early team was Sir Colin Fraser, who was put in charge of materials procurement as Director of Materials Supply. He seems to have been overlooked in the histories of our war effort. In my own small way, I pay my tribute to Sir Colin and his work.

It was his responsibility to identify the basic raw materials needed for the manufacture of the various supplies and to acquire them from within Australia - or from overseas if possible.

Somewhere, somehow, by heaven only knows what method, he would invariably find the stuff for us. Without the supplies of basic raw materials that he acquired - copper, iron, zinc, nickel, carbon, lead and the rest - we could not have even begun the projects.

Occasionally he'd have to say, "Hmm, this is a tight one. Not much of this left."

Of all the “tight” cases we handled, the order for Bren-gun carriers was the tightest. The Bren-gun carrier was a mobile, manoeuvrable firing-platform for a Bren-gun. The carriers had been developed by Vickers in England, and Australia needed lots of them. They looked like a small, open tank, with two articulated tracks, driven by a Ford motor, with the crew protected by bullet-proof armourplate.

When we examined the raw-materials content we knew we were going to have trouble; the armourplate would require big tonnages of nickel-alloy steel, and because Sir Colin had earmarked all our existing supplies of nickel for gun-barrel manufacture, we hardly had any nickel left in Australia. "You can't have both, I'm afraid," he told us. "You'll have to decide whether the nickel goes for the guns or for your armourplate." I knew of no alternative material for gun barrels, and we simply had to have them. So we set out to find an alternative for the armourplate. I had a fair working knowledge of metallurgy, but this was a job for the experts. I consulted Essington Lewis. ''Surely,'' I told him, “there must be some other way of making bullet-proof plate other than by using heat-treated nickel-alloy steel." Essington suggested we throw the project at the B.H.P.'s back­room boys. He mentioned two men - Bishop, of B.H.P. and Clarke, of Commonwealth Steel - as being bright chaps who could get results, if results were possible.

These two fellows came to Melbourne for a briefing, and then went back to Sydney to work on the task. And it was some task! They had to create a steel­plate that could be welded, that could resist .303 bullets at relatively short range, that could be produced quickly - and that did not require nickel in its manufacture.

Australian War Memorial

Dec. 1942. One of the exhibits in a procession through Sydney of a display of Australian-made munitions and war equipment. Pictured here is a machine-gun (Bren) carrier atop a portable steel bridge. Both were wholly Australian-made. This is part of a procession featuring nearly 400 Australian-made vehicles, including tanks.

A couple of weeks later Bishop phoned from Newcastle. "I think we've got it," he said. "Can you come up and see?" He and Clarke had worked almost non-stop in their laboratories, cooking up new specifications of steel and testing them. Their first sample was promising, but it was not up to the standard we wanted. It was armourplate, but it didn't resist the bullets too well, and its welding characteristics weren't good. A week later they came up with another sample. This one had excellent welding properties, but its bullet-stopping ability was chancy. Some bullets would be stopped, but others would go through it. We turned our thumbs down again. Bishop and Clarke weren't a bit deterred. A couple of weeks later they had worked out another formula and again we went back to Sydney to sample it. It was a wizard. It was easy to produce, didn't require nickel and it was 100 per cent proof against rifle fire. I named it ABP 3-Australian Bullet­proof Plate 3.

I was so excited about this find. I was sure it was going to be a great contribution to the war effort. I sent the formula to Stanley Bruce, our High Commissioner in London, asking him to put it before the British Ministry of Supply. I took the precaution of cutting the formula-document in half and sending each half by separate couriers in case it was intercepted.

I don't know if Bruce put it to the British or, if he did, whether it ended up in some pigeon-hole, as I never heard if they made use of it. But we did. We used it on all the Bren-gun carriers we made, and on gun-shields, and it served our needs perfectly. It was just one more example of the ingenuity of Australians producing the goods when they were needed.

To be continued…

AMT would like to acknowledge historian and author Dr Norm Darwin for his assistance in the researching and validation of the image.

This is an extract from ‘Big Wheels & Little Wheels’, by Sir Laurence Hartnett as told to John Veitch, 1964. © Deirdre Barnett.

AMT AUG/SEP 2020

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