AMT JUN/JUL 2021

JUN JUL 2021

PUT ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER, OKUMA JUST MAKES SENSE

BREAKING NEW GROUND

MINING & RESOURCES

Special Feature: Electronics State Spotlight: Western Australia

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JUN JUL 2021

BREAKING NEW GROUND

MINING & RESOURCES

Special Feature: Electronics State Spotlight: Western Australia

Metal Working Machines MC-370F CE Cold Saw, Includes Stand • • • • • •

EB-330FAS NC Swivel Head Metal Cutting Band Saw

115mm round capacity Swivel head ±45º Ø370 x 32mm blade Two blade speeds 22-44rpm Self centring vice 2.2kW/3hp, 415V motor

• • • • • •

6,350ex-GST (S841)

$

BMSY-540-CGH - Semi Automatic Double Column & Swivel Head Band Saw

• • • • • •

345 x 230mm capacity Mitre head from 0° to 60° 7” NC programmable touch screen control Inverter variable blade speed Hydraulic vice clamping 2hp. 415V motor

18,950ex-GST (B080)

Z3050X16 Radial Arm Drill • • • • • • • •

50mm drilling capacity 5MT spindle taper 16 spindle speeds (25-2000rpm) 16 auto feeds (0.04-3.2mm/rev) M36 thread tapping capacity Hydraulic feed & spindle drive system Includes box table 620 x 500 x 500mm 4kW / 5.3hp, 415V motor

17,950ex-GST (D166)

$

750 x 540mm capacity Mitre cutting up to 60º with DRO Linear guides for accuracy Auto optical material height adjustment Laser liner material pointer 4kW / 5.5hp, 415V motor

33,500ex-GST (B141)

$

$

Workshop Equipment MOBILE WELDING FUME EXTRACTORS • Dual stage filtering • H13 HEPA filtration • Arms with exclusive exo-joint high velocity extraction arm (160mm Diameter)

5,290ex-GST (W2711K)

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• • • • • •

HPM-300T - Industrial Motorised Hydraulic Press

50 Tonne • 300 tonne force CNC welded steel frame • 1300mm width between front post 200mm ram stroke • 370mm piston ram stroke Motorised hydraulic system • Joystick pressure control Includes pressure gauge & table winch • One piece table plate insert 1.5kW/2hp, 240V motor • 22kW / 30hp, 415V motor

DPM-1570- Industrial Motorised Hydraulic Press • • • • • • •

150 tonne force 1570mm width between front post 300mm piston ram stroke Heavy duty steel welded frame Joystick pressure control Fast approx slow bend system 11kW / 15hp. 415V motor

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17,950ex-GST (P408M)

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15,950ex-GST (P138)

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Sheet Metal & Fabrication Equipment IW-100S Hydraulic Punch & Shear • 100 tonne capacity • Dual independent operation • Five work stations • Punch: ø28 x 26mm • Shear plate: 610 x 16mm • Shear angle: 152 x 152 x 15mm • 7.5kW/10hp, 415V motor Include auto touch & cut systems & 6 sets of punch & dies

23,150ex-GST (P176)

$

HG-460B Hydraulic NC Guillotine

12,990ex-GST (S923)

$

• 1300mm x 6mm capacity • Quick action blade adjustment • Slideway lubrication pump • 9CrSi blades for stainless steel • 5.5kW / 7.5hp 415V brake motor Includes Rapid Blade Adjustment

Available at www.machineryhouse.com.au Specifications are subject to change without notice. All prices exclude GST and are valid until 30-06-21

TM-2680G Toolroom Centre Lathe

HEADING

BM-40V Industrial Turret Milling Machine

• • • • • •

Ø660 x 2000mm capacity 2 axis digital readout system Large 120mm spindle bore Rapid traverse saddle Z axis Triple SKF German spindle bearings 400mm wide induction hardened bed

• • • • • • • • •

39,500ex-GST (L639D)

$ • • • •

2 speed high/low tailstock Metric & imperial thread cutting 12 spindle speeds (12-1200rpm) 11.25kW/15hp, 415V motor

TB-70 Electric Pipe & Tube Bender Digital Control, Includes Stand • Ø51mm OD x 3mm round tube capacity • Ø2" NB x 1/8" pipe capacity • Stores up to 50 programs • 2.2kW 415V motor Includes Ø1/2", 3/4", Ø1" & Ø1-1/4" NB pipe formers

11,450ex-GST (T607)

$

3 Axis digital readout NT30 spindle taper (X) 860mm (Y) 360mm (Z) 425mm Hardened & ground slides & table 1370 x 254mm work table Meehanite grade casting variable speed 70-3500rpm 2.2kw/3hp, 415V motor Includes vice & clamp kit

12,250ex-GST (M607D)

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Bending & Rolling Equipment HPK-65 Section & Pipe Rolling Machine

HBM-75 Hydraulic NC Horizontal Bender

• • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

60 x 60 x 6mm angle capacity High quality hardened rolls Horizontal or vertical position Three rollers are powered Digital readout on control panel 3kW/4hp, 415V motor Includes curving rolls and guide rolls

75 tonne force capacity 300 x 12mm mild steel capacity 350mm cylinder ram stroke Omron NC touch screen control ±0.1mm stroke repeatability Adjustable pressure with gauge 1000mm manual backgauge 5.5kW / 7.5hp, 415V motor

29,950ex-GST (P159)

$

15,450ex-GST (S754)

$

AR-2506 Motorised Plate Curving Rolls • • • • • • •

2550 x 6mm plate curving capacity Initial pinch roll design for pre bending Motorised up & down rear curving roll Digital readout display on rear curving roll Swing out end for cylinder removal Safety wire interlock with emergency shut-off 5.5kW / 7.5hp. 415V motor power

17,450ex-GST (S772)

$

APHS-31120 Hydraulic CNC Pressbrake

NSW

(02) 9890 9111

1/2 Windsor Rd, Northmead

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QLD

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VIC

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03_AMTIL_010621

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006

CONTENTS

Volume 21 Number 02 APR/MAY 2021 ISSN 1832-6080

FEATURES MINING & RESOURCES Fuelling Australia’s recovery AM Hub case study: Gazmick HMS Group – Driven by safety and efficiency Rare earths becoming less “rare” in Australia Morgan Engineering – Making it happen ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AM Hub case study: Megafun Laser AM tech for military aircraft repair Aussie tech: Fast quarantine accommodation Spare parts management: Mobile AM solutions AML3D: New 3D printer 64

42 46 48 50 52 56 58 60 62

FORMING & FABRICATION A vision system for managing scrap Rapid material testing during sheet metal processing Leussink: Bespoke security entrance solution

66 68 69

ELECTRONICS Digilin Technologies: Shining innovation Micro dispensing systems for electronics REDARC: Factory of the future AM Hub case study: Additive Assurance New study: transparent electronics

70 72 74 75 76

MATERIAL REMOVAL Perrott: Okuma’s CNC multi-tasking machine Tornos makes its mark in the e-bike world

78 80

STATE SPOTLIGHT: WA WA Mining Conference 2021: Tech & innovation Austal launches VOLTA electric-powered high-speed ferry

84 85

CUTTING TOOLS Iscar – Machining at high RPM Walter expands indexable drilling line Machine tools as unique as you Advance Australian manufacturing with Sutton

86 89 90 92

PLASTICS, COMPOSITES & ADVANCED MATERIALS ACS Australia – Endless possibilities of composites Clever composites: Speed, accuracy & reduced down-time Thermoplastics: Disrupting gear markets

94 96 98

WELDING Welders need to be safe at work Could cobots be the answer to the welder shortage?

100 102

SENSORS & PROCESS CONTROL Ice cream brand achieves smooth production ASC marks Cognex and Mitsubishi milestones

104 105

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

8 10 12 14 16

INDUSTRY NEWS Current news from the Industry

18

42 Mining & Resources – Fuelling Australia’s recovery The Australian resources sector generated $270bn of export revenue in 2020 and mining has played a leading role. Australian manufacturers are supplying innovative tech, products and services to the lucrative sector.

54 Shane Infanti and Kim Banks AMT spoke to Shane Infanti and Kim Banks of AMTIL about their plans for next year's Australian Manufacturing Week exhibition in Melbourne.

70 A shining example of Australian innovation Queensland electronics manufacturer Digilin Technologies has provided lighting solutions for some of Australia’s iconic buildings & landmarks.

82

VOICEBOX Opinions from across the manufacturing industry 28 PRODUCT NEWS Selection of new and interesting products 36 ONE ON ONE Shane Infanti and Kim Banks: AMTIL

54

COMPANY FOCUS New Forge Engineering

82

AMTIL FORUMS

106

AMTIL INSIDE The latest news from AMTIL

110

MANUFACTURING HISTORY – A look back in time

118

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

New Forge Engineering: Forging ahead A trip to a 3D printing event in 2019 identified a yawning gap in the local market that New Forge Engineering has filled. Now the company is on track to becoming the largest Markforged print farm in Australia.

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008

FROM THE EDITOR WILLIAM POOLE

Clocking off Don’t say it too loud, but these seem to be pretty good times for Australian manufacturing.

The Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index has shown impressive growth for months now (AMT went to print before May’s index was released), while AMTIL’s machine tool import stats are revealing strong investment in technology. And, of course, bookings for our Australian Manufacturing Week exhibition next March are selling fast. Across the industry, there’s a prevailing sense that people are busy, orders are flowing, and there’s barely time to catch a breath.

This is all great news, but it’s also worth sounding a note of caution amid all this hectic activity. A new study from the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the serious health consequences of working long hours. The study found that in 2016, 398,000 people died worldwide from strokes and 347,000 from heart disease after having worked at least 55 hours a week. The situation is getting worse too: between 2000 and 2016, deaths from heart disease increased by 42%, and from stroke by 19%. And it’s particularly bad in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia (including Australia). The study concludes that working 55+ hours per week carries an estimated 35% higher risk of a stroke and 17% higher of heart disease, compared to working 35-40 hours a week.

Admittedly, long hours are sometimes unavoidable. There might be a glut of orders to fulfill. In slower times, it can take every hour available just to keep business coming in.

Unforeseen events can always derail the best laid plans. But sometimes, it really is just poor planning, poor resourcing, poor recruitment and allocation of staff.

Sometimes, equally, it’s down to perfectionism, or control-freakery, or just the pure love of the work. These are individual choices we’re all at liberty to make. But it’s important to recognise that our colleagues might have different priorities. And this is also where our choices have an impact, through the example we set. For instance, emails and texts sent late at night or on the weekend create a tacit pressure on colleagues to demonstrate similar working patterns. A friend who works at an organisation with a particularly corrosive longhours culture argues there’s often a performative, ‘showboating’ element to this: “Notice when this email was sent? See how hard I’m working?” (She’s a big advocate of features such as the ‘Delay Sending’ function in Outlook).

Australian manufacturing often seems to have an especially gung-ho culture, where excessive value is placed on an employee’s displays of commitment to the job. But the fact is long hours culture is often simply bad business. For starters, study after study shows that the quality of an employee’s work declines sharply when they have too much on their plate. Second, if one employee has too many eggs in their basket, when they decide to move on or become otherwise unavailable, it puts a big hole in the organisation’s capability – one that might not be easily filled.

Finally, there’s the long-range strategic perspective. Australian manufacturing is facing a skills crisis, at a time when technological advances mean the industry’s skill requirements are changing rapidly. If we want the brightest, most talented young people to choose a career in manufacturing, offering a working life that won’t impede their long-term health and happiness would probably help.

So let’s enjoy this positive spell for manufacturing in Australia, and let’s hope it lasts.

But let’s also remember to look after ourselves in the process, and take it easy from time to time.

Editor William Poole wpoole@amtil.com.au Contributors Carole Goldsmith Brent Balinski Sales Manager Nicholas Raftopoulos nraftopoulos@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 Suite 1, 673 Boronia Rd Wantirna VIC 3152 AUSTRALIA T 03 9800 3666 F 03 9800 3436 E info@amtil.com.au W www.amtil.com.au Copyright © Australian Manufacturing Technology (AMT).

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

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

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

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

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

Contact AMTIL on 03 9800 3666 for further information.

1552AMTJUNJUL2021

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

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010

FROM THE CEO SHANE INFANTI – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

Attracting the next generation of manufacturing talent The image of manufacturing as a career opportunity for young people and addressing the short term skill shortages that currently exist are two issues the AMTIL Board is currently working on.

Two initiatives are now being developed and discussed and they are outlined below.

Young Industry Ambassador Program A Young Industry Ambassador Program will generate an interest in a career in manufacturing. Imagine 50 young people from our industry who have the passion and drive to speak to other young people about their journey and experience so far. The intention is to have these ambassadors go through a public speaking course to give them the confidence and skills to present themselves. WIN. Imagine hundreds of high schools around the country that are on a database for communication around manufacturing careers and thus having the opportunity to have a Young Ambassador come and talk to their students. Imagine career advisors being better educated about the many career options available through our industry. WIN. Imagine 100 advanced manufacturers around the country prepared to open their doors and have school groups come for a plant tour.

The intention will be to cover the costs of travel for students to visit these advanced manufacturers to see first-hand the exciting opportunities that await them. Industry playing their part on showcasing their capabilities and raising the image of manufacturing in this country. WIN. Imagine the feed into the TAFE network around the country once these young people are stimulated and demand for courses is increased. WIN. Imagine those same advanced manufacturers, and others, who have apprenticeships and jobs to offer so that when an interest is stimulated in a young person, there is a logical pathway into further education and work. WIN. Getting new entrants into the manufacturing industry is not a shortterm activity. Now the challenge is “How do we fund this activity”?

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

Well, that needs to be a combination of industry, educators and government that come together and drive this program for several years. It won’t happen without the support from all stakeholders.

Re-Skilling for Industry Program Imagine if we could work with government agencies to identify long-term unemployed people and re-skill them into manufacturing jobs. The intention will be to find people that have an aptitude for learning. We will put people through a quick aptitude test that lets us know they have the potential to go through some further training.

This will allow them to come off unemployment benefits. WIN Imagine if we had funding to provide a 10 week course to these people that skilled them in basic CNC operation or sheetmetal fabrication. We could deliver these courses through the TAFE networks around the country in combination with industry providers of new technology. This would have the potential of rejuvenating the system where TAFE and industry work closer together in the delivery of training. WIN. Imagine if we had manufacturers lined up with jobs to offer so that when the training is complete these people walked straight into work. Industry is crying out about skill shortages in CNC operation, metal workers and welders. The intention will be to ensure the demand is met over the next few years at least, eliminating the short-term skill shortages we are currently experiencing. WIN. The same challenge as the previous initiative arises. “How do we fund this Program”? The answer is the same. Without government funding, these Programs cannot run on the level they need to in order for significant improvement to be made. We will continue working with Government Departments around the country to progress these Programs and make a difference to our industry.

Any feedback on either of these initiatives is most welcome. Please send your comments to Shane Infanti at sinfanti@amtil.com.au

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FROM THE MINISTRY THE HON CHRISTIAN PORTER MP – Minister for Industry, Science and Technology

Advanced manufacturing looks to the stars In the short time that I have been Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, I have been extremely impressed by the quality and scope of the manufacturing projects the Government is supporting.

These range from the many smaller projects that don’t get much publicity to others that gain international attention, such as our contribution to building the world’s largest and most capable radio telescopes – the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). I was pleased that one of my first official duties as Industry Minister was to join the Prime Minister in my home town of Perth in April for the announcement that the Government would invest a further $387m in the SKA over 10 years. This includes $64m to establish a specialist super-computing centre to be based in Perth that will process the unprecedented amounts of data that will be generated by the SKA. The SKA will consist of two world-class telescopes – an array of almost 200 mid-frequency dish antennas to be built in South Africa, and more than 131,000 low-frequency antennas in Australia. The low-frequency telescope will be built in the Murchison region of Western Australia, creating more than 350 jobs during the 10-year construction phase and a further 230 ongoing positions over the life of the project. Work will begin early next year.

The telescopes will have the capacity to look back to the dawn of the universe, to learn how the first stars and galaxies formed, to explore the origins and structure of the universe, and even search for extra-terrestrial life.

As the Prime Minister said, the $387m investment highlights that science and advanced manufacturing are at the heart of the Government’s National Economic Recovery Plan from the COVID-19 recession.

Our investment in the SKA will not only help astronomers learn more about our universe but contribute to building Australia’s local industry capability, which includes high-value areas such as data analytics and advanced manufacturing. Already several Australian companies have developed and manufactured components for the telescope prototypes and precursor telescopes.

This new investment will build on the Government’s $1.5bn Modern Manufacturing Strategy and be a significant boost to the space sector, along with the other five National Manufacturing Priorities.

Space featured in another of my early engagements as Industry Minister, when I supported the launch of the Australian Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide, which was opened by the Prime Minister and Premier of South Australia at the end of March. There is also a state-of-the-art Mission Control Centre on site, which will make it easier for local start-ups to control satellites and space missions.

As I said, to mark that event, the facilities are an investment in Australia’s future, including future jobs in space and other industries. There are thousands of opportunities being created in the rapidly-growing space sector, including in manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI) and information technology (IT). Innovation in the space sector also supports advancement in other essential industries, including agriculture and transport. I am looking forward to working closely with the Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo and stakeholders in the sector to advance Australia’s space industry and drive toward our goal of tripling the size of the sector and creating another 20,000 jobs by 2030.

As Industry Minister I will continue to carefully implement our Modern Manufacturing Strategy, building on the very strong work done by my predecessor Minister Karen Andrews.

I was on hand at the opening of funding and the delivery of 10year investment roadmaps for the last two of our six National

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

Manufacturing Priorities under the Strategy: Recycling and Clean Energy in April; and Defence in late March. Supported projects will be funded under the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative component of the Strategy. This funding will help manufacturers to scale up production, commercialise their products and operations, and integrate into domestic and global supply chains.

Turning our waste into valuable products and expanding our clean energy options are priorities for the Government. The funding for the Recycling and Clean Energy sector is targeted at businesses which are manufacturing in these areas and will leverage the billions of dollars in other investments being made across government into recycling and clean energy projects.

The opening of funding for projects in the Defence sector and release of the National Manufacturing Defence roadmap were wrapped into a wider announcement by the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Defence Industry, of great importance to Australian manufacturing. The Government will accelerate the creation of a $1bn Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise, boosting skilled jobs and helping secure Australia’s sovereign defence capabilities, which will drive innovation, skills and resilient supply chains.

The Enterprise will support missile and guided weapons manufacturing in Australia for use across the Australian Defence Force. It will be operated by a strategic industry partner working with the Department of Defence and will provide a suite of precision weapons that will meet our nation’s needs and provide export opportunities.

This will help us leverage Defence investment to grow a high-tech manufacturing ecosystem in Australia and support the Defence component of the Modern Manufacturing Strategy.

Apart from Defence, Space, and Recycling and Clean Energy, the other three National Priority Sectors are: Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing, Food and Beverage, and Medical Products. Funding has been opened in all six sectors and in each case is being underpinned by a road map developed in close collaboration with industry. For more information on the road maps and available grant funding, visit www.industry.gov.au/ manufacturing.

As I said when appointed Minister, I want to ensure we have a strong, vibrant manufacturing sector that is growing and creating more jobs, and I want to work with Australian industry stakeholders to make that happen. The opportunities created by Australia’s strong focus on the science and technology sectors will be crucial to making sure that we are building the industries of the future with the long-term sustainable employment these sectors can provide.

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014

FROM THE INDUSTRY INNES WILLOX – Chief Executive Australian Industry Group

Skills are key to continued manufacturing growth While the manufacturing sector continues to enjoy a resurgence this year, its growth cannot be sustained unless manufacturers can draw upon a workforce with the right skills.

Ai Group is continuing to witness a reinvigoration of the manufacturing sector in 2021. Our Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) increased by a further 1.8 points to 61.7 in April, indicating a seventh consecutive month of recovery from the severe disruptions of COVID-19 in Q2 of 2020.

The sector’s resilience has led to all six manufacturing sectors in the Australian PMI expanding in April 2021. The capacity utilisation index hit a record high, suggesting employment and/or investment may need to step up in order to facilitate further growth from here.

However, this growth cannot be realised unless manufacturers have the right skills, for skills underpin all work. Concerningly, Ai Group is seeing strains on companies caused by re-emerging skills gaps and shortages. Industry had lived with skills shortages for a few years, most acutely for trades workers and technicians. After a short hiatus last year, skills shortages have quickly started to reappear as one of the main concerns for our members.

Ai Group believes Australia’s skills landscape is facing much change and is in need of urgent attention. A number of factors are converging to create an urgency to skills formation and development. We are at a juncture where the pace of change is colliding with the development of skills.

New technologies are reshaping existing industries and creating new ones. Workplace cultures are shifting. Higher productivity is being achieved through remote-work arrangements and multiple, rapid meetings. Data science and interpretation are becoming larger parts of many roles. Circular and sustainable planning and processes loop in new capability needs. Corporate social responsibility endeavours are colliding with skills as companies consider diverse cohorts disadvantaged through COVID-19 when rebuilding capabilities.

COVID-19 has led to a forced and more rapid switch to digitisation for many. Global McKinsey data show that in a matter of months many companies accelerated the digitisation of their customer and supply chain interactions and internal operations by three to four years. While many companies did pivot, Ai Group is seeing signs that the switch to digitisation has not always been as deep as it needs to be and that some companies are still requiring basic digital skills before they move to more sophisticated technologies.

Late in 2020 we undertook a survey that focused specifically on the skill needs and workforce development plans of businesses as they ramped up their activity. Ai Group surveyed CEOs nationally, receiving 115 responses from companies employing a total of 39,447 people. Responses came from a mix of industry sectors: manufacturing (58%), construction (9%), services (13%), mining (3.5%) and other sectors (16%). Respondents represented all company sizes: 31% small, 45% medium-sized, and 24% large businesses.

Findings from the survey show technicians and trades workers reemerging as the most difficult roles to fill, followed by managers, professionals and sales workers. The digital skills that employers most need to increase are basic digital skills, cyber security and data analytics. Fewer said they required cloud computing, AI, augmented or virtual reality, or blockchain.

This suggests many are yet to reach the stage of harnessing technologies together in an integrated and digitalised approach that captures wide-ranging digitalised capability needs: production technologies; ‘design to operate’ process flows; sourcing and

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

procurement; asset management; finance; HR and payroll.

Increasingly this will become an issue as the forced switch to digital operations will require deeper digital strategies and the capacity to adopt, and have employees engage with, more advanced technologies.

Major disruption in industry through digitalisation should be seen as a natural trigger for major disruption in education and training.

Under current education and training models, development is often not quick enough to recalibrate the skills required for entry level employees. Companies are struggling to find timely, relevant short programs to reskill existing workers at pace. Learning models are under pressure. Educators are exploring how to prioritise and integrate the human-centred skills increasingly flagged as dominant skills for the future. Skilled migration has plummeted creating opportunities to improve the system during the pause in student arrivals.

Adding to the major disruption in the skills landscape, research on the changing workplace is showing there is an evolution to the nature of work. It speculates that the way people work is changing in an unprecedented way, suggesting skills development needs a different approach moving forward: where learning is not separate from doing; where we immerse learning in work environments.

Skills urgency is pointing to the need for new responses, new support and upscaled collaborations across Australia’s broad skill ecosystem. More intensified action must help to establish: • New templates for partnerships across the skill eco-system.

• Broad digital skills development integrating human capabilities.

• A re-imagined apprenticeship system.

• Work-based learning as a core principle in qualifications.

• Flexible qualifications allowing short form training.

Ai Group has established a new Centre for Education and Training to explore new ways of building skills and capabilities for companies and individuals for success now and into the future. The Centre’s proactive research, policy and advocacy agenda will strive to ensure Australia’s skills development outcomes are in line with current and emerging economic needs. It aims to link the real needs of industry with the training, education and career aspirations of individuals.

The Centre’s first report, Skills Urgency – Transforming Australia’s Workplaces, is a thought starter for encouraging bigger change around skills in Australia. The Centre welcomes approaches from like-minded agencies and individuals across the broad skill ecosystem: companies and industry, education and training providers and systems, governments and the community. www.aigroup.com.au/policy-and-research/mediacentre/reports

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FROM THE UNION STEVE MURPHY – National Secretary Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

Federal Budget lacks vision for the future The Federal Budget is always a good opportunity to reflect on the priorities of government, and looking ahead, to plan for our future – both in the short and the long term.

Sadly, despite the Federal Government spending record sums, there is no vision for the future, despite the Coalition having been in power for the best part of a decade. While the numbers are big, most workers will not see any material improvement in their day-today lives, nor their future prospects or the future prospects of their industry.

However, the big bulk of government spending on infrastructure is in the next 12 months. After that the Government drastically reduces its spending and expects households and businesses to begin driving the economy. This will be happening at a time when wage growth is expected to be below inflation and GDP growth is dropping from 4.5% to 2.5% – a very dangerous assumption.

Manufacturing-led recovery abandoned

Some good news on superannuation

There was no additional support for our manufacturing industry in the Budget. Despite the global trend towards support for onshoring supply chains, re-industrialisation and strong procurement policies to buy local, there was none of that from the Morrison Government.

The best we got was $700,000 a year to help local firms to bid for government contracts, without any guarantees that the government won’t simply go for the cheaper imported goods.

There was no announcement that the Government will be cancelling the increase to superannuation contributions (to 10%) on 1 July this year. The Government also scrapped the minimum earnings threshold of $450 a month before superannuation was required to be paid – this will help many casual workers, the majority of which are women.

The Government’s $1.3bn Manufacturing Modernisation Initiative (announced in October) is yet to spend a cent. Yet the plans for a gas-led recovery continue to gather pace, with many millions more being announced in the Budget.

No action on stagnant wages and insecure work The Budget predicts that real wages will go down over the next two years and remain below 3% until 2025. Workers are only expected to see a rise in their real wages once unemployment dives to 4.5% – a rate not seen since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).

Getting unemployment down is the Government’s only solution to addressing the wages crisis. The Budget fails when it comes to addressing underemployment, insecure work, labour hire or workers’ bargaining rights, all of which severely limit workers’ ability to win wage rises and new conditions.

This means that the cost-of-living pressures will continue to increase for most Australian families.

Tax cuts for business dwarfs support for families The Budget also extends the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset – a one-off rebate for eligible workers in middle incomes – by one year at a cost of $7.8bn. This was a mechanism used to disguise the permanent tax cuts already given to the wealthiest Australians, which are permanent, with further high-income tax cuts to come in 2024-25. Businesses will get further support, with many COVID-19 tax cuts being extended at a cost of $20bn.

Infrastructure spending to be short-lived The Government has committed $15.2bn in infrastructure spending over the next four years, plus a further $2bn on roads. While this is a welcome investment in our communities, it is not matched by improved local content requirements, apprenticeship ratios or skills investment.

The Government has set aside $2.7bn for 170,000 more apprenticeships but has no plans to find workplaces where those apprentices can learn their trade. As usual, most new VET funding will end up with private providers and not with TAFE – with some big cuts to VET spending in coming years, despite an extension to the apprentice wage scheme.

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Energy The Government’s pre-Budget announcements on energy include $760m on low-emissions technology and $540m for hydrogen and carbon-capture & storage and a number of smaller energy efficiency and reliability measures. While these investments are a good signal, they do not do enough to encourage local content, promote increased collaboration between researchers and local manufacturers, or bring these important technologies up to an industrial scale.

These projects are also no replacement for an economy-wide, government-led, worker-focused plan to tackle climate change and the impact that the shift to a carbon-constrained global economy will have on Australian workers, their families and their communities.

Debt and deficit Government debt is expected to peak at just below one trillion dollars in 2025, which is around 40% of the size of the Australian economy. While the largest in a long time, this is still quite small compared with many similar developed economies.

The government deficit will be $7.8bn this year, shrinking to $3.4bn in 2023-24. This is because many of the large spending items in the Budget are going to continue indefinitely into the future. The spending on aged care ($17bn), the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) ($13bn), mental health ($2.9bn), child care ($1.7bn) and many others is not COVID-19-related, but structural changes to the Budget in the long term.

None of these big spending announcements, however, include any measures to improve the pay and conditions of workers doing these vital jobs, most of whom are women.

This means that a Government wishing to return the Budget to balance will need to cut spending elsewhere, or raise taxes to achieve that – especially if wages aren’t growing. This means that an austerity budget should be expected after the next election, which is predicted to be either called later this year, or required early next year.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

New research shows surge in support for Australian-made New consumer research from Roy Morgan shows the preference for Australian-made goods continued to increase in 2020, with the huge majority of 93% of Australians stating they are more likely to buy products made in Australia – up from 87% a year earlier.

Michele Levine, Chief Executive Officer of Roy Morgan, said Australian-made goods enjoyed an outpouring of support in 2020 as international travel was restricted.

“Australian-made products have experienced a surge in support during 2020 with a large majority of 93% of Australians more likely to buy a product that is ‘made in Australia’, up 6% points from 2019,” said Levine. “Less than 1% of Australians say they are less likely to buy a product that is ‘made in Australia’ unchanged on a year ago.

“The closure of international borders and restrictions on travel around the world appears to have helped increase support for Australian-made goods. Although the preference for Australianmade goods is very high across all age groups, it is Baby Boomers (96%) and Generation X (94%) who are even more likely to prefer Australian-made products than other generations.”

Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro said Roy Morgan’s latest research comes as no surprise, as more and more Australians are looking to the green and gold Australian Made logo to find authentic Australian-made goods.

“Australia’s over-reliance on imported products has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lazzaro. “This research shows Australians are placing priority on manufacturing self-sufficiency and job creation along with a renewed appetite to address the imbalance between locally made and imported products to ensure Australia’s long-term prosperity.

“When you buy Australia Made, Australian Grown products, you know what you are getting - products made to the highest of manufacturing standards and grown in our clean, green environment. At the same time, you are helping to support our manufacturing industry, create Aussie jobs and give back to local communities.”

Almost all Australians (99%) are aware of the Australian Made logo, with the vast majority (92%) confident products displaying the logo are made in Australia. 97% of Australians also associate the iconic kangaroo logo with the support of local jobs and employment opportunities, 95% with safe and high-quality products, 89% with the use of ethical labour and 78% with sustainability. www.australianmade.com.au

Medical treatments to be fast-tracked with launch of Australian-first facility The launch of Australia’s first medical device development and manufacturing facility in Melbourne is set to fast-track new treatments for people with diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, hearing loss, stroke and diabetes.

The new facility called Neo-Bionica, a joint venture between the Bionics Institute and the University of Melbourne, is a highly specialised laboratory, purpose-built with the latest cleanroom technology, cutting edge robotic equipment, enhanced 3D printing and precision engineering tools needed to develop prototypes and manufacture medical devices for clinical trials.

Bionics Institute CEO Robert Klupacs said that providing researchers and engineers with the capability to build clinical trial grade medical devices in Australia will increase the speed from initial concept to clinical application. “Our Institute is renowned worldwide for developing life changing medical devices such as the cochlear implant, Minder epileptic seizure monitoring device and a unique nerve stimulation technique for the treatment of ulcerative colitis,” Klupacs said. “And yet, we currently depend on companies overseas to build prototypes of the latest medical devices for use in clinical trials.

“The opening of Neo-Bionica in July will completely change how we translate Australian innovation, enabling home grown inventions to be manufactured rapidly in Australia for the benefit of patients throughout the world. We estimate that Neo-Bionica will enable the translation from research to clinic of at least 20-30 new medical devices over the next 10 years.” Ken Jefferd, Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation at University of

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Melbourne, said Neo-Bionica will grow Melbourne’s reputation as a global biomedical powerhouse and boost the Australian economy.

“Not only will patients reap the benefits of groundbreaking medical devices more quickly, Neo-Bionica will attract international collaborators, generate employment, strengthen Australia’s export capability and boost the economy,” Jefferd said. “Research impact through collaboration is a critical priority for the University and Neo-Bionica is a stellar example of our vision turning into reality.”

University of Melbourne Professor Mark Cook, Chair of Medicine and Director of Neurology at St Vincent’s Hospital where Neo-Bionica is located, said the launch of the new facility will enable clinicians, scientists, engineers and industry partners to collaborate closely in the quest to find solutions for people with hard-to-treat diseases, like epilepsy. “The ability to walk from my consulting rooms to the Neo-Bionica facility and talk to the engineers developing prototypes for my patients to test will have a huge impact on the speed of developing new treatments, and the future of medicine in Australia,” Professor Cook said.

The Bionics Institute and the University of Melbourne are seeking $25m in philanthropic, investment and government funding for employment, manufacturing capacity and equipment at Neo-Bionica. For more information, go to: www.neo-bionica.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

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Australian-made inspection machines to support US COVID-19 vaccine injector manufacturing Australian automation system builder Andrew Donald Design Engineering (ADDE) has shipped the second of three specialist machines to prefilled injector manufacturer ApiJect Systems Corp in the USA. Under Operation Warp Speed, the US Government’s initiative to accelerate delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, ApiJect has assembled three high-speed lines to enable the complete fill and finish of up to 1.5 million injectors per day. The ApiJect injector system is based on Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS) technology, for which ADDE has over 20 years’ experience building custom manufacturing and packing equipment, including for AstraZeneca in Sydney, which operates the largest BFS facility in Australia. When ApiJect required a system to perform 100% inspection of each injector it, contracted ADDE to build the highly specialised machinery.

As expected for a COVID-19 vaccine and a program named Operation Warp Speed, time was of the essence, and ApiJect needed the shortest possible lead time.

“Our first proposal was for a six-month program to completely design, build and commission three machines, and we thought that was pretty aggressive,” said Barry Hendy, Managing Director of ADDE. “But ApiJect then asked us if we could do it in three months!” Thanks to the strong support from ADDE’s key suppliers, the first machine is now installed and has completed testing in the client’s site in the USA. The second machine has been shipped while the third machine is in Melbourne for now to allow parallel product testing if needed.

The ApiJect prefilled injectors are produced in a card of five doses with each card needing to be inspected for general profile, liquid fill, particles, and geometry. ADDE had built similar systems for another BFS operator in Australia so was able to leverage key elements of that design to achieve the fast timeline required. The ApiJect product, however, also required significant innovation in the handling, lighting, and inspection processes to perform the unique inspections required. “The ADDE team has done an amazing job to deliver this equipment in record time,” said Philip Leslie, ApiJect’s Acting Head of Manufacturing. “We have worked closely with them to produce a great system with the mechanical design and detailed inspection processes to enable us to achieve our unique inspection requirements.”

While there is plenty of discussion about the challenges of developing a COVID-19 vaccine, there are also significant constraints in the supply and filling of vials and syringes to distribute the vaccine.

The ApiJect technology provides a low-cost, high-speed, and sterile system to deliver safe, single-dose pre-filled injector. Each ADDE inspection machine supports the production of close to 500 injectors per minute, with 100% inspection of the critical parameters of the cards.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Swinburne, Sutton Tools to launch Smart Manufacturing Centre Swinburne University of Technology and Sutton Tools have signed an agreement to establish a joint Smart Manufacturing Centre to work on projects in advanced manufacturing over the next five years.

A research agreement was signed by Swinburne’s Deputy ViceChancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Bronwyn Fox and Peter Sutton, Managing Director of Sutton Tools, on 26 April. The new centre will play a key role in training students, staff and industry end users and will pursue joint R&D activities through different funding bodies. The centre will also play a role in the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy through developing a digital and sustainable local supply chain with Sutton Tools.

Features of the collaboration will include: • The loan of equipment from Swinburne to Sutton Tools.

• The joint funding of three PhD scholarships as part of our industry and impact PhD program.

• The placement of undergraduate/postgrad students with Sutton Tools via Swinburne’s Work Integrated Learning program.

Professor Fox commented “This partnership builds on a longstanding relationship between Swinburne and Sutton Tools that dates back to the early 1990s and underscores Swinburne’s research strengths in the manufacturing sector. In recent times this relationship has been advanced significantly by Professor Suresh Palanisamy.”

The agreement was signed by Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Bronwyn Fox and Peter Sutton, Managing Director of Sutton Tools, on 26 April.

Peter Sutton added: “Sutton Tools and Swinburne’s strengthening collaboration will be instrumental in the continued local development and manufacture of advanced engineering cutting tools. We see the Smart Manufacturing Centre as not only crucial in supporting R&D, but as importantly, providing the infrastructure to train both current and future engineers in systems and techniques required by increasingly demanding machining applications.”

The new centre will be based at Sutton Tools’ plant in Thomastown.

AMTIL announces AMW speaker program themes AMTIL has unveiled details of the themes that will be explored in the Future Solutions Stage speaker program during the Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) exhibition in Melbourne next March.

In addition to the country’s biggest manufacturing industry expo, AMW 2022 will feature several complementary parallel events.

Situated in the middle of the AMW exhibition, the Future Solutions Stage will feature a series of speakers sharing knowledge, expertise and insights, exploring a specific theme for each of the four days of AMW. They are: • Tuesday 8 March: Women in Manufacturing • Wednesday 9 March: Unlimit3D – Unlocking Additive Technology Opportunities • Thursday 10 March: Research & Innovation • Friday 11 March: A Celebration of Australian Manufacturing The first day of AMW will coincide with International Women’s Day, so the show will begin with a day-long celebration of the contribution made by women to Australian manufacturing, with the Future Solutions Stage featuring an all-female line-up of speakers. The opening of AMW will also be preceded by a special Women in Manufacturing networking breakfast.

“It’s a happy coincidence that next year’s show is opening on International Women’s Day, so the first day of the speaker program will reflect that,” says Kim Banks, AMW Exhibition Manager and Head of Events at AMTIL. “We’re working on a great program aimed at celebrating the achievements of women in this industry, and perhaps inspiring a next generation of younger women to consider manufacturing as a career.”

For the second day, the Future Solutions Stage will be devoted to additive manufacturing, with Unlimit3D returning after its launch

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at AMTIL’s Austech exhibition in 2019. With generous support from the event’s major sponsor Amiga Engineering, Unlimit3D will next year take place right at the heart of the AMW exhition, open to all.

“The first Unlimit3D was a big success two years ago, but as the event was separate the Austech exhibition, it felt kind of removed from the main event,” explains Banks. “For AMW 2022, we’ve decided to stage it at the Future Solutions Stage, so anyone visiting AMW can come along and learn about this technology.

We think it’ll be a big hit.”

Day three will look at Research & Innovation, with speakers from across industry, government and academia discussing ways manufacturers and researchers can collaborate more effectively to develop and commercialise Australian innovations. Finally, the last day will celebrate some of the great success stories coming out of Australian manufacturing today – with a focus on how the use of new technology is driving the industry forward.

AMTIL is currently hard at work curating an exciting, inspiring program, and is inviting industry to contribute their ideas for speakers or subjects to cover. Suggestions should be sent to: events@amtil.com.au.

“AMTIL’s motto is ‘Connect. Inform. Grow’, and having a compelling speaker program at events like these is a big part of that,” said Banks. “Keep an eye on the AMW website and our social media channels – there will be plenty of further announcements between now and March.” www.australianmanufacturingweek.com.au

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Survey finds Australian manufacturers gearing up for reshoring One in two manufacturers to bring operations back to Australia within the next three years, according to a new survey.

The survey, released by PROS, found that 55% of Australian manufacturers intend to reshore their operations to Australia by 2023 following market volatility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and international relations with neighbouring countries. The Australian Manufacturing Outlook survey revealed confidence in that the Australian economy is growing, with more companies signalling they intend to bring manufacturing operations back to Australia.

Nearly one quarter (22%) of respondents have already reshored their operations, with nearly half of companies’ overall manufacturing capacity (48%) targeted to return to Australia by 2023. Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia are poised to lead the nation’s charge on reshoring over the next three years according to respondents, with a focus on creating local jobs and growing priority sectors such as lithium batteries, defence and space, and capitalising on their respective geographic advantages.

The drive to reshore has been prompted by the need to future-proof critical supply chains in the face of market change and disruption, to minimise risk and protect jobs in key industries, coupled with Federal Government support through its Modern Manufacturing Strategy and strong consumer preference towards Australia producing more products. Three-quarters of those surveyed (78%) believe Australia possesses the technology, people and economic strength to support the creation of an agile manufacturing base, which would better protect and reinstate the local production of goods. However, Australian manufacturers are underprepared to compete in a digital economy, with 82% of survey respondents still

in the planning process or yet to implement e-commerce channels to sell to domestic or international buyers. Only 9% also have market-aware, dynamic pricing strategies.

“The economic recovery is well underway, but Australian manufacturers must equip themselves with e-commerce and dynamic pricing capabilities,” said Haley Glasgow, APAC Head of Strategic Consulting and Alliances at PROS. “Australia is incredibly well-placed to leverage smart technologies like artificial intelligence and digital selling channels to overcome the competition challenges from imports and online sources. But to reinvent themselves, investment must be made by the government, industry and companies themselves.

“Accelerating the sales process with AI-powered insights can also deliver prescriptive guidance on product recommendations, identify cross-sell and up-sell opportunities and proactively mitigate churn risk. This investment can improve the buying experience, order accuracy and accelerate business growth as the economy recovers.”

In support of strengthening self-reliance, nine in ten (90%) Australian manufacturer who responded to the survey were confident their company has access to a skilled Australian workforce capable of producing, marketing and selling its products through traditional and digital channels.

The Australian Manufacturing Outlook survey was conducted by independent market research firm OnePoll in December 2020.

The research sample consisted of 500 senior employees in the manufacturing sector across Australia.

