23 minute read
Flashback to our history and journey
from AMT FEB/MAR 2022
by AMTIL
Read all about it!
It was September 2001 at our Annual General Meeting when we floated the idea of producing our own magazine. We had already established Austech as a major trade show in the country and felt it was a great opportunity to own and control the editorial and dialogue being raised by our members.
It was unanimous when we asked for a show of hands from the membership on whether they would support AMTIL launching a magazine focused solely on the metal working and engineering sector – and hence the AMT Magazine was born.
At that time, for those of you with good memories, there were competing magazines such as Metalworking Magazine, Factory Equipment News and Manufacturers Monthly. These were all well established and respected publications so we knew we were entering a competitive marketplace. We managed to employ Tony Douglas as Advertising Sales Manager. Tony was working for Reed Publishing on the Metalworking Magazine and already had a good relationship with a lot of our members so we hit the ground running. Jim Moon was employed as Editor and Monica Vaughan as Publications Coordinator. Our sights were set on a 64 page bi-monthly issue to be launched in February 2002, and so our journey began. The support we had from our members in regards to advertising and editorial was immense. It enabled us to produce a high quality publication, on good stock, distributed to 5,000 people around the country. Roll forward three years to February 2005 and we had a massive move to a monthly 84 page issue and upped our circulation to 7,000. John Leah was our new editor and Gabriele Richter had replaced Brigid Fahey (who replaced Monica) as Publications Coordinator, a position she still holds today some 17 years later. The role of Advertising Sales Manager has been held by a number of people over the twenty years with Michael Allan replacing Tony Douglas, followed by Dan Duncan, Anne Samuelsson and now in the capable hands of Nick Raftopoulos. We have been very fortunate to have had some great editors work on our magazine. Barbara Schulz joined us in 2006 and spent four years with us before handing over to Martin Oakham in 2010. And of course William Poole has now been editor since April 2012 and is about to clock over ten years in the role. Nine years after we started, in February 2011, we changed our masthead. By this stage we were producing a monthly 96 page issue – a massive undertaking for such a small team of people. Our philosophy was simple. Provide good content, strong editorial with local stories, a controlled and relevant circulation list and value for money for our advertisers. This philosophy started in February 2002 and continues to this day. In February 2012 we had a change in Graphic Design with Franco Schena taking over from Graphic Heart as our Designer. This just happened to coincide with our ten year anniversary and we celebrated in style with our members at the Carlton Brewery. We had another significant change to our format in June/July 2017 when we reverted back to a bi-monthly publication and increased our page count to 120 pages per issue. We took the opportunity at this time to tweak our masthead and give the magazine a fresh look. We also included the words Your Industry. Your Magazine on our masthead as well. It was important to us that our members recognised and took pride in the fact that this is their’s. That they own the industry association that owns the AMT magazine. October 2021 we had another refresh of our masthead in line Austr A li A n M A nuf A with a new AMTIL logo and cturing t move to our new headquarters echnology at the Bayswater Business Precinct. So therein lies our journey. Over the coming pages we have included a chronological montage of images that include some of our past covers, some great Aussie innovations and stories, technical articles, women in manufacturing, one on one interviews, exclusives, AMTIL events and a look over some of the advertising for our other flagship product, Austech. It too has had a twenty year journey to now be Australian Manufacturing Week. We also have some articles from long term members as they document their twenty year journey with us. Please enjoy the images and stories.
Your IndustrY. Your MagazIne.
JUN JUL Austech Review shipping & Logistics
state spotlight: Western australia Cutting tools additive Manufacturing advanced Materials & Composites Motors & drives Forming & Fabrication Material removal
FEB 2022
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: SUCCEEDING IN THE GLOBAL DEFENCE WORLD
2022 sees AMT with a new masthead design due to the overall rebranding of AMTIL. It was decided to keep the font treatment of AMTIL's key flagship products consistent.
