AMT FEB/MAR 2021

After introducing the World-Renowned Absolute System to Digimatic Calipers, Mitutoyo now announces a further major breakthrough in electronic Caliper Design.

The New COOLANT PROOF Caliper achieves an Ultimate Dust/Water/Coolant protection level.

The COOLANT PROOF Caliper can be used in tough workshop conditions where at present only a mechanical Vernier Caliper can be used.

Industrial Drilling Machines

Industrial Hydraulic Presses

CNC Laser Cutting

Industrial Lathes

Punch & Shears

Pipe & Tube Notchers and Pipe & Tube Rotary Draw Benders

EB-330FAS

NC Swivel Head Automatic Hitch Feed Band Saw

- 345 x 230mm (W x H) rectangular capacity

- 7" NC touch screen controller

- Programmable controller with 20 stored programs

- Inverter controlled in nitely variable blade speed 25-85mpm

- Mitre cutting from 0° to 45° right in automatic cycle and from

- 1.5kW / 2hp, 415V

The Hafco Metalmaster EB-330FAS is a fully automatic hitch feed, single mitre bandsaw designed for repetitive cutting of small to medium sized sections in single or pack forms.

right in semi-automatic cycle

Fly by wire – Electrifying aviation

From the first electrified Australian flight in 2018; Sydney Seaplanes hopes for local e-flights by 2023 and Avenor’s plans for all short flights to be electric-powered by 2040, the future for short routes could be transformative.

Cobra golf partners with HP on first-of-its-kind 3D-printed golf putter

Cobra Golf, a leader in golf club innovation, recently unveiled the King Supersport-35 putter, the first of a series of revolutionary products featuring 3D printing technology.

MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY

The NEW Okuma MB-80V is a high-accuracy bridge style machining centre that is ideal for machining large parts. This machine delivers cutting accuracy, high speeds, and powerful, heavy-duty cutting, maximising quality and productivity

• Based on Okuma’s famous Double Column machining centre series design philosophy.

• Large part machining

• Wide Y-axis travel balanced with excellent workability

• X-Y-Z axis travel (mm): 1,600 – 1,050 – 600

• Table size: 1600 x 800mm

Okuma. Welcome to OPEN POSSIBILITIES.

WILLIAM POOLE

And… back to work

I guess it’s safe to say a fair few of us were more than ready for the holidays by the end of 2020. Most of the people I spoke to were certainly keen to put a hard year behind them and enjoy a bit of a break.

But of course we all knew the challenges of 2020 wouldn't really disappear at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. And sure enough, as people traipsed back from holidays over the course of January, most of us have found quite a few of “last year's problems” waiting for us - both in our individual working lives, and throughout the broader world. The COVID-19 crisis lingers on, albeit less so in Australia than elsewhere in the world, and its economic impacts are still just starting to set in. Overall, there's a prevailing sense of picking up where we left off.

One person who may be feeling a bit of a “holiday hangover” is Scott Morrison. In January, his Government struck a deal with East Coast liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers to ensure competitively priced domestic gas supplies until at least 2023. The Prime Minister argued the deal would deliver lower energy bills – something manufacturers in particular have been crying out for.

However, the deal attracted scepticism from across industry. The Ai Group said the deal would have a ‘relatively negligible’ impact on bills, merely keeping them in line with East Asian gas prices. Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox commented: “Repackaging the status quo will not produce the gas-fired recovery promised by the Federal Government.”

Meanwhile, the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) accused Morrison of “capitulating” to exporters by failing to include price control measures in the deal. AWU National Secretary Daniel Walton said: “This deal sells out Australian manufacturing workers to benefit a handful of multinational giants who extract our gas and export it to Asia.”

Of course, any efforts to cut energy costs should be applauded, and Morrison and his ministers will no doubt argue this deal will indeed bring benefits. But as has been said in this magazine before, there’s a broader issue with the “gas-fired recovery”: it just doesn’t seem particularly… inspiring. Events like COVID-19 are tragedies, above all else. But historically they’ve also presented opportunities to rebuild in ways that made societies and economies strong – US President Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal plan to tackle the Great Depression in the 1930s is the most commonly cited example. Governments all over the world are grasping those opportunities right now. In comparison, ramping up investment in the gas industry with the aim of cutting utility bills just seems rather… timid. So we’re excited to have Matt Kean, the NSW Minister for Energy & Environment, as the subject of our One on One interview this issue (see page 70). Passed by the NSW Parliament late last year, Kean’s Electricity Infrastructure Investment Bill represents the sort of ambitious, forward-thinking policy that appears a little bit lacking in the plans coming out of Canberra. Kean's bill seeks to revitalise the NSW economy by promoting innovative industries of the future, creating new jobs and supply chain opportunities, while strengthening energy supplies and cutting bills (oh, and there are some environmental benefits too).

A notable aspect of the NSW plan was that it secured support in Parliament from across the political spectrum, from the Coalition State Government through to the Greens. That shouldn’t be a surprise given the overwhelming public support for the plan, but it seems a long time since we’ve seen bipartisan policymaking in Australia, especially over energy. It seems refreshing. As we settle into another working year, perhaps it's something we can all get behind.

Editor

William Poole wpoole@amtil.com.au

Contributors

Brent Balinski

Carole Goldsmith

Head of Partnerships & Sales

Anne Samuelsson asamuelsson@amtil.com.au

Publications Co-ordinator Gabriele Richter grichter@amtil.com.au

Publisher

Shane Infanti sinfanti@amtil.com.au

Designer Franco Schena fschena@amtil.com.au

Prepress & Print

Printgraphics Australia

AMT Magazine is printed in Australia using PEFC™ Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry

Certification Chain of Custody certified from sustainable forests

Contact Details

AMT Magazine

AMTIL

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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.

Innovation made in Germany

RAS XLTbend

Highly flexible UpDown bending

For those who form complex precision parts even in small batches, the XLTbend is a perfect fit.

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VIN supports the positioning of the bent parts

SnapTool corner pieces for automatic bending processes

Hybrid stop with suction cups for subsequent bends

High tools for deep boxes and profiles

SHANE INFANTI – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

Effective communication in the workplace

It is a no-brainer to say that communication plays a fundamental role in our daily lives. Everybody knows that. And yet the art of communication at work remains one of the biggest productivity (or non-productivity) issues in most businesses.

Effective communication in the workplace is an integral element of a business’ success; it enhances relationships within the company and with clients, and it increases employee engagement and the overall effectiveness of a team. However, recent research by US firm Gartner shows over 70% of business mistakes are due to poor communication.

As we enter a post-COVID world with people still operating from home, restricting our ability to meet face to face, communications in the workplace take on an even stronger necessity. Even having to socially distance in the office or business environment if we get there makes it difficult to manage communication, particularly in large groups.

For some, good communication comes naturally, but for others, it can be hard to articulate their thoughts and feelings in conversation, often leading to conflict and fundamental errors. So, whether you’re an effective communicator or not, it’s essential to understand the importance of good communication and how it can help your business and ultimately you as an employee.

I have listed below a few benefits from having good communication practices in the workplace.

It improves team building

Honest and effective communication can create a strong team. When staff consult with each other, consider other opinions and discuss their progress, they will be more enthused to collaborate. As a result, the strong unit that they create makes the workplace more enjoyable, and they will be eager to perform well so they don’t let their teammates down. Indeed, communication helps solve employee morale issues by keeping entire teams in the loop, making all team members feel useful within the workplace.

It increases creativity

If employees are scared of communicating their thoughts and ideas out of fear of being rejected, then they are likely to only contribute the bare minimum. However, if there is an open line of communication between supervisors and staff members, they are encouraged to be more creative and innovative within the workplace, and they are likely to put forth new and creative ideas

It improves productivity

Managers can understand their employees’ talents and skills and will then give clear directions to the people that are best suited for the job, thus increasing the overall turnaround time of any given project. A good line of communication builds trust between a manager and an employee, which results in a loyal relationship. A two-way line of respect ensures there’s no micromanagement involved and that an employee is trusted to get on with the job that they were hired to do.

It increases efficiency

Poor communication compromises efficiency, as well as the overall quality of work. When instructions aren’t provided clearly, mistakes are bound to happen. Wasted time and resources are usually the result. On the other hand, clear instructions eliminate the need to clarify and correct any issues.

So now we know some of the benefits of good communication, below are some things for us to consider in becoming better communicators.

1. Engage in frequent discussion. It doesn’t have to be an important conversation. The main idea is to build rapport. By showing an interest in others, they’ll start showing an interest back and this will make it much easier to actually have a conversation with them.

2. Listen to what others have to say. Listening is perhaps THE most important part of communicating with other people. Regardless of everything else, if you don’t actively listen to what’s being said, you’re either going to misinterpret the meaning of what other people are saying, or you’re going to reply with something that shows you simply weren’t paying attention.

3. Adopt a positive mindset. This may seem a little unusual, but if you try and maintain positivity when talking to others you’re likely to find that they’re more positive in response.

4. Take notes. If you’re in a meeting or having a group discussion in the workplace, it’s important to take notes. You might think you’ll remember everything that was said, but you won’t. If you take notes it’ll help you remember everything that was said, and you’ll be able to craft a more targeted response.

5. Be aware of who you’re talking to. You can’t talk to everyone the same way. Some people appreciate a more jovial tone, whereas others are more serious. Adjusting your speech is a common part of communicating, and many of us do it completely subconsciously.

6. Think before you speak. Always, always, think before you speak. If you speak without thinking, you’re more likely to say something that will offend or upset someone – however unintentional.

7. Be aware of your body language. Non-verbal communication is a massive part of communicating, as it subconsciously tells people what to think of you and what you’re saying. Make body language key and you’ll be much more likely to get what you want out of any interaction.

8. Keep it simple. Probably one of the worst things you can do when you talk to people is overload them with information. If you constantly go off on tangents without ever really making your point, people will just switch off and stop paying attention to what you’re saying.

Hopefully this has been of interest to you. Now I’m off to practice what I preach.

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A year of opportunity for Australian manufacturing

As much as we all hoped the ringing in of the New Year would magically erase the challenges of 2020 and COVID-19, the reality is that the world remains in a state of flux.

This insidious virus is continuing to write its own rules, affecting lives and livelihoods in every corner of the globe. But fortunately, as Australians, we enter 2021 in one of the strongest positions in the world, with genuine optimism that better times are ahead.

It’s an optimism that is well justified. Even in the midst of the darkest days of COVID-19, foundations were being laid for our social and economic recovery from the pandemic.

Central to that recovery and our economic future is manufacturing. Our $1.5bn Modern Manufacturing Strategy is a game changer, which will drive the growth of manufacturing and the creation of jobs for Australians both now and for generations to come. The Strategy, announced as part of the Budget, is designed to make our manufacturers more competitive, resilient and able to scale up to take on the world.

Work is already well underway on the centerpiece of the Strategy – the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative – which will see the Government strategically invest in projects that help manufacturers to scale up and create jobs.

To achieve that, we’re being more targeted than ever, with our investments to be directed to six National Manufacturing Priorities: Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing; Food and Beverage; Medical Products; Recycling and Clean Energy; Defence; and Space. These are areas where we have a comparative advantage, have the capacity to harness emerging opportunities, or need to support our strategic interests.

We cannot scale up in every area of manufacturing and we need to focus on areas where we know we have an edge and that can deliver the jobs we need. The National Manufacturing Priorities identified often have high-margin opportunities, highly skilled workforces, proximity to emerging markets, a reputation for highquality products and standards, and world-leading science and research capabilities.

Another element of our Strategy is a second round of the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund, which builds on the success of round one in April last year. Applications for this $52.8m round are currently being assessed, with the money to begin rolling out the door in the coming months. These grants of between $100,000 and $1m will help businesses to invest in new technology to increase productivity, create new jobs and drive economic growth.

The grants give manufacturing businesses the confidence and certainty they need to invest in transformational changes to deliver new and innovative products and services, all while creating jobs.

But it’s far from money for nothing. Successful businesses are required to match any government funding at least three to one. This is part of our Government’s mantra of providing a hand-up, not a hand-out, and backing businesses that are willing to back themselves and grow.

But the many elements of the Modern Manufacturing Strategy are not the only way in which the Morrison Government is supporting Australian manufacturers.

The recent Budget included billions of dollars in incentives designed to encourage our manufacturers to invest – from the expansion of the instant asset write-off, record investment in skills, and making energy more affordable and reliable.

Our Accelerating Commercialisation grants are also helping companies take their innovations to market, in turn creating new

manufacturing opportunities in Australia. Since they were launched in 2014, we have invested more than $240m in helping Aussie businesses take their products to the world.

Among the recent recipients is Queensland company Naturo. It will use its $1m grant to build a pilot manufacturing plant in Coolum for its world-first patented technology to process milk, that allows it to stay fresh for up to 60 days. The grant will also pave the way for the company to build a full-scale facility in regional Tasmania. Companies such as Naturo are pushing the boundaries of the possible and I’m so impressed by their ingenuity and determination to use science and technology to turn bold ideas into job-creating realities. This product has incredible export potential, allowing fresh milk to be exported by sea to new markets in Asia and around the world.

Like Naturo, our Government knows that science and technology will be crucial to building industry capability and improving productivity. Enabling digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and cyber security, will also help our manufacturers to create entirely new products, processes and business models. There are clearly opportunities for manufacturers to improve their technology, processes and practices. Not only will these support businesses to be more competitive but they will have spill-overs across the economy.

For that reason, the Budget also included an additional $459m in funding for the CSIRO to address the impacts of COVID-19 on its commercial activities and ensure it is able to continue its critical work with industry. It’s important to emphasise this is additional funding. All up the Morrison Government is investing $3.8bn into the CSIRO over the next four years.

We’re also injecting $2bn into the Research & Development Tax Incentive (RDTI). The RDTI will continue to provide generous support to encourage innovative Australian manufacturers to invest in more R&D, so they can remain competitive in an increasingly global works and create the jobs and growth we need.

When you consider all of these investments, along with the decisive action our government is taking, you can see our manufacturers are primed to deliver. It bodes well for 2021 becoming the year of opportunity for Australian manufacturing.

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COVID-19: A shock for business… and it’s far from over

In the first half of 2020, Australia suffered our first recession in over 30 years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovery commenced in Q3, but the economic fallout from this event for Australian business will continue well into 2021 and beyond.

According to an Ai Group report released at the end of last year –Business experiences in 2020 and outlook for 2021 – despite the partial recovery underway and the considerable adjustments made over the course of 2020, most Australian businesses continue to report negative impacts as a result of COVID-19.

Throughout 2020, Ai Group provided assistance, information and advice to thousands of businesses experiencing activity restrictions, adjustments to workplaces and work practices, reduced demand and reduced incomes due to COVID-19. In the course of our work, we collected almost 1,900 detailed reports from Australian businesses about their experiences, through sources including emails, surveys, web queries, phone calls and (remote) meetings.

The latest report continued a series of monthly insights that Ai Group has been compiling into the business experience of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. It found that in November, 84% of businesses reported continuing negative impacts from COVID-19; the total proportion of businesses reporting a negative impact had peaked close to 90% in April, fell to around 78% in June, but then rose to 87% in September due to the ‘second wave’.

By November, the top five negative impacts reported by businesses were:

• Reduced consumer demand (reported by 43% of businesses)

• Activity restrictions (22%)

• Disruptions to supply (9%)

• Reduced productivity (7%)

• Increased costs (5%)

The types of assistance sought by businesses changed over the course of 2020, with clear information and directions needed in the early stages, followed by financial assistance as the pandemic worsened. Jobkeeper became an essential support for many businesses from May onwards, proving decisive in stemming job losses and business closures. By September, businesses mainly wanted to see evidence of a safe path to easing out of local activity restrictions and border restrictions.

Meanwhile, businesses have continued to adapt to the COVID-19 shock, with the top five responses adopted in November being:

• Increased use of technology (54% of businesses)

• Reduced employee costs (27%)

• Having staff work from home (21%)

• Changed business strategy (8%)

• Changes to accommodate social distancing (6%)

Our report maps the changing impacts on business, and the responses of businesses, over the COVID-19 period since February 2020. It highlights the dominant place that weak demand for goods and services has among business concerns with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. Looking to 2021, most businesses are set to retain at least some of the operational and workplace changes adopted in response to the pandemic. They are, however, acutely aware of weak demand for their goods and services.

Moreover, despite the introduction of tax incentives for capital expenditure, most businesses have no plans to invest in the near term, and non-mining business investment in 2020-21 is currently anticipated to be between 5% and 10% lower than in 2019-20.

“The notion that COVID-19 and its impacts would magically disappear when the calendar clicked over to 2021 was clearly a fallacy. We are going to have to work harder than ever on rebuilding and regenerating our economy at a time of continued intense domestic pressure and increased global uncertainty and volatility.”

The economic recovery to date has been led by decisive policy measures on the part of the federal, state and territory governments and the Reserve Bank. While businesses are picking themselves up and bringing people back to work, many still worry that what we are seeing may be merely a bounce rather than the onset of selfsustaining momentum.

The notion that COVID-19 and its impacts would magically disappear when the calendar clicked over to 2021 was clearly a fallacy. We are going to have to work harder than ever on rebuilding and regenerating our economy at a time of continued intense domestic pressure and increased global uncertainty and volatility. The next couple of months will be critical in signalling whether higher household confidence translates into enough additional spending to convince businesses to continue to lift employment and to commit to additional investment.

At the top of the risks to our economy are: the Federal Government reducing or removing fiscal support from business and employment too early; and the spreading geopolitical trade problems with China. State and territory governments will need to get their infrastructure pipelines flowing, and the Federal Government in particular will need to be ready with fiscal reinforcements if private sector demand does not accelerate.

‘Unprecedented’ was probably the most used word in 2020, but it described the crisis and the response to it well. I know the crisis is not over yet, and conditions are still tough and uncertain for many, but with the development of the vaccine, the risks are beginning to diminish, and I believe we can look ahead to the New Year with greater confidence.

The full report Business experiences in 2020 and outlook for 2021 is available at: https://tinyl.io/3LDp

“I couldn’t be happier with the service provided by Applied - it’s been terrific. I wouldn’t go anywhere else for my next machine.”

KEITH MORTON, LASERMECH, SALISBURY PLAIN, SA

At Applied Machinery, we treat our customers business’ as an extension of our own. We view ongoing service, training and support as critical to ensuring our customers can extract maximum return from their machinery investment. Our number one priority is ensuring that our customers across the country get the machinery

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STEVE MURPHY – National Secretary Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

Bold solutions needed for Australia’s manufacturing future

Everyone reading AMT knows the importance of manufacturing – to provide the goods we need to live in a modern world, to encourage investment in R&D, and to provide good-quality jobs that underpin the prosperity of our cities, suburbs and regions. Following the shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, millions more Australians now realise that too.

As an industry we need to make sure that we embark on a manufacturing-led recovery from COVID-19. This will require short, medium and long-term action from all participants – workers, businesses and governments (at local, state and federal level) – to grow the size, complexity and quality of our industry.

A manufacturing-led recovery will create jobs, attract investment and improve our sovereign capacity. Despite these benefits, there has been remarkably little support from policymakers since the beginning of the crisis nearly 12 months ago.

Which begs the obvious question: why?

The answer is complex and I am sure everyone reading this will have a slightly different angle. I want to focus on what I believe is one of the key reasons that our industry hasn’t received the support in Australia that it does in almost every other country: our policymakers don’t think our industry has a future.

Keen to see the back of the “dirty” manufacturing jobs, Australian policymakers have, over decades, put their thumb on the scales to support industries that they imagined were “clean” and “modern”. This approach is completely out of step with the reality of the modern manufacturing industry and the thousands of Australians who would love the opportunity to earn good wages, in highly skilled, high-tech manufacturing workplaces. There are many great jobs for workers with a huge range of different skills, interests and qualifications across the manufacturing product development cycle. Despite this, our industry has struggled to shake the imagery of the smokestack.

This is been compounded recently as advocates for increased use of gas and coal in our energy system have sought to use our industry as a cover for their special pleading. If the public and policymakers were to believe that the only future for domestic manufacturing is one that is tied to coal and gas, it is little wonder that they don’t see a future for our industry.

Luckily, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only is Australian manufacturing’s future not tied to the use of fossil fuels in our energy mix, but our competitive advantage in the future will come from our easy access to renewable energy.

But we won’t get there overnight and the transition to a new energy future is filled with many of the same potential risks for workers and their communities as the transition in international trade and tariffs in the 1980s and 1990s. Without a seat at the table for workers and communities, it will be the CEOs of foreign energy companies and banking executives that make all the decisions, while the workers are left to pick up the pieces.

That is why the AMWU, together with 12 other unions and memberbased community organisations, established the Hunter Jobs Alliance (HJA). Faced with the reality that the decisions of private capital had put the writing on the wall for the fossil fuel industry, we wanted to work with our members and their communities to decide what the future should look like.

We need a robust discussion about what the future of our energyproducing regions could look like, and how that would fit within the industrial ecosystem of places like Newcastle and the Hunter

Valley. We need to talk honestly about the problems we face – the workers in these industries know that change is coming, and we need to prepare ourselves for it. With the HJA we have a new, local organisation aimed at ending the climate culture wars and fighting for decent, secure, sustainable union jobs in the Hunter Valley.

In the past, we’ve seen these sorts of transitions result in a third of workers getting another decent job, a third going into insecure or low-paid work, and a third never working again. We are determined to break the cycle and improve the outcomes for these workers.

The HJA is working to build community leadership on the future of the Hunter Valley. It is time to move beyond debates about climate and energy and focus on attracting new industries that are good for local employment and will address the climate crisis. It is well past time that we put our energy into supporting these communities.

It is time to build community support for hyper-local, labour-intensive projects like renewables to support the Tomago aluminium smelter, offshore wind in Newcastle, mine rehabilitation, and repurposing old fabrication shops for electric bus manufacture – to name just a few.

It is a lot of work, but if the HJA can succeed in delivering better outcomes and a just transition for the workers and communities that rely on them in the Hunter, then it will all have been worth it. We also hope that it will serve as a model for other communities around the country who are looking to take control of their future.

In the aftermath of COVID-19, with the full impact of the climate crisis drawing ever closer, now is the time to adopt bold solutions to the problems that we face. We need to take back the future. Through initiatives like the HJA we’re showing the public and the policymakers what a manufacturing-led future for our cities and regions can look like.

Our industry has a future – a future that provides good-quality, highwage jobs across the whole country to workers with many different skills who design, create, make and maintain goods and services that we need in a modern society.

We know that our industry can do all that and more – so lets get out there and make sure everyone else knows too.

Australian Manufacturing Week 2022 open for exhibitor bookings

The Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL) has announced the opening of space bookings for Australian Manufacturing Week 2022, to be held in Melbourne next March.

Proudly owned and operated by AMTIL, Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) is Australia’s premier manufacturing solutions event. Co-located with Austech, AMTIL’s longstanding advanced manufacturing and machine tool expo, the inaugural edition of AMW will take place at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 8-11 March 2022. As the largest event covering manufacturing and engineering scheduled to be held in this country, AMW 2022 promises to be an unmissable highlight of next year’s Australian manufacturing industry calendar.

With significant advanced interest from industry since AMW was first announced last July, the opening of bookings marks a major milestone in preparations for the show. Organisations considering participating are strongly advised to contact AMTIL promptly to secure their place.

“We are excited to announce that Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) is now open for stand bookings,” said Kim Banks, AMW Exhibition Manager and Head of Events at AMTIL. “With a strict cap on available space for 2022, exhibitors may find themselves jostling for a position as the postponement of several exhibitions in 2021 increases demand for stands.”

AMW was announced in July 2020, following the decision by Reed Exhibitions to cease operation of National Manufacturing Week (NMW), which had been held in co-location with Austech for 20 years. With NMW’s discontinuation, AMTIL saw an opportunity to build on the consistent success of Austech and broaden its events portfolio, developing a comprehensive showcase that would highlight the full extent and diversity of Australian manufacturing today and the technologies, processes and innovations shaping its future.

“AMW is the natural new home for exhibitors who have participated in NMW in the past,” Banks added. “Australia is a complex marketplace for metalworking trade shows or machine tool expos, so to have one single event that showcases Australian manufacturing in its entirety is something we believe the industry will value and benefit from. Our ambition is for AMW to become not just an exhibition, but the focus of a week-long celebration of manufacturing and its value for Australia today.”

Exhibitors at AMW 2022 will have the opportunity to present their products and services to some of the most influential customers from across Australian manufacturing. AMTIL prides itself on the high calibre of visitors it attracts to its events. Visitors to AMW will represent industries such as: aerospace; defence; automotive; marine/shipbuilding; medical, biotechnology & pharmaceutical; petroleum, coal & chemicals; plastics & rubber manufacturing; materials handling & warehousing; recycling; electronics; and telecommunications & IT.

With AMW covering the entirety of modern manufacturing, and with such a diverse array of visitors in attendance, the exhibition will feature a number of dedicated Product Zones covering specific segments or aspects of the industry. These specialised areas will help visitors to AMW find the products and services of most interest to them, while giving exhibitors the option to choose the

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WEEK

most suitable location for their stand. AMW 2022 will include the following Product Zones:

• Austech. AMTIL’s longstanding showcase of state-of-the-art machine tools and ancillary equipment.

• Additive Manufacturing. The latest advances in 3D printing, featuring exhibits from users, suppliers and supporters of additive manufacturing.

• Digitalisation (IoT). Exploring how developments in digital technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) are ushering in a new era of smart, connected manufacturing.

• Air Technology. Highlighting a range of cutting-edge compressor systems and associated technologies.

• Engineering Solutions. Engineering plays a vital role in modern manufacturing – this pavilion will display equipment and tools for a broad cross-section of engineering disciplines.

• Manufacturing Solutions. Optimised solutions to the most common challenges experienced by manufacturers, from materials handling and warehousing to integrated manufacturing solutions.

• Manufacturing Safety. The latest technologies, products, and services to improve occupational health & safety (OH&S) standards and compliance and reduce safety expenditure.

• Robotics & Automation. Featuring the latest cutting-edge equipment and processes for the optimisation and automation of manufacturing operations.

• Weld Solutions Zone. Highlighting advanced welding processes, with high-quality interactive experiences that demonstrate new developments and applications in the welding sector.

• Australian Manufacturers Pavilion. First launched at Austech 2013, this area showcases the capabilities of some of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing businesses.

“There’s definitely going to be a lot going on at AMW next year, and we’ll be making further announcements over the coming months,” said Banks. “Keep an eye on the AMW website (www. australianmanufacturingweek.com.au) or follow our social media channels to stay up to date. And if you are thinking of exhibiting, don’t hesitate to get in touch – you don’t want to miss out.”

For any inquiries about Australian Manufacturing Week 2022, please contact Kim Banks, AMW Exhibition Manager.

T: +61 417 146 102 E: kbanks@amtil.com.au

www.australianmanufacturingweek.com.au

AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS EVENT IS COMING TO MELBOURNE

IMCRC tops $200 in research investments

Investment in collaborative R&D projects catalysed by Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) has exceeded $200m.

The $200m investment, leveraging cash and other contributions from industry, research organisations and the Federal and State Governments, has financed more than 40 transformative and industry-led projects that will help increase the global competitiveness of the Australian manufacturing industry and incentivise others to similarly invest. Of the 40 projects commenced, six projects have been completed so far, allowing the businesses to evolve and strengthen their positions in their markets:

• SPEE3D “Machine vision for Industry 4.0 high-speed 3D printing” as well as the follow-on project “Automated part repair using 3D scanning and supersonic 3D deposition”

• SuperCool “Smart electric compressor for refrigeration and air conditioning on electric vehicles”

• BluGlass “High performance normally OFF GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMT)”

• RUAG Australia “Application of additive metal technology to operational aircraft”

• Mineral Technologies “Revolutionising Mineral Separation using Additive Manufacturing”

IMCRC also acted as a catalyst for broader sector spin out investments including the $18m Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub in Brisbane, QLD, which was born out of the IMCRC co-funded Design Robotics project between Urban Art Projects (UAP), Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and RMIT University, and the $10m Line Zero – Factory of the Future manufacturing accelerator at Tonsley, SA.

IMCRC chair Ian Macfarlane reinforced IMCRC’s dedication to propelling Australian innovation and technological advancement: “It has never been more important than it is today for Australia to invest in homegrown R&D and to do this through effective collaboration. As Australia’s CRC for innovative manufacturing, we were pleased to see the Government acknowledge and prioritise, through its Modern Manufacturing Strategy, the need for Australian manufacturers to scale up, collaborate and commercialise. IMCRC has established a unique and now proven business model for helping and creating pathways for manufacturers to assess and explore emerging technologies, create new materials, and adapt techniques to manufacture new products and service new markets. I am delighted to be part of an organisation doing such important work within the manufacturing sector.”

IMCRC Chief Executive and Managing Director David Chuter noted that COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of change of business, underlining the importance of investing in R&D: “Our industry and research partners have remained firmly committed to their projects despite the disruption created by the pandemic. It is a testament to the transformational nature of the projects they are investing in. IMCRC has been actively supporting manufacturers through these disruptive months, including through the rapid design of ‘IMCRC activate’ – a new project fund we have created for Australian businesses across all sectors to invest in shorter term R&D projects with reduced barriers and financial commitment. Through our ‘activate’ program we are stimulating new ways of thinking and helping businesses adapt to a rapidly changing environment.”

UoS, GE boost Australia’s advanced manufacturing agenda

GE Additive and the University of Sydney have entered into a strategic five-year agreement to advance Australia’s manufacturing capability.

The agreement will establish capabilities in metal additive manufacturing technology at the Sydney Manufacturing Hub, a space for training specialists and academics working in additive manufacturing, and the incubation of small to medium manufacturing enterprises. Located at the University of Sydney’s Darlington campus, the Sydney Manufacturing Hub will enable advanced alloy design and applications to support a range of sectors including aerospace, defence, medicine and agriculture.

Following a memorandum of understanding signed in 2018 and GE Additive’s agreement with the New South Wales government to develop additive manufacturing capabilities in Western Sydney, the parties will work together on developing the broader advanced manufacturing agenda within NSW and Australia.

Sam Maresh, Country Leader at GE Australia, said: “This is a breakthrough for Australia’s advanced manufacturing industry. Via the Sydney Manufacturing Hub, Australian manufacturers and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) will now have ready access to GE’s own production-grade additive technology.”

University of Sydney Director of Core Research Facilities and Faculty of Engineering academic, Professor Simon Ringer, said the COVID-19 crisis had exposed the country to vulnerabilities due to dependence on complex, ‘just-in-time’ supply chains – something that can be improved with additive manufacturing.

“Pre-COVID-19, a national focus on manufacturing resilience was generally regarded as a nice thought,” said Ringer. “We have long believed this needs to be a critical national priority, and COVID-19

has raised the stakes. GE Additive and the University of Sydney, working alongside government and Australian SMEs, will be at the forefront of delivering this capability.”

“A manufacturing renaissance is coming and for Australia to lead in this space, there must be an investment in skills. Through the use of a smart facility, the University of Sydney is best placed to develop them and bring forward a new era of innovation. Our commitment to this area is backed by a recent report released by the NSW Office of Chief Scientist and Engineer, outlining the significant economic return our world-leading research infrastructure provides to the state and nation.”

Sam Maresh, Country Leader for GE Australia, and Professor Simon Ringer, Director of Core Research Facilities at the University of Sydney.

H-SERIES | Double Column Fully Auto (with covers) Ø260mm — Ø1100mm

H-SERIES | Double Column Fully Auto (Traditional) Ø260mm — Ø1100mm

S-SERIES | Semi Auto Mitre 460 x 330mm

E-SERIES | High Performance Ø330mm — Ø800mm

P-SERIES | Circular Saw Ø70mm — Ø230mm

S-SERIES | Fully Auto Mitre 620 x 350mm

Jane O’Dwyer to lead CRC Association

Jane O’Dwyer has been appointed as the new CEO of the Cooperative Research Centres Association (CRC Association).

O’Dwyer joins the CRC Association having previously served as Vice-President (Engagement and Global Relations) at The Australian National University. She succeeds Tony Peacock, who led the CRC Association for the past decade.

“We are delighted to have Jane join us after what was a highly competitive process,” said CRC Association Chair, Belinda Robinson. “Her leadership skills, energy and unique experience across peak bodies, industry, academia, media and politics, make her an ideal fit to lead the organisation in its next chapter. Along with my colleagues on the Board, I’m looking forward to working with Jane to support and represent our members and advance the benefits of cooperative research in Australia.

“I would also again like to thank Tony and recognise the tremendous work he has done for the CRC Association and the Australian innovation community. He has been very well respected by our members and stakeholders and I would like to wish him and his wife Ros the absolute best for his next chapter.”

O’Dwyer takes on the role after a career of more than 25 years that has spanned Australia, Japan and the US. Commencing her career

as a political advisor, O’Dwyer held key roles in the Australian Local Government Association and Sports Medicine Australia. She joined ANU more than 15 years ago after four years in Japan, and has been a close and trusted advisor to three consecutive ANU Vice-Chancellors across media and public affairs, policy, international relations and global engagement. She spent three years in the US, where she established the ANU North America Liaison Office attached to the Australian Embassy in Washington DC.

“I’m delighted to join the CRC Association and know I follow in the footsteps of a highly respected and active CEO in Tony Peacock,” said O’Dwyer. “Cooperative Research Centres are a great Australian success story, and a testament to the profound national value of industry-university research cooperation.

“I relish the opportunity to work with the Board to write the next chapter for the CRC Association at a time when research and the development, and retention, of a highly skilled research workforce that can transition between universities and industry, will be essential to emerge from the impacts of COVID-19. Cooperative research is critical to Australia’s future.”

New report exposes VET, technologies education “crisis” for Victorian students

A new report has highlighted “an education crisis” affecting Victorian students that could have an impact on Australia’s ‘comeback strategy in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Entitled Why Victoria needs high-quality VET and Technologies Teacher Education, the report from the Campaign for VET and Technologies Education (CVTE) lays bare an array of issues for schools, students and students’ future careers. It argues for reintroduction of vocational education & training (VET) and Technologies initial teacher education (ITE) programs following the closure of the sole program in Victoria producing secondary qualified VET and Technologies teachers for Victorian schools. According to the report, secondary schools are now unable to offer the high quality of education needed due to long-standing skill shortages of secondary qualified VET and Technologies teachers. Moreover, now that the only course producing secondary qualified VET and Technologies teachers for Victorian schools closed in 2020, the full impact is yet to be realised. This confluence of events will see many schools become unable to offer Technologies programs and many applied learning programs and pathways are in jeopardy. This holds serious implications for Victorian schools and their capacity to fulfill ‘highquality’ teaching and learning obligations. This situation will also impact secondary schools’ capacity to nurture, engage and kindle student’s curiosity for technical and engineering futures.

“A skilled workforce does not just fall from the sky,” commented Greg Chalker, Corporate Services Manager at the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), in response to the report’s findings.

The report also argues that the unfolding crisis will not only affect the future careers of young Victorians, but could potentially undermine Australia’s post-pandemic recovery strategy. Without appropriate courses to prepare and qualify VET and Technologies secondary teachers, Commonwealth and Victorian state government efforts to convince tens of thousands of young people to engage with apprenticeships, traineeships and technical careers will be weakened, potentially derailing manufacturing- and construction-based recovery initiatives.

The report calls for the reintroduction of undergraduate VET and Technologies teacher education programs in Victoria.

“If we do not act now to re-establish teacher education programs to generate secondary-qualified VET and Technologies teachers, young Australians will pay the price,” said Dr Karen O’ReillyBriggs, a lecturer La Trobe University in Melbourne and one of the reports co-authors. “Australian governments are depending more than ever on secondary students wanting to embark on apprenticeships and traineeships to become the tradespeople, technicians and engineers needed to resource a swathe of major infrastructure and big build projects created to drive the nation’s comeback. Many professionals, technicians and tradespeople made unemployed during the COVID recession would welcome the chance to enter the teaching profession.” www.campaign-vet-tech-education.com/report

Reducing material cost through waterjet technology

Waterjet technology

Waterjet cutting is a process of precision cutting that utilises high pressure water.

We can process a wide array of materials. Heavy gauge plate, thin sheet stock and composite materials (i.e. carbon fibre, phenolics etc.).

It is not uncommon for 6+ inch aluminium and titanium to be cut on waterjets to near final shapes.

Edge quality of the parts can vary depending on customer requirements.

We can process anything from a very rough cut for hog-outs, to a very fine edge for precision, finished parts:

Cut up to 6 m x 3 m (20 ft x 10 ft)

Thickness up to 254 mm (10 in)

Improved yield and less waste material

Supplied close to net shape reducing customer machine time

Shorter lead times

Zero heat effected zone

Processing of customer supplied materials

Allyn Beard appointed to chair Australian Made Campaign

The Board of Australian Made Campaign Ltd (AMCL) has appointed a new Chairman in Allyn Beard, Director of Sydney-based mattress manufacturer AH Beard.

Beard succeeds outgoing Chairman, Glenn Cooper AM, Chairman of Coopers Brewery, who retired from the Board after 13 years as a Director. Beard, along with his brother, heads AH Beard, with manufacturing facilities in every state of Australia. The family-owned business employs more than 400 dedicated and highly skilled people to produce up to 10,000 mattresses every week – sold in Australia and around the world.

“As an Australian manufacturer, it is a great honour to take on the role of Chairman of AMCL,” said Beard. “I am passionate about creating jobs and keeping jobs in Australia, and a healthy manufacturing environment is essential to doing that. I look forward to supporting Australia’s manufacturers and growers and further strengthening the iconic green and gold kangaroo brand. “The Australian Made logo really is a valuable asset for Australia’s makers and producers seeking to make the Australian connection both domestically and overseas. It’s never been more important to buy Australian Made than right now. It is crucial we continue to support our Aussie makers and help consumers identify genuine Aussie products to aid Australia’s economic recovery.”

The Board also appointed AMCL Director Nicki Anderson to the position of Deputy Chair. Anderson has held key leadership positions at numerous Australian manufacturing businesses within the food and beverage sector and is a director of a number of ASX, private family and not-for-profit companies. Paul Jensen, Chairman of the Watarrka Foundation, was elected as Treasurer, replacing former Bank of Queensland Chairman Neil Summerson AM, who retired from the AMCL Board after 18 years of service. Jim Sturgess, CEO of Crimsafe Security Systems, also joined the Board as a Director. Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro said that the strategic direction provided by its Board of Directors had been instrumental to the logo’s success.

“AMCL is privileged to have such a strong board of talented individuals with diverse business backgrounds,” said Lazzaro. “AMCL’s Directors don’t get paid a cent for their work – they do it because they are passionate about promoting Australian Made.

