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Industry
Changes to manufacturing grants flagged W
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 5industryupdate.com.au
Madden told the lunch that while the future of the Entrepreneurs’ Programme is being clarified, the programme is still open for new applications.
Madden pointed out that many manufacturers were addressing these challenges through the use of new technologies such as cobots, that can do routine manual tasks and are designed to work collaboratively in the traditional workplace.
Entrepreneurs’ Programme
Madden emphasised that the indus try contributes $1b annually to the country’s GDP and supports 1.27m jobs.
Madden says he sees the future of manufacturing in Australia as vibrant, with the essence of Advanced Manufacturing being collaboration - across different sectors and within industry.Henoted that remarkably, only 5% of manufacturing businesses have accessed the manufacturing assistance offered by all levels of government.
Use government support to improve employee satisfaction Additional support for the manufac turing sector is also available through the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) and state based Co-Operative Research Centres (CRCs).
Future of manufacturing ‘vibrant’ Keith Madden, a Growth Facilitator for AusIndustry’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme, who was speaking at a Manufacturing Lab lunch in Parramatta, says he is looking forward to seeing how these new initiatives will continue to develop and support the Advanced Manufacturing sector.
The Entrepreneurs’ Programme delivers matched funding of up to $20k to support business improve ment, growth and innovation activity, with specialised Technology and Digital advice available to participat ing firms, helping them to navigate their digital transformations, cover ing applications from robotics, AI and sensor technologies, through to the most appropriate ERP and on-line platforms for their business.
Madden noted that a significant num ber of manufacturers who have engaged with the programme have commented on how easy the application process has been and how streamlined the fund ing drawdown is, feeling that the lack of red tape and commercial approach undertaken by the facilitators of the program, has strongly contributed to the programme’s success. This has been backed by the met rics coming out of the programme, showing that 95% of participants rated the programme highly and were extremely likely to recommend it, and that on average 70% of firms that had engaged in the program had seen their business grow, with 83% stating that it had helped them improve their business systems and processes.
The lunch also heard about a digital print provider looking to invest up to $500k to up-grade its ERP platform.
Following advice from an Entrepreneurs’ Programme digital facilitator, the company changed what would have been its initially preferred supply option to an alternative recom mendation, with the business owner later confiding that the advice not only protected their $500k investment but also improved the firm’s capability and digital integration, and saved costs while giving a competitive advantage.
INDUSTRY NEWS MTIQualos_Measurement 2015 IndUpd.indd 1 6/10/2015 8:10
ith a change in government this year, support available to the manufacturing sector is evolving.TheAlbanese government says it will invest $1 billion in Advanced Manufacturing, with unspent rounds of funding from the previous government’s Modern Manufacturers Initiative (which is now closed), to be redirected to new initiatives within Labor’s Advanced ManufacturingFurthermore,Fund.thecontract for the $400m Entrepreneurs’ Programme, the government’s flagship program for productivity and competitiveness in the SME sector, will also be coming to an end in June 2023, with its future still to be Clarificationdetermined.ofhow these changes will be rolled out to industry will be provided in the upcoming federal bud get, due to be announced in October.
Consider cobots As is the case with all manufacturing discussions at the moment, talk at the Manufacturing Lab lunch turned to labour costs and availability.
Participants at the Manufacturing Lab lunch heard how support programs have helped a NSW offal processor digitise part of its production line with sensor technologies and cobots (collaborative robots), meaning it could get rid of previ ously manual practices that were costly, unpleasant and inconsistently delivered. Those manual resources were then reallocated to more meaningful and higher value work within the company.
With the price of such technology applications coming down all the time, there was recognition that the payback on an investment into these initiatives can often be less than 12 months.
The Manufacturing Lab lunches are networking events promoting thought leadership in the industry, and are hosted by William Buck, Coleman Greig Lawyers & St.George Bank.
Madden said he hopes any future support initiatives would address both the capability and CapEx needs of manufacturers, as both are strong levers for improvement and growth.
Australia has out standing idea generators in engineering and science departments of universities and research institutes. It has a wealth of high performing firms. What it struggles with is the middle zone of innovation –translating novel blue sky ideas into com mercial outcomes.
A bright future for collaboration Focus on jobs & skills a positive sign
One big answer to this question lies in its ability to innovate. It’s no secret that Australia has some issues to work through with innovation commercialisation.Makenomistake,
Far too many great Australian ideas are left on the white board – or in the jour nals – because of a disconnect between our researchers and our businesses. This problem has been identified again and again when experts look at the Australian manu facturing industry. But there is brightness on the horizon. The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre was established in 2016 by the federal government and is focused on addressing these issues and promoting collaboration. It offers financial incentives as well as practical advice for businesses to help make the link with Australia’s research community, including in universi ties and the CSIRO.
PUBLISHER
The labour market is running hot, so hot we’re seeing the lowest unem ployment rate in decades (3.4%), down from 7.5% in 2020. That’s an extraor dinary outcome out of a historic global catastrophe.Itwouldnot have been achieved with out a broad spectrum of the community working together – governments, employ ers and workers – for the national good. It is a good time to capitalise on this energy and goodwill with a national conversa tion about the future of jobs. That hundreds of thousands of Australians are no longer idle and have found productive work is a terrific thing. It means less wasted resources, and more economic output. A job can also change a person’s life. Lower spending on unem ployment benefits is good for the national budget.That’s not to say full employment is without its complexities. It can create strains on employers and, if the situation gets out of control, there is a risk of spiral lingTheinflation.balance between employment and skills is thus crucial: to control inflation ary pressures under low unemployment, it is essential for businesses to be able to source appropriately skilled labour. That means potential workers must be jobWhatready.can accomplish this? Let’s start with fixing vocational training, upskilling long-term unemployed, and providing better incentives for employers. More and larger subsidies should go to employers who support worker training and who hire people who require some develop ment to bring up to scratch. So many positive things to do. Let’s hope the jobs summit turns out to be more than another government gabfest.
David Sligar
FROM THE Publisher Scott Filby Editor for Universities, Research & Collaboration
Universities can be opaque and it can be unclear how to find the right researchers. That’s why we are so excited to announce Industry Update’s new section on ‘Universities, research and collaboration’, which you can read on page 24 of this issue. Research collaboration is key to Australian manufacturing’s future, and once again Industry Update is there at the cutting edge. T here’s a new federal government and Industry Update is watching closely. You can see this in our articles on the future of government grants, and read from the Minister himself in his regular column. Right now the government is focused on the jobs and skills summit. Albanese is wise to kick off with a national conversation on employment and skills. Maintaining low unemployment –that is, minimising idle human resources in the economy – and building an appropri ately skilled pool of workers will be pivotal for Australia’s future prosperity.
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Around $57 million of government funding has been allocated to 141 projects, matched by around $78 million of private sector funding. It is estimated that these collaborations could increase GDP by approximately $1.6 billion. Take just one success story. Omni Tanker partnered with UNSW in the devel opment of an innovative carbon composite tank trailer concept for highly corrosive materials. UNSW has been critical in validating the technology for US regulators, opening up the lucrative American market. But for many Australian manufac turers it’s hard to know where to start.
A ustralian manufacturing rose to save the day during covid-19. This was despite decades of under-invest ment from governments and widespread doom and gloom from cynics. How does Australian manufacturing continue to thrive as the world returns to normal?
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The result places Australia in the bottom third of monitored nations for complexity, between Kenya and Namibia, and also means Australia is the lowest ranked OECD country despite its high level of wealth.
AMGC’s targeted co-investments of 141 projects – all with a dedicated research partner to help resolve specific challenges and lift product complexity – are expected to gen erate 4,000 new, highly skilled, and well-paid roles and on completion will return $1.6 billion to the economy. is the answer to improving falling complexity ranking
AMGC’s Managing Director Dr. Jens Goennemann said “The latest ECI rankings are a damning reflection of Australia’s reliance on raw commodi ties trade – or luck. If these ECI results were reflected in the elite sporting world, we would be mortified! “Why is it that we accept such a poor result in our global complexity ratings when it is directly tied to our future prosperity? At some point the ‘Lucky Country’ will run out of luck, now is the time for us to act and begin to increase the complexity of the things we manufacture and export,” saidTheGoennemann.Harvardreport goes on to state that, “Australia has not yet started the traditional process of structural transformation. A key source of eco nomic growth, this process reallo cates economic activity from low to high productivity sectors. It broadly moves activities out of agriculture into textiles, followed by electronics and/or machinery manufacturing.” Raising the nation’s manufactur ing profile requires long-term policy and co-investment from the gov ernment as well as private sources. Multiple micro-investments matched dollar-for-dollar by industry partici pants incentivises Australia’s largely SME-based manufacturing compa nies to innovate and scale. Investment, in a variety of forms, delivers the necessary means to up-skill the existing workforce, hire new employees, advance much-needed technology, and deliver commercially successful, high-value products to domestic and international markets. To meet this national challenge, AMGC has successfully managed over $57 million in co-investments directly to Australia’s manufacturing industry and encouraged manufac turers to scale and export.
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The Index brings into sharp focus Australia’s economic reliance on exporting items of low complexity in the form of commodities, and highlights the immense opportu nity the nation has to improve the complexity of the items it exports, by adding value to its abundant natural resources or making more complex items in areas of relative strength.
T he latest data released by globally respected Harvard Business School reveals that Australia’s Economic Complexity Index (ECI) rating has slid to 91st, down eight positions in ten years. The Harvard index systematically ranks 133 countries by their ability to manufacture and export diverse and complex things and has been a global benchmark of a nation’s global impact since 1995, when Australia ranked 55 on the index.
The report states that “Australia is less complex than expected for its income level” and goes on to say that “Australia has seen a troubling pattern of export growth, with the largest contribution to export growth coming from low and moderate complexity products, particularly ores, slag and ash and information, communications and technology products.” Since its inception in 2016, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) has advocated and demonstrated the potential of Australia to grow the complexity of its exports through co-investing in local manufacturing excellence.
One of my early priorities as Minister was to organise roundtables to meet with industry stakeholders to work towards shared goals, including providing more skilled workers.
INDUSTRY NEWS
I have only been Minister for a short time but I am more convinced than ever that great things lie ahead for Australian industry. This will be achieved by the devel opment and application of the latest technologies for industrial purposes, including advanced manufacturing. My portfolio encompasses industry and science, but I see them as being part of an integrated whole. One feeds into and complements the other. Scientific research leads to industrial innovation and the challenges faced by industrial change prompt further scientific inquiry. While cooperation with likeminded nations is essential in science and industry, we must also be clear that we are in a competition. We are competing with other nations for business and we will get ahead by developing our smart ideas into world-class products.
This has informed my input to this month’s Jobs and Skills Summit, where Australians, including unions,employers, civil society and government have come together to address our shared economic challenges.Australians, including unions, employers, civil society and govern ments will come together at this sum mit to address our shared economic challenges.Thegood news is that Australians have had many smart ideas in the past and continue to have them. And we are focused on making sure we improve how these ideas can transi tion to commercial success. Unfortunately, there has been under investment in science and research.TheAustralian Government is determined to change that, increasing research and development investment to closer to 3 percent of GDP. Our A Future Made in Australia plan seeks to create jobs, invest in education and training, bring indus try expertise back onshore and drive national productivity. A central pillar of this plan is the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, which is designed to rebuild the nation’s industrial base and make it easier to turn smart ideas into tangi bleTheproducts.fundwill include $1 billion in dedicated support for advanced manufacturing.Andwehaveset a goal to achieve 1.2 million tech-related jobs by 2030. There are many exciting devel opments in Australian science and industry. Australians are leaders in quantum technology, which is set to revolutionise the way computing is done, with applications in advanced manufacturing.TheGovernment is committed to supporting our researchers and addressing skills challenges so that our nation takes its rightful place at the cutting edge of industrial develop ment.
8 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic
We are also competing with other nations for Australiaskills.isfaced with a shortage of skilled workers across all industries, particularly in tech, which is so vital to industrial development. Some of our best and brightest have chosen to pursue opportunities overseas.Whilewe have to stop the brain drain, we also should encourage Australian researchers and innova tors to return. Gaining experience overseas is valuable for Australian industry and we want to do what we can to encourage ‘brain regain’. We will do that by creating an atmosphere where people feel wel come and valued. We also have to produce many more skilled workers at home. The Albanese Government is taking measures to train more skilled workers in tech including through fee-free TAFE places and an addi tional 20,000 university places, policies we took to the election as part of the Future Made in Australia skills plan.We will also open the way for more women and people from diverse back grounds to participate in tech, which is one of the five calls to action in an important report delivered in August by the Digital Employment Forum. Another is targeting skilled migra tion to areas of high need and greatest shortages and the Government is taking action to clear the backlog of skilled visa applications.
“What we’re hoping to do with these industry snapshots is show the effi ciency potential. It isn’t rocket science, it is literally just an accurate real-time view of what’s happening on the line, and too few have it.”
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Australian craft brewers held back by unplanned downtime
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 9industryupdate.com.au
OFS has a large number of craft brewing customers including Stomping Ground Brewing Co., Australian Beer Company, Balter Brewing Co, Tribe Breweries, Brick Lane Brewing, Stone & Wood, Capital Brewing, Ninkasi Brewing, and Pelican Brewing among the growing contingent looking to intro duce technology to their operations to improve their output.
• The industry earned an average OEE score – considered the gold stan dard for measuring productivity – of 44%, a slight increase from 43%. Magee says visibility is key to further improving efficiency, as when craft brewers can see an opportunity in front of them, they don’t miss it. “It’s telling that craft brewers manage product waste so well – they barely leave a drop behind,” he said.
•include:Onaverage, 6,517 units of craft beer were produced per hour, 74.2% behind the potential output of 11,353 per hour.
W hile Australian craft brew ers’ production surged in the last quarter, unplanned downtime continues to be a big issue for the Researchsector.from manufacturing per formance software company OFS shows a 7.6% surge in production between April to June this year compared with the previous three months. But brewers spent just 45% of their available production time actually making beer.
The latest figures come from OFS’ quarterly Craft Brewers Benchmark Report, which provides insights into how data can be used to improve production efficiency in the craft brewing industry. The report analysed the production of millions of litres of beer by primar ily Australian, New Zealand and U.S. craft breweries between April and June this year to determine a view of ‘what good looks like’. The report includes key perfor mance benchmark data and explains why knowing overall equipment effec tiveness (OEE) can make a significant impact on a brewer’s bottom line. The latest figures are an average across the countries, but also reflect Australia’s craft brewery scene in isolation.
Overall, OFS says the average craft brewer could be producing 4,836 more beers - an almost 75% increase per hour - with the same production schedule. “This is an industry that’s thriv ing while leaving so much potential on the table,” said OFS CEO James Magee “That luxury can’t last forever – we need a mindset shift in how the industry collects and leverages data to improveDespiteproductivity.”thechallenges, craft brew ers scored particularly well for waste efficiency. Just two per cent of beer pro duced didn’t end up in cans or bottles, marking an improvement of 28% com pared with the previous three months. Other key statistics from the report
• It took brewers an average of 63 minutes to set up a job, an increase of four minutes compared with the previous three months. • Unplanned downtime accounted for 25.46% of production time, in line with the previous three months.
“Wasted time, however, is harder to view without the right tools in place, and it’s too easy to generalise and make assumptions about output, downtime, and changeovers when you’re relying on a busy crew updating an excel sheet or piece of paper.
James Magee - OFS CEO OFS ofsystems.com
More beers per hour
VK Logic uses Rockwell Automation technology to power unique, mobile grain-handling solution The new mobile seed grading machine features a unique telescopic arm, allowing the machine to fill multiple silos from one position Phone 02 9971 7577 Email sales@serpent-dove.com 2/6 Taronga Place, Mona Vale NSW 2103 www.serpent-dove.com.au PBE Roboplas increase efficiencies and reduce operating costs by supplying new machinery, equipment, service and repairs from a strong background of technical experience including robotics, engineering and integration to the plastic industry. Our Partners RoboticControlTemperatureUnitsAutomation & Ancillary Equipment Material Conveying, Dosing & Drying Systems &LubricantsSystemsBlowMachinesMoulding InjectionMachinesMoulding 60 – 3200 Tonnes Robot Automationand 02 9674 6511 pbe-roboplas.com.au ConveyorSystems Continues on page 11 10 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
A VK Logic solution, powered by Rockwell Automation technology, is helping to enhance uptime and increase capacity for professional mobile seed grading business, Klean A Seed.Major benefits of the new solution include an increase in capacity to 36 tonnes, quality assur ance, better contamination control, and more efficient cleaning.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Klean A Seed provides seed grading, grain pro cessing, contamination control, and quality seed treatments.“Iworkwith farmers to treat winter cereals, like wheat and barley, and prepare them for sowing. Klean A Seed helps with pest and disease control, and our professional seed grading helps avoid blockages of planting machinery,” says Cummins, who has owned and operated Klean A Seed since 2009.After years of providing a mobile seed grading service, Cummins noticed several areas that could be more efficient, produce higher quality results, and enhance profitability, if the right technology was used.
The technology involved recognises that grain handling is a complex process that requires dedi cation to quality, hygiene, and uptime. To produce a clean, graded final product suitable for vendors or re-sowing, grains are typically taken offsite to a processing facility. Carting seed to and from a processing facility adds delay and expense, so Pat Cummins estab lished a mobile grain processing business, Klean A Seed, in Yarrawonga, about 100km west of Albury/ Wodonga, on the Victorian border with NSW.
“One of the major objectives of the project was to increase capacity. We nominated 32 tonnes per hour from the outset, and now that the truck is fully built, it is comfortably achieving 36 tonnes per hour, which is a great result,” added Van Klaveren. Maintenance was another major consideration in the new truck’s design. To avoid contamination, and to provide quality assurance to customers, Klean A Seed needs to clean out the entire machine between customers. VK Logic designed the truck so that the machinery tilts out, which makes access for cleaning significantly easier, thereby reducing downtime. “We estimate that a 30-minute clean ing task has now been reduced to 5 or 6 minutes each time. When you consider how many customers Pat is serving, that time saving really adds up,” said Van Klaveren. “We are proud of this solution, and the ongoing benefits it will deliver to Klean A Seed. Rockwell Automation gave us the technology features, the flexibility, and the service to recom mend a robust solution to our cus tomer, so it was an ideal partnership,” he concluded.
AutomationRockwell rockwellautomation.com/en-au
• A conveyor belt with 3.6m telescopic function, so that Klean A Seed can transfer the treated seed directly into the customer’s silo. Further, the conveyor can then be adjusted, so that it can deposit seed into different silos within reach, without having to adjust the position of the truck • Slide-out generator, for easy access and maintenance
• More electric motors, controlled via Rockwell Automation PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), which provide more control over the machine
INDUSTRY NEWS T: +61 3 9800 6777 | W: enmin.com.au CHEAP
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 11industryupdate.com.au
VK Logic provides total end-toend engineering solutions, including in-house engineering and fabrication, with a combination of mechanical, electrical, and automation expertise.
“To keep the truck within certain dimensions and weight distributions, but to add such advanced technol ogies and processes, was one of the largest challenges of the project. We found Rockwell Automation’s technologies gave us the greatest flexibility to achieve these complex requirements,” added Van Klaveren.
VK Logic identified key areas that could be improved in the new truck build, including making it more userfriendly, giving the operator greater control over machines and processes, increasing capacity, and reducing maintenance downtime.
Next-level seed grading
“There were a number of challenges in developing the Klean A Seed solution.
DANGER DO NOT USE REASONDOESN’TTAGGED:MEETAUSTRALIANSAFETYSTANDARDSMACHINERYWILLNEEDRECTIFYINGDANGEROUSTOOPERATORHEALTHANDSAFETY
Whilst lower cost equipment from overseas may initially seem an attractive proposition, it is ultimately false economy. Often the rectification costs and time involved to ensure the unit meets Australian safety standards is significant. The reassurance that comes with having safety built in and the knowledge that the equipment is fit for purpose from the start far outweighs any price difference. In terms of peace of mind, time savings and return on investment, there is simply no comparison.
After thorough research, Cummins engaged VK Logic, a specialist design, build, and automation company based in North Albury, to build a new truck utilising the latest technology.
The unique design of the new mobile seed grader featured a range of innovative advances on previous designs, including:
Increased capacity and uptime
For over 40 years we’ve taken a no compromise approach to safety, developing materials handling and vibratory equipment that has safety built-in not bolted on as an afterthought.