Sentient Bionics bids to save one million lives with oxygen machine in a briefcase Since March 2020, Melbourne-based company Sentient Bionics has been working on a philanthropic project to develop a portable oxygen machine, with the aim of saving one million lives.

When COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals around the world, Sentient’s team of engineers, supervised and funded internally by CEO Dr Paul Boxer, realised that low and middle-income countries (LMICs), unlike developed countries, don’t have access to sufficient effective oxygen resources. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 32 million people will require oxygen therapy.

Sentient is a registered charity whose vision is to create a device with social benefit, with a passionate team of engineers behind it. Aaron Duivenvoorden, lead engineer of the project, explains: “We are a small team providing a necessity that will make a big difference and have a lasting impact in the world and people’s lives!”

Sentient’s project has resulted in Sentox, a low-cost oxygen machine compact enough to fit inside a briefcase. SentOx is rugged, hand-portable and designed to WHO specs, which makes it ideal for countries which have scarce medical equipment.

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Since the beginning, Sentient’s project has evolved a lot: the design has been validated and local production has started. Units have been sent to South Africa and Indonesia, where potential manufacturering partners are examining the device.

Last month, the team applied for a Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) grant, which would allow them to scale up massively and make a difference rapidly. In addition to local production, Sentient’s team hopes to be able to develop SentOx directly in the countries who need them most (Indonesia, South Africa, Ethiopia and Papua New Guinea amongst others) to create a distribution network.

Sentient is calling for potential partners offering manufacturing services which have ISO 13485 certification as well as medical device experience. The company is also looking for people experienced with PCB assembly, extruded aluminium, medical products and gas separation. www.sentientoxygen.net

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INDUSTRY NEWS

SA manufacturing given boost with opening of Auto Innovation Centre The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) has announced the official opening of its new Auto Innovation Centre (AIC) in Adelaide. The cutting-edge facility offers new technology and services to fast-track product development for the South Australian manufacturing industry.

Held on 29 April in Edinburgh, the AIC opening saw nearly 100 industry representatives, sponsors, dignitaries, and media come together to join this historic industry moment in a new ‘Centre of Excellence’. Underscoring the significance of the event for South Australia and Australian manufacturing, Senator Rex Patrick was the guest of honour, who symbolically cut the ribbon to declare the industry leading facility open for business.

Patrick was joined by Jon Gee MP, State Member for Taylor; AIC Managing Director Luke Truskinger, and Stuart Charity, CEO of the AAAA.

Director Luke Truskinger, and the AIC team have worked wonders to activate these services in the market.”

Senator Rex Patrick cut the ribbon to declare the Auto Innovation Centre (AIC) open, with Stuart Charity, CEO of the AAAA (left), and AIC Managing Director Luke Truskinger.

“We are proud to launch this facility in Adelaide, a location that boasts a great number of innovative aftermarket companies,” said Charity. “This facility, in addition to the Melbourne AIC centre, is the culmination of eight years of passion and hard work, and opens up new product development opportunities for businesses, while playing a role in supporting the health of this great industry.

“Bringing these centres to life has been an incredible effort. I would like to thank the Federal Government’s commitment to manufacturing, and investment in these incredible facilities, as well as Senator Rex Patrick’s unwavering support. The vision of the AAAA and AIC Boards, and our hugely supportive Champion companies was crucial. Finally, our passionate AIC Managing

For Truskinger, opening the South Australian facility is another exciting opportunity to further serve the aftermarket. “We can’t wait to start utilising our unique technology, equipment and know-how to improve development capabilities of our diverse and exciting automotive aftermarket businesses here in S.A, nationally and beyond. Our core purpose is business support, so we welcome enquiries on how the centre can directly assist with any bespoke business requirements.”

The AIC offers state-of-the-art robotic equipment to deliver premium vehicle testing services, including Sine-with-Dwell testing (ADR88/89) to validate ESC performance, and brake performance testing (ADR31/35). Product level testing includes vibration testing, hydraulic durability, tensile testing and a shock dyno, while additive manufacturing capability offers further product development opportunities. The AIC offers a database of premium-quality vehicle scan data, thanks to high-tech scanning and processing equipment.

The cutting-edge workshop is available for hire for company use, ADAS calibration, as well as for automotive training and education activities. www.autoic.com.au

Headland Machinery achieves ISO accreditations Headland Machinery has announced that it has recently received ISO certification in three key areas.

The accreditation were in the following categories: • ISO 9001-2015 Quality Management (QMS) • ISO 14001-2015 Environmental Management • ISO 45001-2018 Occupational Health & Safety Management The project to secure the certifications was led by Headland Project Manager Karthik Anantha and Managing Director Richard Kloe, with Financial Controller Nick Bedson acting as project sponsor. Anantha explained that upon receiving the news, he was very pleased to obtain accreditation quickly, but not surprised.

“I’m very happy that Headland has achieved ISO accreditation so quickly,” he explained. “From a quality perspective Headland had always followed best practices. During the audit stages, the auditor mentioned a few times that Headland’s quality was already at an ISO standard by looking at past records. Since the majority of our process and procedures are in accordance with ISO, we achieved ISO in a short amount of time.”

The accreditations mean clients can be assured Headland is following international best practice in delivering quality products and services. Accreditation guarantees a commitment to continual improvement and positive client experiences.

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Under ISO 9001 (Quality), Headland has achieved international recognition of its quality management systems and processes.

It attests that Headland responds to clients’ needs quickly, identifying problems and providing solutions faster.

The ISO 14001 (Environmental) certification demonstrates that Headland is committed to continually improving its environmental standards, following compliance guidelines and how it operates.

Headland is committed to minimising its impact on the environment, and is conscious of how its actions impact the environment.

Finally, ISO 45001 (OH&S) certifies that the safety of staff, clients and suppliers is paramount in what Headland does. International audit of its practices and processes provides best practice guidelines to ensure it minimises workplace injury and illness, that its safety systems are efficient, and that it maintains the highest standards possible.

George Yammouni, CEO of Headland, said: “We are committed to continual improvement, and achieving ISO accreditation ensures we benchmark ourselves against best practice. Not once, but regularly and continuously. We are dedicated to striving for positive client experiences whilst always being focused on quality, the environment and occupational health & safety”.

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GOVERNMENT NEWS

Victoria unveils plans for Fishermans Bend innovation precinct The Victorian State Government has announced measures to place the state at the forefront of global innovation in advanced manufacturing, engineering and design, with the announcement of investment in a major new innovation precinct close to Melbourne CBD. Premier Daniel Andrews’ Government will invest $179.4m to support stage one of the Fishermans Bend Innovation Precinct development at the former General Motors Holden factory, just 4km from Melbourne city centre. The precinct will encourage collaboration between industry and academia, with the University of Melbourne leading the way. Fishermans Bend will house the University of Melbourne’s School of Engineering from 2024 and the innovation precinct is forecast to be capable of supporting up to 30,000 STEM jobs by 2051.

The precinct is intended to cement Victoria’s status as a major centre for advanced manufacturing and support high-paid innovation jobs in defence, aerospace, clean energy and transport.

It will also strengthen the state’s capacity to commercialise new ideas and foster new business ventures.

GM Holden established its Fishermans Bend operations in the 1930s, first to assemble imported engines and locally produced car bodies. In the late 1940s, the site delivered Australia’s first massproduced vehicle – the FX Holden – and GM Holden’s operations expanded, while fellow carmakers also set up factories in the area.

Development Victoria bought the former GM Holden site in 2017 and is leading the project to remake the historic precinct.

“The old Holden factory is part of Victoria’s manufacturing history,” said Martin Pakula, Victorian State Minister for Business Precincts.

“This important first step will help transform it into Victoria’s manufacturing future. We’re creating the foundations for a worldleading hub for ideas, innovation and 21st century industry – it’s an investment in jobs and the people of Victoria.”

This first step will involve remediation of the 32-hectare GM Holden site – an area equal to 15 Melbourne Cricket Grounds –

and the installation of crucial infrastructure and services to make an investment-ready precinct. As many as 300 people will work on the innovation precinct project at any one time, with close to 700 indirect jobs also supported. Stage one is expected to unlock developable land capable of supporting 2,000 jobs by 2024.

The innovation precinct is at the heart of the 230-hectare Fishermans Bend Employment Precinct, recognised as a strategically important employment and innovation cluster, which is already home to worldrenowned firms including Boeing and Siemens. Fishermans Bend is Australia’s largest urban renewal project, covering around 480 hectares that will be home to around 80,000 people and 80,000 jobs by 2050.

Grants for Victorian manufacturers to support competitiveness, jobs Victorian manufacturers can now apply for grants of up to $500,000 to support and expand their operations, under a $20m drive by the State Government to boost competitiveness and drive new jobs.

The Business Competitiveness Program is a key plank of Premier Daniel Andrews’ Government’s $60m Manufacturing and Industry Development Fund, launched on 27 April by the State Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Martin Pakula, who urged businesses that are eligible to apply.

“Victoria is the manufacturing state. At the core of our strength are businesses that continually innovate and lead the way in their industries,” said Pakula. “We’re backing businesses to keep ahead of the pack because we know that it means more jobs for Victorians and an even stronger future for the sector.”

The Business Competitiveness Program will help eligible Victorian manufacturers implement new manufacturing technologies and processes. Grants will cover up to one-third of eligible project costs. The program will help to secure Victoria’s sovereign manufacturing capability by improving productivity, creating

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sustainable local jobs, increasing industry competitiveness and strengthening local supply chains in key sectors including medtech and food manufacturing. Grants can go towards the purchase and commissioning of capital equipment, manufacturing product and process improvements and supply chain capability development.

Another initiative under the Manufacturing and Industry Development Fund will open in coming months, providing grant support to growing businesses for projects that help them capitalise on new opportunities. The Fund is expected to create hundreds of new jobs, with funding spread over three years to boost the capabilities of Victorian businesses so they can expand and generate ongoing job growth.

For more information about the Business Competitiveness Program and to apply for a grant, go to: www.business.vic.gov.au/midf

GOVERNMENT NEWS

Renewed support for Australian automotive R&D The Federal Government has extended the automotive research & development tariff concession until 2025, keeping high-end research activities in Australia and supporting high-wage jobs.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Christian Porter, said vehicle research & development is vital to the nation’s prosperity with Australia being a significant competitor on the global stage.

“By extending the automotive research and development tariff concession, the Morrison Government is supporting the ongoing design and development of cars here at home, and providing ongoing job opportunities for our highly-skilled workforce,” Minister Porter said. “We’re supporting highly-skilled Australians such as engineers, designers, technical, automotive and other specialists to remain in these important jobs. It’s also evidence that while automotive manufacturing in Australia has changed over the past 10-15 years, we still have a healthy sector with well-paid jobs right along the value chain.”

Ford Australia, which employs more than 2,500 staff, is a key beneficiary of the tariff concession, along with Toyota Motor Corporation Australia and Robert Bosch Australia. The tariff concession is demand-driven and was worth more than $4m on goods imported from 35 countries in 2018 and 2019.

This extension capitalises on the Government’s investment in the automotive sector with programs such as the Automotive Transformation Scheme.

“Extending the tariff concessions will also strengthen Australia’s engineering and design capability, which will have flow-on benefits to many other parts of the economy, including manufacturing,” Minister Porter said. “By retaining the tariff concession we’re also cutting red tape and reducing the administrative burden for businesses, making it easier for them to remain competitive and contribute to Australia’s economic recovery.”

NT Government announces partnership with AMGC to promote advanced manufacturing The Northern Territory (NT) Government has announced a new partnership aimed at accelerating innovation opportunities for manufacturers.

The Territory Government will invest $8.75m over five years with the Federal Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) that will fast-track innovation projects and generate millions of dollars in co-investment. AMGC has connections with manufacturers, universities, research institutions and export hubs around the country, and co-funds industry projects to lead to commercialisation, with a goal of driving innovation, productivity and competitiveness across Australia’s manufacturing industry.

• A competitive co-funded grant program for industry stakeholders which will be managed by AMGC. “The Northern Territory sits at the intersection of innovation and opportunity,” said Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of AMGC. “AMGC believes that by leveraging the Territory’s rich natural resources and convenient access to international markets, the Top End has the opportunity to create smart jobs for Territorians and spur a new era of innovation and prosperity

Announcing the new partnership, NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said: “We are backing innovation and local business, because we know how exciting this space is for the Territory and for our economic comeback. We want to make things in the Territory, lock in more local projects and get them off the ground.

for the region.

“This will lead to more jobs for Territorians, and higher paying ones at that. This announcement is Kickstarter on steroids – and it will turn Territorians’ ideas into reality.”

Over the past three years, AMGC has facilitated more than 340 national collaborations and co-funded over 80 industry projects, while creating more than 2,300 jobs across the country. It has invested over $66.8m of combined industry and Government funds into manufacturing projects, resulting in an estimated $1.2bn in additional national revenue.

The new partnership will fast-track research, pilot projects and commercialisation of advanced manufacturing opportunities in minerals processing, agribusiness and carbon across the Territory.

Successful applicants through the partnership will be required to match funding dollar-for-dollar.

This partnership will see: • A permanent AMGC Territory Director appointed to build connections between local manufacturers and interstate research institutions and accelerate new opportunities.

• AMGC establish an office in Darwin, which will house the dedicated Territory-based Director who will be supported by AMGC’s existing national team.

“AMGC in partnership with the Gunner Government is committed to helping transform the Territory’s economy from being a lucky economy to a smart one, underpinned by smart companies manufacturing smart products and services with global relevance.”

The latest announcement delivers on the recommendations of the Territory Economic Reconstruction’s final report. It will accelerate the creation of advanced manufacturing businesses, which will create more jobs for Territorians and bolster the local economy with new investment opportunities.

Goennemann added: “Through encouraging collaboration, greater engagement with research institutions, and focusing on being better, not cheaper, Northern Territory-based manufacturers have a significant opportunity ahead of them and AMGC is here to drive that change.”

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VOICE BOX OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Servitisation business model cracks the manufacturing industry With manufacturers around the world looking for new revenue streams and opportunities, many are finding significant potential in servitisation. By Gary Katzeff.

The Australian manufacturing industry is a difficult industry to be in right now. The COVID-19 crisis has put immense pressure on global supply chains, which has shone a spotlight on the importance of domestic manufacturing capabilities. Despite being a critical part of the Australian economy, manufacturing accounts for only 6% of Australia’s GDP in 2021. There is a widespread recognition that more needs to be done to build the resilience of this critical sector.

However, market forces such as international competition mean companies in Australia cannot gain a competitive advantage through price. Many overseas manufacturing competitors have lower wage bills, raw material costs, and overheads. Meanwhile digital disruption is shaking up the way we do business, leaving companies who fail to digitally transform behind.

Manufacturers around the world are looking for new revenue streams and opportunities. Many are turning to services and solutions such as implementation, maintenance upgrades and product lifecycle services.

Rolls-Royce is often cited in business schools as a case study for how to separate manufacturing and services to create separate business streams. In fact, Rolls-Royce went one step further. It was one of the first companies to abandon the straight sales model in favour of the ‘power by the hour’ principle. This means almost every aspect of maintenance, monitoring and modernising of its engines are the responsibility of Rolls-Royce engineers.

This is a significant departure from the traditional manufacturing model whereby manufacturers would sell a product and then charge for repair work to that product as required.

Of course, projects with thousands of machines in different locations means there can be a mass of disconnected data. Making sense of all these data points is vital to produce better customer insights.

This is where machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) is so important to help assimilate data and make rapid decisions.

Naturally, the primary factor hindering servitisation for many brands is leadership, or an innate cultural and technical inertia to rapid change. An outdated business model and a lack of IT infrastructure is holding many back from progressing with a service-orientated strategy.

This is where technology can be a great enabler through offering new ways to connect. The latest techniques in the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, machine learning devices, and predictive analytics can join the dots for the data points, allowing analysts to extrapolate greater insights. IoT and AI tools play a key role in providing proactive valueadded services to customers. Interconnected smart devices collect valuable data that can be used to provide services in addition to products. Ultimately, that delivers additional, personalised value to customers. Fundamentally, IoT allows business owners to extend the base services that they already offer.

Manufacturers can start with simple projects involving tracking or visibility, to more sophisticated advanced services requiring automation, artificial intelligence or predictive analytics. Cloudbased business management systems create the platform for servitisation. It turns a business from one that just builds products to one that offers customer-focused services with products.

Finding success with servitisation

Rolls-Royce is just one example of how servitisation is helping the manufacturing sector to secure more long-term revenue than a straight-through manufacturing model can provide.

While there’s no silver bullet when it comes to implementing a successful servitisation strategy, there are some essential factors which can help ensure success:

Manufacturers also struggle to position themselves as ‘market leaders’ – bringing unique products to market is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive in the modern era. One way companies can differentiate themselves, and continue to drive revenue, is through servitisation. The combination of systems, services, technology and interconnectivity can drive a servicedriven mindset.

1. Create alignment between client and manufacturer through regular connection and engagement with customers. This is the key group that will benefit most from value-added services, while providing the data that will assist with innovation.

2. Prepare case studies of successful servitisation examples to showcase the value of your customers.

Data for insights

3. Ensure new services do not compete or conflict with what you already offer to avoid the potential cannibalisation of services.

Companies need to look for new technology solutions in order to provide the services customers are looking for. Much of the insight is sitting there ready to be harnessed.

4. Make sure the service offers fit or differentiate the brand or image of your manufacturing firm.

Products and machines create data every time they complete an action and provide updates on their status and operational readiness. Manufacturers can use data to provide efficiencies in their supply chain process. Indeed, at Sage we have seen many examples of manufacturers that have spotted anomalies in the supply chain and stopped production before the issue cost them too much.

Another example is cyber-manufacturing, which links together data from different machines, creating smart production lines that can adapt to change and recover from failure more quickly.

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5. Drive momentum by tapping into current market trends, and stay up to date with the changing needs of your customer.

Servitisation will help to build better long-term relationships, provide better visibility and open the door to new products and services to unlock new revenue streams. Manufacturers can turn an era of disruption on its head by using the window of change to find new innovations and relevant services to support their core products. In the age of acceleration, it could be the key to unlocking sustainable competitiveness.

Gary Katzeff is General Manager – ERP at Sage Software Australia & New Zealand. www.sage.com

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VOICE BOX OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Is now the time to pivot for a more sustainable future?

While businesses are often not designed for drastic change, the uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic is leaving them with no choice but to shift gears. But where to? By Scott Lemon.

In 1999, ‘pivot’ was not a corporate buzzword; it was an iconic line from the sitcom Friends. The scene was simple: three friends struggling to get a couch up a narrow staircase, with a frustrated Ross incessantly screaming the famous line: “Pivot!”

Fast forward to 2020 and you’re as likely to hear businesses talking about pivoting as you are to see a Friends pivot meme. The onset of COVID-19 has forced organisations out of their comfort zones to explore ventures they never thought of exploring, and quickly change business practices that would otherwise have taken years to implement. In a short span of time, we’ve seen restaurants become ghost kitchens, a vodka maker create carbon-negative hand sanitisers, and a paper-recycling company turn to recycled plastics to make face shields.

Would leaders and executives have had the courage to shift the same way if there wasn’t a pandemic? Maybe not.

Most businesses are not designed to change. At least not drastically.

Businesses are typically designed to exploit their current business model and maximise it until they can. Their systems and processes are set up to achieve repeatability, quality control, risk mitigation, compliance, customer loyalty and other factors that contributed to past successes. Change rarely fits in.

However, the world outside the business doesn’t stand still and wait for five and 10-year plans to shape up. It changes constantly in response to new technology, macro-economic forces, geopolitical forces, consumer expectations, and a once-in-a-century biological threat. There’s no other choice but to shift gears. But how can business leaders make sure they are pivoting in the right direction?

Budget cuts and changes in priorities are common in times of crisis like COVID-19. It is understandable for companies to instinctively focus on staying afloat and keep their financial stability in check to survive. But profit isn’t everything.

According to the World Economic Forum, we need to achieve the symbiosis of people, planet and profit to build a more resilient, sustainable future. Financial growth and plans for a sustainable future must go hand in hand. Natura CEO Roberto Marques put it simply: “We can’t run a business in a dead planet.” Ørsted, Denmark’s largest energy company, realised this early on.

Amid the global financial crisis in 2007, it transformed its entire fossil fuel business to renewable energy and shifted to a more sustainable business model, earning them the title of the most sustainable company in the world.

Although customer loyalty underpins business, it also holds it back. While consumers expect reliability and consistency from brands they support, they also expect them to innovate and offer something new.

When the pandemic hit, sales at sustainable restaurant company Homegrown fell from having 50-100 daily orders to two or three.

Instead of simply tweaking their business, they invested in making permanent changes in their services and moved to the surging grocery delivery space. To differentiate themselves from established corporations, they focused on sustainable pantry staples from local producers and farms, not easily found in grocery stores.

According to Homegrown CEO Brad Gillis, business owners need

to realise that COVID-19 has caused permanent shifts in customer behaviour: “We need to start thinking about meeting our customers where they’re at, and not expecting that they’ll come to you.”

A recent global survey reveals that people want real change, for the world and their personal lives. Some 86% of adults said they want the world to significantly change and become more sustainable and equitable after the pandemic. They don’t want to go back to the way things were. To pivot successfully, businesses must understand what people want and need. It’s no longer just the end product that people are concerned about. It’s knowing and having faith in the entire process, what the product is made of, and how it was produced.

“Consumers and employees are now acutely aware of how their lives can change overnight and how supply chains directly affect them,” says Abbie Morris, co-founder of Compare Ethics, a platform that connects consumers with verified sustainable products. Sales from its site increased by 150% in June 2020 compared with the previous month, suggesting consumers are now paying closer attention to supply chains.

Nevertheless, there’s still work to be done. Take the humble pallet, for example. Like plastics, pallets are actually deemed an essential piece of equipment for many businesses, yet there has been little to no consideration given to how this critical element pivots to a more sustainable model. Out of approximately 140m pallets in Australia, 88% are made of native timber, making it a major culprit in the deforestation crisis. What if manufacturers pivoted to a more sustainable, recyclable pallet, such as Re>pal, manufactured locally to customer demands, and powered by renewable energy?

It would be easy to say that building a recycled pallet industry isn’t a global priority. But last year, if an article had appeared decrying a world shortage of ventilators in the face of a possible pandemic, would governments have jumped to pay attention? Whether we expect industries and economies to ‘pivot’, ‘veer’ or do a complete U-turn, it’s not the action that matters, it’s the vision and the will.

The ability or extent to which organisations can pivot depends on the investment they had made in resilience, and the mindset of their leaders and people. A sense of purpose among employees has proven an effective driver of change within a business. According to McKinsey, people who feel they are contributing to something bigger than themselves are likely to perform well and help the company to pivot successfully. It pays to know our ‘whys’.

Perhaps, despite the havoc the pandemic has inflicted, something good can come of it. Of course, this does not take away from the loss and suffering that has occurred. However, if such a wake-up call allows world leaders, big corporations, and all of humanity to pay attention and refocus on what’s truly important, then it can only be considered a good thing.

Business needs to provide room for change and give itself space to move and make adjustments when situations call for it. So, when our backs are pressed against a wall, we do what we need to do?

We pivot.

Scott Lemon is a Lead Consultant – Digital Modelling at Aurecon. www.aurecongroup.com

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VOICE BOX OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Securing digital identities during a digital revolution The pandemic was a catalyst for many industries to go through a once-in-a-generation digital transformation, and manufacturing was no exception. However, the manufacturing sector is also a prime target for cybersecurity criminals and nation-state threat actors. To combat such a challenge, manufacturers need consistent and robust cybersecurity strategies that protect data and assets. By Terry Burgess.

Manufacturing is one of the largest markets for Internet of Things (IoT) devices – second only to the IoT devices used in buildings and for security systems. Conventional methods of data security aren’t enough to keep up with the demands of modern manufacturing. As manufacturers progressively expand past local roots, subsequently creating a global market of suppliers and customers, how can organisations keep up with this increasing need for data-sharing while minimising vulnerabilities?

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.

A central component to managing complex value chains is with identity security. Visibility across the organisation is crucial in knowing who has access to what information and when.

Manufacturers can have the strongest cybersecurity framework in place, but a partner could unintentionally create gaps, exposing internal data to potential threat actors. Contractors – or even some remote employees – may join full- or part-time staff across a wide range of roles on the factory floor, along with vendors, customers, auditors and regulators among others. This results in multiple access points being created, so it’s crucial that employee’s identities and their access to applications, data, and systems are managed and maintained.

In order to maintain the integrity of a factory, a secure lifecycle of systems and machines need to be established and maintained along with the data generated. By implementing identity security, it will securely connect, automatically integrate and reconcile all users that are inside and outside the organisation with the correct access and permissions to connect between different ecosystems of services and employees.

The rising complexity of the modern manufacturing industry has led to an evolving business model, thus, the need to abide by multiple data protection standards and regulations. Historically, manufacturers are often removed from the customer as products go through distribution entities before getting to the final end-user or consumer.

Now, many manufacturers are shortening their time to market, with some choosing to sell directly to the end-user. However, access to personal identifiable information (PII) and customer information will increase. It is crucial that the manufacturing sector be prepared to protect new types of data while remaining compliant.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have the ability to learn and evolve as changes in the organisation occur. Its application for identity security across an organisation means that a manufacturer can confidently develop new go-to-market strategies, knowing that the influx of new data and high volume of information is automatically protected and only accessible by authorised users to ensure compliancy while keeping the business secure. This is essential, particularly when expanding into new markets and regions, or creating new partnerships.

Traditionally, the implementation of technology within the manufacturing sector has had a strong focus on improving performance and safety. As cybercriminals become increasingly sophisticated, it is paramount that manufacturers evolve alongside by utilising advancements such as ML and IoT to identify and close any gaps as new technology is integrated.

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A cyberattack can infect and majorly disrupt a factory’s processes, causing stoppages, bottlenecks, and potentially permanent damage to equipment, thus, leading to financial damage that could cost a company thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars. It’s possible for these cyber intrusions to migrate and compromise associated systems such as customer data, value chain partners, employee information or other aspects of operations.

Research shows that manufacturing executives indicate that four of the top 10 cyberthreats facing their organisations are directly attributable to internal employees. This includes, but is not limited to, phishing, direct abuse of IT systems, and use of mobile devices.

Having automated identity security processes in place can help mitigate these risks and reduce human error.

It’s important to perform regular cyber risk assessments and be transparent about the results across the business. Engaging in dialogue will not only drive increased cyber-awareness but it may lead to positive changes in attitudes towards strengthening cybersecurity posture. Increasing organisational vigilance is key to improving an organisation’s ecosystem.

Consistent and robust cybersecurity strategies are necessary to protect data and assets. Elevating security processes with the use of AI and ML to complement the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry is pertinent to staying competitive while mitigating cyber risks. The challenges of overcoming cyber risks are constantly evolving, but by streamlining identity security processes, it expands the company’s security capabilities, reduce IT costs and drive overall value.

Terry Burgess is Vice President, APAC at SailPoint. www.sailpoint.com

Real Business Real People Real Members Apart from any financial benefit what other reason is there to be a member of AMTIL? The world is getting smaller and globalisation provides an abundance of opportunities and threats. AMTIL provides us with tools and support to stay connected and collaborate with businesses who are driven to harness the opportunities and counteract the threats together, and retain a strong manufacturing footprint here in Australia.

Erika Hughes, Integra Systems

Since 1999, AMTIL has been connecting business, informing of opportunities and growing the manufacturing community.

To be become an AMTIL member contact our Corporate Services Manager, Greg Chalker on 03 9800 3666 or email gchalker@amtil.com.au

amtil.com.au 1311AMTIL/EH

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TECH NEWS

Germany: Glass injection moulding Shaping glass is mainly based on decades-old tech which is technologically demanding, energy-intensive and severely limited with shaping. For the first time, a team has developed a process (Glassomer) that makes it possible to form glass easily, quickly and in almost any shape using injection moulding. The team has combined polymer and glass processing which allows quick and cost-effective replacement of both mass-produced products and complex polymer structures and components with glass.

Transparent glass could not be moulded in the injection moulding process until now. Developed from a special granulate designed inhouse, it is now possible to also mould glass in high throughput at just 130 °C. The injection-moulded components are then converted into glass in a heat treatment process. Requiring less energy than conventional glass melting, the glass components have a high surface quality, so that post-treatment steps such as polishing are not required.

University of Freiburg

World-first advancements developed in Melbourne set the new system apart.

this technology being created in Australia but to also have it in a position it can be manufactured here“ said former Industry, Science & Technology Minister, Karen Andrews.

RMIT

USA: 3D printing polymers

Injection-moulded structures made from the newly developed Glassomer composite.

USA: Moving platform for 3D printing cuts waste & costs A new dynamically-controlled base for 3D printing will reduce the need for printed supports. The 3D printing process creates a large amount of expensive and unsustainable waste and is a lengthy process. Each time a 3D printer produces custom objects, it also needs to print supports – printed stands that balance the object as the printer creates layer by layer. But these supports must be manually removed after printing, which requires finishing by hand and can result in shape inaccuracies or surface roughness. The materials the supports are made from often cannot be re-used.

Researchers have created a low-cost reusable support method to reduce the need for 3D printers to print these supports. The system uses a programmable, dynamically-controlled surface made of moveable metal pins to replace the printed supports. The pins rise up as the printer progressively builds the product. There is a saving in printing time of about 40%.

Univeristy of Southern California

Australia: World-first aged care monitoring & alert tech Melbourne-based company Sleeptite has launched the worldfirst smart monitoring system: REMi. which could revolutionise the aged care industry, delivering real-time and non-invasive resident monitoring and alerts. REMi is a three-part system comprising flexible sensors integrated into a medical grade mattress cover.

Setting the REMi system apart from existing aged care monitoring devices are two world-first advancements developed in Melbourne: flexible and stretchable sensors that can monitor movement and vital signs when embedded in materials and the advanced manufacturing equipment and processes developed by Sleepeezee Bedding Australia, required to take the sensors made in a laboratory and mass-produce them at scale. “I’m delighted to not just see

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Researchers have developed 3D-printable “bottlebrush” elastomer, resulting in printed objects that have unusual softness and elasticity.

The discovery involves the self-assembly of bottlebrush polymers at the nanometer length scale, which causes a solid-to-liquid transition in response to applied pressure. When sufficient pressure is applied, it liquefies and can be squeezed through a syringe. This is called direct ink writing (DIW). Able to hold its shape for hours, once the object is printed, UV light is shined onto it to activate crosslinkers.

The crosslinkers can link up nearby bottlebrush polymers, resulting in a super-soft elastomer. The material then becomes a permanent solid and exhibits extraordinary properties. The new material can be 3D-printed and processed without solvent and can stretch to three or four times its length.

University of California

Germany: Smart finger-ring with integrated RFID chip 3D printing with automated integration of electronics has been employed to produce a fingerring with an integrated tamperproof RFID chip. The ring is built up layer by layer, with a cavity left for the electronics where a robot system automatically picks up an RFID component and places it in the recess before the printing process continues.

The chip is sealed by the ring, making it tamper-proof.

How can the electromagnetic signals from the RFID chip be sent through metal which is The smart ring with integrated normally an effective shield? electronics is only slightly bigger The team used a frequency than a normal finger ring. of 125 kilohertz: This has a shorter range and is less effectively shielded by the metal. Another challenge was to protect the sensitive electronics of the RFID tags from the high temperatures involved in the manufacturing process.

The technology can be used for other applications, ie: sensors in gear wheels.

Fraunhofer

TECH HEADING NEWS

UK: Plate-lattice metamaterial ‘tougher & lighter’ than aluminium

transmission results in heavy congestion which limits the potential of satellites and the industries they support. Quasar is backed by $12m from CSIRO and other companies.

A new form of 3D-printed material made by combining commonlyused plastics with carbon nanotubes is tougher and lighter than similar forms of aluminium. The material could lead to the development of safer, lighter and more durable structures for the aerospace, automotive, renewables and marine industries.

The researchers investigated whether new forms of plate-lattice design, manufactured from a plastic-nanotube composite, could make a metamaterial with even more advanced properties of stiffness, strength and toughness. Using their nanoengineered filament composite as the feedstock in a 3D printer, the filaments fused to build a series of plate-lattice designs. The polypropylene hybrid plate-lattice could withstand 19.9 joules per gram – a superior performance over similar micro-architected aluminium metamaterials and it also offers greater impact resistance. The plastics are recyclable.

CSIRO

University of Glasgow

USA: ‘Fingerprinting’ 3D printers

Australia: Mortorsport in the sky Australian startup Alauda Aeronautics has unveiled a full-sized, remotely-operated electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) - the Airspeeder Mk3. Airspeeder & parent company Alauda are currently manufacturing Mk3 electric flying cars at their Adelaide HQ, with 10 racing vehicles being supplied to teams for the Airspeeder Mk3 racing series (remotely-piloted races). The Airspeeder Mk3 is a giant technical leap forward and is the final version before the introduction of manned craft - the Mk4 - next year. The Mk3 features tech/engineering never seen on an eVTOL craft and include LiDAR and Radar collision avoidance systems; a carbon fibre frame and fuselage and an "octocopter X" control which allows the craft to make hairpin turns, while also being able to move vertically. Airspeeder’s technical HQ is in Adelaide and commercial operations are run from London.

Airspeeder/mixed

3D printing tech is prey to IP violation and can even threaten national security. To reduce illicit use, researchers are developing a way to track the origin of 3D-printed items. Each 3D printer has an extruder which has its own unique heating properties. These thermodynamic properties can be used to identify the specific extruder and thus, the model of 3D printer, as uniquely as a human fingerprint (ie ThermoTag). A researcher can thus examine the specific manner in which a 3D-printed object was made and compare that to a database of various extruders until a match is made. By examining and comparing the ThermoTag features of 45 different extruders of the same model, the researchers were able to correctly identify the source printer with an accuracy rate of 92%. The extruder could be replaced to avoid detection, which is why a database of these parts should be created.

University at Buffalo

Australia: Revolutionising space communications We are entering a new space age due to the estimated 57,000+ satellites which are expected to be launched by the end of the decade. These satellites will support demand for space-derived data: from environmental monitoring to connecting to sensors on ‘Internet of Things’ networks. This will result in a US$130bn satellite communications market which Australian startup Quasar Satellite Technologies is poised to take advantage of. Using radio telescope technology developed by CSIRO, Quasar is creating a world-leading ground station service capable of communicating with hundreds of satellites simultaneously, instead of the one-toone transmission which ground stations perform today. One-to-one

Australia: World-leading CubeSat satellites launched Last March, a joint UNSW Canberra Space and RAAF CubeSat mission successfully launched with Rocket Lab’s ‘They Go Up So Fast’ mission. This represents a significant step forward in Australia’s sovereign space capabilities. M2 will deliver worldleading CubeSat tech including formation flying, where the craft is able to split into two separate satellites and fly in sequence, enabling significant mission flexibility. The data captured can inform maritime surveillance, weather observations and low-orbit satellite traffic, reconfigurable throughout the mission. This mission is one of the most complex CubeSat programs ever attempted and is almost entirely designed and built in Australia, supported by optical telescopes developed by Aperture Optical Sciences Inc., US. UNSW

“Space is the highway of the stars, but current ground station technology is the equivalent of one-lane on-ramps,” Quasar CEO Phil Ridley. Quasar Satellite Technologies is the new Australian space startup which is set to revolutionise space communication by allowing ground stations to talk to hundreds of satellites at once using technology developed by the CSIRO. Commercialisation of this breakthrough research will help to put more Australians into new jobs in this country’s growing space industry. “CSIRO’s technology breakthrough enabled the world to connect without wires using fast WiFi, and now our technology will help connect satellites using our breakthrough phased array technology” added CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Innovative Talks

on the future of FMCG in Australia

T

he fourth industrial revolution has certainly made its way to the doorsteps of the Australian manufacturing industry and the future of our local FMCG manufacturing has never been brighter for businesses that dare to think differently and apply innovation via advanced manufacturing techniques and technology to compete on a global scale.

Vative has been supporting Australian manufacturers in deploying Continuous Improvement strategies and driving operational excellence since 2006. Over the last 15 years of business transformation, we have seen firsthand that without the innovative thinking and adaption to change within the mindset of the key leadership, a business will struggle to shift towards becoming truly innovative. Vative discussed this recently with a Melbourne Food Manufacturer who have their eyes set on growth and expansion not only in within the Australian market but heavily into the export market where Australian quality is in high demand globally.

NMPS Food Group are a family-owned business currently in its second generation of management. We spoke with Managing Director, Evan Tsioukis, about the future of advanced manufacturing for Australian businesses setting their sights on implementing transformative technologies. Here is what Evan had to say: How is technology shaping the manufacturing industry and what does Industry 4.0 mean to your business?

“Our recent exponential growth has pushed us to transition from a family owned and operated business to a corporate enterprise and with this transition we know we that to survive we need to invest in incorporating advanced manufacturing techniques. With this evolution we have come to the realisation that to continue to capitalize on our growth we must embrace technology and enter the 4th industrial revolution of competitive manufacturing. We know that if we do not think innovative, we will be left behind and our growth will stifle, so over the last 6-7 years we have been focused in capturing relevant data across our business so we can now systematise and automate our manufacturing volumes, quality, defects, weight and throughput.”

What strategies are you currently applying in your business to ensure process controls through the use of technology and how is this implemented and adapted to the wider team members?

“The use of technology is allowing us to improve as a business, and we need to continuously be improving otherwise we just fall behind very quickly in this industry. Our journey into the 4th industrial revolution required us to analyse our current state and ensure our business is not only technologically ready though we need to ensure our people adapt a mindset of continuous improvement otherwise adding technology speeds up inefficient processes. Our vision is to drive process improvement through strategy, leadership alignment, analysis and training as we have invested significantly to apply Continuous Improvement across our entire business and ensure it is sustained for the long term, this strategy will inevitably support our plans to use technology for the betterment of our future and give us the capacity for growth.”

You’re quite the mover and shaker in business, particularly with the implementation and use of technology such as the performance monitoring sensors you are testing and trialing at the moment. What will this type of technology do for your business?

Vative’s PerformHub

Performance Monitoring and Tracking

“We are in the midst of optimising our entire operations to make processes simpler and make data capturing easier. Food manufacturing in Australia particularly when you are supplying the major supermarkets is highly focused on maintaining quality manufacturing practices and equally as important with keeping up with delivery and supply. Machine downtime and changeover is typically our biggest opportunity to improve and with the implementation of IoT technology we can measure and act on optimising it to service our customers with greater speed which in turn gives enhances our profitability.

The implementation of data measuring technology has typically been a high cost, high complex strategy though with devices such as Vative’s PeformHub we now have a ‘plug and play’ solution giving me and my management team instant transparency on machine effectiveness and measuring throughput.

With greater optimisation on our machines and better transparency on productivity on the production lines, we can continue to meet our global demands particularly in the meat-free product range. Together with PerformHub we are investing and trialing Artificial Intelligence systems as a means to manage quality control, this allows our human resources to be better deployed within the business.”

Cost effective IoT device Real time data on overall equipment effectiveness Plug-and-play technology Monitors productivity and reports machine downtime, changeover, cycle times, and quality outputs Target vs actual dynamic reporting and dashboards Mobile friendly and network independent

You’ve travelled a lot overseas to Europe and other parts of the world (pre-COVID) to see what others are doing in the space of advanced food manufacturing and technology. How do Australian food businesses compare to those manufacturing in other counties?

“Australia is far enough from the rest of the world which in today’s climate gives us a great sense of protection for our industry though the distance also does inhibit our capacity to stay in touch with the latest technological advancements that come out of Europe and America. Having sourced many of our machinery from Germany, I have found that technology that was released to market 3-5 years ago over there has not even made its way to industry here in Australia, granted though our population also contributes to the lack of opportunity as it does not attract foreign markets to sell here.

The Australian Government really needs to support and prop up advanced manufacturing otherwise just like any business that fails to innovate it continues to fall behind until it becomes irrelevant and that would not be good for our industry. Australia has quite the reputation for food quality and is continually growing its attraction to export markets around the globe, with competitive manufacturing practices coupled with technology we can truly become a nation of producers again.”

Inspiring People, Organisations and Community to Continuously Improve

Tablets can be synchronised with production schedules Secure cloud based solution with no fuss installation Full customisation available to meet individual specifications

To find out more about how Vative’s PerformHub can support your manufacturing business to engage with Industry 4.0, visit our website vative.com.au/perform-hub

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PRODUCT NEWS

Photocentric reimagines manufacturing with LC Magna The LC Magna 3D printer from Photocentric delivers an impressive combination of large build volume and accurate printing, making it a powerful tool for custom mass manufacture.

The build volume of the LC Magna is 510mm by 280mm by 350mm, making it the largest build volume LCD screen-based 3D printer currently available. LC Magna has a 60cm 4K Ultra HD screen, offering unbeatable precision and detail when creating high-resolution, mass-manufactured parts. The screen has been matched with a custom-built backlight. These two elements work together to ensure extremely high print accuracy, delivering amazing detail. Product designers, engineers and manufacturers alike can now benefit from LC Magna’s large build volume capabilities and maximise build plate capacity to increase throughput, speed up assembly production and reduce lead times.

“LCD screen-based 3D printers have been the fastest growing area in 3D resin printing,” says Sally Tipping, Sales Director at Photocentric. “This machine sets new standards, making it best in class in almost every respect – it really is a disruptive industrychanging machine.”