“The Australian Made Campaign is particularly grateful to Glenn Cooper and Neil Summerson who have both volunteered their time as Directors for more than a decade, driving the establishment of critical policies and providing invaluable insights over the years.”

Toolcraft takes inaugural 2020 Australian Space Award

South Australian precision manufacturing company Toolcraft Australia has been awarded the prestigious ‘Manufacturing Business of the Year’ in the 2020 Australian Space Awards.

The Australian Space Awards program is an initiative of Space Connect part of Momentum Media, a marketplace and information platform for the space economy.

“The Australian Space Award is great recognition for more than 12 and a half years of hard work by our team,” said Craig Holland, General Manager – Operations at Toolcraft.

Established in 1979, Toolcraft is a highly experienced precision aerospace manufacturing and technology development company that is 100% Australian owned. The company is an integral member of an advanced manufacturing group that produces and exports an extensive range of commercial products and technologies. With more than 40 years of experience Toolcraft has positioned itself as a highly skilled yet agile organisation capable of producing and integrating high and low volume quality precision parts, components and assemblies.

Toolcraft has been approved as a Defence Ready Level 1 supplier by the Department of Defence, has NCAGE procurement classification, and is AS9100 accredited for aerospace. Its customers include the who’s who of high end international companies with such names as Northrop Grumman, Sikorsky, Boeing, Thales, BAE Systems, BHP Billiton, Lockheed Martin, Mayne Pharma, Siemens and many more. It is an experienced defence sustainment contractor producing components for Black Hawk, Collins-Class and Wedgetail.

Dean McCarroll, Managing Director of Okuma Australia, congratulated Toolcraft on its award: “We congratulate Toolcraft Australia on being recognised as ‘Manufacturing Business of the Year’ in the Australian Space Awards for 2020. Competitive precision manufacturing is so important to Australia particularly in defence and aerospace contracts. Okuma CNC machines are synonymous for achieving continuous high precision machining over long periods coupled with the highest level of harmonious control which will continue to enhance these capabilities.”

Holland added: "Toolcraft is a long-term customer and user of Okuma leading-edge precision machines of more than 30 years. Our first machine is still in operation and is almost bullet proof. The service we receive from Okuma is outstanding and the consistent precision output of the machines is all important to us in this industry. Our engineers love the machines and there is always a queue when a new machine is commissioned. Being familiar with the easy operating systems allows us great flexibility to move engineers from machine to machine with ease.”

Greg Stevens, General Manager – Innovation, and Craig Holland, General Manager – Operations at Toolcraft Australia.

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Melbourne

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AMGC opens up COVID-19 Manufacturer Response Register to the world

Australian companies are set to gain new export opportunities with the potential to create new jobs, following the opening up of the COVID-19 Manufacturer Response Register to international buyers.

The Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) introduced the online Register in March, so local manufacturers and suppliers of crucial products such as personal protective equipment (PPE) could support the national response to the pandemic. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said that, having stepped up to support domestic production, manufacturers can now take on new markets and sell their products overseas.

“By opening the Register to international buyers, Australian companies will be able to utilise the skills and supplies they have developed and keep people in jobs, while helping in the fight against COVID-19 overseas,” Andrews said. “The Register has been very helpful in matching manufacturers and suppliers of COVID-19 related products to areas of demand.

“It has enabled businesses, hospitals, GPs and community groups to find suppliers of PPE, including masks and gowns, and hand sanitiser. The Register has fostered impressive collaboration between companies and accelerated the development of such products as ventilators and relief beds.”

AMGC Managing Director Jens Goennemann said the addition of international buyer access to the Register would benefit local and international businesses alike. “Australia’s effective response to COVID-19 has meant that local demand for these products has reduced, but there is still high demand overseas,” Goennemann

said. “The Register has helped link buyers and sellers, forged collaborative efforts and helped build new onshore capabilities –such as invasive ventilators. Now, with the addition of international buyers, the Register will serve to broaden the positive impact Australia’s manufacturing industry is having in response to the pandemic.

“Australian manufacturers supply world-class products and international demand for these will benefit local businesses and help bolster onshore manufacturing endeavours.”

The use of the COVID-19 Manufacturer Response Register is free for all parties. The purpose of the platform is to enable buyers and sellers to meet. Producers can upload a profile and product description and buyers search for what they need. Overseas entities can register as buyers but not sellers.

Once a contact is made, AMGC has no further involvement. Any business deals are conducted between interested parties off the site.

The Register also allows buyers to search for products registered with the Australian Made Campaign and with relevant Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approvals.

For more details on how to use the COVID-19 Manufacturer Response Register go to: www.amgc.org.au/ covid-19-manufacturer-response

CSIRO supports SMEs with new tech to drive industry resilience

As the focus of COVID-19 shifts to one of economic recovery, a new program by CSIRO is helping SMEs adopt worldclass technology, digitally transform and drive Australia’s recovery.

The Early Adopter Program (EAP) aims to accelerate technology adoption among SMEs in a range of industries. The program provides technologies that are easily adoptable, translatable and reasonably priced to deliver fast ROI. The first of this tech being made available to SMEs is Wildcat. Developed by CSIRO’s Data61, the technology enables ground robots and drones to autonomously map and navigate complex environments, such as mines.

The EAP is part of a push by CSIRO’s Data61 to make low-cost, easily adoptable technologies available for SMEs in sectors including manufacturing, supply chain, mining, energy and construction, to trial and integrate into their business, as part of the EAP initiative. The EAP builds on CSIRO’s focus to power SME growth in Australia by improving access to research and development (R&D).

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was largely dependent on Australia’s ability to develop and harness technology.

“There is no business as usual in the post-COVID-19 economy,” Minister Andrews said. “Our success as a nation relies on our ability to unlock the potential of industry to create high-paid, lasting jobs. By harnessing our world-class science and technology in fields like AI, robotics and automation, we can open up new markets and

take more of our products to the world. Initiatives like CSIRO’s Early Adopter Program have the potential to help small and mediumsized businesses to create new value, enhance productivity and grow more high-paid jobs to boost recovery.”

CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall said the pandemic presented a moment in time for small businesses to ride the digital transformation momentum.

“At this pivotal time in our history, the inclination is to batten down the hatches and postpone investments, when actually small business who double down on innovation can be part of driving our recovery from this pandemic-led recession and land us back in a much stronger position," Dr Marshall said. “COVID-19 has disrupted every element of our lives, and while the devastating loss of life can’t be understated, we have an opportunity to determine the new kind of Australian economy we want to emerge from this crisis – one driven by innovation. Just as science and technology have been guiding our health and emergency response, so too will they drive our economic response and recovery from this pandemic.”

Small and medium enterprises interested in learning more about EAP, or the range of SME services offered by CSIRO, should contact: EnquiriesTeam@csiro.au

OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Grasping the opportunities of a COVID-normal world

Australia’s manufacturing industry stands to benefit significantly as the Federal Government seeks ways to spark post-COVID economy recovery. To truly grasp these opportunities, businesses must embrace digital transformation, writes

Vijay Sundaram.

After an extraordinary 2020, the dawn of the new year has brought with it an Australian economy continuing to grow and recover, and new opportunities for businesses in a COVID-normal Australia. For manufacturing organisations and the industry as a whole, the importance of innovating, growing and playing a central role in Australia’s ongoing economic recovery is imperative.

While many will be understandably keen to forget 2020 altogether, last year’s Federal Budget announcement was a good one for manufacturers, with the Federal Government putting a large focus on – and announcing a significant investment in – the Australian manufacturing industry. Over the course of the next four years, billions of dollars will be invested in projects that will grow emerging technologies, or enhance those in which Australian manufacturers already perform strongly.

A few short months after the budget announcement, the Australian economy is already showing remarkable signs of recovery, coming out of nominal recession in December as most states and territories continued easing restrictions, and as industries found ways to innovate in a COVID-normal environment. However, with unemployment high, global supply chains disrupted and the looming cloud of escalating and volatile trade tensions, the industry must be dynamic and committed.

To capitalise on the Government’s recovery plan, and to continue creating local jobs within the manufacturing industry, manufacturers must embrace digital transformation and befriend the technologies that will allow them to increase productivity, lower costs and drive their operations - and Australia - forward.

Capitalising on the Government’s recovery plan

Manufacturing is a vital contributor to the Australian economy, employing 900,000 Australians and contributing around $100bn to the economy each year. However, over the course of the last 30 years, the employment rate within the industry has experienced a massive decline – once accounting for 16.5%, today it makes up only 6.4% of the country’s total employment.

While identifying the industries crucial in helping to rebuild the Australian economy, the local manufacturing sector was given an empowering and unequivocal mandate to innovate. The Government’s significant financial commitment includes $1.5bn for the Modern Manufacturing Strategy, $1.3bn for the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, and millions more for the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative and Manufacturing Modernisation Fund. This is a glowing appraisal for the short, medium and long-term importance of Australian manufacturing, presenting an undeniable opportunity to revitalise an industry in need of renewal.

Over the course of the pandemic, and even now as much of the world continues to experience varying lockdown restrictions, imports and exports have been disrupted, affecting the industry locally. It presents an opportunity for Australian manufacturers to capitalise on the faster-than-expected economic recovery, the Government’s financial injection and the disrupted status quo, to evolve internally and externally, and to lead by example. Digital transformation will be the foundation upon which manufacturers individually and the industry collectively can reinvent itself.

Befriending technologies long-term

In disrupting global supply chains in 2020, the pandemic has provided an opportunity for the local industry to evolve, become more self-sustainable and even capitalise on Australia’s strong sentiment for supporting local. By no means a new phenomenon, for years digital transformation has been highlighted as the future of work in every industry – manufacturing perhaps more than most. Adoption of simple integrated cloud-based technologies can significantly improve the way an organisation runs, creating agility, enabling rapid innovation and allowing companies to learn from experiences of others through connections and communities. Adopting the right software can also allow businesses to streamline, scale up, lower costs, and spend more time on productivity, growth and innovation.

Customer relationship management (CRM) systems to manage leads and clients, collaboration software to bring in organisation-wide experts, and analytics tools to analyse and enhance, all customised and combined with countless other integrated platforms, from finance to process automation … this is what truly technologyempowered manufacturers look like. And then, with that as their platform, manufacturers can innovate through digital transformation and establish itself as a leader in smart manufacturing and factories, and Industry 4.0.

While Australia has entered a more stable economic environment, much of the world is still in severe economic contraction and experiencing frequent fluctuations and restrictions that make it difficult to achieve stability or pursue growth. Despite Australia’s comparative success, the pandemic and escalating trade tensions with China don’t make the task a straightforward one. But with great challenge comes great opportunity.

Through the Government’s multi-billion dollar commitment, strategic technological adoption can transform the entire manufacturing lifecycle, from the supply chain and the factory floor, through to the end users. To reap the full benefits – as an industry and as a country –digital transformation must be industry-wide. That’s the opportunity, and if seized the Australian industry can reclaim its former glory and set new standards in COVID-normal manufacturing.

Vijay Sundaram is the Chief Strategy Officer of Zoho Corporation. www.zoho.com

Coming ashore? Australian manufacturing after COVID-19

In the 1960s, manufacturing accounted for almost 30% of Australia’s GDP; today, the figure is approximately 5.7%. With recent events exposing major risks in the global value chain, the notion of ‘reshoring’ is gaining added impetus, writes John Young.

Last year, Australia’s lack of self-sufficiency and its dependence on China for many key supplies was demonstrated to be a greater problem than many previously assumed. This was true in the pharmaceuticals sector most obviously, but other sectors, such as chemicals and automotive, have felt the impact of an over-reliance on China.

In many places, there is serious and often excited discussion about the possibility of reshoring manufacturing. In Australia, talk of this phenomenon certainly predates the current crisis. The pandemic occurred at a time where mounting structural pressures were already reducing the appeal of offshoring.

Structural context

Across the Western world, many companies moved their manufacturing capacity offshore, to take advantage of lower labour costs in Asia. The trend began in earnest in the 1970s, was especially prominent in the 1990s, and has continued into the 21st Century.

Australia has been impacted by this development more heavily than most. Remarkably, no cars are manufactured in Australia. The closure of Holden’s last plant in 2017 served as a powerful symbol of the decline of the country’s manufacturing.

The chief driver of this transformation has been cost. Companies were enticed by the lower wages in many parts of Asia, which placed domestic workers at a severe competitive disadvantage. This reality coincided with a period of relative international stability in the immediate post-Cold War years, seemingly reducing the risk of longer supply chains and an over-reliance on foreign imports.

However, the cost benefits of offshoring are less obvious given the emergence of two important structural changes. Firstly, rising prosperity in China is eroding the advantage that low labour costs previously offered.

Secondly, the technologies associated with Industry 4.0, including automation, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, are becoming commercially viable in a greater range of applications. According to the World Economic Forum, Australia is a ‘high potential country’ in relation to Industry 4.0, being well placed to take advantage of these technologies.

While decision-makers had previously focused exclusively on cost, many of the risks of off-shoring were somewhat overlooked. Concerns about product quality have been foremost among these, but sustainability considerations, risks to intellectual property, and growing consumer preferences for ‘Made in Australia’ are also relevant here.

The trigger

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, evidence of reshoring as a genuine phenomenon was mostly anecdotal. An OECD research paper in 2016, which examined aggregate level data, failed to find evidence that significant onshoring activities were taking place, despite an increase in media interest in the idea. The authors of the report concluded it was a ‘trickle’ rather than a ‘flood’. Experts are clear that there will be no return to a bygone era of largescale manufacturing on Western shores, and offshoring will continue in many cases. A recent scholarly survey of the many contributions to this discussion concluded: “We do not believe that COVID-19 will

make … offshoring out of date or change completely the validity of the theoretical lenses that we have used in the last 50 years.”

However, the same experts argue that the pandemic demonstrated that the risks of offshoring were higher than many assumed, and that the pandemic would ‘foster and accelerate decisions’. In the structural context of the pressures outlined above, the pandemic could therefore function as a trigger to boardroom decision-making. Many governments are introducing initiatives to encourage this development. In Australia, the Government accelerated depreciation deductions and raised the threshold for tax deduction for capital investments.

Present and future prospects

The attractiveness of reshoring clearly varies by market segment. For example, an Australian textile company may have moved production to China and Pakistan for cost reasons. The company was in a market segment where large orders were won or lost on very small differences in price. Reshoring was not a commercially viable option because of the higher cost.

In contrast, for an Australian machine tool company that was selling high-tech equipment, reshoring was a more attractive option. The business was selling premium equipment, so in its market segment, cost was not the only consideration. Reshoring was more viable because the quality of the product and the stability of the supply were key considerations for its customers.

It is no surprise that those businesses successfully exploiting the onshoring opportunity are geared up to take advantage of automation technologies. Pairing with a reliable automation parts supplier, like EU Automation, is a key part of the preparatory stage of onshoring.

One difficulty many manufacturing businesses face is that even where the case for reshoring is strong, the domestic workforce cannot supply the engineering and technical expertise required. A survey in 2018 showed that 21% of Australian manufacturing CEOs highlighted skills shortage as their top concern for coming year.

Some companies may stop short of fully onshoring but consider alternative strategies to the traditional offshore approach. One option that is likely to prove popular is near-shoring. We may see manufacturers move their production out of China, only to take advantage of the lower labour costs in developing countries like Vietnam and Indonesia that are closer to home.

The fate of Australian manufacturing is also, to some extent, dependent on the fortunes of the dollar. The boom in mining has fueled a significant increase in demand for the country’s currency, making our other sectors’ exports less competitively priced in international markets.

Long-term economic and technological trends, combined with the shock of COVID-19, are making a serious dent in the appeal of offshoring. It remains to be seen whether anecdotal reports of reshoring translate into an increase in Australia’s manufacturing base. However, investment in automation and calls in some quarters for a clearer national strategy are positive signs that many more will be coming ashore in the months and years ahead.

John Young is APAC Director at EU Automation. www.euautomation.com

OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Cyber-attacks – A serious, physical threat to manufacturing plants

A pandemic may seem like an unprecedented risk but it has a lot in common with a much more likely threat: cyberattacks. A serious cyber-attack has the capacity to significantly disrupt, if not entirely stop, a company’s operations across the globe, hitting downstream processes and deliveries to customers. By Pankaj Thareja and Matthew Pilgrim.

Manufacturing businesses are critical to the economy yet are increasingly being targeted by cyber-attackers. Physical damage to equipment and facilities is perhaps the most significant and growing threat manufacturers face from cyber-intrusions. Hackers could take control of machinery and force unsafe conditions like overspeeding, or they could disable the safety systems designed to detect and intervene in these situations.

It’s vital that Australian manufacturers get on the front foot with this growing threat. Many manufacturers are becoming technologically sophisticated, implementing more robotics, automation and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) , and thereby increasing their attack surface. This is only set to increase as the Federal Government pushes ahead with plans to grow our advanced manufacturing industry. The irony is that within this super-connected IIoT environment, ageing industrial control systems (ICS) control and monitor industrial processes, increasing the vulnerability of operations . ICS, found in operational technology (OT) environments, have historically been separated from an organisation’s main IT systems but are now becoming more integrated. This can create new attack vectors.

Furthermore, with a production line under constant operation, upgrading control systems is not straightforward, often involving significant cost and business disruption. It’s not easy to go in and just patch these systems without proper planning, and fixing vulnerabilities may not always be feasible. Also, patches for legacy systems may no longer be available, leaving equipment at risk.

OT’s longevity also means it can end up unsupported by manufacturers, making it more susceptible to cyber vulnerabilities. Hackers understand this – they will target the weakest link.

Manufacturers can manage cyber risk in a number of ways:

Network segmentation is critical. Network segmentation is about building a wall around the crown jewels of your operations, and your weakest links – vulnerable, ageing, operational technology. Appropriate segmentation improves an organisation’s security posture and helps harden the controls network. FM Global recommends the use of firewalls, data diodes and routers for greater control of data flows, as these can act as a layer of protection between your business systems and your ICS. Where possible, set up ‘demilitarised zones’ (DMZ) between the ICS and business IT networks, and direct all communication to and from the ICS through the DMZ to avoid exposures. Employ network monitoring and logging of activities on the ICS network to detect unauthorised activities.

Even in well-segmented networks you need to be vigilant about back doors inadvertently created in your system. For example, equipment manufacturers and vendors often remotely extract data from machinery to monitor and optimise it.

It’s critical to understand how people and devices connect to your system – including how you allow third parties to connect. Consider how operators access control systems and what your password management practices are – including how often they are updated, how simple they are, and if multiple people share the same usernames and passwords to access important systems.

Think about what would happen if someone inserted a rogue USB into one of your computers – whether a malicious actor, or an employee wanting to play music. It’s critical to create and enforce strict policies around connecting external devices.

As remote capabilities and increased interconnection between systems become more prevalent, it’s important that organisations keep security front of mind and strike a suitable balance with business enablement. Put time limits on remote connections, revoke remote access for those who are no longer working within the organisation, and apply strict controls like multi-factor authentication for remote network connections.

Configuration management is the next step to a higher security posture, ensuring no changes are introduced into your environment that could weaken security. After all, anything that can be configured to protect an environment can also be misconfigured, introducing new vulnerabilities. Appropriate configuration management involves having an ICS oversight team assisting to analyse, validate, and approve all changes to your critical digital environment to reduce vulnerabilities due to misconfiguration or improvised security. This approval process should include all the relevant people – production, maintenance and/or IT – needed to assess the impact of the change on the plant’s security.

Physical security is yet another critical component of your cyber strategy and one of the most common deficiencies in the manufacturing sector. While the most insidious threat from a cyberattacker is usually one who will never set foot in your property, creating easy physical access points where a malicious actor could compromise your equipment will lessen the impact of any hardening measures carried out with regard to your network. Consider what security the business has in place at a property’s perimeter, including requiring swipe cards to enter locations where equipment is located, and locking cabinets where critical equipment are kept.

No matter how much preparation is undertaken, there’s still a possibility of succumbing to an attack. A key part of your defense strategy should be planning for the worst-case scenario. Recovery can be prolonged and losses exaggerated when people are unprepared. The key is to understand your recovery objectives before things start falling apart, and to build programs to ensure you can maintain or restore operations within those parameters. Among other things, this requires having secure, up-to-date backups of all of those server files and PLC codes. Employees must be clear on what to do in the event of an incident. This includes documented plans on how to detect an attack is happening, how to safely mitigate the damage and spread of malicious software, and how to restore operations as quickly as possible.

Resilience is a choice – and cyber risk must be treated like any other risk. Just as a facility could burn down or hit by a cyclone, it could be hit by a cyber-attack and the result could be just as damaging, or worse. Amid a rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, prevention, mitigation and recovery planning will help manufacturers decrease the likelihood of serious business interruption and losses.

Pankaj Thareja is a Cybersecurity Consultant at FM Global.

Matthew Pilgrim is Field Engineer – Manufacturing at FM Global. www.fmglobal.com

New Touch Industries (NTi) provide world-class laser cutting, metal fabrication, bending/ folding and welding, conveniently bundled in a one-stop shop designed to cater for all your metal needs.

From concept to completion NTi manages projects with certified quality assurance (ISO 9001) to guarantee a high-end result. Our state of the art machinery operate autonomously to provide a smooth 24/7 work flow, promising efficient turn around times.

Learn more at www.newtouchind.com.au, or call us at one of our two locations:

Bayswater:

03 9720

8248

sales@ntiv1.com.au

31 Edelmaier St,

Bayswater VIC 3153

Clayton:

03 9551 0055

sales@ntiv2.com.au

52A Winterton Rd,

Clayton VIC 3168

Australia: H2X Marine begins construction on hydrogen ferry

Construction is underway on a hydrogen-fuelled passenger ferry in Queensland, with the vessel expected to launch in the first quarter of 2021. It is being developed by H2X Marine, the new boat-building arm of automotive manufacturer H2X Australia, in partnership with ship building specialist WildCat Marine. The two companies will together develop a range of zero emission passenger ferries for industrial and commercial use, driven by hydrogen fuel cell technology. The vessels will comprise an aluminium hull, with 50 passenger capacity and fitted with two 120kW electric power trains driven by green hydrogen. The company is aiming to manufacture up to 30 ferries at its Brisbane factory. “Australia stands at the forefront of the future hydrogen economy: this potential can represent billions of dollars through domestic and export sales whilst locally delivering high value long term stable job opportunities” said CEO Sam Blackadder.

H2 View

Australia: Sky's the limit for flying electric car

A full scale prototype of an Australian designed and built electric Vertical Take Off & Landing aircraft (eVTOL) was launched last November to be used by CareFlight in medical emergencies. Named Vertiia and produced by startup AMSL Aero, it is claimed to be the world’s most efficient aircraft of its type in the world for passenger and aeromedical transport. Its unique aerodynamic and structural design means it travels further using less energy. Without the need for a runway, it cruises at 300kph, will travel 250km powered purely by electric batteries and will travel non-stop for 800km+ using hydrogen. Some key advantages are proprietary technology which extends battery life, a light weight and simplified airframe and easy passenger entry and exit. The project is a collaboration between the Uni of Sydney, AMSL Aero and the charity CareFlight and forms part of a $3m grant from the fed. government. Commercial production is expected by 2023.

Vertiia.com/mixed

Austria: Bend, don’t break: New tool for economic glass design

Traditional construction methods for curved glass façades are extremely expensive. Panes are usually made with “hot bending”, where glass is heated and formed using a mould or specialised machines - an energy-intensive process that generates excess waste. Cold-bent glass is a cheaper alternative in which flat panes of glass are bent and fixed to frames at the construction site. However, given the fragility of the material, coming up with a form that is both aesthetically pleasing and manufacturable is extremely challenging. Now, an interactive, data-driven design tool allows architects to do this. The software allows users to interactively manipulate a façade

The user can easily adapt their original concept to create an impressive glass façade fabricable with cold bending.

design and receive immediate feedback on the fabricability and aesthetics of the panelisation. The team ran more than a million simulations to build a database of possible curved glass shapes, represented in a CAD format. Then, a deep neural network (DNN) was trained on this data. This DNN precisely predicts one or two possible glass panel shapes for a given quadrangular boundary frame; these can then be used in a façade sketched by an architect. Institute of Science & Technology, Austria

Australia: Improving fatigue life of aluminium alloys x 25

A world-first study by Monash University engineers has demonstrated improvements in the fatigue life of high-strength aluminium alloys by 25 times. Researchers demonstrated that the poor fatigue performance of high-strength aluminium alloys was because of weak links called PFZs. The team made aluminium alloy microstructures that can heal the weak links while in operation (a form of self-healing). Aluminium alloy’s fatigue properties are notoriously poor compared to steel of similar strength. 80% of all engineering alloy failures are due to fatigue. Using commercially available AA2024, AA6061 and AA7050 aluminium alloys, researchers used the mechanical energy imparted into the materials during the early cycles of fatigue to heal the weak points. This strongly delayed the localisation of plasticity and the initiation of fatigue cracks, and saw enhanced fatigue lives and strengths. This could be applied to other precipitate hardened alloys containing PFZs.

Monash University

USA: Laser-based process to 3D print detailed glass objects

Researchers at the The Optical Society have developed a new laser-based process for 3D printing intricate parts made of glass. Most 3D printing processes build up an object layer by layer, but a new process avoids the limitations by using a laser beam to

Craig Elvin, Chairman of H2X Marine, and Guy Obren, Founder of Wildcat Marine.

transform – polymerise – a liquid precursor into solid glass. The approach is based on multiphoton polymerisation, which ensures that polymerisation only takes place at the precise laser focal point. It allows direct fabrication of 3D parts that range in size from a few microns to tens of centimetres with a resolution that is theoretically only limited by the optics used for laser beam shaping. The researchers used a mixture containing a photochemical initiator to absorb the laser light, a resin and high concentration of silica nanoparticles. This mixture's high viscosity allows a 3D part to be formed without deformation problems or supports to keep the object in place during 3D printing.

Sciencedaily

Australia/International: A new way to make diamonds

USA: 3D print biomedical parts with supersonic speed

A 3D printing technique has been developed that creates cellular metallic materials by smashing together powder particles at supersonic speed. Instead of using only heat as the input for bonding, plastic deformation is being used to bond these powder particles together. AM is not without its challenges. Among them: metallic materials need to be heated at high temperatures that exceed their melting point. To eliminate the resulting problems, a method has been developed using a nozzle of compressed gas to fire titanium alloy particles at a substrate. This method is sixty times faster than direct energy deposition. The team determined a speed just under the titanium alloy particle’s critical velocity. When launched at this slower rate, the particles created a more porous structure - ideal for biomedical applications. While the process is technically termed cold spray, it did involve some heat treatment. Once the particles collided and bonded together, the researchers heated the metal so the components would diffuse into each other and settle like a homogeneous material.

Cornell University

UK/Austria: Spacecraft made from aluminium alloy

An Australian-led international team has made diamonds in minutes in a lab at room temperature; a process which normally requires many years, huge amounts of pressure and super-hot temperatures. The team, led by the ANU and RMIT University, made two types of diamonds: one found in jewellery and another type called Lonsdaleite (58% harder than regular diamond). The discovery has major implications for diamond manufacturing, because traditional processes are more difficult and expensive. "The twist in the story is how we apply the pressure. As well as very high pressures, we allow the carbon to also experience 'shear'. We think this allows the carbon atoms to move into place and form Lonsdaleite and regular diamond" ANU Prof. Jodie Bradby said. These Lonsdaleite diamonds may become a miner’s best friend if they can reduce the rate of costly drill-bit replacement. ANU/Business Insider

USA: Turning coal powder into graphite in microwave oven

Using copper foil, glass containers and a conventional household microwave oven, researchers have demonstrated that pulverized coal powder can be converted into higher-value nano-graphite. This “one-step method with metal-assisted microwave treatment” is a new approach that could represent a simple and relatively inexpensive coal-conversion technology. While previous research has shown that microwaves can be used to reduce the moisture content of coal and remove sulfur and other minerals, most such methods require specific chemical pretreatment of the coal. In their experiment, the researchers simply ground raw coal into powder. That powder was then placed on copper foil and sealed in glass containers with a gas mixture of argon and hydrogen, before being placed in a conventional microwave oven. The sparks caused by the microwaves generated the high temperatures necessary to transform the coal powder into polycrystalline graphite.

University of Wyoming

A new alloy that will harden aluminium without increasing its weight significantly has been investigated. Compared with other conventional aluminium alloys, the alloy developed was radiation tolerant – ie the hardening phase does not dissolve under high radiation doses. Alloys help aluminium become harder via precipitation strengthening, but the radiation encountered in space can dissolve the hardening precipitates. The research (in partnership with MUL, Austria) discovered that a particular hardening precipitate does not dissolve when bombarded with particle radiation. This process highlights an exciting new field of research called “prototypic space materials for stellar-radiation environments”. The advantages of spacecraft that are light enough to launch and withstand radiation to protect their crews are clear. University of Huddersfield

“Australia stands at the forefront of the future hydrogen economy: this potential can represent billions of dollars through domestic and export sales whilst delivering high-value long-term stable job opportunities.” Sam Blackadder, CEO of H2X Marine, which plans to launch its first hydrogen-fuelled passenger ferry early this year.

Prof Bradby holding a diamond anvil cell, a device which generates the extreme pressures needed to create ultra-hard materials.

The ion accelerator at Huddersfield's MIAMI-2 (Microscope and Ion Accelerator for Materials Investigation) facility.

Bodor, Laser Machines announce exclusive partnership, new demonstration facility

Bodor, Asia’s leading exporter of the latest high-power laser-cutting systems, has entered an exclusive partnership with Melbourne-based company Laser Machines in providing its comprehensive range to Australian users.

In the past 36 months, more than 50 Bodor laser systems have been installed within Australia by Industrial Laser, who will now be stepping back from system machinery sales and concentrating on assisting resellers and end users with high-level support for all brands of laser systems.

Laser Machines recognised Industrial Laser as a premium laser service provider with several laser field engineers, combined with Australia’s largest stock holding in laser consumables. The two companies have signed an agreement with Laser Machines utilising Industrial Laser’s local resources for the installation and support of all Bodor laser systems going forward.

Adam Kibel, Director of Laser Machines, said: “This resource allows our customers to enjoy the very best service and after-sales support from a company that has been dedicated to this industry for over 20 years. I believe no company can look after laser users better than Industrial Laser, and we want the very best for our customers.We also have dedicated local Bodor factory engineers supporting our service partners.”

Miles Wang, Sales Director of Bodor Laser Australasia (also based in Melbourne), added: “It’s a great achievement reaching 50 laser installations in such a short time, and I would like to thank our customers for their support and trust in our product. We have a lot of cost-effective new innovations to help our customers be productive – anywhere from 1kW to 40kW, from sheet, tube, bevel cutting to automatic loading, we have you covered. Bodor is now firmly established within Australia, with a good reputation and great support network.”

Meanwhile, Laser Machines has also opened a new demonstration facility in Melbourne showcasing an array of new Bodor laser systems. Currently on display are the latest 9.2m tube cutting system, a twin-table enclosed sheet cutting machine, and various small-footprint high-speed systems employing the latest highpressure air-cutting techniques. www.bodor.com www.industriallaser.com.au www.lasermachines.com.au

Walter delivers new thread of productivity

With the arrival of its new T2710 Series, Walter has extended its concept of multiple-row thread milling cutters for producing shorter threads.

Thanks to small spaces between insert rows, the T2710 has been specially designed for highly productive processing of thread depths up to 1.5XD. Even with short thread depths, the simultaneous machining of several thread sections by the new T2710 Series reduces machining time enormously. Productivity is further amplified by the highly wear-resistant thread milling inserts of the Walter WSM37S Tiger-tec Silver grade.

Suitable for universal use, the rigid tool body incorporates multiple rows of indexable inserts developed specifically for thread milling. The tool body design has been optimised with minimum spaces between the insert rows to increase productivity levels when creating short threads. The tool body and inserts are suitable for threads with a nominal diameter that starts from 20mm and upwards with a thread pitch range from 1.5mm to 6mm, and for Imperial threads a TPI of 18 to 6. This gives the new Walter T2710 Series complete flexibility for threading both metric and Imperial threads regardless of pitch and angle.

To meet the complete needs of industry, Walter has introduced several new inserts for threads from M125 to UN 5inch, inserts with a pitch range from 6mm to 10mm and 4 TPI, as well as inserts with a 55-degree flank angle for BSP threads. The new additions add to the already-available standard insert range that includes M24 to M125, UNC1 to UN5 and G1 to G3 1/2inch. Walter also

has an extensive range of options for thread depths of 2XD, 2.5XD and also 3XD, so whatever your thread depth requirement, Walter has a solution. The three-edge inserts incorporate a chip breaker groove and edge geometry that ensure a smooth cutting action with minimal cutting forces. This permits high cutting speeds and feeds per tooth while simultaneously reducing the radius corrections. For unfavourable conditions, Walter offers the thread milling inserts with a D61 geometry that provides an ‘anti-vibration land’.

In addition to the high productivity and low costs per thread, users benefit from high thread quality and process reliability with the T2710. The smooth cutting action and low deflection of the tool is created by both the easy-cutting geometry and the variable internal coolant supply. The coolant supply can be directed both radially or axially, enabling customers to adapt the process for the machining of blind or through holes, optimally flushing the swarf from the thread. The Walter T2710 Series has been introduced for universal application with the rigid tool body providing the perfect platform for a range of inserts that are perfect for productive threading of steel, stainless steel, cast iron, non-ferrous metals, hightemperature alloys and even hardened steels up to 55HRc. www.walter-tools.com

Richard Ladley, Director of Industrial Laser; Adam Kibel, Director of Laser Machines; and Miles Wang, Sales Director of Bodor Laser.

BOC unleashes the “Beast” welding workhorse

BOC has announced the release of its BOC Smootharc Advance II Beast 555R MIG Welder, a MIG MAG machine with MMA capability, labelled the “Beast”.

The Beast is the first release in BOC’s revamped Smootharc welding range, with more products set to be announced in 2021. Tony Newnham, Head of the BOC Welding Business, says for many welders working in medium-to-heavy engineering and manufacturing, the “Beast”, BOC’s most powerful MIG MAG yet, would be considered a dream birthday present.

“The Beast is a true workhorse – the biggest in our Smootharc range,” says Newnham. “It’s versatile, robust and simple to operate –with an inverter-based power source that offers a high duty cycle for optimal results. It’s great value for money for its size, with affordable upgrade options from standard gas-cooled welder, to water-cooled for increased productivity and even longer weld times.”

Designed to withstand the toughest environment conditions, the Beast is housed in a steel case with large wheels making it easy to manoeuvre around the workshop or site. According to Newnham, BOC’s Smootharc welding range is one of the most comprehensive in Australia, and has been well-known in workshops for several decades – with equipment to suit all levels and applications, from heavy industry right through to DIY home jobs.

“We look forward to raising the curtain on new Smootharc products in 2021 – and encourage manufacturers to get in touch with our technical welding specialists for advice on the best products and shielding gases to improve productivity and safety,” Newnham adds.

and 10m inter-connecting

Guhring dives into micro-milling

The Guhring Diver Series of end mills has been a great success since its market introduction, and now Guhring is extending the multitude of benefits of this industry-leading series to the micromachining sector.

Recognised as the ‘smallest diver in the world’, the new RF100 Micro Diver end mills have been introduced for high-performance machining of small components. The new micro-precision milling range is a universal tool that is suitable for every material and every application.

Providing plunging and milling in a single tool, the new RF100 Micro Diver permits extreme cutting values with cutting depths that until now were beyond the realms of micro-precision cutting tools. Available in two variants, the 6808 and 6809, the RF100 Micro Diver features a symmetrical drilling face for stability when ramping and drilling, a new transition geometry to improve rigidity and an innovative flute form that further enhances rigidity and eliminates vibration.

The RF100 Micro Diver 6808 Series is a three-flute solid-carbide end mill suitable for cutting materials up to 48HRC at depths up to 2.5XD. With a 40-degree helix angle to evacuate chips from the work area when conducting high-speed machining, the 6808 Series is available with a H5 4 or 6mm shank diameter and a H8 cutting diameter from 0.79mm to 3.175mm, with a multitude of dimensional increments available.

The range has an overall length from 38.1mm to 50.8mm with a cutting length from 1.97mm to 7.93mm, with the choice of four or six Guhrojet peripheral through-coolant channels available. To enhance tool life further, the end mills incorporate a 45-degree corner chamfer to prevent edge chipping when machining challenging materials. This micro-fine corner chamfer ranges from 0.016mm to 0.64mm depending upon the tool diameter selected. For the machining of pockets and slots up to 5XD, manufacturers can select the exciting new RF100 Micro

Diver 6809 Series. Like the shorter length variant, the 6809 Series offers the choice of four or six Guhrojet peripheral through coolant channels, a H5 4 or 6mm shank diameter and a 45-degree corner chamfer to prevent edge chipping.

In comparison to the shorter 6808 variant, the 6809 offers an overall tool length from 45mm to 57.15mm with a 5.00mm to 15.87mm cutting length. Despite the impressive length to diameter ratio, the 6809 retains an unprecedented level of rigidity and stability for highspeed slotting, ramping, drilling and plunging, which is credited to the high-strength design that is presented through the transition geometry and ultra-fine carbide composition.

From a tool life perspective, both new end mills have an optimised geometry that adds strength and rigidity, while the new HIPIMS Durox coating from Guhring enables the end-user to achieve a high surface finish with optimal chip removal rates. Furthermore, this innovative coating technology demonstrates outstanding resilience against wear and oxidation when wet or dry machining on a diverse material selection from low and high alloyed steel, stainless, cast iron, aluminium and copper alloys, as well as heat resistant alloys and hardened steels. If you want to dive into micro-machining with productivity and performance that exceeds expectations, the multipurpose RF100 Micro Diver is the tool for your business.

The Smootharc Advance II MIG 555R complies to AS/NZS 60974-1 and IEC/EN 60974-10 and is backed by a three-year conditional warranty. It comes with a full set of accessories, a separate wire feeder

cable. www.boc.com.au

NOGA – Creating a solid base for inspection operations

NOGA Granite Base Stands provide an easy, accurate and reliable way for you to inspect your products. NOGA Granite Base Stands are made using high-quality hardened granite, providing users with:

• High precision and stability, resistance to distortion, and guaranteed accuracy.

• Resistance to rust or corrosion, eliminating the need of special maintenance.

• Wear resistance, resulting in a long service life.

• Non-magnetic material construction.

• Flatness of less than or equal to three microns (Standard DIN 876 Grade 00).

Over the years the pursuit for higher standards has prompted industry to perform more rigorous inspection of products. clamp. Featuring a choice of NOGA holders, NOGA Heavy Duty V Block Magnet Sets can help with the numerous challenges of the skilled operator of machine tools. They can be used for a range of general shop applications including for the securing and layout of items with various shapes; and holding stock securely in place during light-duty operations such as boring, tapping, milling, drilling and grinding.