Pat had a great vision for what he wanted to achieve, but there were restrictions in what could fit in the size and dimen sions of the truck, while still keeping it roadworthy and safe for on-road and off-road use,” said Justin Van Klaveren, managing director, VK Logic.
“We knew, given the complex requirements, that the best process control solutions could be achieved using Rockwell Automation technolo gies. Not only was Pat already familiar with Rockwell gear, but Rockwell Automation provides greater accessi bility to support when out in the field, which is a crucial benefit to a business that spends its time in the countryside helping farmers,” said Van Klaveren. Tech drives benefits VK Logic designed a new mobile seed grader that utilised Rockwell Automation’s CompactLogix™ safety processor, PowerFlex 525 drive over Ethernet, PanelView™, and PowerFlex 750 drive. “Rockwell Automation had the best product offering and solutions to complement the new truck we were building, and the service is a valuable added benefit,” said Van Klaveren.
With the new truck now in operation, Cummins is experiencing a broad range of benefits in relation to capacity, user-friendliness, and maintenance.
ULTIMATELYMACHINERYIMPORTEDCANCOSTYOUMORE.
• Flatbed type screens and rotary screens for grain processing Matthew Taylor, NSW account man ager, Rockwell Automation believes VK Logic. has done an outstanding job. “As a Rockwell Automation Systems Integrator Silver partner, VK Logic has listened to customer needs and developed the most efficient and userfriendly solution — one that will con tinue to deliver value year after year.”
Having design, building, and main tenance capabilities under one roof means projects can be completed more efficiently compared to engag ing two or three separate companies.
Tente Castors & Wheels To Find Your Product Solution
tente.com.au 12 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
Treotham treotham.com.au Contact Phone: 1300 836 831 sales.au@tente.com
Everyday helpers: Igus humanoidacceleratesrobotics I
Human-like robots can perform dangerous as well as simple and monot onous tasks. In a professional environ ment, work can go beyond mere ‘pick and place’ performed by robot arms. In the household, a bot could replace several robots: it could vacuum auton omously, mow the lawn, go shopping, cook, do laundry and perform all sorts of other tasks – even care for the sick … it could be a companion.
“Such a robot has so far been asso ciated with high costs, but if you take into account the possible service life, it would pay off in the long term”, said Mühlens. “It is our goal to use motion plastics components to demonstrate simple, cost-effective solutions for humanoid robotics.”
gus has created a prototype of a low-cost bot: a humanoid robot that combines the advantages of high-performance, motion plastics with low-cost automation. Shifts in manufacturing and everyday life are happening under the umbrella buzzword ‘Industry 4.0’— or the fourth industrial revolution — which uses smart and autonomous systems fuelled by data and machine learning to build on the third industrial revolution’s computerisation and automation. Robots are already busy in man ufacturing but advances such as Chemnitz University of Technology’s touch-sensitive electronic skin will make them acceptable in daily lives too. The question ’which way will robotics go?’, inspired Igus to develop its humanoid motion plastics bot. “With the Igus ReBeL industrial and service robots and our drytech range, we already had working components to enable a robot to move,” said Alexander Mühlens, head of automation technol ogy and robotics at Igus. Igus collaborated with Stuttgartbased TruPhysics, which assembled the intelligent humanoid bot from Igus’ motion plastics and other com ponents. It is available in Germany under the name Robert M3, and the robotics components are available from Treotham Automation. “We hope the bot will demonstrate the interplay between integrated intelligence and our products made of high-performance plastics – at an affordable price,” said Mühlens. Lightweight, maintenance-free and low-cost humanoid For a long, trouble-free service life without maintenance, Igus tribo-polymers in the motion plastics bot offer an advantage: no lubricantsHigh-performanceneeded. plastics also enable lightweight design. They reduce the motion plastics bot’s weight to just 78 kilograms at heights of up to 2.70 metres and a span of 1.5 metres. The motion plastics bot features a self-propelled, automated, guided vehicle, a telescopic body and a head with an integrated screen and avatar for interactive communication. Another central component is Igus ReBeL, a service robot with ‘cobot’ capabilities used as the bot’s arms. The fully integrated tribo strain wave gear with motor, absolute-value encoder, force-control system and controller constitute the core of the ReBeL. The motion plastics bot moves at a walking pace and has a load capacity of 2kg per arm. The bot is controlled as an opensource solution via the Robot Operating System (ROS). This is because the entire Igus low-cost auto mation product range can be mapped in the ROS. By studying the motion plastics bot, Igus is combining the advantages of its high-performance plastics for movement and low-cost automation expertise to develop the next generation of robots. Not just a machine but a companion “We see a lot of potential in human oid robots. But our world is built by people for people. So instead of just using individual automation parts, it makes sense to study humanoids and androids. The question is when the market will be ready?” said Mühlens.
INDUSTRY NEWS
AustraliaEngineers engineersaustralia.org.au Engineers Australia CEO, Romilly Madew Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 13industryupdate.com.au
The existing Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication) is a nominal 720 hours of face-to-face TAFE training interspersed with practical experience as an apprentice spread over three years. Weld Australia proposes the course be condensed into one year, with the existing training package taught in two 24-week blocks. Once the course is completed, competency will be assessed and the Certificate III qualification awarded. Graduates will then be required to qualify to the International Standard for Welding Competency (ISO 9606). “The shorter course will seem less daunting to school leavers and will encourage mature-aged applicants. Training will be more intensive and is likely to be more efficient. The number of apprentices graduating will increase, and the skills of welders will increase dramatically,” said Crittenden.
• Supporting skilled migrant engineers with employment opportunities by addressing barriers identified in Engineers Australia’s research report
Tapping into hidden talent sources An analysis of people identifying as welders indicates that less than half have formal welding qualifications. Clearly, there are a significant number of welding jobs that require practical competence or welding skills set without necessarily having the full range of trade skills. Weld Australia has had success in offering Skill Set training—based on existing Units of Competency in the Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication)—to disadvantaged Australians. This training ultimately leads to employment as a welder. Weld Australia proposes that a series of courses covering basic welding Skill Sets are funded and included within the scope of all RTOs teaching welding.
•
“If Australia does not act now, we will be unable to deliver on the Federal Government’s promises, like renewable energy targets that require fabrication of wind towers, solar panel structures, hydrogen plants and battery processing plants. Access to the global supply chain for fabri cated steel products is a high-risk and expensive proposition.” Weld Australia proposes a radical overhaul of welding apprenticeships and tapping into hidden sources of talent.
• Offering mid-career engineers a senior ‘sponsor’ to help develop their career pathway Partnering with schools to support school STEM programs and provide opportunities for early career engi neers to engage the next generation of engineers
ngineers Australia has released an engineering skills recovery plan. The report, Strengthening the Engineering Workforce, high lights the need for industry, as well as government, tertiary education, and professional associations to collaborate to overcome policy challenges to make lastingEngineerschanges.Australia
“A change in the immigration quota may offset the skills shortage but it will not solve the problem. We must tap into often unrecognised sources of talent by offering a learning pathway to those who often feel estranged from the skilled employment market: the longterm unemployed, women, Indigenous Australians, those serving prison sen tences, employees transitioning from carbon-based industries, and others.”
• Providing internships and graduate programs. Engineers Australia’s guidelines for providing work experi ence to engineering students can help industry offer a rewarding experience Engineers Australia chief engineer Jane MacMaster stressed that with skyrocketing engineering job vacancies, a looming emissions reduction dead line, and an economic recovery, “… the effective use of all available engineers must be considered a national strategic imperative.”“Oureconomy and communities are more reliant on the engineering pro fession than ever before, and we need to ensure we have enough engineers to design solutions for society’s most com plex problems,” MacMaster said.
W eld Australia is calling for an actionable plan to mitigate the severe welding skills shortage which threatens business and national progress, including infrastruc ture and goals such as the government’s commitments to meet energy targets. “Australia does not have the welders to deliver the nation’s critical energy, defence, rail and infrastruc ture projects,” said Geoff Crittenden, CEO of Weld Australia. Weld Australia estimates that, unless action is taken now, Australia will be 70,000 welders short by 2030. It is a global problem: the US will face a shortage of 500,000 welders by 2030, and Japan estimates a shortfall of 250,000 welders by 2050. Weld Australia’s membership of pro fessional welders contributes to most facets of the Australian economy.
EMPLOYMENT
Overhaul of apprenticeshipswelding
CEO, Romilly Madew AO, said the need to balance supply with demand for engineers is a complex and long-term endeavour. “We know challenges with skilled migration, lack of local engineering graduates and plummeting rates of students taking up STEM subjects are factors,” she said. The five main elements of what Engineers Australia sees as a long-term solution are: collaborative investment in young people and schools; industry-led development of early career graduates; recognition of the value of women and migrant engineers, and commu nity awareness of the engineering profession.Theengineering skills recovery plan has identified actions to be taken by industry, government and the tertiary sector. The plan’s to-do list for industry •is: Driving initiatives within companies to support the retention of engineers in the workforce
Engineers Australia’s skills recovery roadmap Welders urge a radical approach to jobs, skills E
THE ROLE > Candidates suited to this role will have a strong career history in sales type roles; and previous knowledge of, or an interest in engineering machinery would be highly regarded.
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FITTER-MACHINE TOOLS THE ROLE > The ideal candidate will be trade-certified, with a minimum of 4 years’ experience in a similar role. In addition to this, you will possess the following troubleshoot faults and establish repair options Proven ability to carry out repair options quickly and efficiently Ability to machine and manufacture minor components Sound knowledge and experience in servicing electromechanical assemblies Ability to read and interpret technical manuals, diagrams and drawings Knowledge and experience in machine tool alignments and accuracy Knowledge and experience in hydraulics Current drivers licence A restricted electrical licence would be highly regarded
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THE ROLE Specialise in selling Machine Tools and Equipment and they will ideally need to have experience as a Machinist, Sheet Metal Worker or Coach Builder. However, we will also consider you if you are an avid hobbyist with experience with workshop machinery and equipment. We will offer on the job training to the right person to help them grow into the role.The duties of the role are as follows: Telephone and Counter Sales. Computerised quoting and invoicing. outstanding orders. customers to choose the best product for their needs. relationship building with ongoing customer service. organisational and problem-solving
THE ROLE successful candidate will demonstrate a strong history of offering outstanding customer service combined with previous knowledge of or an interest in engineering machinery.The duties of the role are as follows: Telephone and Counter Sales Computerised Quoting and Invoicing customers to choose the best product for their needs relationship building with ongoing customer service SERVICE
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WWW.MACHINERYHOUSE.COM.AU NSW (02) 9890 9111 1/2 Windsor Rd, Northmead QLD (07) 3715 2200 625 Boundary Rd, Coopers Plains VIC (03) 9212 4422 4 Abbotts Rd, Dandenong WA (08) 9373 9999 11 Valentine Street Kewdale WE ARE EXPANDING OUR TEAM! About Hare & Forbes Established in 1930, Hare & Forbes has been one of the largest suppliers of engineering, automotive, wood working and workshop equipment to the Australian and New Zealand markets for over 90 years. With over 180 employees and supply branches in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne & Perth we provide unparalleled service to the general public, business, industry and government. Our staff are a dedicated team of professionals, committed to ensuring the very best in customer service and quality. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!“Setting the standard for Quality & Value” CAREERS WEB PAGE: Find the position that suits you and apply! EMAIL: Submitting a cover letter and current resume to: careers@machineryhouse.com.au
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SYDNEY Location: Northmead BRISBANE Location: Coopers Plains Location: Dandenong South PERTH Location: Kewdale 1930 Plasma cutting equipment commissioning, repair and maintenance. Reporting on service work – input of information into company databases to grow knowledge. Keeping detailed records of identified problems, processes to undertake repairs and parts required. time and record keeping – keeping accurate records to assist in fair billing of clientele.
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THE ROLE > The candidate will be in frequent contact with Hare and Forbes customers. The candidate is expected to be well spoken and well presented in all aspects of their dealings with internal and external customers. duties of the role are as follows: Mechanical repair and breakdown maintenance of industrial machinery. and commissioning of industrial machinery. maintenance and servicing. preventative and breakdown maintenance. repairs and testing. cutting equipment commissioning, repair and maintenance. on service work – input of information into company databases to grow knowledge. detailed records of identified problems, processes to undertake repairs and parts required. time and record keeping – keeping accurate records to assist in fair billing of clientele.
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THE ROLE > We are looking for an experienced electrical Fitter to join the team of staff responsible for servicing our customer’s machine tools via warranty, preventative maintenance and break-down repairs. duties of the role are as follows: with Industrial Machinery Electrical Fitter trade certificate. to quickly troubleshoot faults and establish repair options. ability to carry out repair options quickly and to machine and manufacture minor knowledge and experience in servicing electromechanical read interpret technical manuals, experience in machine tool alignments experience hydraulics drivers TOOLS ROLE are looking for an experienced Fitter to join the team of staff responsible for servicing our customer’s machine tools via warranty, preventative maintenance and break-down repairs.. ideal candidate will be tradecertified, with a minimum of 4 years’ experience in a similar role. addition to this, you will possess the following troubleshoot faults and establish repair options ability to carry out repair options quickly and efficiently to machine and manufacture minor components knowledge and experience in servicing electromechanical assemblies to read and interpret technical manuals, and experience in machine tool alignments and and experience in hydraulics drivers licence restricted electrical licence would be highly regarded ELECTRICAL FITTER 3RD OR 4TH YR ROLE We are looking for an enthusiastic trades person who’s recently completed their third /fourth year of their Electrical Fitter Apprenticeship to join our team. ideal candidate will have completed at least three years of an electrical fitting apprenticeship in an industrial the role are as follows: a competent and confident apprentice or recent graduate of an electrical apprenticeship Have an interest in expanding your skill set into mechanical and hydraulic fitting. Be willing to continue to learn and grow with us after completion of their apprenticeship. with Industrial Machinery to quickly troubleshoot faults and establish repair options. ability to carry out repair options quickly and efficiently knowledge and experience in servicing electromechanical assemblies to read and interpret technical manuals, diagrams and drawings and experience in hydraulics SALES
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THE ROLE > We are looking for a Salesperson who will need to have experience as either a Fitter and Machinist, Sheet Metal Worker or Coach Builder. We will offer on the job training to the right person to help them grow into the role.The duties of the role are as follows: Telephone and Counter Sales quoting and invoicing Managing outstanding orders customers to choose the best product for their needs relationship building with ongoing customer service Utilising organisational and problem solving skills
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THE ROLE > Reporting to the Service Manager, this position involves all aspects of mechanical, electrical and hydraulic fitting both within the workshop and our customer’s place of business. The successful candidate will perform duties consisting of but not limited to the inspection, commissioning, installation, repair and maintenance of industrial machinery. duties of the role are as follows: Mechanical repair and breakdown maintenance of industrial machinery. Installation and commissioning of industrial machinery. maintenance and servicing. preventative and breakdown maintenance. Workshop repairs and testing.
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“This is very unsustainable as it cre ates unrealistic expectations amongst candidates who are searching for a new role in hopes of receiving higher pay.” Employers are also offering higher salaries as counter-offers. But offering a higher salary where low job satisfaction is the root issue is not sustainable. Employees who accept counter-offers are bound to run into the same issue three months down the track when they realise that nothing has changed, and they are still unhappy in their role. “Counter-offering with a higher salary only buys you time. You should use this time to replace what you are about to lose.”
• have at least 10 years of sales experience • a track record of developing new business • able to maintain strong relationships with clients • have experience managing, advising and motivating a sales team — this will be highly regarded • are willing to travel We have a super culture and a great team of talent that will offer support and encouragement. We are looking to rapidly grow our sales team to help us cope with increasing demand for our products and services throughout 2022.
We are recruiting two savvy, experienced Sales Executives to work from our Sydney or Melbourne offices. Ideally, candidates will be highly motivated, focussed and successful in developing new business. The new Sales Executives will be generously rewarded for their results via an excellent commission structure.
Packserv is Australia’s leading packaging machinery manufacturing and technical services company. It is based in Marrickville, Sydney, and has operated successfully for 15 years.
Sales Executives x2
FuseEMPLOYMENTRecruitment
Upskilling employees to adapt to introduced technology will improve overall productivity and increase employee engagement, which is inte gral to long-term success. “Businesses should invest in upskill ing current employees who they already know are reliable and fit for the organi sation’s culture,” Chung added. Where businesses must search for new talent, it can be helpful to reach out to an industry specialist recruit ment agency. “We’ve seen a great increase in demand for electrical engineers and mechanical engineers. New clients are reaching out to me because they don’t have the in-house capability to identify employees with technical skills,” says “EmployersChung.withSTEM manufac turing roles should assess their current recruitment strategies and capabilities to ensure they can meet future demands, or risk falling behind,” says Chung. The National Skills Commission predicts STEM occupations will grow by 12.9% by 2025. This is above the average projected employment growth of all role types of 7.8%.
Continued from front page Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 15industryupdate.com.au
With the current shortage of skills, some businesses are attempting to secure talent with inflated salaries.
If you feel this role is for you, please send your resume and covering letter as to why you would be a great fit with the Packserv team to COO@packserv.com.au or call 1300 377 512 trend. Additionally, the industry faces supply challenges exacerbated by the recent floods and the 2019 Queensland and NSW bushfires.
“Competition for labour needed to repair damage [from these disasters] as well as to manufacture materials needed for these repairs has made it extremely difficult for our clients to find employees on their own,” says Creswick. What workers want Since the pandemic, Australian work ers have placed a priority on self-care. Employees are driven to find employ ment that is meaningful or enjoyable, caters to their personal needs, such as flexible work hours, or comes with a higher salary. In industries where employees can work remotely, job seekers have leaned towards a preference for work ing from Accordinghome.to the ABS’s latest Job Mobility report, an increasing num ber of people changed jobs in the year leading up to February 2022, with the main reason being they wanted a better job or simply wanted a change. Salary offers are rising, but is that good in the long term?
We are looking for salespeople who:
Upskilling’s advantages
Manufacturers should assess and determine ways to future-proof their currentBusinessesworkforce.hiring amidst the challenging market conditions and supply pressures can reach out to Fuse Recruitment for tailored talent management advice and solutions.
fuserecruitment.com tight job market, manufacturers should look to upskill employees
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Upskill your workers Instead of fighting for talent, “where it’s possible, employers should upskill those whose work consists greatly of routine tasks,” explains Emma Chung, Senior Recruitment Consultant at Fuse Recruitment, and former Quality Coordinator at Anteo Technologies.
Packserv’s entry into overseas markets is underway and the successful applicants will be pivotal to developing these markets. There will be opportunities for interstate and international travel.
“This type of work is at risk of being automated.”Shehasseen many businesses who adopt new systems are letting go of capable employees and replacing them rather than investing in training. McKinsey & Company has predicted that between 25 to 46% of work in Australia could be automated by 2030. Employers who do not upskill their current employees could see a large reduction of their workforce in the coming years. While this will help businesses cut costs, the lost opportu nity of not upskilling current employ ees will be an even greater loss.
IU: How would you describe Integra Systems manufacturing business?
Erika: Even though we want to attract more women to Integra Systems, I do deeply believe every person should be selected on merit. But when we’re presented with candidates, male or female, more often than not it’s the women who present well and are selected on merit. Then the dynamics, knowledge and creativity that they inject adds value to the whole team. We are very fortunate that we’ve had some really good women to choose from.
Creativity and intuition: why Integra Systems believes hiring more women in manufacturing makes sense
16 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
That’s where we see the advantages of having women on our teams - their intu ition and user insights are noticeably strong, and women have been flourish ing in creative and leadership roles. We’ve always encouraged diversity in the company, and 30 percent of our workforce is now women.
IU: You’re a mentor of women in manufacturing too?
By Margie Smithurst Integra Systems integrasystems.com.au
IU: How important is merit in your hiring policy?
Erika Hughes, Integra Systems co-owner.
We basically do design right through to delivery, and have our own manu facturing facility that specialises in sheet metal, plus a micro-economy of local manufacturers, mainly in Victoria, who we outsource to when we need their services. But it’s all locally made.
more balance and better output when you don’t have an environment full of testosterone. Plus, we are fortunate we have a fairly young team and the younger guys really appreciate working with women.Wealso offer flexible working conditions, for people with young children and who need to work school hours - they can still make a huge contribution.ButwhileI’ve seen the transfor mative effect these women can have, we are still struggling to find women to hire! IU: You’re helped by universities in that regard, aren’t you?