The hardware and electronics of LC Magna have been designed

by Photocentric with high-precision reliability in mind to ensure consistent robust performance. The patented peel release mechanism ensures low force, which creates reliable prints, small support tips and very fast printing. LC Magna also comes with a large 18cm interactive graphical user interface (GUI) to aid user control, which also facilitates the printer hardware to be used to its full potential.

Delivering consistent accuracy across a massive build plate with 100% of models’ tolerance at less than 100μm and an average accuracy of within 50μm, LC Magna can be used for batch producing small parts such as 3D printer components, orthodontic aligners, detailed game figurines, or for scaling up to large prototype parts such as automotive suspensions or bike stands. The

advanced technology of LC Magna accommodates the evolving need of 3D printing in businesses looking to turn their digital images into physical parts more and more rapidly.

Building on the company’s core expertise in the innovation of photopolymer manufacture, Photocentric’s in-house team of chemists have formulated a range of high-performance Daylight photopolymer resins covering all essential applications.

Photocentric enjoys a partnership with BASF 3D Printing Solutions, which focuses on establishing and expanding the 3D printing business with materials, system solutions, components, and services. The two companies are working together to provide solutions for specific applications to enable custom mass manufacture of functional parts in scale and at cost-effective prices. This co-operation offers solutions to industries that enable processes to be made using additive manufacturing to replace traditional tooling methods and creating flexibility of geometry, absence of tooling costs and custom design.

Bilby 3D recently became the Australian distributor for Photocentric. www.bilby3d.com.au

John Hart – One-stop shop for OnRobot EoAT range John Hart has entered into a distribution agreement for the OnRobot product range, featuring a wide assortment of end-of-arm tooling (EoAT) and end effectors for collaborative robot applications.

The OnRobot range of robotic arm grippers, sensors and tool changers makes it faster and simpler to automate tasks such as packaging, materials handling, machine tending, assembly, and surface finishing. With its new partnership with OnRobot, John Hart aims to provide effective solutions to help small and mid-sized manufacturers optimise their processes and grow their businesses, with greater flexibility, higher output and improved quality.

applications, including: electric, vacuum and magnetic grippers, the award-winning Gecko gripping technology, force/torque sensors, a 2.5D vision system, screwdriver, sander kits and tool changers.

Headquartered in Odense in Denmark, OnRobot also has offices in Los Angeles and Dallas in the US, Soest (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Warsaw (Poland), Budapest (Hungary), Shanghai (China), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea) and Singapore.

According to John Hart, collaborative automation has levelled the playing field for small and mid-sized manufacturers, and as robots become easier to buy and implement, the tooling has become the vital element in adapting for a wide range of applications. OnRobot’s product range features a wide assortment of tools for collaborative

In a statement, John Hart said: “OnRobot provides compatibility and versatility beyond compare. It’s everything manufacturers need from one supplier, providing even more value from an automation investment.” www.johnhart.com.au

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PRODUCT NEWS

Kaeser Aircenter: Efficient and future-proof The latest generation of the compact and dependable Aircenter all-in-one compressed air systems from Kaeser are not only more efficient than ever before, but also now include a future-proof compressed air refrigerant dryer.

The user-friendly Aircenter is a complete turnkey system which incorporates a Kaeser rotary screw compressor, an energy efficient refrigeration dryer and an air receiver – all in one space-saving compact package. The space-saving design has long since made the Aircenter the ideal solution where space is at a premium, such as in auto body garages and workshops.

For 5.5kW to 9kW requirements, the Aircenter incorporates the Kaeser SM series rotary screw compressor. For maximum efficiency, the SM 10 and SM 16 compressor models both have premium efficiency IE3 motors, and the SM 13 compressor model is now equipped as standard with a super-premium efficiency IE4 motor. These motors comply with and exceed prevailing Australian GEMS regulations for three-phase electric motors. IE4 motors are the technology of tomorrow, with current regulation introduced in January 2015 only requiring the use of IE3 Class motors. For the end user this translates into the best possible compressor performance, reduced energy costs and significantly enhanced compressed air production efficiency, all available today.

For even greater intake volume and efficiency, the latest generation of SM series rotary screw compressors are also equipped with the SIGMA 06 screw compressor block, featuring even further refined Sigma Profile rotors. Together with the IE4 motor for example, Kaeser has been able to reduce the energy requirement of these compressors by up to 13%.

From the end of 2019, all refrigerant dryers from Kaeser Compressors have been using the new R-513A refrigerant. This includes the refrigeration dryers that can be found in the Aircenter models. R-513A refrigerant offers the most future-proof operating solution for refrigeration dryers. Utilising this climate-friendly refrigerant will assist compressed air users in future-proofing their system as Australia transitions to low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerants as part of the Australian hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase-down.

All Kaeser refrigeration dryers are designed to provide maximum efficiency and energy cost savings. Thanks to the new refrigerant, they are also future-proof for their entire service life when it comes to applicable refrigerant legislation. With sound levels as low as 62 dB(A) the Aircenter is also suitable at point of use. The SM series Aircenter compressed air systems are available with drive powers of 5.5mkW to 9 kW, and produce flow rates from 0.59 to 1.62 cubic metres per minute, designed for pressures up to 15 bar. www.kaeser.com.au

ECI Manufacturing 2021 Webinar Series Throughout 2021, we’ll be hosting a series of exclusive webinars demonstrating how ECI’s unique manufacturing solutions can support your entire business - helping you reduce costs, improve productivity and increase profitability.

We’ll be covering industry relative topics including: Diversifying your supply chain Untangling your scheduling spaghetti Power Innovation with visible data and more...

Dont miss out. Register today to reserve your place. info.ecisolutions.com/webr AUS: 1300 130 241 | NZ: 0800 441 186

www.ecisolutions.com/au | How business gets done.

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PRODUCT NEWS

FARO RevEng Software 2021: New auto-surfacing capabilities for fast, high-quality CAD surfaces FARO has announced the release of FARO RevEng Software 2021, the latest update to its RevEng software platform, featuring automatic surfacing capabilities, creating surfaces quickly directly from scanned point clouds and meshes.

As one of the most affordable, fastest reverse engineering Scanto-CAD software solutions available, RevEng 2021 helps users get work done faster by reducing data capture time and eliminating overlapping data points. It is ideal for aftermarket design, creation of replacement parts, new design iterations or additive manufacturing.

The Automatic NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) Surfaces Creation Tool allows for the creation of a full network of curves and surface patches with the click of a button, ready for immediate export into a CAD file. Full control is also possible by customising the surface patches in the sketch mode with its flexible control point placement, while curves are colour-coded to quickly verify surface continuity. The 3D point cloud capture enables users to create models up to 1.75X lighter with a grid management feature to obtain clean, light, and consistent point cloud data.

“Reverse engineering with RevEng is easier and faster than ever,” said John Chan, FARO Software Product Marketing Manager. “Users can scan with a FARO ScanArm – paired with the optional eightaxis rotating platform to increase acquisition speed – to generate a mesh of the highest quality and quickly produce exportable CAD surfaces for machining, finite element analysis simulations or 3D modeling.”

Users can also import point cloud or mesh files from any source and repair the mesh with RevEng state-of-the-art optimisation tools, automatically repairing meshes up to 20 times faster than current leading tools and improving smoothing effectiveness up to 1.5 times faster. This makes RevEng software agnostic and can be paired with any inspection program – even for customers working with other software products.

Additional RevEng 2021 upgrades include: • Deviation colour range – When reviewing deviations, users can adjust the range of colours, facilitating the validation and review of critical areas.

• Info Panel – Additional data, including the number of holes as well as watertight mesh confirmation have been added, readily exportable for downstream applications.

• Feature-reserving remeshing – Makes it possible to preserve sharp features, allowing changes to mesh density while preserving the design intent in corners and edges, improving compatibility with downstream workflow and applications.

The RevEng intuitive user interface is another advantage that distinguishes this powerful software suite. The set-up, which displays all tools in a single location, facilitates the easy manipulation and customisation of a 3D object and enables the fastest cloud-toCAD conversion in the industry, significantly enhancing workflow productivity. www.faro.com

Dormer Pramet – Grooving growth continues Dormer Pramet has expanded its GL assortment for parting-off and deep grooving applications with a new range of tools, double-edged inserts and geometries.

The additions provide new tooling options for small part machining and grooving with a shorter overhang. These support copy profiling and longitudinal turning in a variety of materials. It follows the company’s development of its parting-off and grooving range in November 2019, when the global manufacturer introduced the 25mm GL insert and the G8330 PVD grade to provide a versatile and stable option when machining steel, stainless steel and cast iron.

These latest tools include new 12x12 holders to support additional radial operations, accommodating various insert widths and depth of cut capabilities. A reinforced brace design provides high rigidity and vibration resistance for good quality surface finish.

Users can also benefit from set-up time savings due to an easily accessible clamping screw [30° angled] and a one-hand insert replacement feature.

The new Pramet tool holders include the universal GLSF (RL) EXT for an overhang of 24-32mm and the GLSF (RL) EXT-G for grooving operations with a 10-12mm overhang. The GLSF (RL) EXT-S is the shank tool option and suitable for small parts machining and Swiss lathes.

The long GL insert, which achieves 60% deeper capacity, over the previous LCMF16 insert, is also now available in two new geometries, GM and MM. Both feature a positive T-land for prolonged tool life

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due to low cutting forces and reduced risk of built-up edge. With a round cutting edge, the MM geometry is suitable for turning and copy profiling operations, while the GM geometry is designed for grooving and longitudinal turning.

In addition, a range of wider inserts are available (up to 6mm) for small part machining. The design of the 5mm and 6mm wide MM inserts, for example, requires no tool modification for deeper cuts.

All the inserts are available in both CVD T7325 and PVD G8330 to cover a wide range of materials. www.dormerpramet.com

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PRODUCT NEWS

Mitee-Bite Heavy-Duty VersaGrip accomodates all workpiece shapes US manufacturer Mitee-Bite is the innovator of compact, low-profile edge clamps geared towards improving productivity and providing solutions for difficult workholding applications. Its revolutionary Pitbull clamp remains the lowest-profile, highest-holding-force clamp in the industry today.

The company is now launching a new product to add to its extensive portfolio of clamps. The Heavy-Duty VersaGrip gripper is designed for those aggressive operations on harder materials while providing the versatility to hold just about any workpiece shape that can be imagined. The rotatable, flat, serrated top face allows for additional holding force in horizontal pockets in jaws or hard stops.

Standard gripping height is 5mm; if a higher height is required, the workpiece can be elevated by resting part of it on the Original VersaGrip gripper, allowing for cutter clearance around jaws. The standard VersaGrip, as the name implies, provides versatility for clamping standard vise work as well as providing a solution for difficult applications that would normally require fixturing or machining soft-jaws.

The VersaGrip is just one of a number of new products that the company has recently introduced, one of which is the new Heavy Duty T-Slot clamp. Designed to be used in the T-slots of machine tables, the versatile heavy-duty model is capable of generating an impressive 88kN of down force. This is coupled with a very low gripping profile, which reduces material cost and the number of machining operations required.

The ‘HD’ clamp bolts straight down onto the machine table eliminating the need for a separate fixture. Set up time is accordingly reduced, making the machining operation quicker and more efficient. The hardened steel clamping element has both a smooth surface for machined workpieces and a serrated clamping surface

for rougher work. The ‘HD’ clamp is designed specifically for use with Pitbull and OK-Vise clamps, which can be used on the same base in a variety of configurations, ensuring plenty of holding force.

Another recently introduced product is TalonGrip; a simple bolton system that allows operators to perform aggressive machining operations while clamping on as little as 1.5mm. It is ideal for small lot sizes, difficult applications or proto-type work when building a fixture would not be beneficial.

The new TalonGrip LL (long length) serrated grips are designed for applications where specific grip location is not necessary or higher and full length penetration is required. These new grips are designed as a “drop fit” into the original TalonGrip jaw sets or for use on a fixture, with a gripping height range of 1.27mm to 4.06mm. The grips are made from S7 steel, heat-treated and finished with a black oxide coating. The grips are laser engraved with a useful 10mm scale for reference on repeatable part placement.

Mitee-Bite Products LLC began in 1986 with the original Mitee-Bite hex clamp created to save time on a re-occurring production job.

The company has since grown to become the innovator of compact, low-profile edge clamps for CNC machining. Fast forward more than 30 years and Mitee-Bite continues to develop new products that provide customers with a wide assortment of high-density low profile clamping solutions. www.dimac.com.au

ECI launches JobBOSS2 cloud-native ERP for manufacturing SMEs ECI Software Solutions, a leader in cloud-based business management solutions, has announced its newest product: JobBOSS2.

JobBOSS2 will be ECI’s go-forward cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for the job shop and maketo-order segment of the manufacturing market, combining the strengths of existing ERP products, JobBOSS and E2 SHOP, the latter of which was acquired during ECI’s acquisition of Shoptech in Q4 2020.

JobBOSS2 combines E2 SHOP’s cloud-native, user-friendly platform with JobBOSS’ depth of functionality and flexibility into one ERP platform designed to give shop owners more control over how they scale their businesses, grow revenue and maximise profitability. JobBOSS2 includes: • Customisable features and workflows so that users can make their software work for their business, rather than the other way around.

• Robust reporting to fuel decisions based on data and current business and market conditions, rather than estimates.

• A streamlined user experience to make it easier for manufacturers to maximise their operational efficiency and act more quickly.

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Best-of-breed advanced modules that complement JobBOSS2’s core capabilities, giving manufacturers one interface that meets all of their needs. JobBOSS2 will also integrate with Alora, a machine intelligence platform by Data Inventions. This integration will connect JobBOSS2 with real-time machine performance to give operators and managers the visibility they need to run business operations more efficiently, improving overall equipment effectiveness and decreasing downtime.

“ECI’s first core value is ‘Crave Greatness’ – which means that we are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions for our customers, setting high goals for ourselves and creating a future where customers have exactly what they need to build and grow their businesses,” said Matt Heerey, President of ECI’s Manufacturing Division. “We have a unique opportunity to take the best of E2 SHOP and JobBOSS to create the most innovative and userfriendly product on the market.” www.ecisolutions.com

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MINING & RESOURCES

FUELLING AUSTRALIA’S RECOVERY The Australian resources sector generated $270bn of export revenue in 2020 and mining has played a leading role in Australia’s economic growth over the past decade. The accompanying success of the mining, equipment, technology & services (METS) sector shows that manufacturing in Australia can and should be commercially competitive, technologically advanced and built on proven national strengths. Carole Goldsmith reports.

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Mining has been a key contributor to Australia’s economic growth over the past decade. In 2019-20, the mining industry (including oil & gas) accounted for 10.4% of Australia’s GDP, according to figures provided by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), the leading advocate for Australia’s world-class minerals industry, promoting and enhancing sustainability, profitability and competitiveness.

The resources sector (including minerals, metals and energy commodities) generated $270bn of export revenue in 2020, and accounted for 62% of Australia’s total export earnings, says MCA’s CEO Tania Constable.

“Also, the broader mining and METs (mining, equipment, technology & services) sector accounted for 12% of Australia’s GDP in 2019– 20 when both direct and indirect contributions are included,” Constable adds.

Resources industry workers received the highest wages in Australia in 2020, with average annual earnings of $143,022, which is 55 % above the national average, advises Constable: “In that year, the resources industry directly employed 242,963 people. When workers in the mining industry’s supply chains are included (excluding oil & gas), mining supports 1.1m jobs across Australia.”

Over the last decade, mining industry (excluding oil & gas) capital expenditure on new mines, equipment and infrastructure has totalled $256bn. This included $26.9bn invested in 2020, explains Constable.

The MCA’s pre-budget submission 2021-22, submitted to the Federal Government on 29 January, outlines directives and recommendations for the mining and METS sector. These included: • The METS sector’s success shows that manufacturing in Australia can and should be commercially competitive, technologically advanced, and built on proven national strengths. The Government’s road maps on manufacturing, low-emissions technology and 5G rollout should operate together to complement the growth and productivity agenda.

• The priority for the Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy road map should be: safety; low emissions; digital capability; direct policies to encourage priority areas; and collaboration in downstream processing.

The MCA works closely with representatives of manufacturing and technology producers to enhance collaboration between the mining and METS sectors. The submission recommends that the Government could do more by: • Supporting public-private research in low-emissions resources technology projects, such as the Carbon Transport and Storage Company project in Queensland.

• Using existing loan vehicles such as the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund and related policies to encourage downstream manufacturing (or processes that occur later in the production process).

• Developing a nationally co-ordinated approach to downstream processing by providing infrastructure and transport networks, technology precincts and reducing related costs.

AMT Magazine spoke to two family-owned METS companies that have been supplying innovative technology, products and services to the mining and resources sector for a combined total of more than eight decades.

Continued next page

Tania Constable, CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia.

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MINING & RESOURCES

P&D L Engineering’s manufacturing facility in Launceston, Tasmania.

P&D L’s workshop is equipped with an extensive line-up of CNC horizontal and vertical machining centres, boring and milling machines, lathes, coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and fabrication equipment.

Contuned from previous page

P&D Lipski Engineering: Docking assemblies for mining ships Mineral Resources Tasmania reports that the mineral extraction and processing sector is Tasmania’s largest export industry and accounts for more than 50% of mercantile exports. The state exports ores and concentrates of iron, copper, lead, zinc, tin, highgrade silica and tungsten.

Launceston manufacturer P&D Lipski Engineering (P&D L) has been supplying the Tasmanian and Australia-wide mining sector for more than 34 years. On a site tour of the company, P&D L’s quality assurance manager Martin Lipski points to around 30 steel quick release hock assemblies, lined up in the front of the business.

Martin explains that these were manufactured at P&D L a few years ago and are now in for refurbishing.

“The assemblies are a docking and berthing mechanism for ships,” he adds. “We make and refurbish them for one of our main clients, and the longest-serving one, Trelleborg Marine Systems Australia.

Trelleborg supplies our assemblies to their mining clients like Rio Tinto and other Western Australian mining businesses. These are used to dock their ships, bound for export.”

Phil Lipski, Martin’s father, started Lip Engineering (as it was known then) in 1987, working from a workshop at the back of the family home in Launceston, equipped with one milling machine. Phil trained as a fitter and turner and mechanical engineer in Poland, before emigrating to Australia in 1982. His first big business break came soon after starting the company, winning contracting jobs for several Tasmanian mining companies.

“The main projects that Phil worked on then, was installing pneumatic and hydraulic pumps for air compressors that were running the underground air tools at the Aberfoyle Limited’s Hellyer tin and zinc mine in north-west Tasmania,” says Martin. “Phil employed up to five people at a time and they all mainly worked on-site at the mine’s mill nearby, where the company’s mining operations minerals were processed.”

Martin adds that most mines use air tools such as drills and wrenches driven by compressed air. They are safer to use than electric tools underground, because mines often contain copious amounts of water for operation purposes.

The company has changed a lot since those early days; P&D Lipski Engineering now functions as a large machining and manufacturing site, exporting its products directly or indirectly through its clients to around 30 countries. It employs 11 people, with Phil and his wife Danuta still involved as company directors and owners. On a factory walkthrough with Martin and the company’s General Manager Paul Morris, the site’s ground floor is abuzz, with several

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of the machines in action. Among P&D L’s 35 machines are a Toshiba CNC horizontal machining centre and several Okuma and Mazak CNC horizontal and vertical machining centres. There are also boring and milling machines and lathes, coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and a range of fabrication equipment.

“We have the advantage of having such a wide range of advanced manufacturing equipment here for our client’s work and for local businesses,” says Paul. “Quite often our customers turn up and want a component built on the spot, and we have the machine capacity to do the job promptly. We don’t charge much more than a plumber or electrician’s hourly rate for doing these jobs.”

Paul adds: “We are in the process of doing upgrades on some of the older machines. As we are at capacity with our building space, we may need to build a mezzanine level to expand our manufacturing area and capability.”

Martin points to a batch of black quick-release hock assemblies on the first floor that have just been manufactured for Trelleborg: “We have produced some of these assemblies in vivid yellow too and even made some white ones bound for Trelleborg in Sweden.”

At the moment P&D L is working on a new product range for Trelleborg’s high-end clients in the shipping, gas and oil sectors.

“All product design, materials and quality assurance for these products must be registered with and approved by the world’s oldest shipping registry, DNV GL,” advises Martin.

DNV GL is the world’s leading classification society and a recognised advisor for the maritime industry. It enhances safety, quality, energy efficiency and environmental performance of the global shipping industry across all vessel types and offshore structures.

Paul describes some other recent mining-related projects: “P&D L made steel knuckles for low loader outer pillars for a mining operation near Savage River, Tasmania. We machined ingot moulds

MINING & RESOURCES for Bell Bay, Tasmania’s largest aluminium smelter, and we have also been making components for smaller Tasmanian subcontractors that supply the mining sector. Another project we are doing is for Haywards steel fabricator and construction company, across the road. This involves developing technology and components for their bridge building contracts.

“Expanding the factory to the mezzanine level, ordering an extra vertical machining centre, exploring new industry sectors, and engaging new employees with real on-the-job experience, are all on the agenda moving forward for P&D L Engineering.”

Berg Engineering: Keeping mining companies’ assets in check Berg Engineering has been successfully growing its business with the mining sector and other industry sectors for almost 50 years.

Since joining the family business in 2007 as CEO, Derek Berg and his team, together with his father Roger as chairman, have grown the $3m workshop they had in 1996 into a very successful global business. Berg Engineering manages around $90m in rotable assets and collects revenue in manufacturing and construction of more than $45m per annum.

“Rotable assets in our industry are those assets that can be charged out and shut down,” explains Derek. “It includes fixed plant equipment, and within that, pumps, valves, gearboxes, autoclaves and other specialised equipment. Components of those assets can be removed from site when special work needs to be done on them – so they rotate out of the business.”

Roger Berg, the company’s founder, trained as a fitter and turner and started the business in 1972, working out of his parent’s garage, making rivets and bolts. His wife and co-founder Pam was the delivery driver and handled all the accounting side of the business.

Berg Engineering has certainly come a long way since then, after almost five decades of Australian manufacturing and engineering.

The business has manufacturing operations in both Brisbane and at its newer plant at Gladstone in Central Queensland, with 50 employees at each site. It also has offices in Indonesia, The Philippines and New Caledonia. Berg’s mining sector client list includes BHP, Rio Tinto, PT Aman, Indonesia and Boron Nickel, New Caledonia, to name a few.

Speaking on the innovative asset management and registration work that Berg carries out for the mining sector, Derek explains: “At mining sites, there is generally some disconnect between capital expenditure and how the operations run its assets as well as handle its repairs and maintenance. How you measure the operational cost of the valve or pump, should include all the aspects of operating the valves and pumps, what it costs for the spare parts, the cost to install the item and to keep it running.”

He adds that Berg Engineering is the only company in Australia, as far as he is aware, that performs both the asset management side and the client consultancy, that verifies that the innovative process

is dropping the asset cost. This practice helps increase the mining company’s accountability.

Derek’s qualifications in law and accounting, followed by three years on London’s Metal Exchange, has certainly equipped him to drive the valuable mining sector asset management part of the business.

Derek Berg, CEO of Berg Engineering.

“Another innovation we are offering is medium-to-large machine capability, as well as large-scale, high-end welding technology,” he adds. “We have more than 40 welding technologists on-site. Other companies may have to outsource some of their welding, but we can do all of ours in-house. Berg has certification AS 3834 in welding technology and we have our own in-house NATA testing laboratory.”

Berg manufactures a wide range of components for mining companies, including pumps, valves, pullies and draglines to drive shovels used to power coal and other minerals out of the ground.

Derek describes an interesting project the company is doing to assist one of its mining clients in its processes: “When a business owns a fleet of valves and gearboxes, anything associated with running that fleet, from holding the inventory, to purchasing it, to managing the down-time, is a head wind to that company making a profit – it’s an overhead. Companies may be very good at making gold but they are not experts at making valves.

“Berg has a program called the Asset Optimisation Program where we take responsibility for every aspect of managing the fleet of valves and gearboxes. So, the company has a valve when they need it.”

Last June, Berg Engineering achieved an extra boost for its Gladstone operations, receiving $161,000 in Queensland Government funding to employ five new staff and purchase a Titan SC 40/50 – 4HY double-column vertical boring and turning mill.

Berg Engineering purchased the machine from Germany for around $2m, primarily to attract extra defence industry work, which it has achieved. It is also being used in its mining sector and in projects for other industries.

Berg Engineering continues to have a successful growth path with its Australian and global business operations.

“The next generation of leaders are coming through to run the company, so in the future, I will resign as CEO and become the chairman,” Derek says proudly. “My existing management team will manage the business here in Australia and I will manage the overseas business.” www.minerals.org.au www.pdl-engineering.com www.bergengineering.com.au

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MINING & RESOURCES

AM Hub case study: Gazmick Mining solutions firm Gazmick worked with the Additive Manufacturing Hub in the development of an innovative new concept for rock bolts used to provide mining ground support.

Gazmick is a small, privately owned business dedicated to improving ground support in the mining industry. Gazmick has enjoyed great success in patenting novel ground support solutions, such as rock bolts. Up to now its most successful bolt is the Stiff Split Set, a modified friction bolt. Via a licensing agreement, Gazmick has sold in excess of 4 million units throughout Australia and Asia. Gazmick looks to solve other rock bolt problems to enhance the safety and efficiency of mining and tunnelling operations.

The challenge One common type of rock bolt is the resin bolt. In this embodiment a steel bar is locked into the rock using a two-part resin pack.

Currently the resin is contained in a two-part “sausage” and placed into the hole in the strata. To avoid danger, this is done remotely, with the operator working approximately five metres away behind a protective steel canopy. This resin installation process has remained unchanged for the last 10 years and contributes significantly to the entire bolting cycle time. The process is: 1. Drill the hole.

2. Insert multiple sausages.

3. Insert the steel bar, rotating it, and thereby mixing the resin at the same time.

A method of more easily placing resin and rock bolts in holes has been sought for a considerable period of time with little success.

Gazmick developed a patented solution whereby a canister full of resin, similar to a hypodermic syringe, is placed onto the rock bolt.

The resin and hardener are separated in the canister. The nozzle of the canister is placed into a hole and the combination of the two products are injected into the hole by applying force to the rock bolt. Once the material is fully injected into the hole, further force is placed onto the steel bar. This punctures the top of the canister and allows the rock bolt to enter the hole through the nozzle of the canister. The bolt spins, thereby mixing the product, and a plate attached to the rock bolt crushes the canister between the strata and the plate.

Using this method, the old three-step process is reduced to two. It offers mine operators greater safety, improved quality of installation, and invaluable time-savings. The speed of the process is worth millions of dollars to mining companies worldwide.

The difficulty Gazmick faced was in determining and proving the mechanical properties of the canister. The tolerances are relatively small, and the need for accurate implementation activation was critical. Moreover, if the crown of the “piston” inside the canister was too strong the bolt could not pierce it and enter the hole. If it was too weak, the bolt would break through prematurely and the resin would not be injected into the hole. Getting the balance of all the components was critical in determining the practicalities of the concept.

Injection moulding of protypes would be far too expensive so a fasttracked, cheap prototype construction method was required so that destructive testing could be undertaken. An additive manufacturing program using 3D printing techniques was identified as the fastest and most cost-effective way to construct the protypes, at which point Gazmick sought assistance from the Additive Manufacturing Hub (AM Hub).

The solution The AM Hub engaged registered service providers GoProto (ANZ) Pty Ltd to assist Gazmick in its project. A finite element analysis (FEA) was undertaken of critical parts of the device. The physical

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properties of the crown of the piston inside the canister were critical. Prototypes were then 3D printed and tested against breakout strength in a calibrated load device.

Once a “preferred protype” was achieved, these were tested at the property of a Gazmick partner, where the use of a rock bolt simulation rig test could be undertaken. After multiple iterations, a successful combination of size and strength was achieved, and near-perfect results of resin mixing and rockbolt installation were observed in test sample cross sections.

How the Additive Manufacturing Hub helped It was predicated that the project would make full use of a $17,940 co-contribution under the AM Hub’s Build It Better (BiB) voucher programme for 3D printing performed by GoProto ANZ. In the end, a total of $3,032.22 in total was spent. The fast-tracking of prototypes exceeded expectations, despite some delays that occurred as a result of fires in southern New South Wales, where the test facility was located, and because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which stopped all testing-related travel.

Project outcomes Gazmick was able to test multiple iterations of its concept, which provided enough confidence to move forward with specialised in-field test prototypes – these are about to be constructed. The demonstration of the concept has also provided the confidence for a multi-national company to sign a heads of agreement with Gazmick, which will allow further testing and an option to manufacture and supply this product for worldwide distribution.

There is still work to be done, but Gazmick’s confidence has been greatly enhanced and the team is looking forward to conducting mine site trials in the immediate future.

The AM Hub is an initiative delivered by AMTIL in partnership with the Victorian State Government to 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

MINING & RESOURCES

Chilean mining giant to build new manufacturing facility in Victoria A Chilean-based international designer and manufacturer of mining equipment chooses Victoria for its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and global headquarters, in a move that is expected to create up to 100 new highly skilled jobs.

Conymet Duratray International plans to onshore its overseas manufacturing activities to the new facility in West Cranbourne, southeast Melbourne. The facility will include a new innovation division that will focus on mining data analytics, machine learning and the Internet of Things, as well as advanced composite materials for its product line.

The company intends to draw on Victoria’s highly skilled workforce and the state’s innovation and research & development (R&D) capabilities to develop expertise in these areas. It will also benefit from Victoria’s international logistics and distribution network to service its key export markets and the state’s growing mining equipment, technology & services (METS) sector.

“We’re excited to embark on this new innovation journey in Victoria,” said Marcelo Medel, Managing Director of Conymet Duratray International. “We’re committed to supporting Victoria to become the mining tech hub of Australia, given its strengths in the METS, advanced manufacturing and technology sectors.”

Founded in 1974, Conymet Duratray specialises in the design and manufacturing of mining truck trays, spare parts, steel and rubber components for haulage equipment for the mining industry. The company operates facilities in Australia, Chile, the United States, South Africa and Russia and currently exports to more than 35

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countries across five continents. Currently, there are more than 2,000 Duratray mining truck trays operating globally, ranging in size from 36 to 360 tonnes for all major truck manufacturers.

Conymet Duratray was the first Chilean company to make a substantial investment in Australia and celebrates 20 years in the country this year. The company has been recognised in the Governor of Victoria Export Awards in 2010 and 2019 and was inducted to the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2015.

“The support we’ve had from the State Government on many initiatives over the years has been a key enabler for us to develop, expand and grow our business into Australia and the other 34 countries where we export our technology,” Medel added.

Victoria’s Minister for Economic Development Tim Pallas welcomed the decision by Conymet Duratray to grow its current Victorian footprint: “Conymet Duratray is relocating its global HQ to Victoria because of our highly skilled workforce, and our world-renowned capabilities in advanced manufacturing, innovation, and research and developments. Attracting investment from companies such as Conymet Duratray will help us grow high-value jobs and boosts our economy.” www.duratray.com

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MINING & RESOURCES

HMS Group – Driven by safety and efficiency Headquartered in Thornton, NSW, HMS Group has developed a thriving line of business in the manufacture of autonomous safety equipment for the mining industry.

The first thing you notice when meeting Jamie Howard, Group Managing Director of HMS Group, is his unwavering commitment to Australian manufacturing and his belief in huge opportunities for local industry.

With a trade and engineering background and a passion for safety, innovation and training, it quickly becomes apparent how Howard’s philosophy has made HMS Group a success. He describes HMS Group as a proudly Australian company operating in a zero-harm environment, designing and manufacturing safety solutions, while driven by innovative productivity and skills education.

equipment to China, Brazil, South Africa, just to name a few.”

The company’s technology has won New South Wales mining awards, the Hunter region manufacturing awards, and export awards. In 2019 HMS Group received the Endeavour Award for the Australian safety solution of the year. Evidence of HMS Group’s dedication to Australian manufacturing can be clearly seen in the country’s factory in Thornton, the walls of which are adorned by Australian flags.

“We are about workplace safety,” says Howard. “Manual labour is hard work and it limits the productive life of people. If an autonomous machine like ours can save wear and tear on the human body, that is a great benefit.”

“Every product we make is proudly badged as Australian made,” says Howard. “For any manufacturer to be competitive in today’s global market, it is essential that you invest in the latest machinery and technology. It is this approach that has been the cornerstone of our success and we are always on the lookout for ways to make our manufacturing processes safer and more efficient.”

The HMS Mini Loader

Blending tradition and innovation

Howard saw a need for a safe solution to removing coal from under conveyors. Previously, removal of spilled coal was a dangerous operation, involving up to five people to shovel coal from underneath the conveyor belt. While undertaking this dangerous operation, the belt had to be stopped, which was an extremely expensive process.

The company recognises the importance of embracing the latest technology, but it also places a great emphasis on the need to blend the knowledge and practical experience of the past while transitioning to new methods.

The solution from HMS Group was the design and manufacture of the remote-controlled HMS 200 Mini Loader. With a height of only 600mm, the Mini Loader is able to reach any dangerous or inaccessible area where material needs to be removed with safety.

“Our remote-control technology was developed and is manufactured by our company Hetronic Australasia,” says Howard.

“We have a large customer base in Australia, including one of the major electricity utilities. Hetronic supplies mining companies, construction cranes, agricultural machinery, concrete pumps and other equipment that benefits from the safety provided by remotecontrol technology.

“Within our electronic group we have thousands of remote-control units in the market, many being used by major global equipment brands. We currently export our remote-control Mini Loaders and Jamie Howard, Group Managing Director of HMS Group, with the company’s Baykal APHS-31160 hydraulic CNC press brake.

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“We have invested heavily in making our manufacturing more efficient and finding new technologies to make jobs all easier,” says Howard. “We are producing an innovative product but need to find smarter ways to reduce costs as well as speeding up our operations.

“We need machinery that enables us to make immediate changes.

It is important to be self-reliant and not have to wait on suppliers, whether it is one week or month. Our new machinery enables us to perform design changes for manufacture immediately and this is a huge benefit to the way we operate.”

One of HMS Group’s most recent acquisitions is a Baykal APHS31160 hydraulic CNC press brake, with a Delem DA69T touch screen control. The machine has programmable X, Y1, Y2, V, Z1, Z2 and R-Axis, CNC table crowning, and a laser guarding system.

MINING & RESOURCES

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“The touch screen control enables us to program the whole process without actually putting the metal into the machine,” explains Howard. “It also enables us to make changes on the screen and shows you each stage exactly as it occurs and there is no wastage.

Another recent addition to the HMS Group workshop has been a Jekran X-MW series waterjet cutter.

“That delivers our need for thick metal cutting of 25 to 50mm thickness,” Howard adds. “The accuracy of the waterjet machine is absolutely amazing in terms of accuracy and versatility. The Jekran can cut up to 100mm-thick steel, plastics, glass, stone, wood or virtually any material with great accuracy.”

Training the next generation “We need to bring back manufacturing know-how and technology that has been lost in the past,” says Howard. “I come from a trade background; I worked in company where every year there were 15 apprentice fitters,15 boilermaker apprentices, five electricians and four engineering professionals.

“There is a need to return to the days when apprentices and people learning on the job were mentored by experienced people who could pass on a huge amount of knowledge that contributes to manufacturing efficiency,” Howard concludes. www.machineryhouse.com.au www.hms-group.com.au

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AMT Magazine 20/11/2020

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MINING & RESOURCES

Rare earths – Becoming less ‘rare’ for Australia Around the world, Australian rare earth miners are striking major business deals: in the US, Lynas Corporation has won funding to build a processing plant in Texas; Hastings Technology Metals has reached an agreement with German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp for the supply of high-grade rare earths; and Australian Strategic Materials (ASM) has successfully tested its rare earth powders for KIRAM in South Korea; to name but a few. So what, asks Gabriele Richter, is going on?

Rare earth elements are a collection of 17 soft heavy metals that are indispensable to a growing array of advanced technologies ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles (EVs) to military weapon systems. Despite their name, rare earths are relatively widespread in the Earth’s crust. Their “rarity” is due to their low concentrations, which makes them difficult to extract.

China contains approximately 35% of the rare earth deposits in the world, but over 95% of the world’s production. In 1992, China’s then-leader Deng Xiaoping remarked: “The Middle East has oil, China has rare earth” Because China prioritises not just extraction, but separating and processing into usable elements, its monopoly is forecast to last for a few more years. Exercising this much control puts it in powerful position.

The Chinese monopoly is why manufacturers globally are actively seeking non-Chinese supply. As noted by Ursula von der Leyen, EU President of the European Commission: “Green and digital technologies currently depend on a number of scarce raw materials.

We import lithium for electric cars, platinum to produce clean hydrogen, silicon metal for solar panels. 98% of the rare earth elements we need come from a single supplier – China – and this is not sustainable.”

Building a single F-35A fighter jet, for example, requires at least 420 kg of rare earths, which come primarily from China (indeed, there are reports that China is considering using rare earth export restrictions to undermine the US defence industry). China’s Northern Rare Earths, the world’s leading supplier, is expected to double production within three years as smaller Chinese producers also accelerate.

China took over the title of largest producer from the US in the 1990s. It was noted by MetalMiner’s Stuart Burns that: “The US sends its ores to China for refining. That’s not because it doesn’t have the technical know-how; the US simply lacks the facilities.”

Rare earths, tungsten and lithium were among 35 minerals deemed “essential” to US economic and national security by the Trump administration, and the new Biden presidency has continued this focus on removing China from the country’s manufacturing supply chains – signing agreements with Australia and Canada in 2018 and 2020 respectively to secure the supply of rare earths. Additionally the US recently provided $US60m in funding for Australian rare earths miner Lynas to build a plant in Texas. Lynas has positioned itself to become the Western world’s largest supplier of rare earths to the US military. The US funding is a sign of how anxious the US and other Western nations are to break China’s dominance.

Lynas is the only rare earth producer outside China, and it has overcome significant challenges to establish itself in this way. It sends rare earth concentrates from its mine site in Western Australia to Malaysia for processing into saleable rare earth oxide products.

But this has not been without disruption, amid the Malaysian government’s concerns about the low-level radioactive waste generated.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Materials Trading has signed a binding off-take agreement with WA-based Hastings Technology Metals for the supply of high-grade mixed rare earth carbonate, in a big boost to Hastings’ hopes of starting its proposed $449m Yangibana Rare Earths Project in WA. The timing coincides with a strong increase in demand for rare earths driven by the EV revolution.

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Grasping the opportunity for Australia Merely possessing deposits of rare earths is no guarantee of being able to exploit them. The mining and extraction processes are capital-intensive, consume large amounts of energy, and release toxic by-products. Large amounts of capital will be needed to set up facilities to compete with, and supply to, the world.

It is for this reason that Prime Minister Scott Morrison mentioned critical minerals during his address to the National Press Club on 1 February, as part of $1.5bn in new funding for the Federal Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy. In March, the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing National Manufacturing Priority road map was made available to create more processing capacity. This roadmap aims to strengthen Australia in becoming a global centre for commercialising and manufacturing resources technologies and establishing a critical minerals processing industry.

The moves are part of a broader push to make Australia one of the developed world’s vital suppliers of rare earths.

This is a growth opportunity for Australia, with its abundant untapped domestic deposits, existing infrastructure, stable regulatory framework, and globally recognised expertise in developing and operating complex mines. To state some examples: WA’s Iluka Resources is negotiating with overseas governments seeking non-Chinese supply as it plans to become the only fully integrated supplier in Australia. And Australian producer ASM – building its first processing plant – recently strengthened its supply chain by closing a deal with two regional governments in South Korea , in what was considered a snub to China.

Australian companies such as Lynas and Iluka are already shipping many resources offshore – including to the US, which is rapidly developing its own capacity with Australian support. But the Federal Government is now eager to drive what many in the industry have been demanding for decades: to add more value to the materials mined in Australia.

The next wave towards high-tech manufacturing increasingly involves rare earths. Australia is positioning itself not to miss the opportunity. www.lynasrareearths.com www.hastingstechmetals.com www.asm-au.com

MINING & RESOURCES

ANSTO – New tech to cut environmental impact of mining The Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has developed a new, cutting edge technology that may minimise the effects of mining by making it more efficient.

Using ‘Dingo’, one of the highest-intensity neutron imaging machines in the world, ANSTO scientists have figured out how to greatly reduce the time needed to measure the exact mineral content of core samples. Senior Instrument Scientist at ANSTO’s Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering Dr Joseph Bevitt developed the technology, which has the potential to significantly change the way minerals are explored around the world.

“At the moment, many drill core samples are X-rayed for surface mineral content, which is essentially a guesstimate,” says Bevitt.

“While some drill cores are fully 3D-imaged with X-rays, many cannot be studied in this way because X-rays do not have sufficient penetrating power. Our neutron-imaging technology creates a full 3D map of the core, delivering the total mineral content for metalrich and dense ores.”

The procedure is non-destructive and as quick as traditional X-rays, meaning the search for valuable minerals and their processing can be carried out in a more targeted manner, resulting in reduced environmental impacts of mining.

“If you take gold for example, current X-ray technology is limited as to what it can reveal, especially when more abundant heavy metals such as lead are present in the ore as these prevent 3D X-ray imaging,” Bevitt explains. “Our 3D neutron tomography measures

the exact gold content of a mining core, with neutrons able to image through lead, iron and other abundant metals, allowing parties to know the exact size of the lode underground through core samples without breaking earth.”