NOGA Granite Base Stands come with two options. The first option comes with a choice of NOGA Articulated Holders, while the second comes with a selection of NOGA PH (Post Holders). Both options have the fine adjustment on top (FAT) with universal swivel

NOGA is offering a selection of V Block Magnet sizes with either a NF or PH Holder, designed to hold dial and test indicators as well as other components. www.pretooling.com.au

Peak Productivity: SLM Solutions launches 12-laser machine

SLM Solutions has launched its new selective laser melting machine, the NXG XII 600. The highly anticipated machine is equipped with 12 lasers with 1kW each and a square build envelope of 600mmx600mmx600 mm.

The NXG XII 600 is the fastest machine on the market, 20 times faster compared to a single laser machine, and equipped with innovative technical features like the zoom function to maximise productivity and reliability. The machine is designed to be used in serial production for high-volume applications as well as for printing large parts, which opens up new applications in the automotive and aerospace industries and paves the way to industrialised serial production.

The NXG XII 600 is the latest addition to SLM Solutions’ product portfolio and puts productivity on a whole new level, with 12 1kW lasers operating simultaneously, as well as numerous technological innovations and automated features. A radically improved use of laser time in the build process enables unrivalled build-up rates. The new machine was designed from scratch for serial production and features a whole new optic system, the most compact on the market. It enables large overlap and is based on a tailor-made laser scanning system to best fit the build area.

All 12 optics provide spot size definition via a double-lens system called zoom function, enabling customers to choose between different spot sizes in the focal plane which boosts build-up rates to 1,000 cubic centimetres per hour and more. Producing a higher yield of parts in a single build job thereby enables mass production at low cost-per-part.

Sam O’Leary, Chief Executive Officer at SLM Solutions, is enthusiastic about the machine launch and underlines that a new era of manufacturing has started: “The NXG Xll 600 is a revolution in industrial manufacturing. Up until now, the limit had been considered to be that of a quad laser system – what we deliver here with 12kW of installed laser power is truly ground-breaking and a major step forward, not just for additive manufacturing, but for manufacturing in general. The potential cost reduction and productivity gains that this machine offers you means for the first time in the history of additive manufacturing, you can have true serial production fully integrated into your supply chain.”

To facilitate the integration of the NXG XII 600 into factories and supply chains, several automated features like an automatic build

cylinder exchange, automatic build start as well as an external preheating station and external depowder station are part of the solution.

To achieve homogeneous part properties all over the building platform, SLM Solutions has developed a new gas-flow set-up along with an optimised chamber design and SLM Solutions’ patented and proven sinter-wall technology. Customers can also rely on the patented bi-directional recoating, which has been redesigned to be more compact and gas-flow optimized.

The NXG XII 600 features a robust machine design boasting a new thermal concept. This reduces drifts to a minimum and allows customers to print seamless parts stitched together with up to 12 lasers. Additionally, the machine comes with a brand-new UI concept focusing on the operator, which optimises the workflow and reduces training requirements. This once again underlines SLM Solutions’ focus on productivity, reliability, and safety.

The machine is available with two different powder handling options: a gravity-based and a vacuum-based solution, that both keep downtime between each build job to a minimum.

www.raymax.com.au

Faro launches latest Vantage laser tracker 6DoF probe

Faro Technologies has released its next-generation Vantage Laser Tracker 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DoF) probe.

The new 6Probe offers exceptional portability and is compatible with Faro’s VantageS6 and VantageE6 laser trackers, enabling users to build, inspect and measure products faster and with greater accuracy. The 6Probe is a cost-effective 6DoF solution that meets the dynamic measurement, speed, and accuracy requirements of the most challenging industrial applications.

With kinematic self-identifying styli, users can now change probing tips quickly and measure without any recalibration and also measure hidden areas outside of the tracker’s line of sight, with wider acceptance angles. The result is an advanced tool upgrade designed to enhance productivity and efficiency. In fact, the typical user of the new 6Probe can now save at least 30 minutes of time on any given workday.

“The next generation Vantage Laser Tracker 6DoF Probe extends maximum measurement consistency and reliability in a variety of working environments, delivering best-in-class performance through faster and easier probing than previous models,” said Leo Martinez, Faro Product Marketing Manager. “With Super 6DoF and conventional 6DoF probing, Faro offers the industry’s most comprehensive 6DoF solutions available.”

Both 6DoF and standard probing are enhanced by Faro ActiveSeek, a feature to automatically locate and follow the active target. Faro trackers support the patented Super 6DoF TrackArm solution, which allows the Vantage and one or more Faro ScanArms to work together to create an integrated contact and non-contact 3D measurement system for large-volume measurement. With a range of up to 60m (with a 4m reach), Super 6DoF eliminates line-of-sight challenges and expands measurement range while maintaining superior accuracy.

The Vantage platforms offer comprehensive, large-volume 3D measurement up to 80m, significantly streamlining processes and reducing inspection cycle times while ensuring complete confidence in the results.

The Laser Trackers maximise 6DoF measurement capabilities via the optional 6Probe, enabling precise measurement of hidden areas and small features. www.faro.com

Compact, light and accurate – Datalogic

HandScanner saves four seconds per scan

Datalogic is introducing its new HandScanner, a non-intrusive, hands-free wearable scanner that enhances efficiency and accuracy.

The new scanner’s low weight allows it to reduce the load lifted by a worker during every working shift by up to 1.5 tons. Capable of scanning from 10cm to 150cm, HandScanner is suitable for a broad range of tasks in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, transport, retail, and healthcare industries. Weighing just 40g and measuring 50mm x 45mm x 16mm, the new HandScanner is the lightest and most compact hands-free scanner available to improve workplace efficiency. It saves four seconds per scan, with 33% less errors.

The new HandScanner complements Datalogic’s comprehensive range of advanced industrial scanning equipment designed to deliver efficiency, accuracy, reliability and ergonomic benefits to demanding industries.

“Compared to ring scanners, the HandScanner is thinner and is positioned on the back of the hand,” says Stefano Pistis, Product Manager, Datalogic. “Therefore it is less intrusive and less exposed to hits than a ring scanner that stays on the fingers of a worker. This durable, practical and ergonomic design results in up to a 20% reduction in scanner damage.

“A fully charged HandScanner battery can last almost two working shifts, running up to 15 hours and 10,000 scans. With a two-slot charging station the battery can be fully recharged in two hours.”

Equipped with a megapixel sensor, the HandScanner captures 1D/2D bar codes and is available in two models: a standard range

– designed for close range scanning between 10cm and 80cm for manufacturing, retail and healthcare applications; and a mid-range model with a scanning range of 15cm to 30cm, which covers applications in transportation and logistics such as warehousing, plant floors, docks, and stock yards.

Datalogic’s HandScanner is designed to work with static, semi-static, and dynamic workstations. With Bluetooth low-energy connectivity, it can communicate with mobile and industrial computers, smartphone and tablets. It can also be easily paired with Datalogic’s hand-held and vehicle-mounted computers to provide workers with a full data collection solution suitable for any application.

Datalogic’s new HandScanner is a highly flexible and versatile solution for scanning applications. It can be paired with Datalogic’s mobile computers to provide workers with a full data collection solution suitable for any application. With LED indicators, acoustic and haptic feedbacks, the HandScanner can work in a broad range of environments. The hand trigger can be used with or without gloves and is available in different sizes, right or left hand, with an optimum fit due to the variable Velcro fastener.

Manufacturing applications for the HandScanner include: parts and assembly traceability, sequencing stations, inventory management, replenishment, sorting, and finished goods verification.

www.datalogic.com

DELIVERING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS, TODAY.

A robotic painting and coating solution can provide a wide range of advantages to manufacturers of all shapes and sizes. A well-engineered system is capable of increasing finishing quality, whilst delivering higher product speeds and productivity.

Reduction of waste at the point source of origin

Increased uptime

Improved safety in hazardous working environments

Reduced volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

Contact ASA for more information or visit our website automatedsolutions.com.au

ASA is a privately owned, wholly Australian company specialising in the design, engineering and integration of flexible automation solutions for the Australian manufacturing sector.

1800 ROBOTS (1800 762 687)

FLY BY WIRE –

ELECTRIFYING AVIATION

AMT Magazine ended 2020 with a lead story on the emergence and runaway growth of the electric vehicle industry, and the opportunities this offers for Australian manufacturers. We begin this year looking at the electrification of flight, which could be similarly transformative. By Brent Balinski.

Nowadays it’s reasonably often you’ll see a Telstra in a well-to-do neighbourbourhood. Electric-powered passenger aircraft are not as prevalent as electric vehicles (EVs), but electrified flight is fast approaching.

The first Australian flight – a Pipistrel Alpha Electro two-seater –took off from Jandakot Airport in Western Australia in January 2018. In December Sydney Seaplanes announced plans to retrofit one of its Cessnas with electric motors made by MagniX, a leader in electric propulsion founded in Gold Coast, Queensland. Sydney Seaplanes hopes to offer Sydney Harbour-Palm Beach e-flights in early 2023 and possibly to Canberra after that. Further afield, the Norwegian airport operator Avenor has set a goal that all short flights (90 minutes and under) will be electric-powered by 2040.

Dr Jake Whitehead, Tritium E-Mobility Fellow at the University of Queensland, says there are two main types of electric aircraft: short-haul planes and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL, including drones). Whitehead, who has been reviewing the field for about three years, says the main drivers have been falling battery costs and progressive improvements in energy density. He is excited by early deployments of electric planes and VTOL aircraft up to 150km in range, though he sees difficulties at longer distances.

“Realistically, I think we are still some time away from electric aviation playing a major role in medium-haul routes (500-1,000km)” says Whitehead. “But if higher-density chemistries such as metal-

air batteries become commercially viable in the coming decades, this flight range is likely possible. I don’t expect that any of us will be catching an electric plane overseas anytime soon, but hybridised engines may become more prevalent.”

Energy density is a major limitation. According to an article in Scientific American, top-notch batteries offer 250 watt-hours per kilogram, compared to 12,000 watt-hours for jet fuel. Optimists like MagniX liken the situation to the poor ranges of Tesla cars in their early days. Once a market develops, it will drive battery development.

There are also optimists who see a role for Australia in the development of an electric aviation industry.

MagniX CEO Roei Ganzarski says that EV fast charger company Tritium is an example of what Australian manufacturers could do, adding that he sees charging and energy source (e.g. batteries or hydrogen fuel cells) technologies as two obvious areas of potential. MagniX is aiming for certification of its two current products in 2022.

Andrew Moore, CEO and founder of AMSL Aero, cites the proud history of Jabiru Aircraft in Bundaberg, which has been producing low-volume, excellent-value light aircraft for international customers since 1988, as evidence that with the right focus, Australia’s manufacturing and aerospace engineering community can be globally relevant for the flying machines of this new era.

AMSL is based at Bankstown Airport in Sydney. Moore adds: “If you look across the runway, you can see the remnants of the [de Havilland Aircraft] factory that was built in the 1940s that used to output hundreds of airplanes a year. So there has been a long aerospace industry [heritage], particularly in this part of Sydney.”

Whitehead adds: “I think Australia has an important role to play in e-mobility more broadly, and that is particularly in terms of mining battery minerals, and potentially manufacturing these batteries locally in the near future. This has wider applications than just electric aviation, but I think that is where our primary strength is.”

AMSL: Bankstown’s box kite-inspired flying car

We don’t manufacture passenger aircraft here, but Australia has a good deal of aerospace capability if you know where to look. This is the opinion of Andrew Moore, who previously served as chief engineer on a project developing a five-seat helicopter for Yamaha Motor Australia, before heading back to school to do a PhD.

“Australia does things like light aviation particularly well,” says Moore. “We’re able to do very complex engineering activities for a lower cost than what we would do if we were doing it in Seattle or [elsewhere] in the United States. To try to get to where we’re at now, we’ve spent roughly a fifth of what the major competitors globally have spent.”

Moore quit his PhD (on optimising electric propulsion) early on to form AMSL, with his wife Siobhan Lyndon in 2017. Last November they held a public event showing the first full-size prototype of their Vertiia platform.

The VTOL aircraft is initially being developed in an aero-ambulance version, under a CRC-P collaboration with Mission Systems, CareFlight and University of Sydney. (Other projects have been supported by the Defence Innovation Hub and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre.) Besides aero-medicine the company is also targeting the passenger charter and urban air mobility markets, with an estimated addressable market of $6.5bn for the three combined.

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Founded in Gold Coast, Queensland, MagniX converts aircraft like the Cessna Caravan to electric power.

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Vertiia is an eight motor/propeller craft, with a design inspired by Lawrence Hargrave’s 1890s box kite. According to AMSL, its range is 250km (possibly 800km using a hydrogen fuel cell), and cruising speed is 300km per hour. Being able to lift off and descend vertically means it doesn’t need a runway.

The novelty of Vertiia is the combination of its box wing design, with energy storage in its wingtips, says Moore.

“It means that we can tolerate and manage the hazards associated with batteries, and energy storage generally, in a slightly different way to those concepts which store their batteries in or around the passenger cabin,” he explains, adding that it allows a decrease in the weight of the wings and the drag of the system.

According to Moore, the flying car genre is being enabled by improvements in battery technology, power and torque density in electric motors, and the affordability of flight control systems. Better applications of carbon-fibre composites are also aiding progress. CST Composites is a manufacturing partner. Another factor is the “adoption of performance-based certification standards”, enabling new aircraft to be built – though none have been certified yet.

Moore’s team currently numbers 15 full-time staff, with perhaps five or so full-time equivalents if you include contractors. The road ahead includes more ground testing; flight testing, with continued development of flight control software; further capital raising; and redeveloping the prototype into a production model. Having a production system established (and building to a production standard) is necessary to complete certification, planned for 2023. Flight testing is quite high-risk by its nature, exploring all the corners of a safe flight envelope.

“You do end up getting very close to the edge of where you can safely operate,” Moore explains. “That’s just so that when you sell a product, you know exactly where it is safe to operate so you don’t operate near any of those dangerous corners.”

This is a real challenge, says Moore, and there are “gaps in policy”, but it is surmountable. The company is working closely with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) on it.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle is gearing up to produce in large volumes, or “building the machine that builds the machine,” as Moore describes it. The anticipated market is large, and satisfying it won’t be a trivial undertaking .

“You can very easily build small production runs of aircraft,” Moore adds. “The challenge is actually establishing a production system that outputs a fairly high rate for airplanes.”

Eyre to There: Targeting the training sector

When we spoke to Barrie Rogers, Managing Director of Eyre to There Aviation, in mid-December, he outlined his company’s plans for a record-breaking electrified flight early in the new year: a 1,650km trip within South Australia in his company’s Pipistrel Alpha Electro. The aircraft’s range is 145km, meaning numerous stops to recharge.

“I guess the trip [purpose] is two-fold,” he says. “We’re going to generate a huge amount of awareness nationally. And we’re also backing that up by scoping out regional airports around the state at the moment for the future introduction of electric aircraft charging stations.”

Eyre to There began last year with big plans, but like the rest of us, the Adelaide-based startup soon found itself having had to change course. In February 2020 it announced an agreement with Slovenia-based Pipistrel to import and assemble Alpha Electro planes, a two-seat electric trainer , with the first 15 built overseas and the rest in Australia.

Rogers anticipates big demand from flight schools for new training aircraft. There are more than 3,400 aircraft at the country’s 250-plus schools, with an average age of 36 years for single-engine planes, meaning a lot of replacements will be needed soon.

“The agreement calls for approximately 255 electric aircraft in the Australian market over a seven-year period from the point of commencement of assembly,” Rogers says. “That’s not even 5% of the aircraft flight training market.”

Andrew Moore and Siobhan Lyndon, co-founders of AMSL Aero.

The Alpha Electro’s battery is designed to either be replaced within minutes or charged in less than one hour.

AMSL Aero’s Vertiia electric-powered aircraft.

Rogers has had a varied career, with his interest in aviation piqued during a period owning and operating a Robinson helicopter franchise in the US for six years during the 1990s. He has managed airports in SA since 2013 – most recently Parafield – before quitting in 2019 to start his new venture.

“We’re trying to have a community and an airport coexistent, and of course [there’s] a lot of noise complaints in that urban environment,” he explains. He met Pipistrel at Germany’s Aero Friedrichshafen show and soon after agreed to build their planes here as a way to help bring in an era of quieter, cheaper, air transport.

Today, the five-person venture’s manufacturing plans are slightly different; Rogers says he is exploring partnerships with Adelaide OEMs (the automotive industry is mentioned) on new product lines.

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A more distributed model for assembling the Alpha Electros is also a possibility , and being closer to the customer makes sense.

“We get the container there and get people trained and they put it together and put it on a truck, get into an airport, and put the wings on,” he says of partnering with a distributed network of assemblers.

Rogers sees good potential for the country’s manufacturers in electrified air mobility. “We as a country have amazing talent in the aerospace industry. We’ve never really been a mass manufacturer of aircraft. We leave that to the big guys.”

Rogers offers a local example: “You’ve got Airspeed in Adelaide, they’re certainly going places in manned drones, from a racing point of view. Their philosophy is that racing ultimately moved the car industry forward, and I think racing aircraft with new technology or propulsion systems will do the same thing.”

Orbital UAV: Hybrid propulsion for drones

Back in 1972, before ABC was running The New Inventors, it was running a program simply called The Inventors. The overall winner that year was Ralph Sarich, an automotive engineer with a new orbital engine. Despite much hype and a company with a market cap over $1bn at one point, Sarich Technologies – which would later become Orbital Corporation Ltd – never got into volume manufacturing of the invention, with the focus switching to direct fuel injection technologies in 1983. Sarich sold out of the company and became an ultra-successful property investor.

Four years ago, new management at Orbital switched the focus to propulsion systems and flight-critical components for tactical drones. Since then, Orbital UAV has moved from a team of clever engineers who can solve problems “to an advanced aerospace manufacturing company”, says Ian Donabie, the company’s Corporate Communications Manager.

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- Servo driven pump for energy efficiency HSG

Based in Adelaide, Eyre to There Aviation has an agreement with Sloveniabased Pipistrel to import and assemble Alpha Electro planes.

Over the last four years, Orbital UAV has specialised in the development of propulsion systems and flightcritical components for

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Headcount at the firm’s long-time headquarters in Balcatta, Perth, is approximately 85, with a US team of around 15 based at Hood River, Oregon. Donabie says the growing Australian operation is 40% engineering, 45% production and operations, and the rest in executive or other business roles.

One of Orbital’s advantages stems from its history in fuel injection, says Donabie. Its FlexDI method is agnostic as to fuel type (gasoline, JP5, JP8 or Jet A); it atomises fuel into droplets of 8 microns and injects into the combustion chamber, greatly boosting heavy fuels and making them suitable for two-stroke UAV engines.

Donabie discusses the use of heavy fuels by defence clients : “There’s safety implications. These fuels won’t burn at a certain temperature. Unlike gasoline, which is highly flammable, these have a [safer] combustion point.

“The other part is logistics. Essentially the defence forces want all of their equipment on their compounds or wherever they may be, to run off the same fuel. So they don’t have to chop and change fuel types.”

Donabie says the company’s competitiveness is the result of engineering expertise, supply chain knowledge, and a deep background of dealing with Tier 1 companies in the automotive sector. A further legacy from its automotive history is a machine shop able to handle both development work and low-volume production.

“There’s a significant facility with significant capex put into it, and so we do have the necessary machinery and equipment to allow us to do quite complex work here and further expand,” he adds.

A new chapter in the company’s development began in April 2020, with selection by Northrop Grumman for the development of two prototype hybrid-propulsion systems, to be delivered in 2021.

Electric power enables the necessary torque to take off and land vertically, the company says, and represents new ground for the Orbital team. The battery is switched off once the UAV has taken off, after which point heavy fuel is used to power the vehicle in flight.

Increased investment by the Federal Government in ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), amounting to 9% of defence spending up to 2025-26, represents a good opportunity for Orbital. Two programs in particular are targets: LAND 129 and SEA 129, intended to provide engines for the successful lead company. Orbital is currently a supplier for both Insitu Pacific and Textron Systems Australia, two of the shortlisted companies for LAND 129 Phase 3.

As for the future of tactical drones, Donabie believes that they will rely on conventional fuel for some time to come. While battery power helps increase payload capability in a hybrid system, it would not provide adequate range if used on its own.

“In the tactical space, which is a very particular category of drone, there has been a requirement for a certain level of endurance, which can’t be matched by battery power or other power sources such as solar or hydrogen,” he explains. “So the combustion engine is still key to providing the capability that these tactical UAV drones require.

A tactical drone might be in the air for the best part of a day: maybe two to three hours either way to a site and maybe eight hours of monitoring.

“Batteries don’t provide that level of endurance,” he adds. “But certainly we are monitoring the progress of the battery industry and how those things are progressing. With the hybrid aspect of the Northrop Grumman contract, obviously, it’s of relevance.” www.uq.edu.au www.magnix.aero www.vertiia.com www.orbitaluav.com

In April 2020, Orbital UAV was selceted by Northrop Grumman for the development of two prototype hybrid-propulsion systems, to be delivered in 2021.

tactical drones.

Aerospace and defence push boundaries of metal 3D printing

RAM3D, a 3D metal printing service provider based in in Tauranga, New Zealand, works with a large range of clients in the aerospace and defence sectors. Gilly Hawker of RAM3D reports on some of its most interesting projects.

Both aerospace and defence have been early adopters of additive manufacturing, mainly because complex geometries can be achieved that would be difficult to create using traditional manufacturing. Organic shapes, non-uniform sections and hollow areas become possible - leading to a part optimised for function and cost using metal 3D printing.

RAM3D’s services include metal 3D printing in stainless steel 15-5ph and 316L, titanium 64, Inconel 718 and aluminium (AISi10Mg), as well as consultation on design for additive manufacturing. Last year, RAM3D printed more than 3,500 parts for spacecraft, while closer to earth it has been working with companies like Oceania Defence and Aeromotors.

Oceania Defence – A partnership going from strength to strength

It’s no secret that RAM3D has been working in collaboration with Oceania Defence, a world leader in firearms suppressors since 2012. Oceania Defence relocated its business to RAM3D’s bespoke factory in Tauranga in July 2019, and the business relationship continues to move from strength to strength, with more exciting projects being designed and metal 3D printed for an array of military and police tactical groups throughout the world.

Bert Wilson, Managing Director of Oceania Defence, an engineer and long-time shooter, was inspired to design a titanium suppressor once he learnt about the capabilities of the metal 3D printing. Suppressors reduce the noise created when a bullet leaves the barrel of a firearm and allows the shooter to fire the gun multiple times without the need for ear protection.

The partnership has allowed both companies to fine-tune suppressor designs to create a range of suppressors in both titanium and Inconel that many defence forces want to use. Oceania Defence’s titanium suppressors are similar in weight to aluminium suppressors but can handle much higher temperatures, meaning multiple shots can be fired without disfiguring the suppressor due to excessive heat.

The suppressors are printed as one integral unit from Titanium 64 and Inconel 718 powders, thus reducing any need for spacers, thread assemblies or other support structures. This ensures the tightest manufacturing tolerances possible combined with the lightest, smallest, and efficient devices available to the market.

Aeromotors – Revolutionising drone design

Clever drone design takes innovative thinking and people who are willing to take bold steps along the way. Bill White, an aviation propulsion engineer and owner of Aeromotors, is revolutionising drone design for military operations. His journey started more 20 years ago when as a Christchurch engineer, he first started designing and building engines.

The smaller three-cylinder engine he has redesigned and built for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has a weight of 50kg and aircraft wingspan of 6m; it can fly to heights of 5,500m and has a cruise speed of 110 km/hour. In White’s own words: “This little engine is now a yardstick for the rest of the industry to catch up with.”

White’s aim is to design and build these engines to be proportionally lighter as all drone manufacturers want their drones to fly higher and further. With White’s extensive experience in developing, manufacturing, and testing engines, he convinced his clients to go with a four-stroke engine design, despite this engine type being

considered ‘old technology’ in the small UAV world. Most drone engines are electric, while a two-stroke engine is inefficient, so White’s ingenious four-stroke engine is leading the way.

The parts RAM3D are 3D printing for him can’t be manufactured any other way; they are printed in Inconel 718 (a high-temperature alloy) and require high precision, especially where mass matters. With rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing this is finally achievable.

It was refreshing for the RAM3D team to see some great CAD designs specifically suited for its metal 3D printing process. They have printed production runs of manifolds, exhaust mufflers, collectors, and engine sumps.

From prototyping to production

Over the past five years, RAM3D has had to contend with a seismic shift from low-volume prototyping to high-scale production services. To this end the company now operates eight additive manufacturing systems to service many industries – including aerospace and defence.

RAM3D has seen an unprecedented increase in both large and smaller companies interested in trying 3D metal printing as an

Aeromotors has redesigned and built an engine for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can fly to heights of 5,500m and has a cruise speed of 110km/hour.

The parts RAM3D are 3D printing for Aeromotors can’t be manufactured any other way and require high precision.

RAM3D has been working in collaboration with Oceania Defence, a world leader in firearms suppressors since 2012.

Key benefits of additive manufacturing in defence

Customisation of equipment

This is a big drawcard. When designing for metal 3D printing for the military, it is almost like designing for a different kind of elite athlete, and additive manufacturing has the best toolkit to exploit. Not only is this form of manufacturing rapid, but it is also flexible in that products can be altered, and additional features can be added quickly to meet emerging requirements or combat scenarios. This design freedom results in a highly optimised part in terms of both functionality and cost.

Lead times, supply chain and parts availability

With additive manufacturing, lead times can be reduced to days, and this shortens the product development cycle. The printing of these parts on demand offers an alternative to keeping a stock of parts. It’s likely that, because of additive manufacturing, inventories will decrease. Reduction in inventory also means agility to process and updates version of a part.

alternative to other forms of manufacturing. Since the COVIDi19 lockdown in New Zealand, it took on more projects – possibly because designers have had time to work on projects during lockdown.

RAM3D’s CEO Warwick Downing comments on what he thinks the future is for metal 3D printing: “Globally speaking, I think the metal 3D printing sector is at a bit of a tipping point right now, and it’s certainly only going to grow in importance and influence. It is no longer a ‘new technology’, it’s here and now.”

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The soldier’s heavy load

Military personnel are required to carry heavy loads, and therefore lightweight equipment is an important factor in minimising the mass carried by a soldier. This is easily achieved using additive manufacturing technology.

Product development

With additive manufacturing it becomes possible to host trials with actual personnel and that leads to a much better evaluation. It also suits any number of design variations.

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Elexon Electronics – Developing an enduring Australian defence capability

Now more than ever in these challenging times, governments around the world are looking for stability, continuity and familiarity. Australia is no different – especially when it comes to defence programs and systems. For this reason, the Government has been strongly supporting small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with the aim of increasing Australia’s sovereign industry capabilities.

Businesses with a track record of reliability, performance and quality are best placed to serve our national defence procurement needs. One such company is Elexon Electronics. This Australian-owned, Brisbane-based company prides itself on delivering innovative solutions to customers from ‘niche’ markets, with an unmatched ability to offer turnkey solutions of electronics products using local suppliers and Australian resources.

“Throughout the last 16 years, we have successfully developed a wide range of unique products serving the medical science, mining and automotive industries,” says Frank Faller, CEO of Elexon. “Now we are offering our extensive intellectual property (IP), ability to quickly innovate, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to defence suppliers.”

Elexon’s growth and development over the past two decades means their customers now include many renowned national and international companies such as Rio Tinto, Newcrest, Volvo, Aurizon, Aim Lab, Agilent and EM Solutions.

Strengthening local supply chains

Recent times have proved challenging for Australian manufacturers across many industries, while exposing our over-dependence on international suppliers. It’s become widely realised that our supply chains for critical technologies in Australia must become more resilient, particularly when it comes to the procurement of our defence capabilities. This is one of many reasons that the Australian government has committed to investing almost $3bn in a new strategy for defence innovation, science and technology over the next decade.

“Agility and capacity for innovation – hallmark qualities of Australian small businesses – are the attributes empowering business to successfully withstand the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19,” said Melissa Price, the Minister for Defence Industry.

Importantly, the announced strategy will allow the Department of Defence to draw on the innovation and expertise that resides in universities, start-ups, small businesses, publicly funded research organisations and corporations across Australia, and transition that research directly into outcomes for defence.

“Small businesses always have – and always will – play a vital role in building Defence capability here in Australia,” Price added. “There are great opportunities on the road ahead. And I’m looking forward to helping them to get there.”

Elexon is a great example of how an Australian SME can use government support, improve its operations and confidently find its place in the defence supply chain. Two years ago, the company started turning their strategic growth plan into reality.

“Like many Australian companies, we also considered offshoring of manufacturing at one stage,” says Faller. “However, we’re proud to say a decision was made to keep manufacturing here in Australia. We realised there are immense opportunities, especially in the growing defence sector. But to be able to offer high-value solutions that meet Australian and international defence Prime contractor requirements, we had to transform and invest significantly in technological innovation.”

One of the key elements in Elexon’s defence-readiness project was the procurement of state-of-the-art automated surface-mount technology (SMT) from leading European electronics machinery producers Mycronic and Asscon. Their new intelligent material handling system, vapour phase soldering, solder paste jetting and X-Ray inspection has given the Australian SME the capability to now tender for projects in highly competitive markets that require fast and versatile production, with final products of impeccable precision and integrity. Faller adds: “We were fortunate to make this significant $2m investment in our manufacturing capabilities through our partnership with the Queensland Government and the Made in Queensland grant program. The result is a truly worldclass production system that puts Elexon Electronics on the map of advanced manufacturing in Australia.”

Technological progress never stops, especially for Elexon. In this fast-changing industry, it is crucial to focus on building agile capabilities. Elexon’s next step is a significant investment in new testing capabilities.

Defence networking

A high-tech technology and process improvement isn’t everything though. Brand awareness and marketing, networking and creating partnerships are vital parts of business development.

In the defence environment, a great way to learn about business opportunities, industry requirements and events is by joining an industry association such as the Defence Teaming Centre (DTC) or the Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN). These organisations are able to make connections to opportunities as well as arranging introductions to other companies – from the smallest SMEs to Primes.

“Participation in defence networking associations like AIDN QLD and the DTC has skyrocketed our defence journey,” reveals Faller. AIDN works to assist SMEs to build opportunities with the Department of Defence and Prime contractors in the sector. AIDN focuses on SMEs, works with the Department of Defence to influence policy and to maximise SME involvement in defence procurement. DTC is also a member organisation; its goal is to support and develop the Australian industry to be more competitive and meet the needs of the Department of Defence.

The DTC’s industry advisors provide members with industry development and market awareness services and help businesses grow and increase their presence in defence markets. This includes consultants like Les Shearn from Shearn Consulting, who is an experienced advisor in guiding companies like Elexon along the path towards being ready to take on defence market opportunities. Shearn says: “It is important that any SME seeking to work in the defence sector has done their homework to determine whether the defence industry offers the opportunities that suit the business. If so, having a quad chart reflecting the company’s differentiators as well as capabilities, and either having in place or working towards accreditations such as Quality (AS 9001 or AS9100D), Safety (AS45001) and membership of the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP)”.

Securing a contract in Defence does take time, requiring a commitment of time, delivery of quality and a point of differentiation to others in the market. When it comes to advising SMEs new to defence, Shearn says that the best advice is to look to work with others as opposed to doing it on their own – speak with other companies, and whereever possible collaborate with those already working in the sector. A final point for a company to remember is to do the necessary preparation from the outset, be innovative and form connections with others within Industry including academia, government and research institutes.

“A company should consider its strategy for entry into the defence sector, establishing why they want to enter, the products they will offer, and willingness to effectively collaborate with others,” Shearn adds.

Numerous companies have fallen at the first hurdle when it comes to engaging with defence opportunities. Shearn says that it is vital that the industry behind the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is committed to delivering excellence and is in it for the long term.

“Our service personnel must have the very best equipment to keep them safe and out of harm’s way. That means if a company is unsuccessful in an opportunity but has a great product or technology, keep trying. It is about being resilient.”

With a focus on collaboration and industry relations, Elexon joined the Industry Capability Network (ICN) to further promote its brand and enhance market awareness. ICN is an industry networking association specialising in helping industries to gain a greater share of domestic and international business opportunities. The association also organises courses, publishes tenders and work packages announcements, and provides spaces for networking and business presentations.

“Elexon has quickly established a good relationship with ICN QLD,” said ICN Queensland consultant Abhiney Arora. “The company has taken part in a number of defence and aerospace capability development workshops, such as quad charts development and pitch mentoring training that ICN QLD organised on behalf of Defence Jobs Queensland.

Elexon also got the opportunity to live-pitch to Federal Government’s Department of Defence, Rheinmetall Defence Australia and Hanwha for the Land 400 Phase 3 opportunities. This was again facilitated by ICN QLD at its office on behalf of the Department of Defence. Industry engagement and networking helped Elexon to secure its first important project with EM Solutions (EMS), delivering radio frequency printed circuit boards (RF PCB) assemblies for its marine Satcom terminals. EMS is also a Tier 1 supplier to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and major defence contractors such as Raytheon and BAE for naval projects.

Currently, Elexon is tendering for manufacturing work with the Land 400 program and exploring opportunities for engineering collaboration in space programs applications.

Grants to support Australian SMEs

One piece of strategic advice Elexon has for companies new to defence is to contact the Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC). Last year, Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price announced $12.4m worth of grants for small businesses that contribute to the development of Australia’s defence industry capability.

Grant recipients include manufacturing companies supporting land combat vehicles, businesses undertaking research & development on cutting-edge technologies, and local businesses delivering the Government’s naval shipbuilding plan. The Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grants are distributed by CDIC.

Faller strongly recommends to other SMEs to reach out to the CDIC and apply for its advisory and facilitation service.

“CDIC gave us invaluable exposure to the defence industry and a chance to build connections with Prime contractors,” says Faller.

Mark Ryan, CDIC Defence Business Advisor, says: “Our job is to make it easier for the industry to work with the Department of Defence. We want Australian SMEs like Elexon Electronics to be able to access all the opportunities in the defence sector. We can help with your capability development, gap analysis defence marketing or networking.”

With help of CDIC, Elexon is planning to focus on strategic development, defence marketing and cybersecurity.

To become a valued Defence supplier it is essential to continuously become more agile, forward-thinking and rise above industry standards. Elexon stands ready to meet these challenges and work side by side with other like-minded companies in the Defence space.

www.elexonelectronics.com

Boom Supersonic – Breaking barriers with 3D printing

US company Boom Supersonic is using additive manufacturing to challenge the possibilities of commercial flight. last supersonic aircraft. Combined with the manufacturing benefits of 3D printing, Boom is well positioned to meet its goal.

Uncertainty is arguably what most business leaders fear most. But when you launch a new company aimed at building the first supersonic passenger jet since the Concorde, you need to embrace it, be agile and think big.

That’s the story behind Boom Supersonic, an aerospace company located near Denver, Colorado. Boom is a growing company with a big idea – to make supersonic air travel mainstream. Earlier attempts at commercial supersonic flight were unable to achieve sustainability, economically or environmentally. However, advancements in technology and the growing prevalence of global travel create a market opportunity for Overture, the company’s flagship airliner.

Overture will be the world’s fastest airliner and will cut long-distance flight time almost in half, making it possible for more people to go more places more often. To bring it to life, Boom has embraced 3D printing in nearly every facet of the aircraft’s development.

Big ideas come with big challenges

What Boom is trying to accomplish isn’t for the faint-hearted. The last time paying passengers flew supersonic, with Concorde, it was a government-driven, Cold War-era prestige project involving a consortium of large, established aerospace companies joining together, spending more than 10 years and an enormous amount of development resources, and taking on a considerable amount of risk to make it happen.

This time around, Boom, as a private company, is working within a business context, in order to ensure that the end product, Overture, can be profitable for its customers and the company itself. Fortunately, aircraft technology has advanced a lot in 50 years. Today’s aerodynamic design capability, material properties and engine performance have mostly overcome the issues that grounded the

Now, the company is ready to take its first major step toward its ultimate goal, with the first flight this year of its one-third scale demonstrator aircraft, the XB-1, following an unveiling event in October.

Fast and nimble

From the start, the Boom team knew 3D printing was going to play a crucial role in the development of XB-1, and ultimately for Overture. Mike Jagemann, Director of XB-1 production, had previous experience with 3D printing, and brought in two Stratasys 3D printers – an F370 and a Fortus 450mc – right away to help with prototyping. Boom later added a Stratasys F900 3D printer to expand beyond prototyping to include the additive manufacturing of tooling and production parts, and the company has since 3D printed hundreds of parts and prototypes.

One of 3D printing’s biggest benefits is time savings, and the company estimates it has saved hundreds of hours thanks to the technology. Boom uses 3D printed parts to check for proper fit and alignment, saving valuable engineering time.

“With 3D printing, we’ve been able to obtain parts very quickly and determine that they’re either going to work or that we need to make changes,” says Jagemann. “Rather than spend eight hours in CAD trying to check space constraints, the engineer can continue working on other things. When the part is printed, they can check the fit.”

Manufacturing these parts using traditional methods would be more expensive and too slow. Being able to print parts like hydraulic line clamps that will fly on the XB-1 is another critical time saver.

The advantage is the ability to optimise the engineering workflow, leaving these components to the very end of the design process because they can quickly be printed in-house.

“That shortens the supply chain on certain components that are a good fit for 3D printing,” adds Jagemann.

The biggest savings so far, both in cost and time, have been the ability to make custom drill blocks to accurately locate the many fastener holes that pepper the XB-1’s airframe. Initially, Boom developed tooling that relies on metrology to position one hole at time. As the assembly progressed, however, it became clear that this approach was taking too much time.

Instead, the team pivoted and 3D printed more drill blocks, each incorporating multiple holes. That allowed them to use metrology to accurately position twenty or more holes instead of just one at a time.

“Being able to locate a drill block with a large volume of holes has been a huge manufacturing time saver for us,” says Jagemann.

One surprise with 3D printing Jagemann wasn’t expecting involved how it helps make Boom’s engineers more efficient, which in turn helps the team move faster.

“3D printing parts helps make the physical connection between what the engineer sees in CAD and how the part actually turns out,” he says. “If you don’t have a 3D printer to close that loop, you’ll use machined components instead, and that’s more expensive.”

The biggest barrier

Every business faces uncertainties from competition, economic instability and other factors out of its control. Boom is no different. However, Boom concentrates on what it can control, and relies on technology like 3D printing to blunt risk. Utilising 3D printing lets Boom break down manufacturing, supply chain and workflow barriers through innovation, cost constraint and speed of execution. Based on the evidence so far, it’s a good bet the technology will continue to play a key role in helping Boom break the sound barrier too.

www.objective3d.com.au www.stratasys.com www. boomsupersonic.com

Axiom Precision Manufacturing: A manufacturing force in the Defence State

Axiom Precision Manufacturing is one of many manufacturers thriving in South Australia’s fast-growing defence and aerospace sector.