Commercial Director and
Erika: Yes, AMTIL (Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited) asked me to be part of a new program this year which sees women in manufacturing leadership roles mentoring other women in various positions, including leadership, within the manufacturing industry. In a relatively male-dominated environment, we work through some of the challenges for building confidence. A lot of women in man ufacturing don’t do the networking they should be doing to progress their careers. It’s about overcoming that ‘imposter syndrome’, which I see a lot of. These women have the same opportunities as everyone else, but they don’t know whether they’re worthy of them or how to communi cate their value proposition, so it’s about working through ‘blockages’ that are standing in their way - and often that’s to do with networking and developing relationships within theWomenorganisation.engineers can typically be a bit introverted, so it’s important from a mentoring point of view to draw them out and help them get where they want to go.
A s an SME at the forefront of Industry 4.0 design and manufacturing, Melbournebased Integra Systems sees itself as a prime candidate for employing women - not just as engineers in their design team, but giving them critical hands-on production experience on the assembly floor. “Most women will aim for corporates, but I think the best development oppor tunities are in SMEs. In an SME, you’re made accountable for everything you do and touch, and it all has a positive or negative effect on the business. You’re at the coalface, and young women in par ticular like to see outcomes,“ says Erika Hughes, the company’s Commercial Director and co-owner. As a female company leader, Hughes understands the value of having women in leadership roles and in the company’s teams, and she sat down with Industry Update to tell us more.
Erika Hughes: We are specialists in the development and manufacturing of light metal-based products - for exam ple, digital displays, office and street furniture, electrical and electronics enclosures and defence products.
Erika Hughes: By becoming a fully digitalised operation that’s integrated with Industry 4.0 principles, Integra Systems has made manufacturing attractive and fun. Throughout our operation we have touchscreen kiosks that provide performance inputs and outputs, as well as activity centre dashboards. So it’s a highly innovative workplace where everyone is encour aged to put forward suggestions, and to be curious and give feedback on our products and design.
WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING
Erika: Yes. We have strong rela tionships with the industry partner divisions in Victorian universities. Typically they’ll present me with their top students for internship programs, and where possible I’ll ask for young women. Those programs, which are for design engineers who also sometimes come on in our pro duction teams, can lead to full-time employment with us. All of our designers - that is, every one who works in our engineering team - work in the manufacturing environment for a period of time. Our engineers understand that a great designer is born from knowing how things are made and put together, so we give them that opportunity. We’ve had young female engineers come through as students working part time, and they’re happy to work in the production team while waiting for an opportunity to get into the design team. Quite a lot of young women actually express an interest in working with the machines. The challenge is attracting and retaining the women in those positions.Wealso hire unskilled women who aren’t STEM graduates who want to use their hands, and who then go on to develop an interest in STEM after working with us. In 2021, for example, we took on a group of year 12 girls on Saturdays,andtheyabsolutelythrived.SomeofthemwentontostudySTEMatuniversity,whichIthinkisbecauseweshowedthemopportunitiesandtheyfeltvalued.It’sabout
Our niche is high-variability, medium volume, which is unique for us. Most of our clients are looking for bespoke designs with short lead times and agile manufacturing, so they need relentless innovators, and we’re constantly reworking our approaches.
IU: We know there’s an issue with attracting women to STEM study, which means that for employers looking for women, it’s a challenge. What sort of work environment has Integra Systems created to attract women?
We have women in the design team as engineers and industrial design ers, within sales and marketing, and women in leadership roles in the production environment as well as within the production team. In those roles, women communicate really wellnoticedwomen,menbetweendynamicswatchingleaderofmyasset.canintuitionempathytheirandbearealFrompointviewasaandthetheandI’vesomuch
setting the bar for young women’s expectations in manufacturing workplaces.
“I feel proud of the progress to date and the commitment to continue to see this rise, especially compared with other manufacturing sites, which are still sitting on around 6%.”
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In 2022, Kimberly-Clark was recognised by the government-run Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as an Employer of Choice for the very first time. The Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation is a voluntary leading practice recogni tion program designed to encourage, recognise and promote organisations’ active commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces.
Thompsell,licence.
The shift in the atmosphere at the Millicent site is already evident, says Thompsell. “To me personally, it seems more cheerful because there’s a more diverse mix. “At the end of 2019 only 6% of the total Mill production workforce were female, and in a few short years we have already more than doubled this, and it’s now increased to 15%.
When she took time off to have her three children, there was no talk of going back part-time. Instead her husband happily stayed home to look after the kids once her maternity leave“Infinished.anengineering role, you’re expected to be there as much as possi ble to be able to work on problems, but the company’s much more accepting of part-time work these days.”
“I recently had a young female engineer on the team who has had kids, who was coming back two days a week and building up to four days.” Improving the numbers in the engineering section is still a challenge though - and that’s got a lot to do with the STEM “Engineeringpathway.requires a university degree and you have to like maths.
WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING
Attracting women to engineering Thompsell herself has watched the situation change for engineers, too.
No forklift licence? No problem: how global manufacturer KimberlyClark attracted more women to its Millicent Mill operations hen Kelly Thompsell started out with KimberlyClark 25 years ago as a graduate chemical engineer, very few of the company’s employees were women - either as engineers or in production roles. That’s shifted dramatically in the last couple of years, particularly in their operations facility at Millicent Mill near the South Australia and Victoria border, which produces the company’s Kleenex and Viva tissues and toilet paper. “There have been a lot of new hires … and many of them are women, which I’m really enjoying as I’ve spent most of my time here with 95% men,” says Thompsell.
Changes led to more women applicants When Kimberly-Clark removed the prerequisite that applicants need to already hold a forklift licence to qualify for an interview, and instead ask that applicants pursue the licence if successful in the role, it made a difference.Thesmall but important change led to around 50% of women being hired in new production roles in 2020 and 2021.
“I was talking to my daughter, who’s in year 12, and a lot of girls are doing the STEM subjects, but they all want to do medicine. I’m like, tell them to do Thompsellengineering!”ispassionate about getting more women into the profession and volunteers her time to encourage girls to pursue STEM careers. She participates in think tanks and mentoring sessions for school kids and supervises the local science and engineering challenge for young women in STEM run by the University of South Australia.
“We’ve had some fantastic women come through, and they’re proving that anyone’s capable of doing certain jobs.
“And the men are extremely welcom ing. Everyone’s accepted it’s here to stay.”
Kimberley-Clark global.kimberly-clark.com/en-au
“So it was just simple things,” she says. “And that became part of a review of how the jobs were being advertised and what might be turning women away.”
Kelly Thompsell - Continuous Improvement Engineer at Kimberly-Clark “I was watching my kid play hockey and one of the other ladies there, who works at a recruiting firm, was trying to get a job for a woman, but she didn’t have a forklift licence and couldn’t get one at the local training facility...”
With a starting salary of $81,000 a year for an unskilled operator, Thompsell says it’s a pretty good option for women, who probably don’t realise these jobs are out there. “If you don’t want to go to uni, or take a trade route, then operations is a really good career to take up.” One of the other things Kimberly-Clark is increasingly offering is workplace flexibility.
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On the operations floor, some shifts are now shared, and it’s often the men, particu larly those with young children or who are nearing retirement, who are happy to work half the time.
The shift in attitude in the com pany about hiring more women is very promising, she says.
In 2019, the company realised they’d received very few applications from women for operations roles, which led to no women being hired that year. It turns out that one reason so few women were applying was the requirement on the job ad for a fork lift who is now the site’s Continuous Improvement Engineer, was the person who pointed it out to the HR team. “I was watching my kid play hockey and one of the other ladies there, who works at a recruiting firm, was trying to get a job for a woman, but she didn’t have a forklift licence and couldn’t get one at the local training facility because she was too short and their fork truck seat didn’t go forward enough.” Research has shown that women are more likely to only apply for roles if they meet all the criteria. Realising the forklift licence could be excluding great candidates from apply ing, Thompsell challenged the criteria that Kimberly-Clark was using.
WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING
Eight OrganisationsTruthsUncomfortableforIndustrial
Update your organisational model and reignite growth. This infographic suggests that the standard business model for industrial distributors and sellers is outdated and uncompetitive. It then presents a radical new business model by way of eight uncomfortable truths. Discover how those with the resolve to transform their organisation around these eight truths quickly open an unassailable lead on their competitors.
Industry Update’s regular Women in Manufacturing section is dedicated to showing the contributions of women to Australia’s manufacturing industry. It’s a response to the industry’s desire to encourage more women to take up manufacturing careers, as well as to showcase the variety of jobs on offer.
Australia’s manufacturing industry employs more than a mil lion people directly or indirectly, but data shows only 1 in 4 are women, well below the national average of 51 per cent. Industry heavyweights would like to see that number improve dramatically. This year, the Federal Government announced an additional $6.7 million in funding towards programs to attract more women into STEM roles. And this edition shows how women who pursue STEM careers, or who are interested in how things are made, are valuable contributors to manufacturing companies, at both engi neering and operations levels.
MANUFACTURING MEDIA 18 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
Download infographic: 8-uncomfortable-truths.com
If you think you or someone you work with would make a great feature in Industry Update’s regular section on Women in Manufacturing, please contact the magazine via editor@industryupdate.com.au.
Workplace Health & Safety Show in September in Sydney I
WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY SHOW
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 19industryupdate.com.au
t‘s not long now until the best in industry and innovation come together at Sydney Showground for the Workplace Health & Safety Show 2022. Held 20- 21 September, the show will exhibit the latest technol ogy and products that are transform ing health and safety. The Workplace Health & Safety Show promises a live, interactive learning experience with a trade show featuring over 100 brands, talks and communal forums, led by top industry profes sionals. “I am so thrilled to bring the Workplace Health & Safety Show back to Sydney this September,” said Marie Kinsella, CEO, IEC Group Australia. “This show will be a prime oppor tunity for companies and industry innovators to come together and to share in thought provoking discourse on products and services with the wider safety community. “This year’s program has been expertly crafted to include live talks and interactive forums that will provide the perfect environment for professionals to learn about the new developments and strategies lighting up their industry.”Theopportunity to hear from industry leaders in a more personalised and interactive environment has always been key to the Workplace Health & Safety Show’s success, and the 2022 event will be no different. This year’s comprehensive education presentations cover a range of topics such as health, wellbeing, innovation, technology advancements, new safety products, injury prevention and height safety. Connect, collaborate, and innovate with safety colleagues from all corners of industry at the Workplace Health and Safety Show in Sydney this September. The free program of events and opportuni ties offers professionals the chance to meet new suppliers, update knowledge, join discussions and forge connections.Soheadout to Sydney Showground at Olympic Park on Tuesday 20 September and Wednesday 21 September. Entry is free, but registra tion is required. View the full program & register online whsshow.com.au/sydney
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If a user is in distress, they can press a button, shake their phone, or ask Siri for help, and a safety alert will be sent to our professionally moni tored response centre where a highly trained and licenced security team member will then call the user to assist them.
t’s an employer’s obligation to ensure that their staff feel safe regardless of where they are. People who feel secure at work are more likely to be productive and satisfied with their Whetherjob.your employees are working from home, visiting clients, or completing remote jobs, ensuring the safety of employees when they’re off site is more difficult than when they’re on the work premises. This is where WorkSafe Guardian steps in, providing a simple and user-friendly end-to-end solution to help keep lone workers safe. After years of developing their cutting-edge technology, WorkSafe Guardian’s Lone Worker Safety app welcomed their first customer in 2015. Since then, WSG have been industry leaders in lone worker technology innovation.WorkSafe Guardian provides employees with on demand 24/7 pro fessional safety response to welfare check-ins, safety and medical alerts, with location tracking (location tracking is only active during an alert) when help is needed.
WHS SHOW
GuardianWorksafe worksafeguardian.com.au
Keep workers safe with Australia’s 1st Lone Worker Safety app
With WHS regulations tightening, understanding your duty of care and addressing the risks to your lone worker’s safety is more important than ever before.
WorkSafe Guardian is trusted by hundreds of organisations from a variety of industries to keep their most valuable assets, their employees, safe.Come and chat with the WorkSafe Guardian team at Stand G19 at the Workplace Health & Safety Show Sydney 2022 to find out how the WSG solution can help you comply with your duty of care and reduce the risk to your lone workers.
If the user does not answer this call or confirms they are under duress, a predetermined response plan is fol lowed, including the possible dispatch of a private security patrol, or the engagement of Emergency Services.
I
The WorkSafe Guardian app includes a proactive safety feature known as the welfare timer, which is the most popular feature. Before visiting a client, starting a working alone activity or travelling, a staff member working alone can open the app, confirm their physical location, include additional informa tion that may assist in the escalation process, and set a “welfare timer” for a specific duration of time.
If, at the end of that period, the worker does not either reengage with the app or extend the time — or has triggered a duress alarm at any time during the session — WorkSafe Guardian is alerted and follows a per sonalised response procedure.
Jaye, one of WorkSafe Guardian’s loyal clients, comments, ‘WorkSafe Guardian has exceeded our expecta tion and restored our confidence in lone worker safety systems. Overall, we cannot fault WSG on their product and customer service.’
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 21industryupdate.com.au
How to value workplace safety
hat if safety in the work place wasn’t just a priority but a key value? Everyone is so busy these days, the ‘to-do’ lists grow ever-longer and you are con stantly juggling to fit everything in.
Martor Knives martoraustralia.com.au
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WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY SHOW
What about safety, where does that sit on the list? It might start at the top of your list — possibly in the top three things to tackle this week — but the problem with priorities is they can be changed by external influences and demands; a project gets brought forward, a breakdown makes you rearrange your sched ule, your priorities have changed so safety moves down the list. Then there is an incident — no one is hurt yet they might have been — and so safety is once again at the top of your list.A value is different: it’s a fun damental belief that guides your choices and actions in all things. A value will be an integral part of all decision making, not just a task to address.Ifyou want safety to be an integral part of your business, you must make it a core value like honesty and encourage every team member to do the same. A good safety culture is established when safety as a value is supported by procedures, processes and equipment to identify, resolve and avoid potential for hazards rather than manage from incident to incident.Thinkabout how you can instil the value of safety in your workplace. Lead by example with clear com munication, procedures and safety programs including suitable training and support and the right equipment to maximise safety. At Martor, we value safety through safe cutting. To prevent accidents before they happen, consult Martor about your goals and needs and for an assess ment of your cutting tasks. We can support you with a comprehensive range of knives and cutters, each featuring one of three safe-cutting technologies to reduce risk and boost safety. We can work with you and your team to ensure all cutting tasks are done using the safest, most suitable cutting tool for each task.
The StepBumper offers unprecedented heavy-duty low-level protection that prevents injuries and damage in vehicle charging areas, goods holding areas and pedestrian walkways. The dangers in these areas of the workplace can lead to pedestrian injuries, damaged infrastructure and costly downtime. Tested to the global benchmark in barrier sa Code of Practice for WorkplaceBarriersSafetyfety material StepBumper Monoplex is a new material innovation that is revolutionising impact protection in industrial workplaces worldwide. Precision-engineered and produced in the UK using state-of-the-art materials and manufacturing technology. Monoplex safety products offer levels of versatility, durability, and performance across multiple impacts. To schedule a free site survey or virtual consultation please contact: A-Safe Australasia PTY Ltd | www.asafe.com | 02 9625 8927
AutomationRockwell rockwellautomation.com/en-au ofUniversityMelbourne unimelb.edu.au
university’s research capabilities, while providing opportunities to enrich our students’ learning experi ence through industry-led challenges and access to state-of-the-art tech nology,” Professor Cassidy said. Industry backs collaboration The collaboration officially com menced at an MoU signing event at Melbourne Connect on Wednesday July 27. Guests from the manufactur ing, resources, food and beverage, and agricultural processing industries heard from a panel of experts discuss ing the role of industry-university collaboration in solving digital inno vation challenges. Speaking ahead of the event, the panellists expressed their support for the concept saying: “Bega Cheese have seen the advantages of partnering with the University of Melbourne. The value of bringing together a leading, global technology provider in Rockwell Automation, with the University and industry will be of great benefit to all parties.”
- Michelle Ash, Technology Executive, Oz Minerals
R ockwell Automation and the University of Melbourne signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday for advancing digital innovation to help decarbonise manufacturing and resource industries. This union of an eminent Australian university and the world’s largest company dedicated to indus trial automation and digital trans formation is a major step forward that ultimately will help Australian businesses achieve environmental objectives increasingly demanded by consumers.Rockwell Automation and the University of Melbourne will collab orate on research activities, jointly develop training and work together to help solve real-world challenges presented by industry. Rockwell Automation will con tribute engineering resources and product training to the project. The university will bring academic and research expertise, and world class innovation infrastructure. Anthony Wong, regional director, South Pacific, Rockwell Automation, said the MoU marks an important new phase that will benefit industry. “Decarbonisation is now front of mind for Australian industrial com panies,” Mr Wong said. “They know they must act to remain attractive to consumers and meet compliance tar gets, but they often don’t know how to start or where to focus their energies for the greatest returns.”
“Rockwell Automation and the University of Melbourne are coming together to share our expertise and explore practical solutions to this challenge.”University of Melbourne will provide research expertise, academic and physical resources, and use the collaboration to give its students real-world training, preparing them to tackle tomorrow’s engineering challenges – including using digital innovation – to accelerate decarboni sation and become future leaders in theirFacultyfield. of engineering and infor mation technology dean, University of Melbourne Professor Mark Cassidy, said the MoU would allow the two organisations to collectively deliver outcomes that could not be achieved independently.“Ourengineering and information technology talent and resources, and Rockwell’s capital and expertise are perfectly placed to achieve the digital transformation of Australian industrial manufacturing that is needed. We see this collaboration as a key opportunity to demonstrate the
Associate Professor Jo Staines, Enterprise Fellow, University of Melbourne. Industry Update applauds this ground breaking venture between two giants – Rockwell Automation and the University of Melbourne.
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Pioneering collaboration between Rockwell Automation and University of Melbourne to help decarbonise Australia
“Learnings from the pandemic are still emerging, but I hope we are appreciating the value of a compet itive and sustainable local man ufacturing industry. Striving for cost competitiveness and improved sustainability should not be seen as opposing business goals. We can achieve both – reducing waste lowers costs and improves sustainability, and likewise, integrated digital solutions can enhance market responsiveness and encourage circularity.”
“Developing strong tripartite relationships between industry, solution providers and universities, is fundamentally important to accel erating development and solving important strategic problems in vital industries.”
- Anthony Bourke, General Manager, Operations, Bega Foods
Continued from front page investment to boost the Australian economy by promoting collaboration between universities and industry. While the plan was announced by the previous government, we see no good reason why it would be cut by the new executive. It’s an eminently sensible scheme, relevant to the goals of both major parties. If Albanese is to deliver on his commitment to ensure Australia is “a country that makes things”, this is just the sort of program he should maintain. Indeed he should expand it. Thanks to the visionary commer cialisation action plan, never before has there been a better time for universities and business to collaborate. And never before have Australia’s researchers and universities been presented with such strongMostincentives.ofthefunds ($1.6 billion) from the $2.2 billion plan are being directed towards a program called Australia’s Economic Accelerator. The AEA aims to overcome the so-called ‘valley of death’ between promising early-stage research and commercialisation.PlentyofgoodAussie ideas struggle to make the latter stages of development because of commercial risk and uncertainty. The AEA will help bridge this gap. It has just commenced providing grants to universities to support projects aligned with the six National Manufacturing Priorities: • space • medical products • resources technology and critical minerals processing • food and beverage • defence • recycling and clean energy The AEA is a fast-fail model designed to attract projects at a proof-of-con cept or proof-of-scale level of com mercial readiness. To incentivise performance, the funding increases as projects mature towards at-scale commercialisation.
prize
Moreover, the government is fos tering workforce mobility between academia and business with $296 million for 1,800 ‘National Industry’ PhDs over 10 years. These consist of two sorts of doctoral programs: ‘University-led Industry PhDs’ undertaking research projects in collaboration with indus try, and ‘Industry-driven Researchers PhDs’ that go to industry profession als supported by their employers to undertake PhD projects in partner ship with a university. These will help build interlocking relationships between the sectors.