An upcoming upgrade to ANSTO’s 3D neutron imaging facility will also ensure simultaneous 3D neutron and X-ray imaging is achievable, enabling even more accurate mineral identification and quantification.

“This technology is revolutionary and a first for Australia,” says Bevitt.

3D neutron tomography also has enormous benefits across numerous academic fields including environmental science, palaeontology, engineering, and cultural heritage. Speeding the method up opens the possibility for more, and deeper, research opportunities.

“By examining fossils, for example, we can learn how animals and plants evolved to thrive through changing environmental conditions,” says Bevitt. “This research is essential as we seek solutions to the problems caused by climate change. The device also can look for material imperfections down to a tenth of a human hair without damaging a sample. This is an integral part of ensuring the safety of materials being used for space and ocean exploration.” www.ansto.gov.au

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MINING & RESOURCES

Morgan Engineering – Making it happen in mining Morgan Engineering takes pride in living up to its motto “we make it happen”; from its base in Singleton, New South Wales, they've been delivering exceptional engineering solutions to the mining industry for more than 45 years.

Morgan Engineering was established in 1975 by Ross and Carole Morgan and is now operated by their children: Martin, Matthew and Chelsea Morgan. Morgan Engineering provides engineering design, welding, line-boring, large-capacity CNC machining, on-site machining and heavy fabrication services across Australia, with a focus on New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.

The company is renowned for the manufacture, re-manufacture and reclamation of components to suit CAT earthmoving equipment. The team have refined their processes over the course of 45 years, providing components which are third-party-certified to meet or exceed OEM specifications. Compared to new replacement components, the Morgan Engineering components not only halve their customers’ costs, but also reduce downtime due to shorter lead times. Morgan Engineering relies on state-of-the-art Mazak equipment supplied by John Hart to deliver high-quality solutions and stay well ahead of the competition. The company’s ultramodern, high-capacity workshop features a Mazak Integrex i-400 multi-tasking machine and a Mazak MTV815/80 vertical machining centre.

Chelsea Morgan describes some of the projects processed on these machines: “The machining centres are extremely versatile and are utilised for jobs such as 4100 dragline suspension links, jacking bolts for underground mines, lightweight pin retainer plates for Hitachi excavators, and phosphorous bronze bushes for a ship loader.”

The machines have brought significant business benefits to Morgan Engineering.

“Thanks to the advanced features of the Mazak machinery, we have the capability to machine the manufactured components more precisely compared to our competitors,” Martin Morgan explains.

“Our previous equipment didn’t have the same breadth of capabilities as the Mazaks.

Where it used to take several machines to do one job, we can now use just one machine to get a superior result. The Mazak Integrex i-400, in particular, enables us to machine complicated mill-turn parts like manifolds, cylinders, shafts and more – as well as parts up to two to 3m long, in one operation. This just isn’t possible with other machines.”

Martin comments on the company’s decision to invest in machinery from Mazak: “Mazak has a reputation for some of the

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Vijesh Raghavan, Drafting-Design-Projects, and Jeremy Brett, General Manager, in front of “Phyllis”, Morgan Engineering’s Mazak Integrex i-400 multi-tasking machine.

The Mazatrol CNC programming controls have greatly reduced process times for Morgan Engineering, from set-up right through to the finished part.

best machines in the world, and they have been a great investment. The Mazak Integrex is known as the multi-tasking machine and we knew it would be a gamechanger for us – producing better quality, with minimum process times – allowing for increased accuracy whilst also being costeffective.”

Before acquiring the machines, the team at Morgan Engineering drew upon extensive pre-purchase advice from John Hart.

“The main advice and help we relied on from the John Hart team was directly related to the speed of programming through the Mazatrol program, compared to competitors,” says Martin. “As we are a jobbing shop, the Mazatrol program has greatly reduced process times – from set-up right through to the finished part. The sales team were really knowledgeable about their equipment and were able to point out these benefits – making the decision to purchase an easy one.” Matthew Morgan discusses

the after-sales support from John Hart: “The machines are extremely reliable, so other than the annual maintenance check, we haven’t actually had to contact the support team! The John Hart team know their products and provide excellent support to their customers. Many companies will support you during the purchase process, but then they do not want to hear from you. John Hart’s after sales service is exceptional.”

Martin concludes: “Good quality and reliable customer service are definitely contributing factors in our purchasing decisions. This, combined with the performance and costeffectiveness of the Mazak machines goes a long way towards us continuing our relationship with John Hart, and expanding our range of Mazaks. Ideally, we would like to have all Mazak machine tools, as this will help keep our controls consistent.” www.johnhart.com.au www.morganengineering.com.au

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ONE-ON-ONE

Shane Infanti is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), which owns and operates the Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) exhibition, due to take place in Melbourne in March. Kim Banks is Head of Events at AMTIL and AMW Exhibition Manager. They spoke to William Poole.

AMT: Firstly, tell us about Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) and why AMTIL decided to launch a new manufacturing industry exhibition.

Shane Infanti: AMW is Australia’s premier manufacturing solutions event. It’s an industry exhibition that will cover every aspect of manufacturing in Australia today. So it will feature a comprehensive line-up of the very latest, state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, across all equipment categories. Also exhibiting will be a wide variety of service providers who specialise in supporting the manufacturing sector. And last but not least, we’ll have our Australian Manufacturers’ Pavilion, a dedicated zone within the exhibition where we’ll be showcasing some Australia’s most innovative, exciting advanced manufacturing businesses. So really visitors will be able to take in the Australian manufacturing industry in its entirety, all under one roof.

We decided to launch AMW after Reed Exhibitions announced last year that it would stop running its exhibition, National Manufacturing Week. We had run our advanced manufacturing technology expo, Austech, alongside NMW for more than 20 years, so when Reed decided to discontinue NMW, we felt that there was a great opportunity for us to step into that void, and expand our show into a broader showcase of Australian manufacturing.

And that would potentially also include a range of other activities taking place around the exhibition itself – such as a speaker program, social and networking functions, and so on. Really we’d like it to become a week-long celebration of Australian manufacturing.

Kim Banks: Reed had done a great job in establishing NMW as a key event on the industry calendar, and our partnership with them over the years had been incredibly successful. But with AMW I think there is real potential for AMTIL to build on what Reed had done, and deliver an event that really puts Australian manufacturing in the spotlight. And we want to get the message across that AMW is the natural new home for NMW exhibitors.

Obviously AMTIL is a not-for-profit assocation that has always sought to develop close relationships with our members, and I think that means we can offer companies thinking of exhibiting with us something slightly different to what they’d get from commercial events organisations. That’s not in any way a criticism of Reed. It’s just that as an industry body we’ve perhaps got a bit more freedom to go further in the support we give exhibitors – as we have done with Austech over the years.

‘Australian Manufacturing Week incorporating Austech’. AMTIL’s primary focus is the promotion of advanced manufacturing technology, and Austech has always been a key pillar of that.

Austech is not going anywhere, it’s still a big priority in our exhibition plans.

KB: And we are very focused on reassuring our longstanding Austech exhibitors that this will be the same show that they will be participating in. Austech will occupy a dedicated zone on the exhibition floor, and it’ll be just like the show they know and love.

There are still questions that we’re working through regarding how we communicate this to visitors attending the show. I think most of them are likely to be happy to just find out about AMW, but there will be times where we will need to make clear reference to Austech, to make sure people make that linkage and realise this is the show to attend if they want to see the latest machine tools, the latest advanced manufacturing technology.

SI: We don’t want to lose sight of Austech, but we do want to build AMW as the premier manufacturing solutions event in this country.

AMT: And you’re less than a year out –- how are preparations going so far?

SI: From a sales point of view, it’s just gone gangbusters. We’re already three-quarters full in terms of space sales. We’re very pleased with the way the bookings are going. And I guess that reflects the fact that the industry is alive and well, and companies are wanting to get back out and promote themselves in a physical sense. They want to get back to shows.

KB: We’re also seeing a very high retention rate in terms of exhibitors coming back who were at the last Austech. Once they’ve been at our show, exhibitors tend to love coming back. And we’re really excited to welcome new exhibitors into the fold as well. I think that’s really important, that we have historically always tried to develop really strong, personal relationships with our exhibitors.

So the preparations are going really well; we’re all set and ready to go, putting all of our plans in place. There’s a lot going on and there’s a lot of excited people in the industry, and that’s making it an enjoyable process and an enjoyable event to work towards. As Shane says, everyone is ready to get back out and exhibit.

AMT: So what would your advice be for businesses who might be thinking of exhibiting but haven’t quite decided yet?

And we’re also working with several other industry organisations in various aspects of the show, such as in the exhibition’s dedicated product zones, or around our speaker program. So that also really builds on the idea that this event is really being driven by a community of groups whose primary aim is to support this industry.

KB: I would say: don’t leave it too long or you might be disappointed.

Also, I think the earlier they book in, the more pre-show exposure they get from us. The earlier they book in, the more they can can kind of ride on the coat-tails of any marketing that we’re doing, to promote their presence at the event.

SI: Yes, those partnerships with other associations are a very important aspect of what we’re trying to achieve with AMW. It’s an industry show run by industry for the industry.

AMW is going to be an event that brings the whole industry together, so if you’re not there, it’s like that old saying: out of sight, out of mind. I think everyone’s enthusiastic, there’s a lot of confidence in our industry, and people that want a piece of the action need to be there, or they’re going to be left behind.

AMT: AMTIL’s been running Austech for over 20 years. How will Austech integrate with AMW? SI: That’s a good question, and the answer will probably have implications for how we market these shows in future years as well. We’ve consistently said that we want to market the show as

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SI: Yeah, with what we’ve seen from the sales perspective and the excitement exhibitors have shown in booking in, if that translates to the visitor sentiment as well, I think we will have a bumper show. If there’s that same excitement, where people are saying “The shows

055 are back, let’s go and visit”, I am confident we’ll meet our exhibitors’ expectations. So we’re excited about encouraging visitors and getting a good audience into the venue next March.

AMT: What about the challenges of running a COVID-safe event?

How are you tackling that?

KB: I think everyone can rest assured that we are well and truly planning for a COVID-safe show. We’re working closely with the venue and contractors to deliver that, and we’ll be keeping all exhibitors and visitors informed of any guidelines or procedures that need to be followed to ensure we all have a safe and enjoyable event.

Obviously it’s a bit of a moving target: we don’t know what the situation will be with border restrictions next March, or with the vaccine rollout. But we are taking all of those variables in our stride.

And look, there’s already plenty of protocols that other exhibitions and events are developing. We know we will need to be on top of all those things like social distancing, having sanitising stations around the show, directional stickers on the floors, encouraging people to do the old elbow bump and stuff like that.

And in the end, if you can shop in Myer, you can go to a trade show.

AMT: As preparations for AMW pick up speed, what do you think they’re revealing about the state of manufacturing in Australia at the moment?

SI: Well, I can tell you one thing from the discussions I’ve had, even in the last couple of days, talking to exhibitors and booking them in: every single one of them is talking about how busy it is, how the investment in technology has not dropped off. It’s staggering to me, just how we don’t seem to have missed a beat.

KB: If anything, I don’t think it’s even just a catching up on pent-up demand. It seems to be going even stronger than that.

SI: Yes, it’s very positive. And combine that with some of the changes to government procurement policies, and the words that are coming out of Canberra, around sovereign capability and so on.

Manufacturing is being regarded in a stronger light than it has been for a long time.

AMT: Finally, when AMW opens its doors on 8 March, what do you hope visitors will take away from the show?

KB: New ideas, new processes, new opportunities to collaborate.

And of course, thinking of our exhibitors, I’d say lots of ideas for investments that will help their businesses to grow.

SI: If there’s one thing that I want them to take away, it’s a worthwhile experience. They’ll learn, they’ll see new technology, there’ll be a lot of knowledge that they’ll gain. And they’ll meet a lot of people, which might lead to opportunities for them as well. AMTIL’s mantra is ‘Connect. Inform. Grow’, and hopefully visitors will have that experience when they come to AMW. Australian Manufacturing Week 2022 will take place at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 8-11 March 2022.

For any inquiries, please contact Anne Samuelsson, Head of Sales at AMTIL, on 0400 115 225 or asamuelsson@amtil.com.au www.amtil.com.au www.australianmanufacturingweek.com.au

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Additive Manufacturing Hub case study: Megafun Commisioned to created an innovative animated zoetrope exhibit for the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne, Megafun made use of 3D printing to overcome the challenges the project presented, working with GoProto via the Additive Manufacturing Hub (AM Hub) at AMTIL. Based in Melbourne, Megafun is a designer and project manager of exhibitions and theatre works with more than 23 years of experience in providing creative and technical services to companies, artists and exhibitions around the world. The company specialises in delivering quality theatre and events and creating intriguing and engaging interactive experiences.

Megafun developed a 3D animated zoetrope at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne, based on the Cuphead video game series.

Megafun was engaged to develop, construct and install a new 3D animated zoetrope in ACMI’s permanent exhibition space. For this new zoetrope, Canadian video game company Studio MDHR was approached to provide the characters and storyline from its Cuphead series of games.

While the historical zoetrope concept was a slitted drum, this new variation is a 3D animation. A disc spinning at a set speed is illuminated with flashing strobe lighting. Each flash illuminates a slightly new position of the disc as it turns. By aligning objects and characters at just the right spacing with slight adjustments of position, these elements will appear to move – exactly like filmed animation, only in three dimensions.

Design The Cuphead range of characters from Studio MDHR existed only in a two-dimensional form, and it required a skilled 3D artist to develop three-dimensional versions of these characters that could exist in a dimensional world. This work was undertaken by video games artist John Aitchison, who laboriously recreated every nuance of each character. This wasn’t easy, as some of the characters defied physics in their 2D form, so they had to be adapted and adjusted in order to make the transition.

The Cuphead characters were created in a 1940s/50s drawing style and incorporate “stretch and squash” characteristics; they also feature elements that are quite fine. These features made the 3D modelling process more complex, and certain features needed to be adjusted to allow for the limitations of the printing process. For example, very fine limbs with large hands can be particularly difficult in the world of 3D models, especially when spinning at 60rpm.

Studio MDHR developed the animation storyboard and created a series of images of both the individual characters as well as an overview of the collective characters in the animation, which were passed to John, the 3D artist. He then worked closely with the creators over a period of months to turn the characters into models based on the material provided, the limitations of the modelling/3D process, and in response to feedback from Studio MDHR. Once the individual characters were approved, he laid them out according to the storyboard, taking support structures into account for when the digital version would become physical.

Posts of stainless steel 4mm in diameter were used to support the characters, so they had to be designed and modelled to allow for this, with suitable holes into which the post could fit. Once complete, a digital 3D animation of the final zoetrope was created for review and adjustment prior to rendering each character as an individual file.

The disc that supports the zoetrope animation was constructed of a high quality aluminium plate. This plate is pressed and then ground perfectly flat to avoid any noticeable movement, then mounted on a quality bearing, and spun with a motor capable of precise speeds and fine control. The plate included a series of pre-drilled holes designed to take the posts that supported the characters. These holes needed to be extremely accurate and could not be placed until the digital animation was complete and signed off.

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“Initially it was intended to 3D print the supporting understructure; however this proved to be far too costly,” explains Keith Tucker, Director of Megafun. “We did however need it to be highly accurate.

The result was to create it with a CNC router using high-density fibreboard in numerous layers. We needed to cut away the interiors to keep the weight down, but it proved to be over 800% cheaper than the 3D option.”

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING The models that would feature in the zoetrope were produced using a full colour 3D printing technique.

Keith Tucker, Director of Megafun.

Printing 3D models Of course, the digital models needed to be turned into physical models, which was undertaken using a full colour 3D printing technique. In taking this approach, Megafun sought support from AMTIL’s AM Hub through its Build It Better (BIB) voucher programme. “One of the reasons these types of zoetropes are now achievable is 3D printing,” Tucker explains. “Before this technology it would have been very difficult to create characters with the highly accurate small movements of limbs and facial expressions that 3D printing allows.

“Printing techniques have developed considerably over time, and we elected to use a full colour nylon print that resulted in robust and lightweight characters. This process has the advantage of being much more robust, lighter and able to support much finer features.”

Result After extraordinary levels of detail and fine tuning, Megafun finally had the opportunity to fire up the finished piece – a moment that Tucker describes as “magical”. Characters that had previously been static now came to life. Locked into their respective frames they created a seamless fully dimensional animation.

The exhibit was transported into ACMI where it was fitted into its joinery housing and accompanied by a composed soundtrack.

Megafun used GoProto as the print house, which received the models from the artist and reviewed them for efficacy and structure.

Various adjustments were made during this process to address some vertex errors and internal structures.

“The reaction from staff and guests has been universally positive,” says Tucker. “The experience of seeing static models come to life is so unusual people are genuinely amazed. It is a truly powerful animation technique.”

“We faced a number of significant budget pressures due to the size and shape of the models being difficult to fit into the print bin in large numbers,” says Tucker. “We were able to address some of the cost issues by printing some characters in parts – legs, arms and torsos – allowing a tighter fit in the print bin. However we were hampered by the colour rendering restraints where models had to sit in the same orientation in order to ensure an accurate colour match.”

Megafun has a well established reputation for delivering highly technical interactive exhibits for major institutions, and this project has further enhanced its standing – a hugely positive outcome for the business. While there is not a lack of interest in the possibility of delivering similar projects to other organisations, the very high costs involved represent an ongoing obstacle.

Colour ended up being another significant issue, as the printed colours were often considerably different to the digital colours.

Megafun had to make many adjustments and undertake numerous test prints before the rendering was suitable. Black proved particularly difficult as the darkest black would always only print in grey, meaning some compromises in the final rendering were unavoidable.

Once printed, the models needed to be prepared by cleaning, sandblasting and sealing with clear lacquer. This was timeconsuming work as it is done by hand. The overall print process proved to take a considerable time, further exacerbated by limitations stemming from the COVID-19 crisis.

“We ended up being in the print phase for over six months, which was very challenging” recalls Tucker. “Were we to undertake this again we would need to have a process that could minimise this timescale.”

Once printing was complete, the models were fitted to their support posts and mounted into the pre-drilled holes in the disc surface, ensuring correct orientation and character order. Finally, a drop of adhesive was used to ensure the models didn’t move when the disc is spinning.

“If we were able to create this type of dimensional animation at a lower cost, I am confident we would be able to place work of this kind in numerous locations, where the content could effectively support the nature of the site,” says Tucker. “The current delivered price of around $200,000, however, makes it very difficult to compete with the more ubiquitous but considerably cheaper computer or videobased displays.”

Megafun’s aim is to continue to pursue opportunities in this field and will investigate the options for reducing costs. In the 3D printing area in particular, the company intends to try to bring the delivered price down to a level where it starts to become competitive.

“We take this opportunity to thank AMTIL and the AM Hub for their support and for the inclusion in the BIB voucher programme,” says Tucker. “Without this, we may not have successfully been able to deliver this project.”

The AM Hub is an initiative delivered by AMTIL in partnership with the Victorian State Government to 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.megafun.com.au

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Using laser additive technologies in the repair of military aircraft The increased precision of next-generation military requires new and innovative repair and sustainment solutions, as traditional repairs become more difficult or even impossible. Recently a collaboration between a group of Australian organisations has resulted in the development of laser additive repair, which is now being employed by RUAG Australia.

Military aircraft represent some of the most advanced engineering on the planet, with minimal weight design, precise machining and highly specialised materials all contributing to the high cost of new platforms and spare parts. The incredible price tag associated with maintaining such platforms is a major issue for Australia, where harsh sunlight and coastal corrosion accelerate the need for part replacements in addition to the rigors of service. Australia’s current reliance on legacy systems and overseas suppliers can also lead to aircraft being grounded until suitable replacements are found, presenting major costs in aircraft readiness and reliability.

To address this critical problem, a collaborative project led by RUAG Australia and involving Swinburne University, DMTC, the Department of Defence (Defence Science and Technology Group) and the RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing is targeting new and innovative technologies for sovereign industrial repair of military aircraft.

A key research area at RMIT is laser additive repair of aerospacegrade steels, in which a scanned laser beam is combined with metal powder delivery to successively build up multiple layers and replace damaged material. This is advantageous compared with traditional grind-out and weld repair methods, as not only is the original component geometry maintained, but thermal damage to surrounding areas is also limited due to the rapid heating/cooling of laser processing.

While the concept of laser additive repair is simple, its successful implementation is very challenging, particularly for aircraft steels where the process must be optimised both to avoid defects such as porosity, and to control the thermal history during deposition.

This temperature control is necessary to optimise the properties of the deposited steel by providing an in-situ heat treatment, since conventional bulk heat treatments risk relaxing service stresses in used parts, causing them to become warped and unusable. Further difficulty is presented by the different requirements of different steels, with changing melting temperatures, tempering ranges, and risks of embrittlement all needing to be considered for desirable performance. A wide number of aerospace steels have been investigated through this project, including AISI 4340, AISI 420SS, 15-5PH, Aermet 100, and 300M, which can reach incredible strengths up to 2,000 megapascals (MPa). Such strength is vital

Image courtesy of CPL Brett Sherriff. © Commonwealth of Australia 2020.

to landing gear components as they must withstand the shock of impact while also being subject to intense fatigue loading during take-off and landing as they carry the aircraft’s weight.

The bulk of the deposition has been carried out on an industrialscale 3kW TRUMPF TruLaser Cell at the RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing, which makes use of a large working volume (1,500mm by 1,800mm by 750mm) and motorised focus optics for the rapid assessment of various processing parameters, material behaviour, and deposition strategies. Supported by Swinburne University, and the RMIT Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility (RMMF), the critical analysis of both microstructure and mechanical performance of simulated repairs has led to more than 25 publications since 2015 and over 500 citations. Most recently, a detailed examination of the repair of 300M has shown laser additive repair to provide significant improvement in tensile properties compared to traditional methods, with the fatigue performance of deep 40% repairs showing similar fatigue performance to light 10% grind-out repairs used for legacy aircraft. As such, laser additive repair is capable of restoring structural capacity and is not limited to cosmetic surface repair of worn geometries, with the final properties converging to that of the deposit as the repair depth is increased.

This is limited by the capacity for in-situ tempering capacity of the steel grade, which for 300M is achieved by replicating the typical quench and temper cycles through additional cooling times between tracks and layers. While the peak temperature during deposition may lead to a slight softening of the deposit, the overall strength remains sufficient to reclaim a wide range of components previously believed unsalvageable.

Different deposition strategies alter the pattern of in-situ tempering (left), with sacrificial deposition layers used to remove brittle untempered regions in simulated repair specimens (right).

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Test results showing significant improvement in tensile (top) and fatigue performance (bottom) for laser additive repair compared with the traditional grind-out method, using track delay (TRAD) and layer delay (LAYD) strategies for different proportions of the cross-section. The ability to restore large cross sections with similar performance to shallow grind-outs means a greater variety of components can be reclaimed.

Based on the above research, RUAG Australia has continued to develop its state-of-the-art laser additive repair facility with the support of RMIT and Swinburne, which has already been used for the repair of in-service components for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This not only includes the geometric restoration of a worn parts deemed beyond safe limits, but also the refurbishment of internal cylinder threads using specialised deposition nozzles. These repairs are currently with the airworthiness authority for acceptance and incorporation approval.

This new sovereign capability to restore worn surfaces and carry out structural repairs in this country is a significant gain for Australia, as parts can be restored at a fraction of the cost of replacement while reducing Australia’s reliance on overseas suppliers. Continued laser repair research at RMIT and Swinburne into modern stainless steels looks to further expand the repair capacity at RUAG, safeguarding the longevity of next-generation platforms where traditional repairs are not possible or very difficult.

Dr Cameron Barr is a Research Fellow at RMIT University.

Professor Milan Brandt is Technical Director of RMIT’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct. Suresh Palanisamy is Deputy Chair – Department of Mechanical and Product Design Engineering at Swinburne University. Rizwan Abdul Rahman Rashid is a Research Fellow at Swinburne University. Neil Matthews is Senior Manager – Additive Technologies and Engineering Services at RUAG Australia. Qianchu Liu is a Senior Research Scientist in the Aerospace Division at the Department of Defence’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG).

Khan Sharp is Research Leader – Aerospace Materials, Aerospace Division at the DSTG. Miles Kenyon is the Head of Maritime Strategy and Education – Program Leader at DMTC. www.rmit.edu.au www.swinburne.edu.au www.ruag.com.au www.dst.defence.gov.au www.dmtc.com.au

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New Aussie tech could see quarantine accommodation built in 18 hours New three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) technology from Melbourne-based company Luyten has printed a complete fully functional set of units in just 18 hours, and at a fraction of the cost of traditional construction.

“Using this technology, the cost of a quarantine project could be lowered by 80% in comparison to traditional construction, and 55% compared to prefabricated solutions,” says Ahmed Mahil, cofounder and CEO of Luyten. “Ready to be fitted with utilities and plumbing, these accommodation facilities would be aesthetically pleasing and liveable within just a couple of days. The months, and even years, some projects can take to be constructed is now redundant – the new age of construction is upon us.”

According to Mahil, the construction industry is at a tipping point after a century of stagnation, and Luyten’s technology, which began as a passion project between university mates, has the capacity to shake up the industry: “Just as Ford changed the game with the Model T, Luyten has changed the game with the Platypus mobile 3D concrete printer. The affordability of the Platypus will make it an essential part of the equipment tool kit that small and large construction companies use.”

Founded in 2020, Luyten’s mission is to bridge the technological gap in large-scale construction and manufacturing industries through the introduction of robust automation technologies such as cutting-edge 3D printing. The company designs and manufactures custom large-scale construction 3D printers. Along with Mahil, the entrepreneurs behind Luyten are Dr Godfrey Keung (Chief Scientific Officer), Michael Stanley (Chief Technology Officer) and Shaun Heap (Chief Information Officer). The four co-founders formed a friendship while at Monash University in the mid-2010s.

Heap explains: “Godfrey, Ahmed, Michael and I developed greater interest through our casual discussions about the global housing crisis, climate change and the lack of automation in the construction industry. We started researching together and meeting on our weekends to dive deeper into these issues. Over the last four years these meetings became more and more regular, which is when we all committed to identifying the issues within the construction industry and attempting to automate it. The four of us then concocted our own unique solution, which has manifested into our company.

“Luyten transforms construction projects that traditionally take months or years to complete, and finishes them within a number of days. The 3DCP technology reduces 60% of construction waste, 70% of production time, and 80% of labour costs when comparing hands-on construction projects. In addition, the technology is proven to increase construction site efficiency with 60% guaranteed costs savings, 300 to 500 times shorter execution times, and an 80% total reduction in monetary expenses without formwork in concrete construction.”

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“We are the first start-up of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Luyten has a number of unique selling points, such as its capacity to incorporate acoustic and optical based artificial intelligence for datadriven concrete printing. Our invention also has a patented anticlogging printer head, which means the technology can produce state-of-the-art results time after time.”

Stanley adds: “When COVID-19 hit, Ahmed, Godfrey, Shaun and I recognised that the passion project we had been working on for all of these years could have saved countless lives. Our original 3DCP solutions could have built more hospitals or quarantine accommodation in a matter of days or weeks, rather than months at the height of the pandemic, and for a fraction of the price.”

Keung adds: “Our technology is bringing to the table the opportunity for the construction industry to become more financially feasible than ever before in history. The Luyten Platypus mobile 3D concrete printer is at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – it is the first mobile gantry and commercial-ready concrete printer in the Southern Hemisphere.”

According to Mahil, a focus area that has surfaced throughout the last 10 years is the environmental impact of construction industry practices. At the latest climate summit called by US President Joe Biden, 3DCP was presented as one of the approaches to address climate change and propagate green technology.

“When forming Luyten, we were cognisant of the construction industry’s carbon footprint, and determined to create construction solutions for generations to come that reduce emissions,” says Mahil.

“Our unmatched technology employs up to 40% less carbon dioxide emissions through propriety mixes that reduce use of cement, and the robotic systems reduce construction site and logistics carbon dioxide footprints by 50% to 70%.”

Luyten designs and manufactures custom large-scale concrete printers that cater for all project needs on-site from conceptual design through to the final product. The business offers 3DCP solutions for the incorporation of 3D membranes on traditional construction sites, as well as on-site printing consultations, operational assistance, and rental offerings. Luyten is already in talks with overseas businesses keen to utilise the technology. www.luyten3d.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 1407AMHUB

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Optimising spare parts management using mobile 3D printing solutions Additive manufacturing (AM) using 3D printing is now considered a way to optimise spare parts management by reducing levels of inventory, saving on lead times and logistics, negating down-time and reducing overall costs.

Having access to parts as needed that can be 3D printed is a positive solution for industries operating in remote locations such as mining, oil & gas production, power stations, farming equipment and wind farms. The convenience factor offers a convincing argument for on-demand production for parts that unexpectedly break, wear out before time, or become affected by environmental conditions.

An emerging solution for the provision of AM-produced spare parts is being offered by German company Bionic Production, with its revolutionary mobile, modular 3D printing system, or better known as a “factory in a box”. Bionic Production has an extensive history in design, development and service, producing the renowned Bugatti brake caliper using an SLM Solutions multi-laser system. By applying bionic design techniques, the initial model was reviewed, the maximum possible tensile strength determined, and the topology optimised for 3D printing. Using its technical and methodological expertise and experience as 3D printers and developers, Bionic Production now supplies the Mobile Smart Factory, which enables cost-efficient and fast supply of both metal and plastic spare parts.

Spare parts management is a critical and challenging element for a profitable business operation. Holding unnecessary parts can be a costly exercise, as illustrated by research findings in Europe where companies said that more than 10% of spare parts kept in stock were obsolete or even not needed. Production of on-demand spare parts using 3D printing technology has become more important in the last few years with limited manufacturing and transport restrictions, so delivering the most advanced manufacturing technologies in a convenient package is set to improve these shortcomings.

Some companies have already recognised the potential of 3D printing spare parts, developing their skill base and competence in the area of AM. One example is the German railway operator Deutsche Bahn, which has now printed more than 7,000 spare

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parts, resulting in a significant reduction in lead times and logistics costs.

According to the World Economic Forum, 3D printing of spare parts could save costs and time worth US$30bn. Unfortunately, the uptake by businesses is still minimal, with concerns relating to identifying a real business case, and to finding skilled and welltrained designers, engineers and technicians. Now, in Australia as with other countries around the world, the modular, fully equipped Mobile Smart Factory has the advantage of providing a simple and effective solution.

The Mobile Smart Factory comprises two standard 20-foot shipping containers: one ‘box’ contains the ‘office’, while the second contains the laser system and post processing facilities. Within the two boxes all pre and post-production processing equipment is provided. This flexibility of software and hardware allows not just for the production of replacement parts, but the opportunity is afforded with 3D printing for developing new, more efficient parts that can actually be tried on location. The Smart Factory can easily be transported to a remote location, by truck, rail or ship. It is fully water-proof and durable and can be relocated to where it is most needed.

To begin, each customer starts with identifying the kind of application required. Working together with the Bionic Production team, the 3D parts for printing are identified, scanned, or ideas and drawings are prepared in CAD format. The files are then made ready for the operator, stored on the virtual system ready for use with the push of a button to commence printing. Detailed specifications and documentation are on hand to support the user at each process step. Each Mobile Smart Factory is tailor-made to suit the needs of the customer.

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While a powder bed system is not an option due to the challenges of handling metal powder in remote locations, the Smart Factory may include wire arc additive manufacturing technology (WAAM).

A metal AM laser system, the WAAM process uses arc welding to build up the product in a layering process. The Hybrid machine from METROM offers speeds of 600 cubic centimetres per hour, and a large build space with a diameter of 700mm and height of 450mm.

Offering well-established technology, the system is easy to use and handle, even providing post-processing facilities for milling and drilling. The flexibility of this hybrid system means a fused deposition modelling (FDM) system for polymer products can also be offered.

This flexibility provides a new advantage and can accommodate a broad number of industry groups as both metal and polymer parts can be built using the Mobile Smart Factory.

“Be it through the production of polymer and/or metal parts on-site, we have designed a solution that covers the entire AM process, from pre-processing to post-processing,” says Dr Johannes Schmidt, Senior Project Manager at Bionic Production.

Already instances of remote usage exist – for example using a Mobile Smart Factory can support wind farm operators on or offshore, by printing and repairing pitch bearings on site. A pitch bearing can be designed and printed in several segments, offering real advantages in terms of replicability. Damaged segments can be readily exchanged on site without dismantling the blades or hub.

Another example is to print flange connectors used in oil & gas production. It is possible to print these in as little as one hour.

Bionic Production has brought to market a simple solution that opens up more opportunities for industries rarely seen as users of AM technology, but industries that will benefit from a supported, simple on-site application. Now available in Australia through Raymax Applications, each installation at the client’s designated site will be accompanied by initial advice, training, strategy development and a period of co-operative work in the operation of the Mobile Smart Factory. www.raymax.com.au

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AML3D puts pedal to the metal with new 3D printer South Australian high-tech manufacturer AML3D is ramping up production of its 3D printing and robotic welding units to meet increasing global demand.

The Adelaide-based company is also growing its contract manufacturing operations from its Edinburgh Parks facility, as customers from around the world utilise the technology to produce components for the marine, defence and mining industries.

In May, one of AML3D’s Arcemy units was unveiled at Rowlands Metalworks in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, which the sheet metal manufacturer says is a key to expanding its defence work nationally.

The Arcemy unit is capable of producing up to 10kg of product an hour and will be used to diversify Rowlands’ product offering and help it meet the demands of next-generation defence projects in South Australia and nationally. The launch follows the export of an Arcemy unit to Singapore last year. A unit is also being shipped to West Australian company IKAD Engineering.

AML3D Managing Director Andy Sales says there is increasing interest from around the world in the additive metal layering 3D printing technology: “Some of these manufacturing and fabrication companies are realising they have to diversify so they are going out and buying new machinery and developing new capabilities.

“Initially Rowlands bought it (Arcemy) for welding with the idea of moving into 3D printing, but I think the more they’ve looked into it, the more they are thinking they will use it to 3D print everything they can.

There’s plenty of market out there for this process, a lot of the primes are starting to look at this now. We’ve had quite a bit of interest in the last six months and we’re working on producing about half a dozen more over the next year across three or four customers.”

AML3D also has seven of its own Arcemy units in production to fill its contract orders.

The publicly-listed company has grown to almost 30 staff, up from only eight a year ago. Sales says the company is ramping up its contract manufacturing business and has generated strong interest from Asia and the Middle East, particularly for marinebased work. The 3,000sqm Edinburgh Parks facility has 1,000sqm of additional space capable of increasing capacity to cater for the additional contracts the company aims to secure.

“We’ve got capacity for about 30-tonnes a year if we ran everything 24/7 and that’s been slowly ramping up,” Sales explains.

“We’ve only been up and running with all seven of them the last couple of months now so we’ve been laying the foundations

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lately and we’re starting to gear up now.”

Sales formed AML3D in 2014 and the company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in April 2020. Sales says AML3D is a world leader in large-scale metal layering 3D printing and, unlike most other competitors that primarily used high-end materials such as titanium or are focused on either printer sales or contract manufacturing, his company is more diverse.

“We’re just going for everything,” he says.

“That doesn’t sound very strategic, but there’s a huge strategy behind it and part of it is that when I initially saw this 3D printing technique a number of years ago I realised there is no reason why you can’t do all materials. There are huge cost benefits in using this technique and there are other reasons besides cost: there’s a lead-time advantage and there’s the opportunity

to buy these Arcemy units and put them into remote areas.” AML3D announced to shareholders last week it is working on the next generation of 3D printers, which will be capable of producing up to 30kg per hour for larger-scale components. It is also in the process of securing global IP and patent protection for its technology.

“There’s not many of our peers, especially in Australia, that have a patent for their very own 3D printing process – especially a process that’s very common now,” Sales says. “One of the reasons why it’s very common now is because it’s based on a standard welding process that’s been around for about 100 years. Arc welding is a well-understood science, we just use it in different ways so we can control droplet size, bead control to build layer upon layer and using robotics is the best way to control that.” www.aml3d.com

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Additive Manufacturing Hub case study: 3DM Surface Finishing 3DM Surface Finishing developed a polishing technology for metal 3D printed parts, with assistance from AMTIL’s Additive Manufacturing Hub (AM Hub).

Based in Port Melbourne, 3DM has been at the forefront of metal surface finishing technology for more than 25 years, with international sales based on patented technologies. Its new technology, based on electro polishing, overcomes historical limitations to achieve surface finishes of less than 4 Ra surface roughness in under five minutes – delivering outcomes that previously took 30 to 60 minutes. This new technology enables surface smoothing to be shape-sensitive, predictable and controllable like never before.

The challenge Metal 3D printing has enabled the design freedom and mechanical optimisation of parts never seen before. When using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology, the surface finish is an intrinsic part of the design requirement; this is particularly the case in medical applications, where it can help to prevent bacteria growth, enable bone osseointegration, provide corrosion resistance, optimal fluidics or mechanical strength. Surface finishing technologies to date have largely been ‘adapted’ from traditional machining industries, and not readily transferrable to the complex geometries and selective surface requirements of metal 3D printing.

Most frustratingly, parts spend up to four times longer in post-processing than the time it took to print them. 3DM needed to overcome the inherent challenges of electro-polishing in the context of metal 3D printing, while providing surface finish control and significant time savings.

The solution 3DM needed to combine its extensive experience of electro polishing with the most recent knowledge in LPBF, so the expertise available at Amiga Engineering and CSIRO’s Lab 22 facility was co-ordinated through the Additive Manufacturing Hub.

electro-ablation technique for common metal 3D printing materials and surface contours.

How the Additive Manufacturing Hub helped Lab 22 provided the valuable materials science insights relevant to metal 3D printing using the LPBF process. Amiga Engineering printed parts using the specified materials for 3DM to undertake iterative development and optimisation.

The AM Hub’s Build it Better voucher program enabled deep knowledge domains to collaborate and share insights, ultimately ensuring the rapid acceleration of product development for commercial benefit. The metal 3D printing sector is growing rapidly and requires a diverse knowledge base to translate great science into commercial impacts.

The outcome The project enabled the cross-fertilisation of knowledge not readily transferred in industry. The primary goal of rapidly reducing the surface finishing time was achieved, in some cases up to 90%.

This is of primary interest to industry, as it immediately translates to productivity and competitiveness. An additional benefit of the project was the unforeseen importance of printing strategies, specifically the influence it has on the ‘as printed’ surface finish and part density, as both these factors contribute to the polishing outcome. 3DM Surface Finishing have now included these insights into the product, optimising the benefits of electro-ablation of 3D metal parts for both manual and automated processes.

The AM Hub is an initiative delivered

by AMTIL in partnership with the Victorian State Government to 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.3dmsurfacefinishing.com

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STATISTICAL REPORTING Call Anne Samuelsson to learn more on 0400 115 525 or email asamuelsson@amtil.com.au for all enquiries.

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The project required a combination of expertise covering electro-polishing, materials science and LPBF part printing to understand the competing constraints, yet still remain focused on the goal of time savings and surface finish control.

New metal and alloy combinations available to LPBF but not common in traditional machining required new knowledge to be built and applied to the advanced ‘electro-ablation’ technique.

3DM is now optimising its advanced

AMTIL PRODUCT E-BLASTS

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FORMING & FABRICATION

A vision system for managing scrap and leftovers For companies equipped with a laser system, a common worry is the management and recovery of sheet metal leftovers – those residues of previous operations that nobody wants to waste, and are commonly reused to create samples, complete urgent jobs in single batches of parts of different sizes, or replace any scrap from the manufacturing processes downstream of cutting.

Every workshop organises and solves the first steps of recovery – i.e. the logistics, storage and cataloging of leftovers – in the method that best suits the company’s production strategy and the materials available. Methods range from simple text files listing the parts available, to automatic software solutions for inventorying leftovers, and from storing the leftovers on sheet metal packs, to stacking on shelves, and on to more sophisticated warehousing solutions for more costly materials such as stainless steel. However, storage and cataloging affect above all the times and effectiveness of the recovery activities and the search among the leftovers. The last step in the recovery process is measuring the leftovers: the dimensions are required because the programmer, who is generally not in the workshop but in the office, has to refer to the formats available in order to generate the programs.

It’s clear, then, that the leftover recovery process has many steps and many activities that have a time-related cost. And the time devoted to managing urgencies, or producing single or small batches, has a greater weight and cost than those of the daily programming of production activities.

With a view to simplifying the process and making it more efficient, Salvagnini has introduced the SVS (Sheet/Scrap Vision System) option for its laser cutting systems.

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The SVS is an artificial vision system that enables sheet metal leftovers to be reused, producing a dxf file that serves as a starting sheet for nesting new parts to be cut directly on board the machine. The SVS option is available in two versions: the SVS1, which has a single camera focusing on the leftover and a working range of 1600mm by 1500mm, and the SVS2, which uses two cameras and has a much larger working range of 3000mm x 1500mm.

How does the SVS work?

The operator places the sheet metal leftover on the worktable and uses FACE, the Salvagnini human-machine interface,

to indicate which is the reference leftover – given that there could be more than one on the worktable. The application acquires an image of the leftover, transforms it into a dxf file and enters it in the STREAMLASER On Machine database as a starting sheet. The operator proceeds to select the parts to be produced, and the application automatically creates the nest and completes the program. At this point, the actual cutting can start: the laser automatically checks that the leftover is positioned correctly on the worktable and then cuts the defined parts. This option offers great potential in terms of process efficiency. With SVS it is possible to create nests on more

FORMING & FABRICATION than one leftover: several leftovers can therefore be placed on the worktable if, for example, a number of small leftovers are available – and this possibility enhances the performance of SVS2. Moreover, with a graphics application, it is possible to rapidly call up – visually – the parts belonging to nests that have already been produced and are repeatable with SVS. This is a considerable simplification, above all when we think of the need to urgently produce parts machined only recently that may have been damaged during machining downstream, or for which greater quantities are needed.