South Australia is fast becoming a world-class manufacturing hub, delivering many of the largest, most complex defence and aerospace projects. A number of major defence and aerospace companies have headquarters or significant operations in “the Defence State’”. Hundreds of local defence-related SMEs deliver into the supply chains of prime contractors in Australia and around the world.

Axiom began as a manufacturer for the automotive industry in 1979, and transitioned to defence and aerospace manufacturing during the early 2000s, in anticipation of the auto industry shutdowns. The company has a long-term relationship with John Hart and relies on its local support to get the most out of the cutting-edge features provided by Mazak and hyperMILL aerospace technology, as well as the local service team being on-site within hours to keep their machine tools in production.

Axiom has always demanded machine tools that are strong, accurate, and reliable, which is one of the main reasons it continues to choose Mazak. In the last year along the company added a Vortex 815/120-II, an Integrex e-1250V/8, an Integrex i-200S, an Integrex i-300S and a Variaxis j-600/5X to its already impressive fleet of Mazaks. Axiom also invested in a hyperMILL CAM system.

The Vortex 815/120-II vertical machining centre delivers high productivity through full simultaneous five-axis machining and multiple surface machining capabilities. The machine is specifically designed for the aerospace industry and features a large table for processing large complex workpieces often found in that sector. It is only the second machine of its type in the country and fulfils Axiom’s requirement for producing titanium airframe components. Axiom purchased the Vortex 815/120-II to support additional work on the JSF-F35 program, providing the additional capacity required for machining the 2.7-metre long Leading Edge Spar for BAE Systems Australia.

The other machines were purchased to provide the capability and capacity required to support future defence and aerospace projects. Mazak’s Integrex e-1250V/8 multi-tasking machine combines full five-axis machining, heavy-duty turning operations and palletchanging capabilities to productively process large, complex parts such as jet engine casings and gearboxes from titanium, aluminium and steel. Because the machine can perform milling, turning, boring and drilling in single set-ups, manufacturers can reduce the inaccuracies caused by moving heavy parts between workstations, and eliminate work-in-process inventory.

Both the Integrex i-200S and Integrex i-300S multi-tasking machines combine a turning centre and machining centre for full five-axis machining and productive manufacturing.

The Mazak Variaxis j-600/5X vertical machining centre, with its highprecision rotary/tilt table, handles all processes from raw material input through final machining to provide dramatic reductions in lead times and improve workpiece accuracy by eliminating multiple setups.

“We have selected five very different machines,” explained Craig Maynard, General Manager at Axiom Precision Manufacturing. “This was a deliberate strategy to provide very unique capabilities. The Integrex e-1250V/8 was purchased as it offers the capability to turn up to 1.45m in diameter by 1.5m tall, along with five-axis CNC machining all in one set-up. The Integrex i-300 offers turning and five-axis machining on a smaller scale, with the dual spindles allowing us to manufacture complex components in a single set-up using

chuck transfer. The Vortex 815/120-II enables our programmers to machine components more efficiently; the machine has three metres of X travel, but the five-axis head and 100HP spindle provides so many benefits when machining titanium aerospace components. The Integrex e-1250V/8 allows us to machine complex components in two set-ups, and we have already seen the advantage of having large turning capability on a five axis CNC with some of the Defence prototypes we are manufacturing.

“These five machines, along with our existing Mazak Integrex i-800V/8, have been commissioned in our recently completed 2,000sqm facility, built to Zone 3 Defence security requirements. With the broad range of machining capabilities these machines offer, along with being in a secure facility we can manufacture almost anything required by the Defence and Aerospace sector.”

Axiom always consider all the available options when purchasing new CNC machinery. Maynard detailed why Axiom chose Mazak over other brands : “One of the reasons is the support we receive during the install, commissioning, training and ongoing maintenance. The John Hart team offer fantastic support for all our Mazak CNC machines, whether they be new or older machines. The other reason we selected these machine is the capabilities we were looking for, along with the value for money we get with Mazak."

Craig explained Axiom’s relationship with John Hart: “With the delivery demands of aerospace programs we can’t afford for machines to be down for any period of time; this makes service support critical to maintaining component supply. John Hart always respond promptly to our business needs, keeping the CNC machines running to meet our customers’ needs.”

Kym Browning, John Hart’s South Australia Branch Manager, added:

“At John Hart we have a thorough understanding of the importance of providing timely, reliable and skilled support. That’s why we boast an Australia-wide Mazak service network with a team of highly experienced and qualified application, mechanical and electrical engineers. In addition, we have an in-house Mazak Electronic Repair Facility and a comprehensively stocked Mazak Spare Parts Department, enabling us to provide the best overall support of any machine tool company in Australia.”

“John Hart engineers also have a thorough understanding of the unique applications of machine tools and technologies required to process various components from titanium, heat-resistant super alloys, aluminium or stainless steels. John Hart engineers are available to discuss specific part challenges and how Mazak technologies make machining these complex parts easier and more efficient.” www.johnhart.com.au www.axiompm.com.au

Axiom’s Mazak Integrex e-1250V/8 multi-tasking machine.

Queensland aerospace company develops world first ‘green’ scramjet technology

Queensland aerospace company Hypersonix Launch Systems will receive Federal Government funding to fast track development of a reusable ‘green’ hypersonic scramjet capable of placing small satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The Government will invest $956,000 through its Accelerating Commercialisation program to help the company develop a world first prototype engine called ‘SPARTAN’. Hypersonix Co-Founder and Head of Research and Development, Dr Michael Smart, is a leading Australian aerospace engineer specialising in scramjet technology. “The global market for small satellites is developing fast and will be worth around $8bn by 2028,” said Smart. “Our SPARTAN scramjet will power an unmanned, fully composite vehicle called ‘DELTA-VELOS’, pushing it to hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 12 before it releases its payload in LEO.”

According to Smart, what makes DELTA-VELOS so different from other launch vehicles is that it’s designed to be low-cost, reliable and reusable with net-zero carbon emissions due to its use of locally produced green hydrogen for fuel.

“We’re confident we will be able to achieve a rapid turnaround potentially as short as one week for launching small satellites into LEO,” adds Smart. “This is unprecedented and will give us an edge for years to come in the race to capture a slice of this lucrative space launch market for Australia. We’ve achieved an ideal combination of performance, reusability and sustainability in our design. We’re cost competitive because green hydrogen gives higher power than other fuels, while the reusability of our components allows the cost of

the aircrad to be spread over many launches.” Hypersonix has been working closely with BOC, a gas and engineering company, who is the leading provider of hydrogen solutions in the South Pacific.

“BOC has provided us with expert engineering advice on our fuel tanks as well as having the future capability to supply green hydrogen to power the SPARTAN scramjet,” said Dr Smart. “We look forward to continuing to work with them as we fast track our development.”

Over the next few years we will see thousands of satellites being placed into LEO, for applications ranging from delivering communications and entertainment, to helping communities fight and recover from natural disasters like drought and bushfires. While launching satellites will be the core business for Hypersonix for the first few years, the company’s scramjet technology could be used to propel hypersonic passenger vehicles in the near future.

“We see a big opportunity for our scramjet technology, not only in the satellite market but for propelling passenger vehicles in the near future,” Dr Smart said. “We’re already thinking about other potential uses for our technology, especially its application for global tourism and business trips. It will greatly reduce the travel time between cities – you would be able to fly from Sydney to London in around two hours, for example.” www.hypersonix.com.au

Australia’s largest machine tool: Naval Group lands Droop+Rein five-axis gantry machine

Supplied to the Naval Group in Osborne, South Australia, a Droop+Rein gantry milling machine is the largest machine ever to be put into operation in Australia.

With X, Y and Z axes traverses of 14,000mm x 13,000mm x 3,500mm, plus an 11m rotary table to permit turning operations in the same set-up, the fiveaxis giant, supplied by Starrag Group, will be used to machine hull elements and other high-precision components for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s Attack class submarines.

The order for the machine comes after the Federal Government selected French company Naval Group to deliver a fleet of 12 regionally superior submarines, to be built in a modern construction yard in Osborne. The Future Submarine Program will deliver Australia a capability that can be built, operated and maintained with sovereignty, which maximises opportunities for Australian industry throughout all phases of the programme.

As the design of the Attack class progresses, the Naval Group is continuing to deliver on a commitment to achieve this through its pool of suppliers. This pool now includes the Starrag Group, which was selected to supply a Droop+Rein G 110TT HR100 C vertical gantry machine, capable of handling both large hull elements and high-precision components for submarine construction.

To deliver this important equipment, Starrag is collaborating with machine tool manufacturer H&H Machine Tools Australia, based in Campbellfield, Victoria. The company will manufacture key components, supply qualified personnel to help install the gantry, and provide technical support for the entire life cycle of the machine, securing an enduring role in servicing and maintenance in the future. Starrag will provide H&H with the necessary expertise through on-site training and quality control, transferring critical skills and sovereign ability to Australian industry. The contract was awarded following a complex selection process. Noting its many years of experience and its extensive, not merely technical, expertise in handling large, complicated projects, the Starrag Group became an obvious selection for the contract. Not every machine supplier can manage an order of this magnitude from more than 15,000km away — but it was no problem for the Starrag Group, as Australian sales partner H&H would facilitate local work, ensuring that everything runs smoothly on-site. A previous project carried out in South Australia, for which

Left: Naval Group ’s ambitious project requires large machines, such as the Droop+Rein gantry 110TT supplied by Starrag.

Below: Marcus Queins, Head of the Large Parts Machining Systems business unit at Starrag; John Davis, CEO of Naval Group Australia; and Thomas Hegmann, Managing Director of H&H Machine Tools Australia.

Starrag supplied four machines for aircraft construction, shows a proven track record in this regard.

Precise heavy-duty cutting of large, heavy workpieces

The size and efficiency of the milling machine being supplied, which is also capable of turning components thanks to the integrated rotary table – tried and tested as part of the Dörries range of lathes from the Starrag Group – was of fundamental importance. The Droop+Rein G 110 TT HR100 C owes its high levels of precision to features such as the hydrostatic guides in all linear axes, as well as the thermosymmetrical design of the milling unit with integrated C axis.

Milling heads can be changed automatically via a head change interface. The team responsible selected five different machining heads to use in this project: the high-performance fork milling head possesses the ability to not only apply tools at any angle but it also has the necessary prerequisites for heavy-duty machining on five axes simultaneously.

Alternatively, the machine can be used with one straight and one angled 100kW milling head with a torque of 7,500Nm. A turret and a horizontal facing head are available for turning operations.

The large, multi-functional machine supplied by Starrag from its Bielefeld plant in Germany gives the operator optimum access. The operator can reach any point on the workpiece thanks to the spacious cabin, which travels along the gantry and features the latest Siemens operator panel. The cabin can reach a height of 8m and be moved towards the centre of the table.

Another decisive factor in favour of the Starrag Group was that, having already supplied machines to reference customers, the company could prove that the installed machine technology is very robust. This ensures that, with proper maintenance, the machine will be operational for the entire duration of the submarine project; the first of the Attack class submarines will be delivered in the early 2030s and continue into the early 2050s.

www.starrag.com

www.h-h.com.au

www.naval-group.com.au

McNeall Plastics hits half-century advancing technology and exports to the world

Celebrating more than 50 years in the plastics industry, McNeall Plastics continues to invest in advanced technology to further enhance its volume capabilities and deliver national and international customers machined and milled components to a consistently high level of precision.

Based in Melrose Park, New South Wales, McNeall Plastics services customers across the broadest range of industries, including mining, energy, pharmaceutical, transport, automotive, packaging, building and construction, bulk handling, foundries and many more. The company continues to looking to the future to expand on its reputation as a leading supplier of high quality engineered plastics. Its latest acquisition is the recently commissioned Okuma Genos L3000-eMYx1000 CNC lathe, along with an OSP-P300LA controller and accessories. The new machine is already enhancing volumes and size capabilities in precision components and will allow the company to produce tooling for casting moulds in-house.

“The selection of the Okuma machine was an easy one for us as the name is known throughout the industry as one of the highest precision machine brands available,” says Josh Budd, Managing Director at McNeall Plastics. “And the technical support and training from Okuma is just outstanding.”

McNeall Plastics has the only major nylon casting facility in Australia, and has formulated and perfected AUSTLON, a robust hardwearing nylon polymer material that is regarded as unparalleled in performance in the most demanding conditions. AUSTLON is resistant to high impact, abrasion, brittleness, vibration and ultraviolet (UV) deterioration. The product is flexible in design, easily machined and has applications in a variety of areas including the food industry, and mining and quarrying. It has higher mechanical strength than most industrial plastics, and the highest mechanical strength in cast nylons.

AUSTANE is another premium grade polyurethane specially formulated by McNeall Plastics, developed for extreme dynamic applications. It is produced by a special hot casting process, either manually or by machine to open moulds, adhering firmly to a variety of base materials. It has unsurpassed mechanical properties; resistance to abrasion and tears; excellent impact resistance; and is lightweight. AUSTANE has a wide range of applications such as materials handling, casters, paper cyclones, blades, screens, chute linings, rollers, crane buffers, valve linings, bridge bearings, process and form rollers, grippers for packaging equipment, and any component made from rubber.

McNeall Plastics also produces a wide range of Polyethylene HD, Acetal and Teflon products for machine parts, chain wear strips, chute-and-hopper liners, guide strips, cutting boards and more.

With such a diverse range of plastic materials, McNeall Plastics offers its customers a complete consultancy service, drawing on its experienced team of mechanical engineers to provide advice on suitable alternative materials, in a one-stop shop for cut-to-size and fabricated plastic parts. The design service offered by the company involves comprehensive market leading technology including 3D modelling software enabling stress loadings, clearances, tolerances and much more to meet and exceed the application requirements. Comprehensive custom machining by the company includes CNC turning, routing, milling, spindle moulding, grinding, waterjet cutting, laser cutting and stamping.

“Today the company is focusing on its ever-expanding Australian and international client base with Australian manufactured highquality products,” says Budd. “It is negating logistic challenges for customers with shorter lead times and fast turnarounds, and again competitively producing components being drawn back from overseas suppliers.

“The new Okuma CNC lathe is opening the door to new high and low-volume precision components for the company in areas such as aerospace, defence and medical. And our operators love the machine, with morale through the roof, marvelling at the quality of the finished product.”

Okuma Managing Director Dean McCarroll says: “Our leadingedge Okuma machines continue to enhance competitive Australian manufacturing, and it is exciting to witness many products returning to Australia for manufacture due to the expertise and skills here, along with the many logistic advantages that go with local manufacturing. There is strong evidence that McNeall Plastics, like many other Australian manufacturers, are taking products to the world market and winning.”

www.okumaaustralia.com.au www.mcneallplastics.com.au

The new Okuma Genos L3000-eMYx1000 CNC lathe in operation at McNeall Plastics.

Components manufactured by McNeall Plastics.

Pneumatic unloading system for Swiss DT26 machines

The latest innovation from Tornos to support its sliding headstock lathe customers is its pneumatic unloading system for the Swiss DT26 machines. The system has been specially conceived to avoid any damage to the particularly intricate or fragile machined workpiece features.

For long and fragile workpieces with delicate features such as a fragile thread, the standard long-part system on the Swiss DT and Swiss GT sliding head machines may not provide the careful handling of the part required by the end-user. For such types of workpieces, with a diameter up to 24mm and a maximum length of 260mm, the Tornos engineers have now designed a solution that enables parts to be removed with particular care.

The new solution has been specifically designed on demand by the engineers of Tornos’ development team for specialist tasks. The internal team of experts are always on-hand to develop special solutions to meet the demands of customers, regardless of the machine model. Such solutions are not restricted to sliding head lathes and bar-turning applications but also developed for milling, automation and robot-automated purposes.

Designed to unload workpieces without damage to the machined features and to preserve the excellent surface finish achieved by the capabilities of the Swiss DT26 machine, this system can solve various problems related to fragile workpieces. Mounted on the tooling block for back machining, it does not impair the possibility of using the T510 and T520 tools.

Ejection is done pneumatically by using clamping jaws adapted to the respective workpiece type and material to ensure there is no harm to the workpiece. The jaws can be manufactured using a 3D printer and can be customised to the workpiece form to be machined, giving endless possibilities.

The system is equipped with sensors used to monitor the machine movements and to provide optimum protection of the device and avoids interference with the counter-spindle of the machine. With the addition of this system, a machine can be kept up to date and in conformance with customer component requirements, while employing only minor modifications. Existing machines can be easily retrofitted with this function and the appropriate software functions loaded into the machine control. The system is used in conjunction with the standard parts conveyor belt of the machine but can be supplemented by the addition of a robot for workpiece palletising or even workpiece cleaning and measuring functions. Based on the measured data, it is also possible to update offset values on the machine automatically. The system offers numerous enhancement options for sliding head lathes and Tornos’ other bar turning and milling products. www.tornos.com

NEPEAN turns up the H.E.A.T with new Makino wire EDM

NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation recently upgraded its capabilities with the purchase of a Makino U6 H.E.A.T wire EDM machine, supplied by Headland Machinery. Based in in Narellan, NSW, NEPEAN’s General Manager Peter Buckley spoke about the new machine and the general direction of the business post-COVID.

AMT: How long has NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation been in business?

Peter Buckley: NEPEAN first opened its doors in 1974. Today we are now one of Australia’s largest, privately owned engineering service providers.

Our capacity and capabilities have expanded over the years. Our original site and workshop facilities was less than 600sqm. Today, we have grown to have over 50,000sqm of high-tech manufacturing space, running multiple shifts to ensure we can deliver to our clients on time, every time.

We now employ over 120 full-time employees at our facilities in Narellan, NSW. We have employed five new team members in the past year alone.

AMT: What industries do you service and what is your specialty?

PB: NEPEAN has the depth, diversity, capability and experience to successfully deliver on the largest and most complex engineering projects. We service the construction, infrastructure, mining, defence, civil works, pharmaceutical, scientific and aerospace industries.

AMT: How you do remain ahead of the competition?

PB: NEPEAN has the capability to provide complete turn-key project solutions. We listen and respond to client needs to provide a specialist solution for manufacture, installation and commissioning to enable asset optimisation. We have proven products operating across multiple industries.

Our competitive advantage is the ability to leverage our deep engineering domain expertise and unique capabilities. This includes our heavy machining, CNC and high-precision toolroom, along with Design for Manufacture, installation and commissioning of complex components, products and structures.

AMT: When you purchased the Makino U6 H.E.A.T, what problems were you trying to resolve?

PB: Our intent was to expand our capabilities and invest in the newest technology. We believe we are providing additional value to our customers by increasing our capabilities and speed of service.

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

PB: NEPEAN values the service and commitment from Headland, and after a market review of machines we decided upon the Makino for its reliability and capability.

AMT: What other equipment capabilities can NEPEAN offer?

PB: NEPEAN has a complete in-house manufacturing capability, by operating:

• The latest in three, four, and five-axis CNC machining centres and CNC turning.

• Cylindrical, surface and jig grinding.

• Wire cutting and EDM.

• Profile and Laser cutting, sheet metal and fabrication, including large rolling and pressing capabilities.

• Sand blasting, painting and powder coating.

• Laser cutting.

AMT: What’s the real value of the machinery you have in your factory?

PB: NEPEAN has over $50m of assets and equipment in our facility at Narellan. We continue to strive to be a world-class engineering and manufacturing facility. We focus on continual development and

evolution, which means we need to invest in the latest technologies and our people. We are proud of our expertise to deliver complex and difficult projects; whether this is intricate CNC machined items, large cantilevered beams for highrise buildings, mine site infrastructure, or as a key partner for the defence sector supply chain.

AMT: Would you recommend working with Headland Machinery, has it been a pleasant experience?

PB: NEPEAN has a long and valuable relationship with Headland, dating back to the 1990s. We have purchased many machines over the years. We are proud of our association and would recommend Headland as a strategic partner. NEPEAN recognises that the service from Headland has been first-rate, including the delivery, installation, and training of our employees. We’re really happy with their continued support and we certainly hit the ground running with our new technology purchase.

AMT: What are your thoughts on the current state of the industry?

PB: We believe there are many opportunities for the engineering and manufacturing sector in Australia, with COVID-19 providing a resurgence for locally manufactured and supplied items. We are poised for growth with increased government investment, Australian-made campaigns and the focus for locally sourced content for large infrastructure projects.

www.headland.com.au www.nepeanengineering.com.au

The new machine in NEPEAN’s workshop.

NEPEAN’s General Manager Peter Buckley.

Additive Manufacturing

3D Printing Bureau

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New Forge Engineering is a leading industrial 3D Printing Bureau that utilises the latest in additive manufacturing technology, to produce high quality prototypes and products in a fast and economically viable way for the Aerospace, Defence, Manufacturing Mining and Marine Industries.

AVAILABLE MATERIALS:

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U3/30 Juna Drive, Malaga WA 6090

T. +61 (0)8 6118 6575

E. sales@newforge.com.au

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Product Prototyping

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Cobra Golf partners with HP on first-of-itskind 3D-printed golf putter

Cobra Golf, a leader in golf club innovation, recently unveiled the King Supersport-35 putter, the first of a series of revolutionary products featuring 3D printing technology. Developed over a period of two years in a collaboration between Cobra and engineering teams at HP and Parmatech, the club features a fully 3D-printed metal body with an intricate lattice structure.

Reinvention plays a crucial part in innovation, and Cobra’s 3D-printed Supersport-35 Putter represents a revolutionary advancement in the way that golf clubs are designed and manufactured. Cobra selected HP as its partner to pioneer 3D printing in golf due to the advantages that its Metal Jet Technology presented over traditional manufacturing and other 3D printing methods.

Cobra and HP began working together in early 2019 and, by early 2020, the team had created 35 different design iterations over the course of eight months, showcasing the design freedom and speed of product innovation available by utilising HP Metal Jet. With its quicker processing time, and greater design adaptability, the engineers were able to design, prototype, and test multiple iterations and bring the product to market much faster than traditional manufacturing methods.

The resulting club offers optimised weight distribution and delivers the highest possible moment of inertia (MOI) in a blade shape. In golf, MOI is a measurement of a club’s resistance to twisting. A golf club with a higher MOI will be more forgiving of off-centre strikes than a lower-MOI club as a result of its resistance to twisting.

“At Cobra Golf we strive to deliver high-performance products that help golfers of all levels play their best and enjoy the game,” said Jose Miraflor, Vice-President, Marketing at Cobra Golf. “To do that, it’s critical to use the most effective manufacturing processes to design, develop, and achieve optimal results, and we’ve certainly done that with this new putter.

“To continue innovating and transforming the way equipment is manufactured, we worked with HP and Parmatech to take advantage of the benefits of Metal Jet technology. During the development of the King Supersport-35 Putter, we saw immediate

benefits from this process, including design freedom, rapid design iteration, and high-quality parts that meet our economic demands. 3D printing is accelerating design innovation, and this breakthrough putter will help usher in a new era for the sporting equipment industry at large.”

“The power of personalisation enabled by 3D printing delivers completely reimagined consumer products and experiences,” said Uday Yadati, Global Head of HP Metal Jet, HP Inc. “This first-ofits-kind putter is a shining example of the disruptive design and production capabilities of HP Metal Jet 3D printing technology. Cobra’s commitment to innovation and competitive excellence, combined with the technical expertise and leadership from Parmatech, has led to a breakthrough design win for golf fans around the world.”

In addition to the 3D-printed design, the King Supersport-35 putter features a face insert designed in partnership with SIK Golf. With an oversized blade shape, it utilises SIK’s patented Descending Loft Technology (DLT) to create the most consistent and accurate roll on every putt. Re-engineered into an aluminium face insert, this design strategically saves weight from the front of the putter to be repositioned heel-toe and tunes the feel to a slightly softer feel than a traditional all-steel SIK putter face. SIK’s signature face design utilises four descending lofts (4°, 3°, 2°, 1°) to ensure the most consistent launch conditions for every putting stroke. The exciting partnership, born out of work with SIK Golf partner and Cobra ambassador Bryson DeChambeau, yields flatsticks that not only provide superior stability and consistency due to 3D printing technology but also significantly improved consistency and roll performance.

“I’ve had a lot of success over the years with my SIK putter and was really excited to work with Cobra to develop a new way to manufacture equipment and bring this new putter to market,” said DeChambeau. “HP’s Metal Jet technology is an incredibly advanced production method and very exacting, which is pretty critical in golf equipment. I think golfers of all levels will benefit from the combination of Cobra’s high-MOI design and SIK’s Descending Loft technology.”

Superior quality, new possiblities

HP Metal Jet 3D printing delivers superior part quality and requires minimal post-process finishing. The entire putter body is printed using 316 stainless steel, and then sintered at a high temperature to bind the metal and form the final head part.

Due to the advanced capabilities of Metal Jet printing, engineers were able to print an intricate lattice structure within the body –a manufacturing feat that wouldn’t be possible using traditional casting or forging methods. The lattice fine-tunes the feel of the club and optimises the distribution of weight within the putter head to create the highest MOI without the need for additional fixed weights.

During the final step of the manufacturing process, the surfaces of the putter are precision milled using a CNC machine to ensure precise shaping and detail, while adding the finishing touches to the cosmetic appearance of the club. The Supersport features a high MOI heel-toe weighted design for maximum stability, and a plumber neck hosel with a 35-degree toe hang suitable for slight arc putting strokes.

The final product is a celebration of a major revolution in golf club manufacturing in the form of a high-performance putter that will appeal to golf purists seeking a clean look and feel but is packed with advanced technology to improve the quality of a golfer’s short game.

In the wake of the Supersport-35 launch, Cobra and HP are now working together on a strategic, multi-year product roadmap that leverages the design and manufacturing benefits of HP’s additive technologies to deliver further golf equipment designed to enhance performance and golfer satisfaction. The Supersport-35 marks the first foray into what promises to be a significant element in Cobra golf clubs in the future. Cobra has plans to launch two additional products in 2021 that feature 3D printed technology.

“HP’s 3D printing technology allows us to utilise a complex lattice structure to remove weight from the center of the putterhead and push significant amounts of weight to the perimeter,” said Miraflor. “The result is superior MOI levels and massively increased stability and forgiveness. So not only is the 3D production method more consistent but it also allows us to design products in a new and superior way.” www.cobragolf.com www8.hp.com

GoProto expands industry presence with new acquisitions

GoProto has become the largest digital manufacturer in the Australian market with the acquisitions of 3D Systems’ Australian facility and WYSIWYG 3D.

GoProto acquired 3D Systems’ Australian on-demand manufacturing facility in Melbourne, the largest digital manufacturing service bureau in the APAC region, on 1 December. Commissioned just two years ago, the state-of-the-art facility houses a full range of 3D Systems productionready 3D printers and a highly experienced management and operations team. This pivotal acquisition will accelerate GoProto’s strategy to become the largest Industry 4.0 player in the Australian market.

“This acquisition is a significant leap forward in our growth plans for the region, with an experienced management team that pioneered the introduction of 3D printing into APAC,” says Simon Marriott, Director at GoProto (ANZ) Pty Ltd. “The benefits to our manufacturing customers will be significant as they transition to Industry 4.0 and seek to build agile supply chains that are resilient to global influences.”

Earlier in November, GoProto also acquired WYSIWYG 3D, creating a unified laser scanning and 3D entity focused on expansion in the digital manufacturing space. WYSIWYG 3D has been providing 3D scanning services since 2003 and will continue to provide the same quality laser scanning, photogrammetry and 3D CAD modelling service under the GoProto banner in Sydney.

Commenting on the development, Shane Rolton, Managing Director at WYSIWYG 3D, said: “We’ve already been working on a number of projects with GoProto. Combining our expertise and resources shortens the time lag between scan data and production, putting ourselves exactly where our customers need us.”

By adding this expertise to GoProto’s already expansive service portfolio, the acquisitions enable a streamlined solution for every stage of the product development lifecycle, open up new opportunities for the companies’ combined customer base, and create a firm foundation for further expansion as an Industry 4.0 leader.

After receiving the highest ever ranking for an additive manufacturer on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies, GoProto has capitalised on this momentum by expanding even further into the digital manufacturing landscape. Further emphasising its global reach, GoProto’s North American facility in San Diego, California, has also installed two new HP 5210 Multi Jet Fusion printers. Adding these two high-productivity 3D printers to its existing six 4200 MJF printers increases GoProto’s production capacity at that location by approximately 50%. With the installation of two new HP 5210 Multi

Jet Fusion 3D printers at the San Diego manufacturing facility, GoProto increases the MJF install base at this location from six HP 4200 MJF printers to a total of eight, and increases production capacity at this site by approximately 50%. With this, GoProto has also upped its build units from 30 to 34, ensuring 24/7 production capability on all eight MultiJet 3D printers.

Jesse Lea, President and CEO at GoProto, said: “The current global supply chain structure has shifted during the pandemic. Companies are looking to minimise their risk in procuring production parts. With our business model focusing on Industry 4.0 principles, expansion of capacities for domestic rapid manufacturing with the latest technologies and materials and the complete end-to-end service model, GoProto is ideally situated to help our customers with assurance of supply.”

www.GoProto.com.au

3DM: Rapid post-processing for metal AM

While additive manufacturing is delivering unprecedented speed and flexibility, these gains are often let down by slow post-processing techniques. Australian company 3DM is transforming post-processing in the sector with electroablation technology, enabling the post-processing of parts tens times as quickly and at one tenth of the cost.

Additive manufacturing enables the creation of advanced designs that were never achievable before. These 3D-printed parts often have various surface finish requirements for complex surface geometries and internal passages. As a result, restrictive surface-finishing options have become a significant production bottleneck, consuming valuable time and limiting design freedom.

Electro-ablation overcomes the traditional surface finishing limitations, polishing

surfaces from 10 micron to 0.5 microns in a little as five minutes, including complex geometries and internal cavities. Electroablation not only polishes surfaces, but removes sharp edges, support-structure contact points, and trapped residual powder. It provides an efficient and effective post-processing solution that is suitable both for single parts and for mass production.

3DM brings together more than 20 years of experience with patented technology to

deliver the rapid post-processing solution that the additive manufacturing sector is seeking. 3DM electro-ablation technology overcomes the post-processing bottleneck in the additive manufacturing value chain. Now the company is looking for forward-thinking partners to help it demonstrate how this technology is going to transform additive manufacturing. www.3dmsurfacefinishing.com

Left: Simon Marriott, Director of GoProto ANZ, and James Sanders, GM at 3D Systems Asia Pacific.

New industrial 3D printing method offers potential benefits for aviation industry

A team of scientists from the Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO) as well as from overseas have discovered how to theoretically avoid cracks and deformations in metal parts created with 3D printers, with potential benefits for the aviation industry.

The team, led by the Linköping University in Sweden, travelled to ANSTO’s Lucas Heights Campus prior to commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic to study how the orientation of the part impacts the additive manufacturing (AM) process.

Using ANSTO’s Kowari strain scanner, a scientific, non-destructive technique known as neutron diffraction was used to measure and characterise residual stresses within nickel-based superalloy samples that were produced by selective laser melting (SLM) AM method. Superalloys are an important group of high-temperature metals and are often used in the hottest sections of jet and rocket engines, where temperatures can reach 1,200 to 1400 degrees Celsius.

The technique, which allows you to “see inside” a material without damaging it, is used at ANSTO to study materials commonly used in industry. It can reveal information about the structural integrity of pipes, rail and bridge sections, along

with many other metal components. The research concluded that the particular direction in which metal parts are physically oriented, will significantly impact the formation of residual stresses, and therefore has the potential to prevent unwanted deformation or cracks in the AM part. When investigating various orientations of printed samples, the team found that for ‘L-shaped’ parts, the horizontal position resulted in the least residual stress.

The new findings represent a step forward in controlling the properties of AM parts

and could eventually mean savings and more durable engine parts for the aviation industry. Measurements on the Kowari strain scanner provided a better understanding of how the orientation of specific parts contributes to the development of residual stresses during the AM process. This research reveals that in AM, it is very important to look at the orientation of the part – in order to find out which direction is best to build up that particular part during manufacture.

When manufacturers are making parts, they cannot see what stresses are building up inside the materials, but this approach enables them to predict stresses beforehand, Neutron scattering confirmed that the predictive models were correct. More work is planned to investigate how different scanning strategies and laser power influence the development of residual stresses. www.ansto.gov.au

ViscoTec – Printing a miniaturised soft robotic gripper

The areas of application for soft robotics are still in their infancy, but the potential is promisingly large. As part of an in-house test, the vipro-HEAD 3D print head from ViscoTec was able to print a very small, sophisticated pneumatic actuator – a so-called ‘Soft Gripper’.

Robots are such an integral part of industry these days it is hard to imagine production facilities without them. However, their use requires strict safety measures, especially when they come into contact with people. A new generation of robots drastically minimises the risk of injury and offers other advantages: these new robots are made of a flexible material, such as silicone. The movement of the robot is created by a specific filling and emptying of cavities (often using compressed air or vacuum).

An example of a soft robot already used in industry is the so-called pneumatic gripper. These actuators are characterised in particular by their high flexibility in gripping shapes and the non-destructive handling of fragile objects. However, the production of these flexible grippers is a challenge. The complex geometries and the many cavities make injection molding very complex or, in some cases, impossible. This can be remedied by using additive manufacturing and its immense design flexibility.

Thanks to the high degree of automation in 3D printing, a change in geometry can be achieved with little effort. This makes the process perfectly suited for researching and testing new gripper concepts. Recently a project of this kind was undertaken at the ViscoTec 3D technical centre.

An essential factor in successful printing is the extremely precise processing of the desired material, which is mainly silicone in the case of the Soft Gripper. The vipro-HEAD 3/3 or 5/5 is capable of creating particularly fine structures from silicone – with a layer thickness of 0.2mm. By actively retracting the material, no material drips into unwanted areas and a completely airtight component is achieved. After initial tests it was found that, with the help of the viproHEAD 3/3 or 5/5, pneumatic actuators with very small dimensions

The result of the first tests with the ViscoTec 3D print heads is a pneumatic actuator with very small dimensions.

can be produced: high-precision, additive-manufactured functional components made of silicone.

Particularly in the field of medical technology, the application possibilities of the miniature grippers are intensively tested. For example, in the area of minimally invasive medical procedures, the lower risk of injury from soft robots is a significant advantage over tools made of metal. For this reason, medical-grade silicone was also used for the tests at ViscoTec, to meet such requirements. www.viscotec-asia.com

Additive Manufacturing Hub case study: XROTOR

XROTOR is an Australian company specialising in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and UAV components for military and government intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) services.

XROTOR was involved in a research contract to reduce the acoustic signature of Australian Defence Force (ADF) UAVs, sponsored by the Defence Science & Technology Group (DST). XROTOR expects to commercialise the intellectual property (IP) developed, develop a Victorian manufacturing capability, and provide an export market for UAV components for recreational, commercial and defence applications. XROTOR engaged the Additive Manufacturing Hub (AM Hub) to identify a suitable additive manufacturing (AM) service bureau. The team was also seeking advice on manufacturing options and identifying suitable materials for specific applications.

The solution

A number of solutions were employed via registered service provider GoProto; however none effectively satisfied the required use case. A carbonfibre-impregnated nylon material partially delivered lowfidelity results, but XROTOR needed to engage other third parties using stereolithography (SLA) technologies and the Somos EvoLVe 128 material.

The total value of XROTOR consumed funds used with the registered provider was $3,693.47 (with a Build It Better (BiB) voucher contribution of $1,846.74). AM Hub Manager John Croft also offered advice on options available to XROTOR to achieve the expected outcome.

The outcome

Ultimately XROTOR surpassed the expected outcomes of the research contract for its client. The AM Hub, the registered service provider and Croft were very helpful in assisting XROTOR achieve this goal. Because of the nature of the engagement, XROTOR’s client and non-disclosure agreements in place, many particulars of the outcome cannot be disclosed. If successful in the outcome for Stage I (currently being assessed by DST and Department of Defence), XROTOR may be invited to proceed to Stage II, which will undertake specific defence use cases and assist XROTOR in commercialising its IP. For XROTOR, the engagement was successful in assisting in low-fidelity testing to deliver the successful outcome required of XROTOR for its client.

The AM Hub is an initiative delivered by AMTIL in partnership with the Victorian State Government to provide an industrydriven collaborative network of technology users, suppliers and supporters that will promote the adoption of additive manufacturing technology. For more information, please contact John Croft, AM Hub Manager, on 03 9800 3666 or email amhub@amtil.com.au.

www.amhub.net.au www.goproto.com.au www.xrotor.com.au

RAN installs award-winning metal 3D printing capability

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has installed a WarpSPEE3D metal printer at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin. certification of parts. The program resulted in a range of parts that the Army is now able to print and finish in the field, at a fraction of the cost and time of current supply chains. The pilot program with the RAN is expected to produce similar results.

A large-format SPEE3D metal 3D printer was installed by the Fleet Support Unit (FSU) at HMAS Coonawarra Navy Port in late November, making the RAN the latest branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with the capability to print its own metal parts, on demand.

Sustainment, or the repair, maintenance and overhaul of equipment makes up a substantial proportion of the costs for all defence forces globally. The difficulty and expense of getting spare parts through regular supply chains has been exacerbated and highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The world has been looking to additive manufacturing (AM) to solve this problem; however, most AM technology has proven too delicate, too expensive, and far too slow to solve the problem. SPEE3D has proven to be the exception.

The installation of a WarpSPEE3D at HMAS Coonawarra was made possible after the Federal Government made a $1.5m investment in a similar 18-month pilot of the capability for the RAN. This world-first trial is designed to streamline the maintenance of patrol vessels and significantly increase parts available to the Navy compared to those available from regular supply chains. This technology empowers the Navy to design and manufacture the parts they require, when and where they are needed, whether that be on base or at sea.

SPEE3D’s metal 3D printing technology was developed in Australia and is the world’s fastest and most economical metal 3D printing technology. It is also the only large format metal 3D printing technology that has been trailed and proven field-deployable by the ADF.

SPEE3D recently completed a series of successful field trials deploying the WarpSPEE3D printer to the remote outback with the Australian Army. The Federal Government funded the $1.5m trial, which included the training of Army craftsmen and engineers in 3D printing at Charles Darwin University in everything from design to

SPEE3D CEO Byron Kennedy said: “We are excited to be working with the Royal Australian Navy on this programme. Having the capability to produce high-quality metal parts on-demand, in the field or at sea will be ground-breaking for the Australian Defence Force.”