CSIRO and QUT will jointly oversee applicant selection, course design, education, and mentorship. Applications will open in September 2022 and close in 2027. Olympics money to train next generation of Aussie scientists Autonomous
The funds were sourced from the CSIRO’s winnings in its historic podium finish at the 2021 DARPA Subterranean (“SubT”) Challenge. The “SubT” Challenge is a com petition organised by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under the US Department of Defence. It aims to explore new approaches to rapidly map, navigate, and search underground environments. A world-class robotics research and education institution, QUT has a track record of educating some of the best and brightest minds in the roboticsProfessorindustry.Elanor Huntington, CSIRO Executive Director of Digital, National Facilities and Collections said the scholarship fund was an investment in the future of Australian robotics and would spread the benefit of the win across the entire community.“In2021,a group of robotics experts from Queensland took on the world’s best in a competition dubbed ‘the robot Olympics’ and came second in a photo finish,” Professor Huntington said. “Using that prize money to educate a diverse cohort of robotics experts – who might be a 2031 DARPA Challenge team - will help Australia seize the AU $22.17 trillion global AI opportunity.“Weknow that diversity is the engine room of innovation, and we hope to inspire and support a dynamic new generation of robotics talent,” she said.
Examples of industry involvement in AEA include embedded industry experts, memoranda of understand ing, in-kind support, formal partner ships and co-investment. Under AEA, $150 million is slated to expand CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures to harness venture capital investment.Thecommercialisation action plan also includes $242.7 million in com petitively allocated ‘trailblazer’ fund ing for a select group of universities with projects that are aggressively pushing the envelope on industry partnership and commercialisation. Trailblazer objectives are to promote open and collaborative IP agreements, incentivise researcher engagement with industry, and achieve co-funding and genuine col laboration from business.
Crucially, the government is trans forming the university IP framework to facilitate greater collaboration by universities and improve attractive ness for Australian business. To achieve the aim of bridging the cultural divide between universities and business, the commercialisa tion action plan will shift the dial on research funding incentives from blue sky ideas, targeted at publication in prestigious international journals, to more concrete real-world research orientated towards solving practical problems in the context of commer cialWhetherrealities.the plan fully delivers on this lofty ideal remains to be seen, but it’s a necessary step in the right direction.AndIndustry Update will be there to support it every step of the way, as part of our ongoing commitment to Australian manufacturing. We are excited to launch Universities, research and collaboration T he CSIRO is providing $1.2 million to support eight robot ics scholarships at Queensland University of Technology, targeting high-performing students in groups underrepresented in the industry.
Industry Update promotes collaboration with new university section
Diversity in the Australian robotics industry is one of the key obstacles to its growth according to Robotics Australia Group’s A Robotics Roadmap for Australia 2022 report released late last year. The government’s 2021 STEM Equity Monitor reported men accounted for 87 percent of 2020s national STEMqualified occupations.
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CSIRO Robot
UNIVERSITIES, RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION
CSIRO’s Robotics and
CSIRO puts the smart into smart manufacturing
CSIRO is also working on foundation platforms to facilitate fast and robust solution development. For example, artificial intelligence augmented design tools incorporating experimental and com putational methods (aka AI4Design).
Christian Ruberg, Future Digital Manufacturing Lead, CSIRO Manufacturing and acknowledging the collaboration with my team colleagues Dr Simon Dunstall & Dr Melanie Ayre.
SCAN TO FIND OUT MORE
Another solution in the works is robotic additive manufacturing for metal component repair and maintenance featuring self-calibrating computer vision and real-time sensor fusion.
Under development are novel approaches to inte grate multiple computer vision sensors at multiple scales for real-time closed loop process control at the micro-scale such as in robotic additive manufacturing, and end-of-arm collision avoidance at a larger scale.
The above emerging technologies are variously involved in a range of CSIRO collaborations. This includes, for example, developing intelli gent secure by design wireless mesh networks for complex assembly in aerospace structures, ship building, industrial and building construction. It also includes supporting a shift from batch to flow chemistry, suited to Australian scale of niche, high value bespoke chemical synthesis.
Innovation today requires a change of thinking at all levels. Essential skills include the ability to create, recognise, and cultivate innovation oppor tunities. We need to foster these at a national level. One approach might be with innovation micro-credentials, such as in global IP scanning, innovation pipeline development, discovery sprints, investment proposal writing, fail fast to innovate philosophy, and more. We need to get better at “delivery science”. Many of our corporate leaders typically come from finance, law and risk. We must build capacity in science, technology, change and innovation. Another more bold approach may be a national open innovation platform including stan dards, guidelines, case studies, a grant/investment concierge, and eco-system collaboration tools (i.e. at the national, state, regional, sector specific, and technology specific levels).
UNIVERSITIES, RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION
CSIRO draws ideas from international innova tion initiatives such as Plattform Industrie4.0 in Germany, the CESMIS Smart Manufacturing insti tute in the USA, and Catapult UK model. Each of these have industry sectoral or technology specific foci, open standards and reference architectures, specifically funded technology deliverables, innova tion processes, and their network of networks.
Additive manufacturing has had decades of development, but CSIRO is still leading interna tionally in many areas. CSIRO’s Clayton based Lab22 facility has pioneered the reliable use of several exotic materials for medical implants. More recently, advances in cold spray, laser and wire arc, have progressed from simple 3D metal printing to complex six degree of freedom robotic metal deposition. In conjunction with real-time laser scanning, robotic factory floor or in-the-field repair or modification of metal structures such as defence equipment or foundry castings is feasible and cost effective. Advanced sensor systems and algorithms to compare scanned point-clouds against CAD specifications to determine defects, or to place new enhanced features, will soon be available as part of the robotic additive manufacturing toolkit.
But what aspects are best suited to Australian requirements and industry scale? This requires judicious collection and analysis of data and information. Valuable work here includes CSIRO’s Advanced Manufacturing Roadmap, AMGC’s Sector Competitiveness Plan and the CSIRO’s National Hydrogen Roadmap. Every business and industry sector has unique challenges, so organisational strategy develop ment is a complex sectoral or organisational task. Strategies were once considered limited to lowest cost economy of scale, differentiation and niche positioning. But now we might consider cost lead ership, value-chain leadership, design leadership, syndicate leader, and more. Diverse frameworks can be Advancesvaluable.inproduct design creates competitive advantage. CSIRO looks to integrate advances in artificial intelligence and computational modelling to optimise product performance. Can AI make ‘left field’ suggestions that create step changes in performance?
9manufacturingacademy.org.au
To test this hypothesis CSIRO is working on AI based design methods for catalysts and static mixers in flow chemistry, and in robotic soft gripper design. More intelligent products that are cloud integrated can offer the opportunity for hardware as a service (HaaS), also known as servitisation. Moving costs from capital expense to operational expenses can be attractive to both supplier and client. CSIRO is exploring how to make battery management systems more intelligent, integrating battery chemistry with cloud data to optimise lifecycle and performance.CSIROisworking on numerous direct to market technology solutions, includ ing secure and intelligent IoT wireless mesh networks featuring sensor integration featuring and integrated business rules engine.
learning modules 20 real stories of Australian success 4+ hours of content
MANUFACTURINGMARKETINDUSTRYPRODUCTCOMPETITIVENESSVALUE4.0REACHWITH
THE STATE OF MANUFACTURING RESILIENCE Australia languishes at 91 of 133 countries on the Harvard Economic Complexity Index. The index captures an economy’s sophistica tion and diversity – and is linked to growth prospects.
Free education, guidance and leadership for Australian manufacturers seeking advancement, competitiveness and growth.
A ustralia needs to develop its innovation eco-systems. Collaboration – between technologists, researchers, innovators, com mercialisers, investors and customers – is critical. Where can businesses look for guidance? Industry peak body groups are a starting place. The CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency is another. CSIRO’s R&D Labs, SME Connect, and Kickstart programs are designed to support collaboration between likeminded change-makers.
Christian Ruberg, Future Digital Manufacturing Lead, CSIRO explores how collaboration and organisational strategy can help up Australia’s game.
CSIRO’s new Future Digital Manufacturing initiative brings together our domain experts and world leading innovations across physical and information sciences to underpin business aspira tions. If you are an ambitious SME, or you deliver high value manufactured solutions, or seek to target emerging future industries, then CSIRO is positioned to be a solution partner.
ROSIETHEWORKFORCECIRCULAR
Christian Ruberg, Future Digital Manufacturing Lead, CSIRO Manufacturing.
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ECONOMY
The full program for the Modern Manufacturing Expo can be found at modernmanufacturingexpo.com
The hub provides capabilities for design, topological optimisation, the 3D printing of metals, ceramics and polymers, as well as post-processing heat treatment, advanced characterisa tion and more; paving the way for new technology in industries like aerospace, autonomous vehicles, biomedical, defence, maritime and robotics.
A hub for manufacturers The Sydney Manufacturing Hub is an initiative from The University of Sydney, and is a Foundation Partner of the Modern Manufacturing Expo. It is a core research facility dedicated to advanced materials processing and additive manufacturing, and focuses on the production of lighter, stronger and more flexible components in a manner that minimises waste.
• Participate as a trusted knowledge sharer and advisor
While this advice is useful, some manufacturers may still be asking themselves, ‘These new opportu nities for manufacturing sound great but where can I find the best solution for my needs?’. According to Marie Kinsella, CEO for the IEC International Exhibition and Conference Group, this question will be answered at the Modern Manufacturing Expo. “This new event was created after realising the need for innovation through collaboration and to assist with the government’s goal to mod ernise and digitise Australia’s manu facturing sector,” said Kinsella. “It is much more than an exhi bition—rather a coming together of collaborators and a place where man ufacturers can find not only new tech nologies but also help to implement modern manufacturing practices”.
The expo will also see the launch of a dedicated Innovation & Collaboration Manufacturers Guide and the MICD Directory, which aims to help guide manufacturers along the digital transformation and innova tion journey. Smart manufacturers will find this guide useful for inspira tion through leading-edge stories. It also includes a practical directory of where to find the help they need to be competitive in tomorrow’s manufac turing world.
“The hub gives manufacturers a place where they can try before they buy—to see what technology is available, get help from researchers on how to implement it and get the base work done before making a large investment,” says Gwénaëlle Proust, Academic Deputy Director of Sydney University’s Sydney Manufacturing Hub.
Local industries can benefit from enhanced additive manufacturing as it reduces material waste, simplifies supply chains, and builds independent capacity to create materials, compo nents and even whole machines.
MODERN MANUFACTURING PRESENTED BY
Christian Ruberg, Future Digital Manufacturing Lead at Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, says Australian manufacturers’ strength lies in collaboration and learning from one another. He suggests that manufacturers can promote industry collaboration in the following ways:
o build Australian manufactur ing sovereignty and ensure the country is a powerful force in global manufacturing, widespread innovation and modernisation are needed. This requires greater access to research and development.
Join us at the Modern Manufacturing Expo at Sydney Showground on the 20th & 21st September. WIN - A 2 hour strategic review with Coleman Greig Lawyers, William Buck Accountants and Advisors and St. George Bank.
• Participate in the ecosystem around supply chains by attending events where current programs and opportunities are explained such as the upcoming Modern Manufacturing Expo • Participate in pre-competitive technical collaboration • Engage with industry growth cen tres and technology alliances
The event will also host the first Smart Manufacturing Conference on 20 September at the Sydney Showgrounds. Tickets for this event are available on the website.
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R&D centres light the way to modernise manufacturing
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A variety of R&D avenues is already available and these will be on show at the Modern Manufacturing Expo on 20 and 21 September 2022 at the Sydney Showground. An ‘Innovation & Collaboration Zone’ in the exhibi tion will give visitors access to these resources in one convenient location. Attendees will have access to a dedicated space for manufacturers to meet, match and discuss their R&D needs with the likes of CSIRO, The University of Sydney, and New South Wales Smart Sensing Networking (NSSN). Also on offer is an ‘Expert Arena’, where visitors can hear from industry leaders including Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, DMTC, Open IIoT and AusIndustry among others.
Opportunities for industry Innovation can’t happen without collaboration, and different resources can help the modern manufacturer to develop different skill sets.
The way for Australian manufac turing to reach this point is becoming clear as universities, manufactur ing hubs and research centres are opening themselves to working with manufacturers to research, invest, test and commercialise new products and technologies.
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Other Events at the Modern Manufacturing Expo
MODERN MANUFACTURING
Manufacturing Industry Leaders Breakfast
Modern Manufacturing Expo visitors can register for all events at the following link modernmanufacturingexpo.com/register
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September’s Modern Manufacturing Expo puts focus on collaboration and implementation
The Expo will feature a special dedicated Innovation & Collaboration Zone where universities, manufacturing hubs and CRCs showcase exciting developments for the manufacturing sec tor. This is a great place for manufacturers to connect with innova tion creators and learn how these organisations can support their advanced manufacturing goals.
All registrations for the free Modern Manufacturing Expo will include complimentary access to the Expert Arena, which will be scheduled across the two days. Here, attendees can access live demonstrations of the latest in manufacturing technologies and hear expert presentations on topics such as 3D printing, a manufac turer’s guide to Cloud Software, AI, robotics, machine learning and digital manufacturing. / September 2022
Kick-starting the Modern Manufacturing Expo, attendees of the networking breakfast will hear NSW Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Stuart Ayres discuss the future of manufac turing in NSW.
Expert Arena
Innovation & Collaboration Zone
odern Manufacturing Expo, on at Sydney Showground in September, is being expanded with a one-day conference on smart manufacturing on 20 September. The Smart Manufacturing Conference will include thought-provoking pre sentations from experts on future-fo cused and practical topics such as smart-sourcing new technologies and equipment, the benefits of deep learning AI in the automated process and navigating the additive manufac turing landscape in highly regulated industries.ModernManufacturing Expo will be opened by Commonwealth Minister for Industry and Science, the Ed Husic who will give a government address at the Expert Arena on 20 September 2022.
Looking to access the R&D tax incentive but not sure where to start?
Our experienced team of advisors can help you assess eligibility, maximise your claim and remain compliant.Ouradvisors can help you:
Identify and document R&D activities Conduct a feasibility review
Assess whether you’re eligible for the R&D incentivePrepareand lodge your claim Track expenditure against your budget Ensure your ongoing compliance Delivered by experienced accountants and tax advisors, our team takes a commerical and holistic view of your affairs. Get a free assessment from one of our R&D consultants today.
R&D support for businessesinnovative
Your questions about cobots answered Hear from Food ConferenceManufacturingtheleadersindustryBeverage&atSmart
A robot palletising system can trans form efficiency and productivity for smaller“Withbusinesses.alimitednumber of employees on the line, SMEs are more vulnerable to staff being sick or unavailable,”says Masa. “Engaged and satisfied employees are less likely to leave their work place than those who are bored. Automating a tiresome task like palletising will free your people up for more purposeful work. By making employees’ roles more engaging, you can hold on to great talent.” Add to the mix the worsening global skills shortage. A McKinsey survey has found that 87% of global companies are either currently or are imminently about to experience skills shortages and it’s clear that palletis ing robots are a good investment to future-proof a business.
To ensure your cobot can auto matically complete tasks, you will require the right software provided by Universal Robots.
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ollaborative robot—known as cobots—are widely used for pal letising applications. Dubbed ‘palletising robots’, these cobots help automate packing and stacking onto pallets.Their ability to automate dull and potentially dangerous tasks is the main reason for their popularity around the globe, as Masayuki Mase, Country Manager for Universal Robots Oceania explains. “Cobots are not designed to take people’s jobs, they are designed to change the way work is done. They free up workers’ time so that they can focus on tasks that add value to the business.”
Since introducing one of the world’s first commercially viable cobot in 2008, Universal Robots has devel oped a product portfolio including the UR3e, UR5e, UR10e, and UR16e, reflecting a range of reaches and payloads. Each model is supported by a wide selection of end-effectors, software, accessories and application kits. This allows the cobots to be used across a wide range of industries and means that they can be used for diverse tasks.
A utomating and digital transfor mation in manufacturing are not the easiest of tasks. It takes a strong strategic plan, the right advice, the right suppliers and most likely an evolution of company culture. This is especially true in the Food & Beverage sector where the mod ernisation of traditional production lines can be expensive and difficult but reap great rewards.
Smart TuesdayConferenceManufacturing20September Co-hosted by Investment NSW & Food Innovation Australia Limited - FIAL Ray Hanly, Group CEO & Managing Director, Beak and Johnston SMC Corporation ANZ smart-manufacturing-conferencemodernmanufacturingexpo.com/
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“For other tasks, you may require a longer reach rather than a higher payload, so make sure you choose the right cobot model. You’ll also need to choose an appropriate end effector (also known as end-of-arm tooling, or EOAT) based on the items you’re going to be moving.”
Universal Robots universal-robots.com
MODERN MANUFACTURING
Does a palletising robot have limitations? “Yes, the technology does have some limitations,” says Masa. “However, the UR20 cobot from Universal Robots is a game-changer. While in the past we only offered a payload of up to 16kg, we now offer a 20kg pay load which means that we can service almost any palletising application.” Do small and medium busi nesses need a robot palletising system?
If you’re planning on using a cobot for palletising, you’ll need to start with a few hardware essentials – such as the cobot arm. “Generally, an arm with a higher payload will be better suited to some palletising tasks as it enhances movement capabilities.”
At the Smart Food & Beverage Manufacturing Panel session, co-hosted by Investment NSW and Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL), hear from Food & Beverage industry leaders and technology providers as they discuss successful adoption and lessons learnt in I4.0, automation, digitalisation and other modern manufacturing methods, models and processes.
“Palletising is one of the final stages of production and takes place at companies big and small. The likes of fast-moving consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries commonly make use of palletising to pack, seal and transport goods to outlets,” says Masa. Masa answers the most common questions from manufacturers to Universal Robots about using cobots for palletising as follows: How can a palletising robot be customised? “Palletising is a broad category,” explains Masa. “Businesses use palletising robots for a host of tasks, including handling extremely delicate items like glass, oddly shaped or tricky-to-grab items, products that can be damaged by a human touch or even hazardous materials. To meet a wide range of needs, there are various end effectors called ‘grippers’ that allow you to customise your cobot palletiser. You’ll find a gripper for vir tually every sort of palletising task.”
In fact, Universal Robots’ latest addition to its portfolio, the UR20, features an entirely new joint design that allows for even faster cycle times and the ability to handle heavier loads. With a reach of 1750mm, it’s been designed to work to the full height of a standard pallet.
The company, which is part of Teradyne Inc., is headquartered in Odense, Denmark, has installed over 50,000 cobots worldwide.
He believes cobots’ ease of use and efficiency in palletising is what truly sets them “Universalapart.Robots is focused on maximum productivity, the reduction of errors and improved quality. All our cobots are designed with these mandates in mind.”
What software and hardware do I need for a palletising system?
MODERN MANUFACTURING Make Laser light work for you Raymax distributes specialised laser and photonics solutions Discover what is possible with our advanced Laser and Photonics Solutions • Advanced Manufacturing & Industrial Laser Processing • Micromachining & Microstructure Engineering Applications • Hyperspectral Imaging, Custom Optics, Lithography • Product Marking and Perforation Lasers • Laser safety products and Fume Extraction • Material Interaction Research • Solutions for Scientific Research • Laser Consulting & www.raymax.com.auEngineering Metal 3D printing now coming to your desktop with Raise3D, BASF Forward AM and Bilby3D 3
Bilby3Dheadquarters.MetalFuse2themadementprecipitation-hardening,Throughaheattreattechnique,thematerialcanbeevenharderandstronger.Bilby3DhasbeendistributingBASFUltrafuserangeforoveryears,andwillsoonaddaRaiseSystemtoitsnewSydneyThiswillenabletoofferthedebindingand sintering stages as a service to allow businesses to access the technology with minimum upfront cost. The launch of the Raise Metal Fuse system later this year will open up incredible manufacturing possibili ties for Australian companies. Bilby 3D is excited by the possibil ities and is ready to discuss how this integrated solution can expand your manufacturing portfolio. Bilby3D bilby3D.com.au
D Printing has come a long way. The use of thermoplastics has opened up low cost production, and the process has developed to rein force high strength materials such as Nylon + Carbon Fibre. Now MIM technology brings a new paradigm to small additive manufac turingMIMmachines.(MetalInjection Moulding) is an established technology for making solid metal parts in medium-to-large lots. A metal powder combined with a binder is forced into a mould with pressure and heat. Then the part is ejected, and injection ports removed. From there the ‘green’ part is put in a debinding station, and most of the binder removed. The ‘brown’ part is then carefully moved to a sintering oven, the last of the binder burns out and the metal particles fuse together to produce a solid metal part. The cutting edge development is to take that process and adapt it to incorporate the safer proce dure of filament-based 3D Printing (instead of volatile powders) and print on a ruggedised industrial 3D printer. This produces simple or complex shapes without the limitations of moulding.Inthefourth quarter of this year, Raise 3D will release its MetalFuse system of ruggedised 3D printer, debinding station and sintering furnace, optimised for BASF’s Ultrafuse 316L and 17-4PH. 316L Stainless Steel is well known, and the new 17-4PH provides an outstanding combination of high strength, good corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties as well as being magnetic.