SVS1 and SVS2: what are the differences?

SVS1 has a field of vision, and therefore a working range, of 1600mm by 1500mm.

This means that it is possible to position one or more leftovers offcuts on the worktable, but these must always be arranged on the correct section of the table. SVS2, on the other hand, has a field of vision of 3000mm by 1500mm and, with its larger working range, offer greater flexibility: both small and large leftovers offcuts can be used, positioned in practically any area of the worktable.

SVS guarantees a wide range of economic and process advantages. Moreover, though the alternative applications

available on the market have similar purposes, they are based on different technologies, which greatly limit their effectiveness. Vision systems that support laser cutting are generally applications in augmented reality: they do not transform the images of the leftovers into dxf files to generate a completely automatic nest. In practice, they take a picture of the leftover on the worktable and allow the operator to manually “add” the parts to be produced to the image taken. The disadvantages here

are clear. On the one hand, the operator has to manually enter the parts one by one, without the possibility of creating a nest in automatic filling mode. On the other hand, and more importantly, the process is often completely manual and with no error control: without a dxf, the operator may risk positioning the image of the part to be produced outside the detected outline of the leftover. www.machineryforum.com.au

i4.0 manufacturing digitisation with K4.0 DigiSMART The K4.0 Kiosk has been created to facilitate other manufacturers in achieving digitisation and Industry 4.0 ambitions across their operations.

Features • • • • • • •

65” Touchscreen Operating systems - Windows 10/Linux/Ubuntu Intel Z8300 Quad Core 1.8GHz or equivalent Flip out Keyboard and mouse option Storage drawers Workflow Management Video call capabilities

• • • • • •

Machine connectivity Worker clock in/out Paperless drawings 3D Part interactions Quality Assurance optimisation Australian made

Watch the K4.0 Kiosk in action

E: sales@integrasystems.com.au P: (03) 9359 3133 www.integratransform.com.au/k40 197 Northcorp Boulevard, Broadmeadows, Vic 3047

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Rapid material testing during sheet metal processing reduces failure and scrap Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany have developed an innovative process for the initial testing of sheet metal in production systems, using AI software that predicts how the material will behave during production and gauges whether it will meet quality requirements. This drastically reduces the risk of failure and amount of scrap.

Sheet metal is now used as a material in practically every industrial sector. In the automotive or electrical industry, in mechanical engineering and plant construction, in furniture manufacturing and in the packaging industry – sheet metal is utilised everywhere.

There is a tremendous diversity of alloy compositions, thicknesses, coatings and colours available for these applications.

Sheet metal is usually delivered in the form of large coils or panels.

The material undergoes various machining steps before the final product emerges. It is trimmed, bent, compressed, pulled or embossed. Trouble-free further processing in production therefore hinges on a quality control system to guarantee that the material satisfies all required specifications.

In this context, the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (Fraunhofer IWU) has lent a helping hand by presenting its “material tester”. It tests the sheet metal quickly and easily before the first machining step. The researchers have refined tried and proven mechanical load tests and combined them with machine learning software. This software creates a sophisticated prediction about how a material will behave at every machining step throughout the production sequence.

How the material test works First, a small section of the sheet metal is cut off and placed in a testing machine. A stamp in the shape of a dome, or a different shape depending on the application, pushes the metal down to a predefined depth. A force sensor measures the force-displacement profile. In other words, it records the amount of force required to deform the material up to a specific point.

“The analysis software uses these measurements to draw conclusions about the deformation behavior under pressure and assesses the suitability of the metal for the planned production process,” explains Matthias Riemer, Project Manager at Fraunhofer IWU. To make sure the software is able to create a viable prediction, numerous individual specimens of new sheet metal types are first deformed in the testing machine. The force-displacement profile measurements generated by this process are used as data to train the machine learning algorithms. The result is a behaviour profile of the sheet metal type as a reference. When a sheet metal coil from a different batch of the same material is tested, the machine learning algorithms compare these measurements with the existing profile and visualise the result in a graph.

In the testing machine, a hemispherical stamp pushes the component down to a defined depth. The force-displacement profile is analysed to allow detailed conclusions to be drawn about the quality of the material. © Fraunhofer.

Production staff are provided with a sophisticated statement about the material’s resilience and its behaviour. They do not have to concern themselves with the technical details. A traffic light symbol in the material tester software indicates whether the sheet metal is “OK”, “marginally useful” or even “scrap”. If the analysis shows that the delivered sheet metal does not meet the agreed specifications, the company can run additional tests on the product and then decide whether to return it to the supplier or modify the production process. Experts at Fraunhofer IWU programmed the software for this project themselves. It works with standard control computers in use at testing stations in factories. The entire test takes just 15 seconds.

Material tests after prolonged storages The material testing process developed by Fraunhofer IWU represents a departure from previous testing concepts that would inspect the sheet visually for cracks or defects after the load test.

“Instead of examining the material, we use machine learning algorithms to analyse the measurements,” says Riemer. “This kind of prediction is more reliable and sophisticated than a conventional load test.”

The tests can also be useful if the delivered coils have been stored under fluctuating temperatures for a prolonged period or in a hall without air conditioning during the summer months. Such situations can cause some materials such as certain aluminium alloys to show signs of aging.

Riemer believes it is especially important to perform the material test before the first machining step: “Some manufacturers forgo initial tests and rely completely on the specifications agreed upon with the supplier. That can be a risky business.”

The material tester can either be set up in the warehouse as a standalone solution at the initial testing station, or as an inline solution at the start of the production line. The system is compatible with existing testing machines. There is no need to acquire new testing facilities. www.iwu.fraunhofer.de

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FORMING & FABRICATION

Leussink engaged for bespoke security entrance solution Based in Unanderra, NSW, Leussink Engineering was recently engaged by Dutch company Boon Edam, a global leader in security entrances and architectural revolving doors, to create a bespoke visual display unit.

Operating in 27 countries, Boon Edam is a global supplier to some of the world’s biggest companies and multinational groups, as well as public and private agencies. Boon Edam’s global clients include dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including major Australian companies and household names.

To mitigate the risk of spreading coronavirus through building entrances, Boon Edam decided to expand its range of touchless entrance solutions. Touchless entrance systems are not only more hygienic, but they can have security measures installed to prevent tailgating and other unauthorised entry.

Deburring of lasercut, punched and machined parts

Stainless, Aluminium, Mild steel, Titanium and Plastic

Before

After

Reduce the deburring costs

Boon Edam engaged Leussink to create a robust, functional and aesthetically pleasing visual display unit to show the appropriate lift as an authorised person walks through the speed gate security entrance at the front of a prominent Melbourne office building.

“The visual display unit needed to clearly show the user which lift to proceed to, and it needed to seamlessly integrate with our product,” said Michael Fisher, Managing Director of Boon Edam. “Leussink was able to come up with a customised solution that we were very happy with, and importantly, so was our client. Boon Edam was already well advanced on touchless entry solutions, including facial recognition, palm readers and lift destination control, and the impacts of COVID have only accelerated this change.

“The visual display was important to an ongoing touchless entry project, so we needed a local engineering partner that was agile, and could meet our unique brief. Working with an Australian organisation with the right expertise on the project was helpful for us and meant quick turnaround times which was important on this job. Leussink’s visual display blended in so well with our speed gates that it looks like it was part of the original product. The units were well designed structurally too, to minimise the risk of them being bumped out of position.”

The unit is made of powder-coated aluminium and manufactured using intricate 3D machining. It bolts to the existing gates and once installed blends neatly with the existing channel. It’s designed to be robust and functional. From the initial meeting in November 2019, the project took only six months to complete.

Leussink’s Ray Leussink said the relationship with the team from Boon Edam was positive.

“Given the restrictions of the COVID pandemic we haven’t met face-to-face but via video, with plenty of email and phone communications to back this up. Despite the absence of in-person meetings we developed a great working relationship with the Boon Edam team.”

Fisher added: “Ray Leussink and the whole team were fantastic to work with from start to finish – a truly professional and high-quality Australian manufacturing and engineering company.”

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www.boonedam.com.au www.leussink.com.au

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ELECTRONICS

Digilin Technologies – A shining example of Australian innovation With four decades in business, Queensland electronics manufacturer Digilin Technologies successfully diversified into lighting, and went on to change the shape of the industry in Australia.

Brisbane-based Digilin designs, engineers and manufactures LED, lighting control and fibre optic products for commercial and architectural projects. Digilin has provided solutions for some of Australia’s most iconic buildings and landmarks, such as the Melbourne Arts Centre, the Adelaide Convention Centre and Brisbane’s Kingsford Smith Drive. Surprisingly, and despite its success in the industry, Digilin didn’t even start out as a lighting company.

The story of how Digilin got to where it is today is really a story of electrical engineers who never stopped looking for the next big challenge. Founded just over 40 years ago in a small workshop in Brisbane’s West End, Digilin first operated as an electronics service and repair centre before developing its own electronic devices. The first Digilin-branded product was actually a high-end audio processing device designed for recording studios.

During the 1980s, the company developed a variety of other electronic devices for many different industries, such as scoring systems for bowling alleys, and seismic survey equipment for mining and geological exploration projects.

The company’s first foray into lighting was in the mid-1980s, when the company was contracted to build a signalling system for Queensland Rail (QR). Digilin designed and assembled a combination of custom electronics, fibre optic cables, halogen lightsources and specialised lensing for the sophisticated system, which delivered critical signals to train drivers along the entire QR network.

This successful deployment was the catalyst for working in an industry that would define its future. Digilin went on to employ fibre optic lighting technology on various other projects throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, such as designing decorative lighting for displays and public spaces for Brisbane’s Expo’ 88.

One of the most challenging projects that the company was involved in during this period was the illumination of the 166m-tall Melbourne Arts Centre Spire.

Digilin custom-manufactured specialised lightsources and supplied over 6kms of fibre optic cables for the project. Seeing the performing arts icon lit up after its completion will always be one of the company’s proudest moments. During the mid-1990s, LED technology began to take monumental strides in performance

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Digilin has provided lighting solutions for iconic Australian buildings such as the Melbourne Arts Centre.

capability, delivering substantially more light than their predecessors and using less power than ever before. LED, which had been used almost exclusively as indicator lights for decades, was suddenly becoming a viable alternative to traditional light sources. As Digilin had been designing electronic controls for years and already had expertise with LED, it found itself uniquely positioned at the leading edge of a technological revolution.

In 1997, Digilin was contracted to the Mall Music project in Sydney, where they manufactured LED luminaires for what would become both the company’s and Australia’s first commercial LED luminaire installation. Impressed with the results and recognising the immense opportunity that existed, Digilin pivoted its attention to focus exclusively on LED, fibre optic lighting and lighting controls.

In the years that followed, the global lighting industry flipped on its head as lighting became electronic and traditional light sources quickly began to disappear.

Digilin’s proven success in LED and fibre optics, and its ability to manufacture the electronic controls they need to achieve optimal performance, took the company around the world to work on some of most ambitious architectural projects of the era, such as the Sheik Hazza Palace in Abu Dhabi, The Petronas Towers in Malaysia and many of Australia’s new Casinos.

Another pioneering project was a facade for Century Tower in Dubai, at the time the tallest residential tower in the world. Digilin custom-designed and manufactured a set of colour-change luminaires, which could be controlled by a remote DMX system to generate dynamic colour sequences. These types of decorative facade installations have since become ubiquitous, but back then it was a truly ground-breaking engineering achievement.

A hands-on approach Two decades and hundreds of projects later, Digilin is still at it. Today the company is run by Tremaine Wrigley, who formed a

ELECTRONICS

partnership in 2013 with its founder John Davis, before eventually taking over as Managing Director when Davis retired.

Despite competition increasing over the years as high-end imports from Europe and cost-leaders from China entered the market, Digilin continues to thrive within its niche by offering a comprehensive portfolio of advanced lighting and control products in combination with project-specific solution design and manufacture services.

“What really sets us apart from other lighting manufacturers is that, at our core, we’re electrical engineers that specialise in lighting and lighting controls rather than the other way around, and this allows us to take a real solutions-based approach to our project work,” Wrigley explains. “In collaboration with our distribution partners, we engage with clients to understand their project’s challenges at a conceptual level from the very beginning.

“Manufacturing both lighting and controls is also quite unique. There are very few companies in the world that do this, and we certainly don’t know of any other in Australia. An incredible amount of technical expertise is required to produce quality solutions in either of these categories, so generally companies will just focus on one.

Once again, it’s only because we started out as specialists in electronics that we continue today as a manufacturer of both.

Conversations with other sales support teams might often end with directing clients towards a product purchase decision, whereas for Digilin the focus is on the outcomes and the experience for everyone in the supply chain.

“To offer this level of service we need highly trained and experienced people, as clients will frequently come to us because there isn’t a solution available on the market that suits their needs,” says Wrigley. “In these cases, we will custom engineer a lighting solution specific to their particular project from scratch. Our support team

will then liaise with our engineering team to provide advice and support the client through installation and commissioning.

In this way, we’re more than just a lighting manufacturer, we’re a technical solutions partner. This is what allows us to seek out the most complex lighting projects and engineering challenges, as Digilin has done since its inception.”

Digilin now operates out of a facility in Brisbane’s Murarrie, which houses its engineering department, testing lab, electronics workshop, production floor and sales office. It continues to operate primarily in the commercial market, with a particular focus on public spaces, theatre and entertainment, workplaces and education.

To remain competitive within its niche, Digilin invests heavily in R&D, its team’s technical skills, and specialised engineering equipment and production machinery.

Looking forward Despite a challenging first half, 2020 ended up being an exciting year for Digilin. The company celebrated its 40th birthday, built and launched a new website, underwent a visual rebranding, and spent its first year at the new Murarrie site it moved to in 2019. Although its production pipeline experienced a slowdown at the onset of the pandemic, with many projects being put on hold due to the uncertainty it created, Digilin took this as an opportunity to double down on its commitment to innovation, while keeping staff busy by diverting resources from operations to bring forward projects in its R&D pipeline. Now that the projects have returned, Digilin is busier than ever, having added many new staff members to its production team since the beginning of the 2021. Digilin has always embraced the benefits and challenges of onshore manufacturing, opting to support its client base with Australian-made innovations and local support. In a continuing escalation of its commitment to this approach, Digilin recently announced the launch of its DRUM

initiative. Standing for ‘Digilin Releases, Upgrades and Modifications’, DRUM is the company’s bi-annual release of its most recently developed products, technical upgrades and range additions from its R&D pipeline.

Four new products were released this May

by Digilin in its first ever DRUM, including a cutting-edge electronic lighting driver, a sophisticated control interface, a highoutput exterior downlight and a highfrequency dimming device – all designed in Brisbane by its team of electronic engineers and industrial designers.

“Each of these new products is a physical manifestation of our commitment to innovation and continuous improvement and we’re thrilled with the final results,” says Wrigley. “DRUM is our way of showing the world that it’s possible to innovate and manufacture locally, as long as you find your niche and leverage your strengths. With our new expanded facilities and the Digilin team increasing by the week, we’re now looking for new ways to grow, including entering new international markets.”

Alongside its upscaled R&D activities, the company is searching for ways to increase local sourcing of its inputs.

“Wherever possible we like to source locally for the obvious benefits that it brings us,” says Wrigley. “We find that Australian manufacturers have a high regard for quality, so we know we are sourcing components that meet our standards for performance and reliability. Like us, other Australian manufacturers are quite nimble and the opportunity to work closely with them to source specialist parts aligns with our production strategies. We form very strong relationships with our suppliers and we recognise how important they are to our entire operation.”

Looking to the future with optimism and a product portfolio that is growing stronger than ever, Digilin now plans to bring its homegrown innovations to the global stage by expanding its export activities, with a particular interest in the Middle East and South-East Asia. www.digilin.com.au

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Micro dispensing systems for the electronics industry Micro dispensing enables state-of-the-art manufacturing processes in the electronics industry and increases the service life of individual components. Adhesives, sealants, potting compounds or heat conductive pastes are processed in various applications.

In consumer electronics in particular, the prerequisites for performance are increasing with ever- smaller components and simultaneously falling manufacturing costs. Fully automatic and process-reliable micro dispensing systems make this possible.

For example, in the manufacture of smartphones, components are bonded, potted, and sealed in fully automated micro dispensing systems. A camera in a smartphone has up to 40 different bonding and dispensing applications.

Micro dispensing comprises various processes: • In Bonding applications, dispensing systems must be able to provide absolute stable dispensing. On the one hand, the bond must withstand external environmental influences such as high temperature fluctuations, vibrations, or moisture. On the other hand, adhesive residues on the edges or overflowing adhesives between two assembled parts are not acceptable.

It is important not to apply too much or too little adhesive: in most applications, a precisely defined amount of material is required ­without pulling the thread of the material. Adhesive residues can otherwise cause great damage, for instance, due to contamination during production. Moreover, a quantity too small would impair the adhesive strength.

• In Dam & Fill applications, a highly viscous barrier, the socalled “dam” in the form of a closed outer contour, is first applied to the surface to be sealed. The internal area is then filled with a low-viscosity sealing compound. Both materials are then cured together. The area to be protected is thus sealed and optimally shielded against external influences. The primary goal is to protect the highly complex and sensitive assemblies.

• Glob Top potting protects sensitive components, usually semiconductor chips, from mechanical stress such as vibrations or temperature fluctuations. And it also protects them from external environmental influences such as moisture or corrosion. Simultaneously to Dam & Fill, a liquid resin matrix ­ usually based on epoxy resin ­is applied, whereby the dam can be eliminated.

• Classic Underfill applications are primarily used to mechanically stabilise various components on printed circuit boards while at the same time compensating for different thermal expansions.

In this way, damage due to stress is avoided. As a rule, the adhesives used in this process display a very high capillary flow behaviour and thus completely fill the gap between the chip and the printed circuit board (PCB), though the adhesive is only dosed along the outer contour of the chip.

• Micro dispensing means that the dosing volume is in the range of 0.001ml. Whether bead dosing, sealing, point dosing, potting or two-component applications, precision, repeatability and reliability are essential. ViscoTec dosing systems, for example, process low- to high-viscosity liquids and pastes with a repeat accuracy of higher than 99 %. The repeat accuracy depends both on the dosing process and the material properties.

• Encapsulation means that an electronic potting compound is applied to a predetermined surface. It protects the component during transport and against external influences such as vibrations, shocks, moisture, dust, and extreme temperatures. The joint not only protects, but also improves electrical insulation, protection against damage and chemical resistance.

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• Optical Bonding eliminates the gap between the glass and display of smartphones and tablets, reducing the effect of different refraction and reflection. In addition, the stability and damage resistance of the display is increased. The main goal is to improve readability of the displays outdoors.

• Conformal Coating, for example, protects PCBs from moisture, contamination with dust or chemicals or temperature fluctuations. In addition, reliability and electrical properties can also be improved.

The automated application of various viscous materials is intended to offer maximum flexibility in the selection of the suitable dosing material on the one hand and to enable uncomplicated processing through maximum reliability on the other.

There are several important parameters that determine the dosing process. Short cycle times, cyclical application, or continuous operation, low to highly viscous, structure-sensitive, solids-laden liquids, tribological losses such as friction, leaks, wear, aging, fracture mechanics. The suitable dosing pump takes all variables into account and is adapted to the material. In addition, chemical reactions can occur that lead to wear, such as plastic deformation, abrasion, static friction, and fracture mechanics. For the optimal design of the dosing components for abrasive or chemically aggressive liquids, special know-how is required. In addition, it is often necessary to carry out preliminary or long-term testing.

How should the dosing system be designed so that highly viscous, abrasive and shear-sensitive liquids can be reliably processed? And at the same time changes in the flow behaviour of these liquids be tolerated? The progressive cavity pump technology combines both: long maintenance intervals due to optimum pump assembly, and absolute low-shear and viscosity-independent conveying of the material. Metering pumps based on this principle, the so-called endless piston principle, achieve a long service life and very high energy efficiency.

ELECTRONICS Advantages of the endless piston principle The special rotor-stator geometry of the progressive cavity pump technology, and thus also of the ViscoTec and preeflow dispenser, enables pulsation-free dosing. Dosing quantities ranging from less than 1 μl up to larger quantities can be dosed with the highest precision as dot, bead, or potting applications. Another decisive advantage of the endless piston principle is the automatic or programmable reverse flow. This prevents the material from dripping at the end of a dosing process and ensures clean dosing.

With the gentle technology, even very sensitive materials such as UV adhesives or anaerobic adhesives can be dosed. Due to the compact and weight-reduced design of the dispensers, they can be integrated into almost all axis and robot systems. Moreover they can be operated and controlled as complete dosing units in systems. They can also be easily integrated into existing production systems.

Progressive cavity pumps belong to the family of positive displacement pumps. The volume flow and the quantities to be dosed are directly proportional to the number of revolutions. The precise co-ordination of rotor and stator makes the dispenser pressure-tight, so that no additional valve is required. In this way, volumetric conveying can be guaranteed at all times. And this in turn makes the very gentle dosing of even the smallest quantities possible. A separate control unit allows the operator to program the speed. If the properties of an adhesive are known, user-specific quantities can be programmed via the controller - independent of viscosity and temperature. The micro dispensers from ViscoTec and preeflow allow dosing with a volume flow of 0.1ml to 60ml/ min. Typically, the one- and two-component dispensers are used in fully automated processes. However, they can also be used as hand-held devices.

The perfect combination: Know-how and technology Progressive cavity pumps are ideally suited for pressure-sensitive liquids containing hollow polymer spheres, for example, but also for viscosity-independent applications with liquids up to several million mPas or thixotropic materials. Two-component applications with mixing ratios of up to 100:1 or even materials with a short pot life can be easily processed and dosed directly as required.

The material to be dosed is perfectly prepared for a dosing application with direct, gentle emptying and a constant supply, which can also be achieved with progressive cavity pumps.

Liquids requiring pre-treatment can be introduced into a combined extraction or treatment and buffer system for homogenisation

and degassing. The portfolio of the Bavarian dosing technology specialist offers all this. The dosing process is optimally planned and adapted to the respective application - from the emptying of the container through the preparation of the material to the actual dosing - for maximum process reliability and cost control.

ViscoTec and preeflow dosing systems are suitable for numerous applications: thanks to the endless piston principle, which is built into the entire portfolio, liquids and pastes are dosed purely volumetrically and treated extremely gently. Solid-laden and shearsensitive adhesives can also be transported without any problems - and with a repeat accuracy of 99% - without air inclusions! In addition to UV-curing and various other adhesives, solder pastes, electrically or thermally conductive or abrasive pastes or other liquids with viscosities ranging from aqueous to pasty are also processed.

Low maintenance costs, absolute process reliability and high planning reliability are important for system suppliers. The purely volumetric pumps and dispensers combine various advantages: dosing processes run independently of pressure, time, and temperature; and the valve-less tightness technology guarantees very easy handling.

Engineering and consulting Working with ViscoTec, almost every well-functioning dosing application begins with expert advice and carefully thought-out decisions. The process requirements and the dosing material must be defined. The appropriate dosing components are selected, and the correct application parameters determined. The dosing applications are simulated in laboratory tests and all parameters are checked and optimized again - validation is carried out. The reliable results of such tests can be easily transferred to the application situation to integrate the dosing task into the overall process.

A positive co-operation between the customer, the material manufacturer and the dosing technology manufacturer enables the qualification of suitable solutions from material selection to implementation in the dosing process. The comprehensive consultation leads to the consistent development of a highly reproducible dosing application, to an increase in production rates and process reliability. And all this with full cost control. Customers receive fast support and service from specialized partners worldwide. Spare parts and accessories are always in stock and available at short notice - worldwide. www.viscotec-asia.com

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REDARC powers towards factory of the future South Australian electronics manufacturer REDARC is continuing its modernisation journey, making a significant investment in cutting-edge Industry 4.0 technology and training, with support from the Federal Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

The highly regarded Lonsdale-based manufacturer plans to build upon recent expansion success with a co-funding investment of more than $800,000 to extend its smart factory and skill capabilities across its in-house and supplier operations. The project is expected to result in the creation of up to 35 new roles.

Anthony Kittel, CEO of REDARC, and Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of the AMGC.

REDARC, a strong advocate for reinvestment, allocates up to 15% of its yearly revenues to research & development (R&D). As a result, the company has developed more than 600 product lines during its 40-year history, of which most are exported to markets including Canada, USA, Mexico, Europe, New Zealand, the Middle East, South Korea and South Africa.

“In that context, we need to have a nimble, agile and value-driven manufacturing base to be able to sustain that type of business and respond quickly to customer needs,” explains Andrew Rogers, Manufacturing Engineering Manager for REDARC. “Industry 4.0 is more than a buzzword; it represents the next leap in technological prowess and competitiveness. It should however be viewed as a journey without end, because after digitisation there will be something else to adopt to ensure we maintain our competitive edge.

“It’s important that we bring our suppliers along in the process, as we prefer to control our quality and supply chain by making sure all parts of this chain work together,” Rogers adds.

The project will further develop REDARC’s workforce, Industry 4.0 technology adoption, and business processes through collaboration with key supply chain partners and expert local service providers.

Five complementary activities are proposed:

REDARC’s headquarters in Lonsdale, South Australia.

• Predictive alerts: Interactive and automated statistical process controls • Quality alerts: Real-time production cell digital assistance • Design and validation of future production cells using Augmented Reality • Capability audit: Industry 4.0 maturity re-assessment • Training: Development and delivery of Industry 4.0 staff and supply chain training modules hosted on AMGC’s Manufacturing Academy.

Lessons derived from the project will be shared with the manufacturing community through an Industry 4.0 module on AMGC’s Manufacturing Academy website.

Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of the AMGC, said that REDARC demonstrates what Australian manufacturers could achieve by investing in the processes, people and equipment that come before and after assembly, or simply the seven steps of the manufacturing value chain.

“There is a misunderstanding when it comes to the term advanced manufacturing, being advanced is not related to what you make, but how you make it,” said Goennemann. “Being advanced is about continual improvement in your processes, workforce skills and products across the critical steps of design, research and development,logistics, production, sales, service and support.

“REDARC understands the value of investing in people and equipment, and the competitive edge it delivers the company. By doing so, they remain globally relevant, competitive and a beacon for other local manufacturers.”

The collaborative project is budgeted at a total of $803,540, with AMGC contributing matched funds of $397,770, with the

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remainder raised in in-kind funding from REDARC partners including industry leaders Advanced Focus, Minitab, Swinburne University, Artis Group and CADWalk. Local manufacturer Arkidelo, which produces injection moulded cases for REDARC’s award-winning Tow Pro product, will play a part in the project’s digital supply chain integration.

Redarc was founded in 1979 as a single-product line business. Its current ownership bought the company in 1997 as an eight-person operation. Since then, REDARC has expanded its employee base to more than 200, while simultaneously growing its product range and developing export markets. Diversifying away from automotive manufacturing, in 2016 the company expanded into the defence market, in which it has recently earned its first major contract.

REDARC has won countless awards during its rapid growth, including Australian Business of the Year in 2014, and Manufacturer of the Year on multiple occasions. www.amgc.org.au

www.redarc.com.au

ELECTRONICS

Additive Manufacturing Hub case study: Additive Assurance AMTIL’s Additive Manufacturing Hub (AM Hub) Design assisted in the development of new electronic hardware for Additive Assurance’s sensor device for in-process quality assurance monitoring of metal 3D-printed parts.

Additive Assurance has developed a novel quality assurance system for metal additive manufacturing (AM). The technique aims to enable qualification of metal additive manufactured parts across multiple industries, allowing for serial production and unharnessing the full potential of Additive Manufacturing.

By outsourcing this specialised electronic engineering design work to OSD, Additive Assurance has significantly decreased the time to complete the design of its entire sensor unit. Ultimately this enabled Additive Assurance to get a commercial solution to market far sooner than would have been otherwise possible.

Additive Assurance’s solution involves a sensor package that can be retrofitted to additive manufacturing equipment and combines with software to interpret the data and monitor the build in realtime. An early prototype of the sensor package was produced and tested on several additive manufacturing machines successfully.

A commercial version of the sensor package, AMiRIS, is being developed for use in industrial settings.

Additive Assurance has already placed an order to have a number of the boards produced using the OSD design. Additive Assurance will place them within the new AMiRIS sensor unit, currently planned to be built and assembled in Melbourne.

Project scope The electrical components within the Additive Assurance sensor unit were becoming increasingly complex, particularly with the introduction of autofocus capabilities to ensure each sensor is correctly focused on the 3D printing process. The AM Hub’s Build it Better voucher program allowed Additive Assurance to engage with Outer Space Design (OSD), a registered service provider as part of the scheme, to gain access to qualified electrical engineers experienced with this complexity.

Additive Assurance outlined the requirements for the electronics hardware – both in terms of its physical size and required functionality.

OSD was then engaged to redesign the componentry integration of the hardware, specifically the Power Control and Sensor PCBA (PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD ASSEMBLY). This involved reviewing the sensors/connections used in the prototype and replacing these with more robust industrial equivalents and updating the designs to allow power distribution via the PCBA.

Project outcome OSD produced two working control boards, as well as providing the schematics and full bill of materials (BoM) ready for scale production. The boards were fully tested and accepted by Additive Assurance.

“We are very grateful to both AMTIL and the Victorian Government for the support they have shown Additive Assurance through the Build it Better program” said Marten Jurg, CEO of Additive Assurance. “We found working with OSD, which is also based here in Melbourne, both most convenient and enjoyable. This grant has allowed us to accelerate work on our sensor, which is a crucial part of our monitoring technology.

“We believe that our in-process quality assurance solution will enable a significant growth in the additive manufacturing industry both in Australia and world-wide, create jobs in the manufacturing sector and strengthen Australia’s sovereign capabilities and expertise in additive manufacturing.”

The AM Hub is an initiative delivered by AMTIL in partnership with the Victorian State Government to 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.additiveassurance.com

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ELECTRONICS

New study paves way for next-gen, transparent electronics A new study could pave the way to revolutionary, transparent electronics. Such see-through devices could potentially be integrated in glass, in flexible displays and in smart contact lenses, bringing to life futuristic devices that seem like the product of science fiction.

For several decades, researchers have sought a new class of electronics based on semiconducting oxides, whose optical transparency could enable these fully-transparent electronics.

Oxide-based devices could also find use in power electronics and communication technology, reducing the carbon footprint of our utility networks.

A RMIT University-led team has now introduced ultrathin betatellurite to the two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting material family, providing an answer to this decades-long search for a high-mobility p-type oxide.

“This new, high-mobility p-type oxide fills a crucial gap in the materials spectrum to enable fast, transparent circuits,” says team leader Dr Torben Daeneke, who led the collaboration across three nodes of the Australian Research Council (ARC)’s Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET).

Other key advantages of the long-sought-after oxide-based semiconductors are their stability in air, less-stringent purity requirements, low costs and easy deposition.

The RMIT team (from left): Ali Zavabeti, Patjaree Aukarasereenont and Torben Daeneke, with transparent electronics.

“In our advance, the missing link was finding the right, ‘positive’ approach,” says Daeneke.

There are two types of semiconducting materials. ‘N-type’ materials have abundant negatively-charged electrons, while ‘p-type’ semiconductors possess plenty of positively-charged holes. It’s the stacking together of complementary n-type and p-type materials that allows electronic devices such as diodes, rectifiers and logic circuits. Modern life is critically reliant on these materials since they are the building blocks of every computer and smartphone.

A barrier to oxide devices has been that while many highperformance n-type oxides are known, there is a significant lack of high-quality p-type oxides. However in 2018 a computational study revealed that beta-tellurite (ß-TeO2) could be an attractive p-type oxide candidate, with tellurium’s peculiar place in the periodic table meaning it can behave as both a metal and a non-metal, providing its oxide with uniquely useful properties.

“This prediction encouraged our group at RMIT University to explore its properties and applications,” says Daeneke.

Daeneke’s team demonstrated the isolation of beta-tellurite with a specifically developed synthesis technique that relies on liquid metal chemistry.

“A molten mixture of tellurium (Te) and selenium (Se) is prepared and allowed to roll over a surface,” explains co-first author Patjaree Aukarasereenont, a FLEET PhD student at RMIT. “Thanks to the oxygen in ambient air, the molten droplet naturally forms a thin surface oxide layer of beta-tellurite. As the liquid droplet is rolled over the surface, this oxide layer sticks to it, depositing atomically thin oxide sheets in its way.

“The process is similar to drawing: you use a glass rod as a pen and the liquid metal is your ink.”

While the desirable ß-phase of tellurite grows below 300°C, pure tellurium has a high melting point, above 500°C. Therefore, selenium was added to design an alloy that has a lower melting point, making the synthesis possible.

“The ultrathin sheets we obtained are just 1.5 nanometres thick – corresponding to only a few atoms,” explains co-author Dr Ali

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The optical transparency of the new materials could enable futuristic, flexible, transparent electronics. Credit: RMIT University.

Zavabeti. “The material was highly transparent across the visible spectrum, having a bandgap of 3.7eV which means that they are essentially invisible to the human eye.

To assess the electronic properties of the developed materials, field-effect transistors (FETs) were fabricated. Aukarasereenont explains: “These devices showed characteristic p-type switching as well as a high hole mobility (roughly 140 cm2V-1s-1), showing that beta-tellurite is 10 to 100 times faster than existing p-type oxide semiconductors. The excellent on/off ratio (over 106) also attests the material is suitable for power-efficient, fast devices.”

Zavabeti adds: “The findings close a crucial gap in the electronic material library. Having a fast, transparent p-type semiconductor at our disposal has the potential to revolutionise transparent electronics, while also enabling better displays and improved energy-efficient devices.”

The team plans to further explore the potential of this novel semiconductor.

“Our further investigations of this exciting material will explore integration in existing and next-generation consumer electronics,” says Daeneke. www.fleet.org.au

ELECTRONICS

UQ powers up greener alternative to lithium ion in Brisbane manufacturing deal Faster-charging and more sustainable batteries with a life up to three times greater than lithium ion are being built with technology developed at The University of Queensland.

Brisbane-based Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) will manufacture battery prototypes for watches, phones, laptops, electric vehicles and grid storage under a research agreement with scientists from UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN).

market, dominated by lithium ion: “Lithium-ion batteries demand the extraction of rare earth materials using large amounts of water and are processed with chemicals that can potentially harm the environment. This project has real potential to provide the market with a more environmentally friendly and efficient alternative.”

Professor Michael Yu, Dr Xiaodan Huang and postdoctoral student Yueqi Kong devised technology to make graphene into more efficient electrodes for powering batteries, which has been patented and licensed by UQ commercialisation company, UniQuest. AIBN Director Professor Alan Rowan said UQ was delighted to partner with GMG to translate scientific ideas into commercial solutions through the development of more efficient and greener batteries.

GMG Head Scientist Dr Ashok Nanjundan said the project could deliver far-reaching benefits for energy storage, while the batteries were also safer because they do not use lithium, which is known to cause fires in some mobile phones.

“After several years of dedicated research into improving the aluminium ion battery, we are excited to be at the phase of developing commercial prototypes for more sustainable, fastercharging batteries,” Rowan said. “Testing showed rechargeable graphene aluminium ion batteries had a battery life of up to three times that of current leading lithium-ion batteries, and higher power density meant they charged up to 70 times faster. The batteries are rechargeable for a larger number of cycles without deteriorating performance and are easier to recycle, reducing potential for harmful metals to leak into the environment.”

“This project is a great example of academia and business working together,” he said. “The current recyclability of batteries is highly problematic due to their chemical properties and the stockpiling of dead batteries presents a large and looming environmental and public safety concern.”

GMG CEO Mr Craig Nicol said to use local raw materials to manufacture battery cells at a competitive cost to replace imported lithium-ion cells is a massive opportunity for GMG and Australia to reduce supply chain risks and create local jobs: “We’re excited about developing the commercial prototypes followed by initial production here in Australia – at a location yet to be determined.” www.uq.edu.au www.graphenemg.com www.uniquest.com.au

066BMS ACLR8

UniQuest CEO Dr Dean Moss said the aluminium ion battery with graphene electrodes could transform the rechargeable battery

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MATERIAL REMOVAL

FNQ engineering company Perrott invests in large CNC multi-tasking machine from Okuma Perrott Engineering, a family-owned company in Far North Queensland, has made a strong statement with a major investment in the latest Okuma multi-tasking CNC lathe that is one of the largest and most advanced machines of its type north of Brisbane. Managing Director John Perrott spoke to AMT about the investment and his plans for the company. By Graeme McLean.

AMT: Tell us about the origins of Perrott Engineering.

John Perrott: Perrott Engineering was formed by my wife and I back in 1974 as a one-man welding and machining business in Atherton. As the company grew, there was a need for us to be nearer to our larger clients so we established a branch in Cairns in 2001, later closing the original business and transferring the operation entirely to Cairns. Today the company employs more than 36 personnel covering a range of skills, and has grown into a specialist hydraulic and lubrication service business and a precision component manufacturing business servicing a broad range of industries across Australia, Papua New Guinea and southern Asia.

AMT: What are the current principal areas of business that Perrott Engineering is established in?

JP: Marine and mining are our main fields with major contacts in these areas both locally and overseas.

AMT: Is export business important to your company?

JP: We have clients throughout Australia, and export represents a significant percentage of our business. It is currently running around 15% but has been as high as 40% in past years due to the installation and services we provide.

AMT: Quality output is obviously important to your clients.

JP: We place quality as our numberone priority. Perrott Engineering is ISO 9001:2015 accredited and our systems and individual components are designed to comply with relevant standards or Class Society Rules such as ISO, DNV, Lloyds, BV. ABS, API, and so on.

AMT: You mentioned your concern regarding the availability of skilled staff.

How are you addressing this issue?

JP: Over the years successive governments have not recognised the importance and value of TAFE training to industry and the Australian economy, and whilst this is now being addressed to some degree, it has left a void in skilled tradesmen across all industries. To address this we have established a close working relationship with schools in our area, talking directly to teachers and careers advisors on

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Perrott Engineering’s new Okuma multi-tasking CNC lathe in its workshop in Cairns.

the opportunities for young people within engineering and manufacturing. This, coupled with student work experience programs, is working well for us and we train young people ourselves. We take on at least one new apprentice each year and currently have three under training and a fourth starting shortly.

we have welcomed and will allow us to competitively manufacture a wider range of products for national and international markets. Unfortunately COVID-19 and border closures have delayed the full commissioning, but this is now well underway along with comprehensive training.

AMT: With assistance from the Queensland Government Manufacturing Hubs Grant program, you recently invested in an Okuma Multus U4000-2SWx1500 advanced CNC lathe with an OSP-P300SA control. Why did you choose Okuma?

AMT: You mentioned service and technical support, which in Far North Queensland can be an issue.

JP: Service and support in Far North Queensland for these advanced machines is critical. I researched this purchase for more than two years, speaking to many people in the industry, and the Okuma name always came up in relation to highquality precision output and exceptional service, training and technical support for the product. I also took a considerable amount of time looking at the scope of the machines available, to ensure the one selected met all of our requirements. The Queensland Government Manufacturing Hubs Grant of more than $624,000 represents approximately 50% of the overall cost including tooling, so it is a big investment for our family business.

The Queensland State Government investment of more than $30m in regional manufacturing, to assist local manufacturers’ transition to advanced manufacturing via Industry 4.0 technologies and business processes, is something that

JP: The ability of Okuma technicians to attend to any issues by on-site attendance, or to quickly resolve a problem via remote access to the machine, provides us with a great deal of comfort so the distance from their base is not a problem and their service is just exceptional. As you will appreciate, if a problem does arise, it involves time and money, so quick access to technical support is invaluable for clients in the Far North. The commitment and professionalism shown by the Okuma team, especially Steve, Karl, John and Kerry, throughout the two-year project has been outstanding and reassures us on the commitment we have made.

AMT: Have you had a long relationship with Okuma?

JP: This is our first Okuma machine and it is by far and away the most advanced we have in our precision machine shop to date.

AMT: Although it is early days what are your experiences with the new Okuma machine so far?

MATERIAL REMOVAL Members of the Perrott Engineering team: Manager Lee Perrott, and Managing Director John Perrott

JP: Trial programs we have been running reduced the time on one job from 54 minutes to just 17 minutes on the Okuma machine, and in general terms we are already experiencing reduced manufacturing times by at least a half to a quarter. The versatility of the machine is something that is exciting, and we are still getting to grips with it. It is certainly, we believe, the most capable and advanced machine of this type north of Brisbane.

AMT: Do you see this acquisition allowing Perrott Engineering to compete internationally more effectively and prevent jobs being sent overseas?

JP: We will undoubtedly become very competitive and we are already aggressively looking at extending our business in hydraulics, defence, and also expanding into completely new areas. Given this new engineering capacity, the time savings and so on, particularly on short runs of high-quality precision components, which is our area of expertise, we will be very competitive. With 92 tools built into the machine it enables us to change tools quickly and efficiently to run short runs very competitively. Manufacturing in Australia is currently experiencing a resurgence and with our country needing to strengthen

its sovereign capability, there are signs of products previously manufactured overseas returning for onshore production.

AMT: You currently have a staff of 36, do you see opportunities for further employment?