SPEE3D was recently awarded the AIDN-NT Innovation Award 2020 for an outstanding contribution in providing this capability to the Department of Defence, and the NT Exporter of The Year 2020 and Australian Trusted Trader Technology and Innovation Award 2020 in the NT Export and Industry Awards. www.spee3d.com

The Royal Australian Navy’s WarpSPEE3D 3D metal Printer installed at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin.

A 2021 roadmap for 3D printing the future

As 2020 has shown us, no one can predict the future – but you can pick a destination. In the world of manufacturing, that destination is the factory of the future, which will be fuelled by growing technologies such as 3D printing. Yet, while the factory of the future is within sight, the way there is still being paved. By Richard Elving, Director at Markforged.

In realising the factory of the future, 3D printing will be a critical driver – but before we get there, the technology will need to be fully implemented, leveraged and optimised on a more widespread basis. Read on for a roadmap of where 3D printing is headed and how it will impact the industry in 2021.

Stop

1: 3D printing will help organisations take control of supply chains

As the manufacturing industry begins to recover from the pandemic and the landscape grows more competitive, it’s critical that organisations speed up their iteration cycles and provide new, innovative solutions quickly in 2021. To achieve this efficiency, organisations must use 3D printing to optimise processes, minimise downtime and circumvent circuitous supply chains.

In today’s global landscape, the longer the supply chain is, and the more players involved, the more risk an organisation faces when developing a new product – a process that often requires a distributed network of suppliers who produce the necessary parts for product development. When manufacturers are reliant on suppliers or partners in a crisis, it’s nearly impossible to be agile and as disruptions from the pandemic have shown us, even just weeks of supply chain delays can completely disrupt a business.

Organisations that have access to a 3D printer can look at existing machines, identify which widget they need to update – for example, a new robotic hand for a larger product – and design it in-house. Then they can print a prototype and test it themselves. This cuts out waiting for a supplier or supply chain partner, which would have added several iteration cycles. Instead, organisations can develop new solutions faster – reducing downtime from weeks to days –and be the first to market.What’s more, by printing on site and reshoring their operations, organisations can test prototypes one at a time, rather than ordering several from a supplier or partner in bulk. As the organisation makes small adjustments to the part, such as the robotic hand’s grip, it only needs to throw away one hand rather than many; helping to reduce waste.

Stop 2: A 3D printing-first mindset will become the industry standard

As manufacturers continue to realise the value of 3D printing, adoption rates will increase and 3D printing will be further solidified as a staple, resulting in two trends. First, younger engineers will be exposed to additive manufacturing early on at school and, consequently, enter the workforce expecting 3D printing to be available at their companies. These digital natives will arrive with a 3D printing-first mindset – ushering in a new way of thinking, designing and manufacturing that will fuel explosive innovation. In turn, manufacturers will be expected to bring 3D printing as close to the point of use as possible, so 3D printing-first engineers can design on site – standardising the use of additive manufacturing.

Stop 3: An increased focus on certified 3D parts

Manufacturers know there is a high bar to clear to get parts certified. The more critical the part, the more stringent the safety and quality standards – which can become steeper depending on which industry you work in. Most manufacturers today rely on traditional methods of machining parts because they know it can meet those high standards. However, this dependence is holding manufacturers back from adopting more innovative solutions such as additive manufacturing, which – once certified – would benefit the bottom line in many more ways.

As 3D printing technology matures, however, traditional machining will no longer be the golden child of certification programs. 3D printed parts are already being used more prevalently and diversely, making them more likely to pass strict safety standards. Companies should not wait to prioritise certification for additive manufacturing –the first to prove their parts are safe will earn security in the end-use parts market.

Stop 4: One-off operations will make way for print farms and service bureaus

As more manufacturers prove the 3D printing use case within their organisation, the industry will begin to see more companies taking advantage of print farms and service bureaus. Bringing 3D printing in-house will revolutionise manufacturers’ processes and enable organisations to bring additive manufacturing to the point of use. As the realisation of this promise grows, however, manufacturers will have to keep pace with growing volume, and we’ll start to see manufacturers strategically outsourcing work to local service bureaus. Engineers can print and test a prototype on site, bring it to a print farm, and have it produced at scale, faster and at a fraction of the price.

Here, the vision of 3D printing farms will be actualised. While some exist today, companies are going to start taking advantage of this market opportunity with hundreds, even thousands, of 3D printers that they can use to quickly produce the parts they need most often. By the end of the decade, companies won’t have to outsource critical pieces of the manufacturing supply chain overseas. Instead, manufacturers will take matters into their own hands – until print farms grow into print factories.

As 3D printing accelerates, the factory of the future will become a closer, more fully realised destination. It will also become more essential as competitors race in the same direction. To get there first, or in time, manufacturers need to implement and leverage technologies such as additive manufacturing to optimise operations – cutting costs, lead times, downtime and waste.

www.markforged.com

Explore your unlimited possibilities additively

The Additive Manufacturing Hub is a $1.85m programme that will grow and develop additive manufacturing capability and investment in Victoria. The vision of the AM Hub is to provide an industry-driven network of users, suppliers and supporters that will foster and grow the use of Additive Manufacturing technology in Australia.

+ Promote and market additive manufacturing sector capabilities.

+ Expand the knowledge base of additive manufacturing technologies.

+ A grant programme for Victorian businesses to encourage adoption of additive manufacturing technologies.

+ Support the creation of high quality additive manufacturing jobs.

+ Be a voice to Government on additive manufacturing sector development.

Companies looking to explore the potential of additive manufacturing, or further expand their use of the technology should register interest via email at amhub@amtil.com.au

www.amhub.net.au

Matthew

Kean is the Minister for Energy and Environment in the New South Wales State Government, and the Member for Hornsby in the NSW Legislative Assembly. He spoke to William Poole.

AMT: Firstly, tell us about the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Bill that was passed by the NSW Parliament in November? What are the key points of the legislation and what is it aiming to achieve?

Matthew Kean: The NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is our plan to power NSW into the future and cement our State’s rightful place as an energy and economic superpower.

As the NSW Energy Minister, my priority is ensuring we have the policy settings in place to keep the lights on and get electricity prices down for families and businesses across NSW. Our Roadmap and the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act that underpins it will do exactly that.

Our Roadmap will bring 12 gigawatts of renewable energy and two gigawatts of storage such as pumped hydro, online by 2030. It will inject $32bn of private investment into the State and deliver 9,000 jobs – mostly in the regions – by 2030.

It is expected to deliver average electricity bill savings of $130 for households and $430 for small businesses through to 2042. And, importantly, it provides regional land owners an opportunity to drought-proof their incomes, with $1.5bn in lease payments expected to roll to farmers that host new infrastructure on their land by 2042.

Put simply, it is our plan to make sure we have the next generation of electricity infrastructure in place as our existing kit comes to the end of its operational life.

AMT: High energy costs have been a key issue for Australian manufacturers for some time now. What impact will this legislation have in that regard?

MK: Our Roadmap will deliver NSW heavy industry and manufacturers some of the cheapest, most reliable energy in the world.

But don’t take my word for it, Mark Vassella the Global CEO of BlueScope – one of our State’s biggest energy users – has said our Roadmap “will stimulate a manufacturing renaissance in NSW” and that it “is exactly the right policy direction at exactly the right time”.

In fact, our modelling shows us that with this Roadmap in place, our electricity prices will rank third-cheapest in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) – which will unlock huge opportunities for industry and businesses in NSW.

AMT: Do you see other governments across Australia adopting similar policies to those taken in NSW?

MK: Most States and Territories in Australia have put energy policies in place to support the transition to a low-carbon global economy – but I believe we have the best policy in the nation.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) have echoed a similar sentiment, saying our policy “could be a template for adoption across the national electricity market”.

Ultimately my job is to make sure we have the best policies in place in NSW, and I’m confident our policies will make us not only a nation leader but an energy and economic superpower.

AMT: The plan entails significant investment in infrastructure. What supply chain opportunities do you see it creating for Australian manufacturers?

MK: I see huge opportunities for Australian manufacturers –particularly in NSW.

We have announced that we are going to establish a Renewable Energy Sector Board to look at everything from material sourcing and supply to contracting arrangements, and how we can give NSW manufacturers a competitive advantage in supplying our electricity infrastructure needs.

The Board is going to look at terms we can put in our electricity infrastructure contracts and tender rules, which will drive the use of NSW products, where they are cost-competitive.

Industry tells us we will need more than 650,000 tonnes of steel to deliver our three Renewable Energy Zones and my priority is finding ways to make sure that the steel and other products that power NSW, are made in NSW by NSW manufacturers.

AMT: Energy policy has been a particularly divisive issue in Australian politics for over a decade, particularly at Federal level. Why has it been so contentious and how can these divisions be resolved?

MK: For too long Australian politics has been ravaged by the “climate wars”, drawing lines of division between those who focused on the economy and those who focused on addressing our changing climate.

But guess what – the two aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact they are undeniably, inextricably linked.

A decade ago the risk of reducing emissions was that it would hurt our economy and make us uncompetitive. Today, the risk is that if we don’t move now to reduce emissions and build the cheap, reliable, low-carbon energy grid we need to power us into the future – we will miss the chance to underwrite our future prosperity.

AMT: You’ve said in the past: ‘You don’t need to believe in climate change to believe in capitalism. We should absolutely take action to address climate change for our environment, but just as importantly for the future of our economy.’ Do you think Australia is failing to really grasp the extent of the opportunities that exist in these areas?

MK: In NSW, we are not going to let that opportunity be an opportunity missed.

More than half the world’s GDP is created in jurisdictions that have signed up to deliver net-zero emissions by mid-century – most recently Japan, South Korea and China. Now with (US President Joe) Biden in the Whitehouse, the US will soon have a net-zero-

emissions-by-2050 target. And when it does, more than 70% of Australia’s two-way trade will be with countries targeting net-zero emissions.

The other factor in the economic reality is the plummeting cost of renewables, with wind and solar, backed up by storage like pumped hydro and batteries, representing the cheapest form of reliable energy in the market today.

Any rational person can see the opportunities that presents for Australia, and particularly NSW. We have some of the best natural resources in the world, we have the skilled workforce, and we have an abundance of land to accommodate large-scale renewable projects. That trifecta gives us a huge competitive advantage in a low-carbon world.

AMT: Tell us about your professional background leading up to your current role as Minister.

MK: Prior to entering State politics I was a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

AMT: What is the most satisfying part of the job?

MK: The outcomes! There is no point developing a policy and putting it in place if it is not going to deliver a benefit for the people we are elected to serve. Having someone in the local community or the business community raise an issue, and being able to work with some of the exceptional experts we have in NSW to develop a solution, and then see it implemented and make a tangible difference, is without a doubt the most satisfying part of the job. www.nsw.gov.au

Seizing the opportunities in green manufacturing

Announcements in last year’s Federal Budget regarding the Modern Manufacturing Fund and the Recycling Capability Fund lay the ground for a potential revolution in green manufacturing in Australia, writes Professor Veena Sahajwalla.

The innovations in recycling, manufacturing and critical materials processing, sought through the 2020 Federal Budget, could not have come at a better time. Years of research underpinning newly developed recycling science and technologies in these areas can help supercharge these Budget ambitions and what I call a new ‘green manufacturing’ future. And the widespread call for using hydrogen and other ‘renewable’ resources in steelmaking, comes more than ten years after I developed Green Steel technology, patented as Polymer Injection Technology.

Our Green Steel technology is already paving the way for green manufacturing globally, using the elements of hydrogen and carbon from old rubber tyres and plastics as an alternative for coal and coke, traditionally crucial ingredients for electric arc furnace steelmaking. Recycling in new ways like this, using new technologies can be a foundation for the manufacture of high-quality materials from our waste resources, as we seek to develop greater sovereign capability and improved economic prosperity. Recycling and reforming waste materials for completely new uses – for example obtaining hydrogen from waste materials as an energy source and input material for manufacturing like steelmaking – should be at the centre of how we transform our manufacturing sector. Brand-new research at my UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre has now found another way that could contribute to this new ‘green manufacturing’ revolution. We’ve developed a technology to create Green Aluminium by, for the first time, being able to cleanly separate it from plastics and other materials in mixed materials packaging wastes, like food packaging and coffee capsules. These sorts of technologies and innovations need to find their way into widespread use across our industries, especially for the important small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are the economic engine room of the nation. The key is to use the 2020 Budget initiatives, and this new COVID-era focus on needing greater onshore manufacturing capability, to translate our proven domestic research and development innovations, and those to come, into broad industrial applications. That is why it was exciting to hear about the newly announced Recycling Modernisation Fund, as well as the six Budget priority areas announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, particularly those relating to manufacturing and recycling, and resources technology and critical minerals processing. Imagine being able to harness domestically – from electronic waste, or e-waste – the critical materials and precious metals like cobalt,

gold, palladium and platinum, and others, for use as feedstock in local manufacturing. This could create export opportunities and reduce the need for virgin materials as well as all the associated environmental and economic costs.

Therefore, we need these newly announced measures focussing on manufacturing and recycling, and critical minerals processing, to accelerate the collaboration between research institutions and industry. But more importantly, I see this as a vital opportunity to create an alignment between manufacturing and recycling, because currently these two sectors are seen as separate areas with little interaction and collaboration. We need this new alignment if we are going to get the innovations needed, and desired, for these sectors, and to enhance our sovereign capability in addition to being known as the suppliers of primary materials. A capability to transform and reform waste materials into manufacturing feedstock, new materials and products should be central to this alignment and the Budget initiatives.

A new alignment of recycling and manufacturing

Who would have thought, for instance, that rubber tyres and plastics could be used as raw materials for steelmaking, or that we can reform textiles and glass into very new age and beautiful ceramics for the built environment?

These sorts of discoveries from the laboratories of our universities and research institutions need to find their way into small, medium and large scale manufacturing and recycling. This would be a major boost to the existing and traditional methods of recycling. The concept of Translational Research Partnerships long espoused by UNSW President and Vice Chancellor Ian Jacobs provides a practical pathway to achieve this.

This would enable the collaborative innovation prototyping, commercialisation and industrial take-up to ensure the national priorities deliver the needed outcomes our society needs, including creating circular economies. A new alignment of recycling and manufacturing alone would be a major boost to developing circular economies, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible, thus creating greater sustainability and better economic outcomes. The downfall of existing and traditional recycling is that it mostly creates low-value products. We need it to create high value products and materials that can add to and even create new supply chains and boost our manufacturing capability. All of the new national

Professor Veena Sahajwalla, Director of the UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre.

obtain from innovative ways of recycling waste. The UNSW SMaRT Centre is helping to create the alignment of recycling and manufacturing, and our new technique to recover aluminium from complex, multilayered packaging is based on this alignment concept. We call it Thermal Disengagement Technology (Green Aluminium) and it builds on our various waste materials innovations, including our recent Microfactorie technologies.

These small-scale, modular technologies can transform problematic waste materials, such as glass, textiles and plastics, into new valueadded materials and products such as our new age green ceramics for the built environment. They can also reform waste plastic into filament as a feedstock resource for manufacturers and other users who do 3D printing. Almost all our SMaRT Centre innovations have been developed in collaboration with industry. And, across Australia, there are many excellent collaborations underway.

My vision is for a decentralised – not centralised – application of the modernisation of recycling and manufacturing in Australia. These sectors should be laterally integrated, or connected, so supply chains are less vulnerable to disruption from things like a global pandemic.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle… Reform

The plastics, rubber, glass and paper wastes exports bans announced in August 2019 by the Council of Australian Government – now replaced by the new National Federation Reform Council with National Cabinet at its centre – commenced from 1 January 2021. These bans will have widescale impacts across the waste, recycling, manufacturing and local council sectors, and much needs to be done to prepare our nation for these impacts.

At SMaRT, we are adding a fourth R to the three Rs of ‘Reduce’, ‘Reuse’ and ‘Recycle’, with ‘Reform’ – by reforming waste into value-added materials. This can help to better laterally integrate our recycling and manufacturing sectors, including small, medium and large operators. While COVID-19 has unearthed weaknesses in our current way forward to meet sovereign needs and challenges, we can start a whole new ‘green materials’ movement where we use waste as renewable resources for manufacturing, thus laying the foundations for the next economic growth period. Digital capability, devices and our electrification as a society rely on finite materials and resources.

Doing more sophisticated onshore waste-processing, recycling and reforming as part of manufacturing can change the game for Australia, indeed all countries around the world, as we lean into current sustainability and economic challenges. For me, the goal is to eliminate the word “waste” from our vernacular. I hope one day waste will be seen by all as the renewable resource many already know it is.

Professor Veena Sahajwalla is the Founder and Director of the Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) – Sydney. www.unsw.edu.au

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As AMTIL Partners we understand the challenges Australian Manufacturers have faced in recent years and we have the depth of expertise required to assess and advise on your current position Our team works across every aspect of your business to identify the opportunities for a turnaround, which could include; restructuring to address potential insolvency issues, determine cost and asset reductions to create efficiency and improve operations, or facilitate improved market position through strategic change.

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Common consumer packaging such as coffee pods is a target of the recent ‘Green Aluminium’ breakthrough at UNSW Sydney.

A better approach to energising manufacturing’s

sustainable future

Without a doubt, energy use forms a large part of a company’s costs, especially in manufacturing where you could be running your facilities in 24-hour production cycles. Working with alternate energy sources will not only create new industries in itself, but it’s an opportunity for manufacturing to fuel a better approach to energy use, cost management and a sustainable future. By Rob Stummer, Asia Pacific CEO at SYSPRO.

The emergence of cleaner energy options, and more ‘energy producers’ in the market, has increased the competition for your green dollar. There is already a clean alternative to fossil fuels that does not emit greenhouse gases and unlike solar and wind energy, can be produced at any time of the day or night, whatever the weather. Green hydrogen is made using clean electricity from renewable energy to electrolyse water (H2O), separating the hydrogen from the oxygen.

Aside from the sustainability factor, one of the benefits of hydrogen is that it can be used immediately or be stored and transported for later use, making it a mobile energy source. It can also be used as a clean fuel for transport, for providing additional electricity to the grid, and to offset the carbon from the manufacturing processes. The historical problem with green hydrogen has been that the cost of making it has priced it out of competition against fossil fuels, because even though it is carbon-free, it is energyintensive. However, that is changing, because, for the past two years, improvements in sustainable energy technologies have seen renewable electricity costs fall sharply.

Government initiatives

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that the Federal Government has set aside $300m to jumpstart hydrogen projects. Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said the Government has a strong commitment to building a hydrogen production industry, as it will create jobs and billions of dollars in economic growth over the next few decades.

Essentially, if hydrogen can be produced here at less than $2 a kilogram, it will be able to play a key role in the manufacturing sector’s energy mix of the future. In 2018, it cost roughly $5 to $7 per kilogram to produce hydrogen, depending on the method used, according to the National Hydrogen Roadmap released in 2019. The roadmap said production costs would have to come down to between $2 and $3 to be more competitive with fossil fuel sources. Today, cheap and reliable fossil fuels power our manufacturing industry. This is not going to change overnight, but the manufacturing sector must prepare itself for a future where emissions are significantly lower than they are now. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) sees hydrogen as offering the most credible pathway to decarbonisation for high-emitting sectors like manufacturing.

The real opportunity for our nation is to develop a major hydrogen export industry. Studies have shown the growing demand for hydrogen could result in an export industry worth $1.7bn by 2030, creating 2,800 jobs mostly in regional Australia.

The World Energy Council identified Australia as a “giant with potential to become a world key player”, while the International Energy Agency projected that Australia would be able to produce 100 million tonnes of oil equivalent of hydrogen, which could replace 3% of global gas consumption.

Hydrogen in manufacturing

The most important hydrogen-nitrogen compound is ammonia. Almost 90% of ammonia produced goes into fertiliser manufacturing and for the companies producing ammonia and fertiliser, they want

to reduce their reliance on gas suppliers. Due to its high energy of evaporation, ammonia is also used where mass refrigeration is required such as in the food & beverage sector, as an environmentally friendly and inexpensively produced refrigerant.

Hydrogen is also used as a raw material in the chemical industry used to make methanol and is also used in the manufacturing of many polymers and petrochemicals. Meanwhile in steel manufacturing, the direct reduction of iron ore could develop into an important industrial process, because using the traditional blast furnace method, large amounts of carbon are emitted. While direct reduction using natural gas is now widely used in steel production, new methods using hydrogen have only been piloted in the steel industry to date.

In the electronics industry, hydrogen is widely employed as a reducing agent and as a carrier gas in the production of semiconductors, of carbon steels and special metals. It is also a reductor agent in the metallurgic industry for metal alloying, for flat glass production and in the electronics industry, where it is used as a protective and carrier gas for cleaning, etching and in reduction processes. The appetite to explore hydrogen as an energy vector is growing at rapid pace, but pilot projects need to be followed with action to implement it across the manufacturing sector on an increasing scale.

I am not saying that hydrogen is the panacea for the manufacturing sector, but then neither is solar, offshore wind or battery storage. We need several and varied technologies if we are to decarbonise manufacturing successfully, but hydrogen looks highly likely to be playing a major role in manufacturing’s cleaner future.

au.syspro.com

CSIRO: Renewables still cheapest new-build power in Australia

A report from CSIRO has more accurately calculated the integration costs of renewables in electricity generation and found that solar and wind continue to be the cheapest source of energy in Australia.

Each year, CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) work with a range of industry stakeholders to give an updated estimate of the cost to generate electricity for new power plants in Australia, through their GenCost report. Released in December prior to being made open for public consultation, the latest report was improved by using a more accurate system for calculating the levelised cost of energy (LCOE – a metric to compare the cost of electricity generation technology).

CSIRO Chief Energy Economist Paul Graham said the new metric added extra insight to this year’s report: “Previous GenCost reports added arbitrary amounts of storage costs, but this year we used a model of the electricity system that optimises the amount of storage needed, and also includes additional transmission expenditure.

“Even taking into account these extra system integration costs, solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind continue to be the cheapest new sources of electricity for any expected share of renewables in the grid — anywhere from 50% to 100%. This is projected to continue to be the case throughout the projection period to 2050.”

The updated analyses also find that:

• Solar PV and batteries are projected to continue experiencing the fastest cost reductions of any source of energy technology.

• Hydrogen electrolysers are also projected to experience substantial cost reductions that will make them competitive with natural gas-based hydrogen production in the long run.

• Wind capital costs are falling more slowly than solar, reflecting their relative maturity as an energy source; however wind capital costs continue to make gains through capturing more energy from the same wind resources, which means they will continue to be competitive.

• Costs reductions for technologies not currently being widely deployed, such as carbon capture and storage, nuclear small modular reactors, solar thermal and ocean energy are lagging and would require stronger global investment to realise their full potential.

AEMO Group Manager Forecasting Nicola Falcon said the report was critical to future modelling: “Electricity generation costs are a key ingredient into the electricity sector modelling which underpins much of the sector’s strategic planning and policy analysis, including our Integrated System Plan.” The final GenCost report is due to be delivered in March 2021.

www.aemo.com.au www.csiro.au

Get your house in order

2020 was a difficult year for businesses of all shapes and sizes across Australia. Start 2021 by preparing your business for the unexpected and consider the following.

Largest client becomes insolvent?

Understand the options available to you should your largest client or clients become insolvent. Know what to expect as a secure creditor from a debit agreement proposal and how to cover the losses as a business.

What if you have leasing issues?

Know your options should your landlord or tenant enter liquidation. Make sure your interests are protected and that any lease or management agreement you enter into balances the right mix of risk allocation and flexibility to match your business needs.

Document privacy and employee safety

With more staff opting to work from home, review policies on existing flexible work practices, workplace safety and privacy to ensure compliance. For onsite staff, ensure your COVIDSafe Plan is in place.

Loss of Government support and revenue

Government COVID-19 legislation and support sunsets in March 2021, or earlier. Consider what options are available to you to reduce your businesses costs. We can provide advice on restructuring or turning-around your business.

Rigby Cooke Lawyers can assist you by auditing your processes, reviewing your policies and contracts to ensure your business is safe guarded against unexpected losses in 2021.

International Trade

What do the trade disruptions and increasing tariffs with China mean for your business? Ensure your business stays compliant with import and export obligations at the border, trade agreements and sanctions, and is conducting business in accordance with the laws of regions you are trading in.

Mention your AMTIL membership to receive member discounts with us.

How to harness the power of biosolids to make hydrogen

Researchers have used biosolids to produce hydrogen from wastewater, in new technology that supports the comprehensive recycling of one of humanity’s most abundant resources – sewage.

The innovation focuses on the advanced upcycling of biosolids and biogas, by-products of the wastewater treatment process. Developed by researchers at RMIT University, the patented technology uses a special material derived from biosolids to spark chemical reactions for producing hydrogen from biogas.

The approach means all the materials needed for hydrogen production could be sourced on-site at a wastewater treatment plant, without the need for expensive catalysts. The method also traps the carbon found in biosolids and biogas, which could in future enable a near zero-emission wastewater sector.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Kalpit Shah said existing commercial methods for producing hydrogen were emission and capital-intensive, and relied heavily on natural gas.

“Our alternative technology offers a sustainable, cost-effective, renewable and efficient approach to hydrogen production,” said Shah, Deputy Director (Academic) of the ARC Training Centre for Transformation of Australia’s Biosolids Resource at RMIT. “To enable the transition to a circular economy, we need technology that enables us to squeeze the full value from resources that would ordinarily go to waste.

“Our new technology for making hydrogen relies on waste materials that are essentially in unlimited supply. By harnessing the power of biosolids to produce a fully clean fuel from biogas – while simultaneously preventing greenhouse gas emissions – we can deliver a true environmental and economic win.”

Biosolids are commonly used as fertiliser and soil amendment in agriculture, but around 30% of the world’s biosolids resource is stockpiled or sent to landfill, creating an environmental challenge.

Dr Aravind Surapaneni, Senior Research and Planning Scientist at South East Water and Deputy Director (Industry) of the ARC Training Centre for Transformation of Australia’s Biosolids Resource, said research into new and valuable uses for biosolids was vital.

“The wastewater sector is constantly looking to develop new ways to transform biosolids into high-value products, in environmentally sustainable and responsible ways,” Surapaneni said.

How the tech works

In the new method, published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, biosolids are first converted to biochar – a carbon-

rich form of charcoal used to improve soil health. The biosolidsderived biochar contains some heavy metals, which makes it an ideal catalyst for producing hydrogen out of biogas.

As part of the experimental bench-scale study, researchers tested the process with a methane-rich gas that resembles biogas. They showed the biochar made from biosolids is highly effective for decomposing the gas into its component elements – hydrogen and carbon. The decomposition process can also be conducted in a specially designed and hyper-efficient reactor developed and patented by RMIT, which can produce both hydrogen and a high-value biochar that is coated with carbon nanomaterials. By converting the carbon found in biogas and biosolids into advanced carbon nanomaterials, their method can also capture and sequester the greenhouse gas to prevent its release into the atmosphere. The carbon nanomaterial-coated biochar produced through the novel technique has a range of potential applications including environmental remediation, boosting agricultural soils and energy storage.

Patented reactor technology

Shah said the unique reactor developed by the RMIT School of Engineering team was at the heart of this innovative recycling approach.

“We’ve radically optimised heat and mass transfer in our reactor, while shrinking the technology to make it highly mobile,” he said. “There are no reactors available that can achieve such phenomenal heat and mass integration, in such a small and cost-effective package. And while it’s already energy-efficient, with further integration, this reactor could turn biosolids and biogas conversion into a process that actually produces energy instead of consuming it.”

As well as being used in wastewater treatment, the novel reactor has potential applications in the biomass, plastics and coating industries.

The research was supported by South East Water, which will be trialling the biosolids and biogas conversion technology in a pilot plant currently under fabrication. Dr David Bergmann, Research and Development Manager at South East Water, said the technology had potential for adoption by the industry.

“Supporting these kinds of innovative emerging technologies is an important part of our commitment towards reduced emissions and a circular economy approach involving wastewater,” Bergmann said. www.rmit.edu.au

The new method for producing hydrogen can also convert the carbon found in biogas and biosolids into advanced carbon nanomaterials, pictured here magnified 50,000 times.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Kalpit Shah with the novel reactor developed and patented by RMIT University.

Composite materials in hydroelectric turbine development

Queensland renewable energy company Kinetic NRG engaged composites technology specialists Advanced Composite Structures Australia (ACS-A) to design and manufacture a hydro-electric turbine blade for its Hydro-kinetic Energy Generator. The move enabled a cost-effective, lightweight solution saving up to 70% in mass compared with initial metallic designs.

In Australia, most high-head hydro energy – such as Snowy Mountains Hydro, for example – has already been harnessed, and in most cases large civil infrastructure is required to create dammed reservoirs. However, there is an opportunity for lowhead hydro power generation to become more accessible and with lower barriers to entry, while being sustainable. Kinetic NRG’s modular turbine design will be able to generate power from existing streams, irrigation channels and discharge canals.

“We have been helping Kinetic NRG with composite solutions for their hydroelectric turbine,” says Paul Falzon, General Manager at ACS-S. “They were very impressed with the quality and dimensional accuracy we could achieve with the highly complex part. As an added bonus, we were also able to take out 70% of the blade mass compared to the steel design!

The key advantage of using composite materials in Kinetic NRG’s turbine is its mass savings, amounting to approximately 50%-70% compared with metal-based components. This makes it more suitable for micro turbines and installation in remote areas. Moreover, using composites meant a modified design and manufacturing process, allowing reduced material, labour and installation costs. This in turn enables Kinetic NRG to achieve a more competitive energy cost.

A method to manufacture the complexshaped, hydro-dynamically designed geometry was developed, along with the lightweight structural design. Low-cost composite tooling was created to achieve the desired composite turbine shape. Using a specially designed assembly fixture, the sub-components were laminated together producing a one-piece, dimensionally accurate, complex blade assembly, with an integrated internal hub for the coaxial drive shaft. The current blades are made from epoxy resin and glass fibre non-crimp composite materials. Carbon-fibre is being considered in other parts of the system for further weight reduction opportunities. Composite materials enable Kinetic NRG to modularise the components, facilitating local assembly of the turbines.

“Each of the blades were manufactured in two sections and joined during final

assembly,” explains Johannes Straub, Senior Engineer at ACS-A. “The precise location of the interlocked composite blade components was challenging. 3D-CAD was used to design the moulds and an assembly jig enabling positioning and joining of all components on a common shaft.”

Finishing of the part included a marine top-coat in order to operate in submerged fresh and salt water environments, while a rotational balancing of the turbine blade was completed at ACS-A’s facilities in Melbourne.

Kinetic NRG integrated the composite turbine into the completed assembly at its Gold Coast workshop. This initial prototype Hydro-kinetic Energy Generator will be used for in-water trials. Kinetic NRG is set to achieve an optimal 20 years design life, maximising durability with minimal maintenance. The low-head 1.5m diameter micro hydro turbine is projected to generate approximately 30kW at flow rates of 2.0m per second.

“Kinetic NRG undertook an international search to find an organisation that was aligned with our vision and technical aspirations,” says Darren Wren, Director at Kinetic NRG. “We are delighted not just with the product, but also the co-operative relationships that have developed. As our disruptive hydro-kinetic energy generating technology enters the market, our future success is through developing key partnerships with great people.”

Falzon adds: “We have been fortunate to work with a number of clients in the renewable energy space where composites can play an important role in delivering energy-efficient solutions. Our work with Kinetic NRG is a great example of this.” www.kineticnrg.com.au www.acs-aus.com

Design advances ensure future sustainability of compressed air

Most industries rely on compressed air as a major energy source to operate equipment such as pneumatic controls, air tools, pumps, valve actuators, pistons, pneumatic conveying and large-scale processes. Compressed air is clean, safe and convenient, but it can also be an expensive energy source.

Approximately 10% of the electricity supplied to Australian industry is used to compress air. Constantly rising electricity costs have fuelled demand for industrial compressed air systems to deliver greater output for less energy input. The continued effectiveness of compressed air as an industrial power source lies in technological advances in compressor design, control methods, reticulation design and maintenance of systems to ensure optimum operational effectiveness. Specialist compressed air service companies can inspect, advise and restore systems to maximum operating condition. Maintenance programs are available and recommended to keep systems operational and avoid costly downtime for compressed air-reliant industries. Regular checks and maintenance are essential for continued efficient operation and minimisation of downtime. Like any other piece of expensive machinery, well-maintained systems give users many more years of operating life at low cost. Leading suppliers to offer tailored maintenance programs to suit individual customer needs.

Selecting the right system or upgrading current systems to more sustainable levels of power usage can, in many cases, be costnegative when energy cost savings are considered.

Existing systems

When upgrading existing systems, viability depends on the system’s maximum efficiency being maintained under its specific operating demands. In existing installations, it is essential to completely and accurately review the efficiencies in the compressor itself and ancillary equipment in relation to the nature of the demand.

• System leaks. Up to 50% of generated air is frequently lost through leaks. These leaks not only waste energy, but can also make the compressor work harder to meet the higher demand. This can shorten equipment life, increase maintenance needs and create unnecessary downtime. A proactive leak detection, repair and maintenance program will help to maintain system efficiency and can significantly reduce energy consumed.

• Variable supply. Use of the minimum appropriate air pressure for the required task can save considerable energy as the work required to compress air is a factor of both pressure as well as volume. Many procedures do not require air at the maximum pressure that the compressed air system can produce. Delivering a higher than necessary pressure results in excessive energy use, excessive equipment wear, artificial demand and higher long-term maintenance costs. In situations where demand varies frequently and rapidly, variable speed drive control (VSD) allows the compressor to automatically adjust its output to meet demand. This minimises energy usage proportionally with demand, which can result in significant power cost savings.

• Pressure drop. A typical system should be designed to maintain a pressure drop of less than 3% between the compressor’s output pressure and the point of use. Pressure drops occur due to friction throughout the reticulation system and is generally a result of poor system design. Unnecessary bends and small-capacity piping also cause friction. Improving the layout, increasing piping diameter and installing smooth bore piping can greatly lower friction and minimise pressure drop. Reducing operating pressure by 100kPa will save around 8% of required input power.

• System ancillary components. Ancillary components such as coalescing filters, air dryers and moisture separators should be specified and installed to match the air quality requirements for the application, otherwise contaminants such as water, dust, dirt and residual hydrocarbons can cause damage to system components and can also cause product spoilage. It is imperative that these items be selected to minimise pressure drop.

New systems

With great advances in compressed air technology today, there is a wide choice of compressor type and sizes to fit every application; however, it requires expert assessment to match a compressed air system to a given application and to ensure it will provide for current and future demands.

There’s a lot to consider when selecting and installing the right compressor. What volume flow rate output do you need? Should you install one or multiple compressors? Is a single or two-stage compressor best? What discharge pressure is required? Do you have a fixed or varying demand? Do you want a compressor that will cater for future growth?

With major advances in global air compressor technologies keeping pace with industry demand, particularly in larger industrial applications, operators now have a wider choice of compressor types and capacities to match specific requirements. Some of these include:

• Permanent magnet, variable frequency (PMV). This innovation to the rotary screw compressor, with either single or two-stage rotary screw configurations, optimises operational integration of the compressor airend, advanced permanent magnet drive motor and variable frequency speed drive technology. This systemic harmony provides a far greater air output with far less energy.

• Advanced two-stage rotary screw technology. Two-stage rotary screw compressors offer the benefits of a single-stage compressor with added efficiency gains and energy savings. This rotary compressor type divides the compression ratio between the two distinct stages, reducing internal efficiency losses and greatly extending bearing life due to reduced applied loads. The machine also requires a smaller drive motor to output equivalent flow rates, thereby saving on energy input.

• Fixed orbit, lubricated compact compressors. This type of compact compressor is rapidly replacing older-style reciprocating (piston) compressors in smaller industry and workshop applications. With a beneficial power-in/air-out ratio, this advanced compressor delivers energy efficiency with minimal moving parts in an ultra-quiet, compact package.

Kaishan Australia can provide Australian industry with know-how and service, with the latest innovations in products covering every conceivable compressed air need. The company also provides a free compressed air assessment service to recommend the right system or upgrade to achieve your specialised needs. In many cases where the existing system is running inefficiently due to leakage, restriction or wear and tear, the company can clearly demonstrate the savings to be achieved through repair or upgrading of the system.

www. kaishan.com.au

Akubra Hats humidifies with Condair

Australian hat manufacturer, Akubra, has recently installed a JetSpray humidification system from Condair to humidify its forming area, creating the ideal air humidity to ensure a perfect finish on the felt during the manufacturing process and provide the long-lasting quality Akubra is known for.

Akubra is an iconic Australian brand, manufacturing classic bush hats made of rabbit fur felt with wide brims that are worn widely across rural Australia and internationally. Founded in 1874 by Benjamin Dunkerley, Akubra is now arguably the world’s greatest fur felt hat-making business. Each hat is handmade, with more than 70 pairs of hands touching each one before it is finished, in a process taking over one month. Akubra hats have been sported by Prince Harry, Crocodile Dundee, the Australian Olympic team and the Australian military.

According to Ron Palin, General Manager Operations at Akubra, the key to hat-making is forming the “cone”, and this is done in the forming machine.

“The fur is sucked onto a large revolving cone and, as it rotates, hot water is sprayed onto the fur,” he explains. “This interlocks the fibres in each direction. It is critical to maintain the relative humidity at 70% in the forming room to prevent any imperfections in the felt during this process, faults which will only show up later in the finishing process stages.”

Akubra engaged Condair to design and supply a low-energy humidification system for installation in the large forming room area. This had to be undertaken with limited disruption to manufacturing and while maintaining the ideal humidity of 70%RH. Condair was chosen because of its proven track record of supplying large industrial humidification projects in Australia and worldwide.

The Condair JetSpray system was selected and installed at the manufacturing plant in Kempsey, NSW. The system incorporates

18 nozzles, each capable of introducing 3.5 litres of moisture per hour into the atmosphere. A wall-mounted JetSpray control panel regulates a supply of compressed air and water, which is provided to the nozzle lines. Each nozzle perfectly combines the air and water to release extremely fine aerosols, with droplets of just 7.5 microns that rapidly evaporate into the air. The compressed air prevents any possibility of drips from the nozzles and makes the spray highly directional, thus preventing wetting on machinery, walls or the floor.

“The Condair JetSpray is maintaining the ideal humidity of 70%RH in Akubra’s forming room,” says Palin. “This significantly reduces imperfections in the felt, helping to deliver the highest efficiency and quality throughout the hat-making process.”

www.condair-group.com.au www.akubra.com.au

Peerless Products – Innovation in compressed air

Most people wouldn’t give them much thought, but air compressors are heavily relied upon by many consumers in the Australian market.