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Raymax Lasers raymax.com.au
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MODERN MANUFACTURING
Machines designed to meet customer needs
The real advantages of the DED process can be found in the wide vari ety of industrial applications. These include, but are not limited to, extending the life of parts by pro viding wear resistant coatings, repair ing damaged or broken parts, using multi-materials in one application and creating additional structures on pre-existing parts to provide different or improved functionality.
B eAM machines, which are now part of the AddUp group, design and produce indus trial metal additive manufacturing machines that apply Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology.
These 5 axis machines have been designed and manufactured for industrial purposes to meet customer requirements.EachBeAM machine is modular, upgradable and offers high perfor mance. Modulo 400 for example, has a 640 x 400 x 400 mm build volume, (the Magic 800 has an 800 x 800 x 1200 mm build chamber), a process module with 5-axis kinematics, the DED deposition nozzle, ‘powder tight’ enclosure, an air extractor and a fil tration unit that provides exceptional operational safety standards. Additional peripherals can be added, but the whole system fits into a shipping container, enabling transportation and operation to remote locations. BeAM provide a range of industrial nozzles for the deposition process that offer precise, variable deposition widths from 10Vx, single gas follow, or 24Vx, dual gas flow, that varies the deposition volume depending on your needs.
All BeAM machines offer auto mated quality assurance software displaying real-time data on a screen, which is compatible with 4.0 plat forms. Some 80 different parame ters can be monitored including gas flow, torque, powder consumption, porosity, and so on. Should a spike in the data output be observed, the print can be halted, and the problem fixed. This innovative use of sensors acts as a monitoring device in real time.
DED is an Additive Manufacturing process where focused thermal energy is used to fuse materials by melting them as they are deposited.
The process benefits from being con ducted in a controlled environment that ensures high-quality in the final mate rial, while the operation is conducted within exceptional safety standards.
While the advantage of this process means less post-processing and less material waste, a key advantage is that new sections or additional fea tures can be added to an existing part.
Innovative manufacturing ‘Near net shape’ refers to building a component to be close in size and shape to the desired finish, providing an innovative method of manufactur ing with high-value materials.
A recent development in-house used a rocket nozzle made from 304 Stainless Steel and ‘over-printing’ an Isogrid in Inconel 625 using a Magic 800 DED Followingmachine.thisatop structure was built using a layering process. The completed product was finished within 18 print hours.
BeAM machines include the Modulo 400 and Magic 800. Both machines use a custom-built nozzle mounted on the Z-Axis of a CNC machine, providing a simultaneous 5 axes process. The co-axial nozzle is moved in 3 linear axes while the build platform works in 2 rotational axes operating in a controlled atmosphere. This set-up allows 5 continuous axes of freedom, to build or repair components layer by layer. By utilizing traditional CNC controls and using ISO G-code customers are provided tools to which their skilled workforce is already accustomed.
BeAM joins AddUp First developed in France, BeAM machines have now joined AddUp with operations commencing in Cincinnati USA. This move strengthens the offer ings to customers, as AddUp provide a complimentary technology of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF).
Innovation in Laser Technology
Building precise complex geome tries is a feature of the DED process. An example of a repair can be found in a worn labyrinth seal from an aircraft with a finish that met qualification standards.Here,advantages of DED pro cesses are gained through accurate repeatability compared to a manual welding process and the result is high mechanical strength due to very fine microstructures with no cracks or bonding failures.
These can comprise large dimen sions, complex shapes, embrace multi-material builds and most often do not require supports to ‘hold’ the part during the DED build.
First, the piston core was built using a FormUp 350 laser printer. The piston core was then placed in a BeAM DED machine where rings were created on the top section using a different material (Inconel 625). The 5 axes build platform in the BeAM Magic 800 deposited the rings to increase wear resistance and better performance under high temperatures.Thefinalproduct demonstrated the effective combination of both technol ogies paving the way for innovation in manufacturing.Ifyouwouldlike to discuss DED technology with BeAM machines or and AddUp LBM systems come and meet Dr Cédric Chaminade, Technical Director at Raymax Applications Pty Ltd on our stand at Modern Manufacturing.
The laser beam is employed as a heat source to melt the metal powder that is deposited on a substrate layer by layer for the generation of a desired component. All deposition parameters are modifiable - powder mass flow, deposition speed, and laser power. The nozzles are powered by a high-quality reliable fiber laser source of 500 W or 2 kW. The heat source melts the metal powder that is depos ited on a substrate, layer by layer. This unique capability enables new sections to be added to parts using ‘near net shaped’ geometries.
Technologies combine to innovate The success of the relationship between AddUp and BeAM recently resulted in a concept part created across both platforms, Laser Beam Melting and Directed Energy Deposition. A hybrid piston head was con structed to demonstrate the technol ogy can produce high performance parts by introducing lattice struc tures to reduce weight, with inter nally positioned oil channels that would serve to increase performance.
Photocentric - inventors of 3D LCD Printing. A winner of 3 Queen’s Awards, patent holders in visible light curing technologies and specialising in photopolymerisation, Photocentric is an award-winning specialist resin and LCD printer manufacturer based in the UK and Arizona, USA. They manufacture an innovative range of photopolymer resins compatible with any printer operating from 355nm to 460nm, and a range of innovative 3D printers using LCD screens. Materials - Having a great, reliable machine is only part of the process. Most of our machines are open materi als - so you are not locked in to materi als from one supplier, and can adapt to new materials as they come along. We scour the world to bring you the best materials with real-world applications.ForFFFwe have not just various Nylons embedded with Carbon Fibre, but many different matrix and rein forcing materials, including ABS with Kevlar.BASF has been working with Raise3D to bring to market a solution for printing filament with metal pow ders within a binder, which can then be sintered to give a full-metal part with low porosity. Nanoe in France also has ceramic filaments. We also have a range of flexi ble materials of different shore hardnesses, from very soft to high durability.Duetothe nature of thermoplas tics, their temperature resistance is low. Combined with the printing process of FFF printing, that means sometimes we need a different solution. Resin printing is a chemical curing process, so that items with higher temperature resistance, such as small run injection moulds, can be produced. As can items with high levels of Bilby3Dflexibility.areproud of the solu tions we have helped establish with Australia’s medical, military, and manufacturing industries; drawing on our engineering and material sciences knowledge to develop world first applications in Additive Manufacturing across Australia and New Zealand. Bilby3D bilby3D.com.au Raise3D Prints
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ilby3D have offered indus try-leading tech support to diverse businesses from solo professionals up to Defence and Aerospace for over a decade. We con sult for companies to find the materi als and machinery that will best meet their needs. We action real and cost effective manufacturing workflows. Brands we represent: Raise 3D-Industrial 3D Printers, Photocentric Resin Manufacturing solutions, Thor3D and Shinging3D 3D Scanners, Mayku Thermoformers. Spectrum, 3DXtech, ProtoPasta, Kimya by Armor. BASF and Zetamix by Nanoe Industrial Filaments. Raise3D is leading Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D Printing with high reliability and output quality.
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Raise3D’s printers are easy-to-use, durable, ready to improve precision standards, scale production, and add a powerful new additive manufac turing resource. Raise3D also has a well-earned reputation for premium materials, providing impressive tensile strength and surface quality. Stronger materials launching within their range are being made available with the new industrial machines.
Gain a competitive edge by implementing the latest digital tools for rapid prototyping and small batch production
Maverick use of Lego helps Gold Coast flight simulator zero in on elite military markets
“The Gold Coast is a great location for a business like ours,” Ryan said. “We are close to all our support ser vices such as fabricators, laser cutters, powder coaters, electrical suppliers…
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A Gold Coast innovator, Ryan Aerospace, supplies helicopter and jet flight training simu lators to the United States Air Force, Army and Navy, as well as England’s Royal Airforce, changing elite pilot training and revolutionising the world’s most famed fighter pilot and weaponsManagingschools.director Chris Ryan said clients across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America, South America and Australia were jumping aboard the realistic, robust, accurate and cost-ef fective helicopter flight simulators available for civil, military and emer gency
It’s also close to universities which is a great place to get advice and source talent. Finally, it’s just a great place to live. The lifestyle is just fantastic.” As a pioneer in the new genera tion of flight training devices that leverage virtual and mixed reality technologies, the company has been on a high-speed climb ever since the move. “We could see very early on that this type of technology was going to be a game-changer and industry disrupter,” Ryan said. “One headset, worth less than $1,000, could replace many screens, projectors, projector domes and PCs, all while providing a really realistic and immersive experience.“Something else you get with Virtual Reality that you can’t get with screens out front or projection domes is 3D stereoscopic depth perception, which provides yet another layer of immersion and realism. “We are now working on mixed reality solutions where some of what you see in your headset is virtual reality and some of it is real. This is especially useful for allowing the trainee to interact with controls and instruments in the cockpit.”
Ryan Aerospace continues to supply a series of contracts awarded in 2021 for nearly 300 jet fighter and helicopter training simulators to the US Air Force. The simulators form part of the innovative new program, known as “Pilot Training Transformation,” to combat the US Air Force’s shortage of pilots and flight instructors who could deliver one-on-one training to the students.Aspart of a consortium, Ryan Aerospace won the job over multi-bil lion-dollar competitors by developing a modular and reconfigurable flight training simulator that could be modified to represent a number of different fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.Coupled with a learning manage ment system, the simulators allowed the flight school to switch from a “teacher-centred” model to more of a “learner-centred” training model, or, where students, with the help of a virtual instructor, could virtually teachRyanthemselves.saidthemilitary market had since taken off, also adding the extra bonus of trainee fighter pilot safety. Among other contracts, Ryan Aerospace supplies more than 30 HELIMOD Mark III helicopter simu lators for the US Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama, which is the world’s largest helicopter training facility. The company also supplies virtual reality helicopter simulators for the Royal Australian Navy. “Preparing students for flight in the simulator is proving very valuable and is seen as a way to reduce risk in the real aircraft due to the fact that students are already familiar with the cockpit, the procedures, the flight controls, the rules around the airfield,” Ryan said.
“The very first prototype was made with a gaming joystick that literally pulled apart, re-wired and integrated into an office chair with a lot of gaffer tape and dodgy welding,” Ryan said. “When I wanted to design new concepts, I did use Lego which I com mandeered from my parent’s place.
However, as time went on, I taught myself how model using 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages so now, I’m afraid, the Lego has taken a back seat and gone back to grandkids.” Ryan Aerospace hit the afterburners when it exhibited its first virtual reality trainer at a trade show in Rome in 2012, followed by Ryan making the perma nent move to the Gold Coast.
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Andapplications.itallstarted with a Gold Coast helicopter flying lesson, and Lego.
On a family holiday to the Gold Coast, Ryan took his first helicopter flying lesson. Returning home, he was determined to practise his skills, so invented a simulator. He saw a need for helicopter simu lators that were better than gaming equipment, but without the exorbi tant costs of high-end simulators.
The company then leapt ahead and grew to $30 million turnover in the next few years, and has ticked along consistently ever since.
By Margie Smithurst W hen Robert Merola turned up for his first day as the sales office supervisor at SEW’s new 5000 square metre Tullamarine factory in 1983, he had no one to supervise. Nor did he have a designated office. He also had no orders. So, he set to work touching base with companies he knew from previous sales jobs, and eventually one day the phone rang - a pump company had been let down by their usual supplier and urgently needed six units. The factory assembled the order, and they were delivered the next day. And that’s how Australia’s SEW-EURODRIVE sales kickedMerolaoff.says the Tullamarine assembly centre, near Melbourne’s airport and with easy access to the port facility, went from zero to $300,000 turnover in just a few months. By the second year of operations, it had cranked up to $5.8 million, just short of the $6 mil lion he’d predicted to his surprised German bosses. This year, Merola says the Australian company’s on track to reach $120 million.
Covid defied expectations Covid would prove the next major challenge. But Merola says the last 2-3 years have ushered in a period of “incredibly steep growth”, which he didn’t expect. “I expected to go backwards… But (the growth) was mainly because we have an enormous amount of inven tory, and always have. We were well resourced, with a very capable team and well stocked, so that stood us in good“Whenstead.Covid became the pan demic, we made the decision to gradually increase our stock holdings even
SEW-EURODRIVE Australia turns 40
“Then,further.when material shortages
“We were the furthest outpost from Germany at that time … and it was very interesting to get them to understand how vast a country Australia was.
“By then we’d grown to about $13 million turnover, well beyond what we ever thought we could achieve in Australia, and suddenly our turnover dropped 25%,” says Merola.
Origins in Germany When the Australian subsidiary was formed in August 1982, SEWEURODRIVE was an established family-owned German gearmotor company, with 3,000 employees around the world, and a turnover of about 150m euros a year, back then in Deutschmarks (300m DM). Now, the company employs more than 18,000 people, and turns over almost 4.5bn euros. SEW, which stands for Süddeutsche Elektromotoren Werke, was started in 1931 in Baden, Germany by banker Christian Paehr, who had the foresight to realise the enormous potential of the gearmotor. In 1945, his son-in-law Ernst Blickle took overall responsibility, and in 1982, Ernst’s son Juergen Blickle was given the challenge of establishing and overseeing the Australian arm. “The successful German model has always been based around centralised manufacturing and supported with de-centralised assembly,” says Merola.
MODERN MANUFACTURING
Surviving the 1991 recession
“I remember at one stage I sug gested we should consider opening another plant in Sydney, and they looked at the map and said but that’s so close, why do you want to open it there? … and I said, it’s 1000kms away. They really didn’t understand the scale and vastness of the continent.” When Juergen Blickle relocated to the USA’s operations in 1986, Merola was then appointed General Manager. “I thought at the time they may send someone over from Germany. Within a space of two to three years, I went from sales office supervisor to Sales Manager, to General Manager. I was in the deep end of the pool pretty quickly for some one under 30 years of age!” And though the German head office sets the company’s overall tone, pric ing and product development, Merola says the Australians “were given relatively free rein and the autonomy to do what we do best”.
“So, the challenge then was keeping everyone gainfully employed. And that was my first really stressful time.”
How the Australian arm of the German gearmotor giant defied recessions and Covid
The company managed to keep everyone in a job. “That stood us in very good stead when the economy turned,” says Merola, “Because we already had peo ple on board, the knowledge base we’d retained helped us gain immediate traction in the market against some competitors who’d let people go.”
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The early years showed SEW’s Australian operation could get traction in a new market. But they were hit hard by the recession of 1991.
MODERN MANUFACTURING eventually started to bite, fortunately we didn’t feel the full brunt of that because of the amount of stock and replenish ment orders we had in the system.“Also, we were able to remain open as an ‘essen tial service’ because we supplied key equipment to industries and utilities including food, beverage andDuringlogistics.”Covid, the company grew over 20% year on year, from $70m in 2019 to the $120m budget expected this year.
If all goes well and the Australian economy remains as resilient as politicians say it will, Merola sees the company potentially growing to $150m in annual revenue in the next few years.
Significant events in SEW’s Australian history:
SEW supplied the drive units that helped lift the torch up the waterfall to signify the start of the Olympic Games.
SEW provided the geared motors that open and close the roof at Hisense Arena. This was a daunting task, says the company, as at the time it was one of the only buildings in the world to be a velodrome, entertainment hall, tennis court and basketball court in one venue.
This was a centrepiece for the Commonwealth Games in 2006, and an incredibly difficult engineering feat. Although the chassis was made as light as possible, it still weighed over two tonnes. SEW provided drive solutions for the different moving tram components.
The company also bought their Mackay facility after originally leasing it, and is spending about $2m on increasing floor space in their Melbourne facilities by installing 14 automated high bay storage carousels which span from floor to ceiling.
Investing for the future
“I often think and ask myself where is all this stuff going? I’ve asked that for 39 years now. But I guess every thing has a use-by date, the population grows so there are more food and beverage factories - either new ones, expanding, or modernisation retrofit ting being done.” Merola points to an explosion in the number of huge logistics distribution centres just being built by companies such as Amazon, Coles and Woolworths. “There’s been so much investment in factory automation.” Supply chain issues are now improving globally, in particular for some electronic components. “Because our core business is gearmotors, mechanically we weren’t really affected at all. But our electron ics production was somewhat affected due to the global shortage in semicon ductors and micro-chips.
Photo credit: TSGT Rick Sforza Sydney HisenseOlympics2000Arena
Roof (now known as the John Cain Arena) Flying TramCommonwealth Games Melbourne (2006) Xxx ANNIVERSARYYEAR 1982 - 2022 SEW Eurodrive sew-eurodrive.com.au Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 37industryupdate.com.au
“It was very sobering to hear how small and insignificant we are in that electronics market. We spend $50m USD a year on those components to make our product. Then when you look at Apple spending $70 billion on semiconductors and microchips, it puts into perspective why we couldn’t get anything for 60-100 weeks, which were the delivery times being quoted on some components!.” That waiting time’s now dramati cally shortened, says Merola, as fears of inflation and recession in Europe and the US cause businesses to take their foot off the pedal somewhat.
While Merola is cautious about what lies ahead, he says SEW is currently investing more money in infrastruc ture than it ever has in one go in Australia.“We’recommitted to about $20mil lion of investment at the moment”, saysThatMerola.includes around $8m on a Newcastle Service Plant, and $6m on an existing Adelaide plant, which involves significant renovations to bring it up to SEW standards.
“One of our key strengths is that we’ve always been able to pre-plan and invest, and grow into our skin. “It can be a guessing game, but we’re well-resourced and well prepared for the future and what it may deliver.”
Manufacturing relationships: why Benelec went to St.George Bank Just as families are fundamentally about relationships, when it comes to choosing a bank to do business with, it’s no different. That’s why Benelec chose St.George and their Relationship Director, Industry Banking NSW, Adam Dowling. “It’s completely about the rela tionship. The bank manager you have really is like a partner in the busi ness,” says General Manager David Benchoam.“Heeven gets a share of the profits!” laughs father Marco, the Managing Director. David Benchoam has known Dowling for over 10 years and says St.George, with its specialist man ufacturing and wholesale industry team, understands the needs of SMEs like“Adamtheirs.just gets what’s involved when we explain things to him,” says MarcoLateBenchoam.lastyear,the antenna and radio specialists went to St.George with a proposal to finance the growth of their in-house manufacturing capabilities.Theplanwas two-fold: buy their own laser cutting facility so that they can bring all the laser cutting of antennas into their facility, and upgrade their electro-polish business. They’re now preparing to get a new nitrogen laser cutting facility for sheet (up to 16mm stainless steel) and tube (9.5 - 250mm diameter). The nitrogen is generated from the air, dispensing with the need to buy tanks of nitrogen gas. Backup air compres sors can be used should there be an issue with the nitrogen plant. Doing the laser cutting in-house is a “big deal … in fact a game changer”, say the Benchoams. And the plan is for Benelec to tap into the significant growth in the various antenna mar kets they service. New funding also went towards an upgrade of Electropolish Pty Ltd, the family’s side business in stainless steel electro-polishing. With the money, the company has just installed a new six metre L-shaped polishing tank at its Botany site, along with the infrastructure required for the elec tricity and chemical baths.
David Benchoam showing St George’s Adam Dowling the new polishing tank
38 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
From CB radios to cellular antennas: how Benelec plans to keep its edge W hen systems analyst and pro grammer Marco Benchoam and his (ex) wife Cely started Benelec in 1978, they cashed in on the boom of CB radios by importing and distributing the first 23CH 27MHz CB’s and related accessories.
The new polishing tank means the company can offer the polishing ser vice on a bigger variety of fabricated stainless steel products, catering for up to 6m in length. As St.George’s Adam Dowling puts it, “We try to understand how man ufacturers think, which is about new machines that expand the business now, and save costs tomorrow. “The manufacturing side that St.George specialises in adds value, because all the banks offer the same products and services, really.”
“But it’s the way you offer it,” says Marco“AndBenchoam.thelevelof understanding,” points out David Benchoam. “You can talk to two or three bank managers and have a totally different experi ence with them all.”
Benchoam family - L-R: Aaron, Marco and David Benchoam St.George’s Adam Dowling, David & Marco & Aaron Benchoam with the NSW Fire & Rescue DRAI system.