DIMAC TOOLING
What a great milestone for the AMT magazine to reach 20 years, serving and supporting our industry; ironically it also matches, within months, a 20 year journey at Dimac from when I joined the company. While Dimac has traded since the mid fifties, the last 20 years has been the most growth-orientated in terms of developing our product offering, training and development of our team, growing and supporting our sales network and in the last five years relocating to Dandenong South VIC with a determined focus around improving productivity for CNC machine tool owners and users. A key strategy has been to acquire, offer and support the bestin-class products from around the world that allow our customers to have confidence and be rewarded for selecting solutions that suit the requirement, function effectively and are reliable over their long lifetime. We have also modernised, and continue to do so in our manufacturing facility where we machine our full range of Soft Jaws and are very proud to have been making these in Australia for more than 40 years now along with custom-designed Top Jaws for all sorts of workholding challenges. Our future is also looking promising as new younger mindsets enter the business with one of these recent employees, Matthew Williams, now established as a part owner in Dimac. We have been an AMTIL member since its inception and never missed exhibiting at their great trade shows and promoting our solutions in the AMT magazine and look forward to a continuing close relationship with AMTIL well into the future.
D&D BARRY
D&D Barry commenced business in January 1987 and originally worked for the first year from premises in Thirlmere NSW. We then moved a short distance to Narellan where we remained until 2008. Outgrowing these premises we moved to our current location in Smeaton Grange which is conveniently located just a short hop southwest of Sydney. The business began as an Engineering Supply company including a range of tooling aids from WDS Components of the UK. In 1992 we became the Australian distributor for Ganter Griff from Germany who manufacture a large range of machine elements, in 2005 D&D Barry was appointed an Australian distributor for E&G (Elsa plus Ganter) which is a joint venture between Elesa of Italy and Ganter of Germany who now have distributors world-wide.
IMTS
IMTS Machinery originally began in 1994 based in Melbourne for the main purpose of servicing laser cutting systems around Australia. Since then, we have expanded across Australia and New Zealand and have been offering the complete range of sheetmetal machinery from leading European manufacturer Prima Power for the last 20 years. We have been proudly associated with AMTIL since they began and have seen a great deal of change within the Australian Manufacturing environment, which we are lucky to have an organization such as the team at AMTIL to keep us up to date about, along with providing support when required. In addition to the supply and service of sheetmetal machinery, IMTS Machinery is also the leading supplier of laser consumables from IIVI and Hypertherm, along with high quality turret punch tooling from Pass Stanztechnik AG across Australia and New Zealand. Prima Power is focussed on creating energy-efficient sheetmetal machinery. Known as Finn Power until 2012, they have been at the forefront of fiber laser cutting systems, servo-electric turret punching and bending systems since the early 1990’s. Servo electric motors cost up to 65% less to run than traditional hydraulic systems and cost much less to service annually. Some other manufacturers are only now just starting to use servo-electric motors, but Prima Power has a 30-year head start on them. IMTS Machinery is a company which focuses on our customers’ real requirements and we use our vast experience to guide the customer to the best, most suitable outcome for them. Our focus is not to sell the most powerful and fastest product to the customer, we know no two customers are the same and the same product does not suit every customer. Our team takes the time to get to know the customer’s needs and then come up with the best solution. Knowing that we have the Prima Power modular product behind us gives us confidence that we can then help the customer increase the capacity of their machines as their production grows. IMTS Machinery is excited for what the Australian Manufacturing industry future has in store, along with some exciting projects coming up for IMTS and our customers in 2022 and beyond. Our future looks really strong. With our high quality and strong supplier partnerships, along with the support of AMTIL we believe our future is very bright.
In 2012 D&D Barry made the decision to concentrate our attention on representing the following world class companies - Ganter from Germany, Elesa from Italy, WDS Components from the U.K. and Jergens Inc from the U.S.A. . With this in mind we sold the general engineering side of the business and built up the stockholding on machine elements and tooling aids so as to be able to offer quick supply of product. D&D Barry has had steady growth over the years despite some quite testing times being experienced during this period. We have been a proud member of AMTIL for over 20 years and would like to acknowledge the help this has been to promote our growth due to exhibitions that we have participated in and advertising in the AMT magazine. We would like to congratulate AMT magazine on their 20th anniversary.
Look further from a higher vantage point.
• You need a specific component made, but don’t have the capabilities in house. • Your company has landed a major project, but your workshop or your workforce just aren’t big enough to handle the volume required. • Your business is diversifying into an area where the expertise available within the company is not sufficient.