From inflating your car tyre at your local service station or getting your car washed at the automatic car wash, many everyday tasks make use of compressed air from a type of piston or rotary screw compressor. Even when you get your fast food, the drinks that you get are being filled by compressed air these days. As technology advances in pneumatic equipment so is the technology used to make compressed air. Manufacturers like Peerless Products are always thinking outside the box for creative ideas to generate efficient compressed air while reducing power or fuel consumption.

Power consumption is a key point for the Australian market amid fluctuations in voltage supply and rising costs. As advancements in electrical motors and variable speed controllers become more accessible and affordable, manufacturers are taking advantage of this technology. By implementing them in single-phase and three-phase rotary screw compressors, consumers get overall cost savings in the long run for the lifespan of the air compressor. Variable speed drives (VSD) give the consumer greater control of how they use their compressor without wasting air or power. They use the air and power based upon their demands sized to their consumption on application. Compressor manufacturers can confidently tell a workshop, factory, car wash, milking station, production line, packing facility or fast-food chain that it can save

up to 35% in energy costs, simply by using VSD technology. Along with this, the user achieves greater air consumption, which is more efficient and cooler by 20%, increasing productivity. Fuel costs are also an ever-growing expense.

Peerless Products designed and developed the Under and Over piston air compressor. The Under and Over design is a tube tank frame that utilises the frame as the pressure vessel with no large tank, unlike conventional air compressors. In doing so it offers a very quick pump-up time to 100PSI of 5-7 seconds, and air recovery time of 2-4 seconds. The standard conventional air compressor takes at least 70 seconds on a 60-litre tank to achieve this if it is producing 350 litres of air per minute.

The Under and Over design is highly fuel efficient, while offering increased productivity by not waiting for the air tank to reach full pressure. The compact design also gives you more real estate for your service vehicle to be able to carry more essential parts for the job along with reduced overall weight compared to conventional air compressors. Diesel models can have a diesel lift pump fitted to be able to use your vehicle fuel, reducing hazards by not having to manually fuel your air compressor, and offering a further weight reduction by not carrying extra fuel containers.

www.peerlessproducts.com.au

The perfect fit! Kaeser meets Mongrel Boots’ demand for compressed air

Mongrel Boots manufacturer Victor Footwear recently opted for a Kaeser BSD 65 T series rotary screw compressor with integrated refrigeration dryer to meet the increased compressed air requirements of its latest direct injection moulding machine, used to directly inject the soles of Mongrel Boots directly onto the uppers.

Established in 1930, Victor Footwear is a fifth-generation familyowned and operated Australian manufacturer responsible for the Mongrel brand of work boots. Whether you prefer a lace up, an elastic side or a ZipSider (which the company was first to create back in 2006) – with over 45 styles of safety and non-safety work boots to choose from, you’re sure to find a pair of Mongrel Boots that fit!

Every pair of Mongrel Boots remains proudly designed and manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Sydney. Victor blends old-school workmanship with the latest technology and innovation to deliver each customer with the most perfectly engineered boot for the job at hand.

Compressed air is an essential utility required in many stages of the manufacturing process at Victor. This includes powering a lot of the machinery used to produce the footwear uppers and soles, such as the lasting machines, which draw, stretch and bend the upper of the boots.

Another key piece of production machinery that depends on a reliable supply of compressed air is the direct injection moulding machines. Representing the latest and most technically advanced method of attaching soles to footwear uppers, the advanced dualdensity soles of all Mongrel Boots are directly injected onto an upper.

Victor recently invested in a new 30-station Desma direct injection moulding machine to keep up with growing demand. Adding this machinery to the factory meant that compressed air requirements would also increase. To ascertain whether the existing compressed air system could meet this increased demand or additional equipment may be required, Victor contacted their long-standing compressed air partner, Kaeser Compressors, for a solution. After assessing the new compressed air requirements that the additional direct injection moulding machine would create, Kaeser recommended and subsequently installed a BSD 65 T series rotary screw compressor with integrated refrigeration dryer.

With its latest generation of BSD series rotary screw compressors, Kaeser pushes the boundaries of compressed air availability and efficiency even further. Not only do they deliver more compressed air for less energy, but they combine user-friendliness and ease of maintenance with exceptional versatility and environmentally responsible design.

Kaeser BSD rotary screw compressors save energy in numerous ways. At the heart of every BSD rotary screw compressor lies a premium-quality screw compressor block featuring Kaeser’s energy saving Sigma Profile rotors. Flow-optimised for impressive performance, these advanced rotors help Kaeser BSD systems set the highest standards in terms of specific output.

The BSD also features a superpremium efficiency IE4 drive motor as standard, for unrivalled levels of performance and energy efficiency.

Kaeser is currently the only compressed air systems provider to equip some of its compressors with IE4 drive motors. In addition, the BSD units are controlled and monitored by the industrial PC based Sigma Control 2 compressor controller. This advanced controller matches compressed air delivery to actual current demand and keeps costly idling time to an absolute minimum, thanks to its Dynamic control mode.

The T units are equipped with a highly efficient integrated refrigeration dryer, featuring an energy-saving control. This means the dryer is only activated when compressed air actually needs to be dried. As a result, the required compressed air quality is achieved with maximum energy efficiency. They are also designed to use R-513A refrigerant, which has a very low GWP (Global Warming Potential) value. This means that these efficient dryers will be future-proof for their entire lifecycle.

Since installation of the BSD 65 T, Victor Footwear has also replaced some ageing compressors, which led to additional installations of a Kaeser Aircenter SK25 all-in-one compressed air system and two ASK 34 T rotary screw compressors with integrated refrigeration dryers.

Phillip Cloros, Brand Manager at Victor Footwear and part of the fifth generation of the family operating the business, said: “We rely on our compressed air system to keep our key production machines operating daily. Having reliable air compressors – backed up with service and support – is therefore critical to our operation. Kaeser has been our compressed air partner for many years now due to the proven reliability of the equipment and a service department that we know we can rely on to always keep us running – even if any issues arise.”

Kaeser’s BSD T series of fixed speed rotary screw compressors, featuring an integrated refrigeration dryer, are available with working pressures 7.5 to 13 bar, motor power of 30kW to 45kW and free air deliveries 3.76 to 8.16 cubic metres per minute.

au.kaeser.com www.mongrelboots.com.au

Direct injection moulding of Mongrel Boots’ advanced dual-density soles.

The new Kaeser BSD 65 T at Victor Footwear.

Salvagnini – Cutting with compressed air

The use of compressed air as an assist gas is one of the most interesting topics in laser cutting today. Salvagnini has been working on the evolution of air cutting for years, and is currently achieving great results with high power density sources. But how signficant is the use of compressed air used in cutting operations?

The first data the team at Salvagnini has available is the percentage of its systems with the ACUT option – where the system and parameters are set up for air cutting – compared to the total number of lasers sold.

“If we analyse the data from the last few years, over 90% of laser systems have been supplied with the ACUT option,” explains Pierandrea Bello, Product Manager for laser technologies at Salvagnini. “This is an important figure, but it is not in itself sufficient for understanding how many customers actually cut with air. This is why we use data from LINKS, our Internet of Things (IoT) solution used to monitor system performance in real time and to conduct analyses.

“The database consists of a significant sample of our laser systems installed around the world. It includes a wide range of models and different source powers, and concerns annual production: we’re talking about around 1,200,000 sheets.”

More than 30% of these sheets were cut with compressed air, and this interesting figure underlines a growing trend.

“The second question we asked ourselves relates to thickness,” continues Bello. “Which thicknesses do those who cut with compressed air handle? In the thin and ultra-thin sector, so for thicknesses of less than 2mm, air cutting exceeds 35%. But at 20% of the total, the percentage of mid-range thicknesses, between 3mm and 8mm, is also impressive.”

The next step is to investigate the relationship between thickness and material: it is interesting to discover that 40% of sheet metal cut with air is galvanised under 2mm.

“After this analysis, we wanted to know which criteria are used for air cutting,” Bello adds. “At Salvagnini, for cutting with compressed air, we use very similar technology to that used for nitrogen. Air is composed of 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen, and this means that we can use air cutting with technology – parameters, pressure, speed – similar to that used for nitrogen, yet work at lower pressures. This allows us to compare the productivity, quality and costs of the two gases.”

For thicknesses up to 5mm, the productivity and cutting speed with compressed air are very similar to that of nitrogen. Today, with the high-power density 6kW source, it is possible to exceed the 5mm threshold. With compressed air, the cutting quality is different from nitrogen, but it is still a valid alternative in very many applications.

Even more so with the high-power density 6kW source, which reaches quite considerable cutting speeds and can therefore reduce the quality gap. With regard to costs, on the other hand, cutting with compressed air is cheaper than with nitrogen. This is even truer if we consider the increasing cost per cubic metre of nitrogen, which varies from country to country, and even from region to region . The higher the cost of nitrogen, the more costeffective cutting with compressed air becomes.

“With the high-power density 6kW source, we have been able to increase the maximum thicknesses that can be cut with air, up to 10mm,” Bello continues. “But how much are productivity, quality and costs affected by the increase in thickness? What happens when we go above 5mm?”

Generally speaking, the maximum cutting speed with nitrogen is higher, in some cases significantly so. When cutting with nitrogen, productivity is consequently higher. There is one exception to this: stainless steel. On a thickness of 8mm, the speed is the same, and on 10mm, air cutting is in fact quicker.

To assess quality, the team at Salvagnini cut three materials with both air and nitrogen: 6mm thick aluminium, 8mm thick mild steel and 10mm thick stainless steel. For the 6mm aluminium the quality is similar: there is no oxidation, the cut is white and almost indistinguishable, and the burr – typical of aluminium – is light and present on both samples. The 8mm mild steel cut with nitrogen has a white edge, while the cut with compressed air is darker: there is less burr and the process is simpler and improved by the absence of calamine. Finally, the differences for 10mm stainless steel are quite clear: the cut with nitrogen is white, whereas the cut with compressed air is burnished.

Finally, when assessing the costs, it’s first necessary to stress that this depends heavily on the cost of nitrogen. Let’s imagine cutting a part like the one used to compare quality, using both compressed air and nitrogen – in a market where the cost of nitrogen is €0.2 per cubic metre, a low cost but common in highly industrialised areas. In these conditions, cutting with compressed air is costeffective for stainless steel and mild steel, on thicknesses of up to 10mm. If nitrogen costs more, for example €0.5 per cubic metre, things change: for stainless steel and mild steel the cost/part is even more advantageous, but air cutting becomes advantageous for aluminium too.

“Let me say a few things about 10mm thick mild steel,” Bello notes. “This thickness is generally handled with oxygen, so we compared the cost/part of oxygen with that of compressed air: the result is that, for these thicknesses, cutting with air is cheaper than with oxygen. “In this context, we really must mention the new APM option,” adds Bello. “This is a compact, turnkey system for cutting with compressed air. Connected directly to the factory pneumatic supply or a compressor upstream of the system, APM normalises the pressure, filtering and drying values of the compressed air, optimising it for air cutting. Connected to the factory supply, there are no costs for dedicated compressors.”

The final step is a profitability analysis, again comparing the cost of cutting with nitrogen with that of cutting with compressed air – and again using an actual production mix taken from the LINKS data. While for nitrogen three different scenarios were considered, with the gas costing respectively €0.2, €0.5 and €0.8 per cubic metre, for air cutting the team also also considered the investment required to purchase the APM option as well as the variable costs – i.e. an air production cost of €0.045 per cubic metre.

“Air cutting is the only cost that decreases in proportion to the increase in hours of system usage, with the hourly cost dropping from €2.70 to around €2. On the other hand, the hourly cost of nitrogen is constant: depending on the industrial context, this may be between €6.66 and €26.63 per hour. Considering a typical situation, with two shifts and nitrogen costing €0.2 per cubic metre,

the return on investment for the ACUT and APM options is around nine months. After this, savings of around €4 per hour on gas can be achieved,” Bello concludes. www.salvagninigroup.com www.machineryforum.com.au

Samples of (from top) aluminium, stainless steel and mild steel cut with N2. The same metals cut with compressed air.

Choosing a plasma cutting system?

Three things to consider

When it comes to plasma cutting systems these days, there are a lot of options on the market, but making the right choice can be a challenge for manufacturers. Israel Gonzalez offers some advice.

Today, metalworking manufacturers have the luxury of options when it comes to selecting a suitable plasma cutting system for their operations. However, with globalisation and a competitive business environment, manufacturers have to grapple with demands for high-quality products delivered within a short period of time, while balancing upfront investments and long-term operation costs.

With all these challenges to juggle, it may seem like an easy choice for companies to opt for low-cost cutting systems. However, to ensure their products are of high quality and that they remain competitively priced, manufacturers must consider the type and volume of cutting that needs to be done, and determine specifications that can impact the cutting applications, productivity, and accuracy requirements.

So, the question is: how can one determine if a plasma cutting system can meet your production needs while keeping costs low? Here are three important considerations that manufacturers should factor into their decision.

#1 – Is the system a proven solution?

In general, the most reliable plasma cutting systems are manufactured to ISO standards and are adequately tested. Such systems are engineered and built under strict specifications and with quality materials, which make them truly durable. These systems tend also to perform better in terms of duty cycles. However, there are discrepancies in how tests are performed in the market. Manufacturers should take note that systems that seem to perform better on shorter test cycles may bring about longer-term implications, such as increased downtimes during production. Rigorous testing often means stretching the performance of the cutting system to troubleshoot and improve the system’s design. For example, if the reported duty cycle is 60%, a five-minute and a ten-minute test duration would result in a difference between pausing cutting operations for a break after every three minutes or six minutes.

Another mark of a proven and reliable solution is the length of the warranty. Plasma cutting manufacturers who stand behind their products often offer a longer warranty period and cover more parts. This way, end users can be assured of better coverage and fewer issues in the long run.

#2 – How easy is it to operate?

While there may be a plethora of options, some plasma cutting systems are easier to use than others. An intuitive system allows an experienced operator to complete a job more efficiently. It also enables new employees with little or no experience to achieve good results with simple training. Most local plasma systems require considerable skill, which requires months of training, since the operator has to float the torch over the metal piece (otherwise known as ‘holding a stand-off’). A lack of experience may result in shaky cuts on the parts, which then require more secondary processes to perfect.

Over the years, advanced plasma cutting systems with countless inventions and technological breakthroughs have been developed to address this challenge. One such solution is Hypertherm’s Powermax system, which offers drag cutting. This innovative technology allows operators to rest and drag the torch right on the metal due to the uniquely designed shielded consumables. Business owners can save on time and cost for training, and

avoid problems with absenteeism, which often cause delays or fluctuations in quality. Operators, regardless of their experience level, can simply drag the torch along a straight edge or template, get the jobs completed efficiently, and produce quality products, all while ensuring projects stay on schedule.

The simplicity of these advanced cutting solutions also offers users the added advantage of superior safety measures, which translates to a lower risk of injuries, reduced damage to the nozzle or torch, and a safer work environment for operators.

#3 – Can it help keep operating costs low?

Manufacturers should finally consider the operating costs. It is important to note that while the initial cost of acquisition may be lower for some plasma cutting systems, one should not overlook the consumable costs involved before finalising a decision on the system to invest in.

Consumable life for plasma cutting systems can vary significantly from one brand to another. With longer consumable life, downtime for change-outs and overall spending on consumables can be greatly lowered. Many brands market their consumables at a lower cost, but these simply do not last during cutting operations. As such, users would end up changing the consumables more often in the span of an operation. In some cases, Hypertherm’s patented consumables are proven to last up to 80% longer than these brands.

Making your decision

The choice of a plasma cutting system is important for businesses to truly achieve their productivity potential. With the availability of advanced solutions in the market, metalworking manufacturers must be clear about the system’s reliability, ease of use, and longterm costs before deciding which brand or system to invest in. With a robust and thoroughly-tested solution like Hypertherm’s Powermax, companies can become better equipped to navigate the competitive business environment and optimise their cutting operations.

Israel Gonzalez is a Distribution Sales Director at Hypertherm Asia. www.hypertherm.com

Lasermech’s new Yawei machines drive post-COVID growth

A former fitter and toolmaker by trade, Keith Morton spent many years in the automation industry, including working at Supaloc for 11 years and Hills Industries prior to that – before founding Innomation in 2010.

Based in Adelaide’s Salisbury Plain, Innomation offers a variety of services including mechanical design and drafting, electrical schematic design and drafting, machine design and automation. One of the issues that faced the company was the amount of money being spent on outsourcing bending and laser cutting.

The solution for Morton was to establish Lasermech, a subsidiary of Innomation located on the same premises, offering design, cut, fold and fabrication of all types and sizes of components. Not only would Lasermech handle Innomation’s requirements but importantly it would offer these services to a raft of companies in Adelaide.

To get things rolling, Morton visited Applied Machinery’s Melbourne facility in October 2019 to look at pressbrakes and fibre lasers. While impressed with the quality and value for money of the Yawei machines, Morton wanted to see the Yawei factory in China for himself. His first impression of the factory was positive to say the least. “I was blown away by it,” says Morton. “It was a highly impressive set-up, incredibly clean and high-tech. Once I saw it I felt complete peace of mind knowing the new machines were coming from there.” Morton proceeded to purchase a Yawei CKY-1530 2kW fibre laser as well as a Yawei PBH 110-3100 CNC5 pressbrake. The pressbrake was delivered in February 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic put any futher progress on hold, so the fibre laser could not be delivered until June. When it did arrive, Applied technicians had it set up in just a few days – testament to the efficient and fast service offered by Applied.

“The service provided by Applied has been terrific, especially in regard to the machine’s installation,” says Morton. “They’ve been fully involved from the beginning to the end and have demonstrated the utmost professionalism; it’s been a delight to work with them. I couldn’t be happier with Applied’s service – I wouldn’t go anywhere else for my next machine.”

Morton’s vision for Lasermech is to “become known as the pre-eminent mechanical engineering services business in Adelaide, that provides its clients with on-time deliverables and great customer service”. In just a short time Lasermech’s client base has grown considerably and offers a diverse range of products that include truck-body panels, drilling equipment, parts for the recycling industry, and even decorative garden screens.

Customer satisfaction is crucial to the success of both Innomation and Lasermech. “We treat others how we like to be treated,” Morton explains. “We commit to our service promises and if there’s an issue we let clients know and work through it with them. It helps to be honest with customers because they’ll respect you more because of that.” Last year was a difficult time for most Australian businesses, and Innomation is no exception. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Innomation dwarfed the newly-established Lasermech. However, according to Morton, Lasermech was the catalyst for his business to pull through the last year as a result of a major increase in demand for local laser-cutting.

“It’s safe to say that we were saved by Lasermech, and the business now represents about 30% of our total output, which will only increase over the next 12 months with the growth we anticipate,” says Morton. “We couldn’t be happier with our Yawei machines; they’ve really proven their value. It’s highly likely we will look at purchasing another one in the near future. It’s been a difficult year for all of us, but we’re slowly coming out of it now and the new machines have been assisting us with our recovery.”

Despite an unprecedented difficult year, Morton is optimistic about the future: “We will continue to grow as our businesses grows; ultimately, the future looks bright for us in 2021.”

www.appliedmachinery.com.au

www.innomation.com.au

The Lasermech team with the two new Yawei machines supplied by Applied Machinery.

Digitisation revolutionises operations at Integra

Despite the added degree of difficulty imposed by COVID-19 in 2020, Integra Systems has seen the realisation of a three-year dream in finalising the use of ten touchscreen kiosks across its offices and manufacturing facility in Broadmeadows, Victoria.

As part of a commitment to Industry 4.0 transformation, the kiosks feature Integra’s own software, developed in-house, and integrated with the organisation’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, computer-aided design (CAD) and live machine monitoring data to deliver a wide range of efficiencies – from smarter ways of working to ensuring quality. The development of the kiosks and associated software has been so successful that Integra has now commercialised the technology as a customised product and service – the DigiSMART Collection – which it can now deliver to fellow manufacturers as well as industry sectors such as retail, logistics, defence and so on.

Integra’s Managing Director and Co-Founder Paul Hughes describes the platform created by Integra’s computer scientists for the kiosks as nothing less than the framework to his business. The touchscreen system accumulates a range of data which, in turn, provides valuable analytics for engineers, designers and customers.

“We create a virtual job bag in the factory,” explains Paul. “An operator can open a job bag and all of the information they need is there in one place with a simple user interface for the production team to log into. “All of the information gets captured on a job. Once the operator clocks into a work order or opens up that job bag, they’ve got all the drawings they need; all the information they need for the job is packaged up. Once they clock onto it, all the times related to different parts of that job are captured in the system site for reference later on. Not only that, the quoted times are tracked against actual performance at the time of running the job.”

As well as streamlining production processes, Integra’s kiosks offer the opportunity for enhanced collaboration and communication across every stage of the design and manufacture process. In a situation where an operator wants to record or raise an engineering change, the system comes into its own.

Paul explains: “The operator can click [on the job] and say ‘I think we need to add this dimension’ or ‘This needs changing’ or ‘This isn’t clear’, and it’ll get captured with the particular drawing and fed back to the drawing office. “To support that, every kiosk is equipped with video-conferencing capability. We’ve got a large video screen on the wall in the office where we conduct all our Zoom meetings, and the operator can create a live video link between the design office and the machine [on the manufacturing floor].”

One of the pillars of Integra’s success is taking pride in exceptional customer service. The implementation of the kiosk and videoconferencing capability helps ensure the company’s external partners are included in the design and collaboration loop. As well as facilitating real-time internal discussions, operators or the design team can link external clients and suppliers into meetings via the kiosk’s Zoom functionality. “Prototyping, for example, can be done with the customer right there at the machine with you,” Paul adds. This advance in process execution means notable time and costsavings, and improved client satisfaction.

Integra’s commercial director Erika Hughes explains: “The timesaving for the operator, in terms of questions and troubleshooting and clarification between the engineering department and the operator, is significant. You could be looking at a 25% time saving there. Then there is the ability to ask questions while you’re operating the machine and executing a prototype with the customer or getting them to do a quality check or ensure that nothing is missing in real time.

“It is a massive step forward. Massive.”

Optimising analytics

Analytics have always been at the heart of innovation and efficiency across any industry – but particularly in manufacturing. As we develop smarter machines, hardware and software, the ability to capture more precise and accurate data, along with the insights they provide businesses, is more important than ever.

Integra’s kiosks facilitate this approach. As user-friendly as they are, the importance of the information they deliver hasn’t been compromised.

“You get live data, and that then gives you access to data for operational performance management,” says Erika. “It means you can track your actuals against your KPIs – how you’re actually performing against how, or what, you quoted.”

“Some jobs are repeat jobs and some jobs are one-offs,” adds Paul. “Sometimes, you never have the time to go back to revisit how you went in terms of your costings. By monitoring the machines on a live basis, we can then compare the live data with how we’ve quoted it, and it flags any major discrepancies to highlight whether we’re running on time or running behind time on any particular job. It’s a visual aid as to how we’re tracking on different jobs.”

Erika continues: “So not only do we get data from a real-time point of view, the kiosks also provide access from a saved data perspective. This plays an important role with our production management because it’s real-time. You can flag any issues early. This is true Industry 4.0 in operation, providing tangible results.”

Going paperless

The implementation of Industry 4.0 principles has helped Integra better reflect the kind of world their staff live in away from work. While helping create a more modern workplace and integrating the benefits of technology, Erika explains that the company-wide transformation also has a role in retaining staff, as well as attracting the next generation of engineering and manufacturing talent.

As Erika says, finding good people is very difficult: “Young people in manufacturing are not as interested in the manual labour side of it. Now that we’re integrating digital with manual, it’s really interesting and really exciting for the staff.”

As well as a shift away from manual labour, Erika believes the ability to see how the parts and the manufacturing process integrate to form a finished project will also have a positive impact on enticing and retaining the next generation of workers.

“Often, operators will be making something but they don’t know what they’re making it for,” she explains. “They find it difficult to visualise their contribution to the end result, and that can sometimes be a little bit tiresome.

“Now, though, they can see exactly how the components they’re manufacturing tie in with the product itself. They know that the product’s being developed for a certain company but now they can also see how these components fit into products in a certain way. There’s a bit of pride and a lot of job satisfaction that comes out of that.”

Having a younger, more tech-savvy team – a workforce familiar with gaming, devices and computers – has also made Integra’s 4.0 transformation smoother and more collaborative, which as Paul explains, has helped the company achieve its aims without excessive pain and return trips to ‘the drawing board’.

“The interface for the production team is actually more intuitive to them than paper drawings,” he admits. “It’s far more intuitive for them to be working from a digital drawing than it is to go back to this old-fashioned 2D drawing, so the ability to go straight to a 3D format has been a far more logical approach.

“And they look really awesome!”

Words of advice

While far from finished, the journey Integra has been travelling has provided some prescient insights on navigating a way through a future-focused way of running their operations. The team’s most important piece of advice for other organisations about to embark on a similar project is two-fold:

1. Ensure company leaders buy into what you’re trying to achieve.

2. Insist upon customisability.

“It’s about working with your management team – your leadership team – to make sure they are able to convince the whole organisation that this is valuable,” stresses Erika. “Everyone’s got to be behind it. Everyone’s got to own it and they need to see the value in it.”

While what is the right platform will differ from industry to industry – and business to business – ensuring you have room for customisation is non-negotiable.

“I think if you’re going to make a commitment to move down this path, and really make the most of i4.0 and all the various technologies and digital interfaces, you need to commit with some resources,” Erika notes.

“We have a doctor of computer science and an electronics engineer working side-by-side in-house with us. They make a really effective, well-rounded team. You have your electronics capturing the data, and you have your computer science expertise presenting it in a usable way. Then, you have the user interface on the shop floor giving us real-time feedback, and you have the engineers feeding their technical expertise and their information about product design through to the system.

“It’s been executed in a real-life environment where you’ve had all of the users tweaking it and designing it and working together to come up with a really good, robust outcome.” www.integrasystems.com.au

Achieving powerful customer communications – The Three Rs every system needs

You can’t change the way your customer is going to communicate with you. What you can change, however, is your behaviour and the way you communicate information back to the customer, writes

The majority of issues that arise in a job shop can be linked to miscommunication during the very first interaction with the customers and their request for quote (RFQ). Common errors are made due to a lack of or missing information in the source drawing, correct interpretation of the process layers in the source drawing and duplicate data in part names or part IDs, to name a few. These can occur in any one item of the quote request. Of course, with errors come unhappy customers who can’t rely on you to deliver exactly what they expected, and we all know what happens next. The good news is that these issues can be addressed, and your customers’ experience enhanced if you have a system in place that addresses the “Three Rs”:

• Records: Maintaining a record of each and every communication with the customer about their RFQ and their requirements ensures compliance to quality systems and reduces the cost of quality.

• References: Digital thumbnail references in a quote line item with X-&-Y reference measurements ensures that visually the part and scaling is correct.

• Rules: Implementing system rules to calculate part prices ensures accurate and consistent quotes regardless of who prepares the RFQ.

Records – “Who said what?”

An effective system should allow you to keep a record of each and every customer and their RFQs and orders. Being able to access the critical customer service information in an interactive record system enables your staff to clarify any uncertainty and eliminate any inconvenience for the customer promptly. Rob Newton, Managing Director at Laser Central, has been using the system behind Tempus Tools for over seven years. Tempus Tools was developed to increase efficiency for job shops and fabricators by providing a set of tools to clean drawings, calculate time to cut and parts per sheet, and prepare quotations for laser- and plasma-cut parts.

According to Newton, his business and level of customer service would not be where it is today without such systems in place: “If a customer queries a quote, we have the ability to readily retrieve that quote, understand the circumstances whilst talking to the customer on the

Ivan Cooper.

phone, looking at each line item and the visual parts, and then if needed, being able to tweak the quote and re-calculate the quote in seconds. This ensures we are resolving any issues immediately. The time saving component here is huge.”

References – “That doesn’t look right?”

Believe it or not, simply adding a visual reference in the form of digital thumbnail of each part in a customer’s quotation could end up saving you thousands of dollars. Providing a visual of each quoted part gives your customer an additional opportunity to confirm that the part is in fact what they wanted. “I can’t tell you how valuable it is having a visual which both the customer and our team can refer to.” says Newton. “It allows the customer to pick up any issues with the appearance of each part before the order is confirmed.” he says. A typical example here could be the transposition of a part ID number in an RFQ. Having the visual ensures that that customer can more easily identify a shape error of that part. Including X-&-Y dimensions with the visual can also assist in ensuring scaling issues are addressed. Rules – “I got a different price from you last time?”

System rules established and controlled by the business provide many benefits.

Because of these pre-defined rules, error rates are dramatically reduced, and time spent manually looking for data such as customer reference records, material price and feed rates is eliminated.

This also means that no matter who does the quoting in the business, the price should never vary. System rules ensures consistency of communication with customers despite who attends to their needs. A balanced and controlled set of sales rules, where the key data required to calculate a RFQ is management controlled, ensures consistency in pricing is maintained.

“If I have eight estimators on the floor, all eight will quote the exact same price for a specific order,” Newton comments. “Our customers love us for this reason, and they know they can rely on our services being top notch.”

Ideally, an effective recording system combined with visual references and a rules-based sales system allows all your sales staff to understand your customers and their needs and to deliver a consistent experience.

Ivan Cooper is the President of Tempus Tools Inc.

www.tempustools.com

ALPHACAM Machinist – Driving efficiency in manufacturing

ALPHACAM Machinist is a globally recognised CAD/CAM software solution that drives efficiency and automation in manufacturing. ALPHACAM Machinist seamlessly integrates both 2D and multi-axis machining, providing an extensive list of cutting strategies that can be applied to any component.

AC Australia CAD CAM Solutions is the authorised reseller of ALPAHCAM in Australia. AC Australia is dedicated not only to supplying software, but to delivering solutions that optimise the production of Australian manufacturers. Lead by Brand Manager, Blake McCrossen, the AC Australia team aims to work closely alongside all of its customers to ensure that manufacturing is enhanced as a result of their investment.

Describing the benefits of ALPHACAM, McCrossen explains: “ALPHACAM is a customisable system that can be configured to generate and produce files for all CNC machines. We customise and integrate the software to suit each individual business’ needs. This allows AC Australia to provide a customised approach to improving manufacturing processes and ensures our customers gain the most out of their software investment.”

CAD Translator functionality is at the core of ALPHACAM’s CAM (computer-aided machining) capability, as it can import and analyse almost any CAD (computer-aided

design) file while applying tooling operations direct to these parts. A proven connection between a manufacturer’s CAD and CAM packages drives greater efficiency once their project hits the factory floor.

ALPHACAM’s global recognition brings the ability to collaborate with its global partners to ensure connectivity with the latest machinery and technology. ALPHACAM

can be integrated with a wide range of CNC machines, from two-axis right through to simultaneous five-axis machine capabilities. ALPHACAM is a product of the Hexagon Production Software Group, allowing information and technology to be shared from all around the globe. Hexagon’s strategy of Smarter Factories and Industry 4.0 is at the forefront of the roadmap of ALPHACAM. www.au.alphacam.com

Taking CNC programming to the next level with Artificial Intelligence

We’re in the throes of Industry 4.0, but it may look a little different than you expected. If you anticipated more flying cars or robots, take heart – you were partially right. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a cornerstone of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Automation is changing the fundamentals of many industries, and manufacturing is certainly no exception.

By Alex Lancaster.

The word “smart” gets tossed around a lot when referencing any new innovation. But what does it mean, really? “Smart manufacturing” is a broad term that can refer to a few different techniques and concepts. AI is at the heart of many of them, improving industrial systems and reducing inefficiencies automatically.

Of course, none of this would be possible without human innovation. But the difference between automatic and manual processes is in the execution – humans tell AI how to do something correctly, and robots have a much better track record for speed and accuracy. Smart manufacturing is also defined by its use of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). You’re probably already familiar with the concept of the “Internet of Things,” which refers to the way technologies communicate with each other. The IIoT is similar, but it’s specific to industrial technology. The instruments, sensors, gauges, and other tools that exist in an industrial setting such as a factory “speak” to each other using the IIoT. In essence, this is the tool’s sensory mechanism. Without eyes and ears, single-function industrial tools collaborate with each other to build a schematic of the world in which they exist. Although humans are great (we’re the ones who created AI, after all), we’re flawed. We make mistakes, get tired, need breaks, and are slow to grasp new concepts, especially compared to robots. In a competitive manufacturing setting, where time is often a valuable commodity, there’s no longer a place for analogue machining – shops of all sizes need to embrace the principles of Industry 4.0 or risk becoming obsolete.

Machine tools: Rising to the challenge

Machine tool manufacturers are hard at work creating solutions for the job shops of tomorrow. Let’s explore some recent AI innovations that machine tool manufacturers have introduced to their products.

• Predictive maintenance: Some tools come equipped with special monitors that keep an eye on the condition of a certain part, such as the spindle on a mill.

• Collision avoidance: Collisions between parts can be costly mistakes – especially when the machine tool

itself becomes damaged. These systems run an application that simulates the cutting action a few seconds ahead of the live cut, predicting collisions and shutting down the process to prevent damage.

• Reduced overhead: Machine tools require a massive amount of energy, even when they’re idle. High operating costs can massively affect a shop’s bottom line – if the shop doesn’t eat the cost, its customers will. Many machine tools use AI in the form of meters and sensors to evaluate how much energy they’re using and where that energy is going. From there, the AI system can “decide” how to reduce energy consumption, temporarily powering down non-essential systems. When you’re dealing with margins of that size, the savings can be significant.

The right CAM software meets tools in the middle

Machine tools have amazing capabilities on their own, but without the right software, they’re little more than hunks of metal. Manufacturers will have many factors that determine the best software for their shop, but perhaps the most important is its compatibility with their tools – now and in the future. Unlike machine tools, which remain relatively static throughout their lives, computer aided manufacturing (CAM)

software has the ability to be updated as frequently as new innovations become available. That’s why it’s so important to partner with a future-focused CAM software company led by a robust research & development (R&D) team that’s excited to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow. By making the right CAM choice, you can keep your shop on the leading edge of innovation for years to come.

Here are some features to look for when shopping around:

• Machine Swap. There are many different scenarios that might require a new program for a different machine: an inoperable machine; the need to increase production; moving from prototype to production; and more. Machine swap uses an AI engine to automatically update your program any time you change the set-up or swap the machine. It can also automatically detect set-up changes without manual input. Many times, switching between short runs for small lot sizes and multipart production runs for larger lots seems like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. But the AI machine awareness behind machine swap provides an extra set of highly skilled eyes to reorganise the program, maximising process concurrency across multiple parts and optimising the total cycle time – regardless of the machine you’re running.

A digital twin creates a virtual replica of a machining environment, revealing potential tooling conflicts without the need for costly dry runs (Photo: DP Technology).

• Automatic Links. This feature allows users to create a cutting cycle and let AI-driven software create the fastest and safest positioning between tool operations with consideration of the limits of your specific machines. Think of automatic links as your software’s GPS. Just as your app can provide you with the fastest route (even avoiding tolls and freeways if you’d like), the link engine can “see” the best route to connect your machining processes. With automatic links, you can tell your machine what to prioritise and watch it go from there.

• Simulation, Analysis, and Verification. These capabilities take the collision avoidance feature we mentioned earlier to a new level, generating a digital twin of the entire machining environment. You’ll be able to view a perfect model of your machine’s kinematics, reviewing the potential for collisions, axes overtravel, acceleration exceptions, and other conflicts before you make a single cut.

• Machine Awareness for Automatic Program Generation. This feature allows users to define the process plan for a single workpiece independently of the machine and how the workpiece

is set up. For example, once tooling is selected, the cutting strategy and AI automatically adapts, sequences, and optimises the list of tasks to be performed before generating the job for the CNC machine.

• Stock-Aware Toolpath. The right AI-driven software analyses the realtime state of your stock, eliminating air cuts and minimising repositioning. The result? There’s meaning behind each movement, leading to unparalleled efficiency and, often, significantly reduced cycle times.

• Synchronisation. Multichannel machines are especially useful because they can perform different actions concurrently. But with the wrong software, concurrent actions can set the stage for collision. An AI engine can automatically synchronise and sequence the program for optimal use of the capabilities of a multichannel machine.

• Short-Run and Production Programs. Many times, switching between short runs for small lot sizes and multi-part production runs for larger lots seems like more trouble than it’s worth. But with AI machine

awareness, you’ll have an extra set of eyes reorganising the program, maximising process concurrency across multiple parts, and thereby optimising the total cycle time.

• Intelligent Work Co-ordinates. For tombstone, fixture, and work offset management, a high-quality AI engine can offer automatic selection of work offset and co-ordinate transformations based on its awareness of the job. The system determines local references for every local machining feature and activates the necessary machine functions, including RTCP (rotated tool centre point), tilted plane, and dynamic fixture offset.

Features such as ESPRIT’s KnowledgeBase eliminate the need for manual recall of a shop’s best machining practices. Instead, it stores them in the software itself, allowing any operator to access what they need at any time.

With the right tools, automation in a shop can deliver what Industry 4.0 has long promised – highly efficient manufacturing that doesn’t sacrifice safety for speed.

Is your job shop ready to embrace it?

www.espritcam.com

Artificial Intelligence: Manufacturers get ready to invest

Almost half of Australian manufacturers recognise that artificial intelligence (AI) will become a technology that will be dominant over the next two years. Warren Zietsman examines the implications.

In September 2020, The Guardian published the first article ever written by AI. GPT-3, an OpenAI language generator, was set up with a few guiding principles and a central theme, and was let loose on the page to pen a 500-word opinion piece. The prompt given to the language generator was “Convince us robots come in peace”.

Whether it be commentating on intelligent software or the (unnerving) door-opening robots designed by Boston Dynamics, AI technology has certainly come a long way in the past few decades. The idea of AI technology taking over our jobs is one that has struck fear into many people – and given the exponential speed of the technology’s development, it has certainly given me cause to think.

As a global leader in enterprise applications, IFS partners with manufacturers across the globe. Our work with manufacturers has made it clear to me that there is so much to gain from investing in AI and automation technologies – so much so, I don’t believe that manufacturers can afford not to. In fact, in some digital transformation research conducted by IFS in 2020, 46% of Australian manufacturers said they believed that AI would be the most dominant technological development over the next two years.

Powering Australian manufacturing

The Federal Government’s announcement of a $1.5bn package to empower and sustain local manufacturing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is a great first step and a welcomed statement of support from the Government. However, the way manufacturers use that support is of even greater importance. We believe that investment into AI and automation technologies, despite its related concerns, is the key to manufacturers becoming sustainable into the future.

But this is easier said than done.

Manufacturers will need to balance the concerns of their employees and customers who worry about the future of their jobs, with the benefits in both efficiency and productivity gained through implementing AI technology.

Data is the new gold

You’ve probably heard the expression “Data is the new gold”. When I talk to senior executives, I hear a lot about the promise of new technologies. I also hear that the company data they need to be successful is buried deep within a lot of ageing and disconnected enterprise software systems.