St.George Bank manufacturingstgeorge.com.au/ Benelec Pty Ltd benelec.com.au
BUSINESS, & ACCOUNTING
FINANCE
R&D key to keeping ahead Over the years, as bandwidths have gotten wider and technology more sophisticated, Benelec’s in-house R&D team has had to constantly redesign their antennas to meet market needs. And it’s paid off. The company says the current performance, bandwidth and design of their products mean they’re superior to most other anten nas on the market in either the US or Australia. And they’re all-Australian made.But while Benelec does its own laser and TIG welding in-house, the laser cutting of the stainless steel for the antennas has always been outsourced to another local manufacturer.That’sabout to change.
Marco’s son David, an electrical engineer and now General Manager, and his other son Roger, now the Technical Director, then joined the company around 1986 and 1992 respectively. Again following demand, the family turned to antennas, selling products made by a local manufac turer, who they bought out in order to cut costs and manufacture their own. Now, Benelec’s core business is in LMR (Land Mobile Radio) and Cellular Antennas, which they also make for the Australian and US markets. Alongside the antennas, the Botany-based company also specia lises in high-end digital radios and accessories. One of their biggest cus tomers is Fire and Rescue NSW, for whom they’ve developed a DRAI dual radio audio solution, a hardy two-way digital radio system that allows the radio installed in the cabin of the fire pumper truck to be used remotely at the rear of the truck, where all the pump controls are. This Benelec innovation, means in operational situations the pump control fire fighter is able to effec tively communicate between the Incident fire fighters and the control rooms managing the local operations. The new generation IP version of this system is now being developed. Now a three-generation family business, at least one of David’s sons Aaron has put on the Benelec uniform as well.
Alex: The aim of the incentive is to support Australian-based businesses, so there are very limited circum stances where overseas expenditure will be eligible. There needs to be a very solid reason why those activities are being conducted overseas. I tell people that an overseas R&D applica tion is like a normal R&D application R&D tax incentive helping companies to experiment and innovate Zinzopoulos is a Tax and R&D Advisor at William Buck, Accountants and Advisors
IU: Can Australian businesses with operations overseas qualify?
At a high level, the incentive is in the form of a tax offset that’s applied through the company’s tax return. For businesses with a turnover of less than $20 million a year, the tax offset is generally 43.5% of eligible R&D expenditure. Further, the offset is refundable, meaning that once the offset has been applied to any tax liability the company has, any excess is paid to the company in cash. The offset is claimed through the company’s tax return. An R&D appli cation must firstly be lodged with AusIndustry within 10 months of the end of the company’s income year, so for companies with a 30 June yearend, the due date is 30 April of the following year. AusIndustry usually takes a couple of weeks to process the application and (if successful) provide a registration number. That registra tion number goes into the company’s tax return along with the calculation of the R&D expenditure, after which the ATO processes the return and releases any refund.
designed to support, yet we are not seeing as many manufacturing busi nesses apply for the incentive as we would expect. If you’re in the advanced manufac turing industry, you should always ask yourself: have I considered whether I’m eligible for the R&D Tax Incentive? If not, why not?
3. Experimentation:
Secondly, the company must be conducting at least one “core R&D activity” during the income year, which has three key components:
Alex: Firstly, the business must be operated through an Australian com pany – trusts, partnerships and sole traders don’t qualify.
Alex Zinzopoulos: The R&D Tax Incentive is designed to support Australian businesses undertaking experimental activities, with the aim of helping those businesses succeed.
2. Technical uncertainty: Prior to undertaking the activity there is a risk that the activity won’t succeed.
Alex: Advanced manufacturing businesses tend to be conducting activities that are pretty innovative and complex, which are the types of activities the R&D Tax Incentive is
IU: Do you think manufactur ing businesses are taking full advantage of the scheme?
The only way to resolve the technical uncertainty is to apply a systematic progression of work based on the principles of established science. If a company is conducting at least one core R&D activity, supporting R&D activities can also be claimed. As the name suggests, supporting activities are there to support the core R&D activities, but do not actually form a part of the experimentation itself. These may be things like proj ect management, collection of data, and setting up of machinery and line equipment.
IU: How do businesses know if they qualify?
BUSINESS, FINANCE & ACCOUNTING Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 39industryupdate.com.au
1. New knowledge: The activity is being conducted for the purpose of generating a new or improved product, device, process or service – something that’s not available on the market.
Industry Update: Let’s start with the basics – what is the R&D Tax Incentive and how much can businesses claim?
The
A dministered jointly by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and AusIndustry, the Research & Development (R&D) Tax Incentive is Australia’s largest industry incen tive scheme, assisting nearly 10,000 companies per year. However, it remains underutilised, mainly due to a lack of knowledge around eligibility requirements and implementation. We caught up with Alex Zinzopoulos, R&D advisor at William Buck, to find how manufacturing businesses can make use of the scheme.
Alex
Alex: Planning is crucial. Although the application and tax return are lodged after 30 June, we always recommend businesses don’t wait until 30 June to begin a claim. Ideally, it’s something that should be considered throughout the income year. It’s important to have the proper documentation in place to show that you’ve been conducting the R&D activities throughout the year should the ATO or AusIndustry conduct a review.Where an R&D claim is denied it’s often not to do with the eligibility of the claim, but rather the lack of contemporaneous documentation evidencing that R&D activities were in fact conducted during the income year. IU: What documentation is required?
The facility is projected to recover 98% of raw materials from used artificial turf for recycling and redistribution—a significant reduction of burdens on metropolitan landfill sites.
40 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
IU: What other advice do you have for companies undertaking a claim?
The sustainable processing plant will create jobs and a new service offering businesses a low-cost, ethical alternative to virgin materials.
Alex Zinzopoulos is a Tax and R&D Advisor at William Buck, Accountants and Advisors. William Buck’s R&D team combines industry experience across manufacturing, engineering and technology with technical tax expertise to provide a holistic view of their client’s claims and businesses. You can connect with Alex Zinzopoulos at alex-zinzopoulos-37937691linkedin.com/in/ William Buck williambuck.com William Buck williambuck.com
Australia’s first synthetic turf recycling plant to be fast-tracked
growing demand for synthetic grass at residential as well as commercial sites.
Alex: Never view your R&D in isolation. There’s a common miscon ception that R&D sits outside of tax. However, at the end of the day, the R&D Tax Incentive is just that, a tax incentive. It’s part of the company’s overall tax profile. There are various flow-on effects of the R&D Tax Incentive to other tax provisions, including the franking account, depreciation, commercial debt forgiveness, government grants and recoupments. And if there’s an ATO review, they won’t just ask questions around the R&D, they’ll extend it to other areas of the compa ny’s tax return as well. These are all areas a boutique R&D advisor might not be across. We always recommend that holistic tax and R&D advice is provided to ensure your bases are covered.
Alex: For manufacturing businesses, the largest R&D expenditure tends to be employee costs or machinery costs. You may find that your lead engineer ing team spends a significant portion of their time on core R&D activities. Documenting and claiming employee costs is done through timesheets, which can be a very foreign concept to people other than accountants and lawyers!Regarding machinery, there’s the depreciation. The depreciation rates being used by the company can have a substantial impact on the amount of R&D it can claim. Documentation is required to tie the core R&D activity back to the machinery and outline why that particular machine is needed to conduct the activity. Other types of documentation that AusIndustry in particular would expect to see include experimental reports, testing and analysis records, and progress reports.
T uff Group Holdings has won $500,000 grant funding to build Australia’s first synthetic turf recyclingWilliamfacility.Buckwas engaged to prepare the grant application and Tuff Holdings was allocated the maximum amount for a single grant from Sustainability Victoria’s fund to support recycling businesses. The grant means Tuff Group, Australia’s largest supplier and installer of synthetic turf, can fasttrack plans to build a synthetic turf recycling facility in regional Victoria.
BUSINESS, FINANCE & ACCOUNTING
Industry Update: How far in advance should businesses plan for claiming the incentive?
The grant is a game-changer for Tuff Group and contributes to Australia’s goal to be an environmen tally conscious nation. This recycling facility is expected to bolster the growth of and social perception of the synthetic turf industry as the project influences both industry and indi vidual behavioural change towards a more circular economy. but on steroids! There’s a lot of time required to apply for an overseas application and many hoops to jump through, so the benefit needs to be worth it.
The ability to recycle is becoming increasingly important because of
TOM OR ROW’S PLAN S START TODAY Westpac Business Loan Our Business Relationship Managers are here to help you expand, grow and get your manufacturing business moving forward. Things you should know: T&Cs, fees, charges and eligibility and credit criteria apply. © Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714.
By Colin Cooper, Director, Australiawide Finance
Colin Cooper, Director of Australiawide Finance
Financeaustraliawide austwidefinance.com.au GO AHEAD AND GROW MEMBERSHIPS austwidefinance.com.au 1300 367 327 Australian Credit Licence number 508530 LOOKING FOR FINANCE? We specialise in commercial asset finance. Buy your business assets with confidence and arrange fast, competitive finance with one call Vehicles, Plant & Equipment and PersonalMachineryFinance for Cars, Caravans, Marine, Motorbikes, Jetskis etc. Finance for Technology & Green Energy Assets New & Used, Older Goods, Dealer, Auction & Private Sales Full Service: from Consultation to Application, Approval, Settlement and beyond Wide & lengthy experience, ongoing customer service BRING YOUR BUSINESS VISION TO LIFE! australiawide FINANCE offers a wide and varied range of finance products, tailored for business asset purchases SCAN FOR PRODUCT RANGE 42 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
What does ‘temporary full expensing’ mean? In simple terms, it potentially means a very large tax deduction or a refund!Business assets, installed and ready for use by 30 June 2023 can be written off in full (instead of depreci ating over a number of years). There is no limit to the number of assets, no ceiling to the amount of any purchase and it is available to a business with an aggregated turnover up to $5 billion.Atemporary full expense writeoff can cause a tax loss for the year which may result in a refund of taxes paid in previous years. These arrangements, which came about as the result of pandemic provisions to stimulate the economy, will end on 30 June 2023 and we are unlikely to ever see them again Interest rates and credit approval We continue to see new entrants to asset lending, with access to whole sale funds and the scope to lend across a wide range of industries. Vehicles and wheeled goods typi cally attract the best rates but we also see manufacturing and warehouse equipment financed at similar rates by lenders who have the confidence to use industry expertise to fill niches. Financiers are moving fast toward automated application assessment criteria, which results in quick responses but can have unintended consequences.Becausethe lending market is fragmented into niches, it’s impera tive to go to the right lender with the right information - it’s now less likely your application will be viewed by a human.Thebest method to obtain the best finance is to consult an industry expert. You may be surprised at how quickly and economically you can finance equipment, preserving cash flow and helping grow your business. Use our industry expertise and contact us if you seek access to vehi cle and equipment lenders with great rates and quick approval times.
A determination to control inflation with rising interest rates is changing the financial outlook, says Colin Cooper, director of Australiawide Finance. There are strong signals that higher interest rates are biting. A sharp downturn in asset purchase finance and increased enquiry for non-specific business finance likely reflects slowed business condi tions and the higher costs of doing business.Initsrecent Quarterly Commercial Insights report, credit bureau Equifax noted that asset finance (vehicles and equipment) fell 9.1% in the second calendar quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Business loan (non-specific funding) applications rose by 2% in the same measure.Someof the change in asset finance may be reflected by supply chain issues, with a long and not yet recon ciled build-up of unfulfilled orders. Business finance needs are more likely to be in response to slowed con ditions caused by a lack of labour and pushing results all the way through to extended payment times. The strongest evidence of the slow ing economy is the recent reversal of the emphasis on rate rises – from sharp, quick and regular increases at little notice, to a strong willing ness for lenders to compete hard and discount rates for quality business. Most banking contacts report that rate markets are settling and loan application turnaround times have reduced sharply.
BUSINESS, FINANCE & ACCOUNTING
Business feels rates bite
Temporary full expensing
ENERGY, WASTE & RECYCLING
Thinking.That’sandPlants,eWasteWashGranulators,Shredders,Technology.RecyclingRaspers,Plants,C&D,Lines,TyreRepelletisingmore.Applied
To inject oxygen efficiently, Air Liquide offers customers a variety of solutions for oxygen dissolution, depending on specific needs. One such solution is the INJECTORBICONE, an economical static mixer designed to ensure a high efficiency of gas enrichment with minimal hydraulic loss.
industry.points’criticaltocommitmentAirtionsreductionthesetrol.useddioxidementbiologicalenrichmentoxygenfortreatandcarbontobeforphconProvidingsewerodorsoluhighlightsLiquide’ssolvingthe‘painfacingtheAirLiquide
In addition, it considerably reduces corrosion in pipes and equipment that is caused by aggressive compounds (for example, reduced sulfur molecules) creating significant savings on mainte nance costs.
Overall for the water treatment industry, Air Liquide offers two main water treat ment solutions – pure
Sewer Water Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 43industryupdate.com.au
Finally, a solution for reducing odor in sewers
supports sewer treatment projects globally by providing incredibly effi cient oxygen injection systems and offers customers this ‘know how’ and expertise locally in Australia, as well as a highly reliable and stable supply of oxygen. Air Liquide airliquide.com.au
BICONETM installation & reliable oxygen supply @ Barwon Region Water, Boundary Rd Site E xcess hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can lead to lingering odors in your sewerage treatment facility. Too much hydrogen sulfide can be created if there isn’t enough dissolved oxygen in the water. With more dissolved oxygen, H2S should decrease. For the chemistry heads, this is the reaction: H2S + 3 O2 -> SO42- + 2 H3O+
To find out more, call: 03 9706 8066, Email: sales@appliedmachinery.com.au, or visit: www.appliedmachinery.com.au
To deal with increasing odor emissions, as well as foam forma tion, gas injection is recommended. Historically, compressed air has been used in an attempt to reduce odors. However this is an inefficient solution for wastewater composition, as the ‘flow’ is too high and it has the oppo site effect than expected by stripping out odorous substances and increas ing foam formation. Air Liquide pure oxygen injec tion – a highly efficient solution Pure oxygen considerably decreases “nitrogen unnecessarily inputted from the air” by approximately 80%, very quickly, and therefore reduces odors and the tendency for foam formation.
Woolworths-Pact recycling partnership set to deliver investment in local recycling and manufacturing
Pact on a partnership that would propel us closer towards our sustainable packaging goal than we’ve ever been before, while also helping to grow the Australian recycling industry to meet demand in the years to Pactcome.”Group CEO and Managing Director, Sanjay Dayal said: “We know that consumers and businesses are increasingly demanding recycled and recyclable plastic packaging and Pact is working with committed partners like Woolworths Group to drive that change. “Plastic packaging that is designed effectively, that is recyclable and recy cled properly in Australia can be used again and again, creating a truly local circular economy for plastics.” NSW Minister for Environment James Griffin said: “This exciting initiative will support the NSW Government’s ambitious goal to triple the plastics recycling rate by 2030 and reduce plastics from entering our envi ronment as litter or going to landfill. “It is great to see businesses working in partnership with their customers, to move to more sustainable packaging and help develop a circular economy.” In addition to its recycling facilities, Pact is also investing $76 million to install new technology and equipment across its packaging manufacturing facilities as it continues to grow local capacity to support increased use of recycled plastic in Australian packag ing. The investment is supported by a $20 million grant from the Australian Government through the Modern Manufacturing Initiative. Woolworths Group and Pact’s latest work on recycled plastic is the next chapter of a long-term relationship between the two businesses, with Pact already supplying Woolworths Group with 50 million reusable and recycla ble plastic produce crates to replace traditional single-use cardboard and polystyreneWoolworthsboxes.Group has also co-founded plastic recycling startup, Samsara, to help commercialise plas tic-eating enzyme technology that could see plastic become infinitely recyclable. The business is still in its infancy with its first commercial scale plant expected to open in the next 18 months, from which Woolworths will take the first 5,000 tonnes of recycled plastic pro duced for use in its own products. Earlier this year, Woolworths became the first major supermarket to announce the removal of reusable plastic bags from all stores nationwide by June next year. The progressive state-by-state transition is expected to remove 9,000 tonnes of plastic from stores and online orders annually.
oolworths Group and Pact are working to establish a new partnership that could result in 18,000 tonnes of recycled plastic used in Woolworths’ own brand packaging each year, in a move that would see a multimillion-dollar investment in local recycling and manufacturing capacity.
The intent of the proposed partner ship is to establish Pact as Woolworths Group’s key strategic partner by volume in its efforts to deliver more sustainable packaging across its own brand range and deliver the most significant boost to date towards Woolworths Group’s goal to halve the use of virgin (new) plastic across its own brand packaging by 2024. Under the proposed partnership, Pact will use recycled plastic to make more sustainable packaging for products across Woolworths’ product range, including in milk bottles, meat trays and beverage bottles, drawing on plastic collected from household recycling and container deposit schemes.
Woolworths Group Managing Director of Format & Network Development, Rob McCartney, oversees Woolworths 360 - the business’s sustain ability innovation unit responsible for the development of the partnership. He said: “As Australia’s largest retailer we have a responsibility to make the prod ucts our customers put in their shopping baskets better for the environment. “We’re working hard to remove plas tic from packaging like our bakery trays, however it can be necessary to protect quality and food safety in some products - which is why replacing it with recycled plastic is the next best thing.
ENERGY, WASTE & RECYCLING
44 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
Woolworths Group has already committed to removing plastic from packaging wherever feasible, and to date has removed more than 5,800 tonnes of virgin (newly made) single-use plastic and packaging from its own brand range in FY22. Where there is currently no viable alternative to plastic for food safety or quality, Woolworths Group is working to use recycled plastic to reduce the environmental impact.
- Cooling capacities range from 200W to 6kW - IP Ratings – IP54 & IP56 - Mild Steel and Stainless Steel finishes. - Seifert also offer Heat Exchangers, Peltier Coolers and Fan Systems - complete Thermal Solutions.
Pact Group CEO & MD Sanjay Dayal, NSW Environment Minister James Griffin and Woolworths Group executive Rob McCartney - holding products that could see packaging sustainability boosted under Pact partnership
Designed to keep your electronics cool and operating at optimum performance.
Pact currently operates five plastic recycling facilities in Australia, includ ing the recently opened PET recycling plant in Albury-Wodonga which can recycle up to 1 billion PET beverage bottles a year. Another four facilities are planned for construction by 2025.
ENCLOSURE CABINET PRECISION COOLING
Projections that the partnership could see 18,000 tonnes of newly made plastic replaced with locally-produced recycled plastic each year would correspond to a decrease in carbon emissions of almost 25,000 tonnes (equivalent to planting more than 37,000 trees) and a saving of almost 500 Olympic swimming poolsworth of water annually by one estimate.
big
info@seifertsystems.com.au / +61 3 9801 1906 seifertsystems.com.au
KEEP COOL
“Across the scale of our range, the real challenge is sourcing quality recycled material in the volumes we need and ensuring it’s coming from within Australia to support the development of our local circular economy and avoid shipping“We’reemissions.workingwith
W
The result Two Ragazzini model MSO pumps were subsequently supplied, with one fitted immediately to ensure it performed to expectations and met the promises made. One pump has now been operating since July 2018 (running continuously for up to 18-20 hours per day in hotter periods); at a follow up inspection, there had been no hose failure or need to change-out the original hose. Cashen’s expectations have been more than realised, with not only a clean and reliable system for pumping carbon slurry, but a hose life that has exceeded nine months. The initial outlay has also been vindicated by the cost savings in down-time and clean-up time, reduced need for hose replace ments, and increased reliability and all-round efficiency.
OXYGEN FOR BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
A chance meeting at an industry exhibition prompted David Cashen, Supervisor at the Bathurst Water Treatment Plant, to upgrade the plant’s pumps with technology from Ragazzini, supplied by Hydro Innovations.
The problem The Bathurst plant had two peristaltic pumps transferring carbon slurry for use in the plant’s treatment process. The slurry is quite abrasive, so hoses needed replacing once or twice per year. This in itself was okay, but the hose changes were exceedingly messy because the pump casing needed to be filled with lubricating fluid (due to its “shoe on hose” design). In the event of a hose failure, a mixture of carbon slurry and lubricat ing oil resulted in a mammoth mess to clean up, both inside and outside the pump itself. Hose replacements and the consequential clean-up of carbon mixed with lubricating oil could take days, and on top of hose costs, Cashen also had the cost of the (not inexpensive) lubrication fluid to replace each time.
Introduction of pure oxygen into biological basins to meet challenging water discharge limits; capacity increase and removal of foam and odors with OPEX savings and the reduction of CAPEX.
Reduce your environmental impact with Air Liquide
Simple solutions with minimum maintenance costs and no hazardous saline residuals that use carbon dioxide for fine pH adjustment for overly basic effluents.