HotSpots is a service designed to connect AMTIL members with opportunities to help their businesses grow. That piece of work that you need done might be just the sort of opportunity they’re looking for. And by featuring that opportunity as a HotSpot, you gain access to a wealth of Australian manufacturing capability and expertise. Our regular AMTIL HotSpots email goes out to over 1,000 people every month, making HotSpots an incredibly powerful way to reach large numbers of key decision-makers from across the manufacturing sector. Provided your opportunity meets our criteria for listing, inclusion in AMTIL HotSpots is free. If you have something you feel will meet our criteria, please forward it to AMTIL for assessment by emailing info@amtil.com.au with the subject line HOTSPOT.
www.amtil.com.au/Membership/Hotspots
JOHN HART
20 years is a long time, yet it seems to have passed so quickly. Our industry has seen much change over the last two decades. Ramped economic growth and sharp downturns delivering a cycle of opportunity and good fortune, and times of great challenge. Our industry has faced and overcome these challenges through hard work, determination, and prudent investment. It has developed unique resilience; an ability to adapt to the ever-changing landscape that is manufacturing in Australia. At John Hart we have seen an increasing uptake of advanced manufacturing technologies. In particular, the adoption of CNC multi-tasking machines, CNC 5-axis machining, and automated machine tool tending is at an all-time high. Such world class solutions from leading brands such as Mazak, Fanuc, and Agile Robotic Systems equip our industry with the capabilities to meet the challenges they face and provide the flexibility and efficiency that their market and customers’ demand. We thank AMT magazine for their support over the past 20 years and for providing our industry with a quality, informative, and valued publication. As AMT Magazine celebrate 20 years, John Hart is celebrating its 75th year of proving world class, advanced manufacturing solutions to the Australian Manufacturing Industry. John Hart is proud to be a founding member of AMTIL and to be a part of the success story of our manufacturing industry.
Founded in 1992 by Managing Director Ian Martin, Hi-Tech Metrology began its 30 year journey supplying and supporting world leading measurement technologies throughout Australia and New Zealand. From that point on, an ever-growing range of technologies coupled with a strong focus of after-sales services, Hi-Tech Metrology has grown to become the largest specialist supplier of metrology solutions throughout the region. As a founding member of AMTIL 20 years ago, Hi-Tech Metrology and AMTIL have enjoyed a close working relationship, whether it be the Austech exhibition or the various print and digital media platforms, ensuring the market is up to date with the latest metrology technologies from our range of hardware and software solutions for any measurement or reverse engineering demands. Hi-Tech Metrology is made up of three integrated business units – Products, Services and Projects. These business units have all been developed to help and support clients with any of their measurement needs. Whether it is new system purchases, support of existing systems or provision of contract measurement services from our projects team, we maintain the same goal as the day we were founded - to provide world class products, services and solutions to our customers. Given the agile nature of industry today, Hi-Tech Metrology have a broad range of technologies including Stationary, Portable and Vision Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM), Laser scanning solutions, Surface and Form systems, Photogrammetry, Laser Tracker, Active Motion Tracking and more; all of which can be customised and optimised to suit specific applications. As manufacturing evolves, Hi-Tech Metrology continues to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions to suit this everchanging landscape. We congratulate AMTIL on 20 years of the AMT magazine.
HI-TECH METROLOGY MODERN TOOLS
When Phil Caruso purchased Modern Tools in 1996 there were only three main product lines. What impressed him the most about the business was the products they were offering were of top end quality, they had an excellent distributor network and a good customer base. Having previous experience in the Machine Tool Industry working for Herless Machinery as General Manager for over 20 years with more than 40 product lines, Phil thought this opportunity would be an easy transition and it was. After a few years we expanded our range of products and hired more staff. Our goal has always been to offer high quality products at a reasonable price with exceptional after sales service. One thing that has helped our business grow is the Austech Exhibitions. We have always exhibited and the staff at AMTIL have been excellent. Phil can still see Shane and Kim walking around the shows with a mobile phone in one hand and a 2 way radio in the other. These Trade Shows provide great exposure for any business and we highly recommend participating in them. One of many and great triumphs was getting an order for over 65 Machines from a TAFE in NSW. This by far as we understand it, was one of the biggest orders placed by quantity. We have seen the Manufacturing Industry change so much over the last 40 years, including so many toolmakers close their doors due to cheap alternatives from China. However, the Sheet Metal and Fabrication area has always been strong. With CNC Machine Tool sales exploding in the 1990’s and Laser Cutting Machines, 4 Axis, and 5 Axis Milling and turning centres in 2000. This was the turning point for our Industry because we could make it quicker and cheaper so we became more competitive with the rest of the world. As Phil looks forward to retirement in the near future we are sure the next owners will also embrace the strong values that Modern Tools is renowned for. The future for us is, that we will continue to expand our range to suit customers demand and help create a better Manufacturing Industry like never before.