Don’t get me wrong, many aspects of manufacturing are specialised, and require specialised software systems, many of them developed by systems suppliers or local companies. However, these systems are not designed to provide the integrated information foundation— or “single source of truth”—that companies need.

To get that sort of integrated functionality, manufacturers need to become smarter and take advantage of more intelligence in their operations. They need to become true challengers, and become leaders who embrace the power that technology, like AI, has to offer.

Overcoming the technology hurdle

An IFS study conducted in 2019 found that 90% of businesses were planning investment into AI technologies. But despite best laid plans, manufacturers are struggling to adequately adopt AI technology across their business, according to a study from Plutoshift released in January 2020.

Some 60% of business leaders said their company had been unable to come to a consensus on a practical strategy for AI implementation, while 72% said it had proved harder than expected to set up the technical and data infrastructure necessary to make the project viable. This is not uncommon within the manufacturing sector, and something we work hard with our customers and channel partners to overcome.

Where to from here?

From my experience, a large part of the problem with implementation of AI technologies is related to job concerns. And what we’ve learned is very practical; once a strategic direction has been identified, the focus must be on change management.

Employees need to understand and own their role in the business’ digital transformation. And that is: understanding that AI technology will largely take on mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value responsibilities and customer engagement.

Stakeholders may have different fears, such as a loss of human contact with their vendor or robotic customer service.

Finally, senior management must lead the change by finding ways to measure the value that is brought by this new technology, using AI-driven enterprise resource planning (ERP) to update standard metrics, key performance indicators, and return on investment calculations to reflect the new business reality.

AI technology will enable manufacturers in Australia to become more efficient, more productive and ultimately help secure long-term business success. This technology is not something we should be turning away from, but rather something that we should embrace. Warren Zietsman is the Managing Director of IFS Australia and New Zealand www.ifs.com/au

Australian manufacturers build path to a digital future

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Australian manufacturers responded with varying degrees of success. One common thread was the ability to meet customer demands through digital selling, writes David Bray.

There’s no doubt 2020 will be remembered as a year that challenged people and business. The coronavirus provoked change across every sector in one way or the other. During this time, we saw Australian companies respond to the outbreak in different ways, and it has become increasingly clear that some were better prepared to deal with those changes than others.

A common thread that runs through all businesses that responded best to the COVID-19 outbreak is the ability to meet customer demands through digital selling. Following widespread lockdowns of non-essential businesses, the easiest way for customers to buy from a brand was online.What did these societal changes mean for the future of Australia’s manufacturing industry and what has the sector learned from the initial wave of the virus?

Manufacturing to lead the pandemic recovery?

Advanced manufacturing is one of Australia’s most pivotal sectors in the COVID-19 recovery – it already contributes $100bn a year to the national economy. In 2020, the Federal Government recognised this importance by announcing an investment of $1.5bn over four years in the Modern Manufacturing Strategy to allow Australian manufacturers to scale up, compete internationally and create more jobs. Thankfully, Australia’s manufacturing sector was already an early adopter of 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to connect, automate and streamline processes on the factory floor and across the supply chain. However, the willingness to digitalise and innovate has in many cases been limited to internal production processes rather than customer-facing and selling initiatives. An Ai Group study revealed 21% of Australian CEOs said competition from imports and online sources were the primary business constraints.

Businesses that have adapted well to the challenges of COVID-19 are those who have shifted their operations – especially those that are externally facing – towards digital environments. We now know it is essential for businesses to boast a strong digital offering, and this is a key learning for industries that lack investment in digital transformation projects.

There are also worrying trends around the industry’s inability to generate sufficient revenue when traditional revenue streams are compromised. This is problematic within the manufacturing industry, which is not as agile or flexible as other industry sectors. Social distancing has made day-to-day operations very difficult –the idea of working from home is not an option when your job is interacting directly with expensive assets on the factory floor. With physical segregation, zoning and staggered shifts to contend with, productivity within manufacturing plants, distribution centres and warehouses was bound to suffer. There are, however, solutions.

Already adapting

Implementing a process whereby manufacturers utilise all available customer and competitor data to assess the new reality and adjust pricing to remain competitive and profitable, would be hugely

beneficial in influencing the supply and demand balance. In a moment where data is sparse, the ability to collect and interpret every bit of information is critical.

We have seen examples of Australian manufactures that have integrated an agile approach to how they sell. Before the onset of COVID-19, world-leading manufacturer Saint Gobain processed approximately 10% of its orders online. Now, more than 80% of orders go through an online platform.

Like Saint Gobain, Australian manufacturers that invest in digital platforms to process market data quickly are in the best position to offer a personalised and profitable quote to customers. Having the capability to sell to customers through multiple channels has meant that businesses can adapt rapidly to changing scenarios, protect brand reputation and maintain healthy and profitable sales. While 2020 was a tough time for manufacturers, the industry has a great opportunity to bounce back in 2021, provided companies continue to put a digital selling strategy in place with appropriate controls to benefit from online demand. The important next step for these companies is to embrace technology beyond just the factory floor so that they can benefit from their adaptable manufacturing teams’ work.

This is a rapidly changing market, and businesses need to listen to their customers and adapt accordingly.

David Bray is the Managing Director – Australia and New Zealand at PROS www.pros.com

Iscar – Barrel cutter shapes a new milling trend

Endmills featuring a cutting edge that is actually the segment of a large-diameter arc were introduced approximately 25 years ago. As the cutting-edge shape of these endmills is reminiscent of a barrel profile, terms such as ‘barrel milling cutters’, ‘barrel endmills’ or, in shop talk, often simply ‘barrels’, soon became common when referring to these types of endmill.

At first, the use of barrel-shape mills was largely confined to a few specific applications, such as machining 3D surfaces of complex dies and turbomachinery components. However, advances in fiveaxis machining and in CAM systems have significantly expanded the boundaries of barrel endmill applications.

At the same time, the design principle of a cutting edge as the segment of a largediameter arc has been realised successfully in other types of milling cutter – the tools for high-feed milling (HFM). The concept provides a toroidal cutting geometry that ensures productive rough machining at extremely high feed rates due to a chipthinning effect. Unlike HFM tools, barrel endmills are intended not for roughing but for finish and semi-finish machining of 3D surfaces with low stock removal.

Traditionally, ball-nose and toroidal cutters perform these operations. However, the large-diameter arc of the endmill cutting edge results in a substantial reduction of the cusp height generated between passes machined by a ball-nose or toroidal cutter. Another advantage of this type of cutting edge versus ball-nose and toroidal cutters is a significant increase in the distance between passes (a stepover or a stepdown, depending on the direction of a cutter displacement after every pass) – at least five times more without degradation of the surface finish parameters! This means the number of passes, and subsequently machining time, can be noticeably reduced. Increasing the distance between passes also improves tool life, diminishing tool cost per part.

The classical barrel shape in endmills has undergone some changes to make these cutters more versatile. Combining a ballnose tip with peripheral large-arc cutting edges creates a multi-purpose ‘cutting oval’, facilitating the use of a barrel endmill as a ball-nose milling tool.

In taper endmills, transforming the profile of a major cutting edge into a large-arc segment generates another cutting oval – a taper barrel. When compared with a common taper endmill, the taper barrel provides theoretically pinpoint contact between the major cutting edge and a machined surface that decreases accuracy errors and prevents recutting of a produced shape. The taper shape also contributes to reducing tool overhang – an important factor for improving tool performance.

Barrel and oval endmills are mainly utilised for cutting side surfaces. If machining a complex bottom surface is needed, a lensshape endmill offers a good solution. This tool features barrel cutting edges on its end surface to ensure milling with a large stepover.

Barrel endmills – classical barrel, oval and lens-shaped cutters – provide efficient tools for machining 3D surfaces. Nevertheless, for a long time the complexity of CNC programming for applying barrel endmills was a constraining factor in actively integrating these tools into the appropriate branches of the metalworking industry. The growing use of five-axis machine tools and the latest progress in CAM software has changed the situation dramatically, and today we see intensive utilisation of barrel endmills in manufacturing various parts with geometrically complex surfaces. The main consumers of these ‘cutting barrels’ are producers of aerospace, die-andmould, medicine, turbine and compressor components.

Cutting tool companies have strengthened efforts to develop and manufacture more advanced barrel endmill designs to meet increased customer demand. Some of Iscar’s latest products, barrel endmills in the SolidMill and Multi-Master families, offer good examples of this trend.

The Multi-Master advantage

Iscar offers oval and lens- shape endmills in diameter ranges of 8-16mm. In addition to their availability in sold carbide design configurations, the new barrel endmills have been manufactured as exchangeable carbide heads with Multi-Master threaded adaptation. Multi-Master’s distinctive ‘no set-up time’ feature, which enables the replacement of worn heads without

withdrawing tools from the machine spindle, can be particularly effective in the case of barrel tool applications in semifinish and finish milling operations.

Additional factors in favour of applying the Multi-Master concept to barrel endmills are economic feasibility and sustainability. Due to the complicated shape of its cutting edges, a barrel endmill is designed as a throwaway tool – when the wear limit is reached, the entire carbide endmill simply becomes waste. In contrast to solid tools, the Multi-Master design provides a valuable option for careful, cost-effective use of cemented carbide materials. And of course, a rich variety of available MultiMaster shanks, reducers and extensions enables optimal assembly of a required tool from these elements.

At present, barrel milling cutters are not in incredibly high demand by the metalworking industry. They are intended for very specific parts, and effective application of such cutters requires highly engineered multiaxis machines and leading-edge CAM systems. However, advanced workpiece manufacturing technologies (such as metal injection moulding, 3D printing, investment casting and close-tolerance forging), innovative machine tools, and a quantum leap in the digitisation of manufacturing will increase the needs for finishing complex surfaces with minimum machining stock.

In this light, Iscar’s specialists estimate that barrel endmill consumption in the metalworking industry will increase exponentially, and cutting tool manufacturers should be shaping up to what is evidently a promising new industrial trend.

www.iscar.com.au

Real Business

Real People

Real Members

John Hart is proud to be a founding member of AMTIL. Our continued and active participation is fostered by the enthusiastic and engaging staff at AMTIL. Their staff have an intimate understanding of our industry from all perspectives and provide a valuable resource of skill, knowledge, and experience. There are many benefits that come from AMTIL membership, the most valuable of which is its people.

Mark Dobrich, John Hart

Since 1999, AMTIL has been connecting business, informing of opportunities and growing the manufacturing community.

To be become an AMTIL member contact our Corporate Servcies Manager, Greg Chalker on 03 9800 3666 or email gchalker@amtil.com.au

Cutting the cost-per-part

With a survey by the US National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) showing 53% of manufacturers expect COVID-19 to impact their operations, increasing the pressure to be competitive. An alternative approach to steel turning operations helps optimise costs-per-part, and overall profitability, writes Rolf

Manufacturing economics determines a company’s profitability. With metal cutting, production economics should focus on ensuring these processes and environments are secure and predictable. There should be two ultimate goals: firstly, maintaining the highest production output; and secondly, the lowest production cost. These goals present challenges in steel turning operations, with bottlenecks, production slow-downs, or restrictions in the number of components produced per run. Now, there are the wider industry challenges posed by COVID-19.

Manufacturers, particularly in mass production, are especially conscious of cost-per-part when managing steel turning operations. The basic principle of cost-per-part is calculated by the total fixed costs plus total variable costs, divided by the total units produced. The parameters of steel turning also depend very much on market demand, with a view to either reducing production costs or increasing output.

Companies that manufacture automotive components, for instance, could face either high or low demand scenarios going forward. Low demand scenarios require tools that can produce more pieces per edge, while providing process security with fewer component rejections. High demand scenarios need tooling solutions that allow increased metal removal rates, reduce cycle times and increase machine utilisation with minimal production interruptions.

Whatever scenario they face, manufacturers should strive to maximise machining output. According to Sandvik Coromant’s findings, this can reduce component costs by 15%. Achieving this while maximising process security may necessitate an alternative approach to tooling.

Reduced non-cutting

Sandvik Coromant calculates that the cost of tools can account for 3% to 5% of the overall manufacturing cost. When considering the purchase of a tool that wears down over time, like a carbide insert for steel turning, it is natural to consider only the initial unit cost. Sandvik Coromant recommends customers look at things differently and reassess how to factor cost-of-tools into managing the whole production costing process, which includes overheads like machinery depreciation.

If we examine a typical working day in a machining shop, let’s say that during two shifts totalling 14.4 hours, 60% of time is devoted to production, or cutting time, while 40% of time is devoted to other things, or non-cutting time. The goal , of course, should be to reduce the non-cutting time and maximise machining time.

The best way to achieve this is to keep the production time shortened, while increasing the utilisation of the machine tool. Indeed, Sandvik Coromant has found that a 20% increase in machine utilisation can provide a 10% higher gross profit margin.

Longer tool life

Manufacturers measure production rates in various ways, one being the number of workpieces completed in a certain time. However, several factors can stop manufacturers from reaching the desired number of workpieces per shift. The need for frequent insert changes, production interruptions, and not finding the right insert for each application or material, are all considered the biggest timekillers in modern production.

How can manufacturers overcome these challenges while working with tough workpieces made from aluminium, unalloyed steels and other materials? In such cases, the insert grade should be

Olofsson.

selected primarily for its suitability to the workpiece. This is a challenge because so many variables impact on cutting tool insert performance, so sourcing a single grade to accommodate the wideranging demands of P15 to P25 areas can be a thankless task. P15 to P25 refer to the demands that different working conditions impose on machining parameters — cutting data, surface finish, depth of cut, machined or rough surfaces, continuous or interrupted cuts are all affected.

There are many prerequisites for any grade making such claims. Fracture resistance is paramount, as is a cutting edge capable of delivering the hardness needed to resist plastic deformation induced by the extreme temperatures present in the cutting zone. Furthermore, the insert coating must be able to prevent flank wear, crater wear and edge build-up. Crucially, the coating must also adhere to the substrate. If the coating fails to stick, the substrate is exposed, and this can lead to rapid failure.

To avoid these outcomes, it can be said that limiting continuous, controllable wear and eliminating discontinuous, often uncontrollable wear are the keys to success. Predictable tool wear is the goal. Not that complete predictability is easy to achieve, especially considering the current market trend for machining with limited, or no, supervision.

In all instances, the optimum wear pattern for any insert is controlled flank wear, as it results in predictable life of cutting edges. The ideal grade is one that limits development of unwanted types of wear — and in some operations, prevents it from developing at all.

To maximise the number of pieces produced, it is vital to select the right carbide insert — and this is also why Sandvik Coromant is launching a pair of new ISO P-turning carbide grades in its range, designated GC4415 and GC4425, which refer to P15 and P25 respectively. GC4425 delivers improved wear resistance, heat resistance and toughness, while grade GC4415 is designed to complement GC4425 when enhanced performance and more heat resistance is needed.

Both grades are ideal for use with low-alloyed and unalloyed steel. They can machine a larger number of pieces within a mass and batch production set-up and contribute towards extended tool life, eliminating sudden breakages and reducing reworking and scrap. The GC4415 and GC4425 grades each contain the second generation Inveio technology, uni-directional crystal orientation in

the alumina coating layer. What makes Inveio unique can be seen by examining the material at a microscopic level: the material’s surface is characterised by a uni-directional crystal orientation. Every crystal in the alumina coating is lined-up in the same direction, which creates a strong barrier towards the cutting zone. The crystal orientation has been improved substantially within the secondgeneration Inveio coating.

Inveio provides the insert with high wear resistance and longer tool life. Longer lasting tools are, of course, favourable for reducing costper-part. In addition, besides other selection parameters, engineers need to consider how the geometry of an insert affects chip control and machining performance.

Better geometry

Geometry refers to the style of the insert itself, which is designed according to the types of machining: finishing, medium and roughing. Each has its own implications with regard to cutting speed — its own working area, based on acceptable chip breaking in relation to the feed rate and depth of cut.

In turning, the three main cutting parameters of speed, feed, and depth of cut have a significant effect on tool life and therefore on cost-per-part, considering that a 20% increase in cutting data can decrease the cost of a component by 10%. A model by an American mechanical engineer, Frederick Winslow Taylor, developed at the beginning of the 20th century, established the relationship between cutting speed, tool wear and tool life.

Taylor concluded that utilising the largest depth of cut possible reduces the number of cutting passes required and thereby reduces machining time. But he also advised that optimised steel turning depends on the stability of the clamp into which the tool is mounted, the fixturing of the workpiece and application of coolant for the machine tool, and the power of the machine tool.

Taylor’s model shows us that optimised steel turning goes beyond grades and geometries. Instead, manufacturers should consider the whole tooling concept. Everything from the insert grade, clamp design and tool-holder can increase output, reduce costs and deliver higher levels of process security.

This holistic and alternative approach was put to the test by a customer in the general engineering segment, using Sandvik Coromant’s GC4425 carbide insert to manufacture a track shaft. GC4425 is designed for improved wear resistance, heat resistance and toughness. In addition, it has the ability to run at higher cutting data. The insert was used on a 4140 pre-heat treated (PHT) steel, a chromium-molybdenum alloy steel with a hardness of 40 HRC (or Hardness Rockwell C). The grade is commonly used in everything from gears and pumps, to various applications in the automotive and construction industries.

The 4140 PHT workpiece was subjected to multi-directional, external roughing. For the test, the performance of GC4425 was compared with a competitor’s ISO-insert used for the same process. Crucially, it was possible to increase the cutting speed and multiply the feed rate, from 183 metres/min and 0.33mm/rev with the competitor’s insert, to 244 metres/min and 0.51mm/rev with GC4425. In the end, Sandvik Coromant’s insert allowed a 100% productivity increase with a reduced cycle time of 50%. Overall, the customer achieved a 30% cost reduction.

This result shows that, by considering the whole tooling concept, manufacturers can achieve more profitable production and a lower cost-per-part. This holistic approach to insert grades, geometry and overall manufacturing economics will be vital if manufacturers are to stay competitive amid the continuing impact of COVID-19.

Rolf Olofsson is a Product Manager at Sandvik Coromant. www.sandvik.coromant.com

A sound investment: Drilling processes on the test bench

Headquartered in Donaueschingen, Germany, IMS Gear SE & Co is one of the leading manufacturers of gear technology, developing from a pure parts supplier into an engineering and solutions provider in the automotive industry.

IMS Gear manufactures gears, assemblies and components primarily for the automotive sector at three German sites and plants in China, Mexico and the US, with some 3,400 employees worldwide. Gears and drives from IMS Gear are in operation in almost every car on the road, providing steering assistance, electric seat adjustment, lumbar support, electronic parking brakes, automatic tailgate opening and more.

Reinhold Gnädinger, Manufacturing Manager at IMS Gear, says:

“The core competence of our business unit is the production of precise, long-lasting transmission components from 2,000 to 3,000 metal and plastic elements. By overmoulding the metallic hubs and shafts with purpose-developed plastic materials, use of the specific material properties can be optimised so that high torques can be transferred reliably and quietly. Noise is an issue.”

When you must produce half a million drill holes cost-effectively, optimisation is key. For the production specialists at IMS Gear, the goal was to significantly improve process reliability and reduce noise levels in the production of high-grade steel, with a material removal rate of 80%. The worm wheel, which is made up of three components, is manufactured in parallel on four off-the-shelf, sixspindle machines, using a micro-alloyed AFP stainless steel. The inside diameter of 23.5mm is drilled in the first machining stage, which, at a cutting speed of 130m/min and a high material removal rate over a very short operation period, involves a very unpleasant, continuous high-frequency noise.

The high noise level had long been criticised by representatives responsible for safety, explains Burhan Kaya, manufacturing engineer at IMS Gear.

“The incredibly high volume of chips when drilling leads to extremely high stress on the drill body,” says Kaya, adding that the abrasion caused by the high strength and the pressure of chips created erosion in the chip chambers of the Perfomax indexable insert drills used at the time. Subsequently the drill bodies became increasingly unstable. They vibrated and frequently had to be replaced prematurely.

“It was no longer possible for us to reliably plan the process,” Kaya adds. “The cost of replacement bodies was too high.”

Consequently there was no question of being able to return to the crown drills used previously. Essentially, the performance data of the Seco Tools Perfomax drills with a tool life distance of around 48m and a service life of more than 1,500 parts per cutter was also more than convincing.

Gnädinger explains that the continuous optimisation of existing processes is an essential requirement that arises in the automotive industry. As part of product development, the industrial engineering area at IMS Gear ensures that when new products are launched the production plants and processes are transferred completely to the production areas. In the current large-scale production operation, process engineers such as Kaya must then take care of the necessary improvements.

“We had to solve the familiar problems of noise emission and drill body service life, so we re-evaluated the entire drilling process,” Kaya explains. “Tool technology is steadily evolving, and we wanted to see what was achievable.”

Kaya initiated, managed and documented the improvement process and asked five tool manufacturers for their solutions.

IMS Gear’s criticisms of the Perfomax drill bodies it was using were passed back to Seco’s product development at group headquarters in Sweden. Despite the convenience of laboratory tests, Seco only takes new products to market after elaborate practical tests. At the start of the new benchmarking at IMS Gear, the Seco team was working on redeveloping the successful Perfomax series.

At the time, an additional production line was being built in Sweden for the advanced design of the new, highly stable Perfomax drill. On three machining centres, arranged one after the other, the drill bodies, now made of heat-treated material, were provided with a wave-like surface structure on the chip spaces and on the outer diameter. The chip contact area in the chip chamber was subsequently laser-hardened to 65 HRC. The design of the insert seat, which now ensures a larger contact surface with the insert, was also revised.

In addition to a stable drill body, the high quality of the cutting material is decisive for safe chip control and a long tool life. The DP3000

Gears and drives from IMS Gear are in operation in almost every car on the road.

insert for central and peripheral cutting required for the task at IMS Gear has a patented Duratomic coating. This is characterised by an ordered crystal structure and thus a smooth surface, with the result being a particularly high thermal stability and edge stability. Four competitors appeared, one after another, at IMS Gear in Donaueschingen. Over a period of four weeks each, the four Index MS 42C lathes were equipped with the holders and inserts of each supplier; with the tool life obtained, the wear to the drill bodies and the noise were clearly documented.

“With a planned output of more than 120,000 parts per week, the worm wheel hub naturally offers an optimum database for an absolutely fair evaluation of the individual drilling tools,” Kaya explains.

The test results spoke clearly. In the case of the applicant with an exceptionally low machining noise, the tool life, at 500 to 600 parts per cutter, was far below the required 1,500 parts. The other tool suppliers came close to the service life requirements but failed on the noise level or the service life of the drill bodies.

At IMS Gear the open, co-operative partnership with Seco was much appreciated, as were the results of the new Perfomax generation. After initial test results with four prototypes, the position of the laser-hardened contact point in the chip chamber of the new Perfomax was moved back.

According to Kaya, the expenditure on this project has been well worth it for both IMS Gear and Seco. With the new material and design of the basic Perfomax body, the wave-shaped surface of the chip chamber and the laser-hardened chip contact surface, the criticisms of the preceding version have disappeared, as has the noise in the production hall. The newly acquired stability of the Perfomax reduces vibration and significantly increases quietness. Since the new optimised Perfomax generation has been in use at IMS Gear, it has also been possible to more than halve the use of insert carriers.

“The expected service life of 100,000 holes drilled per carrier will be exceeded,” says Kaya.

Gnädinger adds: “The safety of the machining process is fully restored. We have the right tool cost factor and can reliably plan our capacity.”

During this improvement process the grooving process on the hub of the worm wheel, which attracted the attention of IMS Gear and Seco was also jointly optimised. It was possible to double the tool life, compared with competitors’ tools, and improve the process reliability of the tightly toleranced grooving operation by using the X4 grooving system combined with the new TGH insert grade from Seco Tools.

“Just as for IMS Gear operating as a partner in the automotive industry, a tool manufacturer like Seco must constantly optimise and develop its products,” Gnädinger concludes. “The current benchmarks show how beneficial co-operation on equal terms can be for both sides.”

www.secotools.com

Manufacturing engineer Burhan Kaya (left) and manufacturing Manager Reinhold Gnädinger of IMS Gear.

Currawong Engineering – Powering UAVs worldwide

Receiving a government grant last year has enabled the Tasmanian manufacturer Currawong Engineering to expand its electronic production and plant equipment, hence boosting its US export opportunities.

By Carole Goldsmith.

Currawong Engineering was awarded $150,000 from the Federal Government’s Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) Defence Global Competitiveness Grant last September. A great boost for the business, the grant has enabled the Huntingfield-based firm, a world leader in the design and manufacture of powertrain solutions for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry, to purchase specialist plant equipment in order to expand its electronic production capability. This will ensure improved quality, reliability and lead times for its electronic speed controllers. Ultimately the CDIC grant will boost Currawong’s North American export opportunities, where most of its sales are currently made.

Gavin Brett, the founder, CEO and principal development engineer at Currawong, advises that the total project cost is estimated to be around $300,000, with up to 50% provided through the CDIC grant. “The first item that we purchased (for this project) is an automatic optical inspection machine to inspect Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assemblies,” he explains. “Next, we are buying an electric component replacement machine and a reflow oven. This increased production capability will be essential to fulfill our global customers’ orders promptly.

“Commercially, if you need a grant, you need it now. The wheels of most government grants move very slowly and you need to wait a long time for most of these grants to be awarded. Also, they won’t pay for things that you have already spent money on.

“On the other hand, the CDIC grant awarding process is very fast. They advise you quickly, so you can plan your equipment purchases. That is very helpful to small to medium businesses like ours and we were really grateful to receive the grant.”

A global market, growing fast

Brett says that the global UAV market is a multi-billion market and it’s growing very rapidly. In October 2020, German on-line statistics portal Statista reported that the UAV global market is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of around 9.6% between 2018 to 2029 to reach US$70bn worldwide. Military and defence applications account for most of the UAV markets.

Currawong works closely with its three US global partners. Power4Flight (P4F) in Oregon distributes Currawong products in Canada and the US. HFE in Tucson, Arizona, is a partner in propulsion

system development with Currawong and an established user of its Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) systems and components. Cobra Aero, based in Hillsdale, Michigan, is collaborating with P4F and Currawong on a clean-sheet, advanced UAV engine That will offer true aerospace technology to small to medium UAVs’ propulsion.

Brett explains that there are numerous benefits in replacing carburettors with EFI for fuel delivery on UAV engines: “Achieving these benefits requires a comprehensive integration and calibration for each engine installation. As a long-established specialist in UAV power train systems, we have the extensive experience and suitable equipment to undertake these tasks.”

Currawong’s UAV powertrain features an aerospace-grade fuel injection system that ensures optimum engine performance and reliability over a wide range of operating conditions. The system also includes a low-noise exhaust manufactured by Cobra Aero, plus an integrated generator and power supply.

“EFI-equipped engines generally provide higher power and torque output than a carburetted version of the same engine,” says Brett. “It is difficult to optimise power and torque across a wide range of engine speeds with carburettors. However, EFI systems are capable of optimising air/fuel ratios and ignition timing over a wide range of operating speeds.”

Currawong also designs and manufactures the enclosure used for the 250W-power supply provided by its fourth partner Millswood Engineering, an Adelaide business that produces UAV generators and UAV flight safety systems.

Innovative new products

Currawong’s mechatronic products are sold to UAV producers across 10 countries around the world. Mechatronics combines several types of engineering: electrical, software and mechanical. Brett describes some of the exciting new innovative products that Currawong is currently working on.

“We designed and manufactured a motor controller for the UAV industry to drive propellers for electronic products,” he notes. “Our Velocity electronic speed controller (ESC) provides high-power, high-reliability, brushless motor control for UAV power systems globally.

A Bluebird Aero Systems' UAV fitted with a Currawong Engineering powertrain system

“The first version that we designed and manufactured is being used by every major US UAV producer. Then we made an improved version with updated electrical work and there has been a lot of demand for it from our global partners and customers.”

The Corvid-50 engine is among the Currawong range of EFI powertrain solutions and an upgraded version of the system was released in May 2019. This engine is based on the Desert Aircraft DA-50 engine and features a custom crankcase, crankshaft, throttle body, starter generator, inlet manifold and integrated isolation mount. It comes with Currawong’s robust EFI system and optional low-noise exhaust. More than 700 of these Corvid-50 EFI systems have been used on Honeywell’s T-Hawk micro air vehicle.

Currawong is also working on another interesting new project to produce small electronic generators for soldiers to carry around and charge their equipment.

Following a career in engineering

Brett believes his particular skill is his ability to work in multiple engineering disciplines, an area of expertise that is extremely relevant to the mechatronic products that are designed and manufactured at Currawong. After graduating as a mechanical engineer at RMIT University in Melbourne in the mid-1990s, he worked at GM Holden in Melbourne as an engine development engineer.

This was followed by a five-year career (three years as engineer and two as chief engineer) at Aerosonde in Melbourne, now part of Textron Systems. Brett’s time at Aerosonde gave him extensive experience in the UAV engineering field, and it equipped him with invaluable knowledge when he would later start his own business.

In July 2003, Brett and his wife Claire needed a change of scenery and decided to start a new life in Tasmania, a dream they had held for some time. Armed with a couple of suitcases and their car, they boarded the Spirit of Tasmania ferry at Port Melbourne, bound for Devonport. They initially settled in Hobart where Claire found a job first, working in environmental management for the Tasmanian State Government. “I enjoyed some outdoor adventures and then I decided to knuckle down and start designing a camera gimbal (a pivoting camera support),” says Brett. “I licenced the mechanical design of that product to Cloud Cap Technology, which was sold as the TASE (the-all-seeing-eye) imaging system. This is still used today in security for defence and other companies.”

In January 2005, Brett founded Currawong: “After moving from Melbourne, I had limited money and my dad lent us some to buy our first machine, a Haas TL-1 lathe, which I still have and use on most days. I was working from home, and when Claire became pregnant a few months later, we decided that it was not good having machine tools under the house, so I leased that first factory in Kingston.”

In 2008 Ken Hosking invested in the company and subsequently played a valuable role in its business development and financial oversight.

Two years ago, Currawong moved to its new factory in Huntingfield, 15 minutes south of Hobart. By that time the company had run out of space at its previous site, having already acquired seven large machine tools. The Huntingfield site is considerably larger than its first factory.

“It was very stressful moving, as large machine tools really don’t like being moved, but they survived,” recalls Gavin. “We now have a very well-equipped workshop including a range of lathes, millgrinding systems and a specialised laser-welding machine. Our latest machine is a DMG MORI DMU 50 GEN 3 five-axis machining centre, which we use extensively.”

Claire, who graduated as a Chemical Engineer at Monash University in the mid-1990s is Currawong’s Finance Manager. She has been handling the company’s finances since the business started – very efficiently according to Brett. When asked why Claire is not working in chemical engineering, Gavin explains: “We don’t have chemical engineering here at Currawong and many engineers often move into management like Claire has.”

Brett spends his busy days managing the business and assisting employees to do their job: “They know what to do and they know that I am here to help them when required. We have 16 employees, six of whom are engineers, plus we have machinists and electrical technicians, all fully trained in the work we do.

“For our long-term plans, we see huge potential in our electronic speed controllers and our hybrid engine technology. Currawong has invested heavily in R&D activities and is now a world leader. UAVs equipped with hybrid electric/gasoline engines offer a battery alternative to drastically increase flight time.”

www.currawongeng.com

Currawong Engineering founder and CEO Gavin Brett (right) with Senator Jonno Duniam during the announcement of the CDIC government grant.

Currawong’s workshop in Huntingfield, 15 minutes south of Hobart.

Currawong’s newly released Velocity HT electronic speed controller.

Mazak fits the mould at APCO Engineering

Established in Hobart over 30 years ago, APCO Engineering is a casting and machining business specialising in servicing the marine and industrial sectors.

APCO has its own in-house foundry where castings are produced in ferrous and non-ferrous metals including specialised materials such as high-strength, heat, wear and corrosion-resistant cast irons, alloy steels and stainless steels, and supplied “as cast” or machined in its machine shop. The company prides itself on working with the latest technology, recently enhancing its machining capability with a Mazak Integrex i-400S and a Mazak FJV 60/120.

“The Mazak Integrex machines are renowned for their multitasking abilities, and as we are a workplace that follows Lean manufacturing and 5S principals, Mazak was a clear choice for us,” says Mark Palaszewski, CNC Machining Supervisor at APCO . “The Mazak Integrex i-400S allows excellent ergonomics for the operator and reduces the cost tied up in our work in progress by allowing us to machine parts to completion in one machine. It also has a larger tool magazine (72 tools) which was another key feature for us, further reducing set-up times.”

APCO investigated numerous options from a range of machine tool builders before chosing the Mazak FJV 60/120 due to its excellent machine ergonomics and its large capacity. Despite being a relatively large machine, it was easier and faster to use than the old machine that it replaced, which had less than a quarter of the capacity. Its Smooth G controller makes programming quick and the machine ergonomics make set-up and operation simple. The full machine enclosure and internal augers allow APCO to rough aluminium without interruptions regarding chip evacuation or swarf handling.

“We chose Mazak as we already have a number of Mazak machines here and there is familiarity between them with regard to programming,” Palaszewski adds. “We also chose Mazak for their known quality and long service life, as we still have our first Mazak CNC lathes running here.”

The two Mazaks have enabled APCO to enhance production processes. Palaszewski explains: “In our Mazak Integrex i-400S the bulk of our work is endcaps and spherical bearings for hydraulic cylinders we design and manufacture. These actuators are used for the steering of aluminium catamarans and to control hydrofoils. The parts start as aluminium bronze castings . We perform all the turning and milling operations in our Integrex.

“We also make a few parts for underground mining machines. Our foundry produces the steel castings. Some of these parts we can machine each of the three operations on the one jig. Even though there is no lathe work on this part, a well-designed jig combined with the B and C axis of the Integrex means we can machine them far quicker than a typical three-axis machine centre can.”

Most of the work performed on the Mazak FJV 60/120 is large aluminium plate processing. Some parts will start off as 200mm thick sections of plate, from which APCO mills foundations to be welded into catamarans later. It is also used for aluminium hydrofoil machining, for ride control system on ships. Here the FJV 60/120 shines both for its machining envelope it has, and because of the right-angle head that can be used in it.

“The right-angle head combined with our CAM software allows us to 3D machine in ‘impossible’ locations on the workpiece,” says Palaszewski. “Despite the size of the Mazak FJV 60/120, due to the speed, accuracy and ergonomics of it, we can even machine quite small workpieces such as hydraulic SAE port blocks, 3D-machined moulds used to cast electronics in encapsulating resin, or even engraving with a Ø0.5mm ball-nose endmill.”

Ian Swan, John Hart’s Victorian Branch Manager, remarks: “The main benefit of the Mazak Integrex i-400S for APCO is the donein-one feature of this machine (five-axis machining). Having one machine to perform all the machining in one set-up avoids potential inherent set-up inaccuracies. It also avoids the handling issues of having to move workpieces around the workshop and reduces work in progress.”

When APCO received the Mazak FJV 60/120, the team knew it would be faster than their previous machines, but they had no idea how much faster. The machine was a total success, offering improvements on every front: ease of use, programming, capacity, rigidity, accuracy, and most importantly - speed. The spindle RPM alone was a big improvement, but combined with the power and duty cycle rating it is far more productive than just the RPM increase alone. APCO has had to double its swarf recycling bins to keep up with the chips the machine makes.

Palaszewski summarises his experience with John Hart: “The machines are only part of the solution; there’s also the aftersales support and maintenance . Our experience with John Hart is definitely world-class, they respond to our needs promptly and above expectation. The applications guys are knowledgeable and understand our requirements, and spare parts and service have never been an issue, despite us being in another state.”

www.johnhart.com.au www.apcoengineering.com

Mark Palaszewski, APCO’s Engineering CNC Machining Supervisor in front of their Mazak FJV 60/120.

Tasmanian oysters to leave their mark with AMGC funding

Tasmania Oyster Co. (formally Shellfish Culture) is developing a game-changing new laser-etching system to identify and trace its products across global markets, with the assistance of a co-funding grant from the Federal Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

The technology aims to differentiate Australia’s highly prized Pacific oysters, which are some of the few able to be consumed direct from the ocean due to pristine growing environments, from the highly farmed items that make up 80% of the world’s oyster supply. To achieve this, Tasmania Oyster Co. has developed a new CO2-based laser etching process that allows the company to etch a brand mark (logo) on the oyster’s shell, providing customers with peace of mind concerning the quality and provenance of the product.

“Probably one of the biggest challenges is being able to distinguish our product from others, either here or in export markets. AMGC helped us expand our thinking to export markets,” said Simon Rechner, Project Manager at Tasmanian Oyster Co. “We think Australian oysters are some of the best in the world, but being able to market overseas is very difficult. An oyster sold in Singapore, Japan and Australia, without something on it to say where it comes from, could be from anywhere – our new technology changes that and gives us a great opportunity post-COVID to grow our brand.”

It is estimated the solution will increase the ‘product-to-price density’ by $5 per dozen oysters sold, add $7m to the Tasmanian oyster industry through the new authentication and marketing possibilities,

and provide a $3.5m increase in revenues to Tasmanian Oyster Co. through an estimated 25% growth in exports. Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of AMGC, said opportunities for Australian manufacturers lie in competing on value not cost, and brand Australia is in high demand right now.

“What Tasmanian Oyster Co. will do is add value to their product through the adoption of advanced technology, while also being able to highlight the country of origin for their products,” Dr Goennemann said. “In developing this new technology, Tasmanian Oyster Co. will also streamline shellfish processing, open up the greater export potential for their products and, possibly, even exports of the new technology.”

Tasmanian Oyster Co.’s new technology will be rolled out to Tasmanian oyster growers, helping them present ‘a united front’ in export markets. It will then be offered to growers in other states within the $112m Australian oyster market and possibly other shellfish lines. Successful completion of the project is expected to generate an additional 20 Australian jobs across the engineering, manufacturing, sales and service disciplines in the long-term. www.amgc.org.au www.tasmanianoysterco.com.au

Simply efficient: Yale expands UX materials handling family

Global warehousing and forklifts solutions leader Yale is expanding its range of UX series electric lift and tow trucks in Australasia for customers seeking international standards of service, quality and safety for their individual material handling needs without buying features they don’t need.

The new UX range is engineered to bring to a wider range of users Yale’s value proposition – “Simply Efficient” – which has at its core the understanding that, if a forklift usage is only around four hours a day, companies don’t need a more expensive forklift that has been designed to handle all-day, everyday applications.

The expanded UX family delivering this no-nonsense, uncomplicated approach to materials handling with efficiency and strong safety features now includes three-wheel forklifts in 1,600-2,000kg capacity, pallet lift trucks in 1,500kg capacity and stand-up and sitdown tow trucks in 3,000-6,000kg capacity respectively.