• A “roller on bearings” design elimi nates the need for lubricating oil and reduces friction on the hose (due to the use of rollers instead of “shoes”), resulting in extended hose life.
• A choice of seven different hoses ensures the right hose for the right product.
WATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 45industryupdate.com.au
The solution Cashen had previously won the Operator of the Year Award from the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA), and it was at a WIOA exhibition that a solution to his problem emerged. In the carpark he bumped into Phil Rothheudt, NSW Regional Manager for Hydro Innovations, an Australian-owned pump engineering company. Hydro Innovations is the exclusive Australian distributor for the world-recognised Gorman Rupp pump range, which includes the EchoStorm venturi aerator, Edur Pumps from Germany, and the Ragazzini peristaltic pump range from Italy.Cashen’s chance meeting with Rothheudt prompted him to visit the Hydro Innovations exhibition stand, which featured a Ragazzini peristaltic pump. Once Cashen had been shown the features and benefits of the Ragazzini pump over his existing ones, he was convinced he had found the answer to his messy hose-changing issues.
• A leak detector automatically stops the pump when a hose fails and sends an alarm, minimising product loss.
• With no lubricating oil in the pump chamber, there is no mess to clean up and no potential for contami nation of pumped product or the surrounding area in the event of a hose failure, greatly simplifying hose change-outs.
Air Liquide has more than 40 years experience in water treatment and servicing private and public companies with industrialised gas solutions for all three sector domains: Wastewater, Process water and Drinking water. Providing comprehensive gas and equipment solutions, Air Liquide can help improve your plant’s performance and reduce your environmental impact across a wide range of water treatment applications.
Discoverwww.airliquide.com.auMore.
Bathurst Water Treatment Plant upgrades to Ragazzini peristaltic pumps
• An automatic retractable roller system delivers easy maintenance, simple hose changeover, and reduced pressure on hoses during pump rest periods.
CARBON DIOXIDE FOR PH CONTROL
• Duties range from one litre/hour up to 180,000 litres/hour, with operat ing pressures up to 15 bar.
InnovationsHydro hydroinnovations.com.au
ENERGY, WASTE & RECYCLING
OZONE FOR PURIFICATION AND TERTIARY TREATMENT
Solutions using ozone to remove pathogenic organisms or pollutants which are difficult to biodegrade, such as micro-pollutants, surfactants, or inks.
The Ragazzini peristaltic pump features a number of enhancements over other brands, which make them highly reliable and easy to service and maintain. Key features include:
hicago Pneumatic are proud to introduce a new 16 bar com pressor for the laser cutting industry. Our brand-new cut through technology means you can cut through the competition. Laser cutting, which is a thermal cut ting method, uses a focused high-power and high-density laser beam to irradiate the workpiece, so that the material melts, is vaporised, or is blown away. The main factors affecting the metal laser cutting’s efficiency and thickness are the power of the laser cutting machine, the type of auxil iary gas, the pressure, and the flow rate of auxiliary gas. Air compressors, as the auxiliary gas provider, play a critical role in laser cutting. When choosing air compressors for laser cutting machines, these factors should be considered:Thequality of compressed air has a direct impact on the quality of laser cutting. Compressed air contains water, mist and oil. If the protective mirror of the laser cutting head isn’t cleaned with a high-pressure jet, there’ll be thepressedHigh-qualityavoidswhichreturnsthenpresseddustfullyalsoprecisionaspressedmoisturedryerequippedcompressorproducts.andbecausedisperselasertransmissionconsequencesseriousfortheofthebeam.Itwillthefocus,theproducttocutincompletely,leadtowasteTherefore,theairmustbewithagoodtoremovetheinthecomairasmuchpossible.High-filtersmustbeinstalledtofilteroilandparticles.Also,oncethecomairisdried,thetemperaturetonormal,effectivelycondensation.comaircansustainlong-termstable
C
Chicago Pneumatic CPM 30 Air Compressor PneumaticChicago cpcompressors.com.au theExperiencePowerofRed Brand NEW cut through technology cuts through the competition! Features: 4 models (11-22kw) 16 bar Cutting speed and thickness Complete package: Compressor; 400L tank; Air Dryer; Pre/Post & Activated Carbon Filters 1300www.cpcompressors.com.au555284 CPM Series 15-30 Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 47industryupdate.com.au
How can we help you?
COMPRESSORS
operation of laser cutting machines. As laser cutting machines have developed to produce higher power, the pressure requirement of the air com pressor supporting the laser cutting has also increased - from an initial 8 bar, to 13 bar, and now to 16 bar. Higher air pressure brings better cutting quality and higher cutting efficiency.
With high outlet pressure we ensure:
• Cutting speed and thickness
• Blow away metal debris • High efficiency in cutting With stable free air delivery, we can ensure the quality of the surface (smooth like a mirror) and with less water and oil in the air, we can ensure the lifetime of the laser heads.
Key features: • 16 bar outlet pressure • Dew point controlled dry air • High efficiency coalescence filtration • Activated carbon filter for clean oil-free air Who are we? Chicago Pneumatic is a market leading manufacturer and distributor of compressed air products such as screw compressors, piston compressors and air treatment. When you are in need of an industrial or professional air com pressor system, Chicago Pneumatic is sure to have the right solution. We have used our years of experi ence to design compressors that are efficient and reliable. Our products are tailored to suit your needs. Our people start every single day with a passion to research, develop, manu facture and deliver new products that are meant to meet your needs not only today, but tomorrow as well. All this has come together because we have consistently practised our brand promise — People. Passion. Performance.
New compressor technology adds high powered precision to laser cutting
The recovery and reconstitution of materials – including cardboard, mixed paper, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics and glass – requires a wide range of scientific, engineering and mechanical processes to collect, identify, clean, sort and convert these materials into reusable form.
Compressors that efficiently convert input power sources into controllable compressed air are vital for an MRF’s sustainable operation. These industrial compressors need to generate highly beneficial ratios of power input to air output, to actually reduce energy costs over older conventional machines.
A Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) receives, separates, and pre pares recyclable materials to be sold to an end buyer. MRFs use a combina tion of machinery and manual labour to separate and prepare recyclables for reformation into base materials for the manufacture of a wide range of products. The large-scale plant and equipment required to handle these processes must also be run and man aged in a way that reflects the purpose they support. For example, if these facilities used more power than justi fied the environmental benefits of the recycling operation, there would be no real benefit at all.
One large national MRF operator has been achieving remarkable results utilising revolutionary PermanentMagnet, Variable-frequency (PMV) compressors across its operations.
Australia’s modern mixed recycling facilities incorporate the latest tech nologies and engineering advances to ensure that all plants function in the cleanest and most environmentally responsible way across the multiple pro cesses. The use of energy to run these plants across the nation is a major cost factor in the recycling process.
T
oday’s focus on efficient recycling of industrial and domestic waste is driven by the need to save valu able resources by converting reusable materials into new products, rather than consuming more raw materials while exacerbating problems of land fill and contamination.
The integration of energy-saving two-stage rotary screw air ends and variable-speed technology ensures that the end user’s air demands are met at all times, while the compressor only operates as required depending on demand, from idle to full capacity.
This new generation of compressors are powered by permanent-mag net motors that utilise rare-earth technologies to generate more power from lower kW capacities, resulting in substantial energy savings.
Sustainable air power for recycling operations
With the cost of energy rising at an alarming rate, the generation of sustain able compressed air is vital to the viable operation of MRFs – and indeed any industry needing to maintain a cost-ef fective compressed air system. PMV energy-saving air com pressors are supplied and serviced throughout Australia by Kaishan
Compressors Pty Ltd, with capaci ties from 15kW to 250kW providing ample clean air to match outputs in a wide range of industrial applica tions, including certified food-grade requirements. Through Kaishan’s global resources, PMV technology can also be applied to custom-designed and -engineered compressed air sys tems for highly specialised applica tions, including scientific, mining and marine“Worldwideapplications.demand for energy-sav ing technologies in compressor design and engineering puts the Kaishan PMV machines at the cutting edge of sustainable compressed air genera tion,” says Scott Tamlyn, National Sales Manager at Kaishan. “As one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of air compressors and systems for indus tries throughout the world, we support our globally proven technologies with a nationwide network of sales and service centres and personnel.” Kaishan kaishan.com.au
COMPRESSORS
50 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
engagement. Each
More
Product Video Packs Companies
informative
Tim Webster Australian news presenter (Channel Ten, Foxtel, Sports Tonight, 2UE And 2CH)
Since its launch in 2017, Industry Update Video has been a remarkable success, with content spanning the whole of the manufacturing industry. now need good video content, buyers expect it and will just go elsewhere if they don’t have something interesting and to watch. importantly it increases sales by over 1.5million impressions and 600,000 views in less than 12 months, are getting high rates of video has an accompanying story online, in e-news and in the magazine (with a QR code) to integrate all Online Video Statistics In 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traf c — 15 times higher than it was in 2017 (Cisco). 43% said video was made necessary by new challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic. Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in the text (Insivia) 22% said they had become clearer on the ROI of video and this had given them con dence to Sourceinvest.:wyzowl.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com
81% With
our videos
published
media options. Important
Circulation of 19,233 and readership of 76,932 Audited by Number one manufacturing publication in Australia industryupdate.com.au02 9439 1288 / sales@industryupdate.com.au Some of our Industry Update Video clients VIDEO PRODUCTION Product Videos / Case Study Videos / How To Videos Manufacturing Current A airs Videos NEW Documentary2-Part Video Production Highlights • Hosted by national news presenter Tim Webster • Filmed in a 6pm nightly news broadcast style • Creating a high level of integrity for client’s products and services • Average video length of 1 - 2 minutes • Individual client playlists, all videos in one place • Videos on website or any social platform • All magazine advertising includes a QR code that links back to website 2,253,395973,727impressionsviewsIndustryUpdate youtube.com/c/IndustryUpdate
Flow Measurement Specialists sales@ams-ic.com.auwww.ams-ic.com.au
AMS have been suppliers of instrumentation and calibration equipment to all industries since 1973 representing some of the world’s leading manufacturers of the equipment in their field. www.ams-ic.com.au
Bronkhorst introduces new ES-FLOW ES-1x2C flow meter
INSTRUMENTATION, COLLABORATION, SENSORS, TEST & MEASUREMENT
T he quality of a bottle of wine is determined by both the quality control of the grape and the method used during the winemaking process.Thequality of the grape is mostly determined by natural and geological factors, such as weather conditions and location. Because that’s hard for humans to control, manufacturers need to focus on monitoring the winemaking process to make sure the quality of their wine stays at a high standard.Measuring instruments play an important role in the winemaking process, ensuring the product stays at a high-quality standard, especially at the fermentation stage. Refractive index (nD) and Brix (%) are two major factors that need to be monitored all the time to keep the fermentation process at a certain standard.Arefractometer is the key instru ment for such measurement. Instead of the traditional measuring method, a refractometer should be installed in-line or on the tank to improve the accuracy of measurement. For large scale wineries, it’s hard to control all the working instruments from the production line. Because of that, ZHYQ Sensors has recently invented and designed IOT operating systems for our wine manufacturers who need integrated management. They consist of 3 major sections and can be connected by a wired or wireless connection. The 3 major sections are the sensors, the data acquisition system and the con trolling software. Our data acquisition system has seven pots for sensors to connect physically. Each pot can support up to 50 sensors and refractometers with standard Modbus RTU Protocol. All data collected then gets trans ferred to a control unit (normally a computer) for real-time data manage ment and monitoring. For multiple site monitoring enqui ries, our software can also control multiple sites. The wireless connec tion can also be managed between our coreHowever,units. connection and set up methods vary from case to case, depending on what is available at the customer‘s location. Because they help increase accuracy and efficiency of measure ment during production stages, IOT managing systems have been widely used by manufacturers in production lines across many industries. And they’re set to become a critical tool in beverage industry manufacturing.Withamoreaccurate monitoring system, wine makers can then improve the quality of their wine, and the increased efficiency also helps save labour in the production process. ZHYQ zhyqsensor.com
The ES-FLOW product series offers an impressive performance of ≤ 0.8% Rd, at a very economic price level. While Bronkhorst’s mini CORIFLOW series can offer even higher performance at ≤ 0.2% Rd, this is not always necessary. Both flow meter series always include the same unique Bronkhorst features such as on-board PID-controller, totaliser and alarm functions, and many communica tion buses, supported by the dedi cated Bronkhorst sales and service network.Bybringing the ES-1x2C and ES-1x3C models to the low liquid flow measure ment market, AMS is able to offer a vari ety of economically priced options.
InstrumentationAMS ams-ic.com.au
INSTRUMENTATION & CALIBRATION PTY SPECIALISTSLTD
How winemakers are helped by an intelligent IOT managing and control system
Available in Australia from AMS Instrumentation & Calibration, Bronkhorst has released the ES-1x2C, the latest model in its ES-FLOW family of flow meters. The market for low liquid flow measurement and control in ranges around 1,000 kilograms or litres per hour is an important section for Bronkhorst, due to its size and the expected future growth of this seg ment. The new ES-1x2C meter follows the release in 2021 of Bronkhorst’s ES-FLOW ES-1x3C model. The ES-1x2C will cover the flow range just below the existing ES-1x3I or ES-1x3C models.
The ES-1x2C and ES-1x3C ultra sonic flow meters are compact, easy to clean and versatile (for example, they are liquid independent). They feature a straight sensor tube with low inter nal volume, offering low-pressure drop in relation to sensor diameter. Both come equipped with advanced signal processing for factors such as dosing functionality.
52 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
The advances in digitisation and electronics during the third industrial revolution in the late 1900s allowed sen sor technology to advance rapidly. Traditional DIN standards for inductive sensors had become limiting. Manufacturers introduced extended range models and then further extended ranges. Improved technology enabled things like variants without de-rating
factors and variants with full metal housings.Technological improvements enabled miniaturisation across all sensor types. Housing sizes decreased and performance increased. Sensors became smarter, first when buttons replaced potentiometers and then when displays enabled a variety of teach functions, performance adjust ments and viewing options. More technologies were introduced. Rotary encoders evolved from simple clockwork mechanisms into more effi cient glass and then more robust metal disc type devices and then into fully sealed solid-state units. Ultrasonic and then radar technology was adapted into the sensor field to fill gaps.
50 years of sensors
Ken Collishaw, Product Manager, Turck Australia
INSTRUMENTATION, COLLABORATION, SENSORS, TEST & MEASUREMENT
Laser line bar code readers enabled unique identification of products then, later on, imaging technology enabled smaller 2D barcodes carrying much more data. RFID technology not only allowed identification in dirty environments and through some materials, it also allowed data to be written enabling full process tracking. Wireless systems made sensors more versatile and adaptable, capacitive sensor capabilities increased and specialist fluid sensors for pressure, temperature, level and flow measurement were developed. Sensors were smaller, more powerful and smarter, but they were still a simple input device. In most cases, they detected that a particular situation was present, and they provided a digital output signal. Sure, they were now often connected via fieldbus rather than individual wires, but they were still providing a simple switch ing or a basic measuring output.
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 53industryupdate.com.au
Recently, Industry 4.0 has driven major changes in what sensors are and how they are utilised. We can collect and collate enormous amounts of data giving us comprehensive visibility across our plants andIndustryprocesses.ismoving away from programmed maintenance, where pre-emptive and sometimes unnecessary maintenance is done to prevent possible future breakdowns, into predictive main tenance where comprehensive condition monitoring information identifies and highlights anomalies so they can be addressed before a major issue occurs. As a result, modern sensors have evolved, and they now can provide a lot of extra information. A sensor still provides a simple basic digital output, and that is enough for some but, as Industry pro gresses, more and more users will want access to extra information such as the internal device temperature, device run time and the stability of detection. Many modern sensors provide this. The other significant change is that technology such as IO-Link lets us config ure and adjust sensors remotely without stopping the machine, and for anyone who has had to hang over a running produc tion line in a challenging environment trying to set up a sensor, this is a huge improvement.Inanotherfifty years today’s sen sor technology will be antiquated, but today we have sensors that are smarter, stronger, more cost effective and far more capable than anything seen before, and they just keep getting better. That is just as well because sensors are, and will continue to be, a significant cornerstone of modern automation.
by Ken Collishaw, Product Manager, Turck Australia
Industry 4.0 and sensors
A utomation has come a long way in the last fifty years. In 1972 relay logic control technology ruled Australian industry. Control cabinets were packed with hardwired relays, tim ers, contactors, and overloads. Electricians knew all about racing contacts, leakage voltages and welded contacts. Operating voltages were mostly AC. Motors were started with equipment such as star delta or liquid resistance starters, and input devices were mostly limit switches where the target product pushed an arm, operating an internal mechanicalNon-contactcontact.sensors were around too. Mainly inductive sensors, but also reed switch cylinder sensors and basic photo electric sensors using incandescent lamps. The original 40 x 40 x 120mm rectangular inductive sensor housing was a direct bolt-in replacement for limit switches. The sensor market was about to explode. PLCs had been invented in the late sixties, but it took time for them to replace relay logic. Inductive sensor manufacturers were mostly industry based with each manufacturer directing their attention to a specific industry and developing unique products to suit the requirements of that market. Photoelectric manufacturers were branching out, introducing innovations such as optic fibres, polarisation filters and LED emitters. Later, laser emitters were also introduced to provide a more powerful and much narrower beam. Longer life components such as the LED emitters and transistor output circuitry allowed sensors to transition from repair able products into the now familiar sealed throw away devices. Some smarter sensors had inbuilt tim ers but eventually PLCs were so common that there was minimal need for this and sensors went back to being basic switch ing devices. Eventually sensors in various technologies offered analogue output models as well as the diminishing tradi tional relay output and rapidly growing transistor output options and this meant sensors could now measure or detect. Europe and the USA embraced PNP transistor output sensors, but Asia pre ferred NPN. Australia imported products from both regions with PNP represent ing about sixty percent of our market. Matching the correct sensor to a PLC was often a case of looking at where the PLC was made and trying out a sensor with an output based on that. Safety and sensors Safety devices had a slow uptake, but this increased dramatically when machine safety legislation was enacted, and safety guarding became a requirement not an option. Safety light curtains transitioned from an electromechanical retro-reflective configuration to the now universal trans mitter and receiver grid arrays. Safety mats and bump strips were available as well as various safety interlock switches. For a long time, sensor IP ratings topped out at IP67. Wet environments were avoided and where a sensor had to be used in a harsh environment, sealed and potted inductive sensors or solid plastic optic fibres were used. If a standard sensor had to be installed in a cold water wash down area, the recommendation was to leave the power connected to the sensor during the cleaning process, cre ating internal heat and avoiding moisture being sucked into the housing along with air when the sensor ‘breathed in’ due to rapid temperature change. Eventually technology, design and seal ing became so good that just about every thing was IP67 and it became necessary to add the IP69K test to the sensor repertoire to show a difference in capabilities.
www.turck.com.au1300-132-566
Your Global Automation Partner
future network failures with Turck. Our connectivity solutions are more rugged – standing up to the harshest industrial use. Our connectivity experts design reliability and toughness into every solution we make. Contact your local Turck sales representative to learn more.
Australian Made to score with Adelaide 36ers in the US
“Auspack was certainly significant in terms of the growth of our busi ness. With orders taken for almost $1m worth of packaging machinery and ‘pipeline’ sales of close to $8m we have had to quickly expand our pro duction capacity. We have two more engineers in our Sydney factory and a new Service Delivery Manager for our Melbourne office, with more to come.”
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The partnership comes as NBL experiences a surge in popular ity across Australia, with rapidly growing attendance and TV audience numbers.Adelaide 36ers chief commercial officer John Tsianos said the club is excited to welcome Australian Made on board for the NBL x NBA pre-sea son“Astour.an Australian team heading overseas, we’re excited to represent our city and the nation on an interna tional stage,” Tsianos said.
“The NBL x NBA initiative is a valuable way to educate US consum ers about genuine Aussie products and how to identify them through the mark of Aussie authenticity—the Australian Made logo.”
“Australian Made is thrilled to sup port the Adelaide 36ers on the team’s US Tour, and we’re positive the team will do Australia proud in the NBA pre-season,” said Lazzaro.
Think Positive, Urges Packserv’s Managing Director
“But we have lots of customers who have decided exactly what machinery they require and have made the deci sion to purchase ‘once the financial situation is more settled’. If that isn’t an invite for a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom, I don’t know what is. “As SMEs account for over a third of Australia’s output, we have a significant opportunity to shape the future. At Packserv, we have made the decision to invest in people and infrastructure now, to drive our econ omy forward. The longer we sit on our hands, the longer the naysayers and ‘what-about-erers’ will be driving our economy into the ground.