ROMHELD
In June 1995 Cass and Julie van Weelderen and Peter Hope established Romheld Australia to market hydraulic clamping tooling to the local car industry. We started in a borrowed office with a shared fax machine, a ‘brick’ phone and a single supplier - Roemheld GmbH. In 2010 We changed the name to Romheld Automation to better reflect what we did. With a little forward planning and a lot of luck we expanded the automation side of the business and so survived the demise of the car industry without ill effects. Now we are well established in most Australian manufacturing industries and with more than 30 suppliers are recognized as a reputable supplier of reliable, high quality workholding and automation tooling. We are always on the lookout for new products and technologies to achieve our goal of helping Aussie industry to stay up to date and to be competitive globally. Many companies are onshoring leading to a substantial increase in enquiries and order intake so we plan to increase our staff numbers this year. Integrity, reliability and repeatability are our core values. Romheld has been a member of AMTIL since it was formed and congratulate them on 20 years of AMT.
COMPLETE MACHINE TOOLS
Originally VS Machine Tool Centre based in South Africa, founder Vincenzo Salerno migrated the family and business to QLD Australia in the Summer of 1998. Re-naming the company to Complete Machine Tools, the business has been a part of the rollercoaster ride that is the engineering and manufacturing industry for the last 42 years. Being proud members of AMTIL from the very beginning, Complete Machine Tools has supported Australian businesses for the last 22 years with a wealth of first-hand experience in machine tools, culminating to over 70 years combined expertise across the team. As the advances in technology marched forward and the metalworking sector continued to grow, so has Complete Machine Tools, expanding upon the original 840 sq/m premises in 2014, with the addition of the 1700 sq/m factory location. Vincenzo’s son and now Director of the business Enzo Salerno, described the last 22 years as “Insane. It’s been a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Complete Machine Tools recently launched its NSW location, with plans to expand upon the company’s presence there in the very near future. The Implementation of more modern systems within the business, allow the company to be run and operated from anywhere in the world, providing faster and more efficient response times for both current and future clientele. With clear objectives for the future and steadfast core values for the business, we operate to best assist our customers and look after them. To do that you need more than a quality, long lasting product. You also need the team, the experience and the flexibility to provide effective and timely support, and that is the core of our business. Finally, Complete Machine Tools would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the AMT magazine on its 20th Anniversary, and to thank them for providing a platform for us to tell a brief account of our story so far. Here’s to the next 20 years.
ISCAR
Iscar Australia has had an interesting journey over the last 20 years, the main shift was a move away from 98% distribution through third parties to 98% direct to the end user. This change offered the ability to work directly with local manufacturers, speeding up information flows and changing our business model from a ‘Cutting Tool Supplier’ to an ‘Industry Solutions Provider’. This rapid change provided many challenging and exciting opportunities for the Iscar team, with a continuously evolving dynamic that prioritises customers as ‘technical partners’ focussing on shared goals and achievements. Iscar Australia’s turnover has tripled in the last 20 years, proof that technical partnerships based on collaboration and knowledge sharing is the winning formula. Iscar Australia has continued to expand our team, offering market leading technical knowledge and support; this expansion will continue as technology advances with the innovative adoption of cyber-physical systems, automation, and cloud-based AI cyberspace. Being part of the IMC family owned by Berkshire Hathaway, Iscar has maintained a family-owned feeling through the direction of IMC President Jacob Harpaz and Iscar CEO Ilan Geri. The Iscar mantra is ‘Where Innovation Never Stops’, resulting in a continuous flow of innovative products from the large investment in research and development. This provides Iscar with high performing metal cutting products that the industry has come to expect. Iscar Australia has regular national meetings, ensuring the national team can get together to discuss industry direction and future strategies. As the advanced manufacturing industry continues to change, it is important to be at the forefront in the shift in manufacturing with the ability to adapt quickly. Industry feedback and the ability to reach a large proportion of the market is paramount; this is one of the reasons why Iscar Australia will be exhibiting at Austech in Sydney 2022 and Melbourne 2023. Iscar Australia has enjoyed the support of AMTIL and continues to work closely with AMTIL to enhance industry in the exciting times to come.