“All are engineered to expand the long-established strengths of the Yale brand into wider markets seeking a quality, cost-efficient solution backed globally by service and customised solutions to meet users’ needs for applications requiring less frequent usage,” says Mark Chaffey, Hyster-Yale Area Business Director, Pacific.

Yale is a leading provider of a full line of high-quality products, equipment and services, including electric, gas, LP-gas and diesel powered lift trucks, narrow aisle, very narrow aisle and motorised hand trucks. The company has positioned itself as a leading materials handling company that is ready to “move the world forward” post-COVID, where the nature of business is changing.

“We’re ready to get back to work, and here to help businesses make the right adjustments to keep people healthy and safe while getting industries and the world moving again,” Chaffey adds. “We have the solutions to take on the challenges we’ll face in this ‘new reality’.

“Yale is a large, global organisation, but our success has been built on sustaining personal relationships and establishing trust with customers who know we won’t let them down. So users of the new UX family get the best of both worlds – global strength and local service.”

The three-wheel electric lift trucks incorporate a high-strength overhead guard for safety combined with a wide and low step for easy and safe access to the truck. A wide-view mast delivers excellent visibility of the load and enhances the operator’s forward field of view, optimising safety, comfort and productivity. The small adjustable steering wheel promotes light and precise operation, with precise positioning and without wheel kickback. Europeandesigned AC controllers coupled with AC traction and hydraulic motors allow for precise controllability. Compact dual-drive motors – one for each front wheel – feature precision-cut gears for reduced wear and lower noise levels.

Chaffey says that when space is at a premium, the three-wheel electric truck is ideal to manoeuvre and handle the stresses of congested loading and unloading bays. From hydraulic controls and improved visibility, to energy efficient performance with various platform and battery options, these trucks can deliver quality performance with less operator fatigue, he says.

Yale seated MT60UX and standing MT30UX electric tow tractors combine ergonomic and safety features with reliable performance from energy-efficient technology. Their low maintenance needs, easy access for routine servicing, as well as simple, readily available components provide increased productivity and reduced operational costs.

Their safety and structural design also includes an ergonomic operator compartment, incorporating spacious non-slip floor plate and anti-vibration function on the MT30UX, which has an impressive pulling performance up to five degrees of gradeability. The MT60UX’s drive axle design and low centre of gravity provide excellent stability. The MT60UX also includes Operator Presence System (OPS) and Emergency Stop buttons, which are also featured on other members of the UX series family.

The Yale MP15UX electric walkie pallet truck is a 24V sealed, maintenance-free, battery-powered pallet truck that combines economic operation with energy-efficient, low maintenance technology delivering reliable performance and increased productivity with reduced operating costs. With a small turning radius of 1.454mm and long handle to reduce steering effort, the MP15UX increases productivity and safety by having casters to increase stability, entry rollers for easy operation, as well as strong performance on gradients. When the tiller is upright, a reduction in turning space. The machine’s floating balance wheel automatically adjusts height and improves stability when unloading.

“The use of high-quality and robust components, complemented by outstanding filtration and cooling, help provide reliability and low cost of ownership in a user-oriented truck,” says Chaffey. “This, combined with fast availability of cost-effective replacement parts, helps to curtail maintenance requirements and costs.

“The Yale brand – with its ‘People, Products, Productivity’ tagline – prides itself on helping customers solve materials handling challenges with solutions that individual organisations need, when and how they need them. This requires the type of backing provided with the UX Series throughout Asia-Pacific.” www.yale.com

Advances in preventative maintenance help avoid costly crane repairs

Preventative maintenance isn’t just an investment in crane performance, it’s an investment in safety too. By Thomas Schnittger, Engineering Manager, Konecranes Australia.

When it comes to cranes, gone are the days where a fault would present itself, and then you’d call in a technician to fix it. The crane would be isolated and taken offline until the issue was identified and then repaired, creating costly downtime for busy facilities that just cannot afford unnecessary downtime.

Konecranes has always had a corporate culture of putting safety first and advocates for an intelligent preventative maintenance programme over a ‘fix it once something breaks’ approach. All companies want every employee and visitor to return home safely at the end of the day, and preventative maintenance is an ideal way to keep crane machinery operating at optimal levels of safety.

Crane machinery is generally designed for 10 years of operation, and crane structures for 25 years. For companies looking to extend or change usage, calculate remaining design life and maintain top levels of safety and Standards compliance, Konecranes can perform a Major Assessment. Major Assessments are a vital part of an ongoing preventative maintenance programme and a requirement of AS2550.1 2011 Section 9. They aim to identify maintenance needs and detect items that need repair before they fail.

A Major Assessment is particularly useful if production needs are changing, with the crane’s usage likely to change as a result. It can provide a detailed overview and show whether the crane can match the updated operational needs. The assessment looks at

structures, mechanical components and electrical systems, and highlights possible maintenance, modernisation or upgrade needs.

In a Major Assessment, Konecranes specialists observe the production and operating environment of the crane. The overall condition of the crane structures and components is evaluated, with a focus on safety, productivity, reliability, usability and remaining design life. Operators and maintenance personnel are interviewed, and pertinent documentation is reviewed. The team provides a report and further consultation with advice on maintenance, modernisations and future investments

In addition to Major Assessments, Konecranes now has a raft of advanced technology available to remotely monitor cranes and identify early warning signs. Technologies like Konecranes’ TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring and Reporting can look more deeply into a crane in real time to identify areas that need to be serviced, or find previously unseen efficiency gains.

Crane safety and compliance to Standards are two things that cannot be overlooked, even as Covid-19 changes the way businesses work across the globe. As the world’s largest crane service organisation, with more than 600,000 pieces of lifting equipment under service contract worldwide, Konecranes has extensive experience ensuring cranes are operating at peak efficiency and productivity. www.konecranes.com.au

Business succession planning – now is the time to take control

As we start the new year, there is no better time than now to take control of your succession plan.

Rachael Grabovic offers advice.

As we reflect on 2020, we will no doubt remember how unexpected life can be and how much is out of our control. However, there is one aspect of our lives we can control, and that is our estate planning. As we start 2021 with anticipation and possibly some trepidation, there is no better time than now to take control of your succession plan.

The succession plan for a family business can often be quite complicated, especially where only one or some of the founder’s children work in the business or are interested in the business. Leaving your business interests to only those children who work in the business can cause disenchantment among the children, resulting in a potential challenge to the Will. Careful planning is required but there are strategies which can be implemented to mitigate any potential risk of dispute between those you leave behind.

In this article we will review the importance of shareholder agreements and buy/sell agreements, and what can happen when these documents are not in place prior to death or incapacity.

The value of formalising business owners’ arrangements

Shareholders’ and unitholders’ agreements are increasingly being implemented for companies or trusts that involve two or more arms’ length parties. There are very good reasons for this trend: such agreements help to guide decision-making, establish governance procedures and stipulate mechanisms to resolve deadlocks.

Business owners are also increasingly entering into what is commonly called a ‘buy/sell deed’. This is a deed under which the owners of a business entity agree that, if one of the owners dies or becomes permanently disabled, the others will have an option to purchase that owner’s equity.

Again, there is a very good reason for this trend. Specifically, owners are wary of having to be “in business” with whoever may become entitled to the control of the shares of the deceased or disabled owners (often the spouse or the children of the relevant owner).

Importance of owners’ arrangements in succession planning

Unfortunately, these crucial agreements are often overlooked in the context of succession and family-owned businesses.

For example, a business may have been started by a parent through a company in which he or she holds all the shares. Over the years, all three of their children have become involved in the business. The parent intends for the business to stay in the family and wishes to leave the business to those three children in equal proportions. Accordingly, the parent’s Will makes provision for each of the children to receive one-third of the shares upon the parent’s death.

As the parent was the only shareholder until their death, the company has no shareholders’ agreement or buy/sell deed. The company constitution includes the usual provisions allowing a majority of shareholders to appoint directors by ordinary resolution, to control the issue of shares and generally to control the affairs of the company.

If for any reason, one of the children falls out with the other two after the death of the parent, the two “majority” children can now effectively exclude the third one from the affairs of the company. They could remove any representation that person had on the board of the company. They may even seek to dilute the holdings of the third shareholder.

The minority child’s only remedy may be to ask a Court to step in to prevent or rectify any oppression. While a Court will often grant some relief in these circumstances, the nature and extent of the relief to be granted is hard to predict. The litigation process will also usually involve significant costs.

Alternatively, if one of the children subsequently passes away, their shares will be dealt with in accordance with their Will. For example, this may result in their shares being held by a spouse who was not intended by the parent to be a shareholder in the company.

Implementing owners’ arrangements in succession planning

There are various potential ways to overcome these issues.

If the business is conducted through a company or a unit trust, it is possible to make the gift of the shares or units under the Will conditional upon the entry into a shareholders’ (or unitholders’) agreement and a buy/sell deed. This would mean that each of the children in the above scenario would be required to execute the agreement and deed before they become entitled to the shares.

The shareholders’ agreement could:

• Ensure that each of the children had the right to appoint one director to the board (presumably themselves) even without a majority of votes

• Make certain key business and corporate decisions (such as the issue of further shares) dependent on a unanimous agreement.

The buy/sell deed could ensure that the shares stay in the family by, for example, giving each of the children an option to purchase the shares at market value if one of them dies or becomes incapacitated. Alternatively, some of these mechanisms could be implemented by a change to the company’s constitution (and/or the deed of the relevant trust).

We can help

Rigby Cooke’s Wills, Trusts & Estates and Tax teams include experts in succession planning, taxation and business governance issues. Together, we can provide business succession strategies that are effective from both commercial and tax perspectives.We will help to implement your wishes and protect the business you have worked hard to build.

Rachael Grabovic is Partner, Wills, Trusts & Estates, Notary Public

Ph: 03 9321 7826 RGrabovic@rigbycooke.com.au www. rigbycooke.com.au

The Right to Repair the unrepairable

Spurred by the impetus of the “Right to Repair” movement overseas, it is possible that in a year’s time Australia may have legislation in place. Guido Verbist explains the developments supporting this country’s moves towards the Right to Repair and the situation overseas.

The first Right to Repair legislation was introduced in Massachusetts USA in 2012, in response to a growing demand from motorists and independent car repairers to be granted access to spare parts.

In the following years another 20 US States tried to introduce Right to Repair legislation. They were systematically challenged in court by companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Dyson. It’s now farmers driving the Right to Repair social movement in the US, through their efforts to gain access to the data and software needed to repair tractors and machinery manufactured by John Deere.

In Europe a strong environmental agenda is driving the repair movement. An EU directive requires manufacturers to design products that minimise waste, save energy, are easier to repair and ultimately contribute to a sustainable circular economy. Soon, manufacturers will have to guarantee spare parts for 10 years for a range of white goods and lighting. Sweden has gone as far as introducing tax deductibility for the repair of larger household appliances and electronic items, and has reduced GST for repairs on items such as bikes and shoes.

Australia can look to Europe to see the benefits of having the Right to Repair enshrined in legislation. It is estimated by the UK Green Alliance that the measures will save nearly 50 million tonnes of CO2 It’s also likely these measures to ensure sustainability will create around 700,000 new jobs by 2030. Making goods more repairable and encouraging and facilitating the repair culture saves natural resources, reduces waste and brings the world closer to achieving a circular economy, where components and materials can be reused many times.

Globally speaking, the world requires a huge shift; businesses accustomed to generating ongoing revenue via ‘planned obsolescence’ or embedded proprietary software need to move towards a culture of Product Stewardship. The current practice –which makes it almost impossible to have items repaired by anyone other than the manufacturer – is too common. It goes against the manufacturers’ interests to allow customers access to a cheap and easy fix. This industry will not self-regulate; legislative action is required to create a level playing field.

Locally, we have taken some significant steps. The October announcement by the Australian Productivity Commission that it plans to prepare legislation around the Right to Repair is encouraging. It is possible that in a year’s time Australia may even have legislation in place, or at least be very close to it. There has been a number of other developments supporting this country’s increasingly progressive stance on the Right to Repair. They include:

• A successful legal claim brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) against Apple under Australian consumer law, for making the iPhones and iPads of 257 customers inoperable after downloading software from a third party repairer. Apple was fined $9m. The ACCC didn’t stop there. Taking cues from the US, they expressed support for the mandatory sharing of car repair information, and launched an inquiry to examine whether Australian farmers should have the Right to Repair their own machinery.

• A review of the Product Stewardship Act by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment recommends broadening the Act’s objectives for product design improvements based on durability, reparability and reusability.

• Federal Member for Parramatta, Julie Owens, raised the Right to Repair campaign in Federal Parliament. Australia’s Minister for The Environment, the Hon Sussan Ley MP, commended The Bower’s campaign and expressed the Australian Government’s interest in Right to Repair, noting its environmental benefits.

• The Morrison Government announced a Recycling Modernisation Fund. While a positive step, it is a flawed approach. Until waste avoidance and extended producer responsibility are part of this initiative, Australia will fail to achieve best practice measures for achieving a truly circular economy.

• The ACT Minister for Consumer Affairs, Shane Rattenbury, was successful in his lobbying of state and federal governments to request the Productivity Commission examine the economic benefits of a fostering the Right to Repair culture through an official Inquiry.

This commission has so far published an Issues Paper outlining the scope of the inquiry and is calling for submissions in response to the paper from the community at large. It has formally identified a number of barriers that will be addressed during the inquiry (difficulty around e-waste disposal, planned product obsolescence, intellectual property rights) as well as the importance of grass roots organisations, tax breaks for repair and other regulatory and policy changes needed to encourage a thriving repair economy.

As the EU experience has shown, Right to Repair legislation can offer an attractive alternative to the problem of overflowing, dangerous e-waste. As Australia’s resources grow scarce, while our recycling options continue to wane and our rubbish dumps continue to overflow, there is no time to lose.

Guido Verbist is General Manager of Bower Reuse & Repair Centres. The Bower is an environmental charity committed to reducing landfill. Programs are pioneered to reduce the amount of waste entering landfill by reclaiming household items for reuse, repair and resale at affordable prices and by encouraging communities to engage in repurposing of preloved goods.

Ph: (02) 9568 6280 info@bower.org.au Bower.org.au

European Right to Repair campaign in Berlin, Sept. 2020

Investing in network security: Why protecting Australia’s supply chains should matter to everyone

The value of Australia’s supply chains has never been more important as our country prepares to roll out vaccine distributions. Peter Langley provides insights into critical supply chain gaps which have started to be addressed with the help of last October’s Federal Budget. These measures have seen the government and industry taking substantial steps towards strengthening supply chain resilience and security.

Before COVID-19 sparked the conversation on the national distribution of vaccines and toilet paper, it’s fair to say that the vast majority of Australians spent very little time, if any at all, thinking about supply chains.

Like the oxygen in the air around us, supply chains have always been critical but invisible.

Against the volatile backdrop of a global pandemic, Australia’s toilet paper drought of early 2020 raised eyebrows around the world. It also gave Australians a firsthand glimpse into how any issue in the supply chain can cause chaos in unexpected ways. It has created nascent community awareness that the resilience of our supply chains is a national asset to be closely protected and constantly improved.

More importantly, it hinted at why it is in our shared national interest to have Government, industry and community invest in protecting the network.

However, research from 2020 shows that critical supply chain gaps continue to be an issue globally, including resilience and a lack of digital competencies. The survey finds that while modern digital technology remains the top driver of change in the supply chain, transformation remains sluggish. In fact, half of all companies surveyed self-reported that they were lagging behind.

Fortunately, the research indicates beginnings of a critical paradigm shift. Traditionally relegated to support status, the supply chain is starting to be perceived by retailers and manufacturers as a strategic tool for business growth and performance.

What can go wrong?

Our lifestyle means the Australian community has an increasing reliance on both domestic and international shipping. Supply chains make our everyday lives possible. Because of them, fresh avocados from Queensland farms and chai tea from Bondi to our corner cafe for Sunday brunch is possible. They deliver smartphones from China to Australia, feeding our thirst for tech and making our weekly video calls with mum possible. They distribute life-saving insulin doses from pharmaceutical manufacturers to people with diabetes across the country.

This means that when it comes to potential supply chain issues, flexibility to meet drastically increased community demand is just the start. It is equally imperative to the entire community that we ensure the network is safe.

When it comes to the security of our supply chains, there are many issues for us to be vigilant against. Theft could see millions of dollars’ worth of goods go missing annually. While any shipment can be targeted – from wine and craft beer, to organic beauty products – in the wake of the pandemic, this becomes a critical risk we cannot take in the scenario of global vaccine shipping. We must protect the overall supply chain and secure our future against COVID-19. Misuse of the network for highly criminal activity such as trafficking of drugs, exotic animals or weapons is also an unfortunate reality and can happen even in Australia.

Protecting the supply chain

Fortunately, 2020 has seen the government and industry taking substantial steps towards strengthening the resilience and security of our supply chains. For instance, October’s Federal Budget saw the announcement of a $107.2m Supply Chain Resilience Initiative to ensure Australia is on the front foot with handling potential issues and disruptions to the network.

New security measures were introduced by the government earlier this year to further strengthen Australia's domestic air cargo operations.

These initiatives are just some of the latest enhancements to ensure Australia’s supply chain security and capabilities continue to go from strength to strength. Many of these build on measures already in place that are typically employed by multinational supply chain organisations like FedEx.

For example, many supply chain professionals should employ audit processes to identify and nip potential threats in the bud. Well established logistics companies have robust processes that incorporate pre-emptive examinations and plans for security.

The engineering principle of redundancy – or duplicating critical functions within a system to increase the system’s overall reliability – also applies to security in logistics. Supply chain professionals understand that layering security measures multiplies effectiveness and results in more than the sum of its parts. As an example, FedEx might use tamper-evident security seals while also x-raying each individual box in a shipment and securing the aircraft door, cargo container and individual units separately.

Digital tracking methods boost security. As cargo theft becomes increasingly sophisticated, real time digital-tracking and recordkeeping help users track their shipments and deter bad actors by greatly narrowing their windows of opportunity to commit theft.

A culture of safety requires investment

Some of the above measures unavoidably add to the time and cost of shipping goods within the network. However, the pandemic has taught us some difficult yet important, long-lasting lessons.

There are no two ways about it – building a secure and resilient network requires strong and concerted community, national and international investment.

We are all fundamentally reliant on the supply chains around us. With this in mind, we must foster awareness about why a culture of safety throughout our supply chains is critical, more so in this dynamic online environment.

If we continue to improve the security of Australia’s supply chain infrastructure, everyone wins.

Peter Langley is Vice President, FedEx Express Australasia www.fedex.com/en-au

World-first silicosis strategy launched in NSW

Silicosis is a form of occupational lung disease caused by breathing in crystalline silica dust. Last November the NSW government launched a trial of world-first technology to accurately monitor silica dust levels in the air in real time.

Crystalline silica dust is found in high levels in popular manufactured stone kitchen benchtops. Silicosis is the resultant disease caused by breathing in this dust. The disease is marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. The acute form is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis (bluish skin). Silicosis resulted in at least 43,000 deaths globally in 2013.

Last November the NSW Government launched a trial of world-first technology to accurately monitor silica dust levels in the air. This real-time silica detector has the potential to protect NSW’s workers from contracting the deadly lung disease silicosis.

On a mission to end dust diseases

Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, Kevin Anderson, said the innovative detector could be used by workers cutting or working with manufactured or other silica containing stone, protecting them from unknowingly inhaling dangerous levels of silica dust. “We’re on a mission to stamp out silicosis in this state” Minister Anderson stated. “This ground- breaking device allows us, for the first time, to monitor exposure levels in real-time ensuring workers can remove themselves from harmful exposure before it’s too late.”

“This Government puts the safety of its citizens first, and the NSW Government’s investment into developing this device will help give peace of mind for anyone working with manufactured stone.”

The new detector is just one element of the NSW Government’s two-year plan to tackle dust diseases, including silicosis and asbestosis, in the state.

Under the plan the NSW Government has already taken proactive measures to protect workers, including reducing the legal exposure standard for silica exposure, banning dry cutting of manufactured stone, making silicosis a notifiable disease and establishing a dust diseases register that will track, respond to, and prevent deadly dust diseases, including asbestosis and silicosis.

The NSW Dust Strategy 2020-22 seeks to coordinate SafeWork NSW’s widespread exposure prevention activities to ensure consistent application of the controls and best practice principles across NSW’s worksites.

“We’ve consulted widely with unions, employers’ associations and the building and construction sector to develop a robust and practical strategy and look forward to working with industry to implement these principles and end dust diseases for good.”

The principles include:

Air monitoring

Air monitoring must be conducted at the workplace to find the levels of silica or wood dust in the air, when required under clause 50 of the WHS Regulation. Air monitoring must be conducted in the workplace to find the level of asbestos fibres in the air when required under Clause 475 and 477 of the WHS regulation.

Health Monitoring

Health monitoring for crystalline silica must be provided to workers at significant risk of exposure to silica dust, as required in clause

368 of the WHS regulation. Health monitoring must be provided to workers if they are at risk of exposure to asbestos when carrying out licensed asbestos removal work, other ongoing (unlicensed) asbestos removal work, or asbestosrelated work as required in Clause 435 of the WHS Regulation.

Dust strategy

The NSW Dust Strategy 2020-2022 aims to prevent occupational diseases by providing NSW workers and businesses with a coordinated approach for the safe handling of hazardous dust including asbestos, silica, wood and other dusts.

Injuries and fatalities due to exposure to asbestos, silica, wood and other dusts are preventable.

Applying control measures such as: always engaging a licensed asbestos professional for asbestos removal work, using simple controls such as water and dust capture tools when working with silica; and wearing a correctly fitted respiratory face mask when working with asbestos, silica, wood and other dusts, prevents exposure and something every workplace can easily do.

If you have the right controls in place for one, you will have effective controls in place for others.

Objectives of the Dust Strategy 2020-2022

The NSW Dust Strategy 2020-2022 strategy aims to ensure that SafeWork NSW and industry can:

• Respond to current and emerging dust-related harms by following three key principles that apply to all dust:

o identify the hazard

o handle it safely

o dispose of it responsibly.

• Prevent dust exposure with reduction activities that carry the key elements of compliance, regulation, awareness and education in all programs.

• Educate workers about dust exposure with consistent communication of best-practice safety controls appropriate to different dust types and work activities.

It is aligned to SafeWork’s hazardous chemicals exposure reduction programs under the NSW WHS Roadmap 2022. Asbestos, crystalline silica, wood and other dusts are specifically targeted as the top priority areas.

This Roadmap is aimed at everyone to enable the continued decline in fatalities and serious injuries and illnesses in NSW. It sets out agreed priorities to keep safety simple while focusing on the important risks that will reduce harm.

At Safework NSW, technical resources as well as advisory and support services can be found, including key major campaigns, initiatives and interventions. Also available is free support and advice from SafeWork inspectors.

The Mentoring program involves an experienced business helping a small business to identify new ways to address safety. Experienced businesses share their knowledge, skills and expertise for free.

www.safework.nsw.gov.au Tel: 13 10 50

Welcome to a New Year

2021 is shaping up as a year of excitement and opportunity for us at AMTIL. At the time of writing this message we had fully booked our Annual Golf Day inside a week, with 90 golfers and 100 for lunch (the maximum we were allowed under COVID restrictions) booked in for the event at Riversdale Golf Club on 5th February. The fact that this event booked out so quickly points to people wanting to get back into the networking scene, enjoying face-to-face contact and social interaction.

We also have dinners planned around the country this month so if you are looking to get out and about please visit our website and take advantage of our events coming up.

Our excitement is around re-engaging with our members after a year in which we didn’t see much of each other. Our Association has been built over 20 years on the basis of “club mentality”. Our relationship with our members is very important to us, so getting back to seeing them in person, whether it be at functions and events or even visiting them at their businesses, presents an exciting proposition for all our staff.

We have a number of fantastic opportunities that we are working on at the moment too, which will prove to be of great benefit to our members and the broader industry.

We recently launched Australian Manufacturing Week, which will replace the National Manufacturing Week exhibition (which Reed Exhibitions have discontinued), and which will run alongside Austech in March 2022. This sounds like a long way off but it is a major exercise pulling a show of this size together, so we have already started. Across the two shows there will be ten Product Zones covering all of manufacturing and engineering technology: Additive Manufacturing, Air Technology, Weld Solutions, Engineering Solutions, Machine Tools & Ancillary Equipment, Digitalisation IOT, Manufacturing Safety, Robotics & Automation, Manufacturing Solutions and the Australian Manufacturing Pavilion. These zones will be full of companies presenting their technology, products and capability to an expected audience of up to 10,000 people. We can’t wait to get into it and put on a great show.

Getting a consistent, persistent activity program together that encourages the uptake of new technology, management methodologies and process techniques is the key reason for us developing what we call the LYNX Program. Over the coming three years we are planning to manage a program of workshops, technical demonstrations, webinars, plant tours, case studies, international technology visits, inbound expert presentations and open-house days, to showcase technologies, methodologies and techniques that will lead to investment, growth and jobs.

We have raised over $5m in industry funds to support this program and are in the process of seeking matched government funds to get it off the ground and make it happen. We will be sure to keep you informed of our progress.

If you have any questions or comments about AMTIL’s service offerings I am very keen to hear from you. I can be contacted on 03 9800 3666 or email sinfanti@amtil.com.au

Here’s to a great year ahead!

Shane Infanti, CEO AMTIL

How to take advantage of the Instant Asset Write Off

Now 2020 is firmly in the rear-view mirror, it is time to map out what’s ahead for Australian manufacturing.

Clare Sainsbury, Angus MacDonald and Colin White of AMTIL corporate partner Interlease look at how manufacturers can set themselves up for the future with the Government’s Instant Asset Write-Off scheme.

At Interlease, we believe that manufacturing will be firmly in the driver’s seat in leading the Australian economy to not just recover but grow and thrive in the post-COVID world. To do so, it is imperative that all businesses have the tools available to them to help them succeed.

In June 2020, the Government announced it would be increasing the Instant Asset Write-Off threshold from $30,000 to $150,000.

On 6 October it went one step further and removed the threshold altogether, meaning any asset, new or used, could be immediately depreciated up until 30 June 2022.

The scheme is available to all businesses that have an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50m. Small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less that $10m can also deduct the balance of their simplified depreciation pool at the end of the income year.

As an example, if a business purchased a new or used machine today valued at $500,000, this would be eligible to be 100% written off against your business profits. Assuming a company tax rate of 27%, your tax payable in the 2021 Financial Year would reduce by $135,000. (This is not tax advice, and readers should seek the opinion of a financial advisor for clarification of eligibility and suitability.)

Interlease is both excited and well positioned to facilitate your equipment finance requirements associated with such purchases. Interlease is one of Australia’s leading business finance broking firms. To discuss the finance options that best suit your business, contact Interlease and learn more about our solutions.

Clare Sainsbury: 0450 167 619

Angus Macdonald: 0459 864 726

Colin White: 0498 145 934 www.interlease.com.au

03 9800 3666 or

Maximise Your Membership events –Last chance to book!

Limited places are still available for AMTIL’s upcoming Maximise Your Membership networking functions around Australia, but they’re selling out fast.

Maximise Your Membership events will be held around the country in February. Offering an opportunity to learn about AMTIL’s latest initiatives as well as mingle with contacts from across the industry, these events are free to AMTIL members and will include finger food and drinks.

BRISBANE, QLD

Tues 16 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm

SYDNEY, NSW

Wed 17 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm

MELBOURNE, VIC

Thurs 18 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm

ADELAIDE, SA

Tues 23 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm

PERTH, WA

Wed 24 Feb, 6.00pm – 8.30pm

Given the ongoing possibility of further COVID-19 outbreaks, appropriate measures will be in place at all upcoming

New members

AMTIL would like to welcome the

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AMTIL events to ensure they are conducted safely. Moreover, AMTIL may be forced to make changes to scheduled events at short notice. Anyone planning to attend should register in advance and be on the lookout for updates from AMTIL.

“We are taking all possible steps to ensure that AMTIL members can attend, confident of the fact they’re in a safe environment,” says Kim Banks, Head of Events at AMTIL. “That means having to do some things a little different to how we did in the past,

but it’s good to see how strong the interest has been for these events. We’re looking forward to getting together with AMTIL’s members again, and we hope you can join us.”

To book your place at any of AMTIL’s upcoming events, please visit the Events page on the AMTIL website. For more information, please call 03 9800 3666, or email Events Manager Kim Banks on kbanks@amtil.com.au.

www.amtil.com.au/Events

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All we think about about is manufacturing.

• 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

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many industry events world-wide are continuing to encounter severe disruption. 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

HOUSTEC

USA, Texas

23- 25 February 2021

https://easteconline.com

ALL ABOUT AUTOMATION

Germany, Friedrichshafen 9-10 March 2021

Germany, Hamburg: 5-6 May

Germany, Heilbronn: 19-20 May 2021

Germany, Essen: 9-10 June 2021

Germany, Chemnitz: 22-23 September 2021

www.automation-friedrichshafen.com

WIN EURASIA

Turkey, Istanbul

10-13 March 2021

www.win-eurasia.com/en

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING FORUM

Estrel Congress & Messe Centre

Germany, Berlin

11-12 March 2021

www.am-forum.de

TIMTOS

Taiwan

15-20 March 2021

www.timtos.com.tw

EINDUSTRIE PARIS

France, Paris

16-19 March 2021

www.industrie-expo.com/en

ADVANCED ENGINEERING

Sweden

24-25 March 2021

www.advancedengineering.se

CIMT

China, Beijing

12-17 April 2021

www.cimtshow.com

HANNOVER

Germany, Hannover

12-16 April 2021

www.hannovermesse.de/en

EXPO MANUFACTURA

Mexico, Monterrey

13-15 April 2021

www.expomanufactura.com.mx

MHL

New Zealand, Auckland

13-15 April 2021

Materials Handling & Logistics expo www.mhlexpo.co.nz

TORNITURA

Italy, Bergamo

22-24 April 2021

Turning & lathe exhibition. www.tornitura.show

BLECH INDIA

India, Bombay

22-24 April 2021

www.blechindia.com/2021/english

STAINLESS

Czech Republic

5-6 May 2021

www.bvv.cz/stainless

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING/ BIOMEDEVICE

USA, Boston

5-6 May 2021

www.biomedboston.com

ADVANCED DESIGN & MANUFACTURIGN EXPO

Canada, Toronto

11-13 May 2021

www.admtoronto.com

EASTEC

USA, Springfield

11-13 May 2021

www.easteconline.com

METALLOOBRABOTKA

Russia, Moscow

24-28 May 2021

www.metobr-expo.ru/en

MADE IN STEEL

Italy, Milan

26-28 May 2021

www.madeinsteel.it/en

BUTECH

South Korea, Busan 26-29 May 2021

www.butech.or.kr

JEC COMPOSITES SHOW

France, Paris

1-3 June 2021

www.jec-world.events

STEELFAB

Arab Emirates, Sharjah 7-10 June 2021

www.steelfabme.com

FABTECH MEXICO

Mexico, Monterrey

8-10 June 2021

https://mexico.fabtechexpo.com

ROSMOULD

Russia, Moscow 15–17 June 2021 www.rosmould.com

IMTEX/TOOLTECH

India, Bengaluru 17-23 June 2021 www.imtex.in

INTERPLAS

UK, Birmingham

29 June-1 July 2021

www.interplasuk.com

ATX WEST

USA, California

10-12 August 2021

www.atxwest.com/en/home.html

PRECISION MACHINING TECHNOLOGY SHOW USA, Cleveland 10-12 August 2021 www.pmts.com

VIETNAM MANUFACTURING EXPO

Vietnam, Hanoi

11-13 August 2021

www.vietnammanufacturingexpo.com

MACHINEERING

Belgium, Brussels

8-10 September 2021

www.machineering.eu/nl

FABTECH

USA, Chicago

13-16 September 2021

www.fabtech-chicago-exhibition.com

EUROSURFAS

Spain, Barcelona

14-17 September 2021

www.eurosurfas.com

WESTEC

USA, California

21-23 September 2021

https://easteconline.com

EMO 2021

Italy, Milan

4-9 October 2021

www.emo-milano.com

TOOL TECH

Korea, Goyang

19-22 October 2021

www.tooltechkorea.com

AI EXPO

Japan, Tokyo

27-29 October 2021

www.ai-expo.jp/en-gb.html

PLASTEC

USA, Minneapolis

3-4 November 2021

Plastics Industry trade fair/conference

http://plastecminn.com

QLD TRANSPORT

INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

25- 26 May 2021

www.expotradeglobal.com/events/ qldtransport

LAND FORCES 2021

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

1-3 June 2021

International event showcasing equipment, technology and services for Australian and Indo-Asia-Pacific armies. A forum for key decision-makers, enabling government representatives, defence officials, military procurement managers and senior army officers to network with defence materiel manufacturers, equipment suppliers and service providers.

www.landforces.com.au

VICTORIAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE 2021

Melbourne, MCEC

16-17 June 2021

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. www.expotradeglobal.com/events/ victransport

FOODPRO

Sydney Showground

25-28 July 2021

Includes the technology and innovations to shape the future of food processing and packaging and solutions for a more sustainable world. Six zones: Ingredients, Food Science & Technology, Processing Equipment, Plant Equipment, Packaging and the new Supply Chain Integrity Zone. www.foodproexh.com

SAFETY IN ACTION

Sydney, Royal Randwick Racecourse 29-30 September 2021

www.safetyinaction.net.au

DESIGNBUILD

Melbourne, MCEC

11-13 October 2021

Trends and strategies shaping the architecture, building, construction and design sector.

www.designbuildexpo.com.au

INTERNATIONAL MINING & RESOURCES CONFERENCE

Melbourne, MECC

25-27 October 2021

Includes global mining leaders, policy makers, investors, commodity buyers, technical experts, innovators and educators from over 100 countries in Australia’s largest mining event.

www.imarcmelbourne.com

AVALON 2021

Deferred to November 2021

Avalon Airport, Geelong, Victoria 23-28 November 2021

Deferring AVALON will ensure the event serves its purpose as a powerful promotional and industry engagement forum for business recovery and as a spectacular celebration of 100 years of the RAAF.

www.airshow.com.au/airshow2021

2022

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WEEK

Melbourne, MCEC

8-11 March 2022

Co-located with Austech

www.australianmanufacturingweek.com.au

THE WEAPON OF CHOICE

January 1942, World War 2: The need to galvanise Australian inventive genius was spurred by the threat of imminent invasion.

"No one knows that we will NOT be faced with shortages of an acute character needing all our inventing and improvising genius to overcome” said Frank Forde, Minister for the Army, January 1942, during World War 2. This dire assessment facilitated the development of the Australian Army Inventions Directorate – upgrading it from the poorly-regarded Central Inventions Board. It was not until Australia faced the threat of invasion in 1942 that effective action was taken to set up such a Directorate; and only after howls of protest from the public and the press. "Very definitely an inventions board is wanted which will actively encourage and energise Australian inventive genius” added Minister Forde. “The Government will not be content with anything less. This country may shortly be thrown completely on its own resources”. Within a fortnight, Cabinet established an autonomous directorate, with scientific and technical staff and funds to receive, develop and adjudicate on inventions and suggestions from the public and the Services.

I had previously played a part in achieving remarkably rapid production of the Owen gun, that wonderful sub-machinegun invented by Evelyn Owen, the 24-year-old New South Wales motor mechanic *. And now Frank Forde invited me to take over the new Army Inventions Directorate.

I agreed and got to work. We found an excellent building – the football headquarters in Spring Street, Melbourne –which we promptly took over.

We set out to change the entire approach to inventions and encouraged inventors to come forward. We set up a State office in every capital: "You must find ideas," we told the State directors. "We will open up the Army, Navy and Air Force to you. Get up on a soap-box, harangue the people to think." We advertised in the newspapers: "Anyone who has an idea, please bring it forward!”.

Every idea was given a number. There was a good reason for this: a natural inclination to be over-impressed by a name or a title was not to be allowed to influence the judgement of the Directorate. An idea put forward by a big industrialist, a top Service leader or a famous scientist would probably get more favourable treatment than one from Bill Smith, the bottle-oh, or Farmer Brown. So each idea was known only by its number. The best of that week's submissionsthose that had survived the culling procedure, in which the crackpot notions and the ideas that defied the laws of nature, were eliminated - were put before them.

A senior Army man gave us a curly problem to solve: "Is there a little dye-tablet-one that troops on night patrol, or in the jungle, can dissolve and rub over their hands and faces instead of mud? We're worried about the chaps using mud for disguise, particularly in the tropics, because the bacteria in the mud could infect scratches or wounds. The tablet must dissolve quickly, with a minimum of fluid. We put the request out to the chemical companies, and within two days one of them came up with rapidly dissolving dye-tablets of every shade in the rainbow. The soldier covered all exposed partsby spitting in his hands and rubbing a tablet in his palms. News of this quickly spread, and the Services came up with more and more requirements. From the flow of submissions we got an accurate idea of the special field of interest of inventors all over Australia. When a particular request from the Services came up that matched the line of thinking of one of the inventors, we'd call the fellow in.

He might be a Master of Science in Canberra, or a welding specialist in Whyalla. We'd interview the inventor, size him up, and if he came up to what we needed we'd ask him to have a crack at solving one of the problems. As a result, we achieved a pretty good "marrying up" of the problem and the most likely people to answer it.

To be continued…

* Evelyn Ernest Owen (1915–1949). Although “Evo” was self-taught, had little engineering experience and no technical qualification, he invented a submachine gun (the “Owen gun”) which came into service in 1941. The Owen was the only entirely Australian-designed and constructed service submachine gun of World War II. In 1940 Australia had no experience in the development of mass-produced firearms and relied entirely on designs from the UK for the manufacture of its small arms. Despite initial rejection by the Central Inventions Board (the poorly-regarded forerunner to the Inventions Directorate), Owen’s gun finally commenced manufacture by late June 1941, and by September was ready for testing against similar weapons: the American Thompson, the Sten and the German Bergmann. The Owen, which contained just one moving part and was cheaper, proved superior and having been immersed in water, mud and sand, it also proved itself almost impossible to jam while the other weapons faltered and eventually became unworkable. The Owen could be used easily and reliably in jungle warfare - unlike other guns - and entered mass-production in Australia. Found to be the weapon of choice amongst soldiers, more than 45,000 Owen guns were produced during the Second World War; continuing in use during the Korean War and up to the early years of the Vietnam War.

This is an extract from ‘Big Wheels & Little Wheels’, by Sir Laurence Hartnett as told to John Veitch, 1964. © Deirdre Barnett.

Big

of UK-born Australian Sir Laurence John Hartnett (1898 – 1986) Australia’s “Father of the Holden” and much more

Evelyn Ernest Owen

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