JP: With the new machine we have already created two new positions and expect a further five positions within the next 12 months in the design and logistics areas as well as on the floor.

AMT: What has been the reaction of your staff to the commissioning of the new Okuma Machine?

JP: We have now separated our hydraulic and machining operations and established a precision engineering division in a new building, partly due to space restrictions and overall development of the business, with the objective of expanding the precision machining division even further.

The hydraulic design, sales and service division has remained in our existing premises.

There is an air of excitement within the staff witnessing the quality output and precision of the new machine plus the opportunity it presents to learn new skills. The investment in such an advanced machine provides our

staff with a confidence boost for the future and heightened job security.

We are planning to host an open day for our key customers in the near future so that they too can be enthused by the opportunities the new Okuma lathe presents. There is no doubt that the company’s capability statement will be expanded as a result of this major investment. www.okumaaustralia.com.au www.perreng.com.au

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MATERIAL REMOVAL

Tornos makes its mark in the e-bike world The world is becoming flatter, thanks to the rapid uptake of electric bicycles (e-bikes), and Tornos has carved out a niche for itself as a key strategic supply partner to many of the producers of e-bike components.

Even for novice cyclists, e-bikes take the sweat out of conquering even the most challenging geographical terrain – offering a real means of addressing major societal challenges like vehicle emissions and climate change. It’s no wonder that global sales of e-bikes are forecast to reach about 40 million units by 2023 – and Tornos’ Swiss-type sliding headstock lathes, services and software are already helping e-bike component suppliers keep pace with that growing demand.

The link between local air pollution sources and emissions that drive climate change are clear. According to the World Health Organization, 25% of urban ambient air pollution from fine particulate matter is contributed by traffic. The International Panel on Climate Change estimates that transport accounts for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions; and governments are increasingly encouraging more environmentally friendly transportation alternatives. This ranges from car and bike-sharing to electrical vehicles – including e-bikes.

China takes the lead The Chinese government has amended the law to encourage e-bike use and production as a means of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and noise pollution.

In another step that is expected to contribute to e-bike uptake, China’s government has also stopped issuing licenses for pedalassisted bikes that produce harmful emissions.

Today, there are 200 million e-bikes registered in China, according to the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and 30 million more e-bikes are being added each year. China is the most important e-bike market in the world and is expected to retain that position for years to come. In addition, not surprisingly, China has more than 700 e-bike manufacturers, leading the world in both bicycle and electric vehicle production, accounting for 80 percent of global turnover.

In 2023, the rest of the world – primarily the growing markets in Europe and the United States, are forecast to buy about six million e-bikes per year. The Dutch, for example, are known for their love of cycling with some 22.5 million bikes in a nation of just 17 million people. In Germany, e-bike sales increased a stunning 36 percent between 2017 and 2018, when 980,000 e-bikes were sold. That means that one out of four bicycles sold in Germany was electric.

Tornos: Keeping wheels turning With its 125-plus years of expertise and a portfolio that includes key single spindle sliding head lathes, multi-spindle and bar milling solutions as well as software, services and an expert training academy – Tornos is a strategic supply partner to producers of e-bike components.

The EvoDECO range represents the pinnacle of the Tornos range.

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One of the market’s most popular e-bike drive units relies on a crankshaft featuring a splined chromium steel (16MnCrS5) axle that is machined on Tornos machine tools. A great material choice for an axle that is subject to wear, it is an easy-to-machine material that can easily be hardened after machining. The axle, milled on both extremities, plays an essential e-bike role by securing the pedal on the crankshaft.

That’s where Tornos’ legendary single-spindle lathe expertise comes into play. The Tornos EvoDeco is the solution of choice for turning 148mm long, 20mm diameter bars of 16MnCrS5 into splined axles, delivering the highest level of precision at blazing fast speeds.

The EvoDeco represents the pinnacle of the Tornos range. It is designed for the most demanding machining operations and their respective users. EvoDeco machines are the most powerful and productive on the market – and the EvoDeco truly shines when it comes to the production of splined parts, putting Tornos’ legendary gear hobbing expertise centre stage.

Available in four diameter ranges (10mm, 16mm, 20mm and 32mm), the EvoDeco series has unparalleled flexibility that takes e-bike component manufacturers’ efficient production of complex workpieces to new levels of precision and quality. The kinematics of the EvoDeco range is unique, and after 20 years on the market and 10,000 machines sold, the machines perform better than ever.

Notably, no other machine can engage as many tools at the same time, and Tornos is still the only manufacturer offering such genius kinematics. But the EvoDeco’s advantages are not merely limited to kinematics. The machine is equipped with the latest-generation

MATERIAL REMOVAL

Tornos machines are fully compatible with the production of small components used in e-bikes.

Thanks to its machining solutions, Tornos is a key supporter in the development of the ebike market.

technology and boasts an ultra-dynamic powered spindle with the asynchronous motor. Users profit from acceleration rates and stopping times that are four times faster than alternate machines on the market. That means more parts can be produced during every hour of production. The structure, ball screws and guides are all heavily reinforced to make full use of the EvoDeco’s performance potential.

As electrification drives innovation in mobility, the EvoDeco powers manufacturers’ productivity and helps them keep pace with the evolving e-mobility landscape. For example, the EvoDeco features four completely independent tool systems, ten linear axes and two C-axes.

On the performance side, there is a wide selection of devices and peripherals available that are all compatible with the EvoDeco

range. Continuous thermo-stabilisation ensures flawless precision, and the powered spindles guarantee high output and torque levels.

Accessibility is another hallmark of the EvoDeco range.

Programming is simplified, thanks to the compatible TB-Deco and TISIS software solutions. Machine operators benefit from a huge machining area and ergonomics that have been designed with the user’s experience in mind.

Autonomy is another feature that sets the EvoDeco line apart from the competition. With its excellent extraction of swarf and cutting oil, the ability to machine without human intervention, the EvoDeco allows manufacturers to take full control of their operations. At the same time, thanks to the company’s extensive electronics and automotive experience, Tornos has the expertise and the solutions to impeccably produce the connectors needed for e-bike batteries, sensors and displays, as well as connectors for e-bike charging stations. www.tornos.com

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COMPANY FOCUS

New Forge Engineering: Forging ahead A trip to a well-attended SolidWorks/Markforged event in Perth in 2019 identified a yawning gap in the local market that New Forge Engineering has moved fast to fill. By Brent Ballinski.

Michael Tuckey, now New Forge’s Technical Director, headed to the seminar, keen to learn more about what was on offer from the fastgrowing US manufacturer of 3D printing technology.

“Mike went down to the event as he’d been looking at 3D printers and what was in industry,” recalls Andrew Day, Managing Director and Founder of New Forge. “The main questions that were being asked from people in Perth – about 150 of whom attended this seminar – was ‘Do they offer Markforged as a service?’ They could see the quality of the parts being produced on the Markforged machines. And the answer was ‘No’.”

A case became clear for the company, which is separate from but has its origins in Caldertech Australia, a company that specialises in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipework solutions. Michael and Andrew both worked at the UK-based Caldertech’s local subsidiary, which Andrew purchased in 2019. They imported UKmade products but found some had to be redesigned or adapted for Australian customers in the water and oil & gas sectors, and the company had adopted 3D printing to achieve this end.

“We were looking at redesigning tools and manufacturing custom tools for the HDPE industry, and to bring manufacturing back to Australia,” explains Andrew. “The two companies really do complement each other and deliver innovative products.”

New Forge’s core business is to offer an in-demand bureau service out of Malaga, with a collection of machines able to print in polymer, composite and metals. It was established in 2019, and in an interesting bit of timing, was officially launched in March 2020 – the month the COVID-19 pandemic really began to have an impact.

Reflected in a series of positive results in the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) beginning in October last year, Andrew says there’s been a definite uptick in business from manufacturing clients. Where R&D projects were put on hold, they are now back on the boil.

“Since January things have really ramped up,” Andrew observes.

“So those projects that we were talking about, most of them have come to fruition. We are hearing people say we want to reshore

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and secure our supply chain by bringing manufacturing back into Australia. “Quite a few people are saying this, but is it happening as yet? I’m not sure … I still feel that there’s a lot of work to do to get the cost right for people to take advantage of a local supply chain and not look overseas. I believe we’re on the right track to do this”

Building a bank As a new bureau service will, New Forge has grown a collection of 3D printers, as well as associated services such as 3D scanning, reverse engineering, product design and prototyping, welding and CNC machining. The company’s collection of printers that can work in composites stands at ten units, by Andrew’s count, including Markforged printers, three Onyx One, a MarkTwo fused filament fabrication (FFF) machine, desktop-sized printers and two X7 machines (designed for industrial-scale use).

Marforged’s Onyx feedstock (nylon with chopped carbon fibre reinforcement) gets the most use of any filament type. When more strength is needed, New Forge customers look to continuous fibre reinforcement of a printed part. “Which, as a service is fantastic,” Andrew adds. “Because we can throw a file into Eiger, a quick check to make sure it’s printable, then we can just press print.”

Founded in 2013, Markforged announced an agreement this February that will see the Massachusetts-based company listed on the NYSE and valued at over US$2bn. Andrew speaks enthusiastically about the Markforged ecosystem’s reliability, noting that the range of ground covered by customers is vast.

“We’ve printed some amazing jobs so far,” says Andrew. “A satellitelooking part using continuous carbon fibre, moulds for plastic and rubber materials. We’ve printed a custom tool for a company that carries out service work on mining equipment. We’ve printed parts for a saw mill to help move large slabs of timber on top of benches to helping school students with their class projects.

“This is the breadth of industries that can benefit from additive manufacturing, and what we’re seeing come through for 3D printing and its uses. The custom tool was for a guy who couldn’t get to tension one of the belts on an engine. He only had a very small,

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Left page top and above: New Forge is able to print parts in a range of materials, including polymer, composite and metals

narrow gap for access and a normal wrench was awkward to use, and a potential health and safety risk. So we made a bespoke tool for him of continuous carbon fibre, only 10mm thick, 400mm long, and it proved very useful and a great solution.”

Andrew’s company recently added a Markforged Metal X printer to its array. The vendor describes the machine as a cross between FFF printing and metal injection moulding, as well as being much more simple and affordable than metal printing methods such as selective laser sintering.

A job is designed and sliced as usual, then additively manufactured out of filament made of metal powders mixed with a binder, washed, then sintered, with the final parts having a density of up to 99.7%.

Metal options include copper, inconel, stainless steel and tool steels.

New Forge has a Sinter 1 and Sinter 2, with the first designed for one-off parts and the second for higher throughput. Parts shrink by about 20% after sintering, and generally come out within the required tolerances.

“If you need a precision bearing fit, or some really fine tolerances, you’re going to have to post-machine the part in those areas,” Andrew explains. “For us to have the Metal X machine printing in the back of my office behind a partitioned wall, and tell visitors ‘That’s the metal machine, printing in 17-4PH stainless steel right now’, It’s crazy to see, because everyone just imagines the large cabinets, the powders and people fully suited up and wearing respirators.”

Looking to Lloyd’s More recently, New Forge has invested in FFF printers by Intamsys, a specialist in high-temperature engineering thermoplastics for 3D printing, such as highly heat and chemical-resistant PEEK, which is used as a metal replacement in prototype and end-use parts.

Intamsys (whose machines New Forge also distributes in Australia) has called itself the “under the radar champion” of the PEEK printing niche. “What we’d been asked for were other materials: your ABS, your polycarbonates, and we looked at what else is out there that could be printed?” Andrew says. “And the one thing that kept coming up was PEEK. “PEEK material is historically expensive, with a lot of wastage in traditional manufacturing. We wanted to add onto our high quality portfolio and expand our capabilities. We then had another search around and found the Intamsys machines. With these machines and their capabilities alongside the Markforged machines, we’ve pretty

New Forge Engineering’s core business is a 3D printing bureau service able to print on-demand in a range of materials.

much got FDM (fused deposition modelling) covered. We’ve got high-grade engineering plastics, and we’ve got high-strength, highquality parts on the Markforged machines. As well as the Metal X.” After covering all this ground, Andrew believes the next logical step is to focus on standards. New Forge had been in discussion with Lloyd’s Register about certification before a private event showcasing Australian metal additive manufacturing companies to a collection of resources firms in Perth. The meet-up just drove the point home.

“From the seminar, the majority of the questions from the audience were ‘How do you certify parts?’, ‘What standards are your parts made to?’ ‘How do you ensure part quality?’,” Andrew remembers.

“So we now know we’re on the right track. We need to get that certification, which is then going to increase customer confidence and enable them to look deeper into additive manufacturing for their businesses.”

Another of the local additive manufacturing companies at the event was AML3D, which became the first company to get a wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) facility certified by Lloyd’s Register in 2018. With a target market in sectors including defence, marine and oil & gas, the WAAM machine manufacturer and bureau made certification a focus.

New Forge is currently working towards ISO 9001 certification, as well as racing to follow in AML3D’s footsteps and achieve a worldfirst facility certification from Lloyd’s, but this time for binder jet AM methods.

“The main focus for the year is on certification” explains Andrew.

“They will look at the complete workflow from jobs coming in, how we deal with data, all the way through to the machines themselves and then the inspection at the backend. What are we testing? How are we testing it? What are we measuring it with?”

As New Forge looks to the future, it can only see things moving in a positive direction. With expansion plans in place for Brisbane, the company is well on track to becoming the largest Markforged print farm in Australia. www.newforge.com.au

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STATE SPOTLIGHT

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WA Mining Conference 2021: Technology and innovation to drive growth The WA Mining Conference, set to take place in Perth from 21-22 July, will offer a vital opportunity for the industry to come together again, connect and share information in person.

After successfully navigating the global COVID-19 pandemic, with record sales values for the Western Australian resource sector in 2020, and amid suggestions that mineral production levels will accelerate further over the coming years, it has become more important than ever that market-leading technologies are at the forefront of the industry’s expansion.

Strategy, collaboration and technology have emerged as key themes for the mining industry to deal with the risks and opportunities posed in 2021.

The two-day program of the WA Mining Conference will actively explore topics such as the geopolitical and economic drivers of a post-COVID world, as they pertain specifically to the Western Australian mining sector. The program will examine the latest technological advancements including automation, robotics and how organisations will be challenged by the absorption of innovation.

On day one, the highlight of the plenary stream will be a panel discussion centred around how innovation will look post-COVID and what the impact will be on exploration, new projects, mining operational demands and export markets for resources and technology as Western Australia emerges from this crisis. The panel will include: Alan Bye, Managing Director of Imvelo and Director of Digital Value Chains at Curtin University; Adrian Beer, CEO of METS Ignited; Andrew Bailey, CEO of the MinEX CRC; and David Cormack, a Partner from Deloitte.

WA Mining Conference advisor Ric Gros says the 2021 event will be a celebration of the state’s rich mining sector.

“Western Australia is a world-leading mining jurisdiction, rich in mining mineral diversity with over 40% of operating mines in Australia,” says Gros. “Its research, innovation and mining operations are worldclass and a destination hub for mining technology companies. At WA Mining conference, we seek to celebrate with you the richness of this amazing sector. Look forward to seeing you there.”

The WA Mining Conference will also look at the changes in government policies and how collaboration will help overcome any inherent uncertainties, while placing a spotlight on sustainability and climate change and its risk to the WA resource sector.

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On day two, Dr Talitha Santini of the University of Western Australia Mining Innovation Network will present exciting new advances in tailings remediation research & development (R&D), and explore emerging opportunities for tailings reuse. According to Dr Santini, collapses of tailings storage facilities in Samarco and Brumadinho, while far away from WA, have raised awareness of the risks of large scale, long term tailings storage.

“My estimates indicate that we currently store around 3-10 billion tonnes of tailings in WA,” Dr Santini explains. “Pressure from within mining companies, and from the public, government regulators, and investors, is driving development of new technologies for tailings remediation and reuse. I’ll present and explore some of these new technologies at WA Mining and where they may be most useful around WA.” Dr Santini says COVID-19 has had huge impacts on how the mining industry connects and shares knowledge.

“Conferences such as WA Mining are essential for networking across sectors and commodities, and advancing the performance of the mining industry as a whole,” Dr Santini continues. “We’re very lucky in WA to be able to have big multi-day events like WA Mining at this point in time.”

Other key sessions across the two-day conference include a deep dive into WA’s Renewable Hydrogen Strategy and the opportunities for the mining sector, a presentation on critical minerals and how Australia can leverage this opportunity, and a number of round table discussions about the future design of mining equipment, and engaging the resource sector with the space sector. Alongside the conference will be a targeted supplier showcase where delegates can source the latest products and services as well as a networking event on the first night to connect with colleagues from across the state.

WA Mining will take place on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 July 2021 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, with doors opening at 9am on both days. www.waminingexpo.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

STATE SPOTLIGHT

Austal launches VOLTA electric-powered high-speed ferry series Headquartered in Henderson, WA, Austal Australia has launched the VOLTA series of electric-powered high-speed ferry solutions, with the introduction of the Passenger Express 46V, a fully electric-powered 46m catamaran ferry design.

Austal’s new VOLTA series is distinct from existing, electric-powered vessels in the marketplace by going beyond the replacement of diesel engines with an electric (battery) power plant, to offer a completely integrated design, construction and support solution – including on-shore charging infrastructure and in-service support programs for operators.

driving not just operating costs, but the size and upfront purchase cost of the batteries and the charging system. With Austal’s unique VOLTA series of custom designed and built vessels, customers may achieve a lower total cost of ownership without compromising on performance or capability.

Operators can reliably and profitably sail on schedule all day, every day.

VOLTA series vessels combine all new, lightweight, low-resistance hull forms, specifically designed, tested and optimised for electric-power propulsion, with state-ofthe-art lithium ion batteries. Austal provides operators with a fully customised design and ‘turnkey’ solution, taking into account passenger numbers, vessel schedules and charging infrastructure.

“Austal’s VOLTA series also futureproofs an operator’s fleet by introducing environmentally friendly, ‘green’ technology that already meets widely anticipated, low or zero-emission targets for public transport vehicles and operators, worldwide.”

Austal CEO Paddy Gregg said the new VOLTA series represent the future of commercial maritime transport: “For any high speed vessel and even more so for electric-powered ferries, optimising vessel weight and performance is essential -

Austal drew upon its experience and expertise in innovative, high-speed craft design, construction and support, and collaborated with industry-leading electric technology partners from around the world to develop the VOLTA series over the past two years. The first-ofclass, 46m ‘Passenger Express 46V’ is designed to provide an environmentally

friendly, economical vessel ideal for metropolitan, inland waterway commuter ferry services. Boasting a capacity of up to 450 passengers, a maximum speed of 25 knots and fast charging capability, with a range of over 175 nautical miles per day, the Passenger Express 46V highlights the real advantages of the VOLTA design technology.

Austal plans to expand the VOLTA series through the development of additional models for both commercial and defence applications, including autonomous vessels; and continue research & development into emerging propulsion technology, to deliver zero-wemission marine solutions globally. www.austal.com

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For more information contact Julia Cameron: E: JCameron@rigbycooke.com.au T: + 61 3 9321 7807

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Iscar – Machining at high RPM High-speed machining (HSM) has not only led to a significant difference between machine tools, but it has also brought a greater awareness with regard to the high-speed spindle, which is perhaps the most important and central component of high-speed machine tools and a key factor in the success of HSM. Operating a spindle with high rotation speed and gaining the optimal balance between the provided speed and torque is the main task of high-speed engineering. The spindle’s performance depends on a variety of different factors. One of the main factors relates to the design concept of a single- or combined twin-motor bearing system, seal components, and a tool retention method.

When machining, the spindle is not in direct contact with the workpiece but interacts with it through another technological system – the cutting tool. This connection acts as a conductor and should transform the impressive capabilities of a high-speed spindle into improved machining results.

Another element between the cutting tool and the spindle is the toolholder that is fitted into the spindle. A poor performance from this small assembly, consisting of the cutting tool and toolholder, may reduce the function of the spindle to zero. Therefore, HSM toughens the accuracy, reliability, and safety requirements for the assembly of the spindle extension.

High-speed rotation generates centrifugal forces. In HSM, when compared with traditional machining methods, these forces grow exponentially and turn into a significant load on a cutting tool, which in turn determines the tool’s durability. In indexable milling, high centrifugal forces may cause insert clamping screws to break, inserts to loosen and a cutter body to fail.

Formed fragments can not only damage a machine and a machined part but can also be very dangerous to the operator.

In such conditions, cutting tool manufacturers are compelled to consider the design and technological means necessary to ensure appropriate reliability of their products. Hence, the focus on indexable milling cutters should include consideration of secure insert mounting and a robust body structure.

Let us start with a clamping screw, the smallest and weakest element of an overall technological system, and one that may have a great impact on the system’s reliability. The same can be said about the clamping screw in relation to a highspeed indexable milling cutter. Applying dynamometric keys controls the tightening of the clamping screw (see Figure 1).

However, ensuring the torque is tightened sufficiently is not enough to reliably operate the cutter. Intelligent design is directed to minimise the dynamic load on the clamping screw.

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Figure 1 – Modular fixed torque keys provide effective options for reliable securing of indexable milling inserts.

Iscar’s HSM90S FAL-22 milling cutters are intended for efficient milling of aluminium at high-speed rates. They carry large-size inserts that enable a depth of cut of up to 22mm. The cutter insert pocket has a protruding ridge on the seat bottom surface, and the lower face of the insert has a matching groove which fits into a ridge when assembled (see Figure 2). This eliminates insert radial displacement due to strong centrifugal forces at high-speed milling, and improves the load distribution on the insert clamping screw. The cutter design facilitates reliable milling in a rotational speed range of up to 31,000 revolutions per minute. To reduce centrifugal forces, a cutter body should be axially symmetric and highly balanced. There are international and national standards and norms that specify tool balancing grades. When designing indexable milling tools intended for HSM, it is very important to ensure the mass distribution of the body is symmetrical with the body axis. As this theoretical balance relates to a virtual object, it cannot replace the physical balancing of a real body if needed but can substantially diminish the mass unbalance of a future product, making the “physical” balance much easier.

It is known that the ambition of a tool design engineer is to make an indexable cutter body, and in particular, an insert pocket surface, as hard as possible in order to increase wear resistance. However, the higher the hardness, the faster the body of a rapidly rotating tool can break down.

Hence, finding an optimal equilibrium between strength and wear is another important task in searching for effective HSM tool solutions.

Solid tools feature higher accuracy and better axial symmetry when compared with indexable cutters. Typically, solid tools are less in diameter and naturally require higher revolutions per minute even for the same cutting speed. This explains why the majority of HSM tools are solid.

Normally, such tools are made from coated cemented carbides, though in recent times cutting ceramics as a tool material has become popular for highspeed machining of high-temperature superalloys. Nevertheless, selecting a solid tool, especially milling cutters for HSM, may be difficult.

Normally, the overhang-to-diameter ratio for solid carbide endmills is greater when compared with indexable tools. Such a feature, in combination with a flute shape that weakens a tool cross-section, demands specific attention to the vibration strength of a solid carbide endmill.

To improve chatter stability, tool engineers often make a tooth angular pitch unequal, and a flute helix variable. This violates the principle of axial symmetry and may give a reverse result. Therefore, an optimal, intelligent design for solid carbide endmills requires engineer ingenuity and appropriate compromising (see Figure 3).

Having highly engineered a balanced vibration-proof tool is half the battle. We have already mentioned the toolholder that is mounted on a high-speed spindle. So, what’s the use of an ideal tool if a far more massive toolholder is not suitable for HSM? In HSM, the dynamic characteristics of the tool cannot be separated from a toolholder.

For example, balancing the tool should

CUTTING TOOLS Figure 2 – A rugged design of 90-degree indexable milling cutter ensures efficient milling aircraft components from aluminium at high-speed rates. The required tightening torque for an insert clamping screw and maximum revolutions per minute are necessary marking details.

be done in assembly with the toolholder – this is a single way to fulfil requirements of accuracy, reliability, and safety.

Modern CAD/CAM systems ensure estimating the dynamic behavior of various products based on their 3D models.

Providing such models for cutting tools, toolholders and various accessories is a typical feature of today’s serious tool manufacturer. In fact, we are proud to acknowledge that in recent years Iscar has significantly expanded the digital twin assembly options available in its e-catalogue.

To conclude, high-speed machining has influenced the need for specific requirements of a cutting tool and toolholder.

By meeting these demands, HSM has become a trusted highly engineered, highspeed spindle operation with maximum efficiency. www.iscar.com.au

Figure 3 – Iscar’s seven-flute solid carbide endmill, intended for HSM, features different helix angles, variable pitch, and chip-splitting grooves on the cutting edges.

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1426AMTMTIQUALOS

Keeping me up to date with our industry As a member of AMTIL since its inception in 1999, M.T.I. Qualos appreciates AMTIL’s efforts in keeping the Australian manufacturing industry informed via AMT Magazine. This includes international news, the high levels of achievement of Australian manufacturers and initiatives to support our precision engineering sector. As a supplier of Precision Measuring Instruments, M.T.I. Qualos sees AMT magazine as an extremely valuable tool in reaching the key decision-makers. There isn’t a better or simpler way of reaching our target market.

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CUTTING TOOLS

Walter expands indexable drilling line Walter has expanded its D4120 drilling line to introduce 2xD, 3xD, 4xD and 5xD dimensions. The new additions will supersede the B4000 Series Xtra.tec insert drills to provide superior performance.

Regarded as a flexible all-rounder, the expanded D4120 indexable insert solid drill line is available in diameters ranging from 13.5mm to 59mm. The product expansion now incorporates the D4120-02 2xD drill and the D4120-03 3xD drills for creating holes from 13.5 to 41.3mm diameter as well as the D4120-04 and D4120-05 4xD and 5xD drills for holes from 17 to 59mm diameter with exceptional productivity and performance.

From a dimensional perspective, the 2xD drill has an overall length from 97mm to 228mm with a cutting length of 27mm to 118mm depending on the diameter selected, whereas the 3xD drill has an overall length from 110.5mm to 287mm with a cutting length from 40.5mm to 177mm. The 4xD provides a flute length from 68mm to 236mm with an overall length from 149mm to 346mm, whereas the largest 5xD drills have a maximum cutting depth of 295mm with an overall length from 166mm to 405mm depending upon the damp to selected. The 2xD and 3xD drills start at a diameter of 13.5mm and go up to 30mm diameter in 0.5mm increments, and in 1mm increments from 30mm to 59mm. The 4xD and 5xD drills commence at 17mm diameter through to 59mm in 1mm increments.

The drills have been specially developed with outer and centre inserts that ensure precision balancing of the cutting forces to maximise productivity. To this end, the centre insert is slightly larger than the outer indexable inserts that are equipped with a corner protection chamfer. As well as providing greater process reliability, this plays a crucial part in increasing precision levels, stability and reducing drilling noise.

Adding to the process reliability is a hardened, polished drill body design that offers increased protection against friction in operation and an improved coolant channel design that allows the flow of 25% more coolant than previous drills.

Walter is also offering inserts with a wiper edge for high-quality surface finishes. The drill body features two through-coolant channels and a measuring collar (Dc) for easy drill identification, even when assembled. Polished flutes and a hardened surface further optimise chip evacuation and wear resistance.

From component to tooling solution at high speed Walter has also introduced ‘Walter Innotime’, a digital design wizard for accelerating the consulting and ordering process. This web application links existing Walter systems to the Engineering Kompetenz of Walter employees.

Using a 3D model uploaded to the Walter website by the customer, Walter Innotime analyses which cutting operations are required and suggests to the engineer dealing with the enquiry (in future versions, directly to the customer) the appropriate machining tools with cutting data and prices from the Walter portfolio.

According to Walter, this digital search at the component level is currently unique in the market. The engineer checks the proposal and optimises it, if necessary, according to the customer’s needs. As a result, the design process for complex enquiries is fast-tracked considerably, and the customer receives the most users, both in the case of difficult machining operations, such as cross holes, chain drilling and inclined inlets and exits.

The inserts are available in WXP40 & WKP35S grades for the centre insert and the peripheral insert the WKP25S, WKP35S, WSP45 are offered with the most recently added new Tiger.tec Gold grade WSP45G. The geometries A57, E57 & E67 complement the insert grades with eight insert sizes that cover the drill body diameters from 13.5mm to 59mm.

This comprehensive range of grades for highly productive and efficient drilling of a variety of materials are a perfect fit for the ISO material designations P, K, M, N and S. This makes the drills suitable for typical workpiece materials a range of industries.

economical tailored tooling solution and a valid quote in the shortest time. Walter field service employees and engineers benefit from the preliminary work done by the system: in the physical design and the development of the optimum machining strategy for the customer component.

“For our engineers and technical distributors, but primarily for our customers, Walter Innotime represents a milestone,” explains Dr Michael Hepp, Vice-President – Digital Business at Walter. “By combining the Engineering Kompetenz of our employees with the virtual intelligence of our software systems, we can assist our customers in quickly and easily finding, purchasing and employing the most economical tooling solution for them. In future, our customers will have to do nothing more than upload their 3D component – quick and easy.” the flexible choice of insert grades and geometries make the D4120 a complete solution for manufacturers in sectors including general mechanical engineering, mould and die, aerospace, energy and automotive. With the enhanced range of D4120 drills, manufacturers can benefit from outstanding hole diameter precision and surface quality as well as a high degree of process reliability and cost-efficiency.

Alongside the standard dimensions, Walter also offers the D4120 in special dimensions via Walter Xpress with faster delivery times. www.walter-tools.com

The rigid and robust drill bodies, the through-coolant facility and polished flutes as well as

The combination of the D4120 drill body and the four-edged indexable inserts offers users cost-efficiency advantages and the greatest possible flexibility thanks to a co-ordinated system. This is of interest to

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Machine tools as unique as you “Standing out from the crowd” is an idea we’re all familiar with, but differentiation is a particular challenge for manufacturers, as an unpredictable future drives them to explore new markets, producing unfamiliar components from the toughest workpiece materials. James Thorpe, global product manager at Sandvik Coromant, explains why customised tooling is the way forward.

Custom manufacturing — the process of designing, engineering, and producing goods based on a customer’s unique specifications — poses unique challenges for manufacturers. With high-volume manufacturing, the goal of the machine shop is to make thousands — or millions — of products at a low cost per unit.

Design and manufacturing practices allow companies to deliver goods at prices acceptable to consumers, with a small profit margin-per-unit that multiplies across the whole manufacturing run.

However, it’s a different story with builtto-order (BTO) one-off parts or shorter production runs. The operator must adapt the cutting data and choice of tool to guarantee quality and productivity and ensure that the aforementioned price points are met. These parameters should be implemented quickly, to produce a product type the operator may never have worked with before. Furthermore, the process may entail machining tough workpiece materials like hardened steels, unalloyed steels or heat resistant super alloys (HRSA) materials.

This is enough of a challenge for machine shops that are used to manufacturing a variety of bespoke products, from different tough materials, on a day-to-day basis. But now there is a need for other manufacturers to get in on the act. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have unpredictable impacts on industry, particularly in relation to supply and demand, manufacturers are being encouraged to explore new revenue opportunities, vendor bases and products.

Manufacturers must diversify their customer bases to help achieve growth, maintain demand and avoid over-reliance on any single specific market or customer.

Consequently, machine shops that once specialised in a certain area of production are opening their CNC lathes and mills to a wider variety of tough and challenging materials, with minimised changeovers between production batches. This equates to new parts, tooling geometries and specifications; and operators require realtime adaptable control and data systems to match.

It is also likely that off the shelf tools will not always be equipped to deliver the best results. Instead, manufacturers should consider custom tooling solutions to continued product quality — but how can they do so quickly and profitably?

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With Sandvik Coromant’s Tailor Made online tool, users can specify tooling according to their own manufacturing needs.

Why customise?

First, let’s examine what goes into customising a drill and why it’s important.

The drill’s flute geometry, core, cutting edges and chamfers are all intrinsically linked to end results like hole quality, productivity and tool wear; and operational factors like the levels of cutting force and torque that can be applied to the drill.

For Sandvik Coromant’s tooling specialists, the design of the drill is everything. This is particularly evident in its optimised range of solid carbide drills, with enhanced designs that include advanced optimised point and flute geometry, reinforced core and corner chamfers, edge preparation to remove cutting edge micro defects, and a double margin to enhance drilling stability.

A good example is the CoroDrill 860 with -GM geometry. This drill is especially popular among general engineering and mix-production manufacturers, as it’s designed for all applications where productivity and hole quality are critical.

The CD860-GM is also used in aerospace, oil & gas, nuclear and renewable power

industries. Its optimised design is also proven in automotive production, including the drilling of engine blocks, casings, flanges and manifolds. In South Korea, an automotive manufacturer used the CoroDrill 860-GM to drill through holes for automotive transmission connectors. A competitor’s drill produced 200 components, 1,600 holes in total with a cutting speed (Vc) of 80m/min (3,102rpm) and cutting feed (Vf) of 381mm/min. The CoroDrill 860-GM, meanwhile, produced 2,300 components (18,400 holes) with a Vc of 100 metres/ min (3,878rpm) and Vf of 814mm/min. The result was a significantly improved tool life of 1,150%, and shows the importance of combining drill design and cutting data in ways that yield optimal performance.

Going the extra But what if a machine shop needs extra performance from its tooling solution that standard available options can’t match?

Most operators will have been in a position where a shorter drill, or different diameter, would have yielded better results.This is where tool customisation comes into play.

CUTTING TOOLS The CoroDrill 860 with -GM geometry is designed for all applications where productivity and hole quality are critical.

Thanks to modern technology, this can entail customised existing standard tools, or developing a new one from scratch. In this case, ‘modern technology’ refers to Sandvik Coromant’s Tailor Made, an online tool that allows users to specify tailor made tooling according to their own specific part manufacturing needs. In short, users can login and enter their own configurations into the software, which might entail customising an existing drill — like the CoroDrill 860-GM, for instance. Let’s say they want an 18mm diameter, 36mm usable length and a Weldon shank. All of these parameters can be added, giving the user freedom to specify their own dimensions and requirements. The software can also recommend parameters, like drill length.

The Tailor Made resource is an example of how engineers and plant managers are increasingly turning to online tools to gain real-life advantages. Customised tooling is especially useful when machining components with many holes and many applications, like automotive engine blocks.

There are also time advantages, as the end user doesn’t need to sit around waiting for a quotation. Indeed, Tailor Made can be accessed 24/seven; an example of how manufacturers are increasingly going online to communicate with suppliers. The advantage here is a faster turnaround. This is especially useful when manufacturers must quickly adapt to new orders for BTO or one-off parts, without losing time or quality.

Just a click away The most important advantages of customised tool design relate to machining and performance.

Take, for instance, one manufacturer who sought to achieve productivity gains on one of its product lines. The customer had been using two tools to produce a feature, specifically a hole and countersink for an M10 fine thread bolt. The manufactured components had 45 holes, and up to 90 holes in some cases.

The customer’s standard solution, a step drill with the drill and countersink combined, had proven unsuitable. This was because the geometry of the feature and that the two existing tools would not produce a large enough countersink.

Instead, by using Sandvik Coromant’s Tailor Made, the customer was able go online and design a new tool. Within a few minutes, the software generated a 2D DXF file, and also a 3D rendering, along with the price and lead time. The customer could also see that a couple of slight changes were required within the tool’s geometry.

This took only a few moments, and the tool was resubmitted and returned promptly with updated models and drawings. A few weeks later, the solution was delivered to the customer and the new tool was implemented into its manufacturing procedure.

The customer said it was very impressed by how easy it was to create a new solution, and how quickly the Tailor Made returned the results. In addition, the new cycle time achieved with this process, achieved with Tailor Made, was measured against the old. It was found that, by going online, the customer had reduced its cycle time by 10%.

Manufacturers can build on this performance further with other online tools like Sandvik Coromant’s CoroPlus Tool Guide, which allows users to calculate the optimal cutting data for their requirements, and match this to the right tool.

In addition, these online tools cover product groups within all areas of metalworking: turning, milling, and hole making, are all available for customisation.

The advantages for manufacturers are twofold. Firstly, it helps them adapt quickly to manufacturing — perhaps unfamiliar — one-off or BTO parts. Secondly, it can help manufacturers manage the practicalities of diversification, such as running a greater variety of tough materials or data through their CNC machines from one day to the next.

With online tools like Sandvik Coromant’s Tailor Made, “standing out from the crowd” can be not just an idea, but a solution for manufacturers to diversify and grasp new opportunities. www.sandvik.coromant.com

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Advance Australian Manufacturing... with Sutton Tools With a rich history dating back to 1917, Sutton Tools has grown from a small family enterprise to one of Australia’s most trusted manufacturers of cutting tools, drills and power tool accessories. Managing Director Peter Sutton discusses the company’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and how the company navigated the shutdowns.

AMT: What were Sutton Tools’s plans for 2020 before the pandemic took hold?

Peter Sutton: Like every other business around the world, most of our plans were put on hold, preparing for who knew what was to come. Having been through the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) just over a decade ago, we had some experience with what was to potentially come. We ran various scenarios on the impact on the business, from modest to extreme. At the time, we believed we were going to be in a fight for our survival.

If a word defined the year, it was ‘uncertainty’. Each day brought on a new challenge for our staff, not only in the way they worked but also for their personal lives. As time progressed, we started to reestablish our business plans where we could but, in reality, we were reacting to what the market was doing on a weekly basis.

AMT: Was the slowdown demand-based, or did the combination of finding avenues to get material dispatched from Australia to overseas and vice-versa play a significant role?

PS: Our business is fortunate to have several channels to market – our traditional, local industrial manufactures; building trade and construction; and export. Over the course of the pandemic, export has undoubtedly been the most severely affected. As seen in the news daily, the majority of our customers in South-East Asia and Europe have been hit hard by COVID. While these regions continue to struggle, we have been fortunate that our domestic market has rebounded strongly.

Being a local manufacturer has certainly played in our favour. While global supply chains continue to be disrupted, to a certain extent, we have been self-sufficient for many of our products.

Sutton Tools’ factory in Thomastown, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

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We have had to revert to air freighting to the majority of our overseas customers. Fortunately, air freight has not been impacted as severely as sea cargo, and we have been able to provide our customers, in some cases, with greater levels of service – albeit at a higher cost of business. We see the additional expenses as an investment in the long-term, gaining market share and loyalty where others are unable to supply.

AMT: What would you consider as some of the biggest hurdles that Sutton Tools has been forced to overcome during the pandemic?

PS: As far as challenges go, I don’t think we can over-emphasise the effect that it’s had on the mental wellbeing of our staff. While Australia has been incredibly fortunate to be in the position we are today, the uncertainty, isolation and disruption has taken its toll. It is important that we continue to communicate with our staff and give them the support they need.

From a business perspective, while we have been fortunate to recover reasonably well, the daily roller-coaster of uncertainly continues. Supply and logistics are under constant pressure, whether exporting finished product or importing of our raw materials.

AMT: Have there been any unforeseen positives that Sutton Tools has experienced?

PS: Having overseas operations in New Zealand and Europe has posed its difficulties. Surprisingly, initially believing this was going to be our greatest challenge, it has proved not the case. While we all sometimes bemoan Zoom and Teams, using these collaboration tools has made us work more effectively. In some respects, our communication amongst the divisions has never been better. I even feel the additional site autonomy has worked in their favour, working closely as a team and making decisions for themselves.

CUTTING TOOLS now paperless. It’s not just about the cost of the printing and the paperwork, which is relatively minor in the scheme of things – it’s the efficiency. Additionally, with digitisation from a customer point of view, we’ve rapidly deployed customer service portals. Customers now have access to enter orders directly, view stock availability, check pricing, view order status, check on deliveries, and so on.

These customer experience enhancements have occurred very quickly, achieving more in the last year than we have in the previous five.

AMT: How is Sutton Tools using the pandemic as an opportunity to emerge stronger?

Sutton Tools’ products are used in the aerospace, defence, oil & gas industries, as well as for professional tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts.

From a sales perspective, we have certainly seen a shift in customer support in favour of local manufacturing. Whether it be driven by an inability to source products from overseas, or a genuine desire to support local jobs, people are questioning where the things they buy come from. Since the exit of the automotive industry from Australia, I have not heard as much talk about local manufacturing, conversely in a positive way.

AMT: What would you say have been some of the biggest changes at Sutton Tools?

PS: Probably the biggest change has been the rapid acceleration of the digitisation across the entire company. One simple internal example is our printed paperwork – our paper usage is down 80%.

Simple things like electronic approval of the invoices, electronic purchase requisition, automated workflows, electronic forms... all

PS: Witnessing the impact on supply chains, it has given us a resolve to the importance of maintaining local manufacturing. As a business, we have always re-invested for the the long term. In some ways, we see it as incumbent on us to continue to support local manufacturing as we have for the past 100 years, and especially in these uncertain times.

There’s been a general feeling of supporting Australian jobs in manufacturing, and it’s been great to be able to use that opportunity to promote our manufacturing capabilities. People who have sourced product overseas in the past are looking for local alternatives, be it Sutton Tools or other local producers.

Overall, we are so proud of all our staff and how they’ve worked together to continue to operate in these at times extremely difficult and surreal times.