MTI QUALOS
Since the inception of M.T.I. Qualos Pty. Ltd. in 1946, then called simply 'Qualos (for quality) Machine Tools Pty. Ltd.', our product lines have changed a great deal. Sourcing leading precision machines and tooling has been the backbone of the company's longevity and success. When Qualos was established just after World War II by founders John L.T. Pring MBE and the late Tod Waite, the company supplied, serviced and provided spares for machine tools, which were in high demand. The site was located in North Melbourne and start up capital totalled 3,000 pounds. Mr. Pring maintained the essence of the original business and expanded to become the sales agent of a number of imported machine tool manufacturers. He built up strategic distribution channels, initially in Victoria where much of Australia's manufacturing was based. The next step was to expand the product range beyond capital equipment to the supply and sales of a broad range of small tool products including precision instruments such as micrometers and calipers. A masterstroke for Qualos was when Mr. Pring negotiated sole supply rights in Australia of all Mitutoyo product lines. In 1974 Mr. Ian Smith joined the company having worked with a Qualos distributor. Soon after Qualos was renamed M.T.I. Qualos Pty. Ltd. - Machines, Tools and Instruments. Although growth had been constant, major challenges have included dealing with a downturn in machine tool demand as Australia's automotive industry has progressively reduced in size. Also, given the relatively small size and growth of the Australian market, there has been a natural shift from supply of capital equipment to accessories. In 1986, Mr. Smith purchased the then recently retired John Pring's shareholding. In conjunction with Max Ammann, who initially replaced Mr. Pring as Managing Director, he set the company in the direction in which it continues today. M.T.I. Qualos has achieved a record for measuring instrument supplier Mitutoyo, having gained the highest International percentage of market share outside Mitutoyo's own domestic market. Behind the scenes, M.T.I. Qualos draws on the skills of a team of about 30 employees from Melbourne and Sydney. When AMTIL was established in 2001, M.T.I. Qualos recognised the potential of an industry body to both promote and represent the interests of manufacturers and suppliers to this industry, and as such became a foundation member. We wish Shane and his dedicated team at AMTIL all the best for the future and thank them for their tireless work over the last 20 years.
OKUMA AUSTRALIA
The 20th Anniversary of the AMT publication is a milestone and AMTIL is to be congratulated on clearly establishing this publication as a leading contributor to the industry in highlighting manufacturing excellence in Australia. Twenty years ago the manufacturing industry was primarily based on business revolving around automotive companies in Australia but signs were appearing around this time that this business was contracting. The Australian manufacturing industry needed to diversify, be more creative and invest in machines for shorter runs to meet new markets. This changed the industry as suppliers needed to provide more sophisticated precision machines to cater for new business opportunities in Defence, Medical and high end Mining operations. There was also a move to more automated machines that did not require constant manning, thus making Australia more competitive. In line with business trends, Okuma Australia broadened its equipment and automation products to include Overhead Gantry Loader Systems, Standalone Floor Robot Cells, portable RoboJob systems and Okuma’s own Armroid/Standard systems, all designed to improve productivity. Over the years Okuma has continually upskilled its staff with higher levels of training and has drawn on the skills of our Japanese parent company. There was also an increased requirement to train our customers and Okuma planned for a much closer engagement with its customers overall based on the company’s philosophy of ‘Monozukuri’ – the art of making things better than ever. Today our customers rely on us to always be pro-active and engaging resulting in a win-win outcome that has proven to be much more enjoyable and beneficial for both Okuma and our customers. The future looks bright for both Okuma and its customers as these closer relationships have ensured that we all understand the outcomes required and work together to meet these. It has allowed us to protect the highly respected Okuma brand in the market as a true market leader. Although the GFC and COVID have both had an impact over the last 20 years, the Okuma vision of strong respect and support for its customers is evident every day. Okuma facilities and training are constantly being upgraded, providing new opportunities for staff including apprentices. Support from Okuma Japan includes regular meetings with executives and engineers from Europe, USA and Asia sharing their ideas on new models and performance upgrades for the future to further enhance customer outcomes with cutting edge technologies and productivity developments. Okuma Australia proudly supports AMTIL through the AMT magazine, exhibitions, seminars and networking functions and wishes the publication continued success in the future.
Keeping me up to date with our industry
AMTIL has been a part of our business for a number of years. Being involved with an experienced group that gives support is important to me and that’s what AMTIL delivers constantly. The AMT Magazine is placed in our lunchroom for the team to look at. It keeps us up to date with the latest equipment and machinery and has assisted us with sourcing suppliers’ contacts and solutions which have resulted in increased productivity.
David Murphy, Managing Director TRJ ENGINEERING PTY LTD
APPROX 31,500