The Sutton Tools story is part of Integra Systems’ Advance Australian Manufacturing (#AAM) initiative. Integra Systems is asking manufacturing business owners and CEOs to share their Advance Australian Manufacturing stories. Reach out to Erika Hughes, Commercial Director at Integra, on erika@ integrasystems.com.au, and use the #AAM hashtag wherever you can. www.integrasystems.com.au www.suttontools.com

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PLASTICS, COMPOSITES & ADVANCED MATERIALS

ACS Australia – Exploring the endless possibilities of carbon fibre composites For almost 30 years, Advanced Composite Structures Australia (ACS Australia) has been delivering high-value engineering services to develop unique composites-related product and technology solutions for its customers.

Projects at ACS Australia typically start with concept development and engineering, followed by the manufacture of prototypes to demonstrate and validate the product.

Over five years ago, the company expanded into series manufacture and the assembly of low-volume, high-value, composite products, and has made strategic investments into advanced manufacturing equipment including automated machining and additive manufacturing.

Today, ACS Australia stands out from its competitors by providing its customers with a “one-stop-shop” for the development and supply of new composite-related products, providing a fast-track path to market. The talented engineers and technicians at ACS Australia are continuously being challenged by a diverse range of projects where advanced composite materials are being applied. Recently they have manufactured three unique products utilising carbon fibre composites with the support of in-house Industry 4.0-based manufacturing tools.

The assembled structure is stiff and lightweight. Nominally the composite structure is 2kg, enabling the user to manually load and unload from the aircraft wing strut without the need for ground support equipment. Moreover, the modular design permits disassembly of components to individually adjust cameras and electrical equipment connections.

The structure is made with laminated carbon fibre at a nominal thickness of 2mm, with integrated flanges for each subcomponent, to protect joins from dust and water ingress. Additionally, the blackened interior offers reduced internal reflections and dampens light leaks, enhancing imaging quality. A gel coat was used on the exterior for UV protection, while achieving a high-quality surface finish.

The carbon fibre housings were manufactured via resin infusion in a specifically developed cylindrical tool for batch production. The cylindrical tool was designed in CATIA CAD and manufactured via epoxy resin lay-up of GFRP (glass fibrereinforced plastic), making a tough durable mould for reuse. To achieve the high-quality surface finish on the final part a twill weave 0/90 carbon fibre fabric was selected, and a clear gel coat was applied for a gloss aesthetic finish. Operational ports for electromagnetic wiring and attachments were machined utilising in-house CNC cutting.

Aircraft aerial imaging camera housing

Electromagnetic sensor housings ACS Australia manufactured a batch of 25 carbon fibre composite housings, to be used as an electromagnetic sensor housing in a mining application. The housings were completed wholly in-house at ACS Australia’s Melbourne facility.

ACS Australia manufactured a carbon fibre composite camera housing for attachment on a light aircraft for in-flight aerial imaging.

The camera housing required one frontfacing dome port and two downward facing lens ports, allowing for medium-format cameras to be mounted inside with varying angles. The carbon fibre housing was designed, manufactured and assembled at ACS Australia in Port Melbourne.

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This is a good example of how ACS Australia combines both composite manufacturing capability with advanced Industry 4.0 CNC machine tooling. These capabilities allow an SME like ACS Australia to serve customers in a timely manner with advanced design and manufacturing all in one organisation. Furthermore, this enables higher-tolerance components to be validated, which is critical for precision industry applications as in this case.

Safety-critical animatronic structure ACS Australia designed, manufactured and assembled a number of complex geometry, carbon fibre composite animatronic components for Creature Technology Co, one of the world’s leading creators of attractions for large theme parks. The largest component was a moving head section with stringent safety requirements (six times higher than some aerospace

PLASTICS, COMPOSITES & ADVANCED MATERIALS quality parts. The component and tooling were specifically designed for very high finalassembly geometric tolerances, as the final assembly of the entire structure was carried out off-site. The project requirements demanded that the component design, manufacture and materials be chosen very carefully for the safety-critical, lightweight structural composite assembly, taking into consideration operational requirements based on kinematic loads and acceleration data supplied by the customer. Moreover, strict safety requirements were necessary as people would be in close proximity to the structure when in operation. As such, structural components were manufactured with multi-axial carbon fibre fabric to minimise weight in construction.

applications), while also minimising mass to allow dynamic movement of the structure.

In addition to the large head section, ACS Australia manufactured numerous carbon fibre composite sub-components at its Port Melbourne facility to very demanding

deadlines, whilst following an ISO 9001 quality system.

ACS Australia’s extensive experience with out-of-autoclave, vacuum-assisted resin infusion enabled the manufacture of high-

Furthermore, the design of the structure involved extensive use of dynamic finite element analysis (FEA) to optimise the structure, and together with tailored carbon fibre reinforcements this achieved a significantly reduced assembly weight in comparison to the traditional metallic structure. www.acs-aus.com

ACS Australia supports Defence Industry Internship Program Emma Vecoli and Michael Jurdana joined the ACS Australia team for 12 weeks under the Defence Industry Internship Program (DIIP), working on defence projects while they completed their university education.

The DIIP offers students a paid 12week internship contributing to an SME engineering project. The internship gives students the opportunity to gain reallife experience on real industry projects, while utilising the latest cutting-edge technologies. ACS Australia continues to invest in Industry 4.0 technology, with a 3D printer and multi-axis CNC machine, which interns have had the opportunity to utilise in their projects.

Emma is completing a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering & Bachelor of Science (Applied Chemistry) at RMIT University. Emma brought strong foundational knowledge of composite materials having previously worked at Carbon Nexus in Geelong. Emma worked on novel thermoplastic adhesive technology used in composite structural bonding.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to work as part of the ACS Australia team and put my learning into practice whilst working on challenging projects with real-world outcomes,” said Emma Michael is completing a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at Swinburne University, having finished his final-year

capstone project focusing on carbon fibre materials. He has motorsport experience through the FSAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia) program at university. Michael worked on hightemperature composites technology for defence applications and developed a CNC drag-knife tool using 3D printing.

“The ACS Australia team are extremely knowledgeable, while going above and beyond in providing me with support throughout my internship,” said Michael. “It is not often you are given the opportunity to put your theoretical knowledge from prior studies into real-life industry projects. I’ve loved being able to follow projects from the design stage all the way up to manufacture and testing; it’s something that has helped me refine my technical skills and continues to be a highlight of my journey with ACS Australia.”

The team at ACS Australia are continually impressed by the quality of graduate engineers entering the workforce, including their technical capabilities, critical problem-

solving skills and strong self-motivation they apply to projects. The DIIP is Australia-wide, employing 70 interns each year across 38 SME engineering companies.

Adrian Chiem, Engineer and IT Coordinator at ACS Australia, is an alumnus of this program, having completed his internship working on defence industry applications of composites-metals bonding. In addition to working on modelling progressive damage on a bonded hybrid composite joint using Cohesive Zone Modelling (CZM), Adrian worked on a variety of composite design, software programming and manufacturing processes for the assembly of a VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft. Adrian stayed on with the team and has been leading ACS Australia’s dynamic FEA simulations for composite structures, in particular crashand-impact analysis.

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PLASTICS, COMPOSITES & ADVANCED MATERIALS

Clever composites: Speed, accuracy and reduced down-time Cheetahs are famed for their ability to reach high speeds, but it is in fact their agility that is truly impressive. Cheetahs can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds, and then quickly decelerate, turn, and sprint in another direction. But this exceptional combination of speed and precision doesn’t purely belong to the wild, and innovative composite materials are helping bring these qualities to the factory floor. Robert Glass explores how composite components can enhance the performance of automated machinery.

Improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining high product quality is a common challenge in production facilities. Automation has undoubtably boosted productivity, but rising consumer demands drive a need to further optimise production equipment. By incorporating composite components into automated machinery, production speed and accuracy can be increased while reducing downtime.

As fast as you can Composites, also known as fibre-reinforced plastics, are fabricated by combining a resin matrix with reinforcement fibres. The blend of materials gives composites combined benefits, such as low weight with high strength and stiffness. In fact, composites have a specific gravity a quarter that of steel and two-thirds of aluminium, and have a much higher strength-to-weight ratio.

This low weight gives composites the ability to move quickly, making them ideal for fast-moving machine parts. By using composite machine parts, which are lighter and stronger than their metal counterparts, the operation speed of a production machine can be increased, therefore increasing manufacturing efficiency.

This is especially true for textile machines. The textile industry must transform millions of miles of yarn into lengths of fabric to supply industries such as clothing and home furnishing. However, producing one length of fabric requires hundreds of weft yarns, making enhanced speed essential to keep up with demand.

In rapier weaving looms, finger-like carriers called rapiers repeatedly move the yarn back and forth across the width of the fabric. By using lightweight composite rapiers, as opposed to metal alternatives, the yarn placement process can be carried out faster and in greater volumes, therefore increasing fabric production efficiency. The high strength and durability of composites means the rapiers will be able to withstand working at the increased speed without breaking under greater force.

Process precision Composites not only allow production machines to move with increased speed, but also higher accuracy. Composite materials have low inertia, which means composite machine parts can start movements and change speeds more quickly, therefore performing with increased agility.

The low weight and high stiffness properties of composites means they can provide vibration dampening up to 20 times better than steel. This increases the stability of the machine, allowing the composite component to perform with superior accuracy.

Composites also have a low coefficient of thermal expansion, so machine components will not change their dimensions even if the temperature rises or falls in the environment. By maintaining the dimensions, the composite components can keep machine operation to tight tolerances.

An application where agility is essential is robotics. Robotics on the production line must accurately manipulate products without causing damage. This is especially important when handling small, delicate products like electrical components or even chocolates in boxes. Here, by using carbon fibre for robotic arms instead of

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aluminium or steel, the arms can perform movements with quick changes in direction and high placement accuracy.

Reduced down-time Composite machine components don’t just perform well — they perform for a long time. Composite materials exhibit high durability, meaning they require less maintenance and less frequent replacement, therefore reducing factory downtime.

Vibration-dampening properties mean composite components display reduced wear from processing, as they are unlikely to experience cracking in applications with high levels of oscillation, and their resistance to fatigue means they can withstand repeated load cycles. Composites are also resistant to many external factors, such as chemicals, temperature and moisture.

Exel Composites provides strong and lightweight composite solutions to the machine industry, from carbon fibre robot delta arms to textile machine parts. With more than 60 years’ experience in engineering, we work closely with customers to find a solution that is tailored to their unique project. This includes optimising the properties of composites for a specific application by altering the fibres, matting and resin system.

The speed and agility of cheetahs demonstrates the incredible design of the natural world, a source of inspiration for manufacturing.

Composite components help advance automated machinery, making them perform with increased speed and precision, while also exhibiting extended durability.

Robert Glass is the Head Of Marketing at Exel Composites. www.exelcomposites.com

PLASTICS, COMPOSITES & ADVANCED MATERIALS

QUT: Graphene layer to protect communication systems A collaborative research project involving Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Department of Defence aims to develop a printable ultrathin layer of carbon to shield sensitive electronics from electromagnetic radiation.

Professor Nunzio Motta from the QUT Centre for Materials Science, and Dr Kamal Gupta, from Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) are investigating the use of graphene as a printable shielding material. Graphene is an allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice.

Professor Nunzio Motta (centre), with students Michael Horn, left, and Fraser Williams.

Developments in micro-electronic technologies have led to the design of miniaturised circuits and subsystems for high speed and high capacity communication systems that are accurate, reliable, sophisticated with advanced functionalities, and are much smaller in size, light weight, and exhibit lower power consumption.

“These electronics systems are also potentially susceptible to electromagnetic radiation, whereby circuits can be upset, reset or thermally damaged, which can lead to the failure of system functionality,” Dr Gupta said.

An example of how unwanted electromagnetic radiation can impact on communication systems is when a microwave in the kitchen can interfere with a home’s wi-fi network.

The research team will investigate a locally developed inkjet printing technology for printing a graphene film on electronic circuit boards to prevent unwanted electromagnetic radiation from interfering with communication devices. “The flexibility of inkjet printing will allow the design of multiple patterns and the superimposition of different layers to target a wide range of frequencies,” Professor Motta said.

The technology developed under this collaboration will be tested further at DST labs. This project is being funded by the Next Generation Technologies Fund (NGTF), a Federal Government initiative to promote technology development.

The project builds upon previous research of Professor Motta’s group on graphene, used to develop supercapacitors, which are devices that can store energy similarly to batteries but can be charged and discharged much quicker. Along with Professor Motta, the QUT research team includes Dr Jacob Coetzee, Dr Soniya Yambem, Michael Horn and Fraser Williams. www.dst.defence.gov.au

For those bulky and overweight packages, SternaGL can provide you with a tailor-made solution for your peace of mind.

www.qut.edu.au

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Thermoplastics set to disrupt gear markets once rusted on to metals Engineering thermoplastic gear, guidance and conveyor component systems have become disruptor technologies in production engineering as Industry 4.0 produces smarter factories and processing plants that are more efficient, hygienic, productive and less wasteful.

Materials such as Wearlon nylon gears, Wearace acetal gears, and Wearex UHMWPE drive components – material types originally introduced to the market to fill niche applications – are more often becoming materials of first choice, according to Cut To Size Plastics. This is happening as machine builders and production engineers seek out materials that will enable their digitally communicating Industry 4.0 systems to function faster, with closer tolerances, less maintenance and down-time, easier washdown and less need for constant lubrication, attracting grit and wear.

“Thermoplastic technology is advancing quickly to fill many needs and these materials are extremely tough,” says Laurie Green, Managing Director of Cut To Size Plastics and an Australasian engineering thermoplastics pioneer. “Ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) gear racks in use internationally, for example, have shown part lives multiple times longer – sometimes 10 or more times longer – than their metal predecessors.

“While most gears were traditionally made from various metals, plastic gear technology is pushing the previous limits of load bearing, torque handling, and gear drive capabilities. As well as being highly suitable for new machinery, these plastic gears and gear racks can be identical in design to their existing metal predecessors, making them directly interchangeable with steel and other OEM and custom metal gears and racks.”

Different plastics benefits Self-lubrication is a key benefit of Wearlon nylon gears, because a constant issue with many metal drive gears is the need for external lubrication. This is a major problem when gears are hard to access or where lubricant will only exacerbate a problem – for example gears that operate in high-dust or gritty environments.

“Wearace acetal is a great choice for plastic gears, for example, because the typical objective in such a device is to minimise the friction resulting from contact,” says Green. “Acetal is very slippery (i.e. it has a very low coefficient of friction) and therefore minimal energy is lost in the internal contact interaction between gears. “Wearex ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and other high-performance

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Rollers and conveying equipment are areas where thermoplastics often offer advantages.

plastic gears and gear racks offer wear and noise reduction advantages over comparable metal products. UHMWPE is generally looked to when impact resistance is key.”

Green’s company has more than 40 years’ experience as a provider of OEM and custom parts that replace metals to increase productivity, decrease down-time and lead to greater revenue for customers while maintaining the specifications required by the equipment, project and application. Cut To Size has worked with industries, extending from food & beverage and primary livestock and crop processing, through to machine building, resources, materials handling, construction and manufacturing to develop hardwearing OEM and easily retrofitted gear components for multiple applications.

“Major advances in engineering thermoplastics formulation technologies – and a growing realisation of their unique benefits – mean industry no longer is as firmly rusted on to metals drives as it once was,” Green adds. “Today, the options are far more plentiful and attractive.

“While there is no one ideal answer to all applications – whether you are considering metals or thermoplastics – it is important to consider all the options and not automatically revert to old choices that may no longer be optimum for new needs. It could be that old choices are best, but it could be more likely that a cheaper, more

durable and better performing alternative has evolved in response to Industry 4.0.”

Critical properties When selecting a plastic material for a specific application, Green says it is important to base the choice on critical properties associated with the task, such as thermal expansion, or the plastic’s ability to change in shape, area and volume in response to temperature changes. The coefficient of thermal expansion is the degree of expansion divided by the change in temperature. The higher the coefficient number, the more change in size.

Several major thermoplastic compounds exhibit acceptable thermal expansion performance. Three of the most commonly used are Wearlon nylons, Wearace polyacetal, and UHMWPE. Wearlon nylons are well-suited for use in food contact applications, such as food processing and packaging conveyor systems. The Wearlon family shares major advantages such as high mechanical strength, hardness and stiffness, as well as high mechanical damping capacity.

They offer good fatigue and very high wear resistance, with good sliding and emergency running properties.

They are suitable for machinery subject to constant moisture and washdown. These properties, along with good machinability, lend them to typical applications such as bearings, guides, chain wheels and guides, bushings and slide and guide plates,

PLASTICS, COMPOSITES & ADVANCED MATERIALS Thermoplastic gears and racks can be directly interchangeable with their metal predecessors.

toothed racks, mixer rollers, guide rails, rope pulleys, bearings, tappets, cam discs, gear wheels, transport stars, mixer blades, pump wheels, pinions, curved guides, crane supports and idler and guide rollers.

Wearace polyacetal is a cost-efficient material that offers excellent strength, stiffness and dimensional stability as well as wear resistance and easy machining.

Acetal has an 80-120 coefficient of thermal expansion, and, as a polyoxymethylene (POM) homopolymer, a high-end temperature of 120 degrees Celsius while the POM copolymer has a temperature range of -40 to 120 degrees Celsius.

loads than nylons, Wearace polyacetal is eminently suitable and highly cost-efficient for sliding, guiding and roller elements of materials handling machinery. Typical uses that benefit from Wearace’s properties include gear wheels with small moduli, cams, heavily loaded bearings and rollers, bearings and gears with small clearances, valve seats, snap fit assemblies, and insulating components for electrical engineering and parts which operate continuously in water of 60-80 degrees Celsius.

“The most popular property of POM is its ease of machining,” adds Green. “It is also very hard and abrasion-resistant, and it is more resistant to creep, which is the tendency for material to stay bent if left under a stress for too long. POM is also resistant to chemicals. It is generally unaffected by solvents, fuels and lubricants found in industrial environments.”

Industry-specific examples of Wearace applications range from scraper blades AMTIL-ADVERT-MAIN-2020-OUTLINED(FA).pdf 1 17/1/20 10:49 am on gelatine extruders, buffer blocks on While typically specified for handling lesser

electromagnetic bogie brakes and ratchet wheels on stapling machines. Being physiologically inert, Wearace is highly suitable for food contact applications in natural form.

UHMWPE is a thermoplastic polyethylene featuring extremely high molecular density.

It is highly durable, with the highest impact resistance of all thermoplastics with great abrasion and heat resistance. It’s another plastic well-suited for food and beverage industry applications. It has a 130-200 coefficient of thermal expansion and a highend temperature of 95 degrees Celsius.

“UHMW and other high-performance plastic gears and gear racks offer wear and noise reduction advantages over comparable metal products,” says Green.

“UHMW materials are generally looked to when impact resistance is key.”

Cut To Size Plastics offers highstrength, custom-designed and OEM replacement parts for gears and other power transmission components used in industrial and commercial applications.

The company works with customers to find the most cost-effective solutions for their specific project demands, drawing on extensive local experience complemented by global supplier expertise for companies considering thermoplastic components. www.cuttosize.com.au

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WELDING

Welders need to be safe at work – Both physically and mentally Welding can and should be considered a safe occupation; when proper precautions are taken, welders have no cause to fear accident or injury. But when safety isn’t taken seriously in the workplace, the risk of a severe incident becomes a real concern. By Geoff Crittenden.

Education is the key to ensuring a safe and productive working environment for everyone. Employers need to invest in thorough and up-to-date training for all their employees to ensure that they understand the risks associated with welding, the mitigation strategies they can use, and the equipment available to prevent accident and injury.

Additionally, recognising the risks posed by mental health challenges and addressing these is vital to maintaining a healthy workforce.

Physical risks to health & safety Welders are exposed to both physical and chemical hazards in the course of their work, and they utilise tools that can result in injury and electric shock if used incorrectly. Some of the most common hazards in a welding workplace include exposure to dangerous chemicals and fumes, injuries to the eyes through sparks and vapours, fire and explosions, and electric shock.

The process of gas welding involves the burning of chemicals such as argon, hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide, opening up the possibility of dangerous chemical exposure. To avoid exposure to chemicals, proper engineering controls (such as local exhaust systems) must be implemented to ensure sufficient ventilation throughout the welding workshop.

The welding arc can reach temperatures of up to 5,530°C, posing a risk of fire and explosions. All flammable and potentially explosive materials should be kept well away from welding areas, and workplaces need to ensure that proper emergency procedures are in place. Additionally, welders must always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in optimal condition to prevent an arc flash, or a burn caused by the ultra-violet radiation of electric welding arcs.

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Dangers posed by welding fume In recent years, the welding industry has become increasingly aware of the hazards posed by metal fumes produced during the welding process. This fume, comprising of microscopic particles of hot metal and gases, poses serious risks when inhaled by welders.

Some of the known health effects caused by welding fume exposure include fever, stomach ulcers, kidney damage and damage to the nervous system. Welders can suffer from asthma, eye, nose and throat irritation, and even lung infections that can lead to pneumonia.

In early 2017, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classed welding fumes as ‘Carcinogenic to Humans’.

It is vital that appropriate strategies are in place to reduce welder exposure to fumes and prevent the long-term health effects that can result from exposure. All welders should receive training on methods to mitigate the effects of metal fume, including positioning themselves to reduce exposure and investigating less toxic alternatives where possible.

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems capture and extract welding fume at the source and are a proven way of reducing exposure. All workplaces should have fit-for-purpose LEV systems installed and regularly maintained.

Weld Australia has released a Technical Guidance Note, Fume Minimisation Guidelines: Welding, Cutting, Brazing and Soldering, which includes all the information required to help protect workers from the hazards associated with welding fumes.

Electrical safety precautions in welding Electrical safety is another area that must be seriously considered when reducing risks to welders. Electricity is a vital part of welding

WELDING work, but when mishandled it can result in serious injury and death.

Between 2014 and 2016, seven people died due to electrocution while working.

According to Safe Work Australia’s Welding Processes Code of Practice, electric shock or electrocution can occur through direct contact with an electrode, live parts, a workpiece, or through contact with a device such as an unearthed cable or tool. The risk of electric shock can be exacerbated by moisture and high humidity, both of which are common in welding environments.

All welding professionals need to familiarise themselves with processes to minimise the risk of electric shock. Simple actions such as checking that equipment is dry and well maintained and installing shut down mechanisms such as fuses and low voltage safety switches can save lives. Ensuring that all employees are equipped with the knowledge and safety equipment required is key to preventing incidents in the workplace.

Non-compliant welding equipment Welding safety requires constant vigilance to ensure that all equipment is maintained, operating correctly and being used with best practice in mind. Before starting any welding operation, a complete inspection of all welding equipment should be undertaken.

The 10 minutes required to complete a thorough check can prevent serious injuries and fatalities within the workplace.

Weld Australia has developed a Daily Inspection and PreStart Check List for welders to use, assisting users to check all equipment, connections, and power sources before beginning work. It is important that welders feel empowered to report any unsafe equipment to their supervisor and to ask for new equipment and PPE where it is not provided.

Mental health: A crucial part of keeping welders safe It is well understood that to work effectively and safely in a welding workplace, employees need to be mentally sharp and engaged in their environment. A positive headspace does more than to make a workday more enjoyable; it prevents the kind of mental lapses that can result in mistakes and accidents. However, the welding industry is suffering from a mental health crisis. Welding personnel are struggling with issues including anxiety and depression, and often not getting the help they need from within their workplace.

According to mental health support organisation Beyond Blue, 15% of Australians will experience depression in their lifetime. Men are more likely to die by suicide than women, with the number of men who die by suicide every year double the national road toll. Right now, the welding industry is predominantly male, and we need to be taking the risks posed by depression and anxiety seriously.

Recent statistics show that workers in construction and similar trades are more at risk, with 25% of workers experiencing mental illness over the last 12 months, according to research conducted by the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA).

Workers in these industries are 70% more likely to die by suicide than office workers.

Why is our industry more susceptible to mental health problems?

There are several theories, predominantly that the stress and pressure associated with working in high-risk environments. Welding is physically demanding and puts pressure on workers to perform to a high standard or risk potentially fatal accidents. Welders are facing increased job insecurity due to the rise in contractual work and fluctuations in the national economy.

Additionally, research shows that many in our industry experience a poor quality of life. The divorce rate in the construction industry is 6% higher than the national average. Australian construction workers have double the rate of life-threatening drinking habits, compared to the national average, and a drug use rate that is 10% higher.

In addition, the construction industry is known to be an environment in which traditional perceptions of masculinity persist. Masculine

ideals are founded on toughness, control, autonomy and competence. Seeking help, or even admitting a need for help, can be both confronting and challenging for people (men in particular) working or living in such a setting.

How can we change these perceptions and create a safer environment for welders? How can we better support people facing challenges in their mental health and personal lives?

These problems are complex and not easily solved, but it is vital that employers begin to seriously consider what they can do to improve the mental fitness of their workforce.

Encouraging all employees – from apprentices to the most experienced on site – to ask for help and even time off if required is an important first step. Educating workers on the prevalence of mental health problems, and the risks posed by these, helps to stop stigma around these issues. It’s vital that all workers feel comfortable expressing problems without fear of judgement, and good leadership will involve demonstrating this at the highest levels.

Creating a safer workplace In 2019, Weld Australia established the Welding Safety Council to provide a forum for industry and legislative safety authorities to identify solutions to safety problems. The mission of the Council is to maintain the infrastructure required to identify and analyse welding risk and formulate and execute mitigation strategies.

To help build the mental fitness of Australian welders, Weld Australia has partnered with Gotcha4Life and Man Anchor. Gotcha4Life’s vision is to strengthen social connections between people so that they can be comfortable expressing themselves and supporting friends who are struggling. They fund training programs across Australia. Man Anchor focuses on educating Australian men on mental illness, and facilitates a range of educational workshops and a mental health first aid course. Through these partnerships, Weld Australia is helping member companies to facilitate workshops and talks for their employees.

Additionally, the Weld Australia website offers resources for individuals and businesses to access mental health assistance and encourages everyone working in welding to support their colleagues and remove the stigma associated with mental health issues.

Together, we can find innovative solutions to ensure that everyone involved in the welding industry is kept safe every day, both on and off the worksite.

Geoff Crittenden is the Chief Executive Officer of Weld Australia. www.weldaustralia.com.au

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WELDING

Could cobots be the answer to the welder shortage?

In recent years, there has been a global shortage of welders. Thankfully, automation can help fill the gap. John Young explains why cobots may be the solution to the world’s welding shortage.

The welding shortage is a global problem. The American Welding Society has predicted a deficit of 400,000 welders by 2024. In Australia, the problem is arguably even greater. According to specialist welding technologists K-TIG, a US welder’s skills are in such high demand they can demand a salary of $100,000 – the figure is twice as high in Australia and up to three times as high for oil & gas projects in remote locations.

The bad news looks set to get worse, because the welding workforce isn’t getting any younger. Estimates vary, but even the more favourable figures suggest that 30% of Australia’s welding workforce is over 45. The millennials are not rushing to replace the retiring baby boomers. Negative perceptions of careers in manufacturing, and welding in particular, are putting off younger generations from what could be a bright career destination.

Unfortunately, welding is seen by many younger people as dirty and monotonous.

Added to all this is a skills shortage, which the organisations representing welding have been warning about for many years.

Even if younger people were attracted to the profession, there needs to be much more investment into education and training.

One major issue is making sure that the training reflects the growing importance of robotics and automation.

Automation may seem like an obvious solution, but it is not so straightforward. The capital expenditure required for industrial robots needs to be justified. For those in the business of highmix, low-volume production, robots have traditionally failed to demonstrate the necessary return on investment.

Robot uptake might also introduce a further problem. You have solved the shortage of welders, but you now need new staff that are trained and expert at operating and maintaining the robots, so the skills shortage problem remains, albeit with a different face. Factors such as these explain why, until recently, automation was not the panacea to the welding worker drought.

Enter cobots Cobots are collaborative robots, designed to be operated safely alongside human workers without the need for safety fences.

According to recent analysis from Research Drive, the global cobot market is expected to reach a staggering $8,840.5m by 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 40%.

Rapid industrialisation in the Asia Pacific region and increasing uptake in the automotive and electronics sectors is expected to drive this growth.

One major benefit of cobots is their lower start-up costs. High-mix shops have often found themselves priced out of the opportunities for automation, but cobots are changing that. Some companies are also taking greater advantage of the opportunity to rent robots or acquire them on a subscription basis – a model also known as robots-as-a-service.

Another key benefit is ease of use. These machines are specifically designed with usability in mind, removing the need for extensive training. They are usually programmed through a hand-guided demonstration from a worker who requires only rudimentary training.

performing the same task over and over, cobots can be applied to a variety of different tasks in a single day. This attribute makes them a winning ticket in a world where demands for customization and short-lead times are growing.

It is no surprise to see many manufacturers partnering with automation parts suppliers like EU Automation to take advantage of these opportunities. Welding is certainly one area where there is growing interest and expectation.

Cobots for welding It is clear that welding is an area that is in need of a cobotic helping hand. To begin to implement this solution, manufacturers do not need significant capital expenditure, extensive floorspace or expert programmers.

A worker hand-guides the cobot arm through the process, manually steering the arm and torch through a program path to weld a part. In many instances, this programming can be completed by someone who is not even expert in the welding process itself. Skilled welders can be redeployed to more value-added tasks.

The size and flexibility of a cobot means that you could simply deploy it at an existing welding table that is set up for human workers, without having to make extensive adaptions or worry about insufficient floorspace.

Cobots can also produce a longer, continuous weld seam. For comparison, while a skilled welder can typically weld a 60cm seam in a continuous motion, a cobot can make a seam that is up to 120cm long, reducing the need for stops and starts and thereby helping produce higher quality parts. It also removes the need for larger dedicated floorspace that is typically required for long parts.

Cobots are not simply cheaper and easier to use. Their size and flexibility is another string to their robotic bow. Typically, a cobot will range in size from 5kg up to 50kg. This means that factory floorspace is no longer such a limiting factor.

Until recently, there was growing concern that manufacturing would face a day of reckoning as the pool of skilled welders continued to shrink. Thankfully, cobots are allowing machine shops to exploit the benefits of automation in ways that were not possible a decade ago. As well as making up for the welder shortage, the growing use of cobots looks also set to encourage millennials into a career destination that was previously seen as unattractive.

It also means the robot can be safely and easily moved around the workshop and while larger industrial robots were better suited to

John Young is APAC country director at EU Automation. www.euautomation.com

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THE NEW BENCHMARK FOR STRUCTURAL STEEL & GENERAL FABRICATION

3 Industry 4.0 digital system with Lorch Connect big data management 3 Advanced speed processes for GMAW (MIG-MAG) & FCAW delivering up to 30% productivity gains 3 NFC Technology for shop floor quality control 3 Future proof upgradability 3 Extensive range: 300 to 500A, compact & remote, air & water cooled 3 Next generation inverter technology made in Germany The Lorch MicorMIG and MicorMIG Pulse series set the new standard in welding for structural steel and general fabrication. Fully optimised for Australian and New Zealand conditions, their high efficiency resonance inverter makes these machines the most technologically advanced GMAW (MIG-MAG) and FCAW systems on the planet, further enhanced with the addition of Lorch Wi-Fi Connect technology for big data management. These cutting edge capabilities drive shop floor productivity, efficiency and quality control.

Dependable, robust and simple to operate, these are premium examples of German engineering quality and performance.

MicorMIG is the future proof platform for production welding enterprises; an all-rounder for every application that just makes good commercial sense.

Listen to what our customers have to say: Major heavy engineering fabricator Genis Steel SA, “After reviewing the various brands and technologies we standardised on Lorch, the best welding technology in the world from Germany. The highly efficient MicorMIG 400A and 500A platforms are the perfect all-round machines for structural steel fabrication.

They are simple to operate and give us the welding process flexibility combined with perfect welding quality and high productivity all the time”.

Vince Manuele, Managing Director SA. For further information please contact: NSW ALLWELD SERVICES East Maitland • Beresfield • Muswellbrook 1300 663 888 SOUTHERN CROSS INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES 02 6040 1991 DAY’S INDUSTRIAL 02 4274 6488 QLD GLOBAL WELDING SUPPLIES Brisbane 07 3271 2577 • Mt. Isa 07 4743 3377 • Gladstone 07 4976 9800 Mackay 07 4952 1877 • Townsville 07 4755 0850 • Cairns 07 4033 0411 SA WELDING EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE 08 8243 2200 SOUTHERN CROSS INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES 08 8277 6288 AD4497_AustManuTech_6.21

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www.lorch.eu

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SENSORS & PROCESS CONTROL

Ice cream brand achieves smooth production with digital manufacturing Production of the popular Japanese ice cream brand Yukimi Daifuku recently underwent a major process upgrade, with the introduction of Mitsubishi Electric’s e-F@ctory concept delivering enhanced quality and consistency, and improving overall efficiency.

Since its launch in 1981, Lotte Corporation’s Yukimi Daifuku has been a popular Japanese household favourite that is loved by people of all ages. Many have tried the unforgettable flavour and texture of the vanilla ice cream balls wrapped in soft, chewy mochi rice cake, regarded as “Delicious whenever eaten, regardless of the season”.

However, to achieve that deceptively simple goal of consistent texture, quality and taste is actually more difficult than most people would have thought. To solve this challenge Lotte has introduced Mitsubishi Electric’s e-F@ctory to the production of Yukimi Daifuku. e-F@ctory is Mitsubishi Electric’s integrated concept to build reliable, flexible manufacturing systems that enable users to achieve highspeed, information-driven production.

“Before introducing e-F@ctory, there was an issue of inconsistency of the rice cake quality,” said Hiroshi Sugimoto, Manager of the Facilities Department at Lotte Corporation’s Urawa plant. “When wrapping the ice cream, the hardness of rice cake used to vary depending on the temperature and water content. Some operations were dependent on people, and losses arose out of the need to finely adjust the machine parameters.

“The e-F@ctory system allows us to conduct improvement activities such as enhancing the operating rate, stabilising quality, and optimising staffing for production activities. The extendibility of the system, depending on what we want to do, was also appealing.”

At each of the Yukimi Daifuku production lines the state of the product and the operating status of the machines is collected by programmable logic controllers (PLCs) installed in each process.

Vast amounts of data, such as vibration data from the rice cake hopper, or data from the conveying inverters, is collected. All of the data can be understood in real time, not only through the overall SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) monitoring system, which is installed in the control room, but also through onsite computer displays.

“By introducing this system, data became centralised, making it possible to view and investigate conditions whenever we want,” remarked Hiroshi Akimoto, Section Manager of Facilities Department, at Lotte’s Urawa Plant. “Because the data volume is extremely high, having all the data centralised in one place has a positive effect. One big benefit is that we can now gather and analyse data and conduct data diagnostics using a real-time data

The Mitsubishi Electric “MELIPC” industrial PC gathers and analyses data and conducts diagnostics.

analyser. This system not only helps us stabilise the state of the rice cakes used for the Yukimi Daifuku, but also promotes improvement activities within the plant.

“Another benefit is the adjustment of the blending ratio of rice cake and ice cream,” Akimoto adds. “This was usually done by experienced operators, who monitored the state of the rice cakes as they come out of the wrapping machine by kneading them with their fingers. We thought it would be great if we could automate this process. By automating such processes, which were conventionally performed based on human senses, and by capturing signs of any poor quality of the wrapped rice cakes beforehand, we can eliminate problems. That was our ultimate goal.”

Takayuki Manako, Executive Director & Plant Manager at Urawa, remarks on some of the manufacturing challenges that his team faces: “As you know, ice cream is a cold material. This cold ice cream is combined with rice cake, which is warm when it is made.

This technical aspect of combining a cold item with a warm one in a good balance is what makes Yukimi Daifuku a complex product.

But I think this challenge is something that inspires us to find new ways to overcome it.”

“The temperature in the manufacturing room varies all year round.

We strive to maintain consistent conditions, but at the same time, we try to reliably create even better conditions. We introduced the

Rice cakes are made by steaming and kneading (left), then combined with cold ice cream (right).

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SENSORS & PROCESS CONTROL

Lotte is a leading manufacturer of confectioneries, ice cream, and other merchandise.

Lotte Corporation’s factory in Urawa, Japan, where Yukimi Daifuku is produced.

e-F@ctory manufacturing concept with the expectation of realising this in the future.”

“The use of the Internet of Things (IoT) has only just been introduced to the production of Yukimi Daifuku,” Manako adds. “However, the Urawa plant has many other lines making chocolates and ice creams, so Yukimi Daifuku is not our only challenge. We aim to horizontally deploy this system and construct a smart plant in which ‘symptom management’ and ‘operating rate improvement’ are implemented on numerous lines. Stable plant operation and manpower savings will eventually make a major contribution in terms of costs and so on. If we consider Lotte as a whole, our goal is to further evolve this technology and extend it to other plants.”

Manako explains how, in the course of daily production, machines do not operate in the same condition every day. To remedy this in the past, experienced staff members would have checked and adjusted the settings of the machines. However, with e-F@ctory it is possible to visualise the condition of machines, and indeed the machines themselves can issue instructions to make adjustments.

In addition, while maintenance and failures remain unavoidable with machines, the team at Lotte anticipate they will be able to manage these issues more effectively using e-F@ctory’s symptom management features.

www.mitsubishielectric.com.au www.lotte.co.kr

ASC marks Cognex and Mitsubishi milestones Automation Systems & Controls (ASC), a leading Australian industrial automation innovator, recently acknowledged two major milestones for its esteemed international partners: Cognex and Mitsubishi Electric.

In 2021 Cognex is celebrating 40 years of camera inspection development. The machine vision specialists put their longevity within the ever-changing tech marketplace down to being “bold and creative”. They are proud to state that they still “move fast like a start-up”, yet the company has decades of established processes to ensure that its product is of a premium quality when released.

Cognex has 40 years of pedigree and yet it continues to abide by a “young in spirit” philosophy.

Mitsubishi Electric began in 1921 as a result of Japan’s escalating industrialisation process. The company’s early decision to focus on the research & development of products that are in high demand internationally, in a forerunner of globalisation, has been sustained throughout its highly successful 100 years of growth. Mitsubishi Electric has for decades been at the forefront of automation control, with cutting-edge programmable logic controllers (PLCs), switches and human-machine interfaces (HMIs).

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Mitsubishi Electric has created a special section of its website dedicated to the milestone. There you can find a full graphical history of the journey and even a theme song that embraces the occasion.

The team at ASC is proud to have been a partner of both Cognex and Mitsubishi Electric for decades and are excited to represent both companies Australia-wide into the future. www.asconline.com.au www.cognex.com www.mitsubishielectric.com

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FORUM IP

Avoiding the pitfalls of intellectual property.

Ben Mott gives advice about securing your IP rights, the possibility of infringing others’ rights and an overview of the different types.

‘Intellectual property’ (IP) refers to the ownership of creations of the mind. IP rights are a set of legal rights there to guard innovators from imitators.

There are two key ways to lose out with IP rights: infringing others’ rights and failing to secure your own rights.

Infringing others’ IP rights It’s possible to infringe IP rights that you never knew existed, and it’s possible to infringe without copying, eg. you might independently develop a new product then not be able to use or sell it without infringing another company’s patent, even if you had never heard of the other company and had no idea that they had any interest in a similar product.

Before investing in any new project, it’s prudent to consider whether others’ IP rights might be problematic. The pragmatic option may well be to simply forge ahead with the project; there might be good reason to feel comfortable that IP rights are unlikely to be a problem.

By way of example, if you are developing your own version of a competitor’s 25-year-old machine, you can take comfort from the fact that, generally speaking, no in-force patent can validly cover a product that was publicly known more than 21 years ago.

Other times, ‘Freedom To Operate’ (FTO) searches for potentially problematic rights may well be called for, eg. if you are about to develop a product with similarities to a competitor’s clever new product, it might be foolhardy not to check for rights that the competitor could hold against you.

FTO searching takes a wide variety of forms. A basic search for problematic trade mark rights might cost only a few thousand dollars. You might consider this basic due diligence when weighted against the risk of finding that you can’t use your new brand after you’ve invested in a marketing campaign and filled a warehouse with branded stock. On the other hand, general patent FTO searching can be a far more significant exercise.

Securing your own rights Copying is often permissible in Australia. Usually, others are free to copy your new manufactured products unless you take action to secure your IP rights. That action should be proactive. The invention/ design should be kept secret and not dealt with commercially before initial patent/design applications are filed.

Australian companies often lose out because they wrongly assume that their new products or processes are not clever enough for a patent, whereas you don’t need something especially clever – a non-obvious advance is enough. If you have a new product/ process, the question is often not so much ‘can it be patented?’ but ‘should it be patented?’. This involves weighing up the likely return on the non-trivial costs of pursuing patent protection. How do the patent costs compare to the margin that you will lose if you face price competition from imitators?

The sums are different for trade mark registration. I regard trade mark registration as ‘basic business hygiene’. Usually, the costs are a lot less than patent costs and equivalent to amounts that can disappear ‘in the blink of an eye’ if you ever find yourself needing to rely on unregistered trade mark rights to deter an imitator. Moreover, unregistered rights might not be available, eg. if you don’t yet have a reputation in the relevant market (or more to the point, can’t prove that you have that reputation).

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IP advisors and final thoughts There are different types of IP rights (see side bar) and IP advisors have their specialities; a patent attorney is probably the right person to help you guard your new mechanical product, whereas you should turn to a copyright lawyer if someone has scraped details from your website.

To avoid the pitfalls of IP, keep IP in mind and call your advisor whenever a potential issue arises. Any IP advisor worth their salt will be happy to have a brief chat without charge – and the advice might be that no action is called for, but at least you will know.

Wadeson provides a wide range of IP services, combining engineering and IP experience across a wide range of technologies.

Ben Mott is Principal, Mechanical Engineer & Patent Attorney. ben.mott@wadesonIP.com.au Ph: 03 9819 3808 www.wadesonIP.com.au

Intellectual property rights Patents can be used to stop others copying important functional details of new products and processes. They last for up to 20 years.

Design registrations can be used to stop others copying the appearance of new products. Australian design registrations last for up to 10 years.

Copyright provides protection for a wide range of ‘works’ including literary and artistic works, but Australian copyright usually does not protect three-dimensional products once in production. In most countries, copyright is automatic – there is no need to apply for protection.

Trade secrets do not protect you from reverse engineering or from your competitors independently developing similar technology.

Trade mark registrations can be used to stop others using your trade marks (e.g. name and logo). They can last indefinitely.

Unregistered trade mark rights are also available to stop counterfeiters, but are usually harder to enforce and therefore less of a deterrent than registered rights.

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FORUM OHS

What are the consequences if an employee does not comply with health & safety regulations?

Health & safety legislation are designed to decrease the risk of accidents and fatalities in the workplace.

When employees fail to follow these regulations, it is often due to the failure of the employer to provide a safe working environment or proper training. Brendan Torazzi explains.

The Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation does not cover penalties for employees who do not comply with safety regulations.

In most cases involving a safety violation, the employer takes responsibility. However, there are exceptions, such as acts of gross misconduct. Most people do not fully understand the potential consequences if an employee does not comply with health and safety regulations. The following should help clear up any confusion.

Most breaches are the result of a lack of training or inadequate safety measures in the workplace. Compliance is the employer’s responsibility. The employer must ensure that employees have the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources for dealing with potential hazards and risks.

A Category 1 offence is a serious breach involving reckless behaviour that creates the risk of death or serious injury. Penalties for Category 1 include fines up to $3m for corporate bodies, $600,000 for PCBUs, and $300,000 for individuals. PCBUs, senior officers, and individuals may also face up to five years imprisonment. A Category 2 offence is defined as the failure of an individual to comply with their health and safety duties resulting in the risk of death or serious injury. PCBUs may face fines up to $300,000 and employees may receive fines up to $150,000. A Category 3 offence is the failure to comply with a safety duty when the violation does not create the risk of death or serious injury. Individuals may face fines up to $50,000, PCBUs may be fined up to $100,000, and corporate bodies may be fined up to $500,000. However, minor offences may simply result in spot fines with smaller penalties.

According to section 25 of the Work Health and Safety Act, employees must take reasonable care for their own safety and, of course, the safety of others. They must also cooperate with the employer to comply with any requirements of the OHS Act.

Along with the penalties listed, the Court may also order the employer to follow a “Health and Safety Undertaking.” The enforceable undertaking may last for up to two years and requires the employer to avoid any further safety breaches.

Section 21 of the WHS Act details the duties of employers.

Employers must maintain a safe work environment that is without health risks, as far as reasonably practicable. This typically requires the employer to:

What is the right course of action?

Why do breaches happen?

1. Provide access to safe machinery and tools 2. Ensure that employees can handle and transport materials without health risks 3. Provide access to adequate facilities, such as washrooms and first aid 4. Provide access to training and safety information so that they can work safely Employers are also required to monitor the health of the employees and the conditions of the workplace. Employers must also allow employees to select a health and safety representative (HSR). The HSR has the right to issue a prohibition notice when they detect safety violations.

When employers fail to uphold their duties, employees are more likely to breach health and safety regulations.

In most situations, the employer is the one that may face consequences of non-compliance with health and safety. However, if an employee intentionally fails to comply with regulations despite having adequate equipment and training, the employer has the right to follow dismissal procedures.

What are the categories of offences?

The Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Act created four categories of offences for breaches of the work health and safety legislation: Industrial manslaughter; Category 1; Category 2 and Category 3 Industrial manslaughter is the highest category. It occurs when the negligence of the employer or senior officers results in the death of a worker. The maximum penalty for an individual is 20 years imprisonment. The maximum penalty for a corporate body is $10m.

When an employee fails to comply with safety legislation or codes of practice, the employer should begin an investigation into the violation. If the investigation determines that the violation was due to a breach on the employer’s part, the employer should take corrective disciplinary action to prevent the safety breach from reoccurring.

If the internal investigation finds that the employee is at fault, the employer typically issues a written warning or a provisional improvement notice (PIN). Employees must be given the chance to correct their behaviour, as with dealing with an employee that is frequently late.

Multiple warnings may result in the dismissal of the employee.

After giving the employee a chance to correct their behaviour, the employer may choose to dismiss the employee to prevent any further breaches of health regulations. However, maintaining a record of warnings for past violations is necessary when dismissing an employee, as they may file a claim of unfair dismissal with the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

How can courses help?

Training courses can help employers reduce the occurrence of breaches of health and safety at work. In Australia, employees may receive industry-standard training through registered training organisations such as AlertForce.

Employers are ultimately responsible for the safety of their workers and work sites. Every employee should receive access to the necessary equipment and training to manage health and safety hazards.

Brendan Torazzi is the CEO of AlertForce - a registered training organisation specialising in short Health and Safety courses to meet compliance. Brendan also runs the Australian Health and Safety Business Podcast and is the owner of OHS.com.au, an online marketplace for safety courses. Ph: 1800 900 222 www.alertorce.com.au www.OHS.com.au

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FORUM LAW

Ensure promotional material complies with Australian Consumer Law Regardless of how you promote products and services to consumers, it is critical to ensure that all product packaging, advertising materials and marketing collateral complies with Australian Consumer Law (ACL), explain Emma Simpson, Ian Rosenfeld and Ian Liu. False and misleading representations not only lead to distrust in your brand and reputation but can also open your business up to substantial penalties from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) if you have breached the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Manufacturers need to be cautious when specifying “country of origin” or “Made in Australia” claims. There are specific requirements under the ACL that must be met to substantiate such claims. The potential consequences have been demonstrated in a recent case where the ACCC contended that Kimberly-Clark had falsely marketed their products as “Made in Australia” on their website. The items’ packaging correctly stated their country of manufacture. To ensure your business is compliant, we have provided the key points to consider and broken down the essential facts of the case of ACCC v Kimberley-Clark [2020] FCAFC 107.

“flushable” wipes marketed and supplied in Australia, and that these representations contravened the ACL.

Advertising and promotional material cannot make false or misleading claims

The maximum penalty for corporations engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct regarding their products is the greater of (a) $10,000,000, (b) three times the value of benefit received, or (c) 10% of annual turnover in the preceding 12 months. In this case, the Federal Court imposed a penalty of $200,000 on Kimberley-Clark for the false or misleading “Made in Australia” representation.

The ACL is a national law aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring fair and transparent trading in Australia. When advertising and promoting products and services, the ACL requires that businesses must not: 1. engage in conduct that does or is likely to mislead or deceive; and 2. make false or misleading statements.

Businesses risk breaching the ACL if they do not ensure that all promotional materials (including packaging, websites, social media content and brochures) do not create an overall misleading impression about, for example, the quality, style, model, history or the country of origin. The ACCC is vigilant in monitoring claims made by businesses in their advertising and promotional materials and enforcing the ACL to protect the welfare of consumers and prevent conduct by businesses which could be harmful to consumers.

One claim which has come under scrutiny by the ACCC is “country of origin” or “Made in Australia” claims.

The ACCC’s case contended that Kimberley-Clark breached the ACL by marketing its Kleenex Cottonelle Flushable Cleansing Cloths as “flushable”: that is, the wipes would not cause harm to household and municipal sewerage systems. Although the Federal Court and ultimately the Full Court of the Federal Court dismissed the ACCC’s case related to the “flushable” claims, the parties agreed that Kimberley-Clark had made a false or misleading representation that its wipes were “Made in Australia”, when they were not. The representation was made on the footer of the product website by a “Made in Australia” logo, displayed from late October 2015 to late February 2016. The product’s packaging correctly stated the wipes’ manufacture location.

What does this mean for manufacturers?

The penalties imposed by the Federal Court in the Kimberley-Clark decision reminds manufacturers to be aware of and understand their obligations under the ACL when promoting and selling products.

It makes no difference whether a business intends to mislead consumers or not. A representation will be false, misleading, or deceptive if it induces or is capable of inducing error. When the representation is directed to the public, it will be judged according to the impression it leaves on the ordinary or reasonable members of the public. Care and diligence at all times is critical.

Accordingly, manufacturers should: -

review product packaging, websites, social media content and other advertising and promotional materials against the requirements or ACL (particularly country of origin labels) to ensure materials are accurate;

-

ensure clear processes are in place for singing off product labelling and advertising materials including ongoing reviews of existing materials;

Claims or representations made must be accurate and not mislead or deceive consumers. The ACL sets parameters around which such claims can be safely made without raising concerns under the law.

-

provide ACL training to staff.

For example, to sustain a representation that goods are the produce of Australia:

Rigby Cooke Lawyers are experienced in advising manufacturers on their obligations under the ACL. If you require advice concerning your obligations, or if you would like assistance reviewing your or a competitor’s marketing materials for compliance, please contact us.

Country of origin claims can include: -

explicit claims that a product was grown, produced, or made in a certain country or place; and

-

the use of images, logos and/or words which suggest that a product originated in or from a particular country or place.

(a) Australia must be the country of origin of each significant ingredient or significant component of the goods; and (b) all, or virtually all, processes involved in the production or manufacture of the goods must happen in Australia.

Case study: ACCC v Kimberley-Clark [2020] FCAFC 107 In 2016, the ACCC instituted proceedings against Kimberley-Clark, alleging it had made false or misleading representations related to

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Manufacturers should also hold their competitors to account for false or misleading claims on their collateral.

Ian Rosenfeld is Partner, Corporate & Commercial, ph: 03 9321 7850 or IRosenfeld@rigbycooke.com.au. Emma Simpson is Senior Associate, Corporate & Commercial, ph 03 9321 7805 or ESimpson@rigbycooke.com.au. Ian Liu is Lawyer, Corporate & Commercial

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FORUM INSURANCE

An insurance broker = good business sense With a multitude of individual insurance policies offered through multiple brands, it can be difficult to find the one which works best for you. For this reason, insurance brokers are a valuable guide, as explained by BMS. As a business owner, it can be tempting to seek short cuts to find your best-fit insurance cover. The internet offers you an overwhelming range of options, but it can be tricky to work out the right cover to suit your business needs (and cheaper is not always the best). Also, other insurance markets may be available to an insurance broker, which are not directly accessible by business owners.

You could have then taken out a policy because it was quick and ticked most of your boxes. Maybe the impact of COVID-19 has belatedly made you take to the fine print with a magnifying glass.

But you may still not have taken the cover that is best for your business – and this is where a broker can provide you with the required advice.

For example, did you have a chance to check the independence of the comparison website? Social proof might have weighed in on your decision-making too, rather than doing your usual due diligence.

Spoilt for choice With many individual insurance policies offered through multiple brands, and distribution channels across Australia, insurance brokers are a valuable guide to help businesses determine which policy offers the best fit for their needs. Also, all the options available to business owners is not always accessible via online platforms.

It can be hard work finding the right one. A quarter of sole traders have no insurance, according to an Industry Council of Australia report. Meanwhile, one in 10 businesses underinsure their business assets, saying: • “I can’t afford to pay more for insurance.”

• “Premiums are too high”, or • “You can never be adequately insured.”

Maybe you’ve thought or said the same about your own business?

DIY insurance cover is not your best bet In short, businesses need to protect their assets, customers, employees, business owners, and earnings. There’s plenty more that companies might need to insure, including compulsory coverage.

If you’ve gone for the Google ’quick-fix’ option, you could be paying higher insurance premiums after an initial honeymoon period.

Chances are you’ll need to renegotiate with an insurance company for a better rate or elect to take a higher excess to reduce your premiums. This will need to be repeated for each of your policies.

The insurance companies that provide on-line insurance options will not provide advice to you as a business owner on the insurance needs for your business – whereas an insurance broker is able to provide you with insurance advice specific to your business.

Would it make better business sense to deal with the same person for all of your business insurance policies? Someone who’ll guide you when your policy needs reviewing, provide regular updates and take the stress out of insurance for you.

This is where we come in. Insurance brokers manage more than 90% of commercial insurance transactions in Australia - providing economies of scale to achieve competitive deals and the experience to advise on the insurance needs for your business.

What insurance brokers do As insurance brokers, it’s our business to navigate the information tsunami. We offer professional advice with expertise in insurance and risk management. Our aim is to scaffold business growth - and support you in selecting your best-fit insurance cover. Once you’ve purchased the policy, we keep tabs on it, your circumstances, and how it relates to you.

We drill down into insurance products and policies for insights into the finer details such as the: • Terms and conditions in the policy • Benefits (also known as optional inclusions) • Exclusions (these are critically important to ensure you don't have nasty surprises when you need to make a claim) • Costs of a diverse range of competing insurance policies, and • Validity of the insurance cover when there are changes in the business.

We’ll also advocate for you when making a claim, seeing that process through and allowing you to focus on running your business.

A licence to broker To become a broker, we’ve each undertaken training and must successfully apply to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission to secure an Australian Financial Services Licence.

We can also do this work as a representative of a licence holder.

This licence compels insurance brokers to provide “efficient, honest and fair financial services” and to comply with the Corporations Act 2001. We must also follow the Insurance Brokers’ Code of Practice.

Safety (and savings) in numbers Licencing, laws, and the code of practice give a broker’s client great peace of mind.

Once we’ve discussed your insurance needs and risk management issues with you, we could suggest bundling policies together to offer you savings. But, if you prefer to spread your policies among different insurers, you’ll still do well to use a broker.

In fact, that process helps pre-qualify you for a policy in the eyes of an insurance company. They see you as a lower risk because you’ve taken on board your broker’s expert advice. That’s why brokers can access better rates for their clients than if a business dealt directly with an insurance company.

Having a broker on your side helps make you more savvy about risk management in your business. It’s a proven way to ensure you have sufficient cover for your risk exposure, leaving you to get on with what you do best - running your business.

BMS is a dynamic global broker that provides specialist insurance, reinsurance and capital markets advisory services.

Established in 1980, today, $2.6bn of premiums are placed each year by BMS and more than 450 people are employed worldwide. BMS has 19 offices around the world in key hubs including London, New York and Bermuda. The BMS team is highly experienced and respected in the market. We value our strong personal relationships with clients and contacts which – together with our entrepreneurial flair – enable us to get the best solutions for our clients. ph: 1800 290 978 amtil@bmsgroup.com www.bmsgroup.com

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AMTIL INSIDE

AMTIL’s Corporate Partners – Here to help I want to take this opportunity to again let our readers know about the fantastic Corporate Partners we have and the services they provide.

If you are an AMTIL Member, these Corporate Partners have extra support for you; but even if you are not a member you can still take advantage of the services they offer.

Accountants & Business Management William Buck is a leading firm of Chartered Accountants and Advisors. Through listening closely to a businesses’ needs and bringing together the relevant professionals across a number of specialties and locations, William Buck is able to provide a responsive, personalised solution.

Legal Services Rigby Cooke is a full-service Victorian commercial law firm providing specialist legal expertise, supported by in-depth industry knowledge, to public and private sector clients across Australia.

Interlease – Finance Broking The team at Interlease is an experienced group of finance professionals involved in Equipment, Property and Business Finance.

Interlease is well-known and respected for knowledge and skill in obtaining customised outcomes for our members.

Freight & Logistics As an internationally recognised and respected freight specialist, SternaGL offers a truly seamless service, utilising resources positioned all over the globe to move freight efficiently from its origin to its destination.

Insurance Brokers BMS Group has a different approach to insurance that allows it to provide strategic, innovative and personally tailored risk management advice and related insurance solutions.

All of AMTIL’s Corporate Partners have secured great outcomes for our members over the past few years so I encourage you to get in touch with them and have a chat. Remember to flag with them that you are an AMTIL member or connection.

Shane Infanti, CEO AMTIL

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

AMTIL HEADING INSIDE

AMW 2022 – Big benefits for exhibitors who book early Exhibitors who have booked space at the Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) exhibition next March are already benefiting from significant exposure as a result of pre-show marketing activity by AMTIL, the event’s organisers.

Riding on the coat tails of AMTIL’s ongoing promotion of AMW is just one of the advantages of locking in a stand early for next year’s exhibition. The sooner you get your stand locked in and announce it to your target markets, the quicker you can start putting yourself in the box seat to develop great early interest in your company’s presence at the event.

It’s never too early to start publicising your participation in a major industry event such as AMW. And when your promotional work is doubled up with the marketing being undertaken by the event organisers, it has a multiplier effect, and starts to create a real buzz of expectation throughout the industry. At AMTIL we are already starting to see that effect, and the earlier you book, the bigger the benefit.

Booking your stand and being part of the pre-show publicity has several benefits: • It encourages visitors to put you on their list of companies to see.

• It provides a reason for sales contact and a timeframe for response.

• It helps pre-sell prospects.

• It helps to differentiate your company and the products that you’ll be launching at AMW, as well as allowing you to showcase new features and applications that you will be able to demonstrate on your stand.

• It enhances existing client relationships and loyalty.

• It generates the prospect of editorial coverage. Industry magazines such as AMT will be running extensive coverage of AMW between now and the start of the show, with the opportunity for you to get you company’s story out there.

• It generates enthusiasm and anticipation for the event.

• It increases market awareness for your company.

AMTIL will also be providing all exhibitors with an array of promotional tools to help them publicise their presence at AMW. Exhibitors can: • Use it in their email signatures.

• Add it to their website.

• Reach out to contacts via email and let them know they’ll be at AMW. • Send a letter inviting customers and prospects to visit the stand at AMW. The AMW website features a full directory listing all the organisations who have signed up to exhibit at the show. Companies can upload a wealth of information on their exhibitor listing, including contact details, company profiles and product info, social media links, and more. The ‘WHO’S EXHIBITING’ link on the website is already creating quite a buzz among prospective exhibitors, as they check to see which of their competition is already on board for the expo.

The inaugural edition of Australian Manufacturing Week will take place at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 8-11 March 2022. For more information on exhibiting at AMW, please contact Anne Samuelsson, ead of Sales at AMTIL on 0400 115 225 or at asamuelsson@ amtil.com.au. www.australianmanufacturingweek.com.au 1382V3AMTIL

AMTIL gratefully acknowledges the support of its Corporate Partners.

AMTIL’s corporate partners offer a selection of products and services that will benefit our members in their business.

For any enquiries about our Corporate Partnerships, and how they can benefit you, contact Anne Samuelsson on 03 9800 3666 or email asamuelsson@amtil.com.au

Our Partners. Our Members.

Your Benefits.

www.amtil.com.au

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Celebrating Christmas in July Did your team miss out on a Christmas Party last year due to COVID-19? Well help is at hand, from AMTIL. Next month we’ll be holding two special ‘Christmas in July’ celebrations, in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria. The events are an opportunity for you to socialise and network in a relaxed setting – bring your partner and colleagues and share in some midyear Christmas cheer.

CELEBRATE

IN

STYLE

AMTI L’S INAU GURA L

CHRISTMAS I N J U LY

The Sydney event will consist of a dinner cruise in Darling Harbour, with a luxury private dining experience against one of the best backdrops in Sydney.

The Victorian event will be held at Carousel in Melbourne, with guests enjoying a three-course meal and drinks, as well as live music.

BOO K IN YOU R TEAM FOR SOM E MID YEA R AMT IL CHR ISTM AS CHEE R

Full details are as follows: AMTIL 2021 NSW Christmas in July Dinner Cruise Wednesday 21 July 2021 7.00pm – 11.00pm Darling Harbour, Convention Jetty, Morpheus Cruises, Sydney, NSW 2000.

REGISTER NOW USING THE QR CODES NEW SOUT H WALE S WED 21ST JULY Luxury Harbour Cruise with dinner and drinks

AMTIL 2021 VIC Christmas in July Dinner Function Thursday 22 July 2021 7.00pm – 11.00pm Carousel, 22 Aughtie Drive, Albert Park Lake, VIC 3205.

VICTO RIA THU 22ND JULY Live entertainment by The Mad Hatters, with dinner and drinks

AMTIL MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS $65 • NON-MEMBERS $129

REGIS TER AT WWW.AMT IL.CO M.AU /EVEN

TS

AMTIL acknowledges the support of their Corporate Partners who are sponsoring these events

Tickets for both events are $65 for members of AMTIL or the Additive Manufacturing Hub, and $129 for non-members.

For the Victoria event, Corporate Tables of 10 are also available for $585 – a saving of 10%. The dress code is Smart Casual – Cocktail. www.amtil.com.au/events

AMTIL proudly owns and manages the following brands

1545 AMTIL CiJ A4 FP AMT Ad.indd

1545AMTIL

www.am til.com.a u

1

George Joshua comes onboard at AMTIL

26/5/21 11:03 am

The team at AMTIL has grown with the appointment of George Joshua as its new Marketing Manager.

George joins AMTIL after more than 25 years of marketing experience in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-toconsumer (B2C) settings, delivering profitable solutions aimed at driving sales, attracting and maintaining customers, and building a solid corporate brand. He has a demonstrated talent for enhancing corporate marketability through internal and external SWOT analysis, backed up with strong organisational, planning and project management skills, as evidenced by his record of success in marketing, communications and event planning.

George brings a skill set that includes strategic marketing and communications planning, strategic events management, copy writing, content creation and management, media planning, brand creation and elevation, social media strategy and execution, multichannel acquisition, SWOT analysis, customer demographics, competitor analysis. In his role at AMTIL George will take the lead on corporate relationship and brand building, developing unified messaging across the board, and streamlining multichannel communications through cohesive messaging. He will be responsible for leveraging internal and external excellence in service delivery, through tangible, actionable strategies, with the ultimate aim of achieving exceptional customer experience, customer retention and engagement. Primarily George will be working to enhance customer satisfaction through the realignment of corporate goals and by transitioning internal and external protocols to boost the overall customer experience.

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

“I’m very pleased to welcome George to the AMTIL team,” said AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti. “He has an outstanding track record and brings a range of skills and experience that will be excellent assets to AMTIL and our membership. I wish him the best as he settles into the role and look forward to some great outcomes as he gets up to speed.” www.amtil.com.au

Hotspots is proudly owned and managed

by AMTIL

Getting the right job, making the right piece •

You need a specific component made, but don’t have the capabilities in house.

•

Your company has landed a major project, but your workshop or your workforce just aren’t big enough to handle the volume required.

•

Your business is diversifying into an area where the expertise available within the company is not sufficient.

HotSpots is a service designed to connect AMTIL members with opportunities to help their businesses grow. That piece of work that you need done might be just the sort of opportunity they’re looking for. And by featuring that opportunity as a HotSpot, you gain access to a wealth of Australian manufacturing capability and expertise.

Our regular AMTIL HotSpots email goes out to over 1,000 people every month, making HotSpots an incredibly powerful way to reach large numbers of key decision-makers from across the manufacturing sector.

Provided your opportunity meets our criteria for listing, inclusion in AMTIL HotSpots is free. If you have something you feel will meet our criteria, please forward it to AMTIL for assessment by emailing info@amtil.com.au with the subject line HOTSPOT. www.amtil.com.au/Membership/Hotspots

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New members AMTIL would like to welcome the following companies who have signed up as new members of our association.

BAC SYSTEMS PTY LTD 193-195 Power St GLENDENNING NSW 2761 www.bacsystems.com.au

KESEM HEALTH PTY LTD 5A Hartnett Close MULGRAVE VIC 3170 www.kesemhealth.com

MESCON PTY LTD 18 Elliott Street CHELTENHAM VIC 3192 www.mescon.com.au

BUSINESSHUB PTY LTD Suite 224/838 Collins Street DOCKLANDS VIC 3008 www.businesshub.com.au

LASER MACHINES PTY LTD Factory 20, 17-23 Keppel Drive HALLAM VIC 3803 www.lasermachines.com.au

NETEC INDUSTRIES PTY LTD 41 Stanley Drive SOMERTON VIC 3062 www.netec.com.au

CADPRO SYSTEMS Level 1, 1-5 Link Road ZETLAND NSW 2017 www.cadpro.co.nz

LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD Unit 2, 35 Bryant Street PADSTOW NSW 2211 www.lincolnelectric.com.au

SCHMALZ AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 25 Turbo Drive Bayswater VIC 3153 www.schmalz.com.au

ENSITECH PTY LTD 1/144 Old Bathurst Rd EMU PLAINS NSW 2750 www.ensitech.com.au

ePOL PTY LTD 1/31 Laser Drive ROWVILLE VIC 3178 www.epol.net.au

INDUCTOTHERM GROUP AUSTRALIA 62 Bardia Ave SEAFORD VIC 3198 www.inductotherm.com.au

KAISHAN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 134-140 Atlantic Avenue KEYSBOROUGH VIC 3173 www.kaishan.com.au

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

LUCAS PARTS PTY LTD 1/4 England Street DANDENONG SOUTH VIC 3175 www.lucasparts.com.au

LUYTEN 3D PTY LTD 25 Nithsdale Rd NOBLE PARK VIC 3174 www.luyten3d.com

MARSH SPRINGS 125 Mica St CAROLE PARK QLD 4300 www.marshsprings.com.au

MCNEALL PLASTICS Unit 4, 30 Waratah Street MELROSE PARK NSW 2115 www.mcneallplastics.com.au

SUPAGAS 5 Benson Road INGLEBURN NSW 2565 www.supagas.com.au

TAE AEROSPACE 1 Jet Place BUNDAMBA QLD 4304 www.taeaerospace.com

TESUCO PTY LTD Unit 12 110-120 Silverwater Road SILVERWATER NSW 2128 www.tesuco.com.au

WMSSOFT PTY LTD Building 4, Level 2, Suite 43, 195 Wellington Road CLAYTON VIC 3168 www.wmssoft.com.au

AMTIL INSIDE

NSW tees up for Golf Day Our NSW Golf Day was the first in the latest series of social and networking events held by AMTIL for our members in May and early June.

The Golf Day was the first of its kind that AMTIL had held in several years, and those that teed off at Penrith Golf Club on the morning of 11 May had had to wait even longer than expected – the event initially had been scheduled to take place in March, but was postponed due to torrential rains. The rescheduled event drew a great turnout, who thankfully enjoyed fine weather, as well as a networking lunch.

Congratulations to the winning team made up of Andrew Turner of LJ Wallace, Graham Aston from PPC Moulding Services, Steve Scott of Unique Tooling; and Craig Beechey from All Manufacturing Personnel.

In addition, AMTIL would like to thank Automated Solutions Australia, which was the major sponsor for the day, as well as All Manufacturing Personnel and SEI Carbide for their assistance in organising the event.

Below: The winners of the NSW Golf Day (from L to R): Andrew Turner, LJ Wallace; Graham Aston, PPC Moulding Services; Steve Scott, Unique Tooling; and Craig Beechey, All Manufacturing Personnel.

The AMTIL VIC Maximise Your Membership networking event took place in Mebourne on 18 May.

Networking nationwide As well as the Golf Day, AMTIL held a series of Maximise Your Membership networking functions around the country in late May and early June. These events also served as information sessions for Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW), with members of the AMTIL team on hand to answer any questions about Australia’s premier manufacturing solutions event, to be held in Melbourne next March.

The first event took place at The Duke of Wellington Pub & Rooftop Bar in Melbourne on 18 May, with functions also scheduled to take place in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth as this magazine went to print. The next round of Maximise Your Membership events are scheduled to get underway in Queensland in August, followed by NSW and Victoria in October.

Visit the AMTIL website for details.

For more information on AMTIL’s Events program, contact: events@amtil.com.au www.amtil.com.au/events

A GRAND OL' FLAG

Howdy tipsters, at the time of writing Melbourne had just suffered their first loss of season 2021 to the lowly Adelaide at home thanks to a 'dying moments' umpiring decision that bewildered many a footy folk. It saw them drop to second and now meet ladder leaders the Western Bulldogs which sould be a cracker.

Brisbane continues to keep chalking up the 'Ws' each time they host at The Gabba and will pose a genuine threat should they snag a home final. There's been some movement on the tiping ladder – none more so than seeing AMTIL's CEO move up to second! Now, I'm not much into 'looking after you own' – if that was the case I wouldn't be holding up the rear, but how is it that Shane sits one point shy of the leader and yet there's no call for a drug test!

Stay tuned folks as there'll be a keen eye looking over it all. Till next time… Sanchez ROUND 10 1 Butcher Bird 66 (245) 2 Shane Infanti 65 (293) 3 Paul Techni 65 (309) 4 Hawks-Frank 65 (344) 5 Daniel Fisher 64 (277) 6 Eytan Epstein 64 (295) 7 winafinalbombers 64 (300) 8 LemmyK 64 (310) 9 blsmithy 63 (267) 10 ESPNFAN872729… 63 (273) AMT JUN/JUL 2021

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INDUSTRY CALENDAR Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many industry events world-wide have been postponed, rescheduled or cancelled, while both domestic and international travel has been severely disrupted, with many countries’ borders still closed at time of going to print. Readers are advised to check direct with all event organisers for the latest information. For up-to-date advice on coronavirus, visit: www.health. gov.au/health-topics/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov For more events, please visit www.amtil.com.au INTERNATIONAL ROSMOULD Russia, Moscow 15–17 June 2021

FABTECH USA, Chicago 13-16 September 2021

HI TECH & INDUSTRY SCANDINAVIA Denmark, Herning 5-7 October 2021

www.rosmould.com

www.fabtech-chicago-exhibition.com

www.hi-industri.dk

ALL ABOUT AUTOMATION Germany, Friedrichshafen 6-7 July 2021 Germany, Chemnitz: 22-23 September 2021

EUROSURFAS Spain, Barcelona 14-17 September 2021

METAVAK Netherlands, Gorinchem 5-7 October 2021

www.automation-friedrichshafen.com

www.eurosurfas.com

www.metavak.nl/en

ADVANCED MATERIALS TRADE SHOW UK, Birmingham 7-8 July 2021

WESTERN MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY SHOW Canada, Edmonton 14-16 September 2021

VIETNAM INTL. INDUSTRIAL FAIR Vietnam, Hanoi 6-8 October 2021

www.advancedmaterialsshow.com

ALUMINIUM CHINA China, Shanghai 7-9 July 2021 www.aluminiumchina.com

MTA VIETNAM Vietnam, Saigon 7-10 July 2021 www.mtavietnam.com/en-us

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.wmts.ca

SWISS MEDTECH EXPO Switzerland, Lucerne 14-15 September 2021 www.medtech-expo.ch/de

MACHTECH & INNOTECH Bulgaria, Sofia 14-17 September 2021 www.machtech.bg

CHINA INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY FAIR China, Shanghai 14-18 September 2021 www.ciif-expo.com

www.viif.vn/en

TOOL TECH South Korea, Goyang 19-22 October 2021 www.tooltechkorea.com

EASTEC USA, Springfield 19-21 October 2021 www.easteconline.com

AI EXPO Japan, Tokyo 27-29 October 2021 www.ai-expo-at.jp/en

STAINLESS Czech Republic 15-16 September 2021

PLASTEC USA, Minneapolis 3-4 November 2021 Plastics Industry trade fair/conference

www.pmts.com

www.bvv.cz/stainless

http://plastecminn.com

VIETNAM MANUFACTURING EXPO Vietnam, Hanoi 11-13 August 2021

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING/ BIOMEDEVICE USA, Boston 21-22 September 2021

ADVANCED DESIGN & MANUFACTURING EXPO Canada, Toronto 9-11 November 2021

www.biomedboston.com

www.admtoronto.com

INTERPLAS UK, Birmingham 28-30 September 2021

METAL SHOW & TIB Romania, Bucharest 10-13 November 2021

www.interplasuk.com

www.metalshow-tib.ro

ALUMINIUM DUSSELDORF Germany, Dusseldorf 28-30 September

WESTEC USA, California 16-18 November 2021

www.aluminium-exhibition.com

https://westeconline.com

SMART FACTORY KOREA South Korea, Busan 29 September–1 October 2021

2022

www.vietnammanufacturingexpo.com

MAKTEK EURASIA Turkey, Istanbul 31 August–4 September 2021 www.maktekfuari.com

KOREA METAL WEEK South Korea, Goyang 1-3 September 2021 www.korea-metal.com

TECH INDIA India, Bombay 3-5 September 2021 www.techindiaexpo.com

MACHINEERING Belgium, Brussels 8-10 September 2021 www.machineering.eu/nl

VIETNAM INDUSTRIAL & MANUFACTURING FAIR Vietnam, Binh Duong 8-10 September 2021 www.vietnamindustrialfiesta.com/vimf-2021

www.smartfactorykorea.com

EMO 2021 Italy, Milan 4-9 October 2021 www.emo-milano.com

CANADIAN MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY SHOW Canada, Toronto 4-7 October 2021 www.cmts.ca

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

MACH UK, Birmingham 4-8 April 2022 www.machexhibition.com

EUROBLECH 2022 Germany, Hanover 25-28 October 2022 www.euroblech.com

INDUSTRY CALENDAR HEADING LOCAL VICTORIAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE 2021 MELBOURNE, MCEC 16-17 JUNE 2021 Discussing the prioritisation, planning and delivery of critical transport infrastructure across the state. Topics covered: Transport, Ports, Roads, Railways & Airports.

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.expotradeglobal.com/events/ victransport

FOODPRO SYDNEY SHOWGROUND 25-28 JULY 2021 Tech and innovations of food processing and packaging. www.foodproexh.com

AUSTRALASIAN WASTE & RECYCLING SYDNEY, ICC 25-26 AUGUST 2021 Showcases innovative products and sustainable solutions to collect, process and recycle waste more smartly. www.awre.com.au

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.

Hare & Forbes

4-5

IMTS

120

www.ausimm.com/conferences-and-events/ iron-ore

KAISHAN

53

Laser Machines

13

AIMEX SYDNEY SHOWGROUND 16-18 NOVEMBER 2021 Showcases the latest mining technology, equipment and services.

LaserThings

73

www.aimex.com.au

Mastercam 79

AVALON 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 celebration of 100 years of the RAAF.

MTI Qualos

19

Okuma

1,7

Rigby Cooke

83

AMT JUN/J UL21

Intermach

47, 93

Iscar 2-3

Lorch Asia Pacific

103

Machinery Forum

69, 119

Markforged 39

Sterna 97 Sutton Tools

9

Thyssenkrupp 23 Vative

34

ViscoTek

75

SPOTLIGHT: WESTE RN

Punch Sharp

RONICS • STATE

|

AUG SEP 2021

JUN JUL 2021

FEATURE: ELECT

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AUSTRALIA

MEDICAL INDUSTRY 4.0 STATE SPOTLIGHT: VICTORIA

PUT ALL THE PIECES TOGETH ER, OKUMA JUST MAKES SENSE

Zeala nd

.au

L EXCELLE NC

I would be delighted to have a non-obligatory chat on how we can help.

E, INNOVA TIV

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sales@imts.com

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Interlease

MINING & RESOU

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Explo re the full range of IMTS Mach mach inery inery - the avail able from only Prima Powe r agen t in Austr alia and New

TECHNICA

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All from a single , energy efficient mach ine that can grow with your busin ess.

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IRON ORE CONFERENCE PERTH EXHIBITION CENTRE 8-10 NOVEMBER 2021 Conference which explores the latest technical and management aspects and developments in the iron ore industry.

Includes genesis, geology, exploration, mining and processing of iron ores.

There has never been a more important time to ensure you are well marketed to industry and ready when opportunities open up.

Reach out to 31,500 targeted readers and 63% decision-makers. www.im ts.com

BMS Risk Solutions

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Turret punc hing, laser cutting, forming, laser marking, tappi ng and more.

03 9314 9888

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YOUR INDUSTRY. YOUR MAGAZINE.

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BJC Machine Tools

Empower Software

ius - the mo st flexible sheetm etal machine ava ilable

Combi Sharp

Bilby3d 59

www.ausbiotechnc.org

Combi Gen

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MAINTAIN MOMENTUM AND EMERGE STRONGER IN 2021. s

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Austral Wright

ECI Software

www.airshow.com.au/airshow2021

www.designbuildexpo.com.au

Combi Geniu

Applied Machinery

Complete Machine Tools

AUSBIOTECH (VIRTUAL) 25-29 OCTOBER 2021

www.waminingexpo.com.au

Adfoam 51

Bystronic 11

www.imarcmelbourne.com

WA MINING PERTH CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE 21-22 JULY 2021 Best practices/technologies advancing mining in WA.

Advertiser Index

BREAKING NEW GROUND

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MINING & RESOUR

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Cover.indd 1

Special Feature: Electronics State Spotlight: Western Australia

25/5/21 4:23 pm

AUSTRALIA’S NO. 1 ADVANCED MANUFACTURING MAGAZINE

COMPRESSORS & AIR TECHNOLOGY MATERIALS HANDLING PUMPS & VALVES SAFETY CUTTING TOOLS FORMING & FABRICATION MATERIAL REMOVAL

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

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HISTORY

Big wheels & little wheels – the story of UK-born Australian Sir Laurence John Hartnett (1898 – 1986) Australia’s “Father of the Holden” and much more

PART 43

TORBEERDOES!

WW2, Dec.1941: Encouraged by the British Admiralty, a decision was made by the Australian War Cabinet to manufacture torpedoes in Australia, committing Australia’s precision engineering to a difficult undertaking. The latest methods of torpedo-manufacture in Britain and the US were studied, and British specialists were brought to Australia. However many local manufacturing problems did not need the help of these specialists, and to investigate these, the Directorate of Ordnance Production formed a team of production engineers under the guidance of Laurence Hartnett and Francis Daley.

One idea came from a beer-brewery mechanic!

S

ome of the best ideas came to us (at the Australian Army Inventions Directorate) from people in the most unlikely occupations. One of the brightest, one which had the Americans and British very excited, was for a “self-seeking” (or “wake-following”) torpedo. This torpedo would snuffle along in the wake of a ship, like a dog on the scent, until it found its target, hit and blew up. The idea was based on the fact that water in the wake of a ship, having been stirred up by the propeller, is aerated. Its specific gravity is not as great as unaerated water, and the mechanism of the torpedo was designed to make the weapon seek out the lighter, aerated water and stay in it. My CEO Dr Richard Woolley was most enthusiastic: ''This is a good one, Hartnett. My technical men can't toss it. It works on a basic principle, and it could be a winner.'' We made up an experimental torpedo, and it worked. The invention was put on the super-secrecy list and, as was our custom when anything really promising came along, we told the Americans and the British.

Valuable intelligence was obtained from captured Japanese midget submarines. (navy.gov.au)

They both flew high-ranking naval officers to Australia to study the torpedo. The inventor watched all the demonstrations, but he was told not to say who he was, or what he was. The visitors were very keen. They flew home with all the information we could give them - all the information except one little item: the man who thought up the idea was a brewery mechanic from Brisbane, and beer had given him his brain-wave. He had noticed when he was pumping beer that if it had a head on it - if it was aerated - it took much less energy to move than when it was flat and unaerated. Would the Americans and the British have shown so much enthusiasm if we'd told them a keg of frothy beer had given a man an idea? I wonder.

Australia’s southerly cities felt more secure from Japanese invasion than those in the north. That feeling was shattered in May and June of 1942 when three Japanese midget subs sneaked into Sydney Harbour - causing chaos and deaths. Two were detected and attacked; the third attempted to torpedo the Allied heavy cruiser – the USS Chicago. The importance of precision engineering in torpedo-manufacture is well illustrated by this attack on the USS Chicago which was anchored off Garden Island in Sydney Harbour. The Japanese midget submarine lay 1000 yards away.

With quiet harbour water and a close, stationary target, a direct hit by the Japanese sub should have been a certainty; yet the torpedo veered to starboard, missing the Chicago by a few yards, and finishing its run unexploded on the shore of Garden Island. Examination of the gyroscope revealed what appeared to be the source of the Chicago's good fortune: The Japanese had, astonishingly, been careless in the choice of the material used in the bearings of the gyroscope wheel. They had used a steel which was not adequately resistant to corrosion, and slight rusting had caused the torpedo's gyroscope to deviate and so turn the torpedo from its set path. The firm of H.A. Chivers in Melbourne, was chosen by the Ordnance Production Directorate to manufacture gyroscopes because it had similar experience with aircraft.

*

However specs for a torpedo gyro were far more stringent. In order to keep the diameter of the balls used in bearings to within plus or minus five-millionths of an inch, it was necessary to grade them individually by means of an optical method based on the interference of light waves. Without procedures such as these, it was impossible to produce a gyroscope wheel with perfect static and dynamic balance. It took some time to reach the desired high degree of accuracy, but at length it was achieved. The manufacturer commented that "this gyroscope could never have been made by any firm in Australia without the unfailing assistance given by navy officers and inspectors and the technical staff of the Ordnance Production Directorate".

The Role of Science and Industry, Australia in the War of 19391945 (AWM) *AMT was delighted to discover that HA Chivers (started by watchmaker HA Chivers in 1920 and now known as Preslite Drive Technologies, Reservoir, Melb.), was still in existence after 100 years! Congratulations for your success and a belated thank you for your contribution to the war effort. The manufacture of precision instruments such as tachometer equipment and gyroscopes was no mean feat in Australia in the 1940s.

This is an extract from ‘Big Wheels & Little Wheels’, by Sir Laurence Hartnett as told to John Veitch, 1964. © Deirdre Barnett.

AMT JUN/JUL 2021

To be continued…

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