Nathen Wardell, Managing Director and Andre James, Operations Manager putting the finishing touches to Packserv’s new all-pneumatic production line.
The Australian Made logo will also feature prominently on the club’s uni form and all Adelaide 36ers’ digital assets related to the tour, along with US-focused educational materials, on-site activations and local public relationsAustralianopportunities.Madechief executive Ben Lazzaro said the partnership was a unique opportunity to promote the logo in the US which is one of Australia’s most important trade and investment partners.
In Los Angeles, almost all Americans (97%) have a positive first impression of the iconic Australian Made logo, and 87% believe products carrying the logo are from Australia. Two thirds become ‘intrigued’ with products once they see the logo.
Packserv’s Managing Director Nathan Wardell paints an unusually bright picture of the true situa tion and has some ideas about how Australian manufacturing might point a way forward.
AUSTRALIAN MADE
The Adelaide 36ers head to the US in October to play two National Basketball League (NBL) x National Basketball Association (NBA) pre-season games in Arizona and Oklahoma in the lead-up to the NBL 23 season. US audiences will see the Australian Made logo flashing on the 36ers’ jerseys as they play the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center in Arizona on October 2, and against Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma on October 6.
A ustralia’s Small Business & Family OmbudsmanEnterprisereported in 2020 that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contribute around 30% of Australia’s GDP, which translates to over $400 billion every year. It’s hardly surprising therefore that attention is turned towards our small business owners when it comes to talk of how we can transcend the current woeful tidings about the current global financial environment.
“We’re not called the ‘lucky country’ for nothing. Come on you entrepreneurs, stop hiding behind your Financial Times and let’s get this country moving!” Packserv packserv.com.au
“Australian Made does a tremen dous job showcasing Australian prod ucts, and this partnership is another avenue for them to do so.”
T
he green-and-gold Australian Made logo is about to be shown off in the US as the Australian Made Campaign is now an Official Partner of the Adelaide 36ers basket ball team’s 2022 US tour.
Wardell contends that Packserv could be a useful barometer of the health of the nation’s manufacturing sector given that there is a direct correlation in the growth of the company and the demand for their services by other companies looking to automate their operations.
“The world’s media seems to delight in pushing the economic narrative in terms of extremes. I’m not saying that the world isn’t dealing with some pretty significant issues, but I question the idea that we are heading for inevitable finan cial Armageddon,” Wardell explains. In May, Packserv exhibited at the Auspack trade show in Melbourne, and Wardell’s experience there has presented some promising evidence that things maybe aren’t quite as bad as they may seem.
“This installation was crucial and extremely time sensitive to our business and any delay would have created significant issues. For them to have got our new line up and running on time and on budget in the middle of the covid lockdown last year, is testament to their abilities.”
“In machinery and equipment, quality and reliability are paramount and Enmin brought this to the table in spades. We do strive to support Australian manufacturing and with them being a Melbourne based man ufacturer this was just an incredible bonus for us,” Mr Wicks said.
Confectionery
All Enmin equipment is fully con structed using the highest quality 304 stainless steel, providing excellent durability and reliability.
The new line consists of an accu mulation conveyer, a modular incline conveyor (Mi-CON), a hopper feeder and cross feeder feeding into a multi head weigher. Due to the nature of the business the lines are run with numerous changeovers, necessitating frequent cleaning protocols.
“In the new retail landscape, ‘just in time planning’ usually means it is late, so we must have confidence that our machinery will keep us ahead of the curve. With Enmin it’s a con siderable advantage knowing that if something does not go to plan then the expertise to fix it is close at hand.”
The other key benefit of the Mi-CON is that its multiple standardised compo nents eliminate equipment redundancy. it can be added to, extended and mod ified in the years ahead as a company’s production needs evolve.
F ounded in 1985 and acquired in 2004 by Phil Wicks and his son Ray Wicks, Kingsway Confectionery has built a strong rep utation supplying quality wholesale and retail confectionery products. It has also established itself as a promi nent co-packing partner for branded and private label products in confec tionery and snack food industries. In 2016 the business relocated to their current premises in Melbourne’s bay side suburb of Seaford. This move facil itated the immediate expansion of the operation and provided the necessary scope for further growth opportunities. In 2020 the firm commissioned the installation of a third production line. Ray Wicks has taken over the mantle of General Manager from his now semi-retired father overseeing the day-to-day operations. Ray is supported by partners Jason Keegan (Production & Warehousing), Niki Totton (Sales & Development) and what they all agree are amazing and committed production and warehousing crew. “While our recognisable expertise is packaging goods, behind the scenes we are problem solvers and a valuable knowledge centre. We pride ourselves on being a trusted and agile business partner, and we are absolutely com mitted to the long-term growth and success of our customers’ products and brands,” Mr Ray Wicks said. ”We operate on an ethos of safety, quality, honesty, reliability, perfor mance, innovation, cost competitive ness and efficiency. As Enmin’s values are aligned with ours, they have been awarded our new equipment contracts.” Kingsway Confectionery’s association with Enmin commenced 15 years ago when a top cross feeder was installed to an existing production line. This was rapidly followed by an order for a hopper feeder to further modernise the line. “It was the ongoing quality and performance of our original equipment purchases that gave us the assurance that Enmin’s product solutions would be right for this project. We reached out to Enmin in January 2021 to support us with the development of the supplemen tary equipment specifications required in what was going to be a joint build with TNA, our manufacturer of choice for our form fill and seal packing machines.
The Mi-CON is perfect in this role given it is the first hygienically designed full wash down modular conveyor.
AUSTRALIAN MADE
“Enmin really impressed us with their project management expertise, outstanding service level and a can-do attitude that was evident throughout the entire build and installation process. Even the fine tuning that is always required with any new installation was done with minimum disruption.”
Enmin a sweet success for Kingsway
Enmin enmin.com.au
56 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
aking sure you’ve got the right work surface is an important consideration when setting up a production facility or a BACworkshop.Systems helps you carefully plan workshop layouts so that you can work the way you want to, fitting everything efficiently in the available space. Part of that planning involves choosing the right work surface for what you need to do. For general purpose applications, BAC offers its Eurobeech Benchtop, a beautiful hardwood benchtop made from laminated beech sourced from Austrian forests. This bench is very hard-wearing and can be readily sanded and resealed after a decade or so of Foruse.clean workshops and mechani cal workshops, BAC offers a Stainless Steel Benchtop. This 42mm benchtop has a sturdy timber core within with a water-proof melamine facing, making it suitable for laboratories, mechanics workshops, classrooms and manufac turing facilities. For a heavy duty application, such as mines or heavy fabrication, the BAC Heavy Duty Steel Benchtop is the choice to consider. It also has a timber core, which gives the bench top unparalleled strength and sound dampening ability. The benchtop is laminated with 2.5mm of galvanised steel, meaning many decades of dura bleForservice.laboratories, classrooms and cleanrooms, BAC also offers a market-leading 25mm thick Compact Laminate. This robust lab benchtop combines both the cleanliness that laboratories require, with the typical strength of a BAC product. Between them, these four bench tops cover most workshop and labora tory applications and they are further enhanced with optional antistatic mats and nitrile rubber mats, both of which are readily available, and help optimise your benchtop for your particular needs. Of course, a benchtop on its own, no matter how well matched to your task it is, is not of much use without the properly configured workstations supporting it.
Outsourcing your shredding to National Document Shredding Services means a safer and more secure shredding service, all at a relatively low cost.
BAC Systems bacsystems.com.au
Why outsourcing your shredding needs is good for business and safer
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 57industryupdate.com.au
M
National Shred also offers the removal and secure destruction of archive boxes that take up much-needed space. Again, a certificate of destruction is provided. The company provides professional document and e-waste destruction in Sydney and Australia-wide.
National Shred nationalshred.com.au
The importance of a good benchtop
S hredding sensitive documents on site comes with a myriad of safety haz ards for businesses or those working fromThehome.machine’s sharp blades can lead to finger lacerations; untrained staff acciden tally feed in objects like paper clips and sta ples or cause paper jams; and even jewellery, lanyards and long hair have been known to get caught in the machine’s teeth. Shredders also produce dust fragments from paper, plastic and metal, which can get into air ducts and create a fire hazard. Also, did you know that most office shredders use strip-cut shredding, which means sensitive information that’s been discarded can be reassembled. That’s not ideal legally, or for security reasons. Shredding your own documents can also cost up to twice as much because using staff to do shredding takes up valu able productive time. And, while doing shredding in-house may have a fixed, relatively low up-front price tag, there are additional maintenance, replacement and cleaning costs to be considered.
The company has a range of services on offer. They include scheduled shredding for offices, which can be organised weekly, monthly, fortnightly or bi-monthly. They offer lockable, secure bins that are delivered and picked up to ensure secure documents and their destruction.
National Shred has the experience required to destroy all your sensitive informa tion safely, legally and securely, after which they provide you with an official certificate of destruction, attesting that the documents have been destroyed as required by law.
National Shred is a local leader in secure document and e-waste destruction. When you hire their services, you are utilising a company that has been providing secure shredding services for more than 30 years.
BAC is well respected for its award-winning drawer storage cabinets, along with stands, shelves, power-ducts and lighting options. Please contact your local BAC Technical Sales Representative to arrange a complimentary site survey where we’ll help you configure a work station to suit your space, the way you work, and the tools and parts you need to store.
AUSTRALIAN MADE RELIABILITY/LOW WWW.MIXQUIP.COMMIXINGCONSUMPTION/LOWPOWERSHEAR/MODULARDESIGNLEARNMORECLAMP-MOUNTMIXING
AUSTRALIAN MADE CMYCYMYCMYMCK Industry-Update-Artwork-Half-Page-230mm-x155mm-v7-OUTLINES.pdf 1 29/07/2022 1:33:58 PM
Worker safety that’s totally Australian GuardianWorksafe
58 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
W orkSafe Guardian has been completely Australian developed, made and owned since the first drawings hit the page for the original concept in late 2014. WorkSafe Guardian (WSG) is a solution from Global Distress Technologies (GDT) — another 100% Australian-owned and operated company.Thisticks a vital box for WSG clients, from the biggest government departments to smaller, privately owned businesses. When speaking with existing and potential cli ents, this Australian-made quality instantly forms trust in WSG prod ucts and team. There are many moving parts to the WorkSafe Guardian solution which enables users to trigger alerts to a 24/7 response centre if they feel they’re in danger or have a medical episode and need help. Users can trigger an alert from the app on their smartphone in several ways including shaking the phone or talking to Siri. However, alerts can also be generated when no action has been taken. The welfare check-in feature allows the user to set a timer which reminds them to check in. If they do not check in on time, an alert is set off in the response centre and a tai lored response plan is set in motion. Response plans vary with every cli ent: a plan can contain some or all the responder types including emergency services, private security, or other members of their team. The Australian-based response centre complies with Australian stan dards for security response centres and is regularly audited. How does this translate into action? It means the response centre has a relation ship with emergency services in each state and follows the relevant state protocols required to have the right responder attend the situation as quickly as possible. It also means they follow the National Police Guidelines for actioning and responding to a personal safety alert. Developed by GDT here in Australia, the app and response plat form are continually enhanced by the local WSG development team. WSG has stored all information on servers in Australian data centres as a matter of trust since 2015 — when there were few options to host software on low-cost servers. The decision to be hosted on private servers in local data centres continues today. It’s still one of the first questions asked by organisations looking to sign up with WorkSafe withtrainingwheretionthemtoknowledgelegislationwhenteamSupportGuardian.fromanAustralian-basedisofparticularadvantagedealingwithvariousstates’andpolicies.Theteam’soflocalissues,changeslegislationorrecentevents,helpsdeliverthemostsuitablesoluforclients.ItalsoallowsWSG,possible,todoface-to-faceandsupporthoursthatalignclients’hours.TheAustralianteamcoverssales, marketing, support, future enhance ment and client engagement and delivers to the highest levels and standards. These include five ISO standards in quality, WH&S, environ ment, risk, and information security. For more information visit the company’s stand at the Workplace Health and Safety Show at the Sydney Showground, Sep 20-21, 2022 worksafeguardian.com.au
– ISO-approved; from fixed to highly flexible for indoor, outdoor.
Etherline Guard is a stationary device that continuously monitors an Ethernet cable, detecting declines in performance and displaying cable sta tus as a value between 100% and 0% so that maintenance can be planned in advance. The device supports cop per-based Ethernet data cables com pliant with 100BASE-TX according to IEEE 802.3 (at 100 Mbit/s).
IoT
LAPP’s German-manufactured range introduces new innovations. Its Single-Pair Ethernet (SPE) tech nology allows continuous real-time data transfer down to the field level, enabling more consistent, efficient industrial Ethernet networks. The Etherline T1 range only needs one pair of cores to transmit data whereas the former industry standard was two- and four-pair Ethernet cables. The time and materials saved when using only one pair of cores enable smart components to be integrated into networks not previously con nected by industrial Ethernet.
Optimising in the LAPP lappaustralia.com.au
• UNITRONIC ST SERIAL RS232, RS422, and RS485 flexible cables offer 100% foil screen coverage, in single, multiple pairs or three-core versions.
• UNITRONIC BUS PROFIBUS CANBUS, DeviceNet, Foundation Fieldbus and ISOBUS cables for indoor and outdoor use, in fixed or highly flexible applications.
Industrial Communications
• UNITRONIC LiYCY (TP) – multi functional data transmission cables for fixed, flexible and continuous flexing, in combinations of over all or individually screened, and UV-resistant twisted pairs.
• ETHERLINE PN CAT.5E Y 100MHz – resilient ethernet cables, meets international standards (PROFINET UL), available in types from fixed to highly flexible, for indoor and outdoor use.
• ETHERLINE CAT.7 FLEX, 600MHz
Etherline Guard prevents unplanned machinery downtime by monitoring the service life of data cables in Ethernet-based networks. Until now, cables were not taken into account in predictive mainte nance modelling, even though cables are often under extreme pressure, especially in dynamic and positively driven industrial applications. “In robotic applications, torsional force makes predictive management more important,” says Simon Pullinger, general manager of LAPP Australia. “Quality cables can withstand several million bending cycles but ultimately they need to be replaced at individually planned intervals to avoid eventual failure.”
Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 59industryupdate.com.au
Etherline Guard is ideal for data cables under constant mechanical stress. This includes movement at high speed and acceleration, chang ing motion sequences, rotations with high axial angles, short cycles and small, bending radii. The device suits critical processes where downtime is expensive or possibly dangerous for staff — such as resources, energy and high-heat or -pressure applications. Single-pair Ethernet cables LAPP’s new Etherline T1 Y Flex 1x2x22/7 AWG cables – part of an expanding two-core range – reduce setup and maintain high data rates. The exceptionally lightweight UL-certified, two-core cable for high-speed data exchange has a small bending radius and outer diameter which Pullinger describes as “indis pensable” for field connection. The new power-over-data-line-com patible cable complies with IEEE 802.3bu and is designed for transmit ting digital signals up to 600MHz over distances of up to 40 metres. The SPE cable guarantees optimal protection against electromagnetic interference. It is double-shielded due to an aluminium-laminated foil and copper braid screening with a high coverage (SF/UTP). The PVC outer sheath is resistant to acids and alkalis and is partially oil resistant. The new single-pair Ethernet cable can also be installed openly on cable trays. Single-pair internet technologies join LAPP Australia’s local inventory of more than 4,000 items, comple menting 25,000 online products. All are backed by local customer and technical support plus global appli cations expertise. LAPP’s industrial communication technologies include:
• ETHERLINE FD P CAT.6 250MHz – highly flexible for use in drag chain applications, meets international standards. Category 6 versions offer static or flexible options and suit building applications.
PRODUCTS
T he latest cable and connectivity solutions from LAPP Australia optimise uptime and reliability for industrial communication within Internet of Things machinery.
LAPP has also expanded its range of flexible internet and data trans mission cables for indoor and outdoor use — offering enhanced protections against oil, water, vibration, high temperature and other environmen tal factors. Cable protection features include individual and collective screening to reduce signal leakage.
• Rugged structural design and high load carrying capacity: “This series features a high radial load carrying capacity – a key requirement for hoists/ cranes.”
• High-performance gears and bear ings: “Gear profiles are optimised and designed for high power density, and to satisfy a wide range of FEM/ ISO mech anism classes. It also offers superior bearings to support higher loads.” In addition to this, the HF series offers an array of gearbox mounting options and the option to include an external brake solution for additional safety. Martin says that the HF series represents a welcome addition to Bonfiglioli’s portfolio. “As heavy-duty specialists, we are so pleased to bring this series to market,” he concludes. “Our custom ers trust us to bring reliable solutions for the most demanding applications to market. We are excited to see their response to the HF series.”
• Upgraded system pressure and injection speed for stable molding of thin-wall multi-cavity products
• Upgraded configuration with PAC380K3 and above generally equipped with hydraulic synchro nous plasticising function
• High centre and offset distance: “OEMs can select from a wide range of drum sizes and motor frame size •combinations.”Widerangeof output connec tions: “This provides added design flexibility for OEMs.”
ofwithpackagingmulti-cavitysuitablemoldinghigh-speedPAC-K3containers,efficiencyandindividualisationhighproductionofthin-wallYIZUMIseriesinjectionmachinesareformoldingthin-wallproducts,theadvantageshighrigidity,highinjection
The frame design of the PAC380K3 high-speed packaging injection molding machine is designed with user-friendliness, daily mainte nance, safety performance and other functional requirements in mind to deliver a better customer experience.
In the production pro cess, a high-rigidity and stable machine frame is valuable for the continuous highspeed operation of the machine.
G etting to grips with real-world applications and the needs of its customers, Bonfiglioli’s new HF range of high-quality hoist drive units was designed following a detailed study of the operating equip ment in real time. The series features three units: the HF40, the HF60 and the HF125, designed to carry 4, 6 and 12.5 tons respectively. According to Martin Broglia, Managing Director of Bonfiglioli Australia, the units are specifically designed for hoist appli cations in material-handling cranes. “Our international team worked closely with several prominent crane manufacturers to better understand the operating challenges that they faced,” he explains. “Our range was designed to combat these demands.”
Providing customers with onestop service YIZUMI aspires to free customers from repeated investments after equipment purchase and meet diver sified production needs in the future. Most YIZUMI solutions are customized. Boasting in-depth understanding of customer needs and market trends, the professional tech nical team becomes familiar with customers’ future product line plans, and adopts the best models, molds, materials and auxiliary machines to ensure sufficient expansion margin for customers’ production. YIZUMI can customise equipment solutions for diverse customers, and can build turnkey solutions. From the early plant layout and planning, equipment model selection and aux iliary setting to production line com missioning and personnel training and then to the final smooth produc tion, YIZUMI can provide customers with an overall and detailed solution in one Advantagesstop. of PAC-K3 series includes:
injection molding machine: upgraded to be more competitive
The maximum system pressure of the PAC380K3 high-speed injection molding machine has increased by more than 10% and thus reaches 19MPa, and its overall mold clamping rigidity is increased by more than 25%, facilitating molding of thin-wall and deep-cavity products. Adhering to YIZUMI’s design concept for highspeed molding, PAC380K3 adopts platen and tie bar frames of better mechanical performance, and increases the length-diameter ratio of the screw and barrel to 24:1 for better plasticising qual ity, more stable product size and greater flexibility.
PRODUCTS
The range has also been designed for higher FEM and ISO classes to ensure the highest levels of safety and reliability. Broglia adds: “The higher input to output offset and the higher space between the motor and drum install provides an advantage for OEMs to choose from a wide range of drum sizes available to the market.
COVID-19 vaccine atomizing cup 60 | Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 industryupdate.com.au
With Australia currently experi encing a surge in commercial con struction activity, Broglia believes there is no better time to bring the HF series to market. He outlines the added benefits as follows:
• Upgraded clamping unit for larger clamping force
Bonfiglioli delivers safety, reliability with HF hoist drive High-speedrange
• Upgraded control system – PAC-K3 equipped with Inovance Iventure System for better response and control accuracy
• Upgraded ergonomic design for easier operation and maintenance. Bonfiglioli bonfiglioli.com
T o keep up with rapidly intensify ing competition, businesses are constantly looking for ways to upgrade processes to improve produc tion efficiency. This is especially so in the thin-wall packaging industry, in which a one second reduction in cycle time can cut production capacity by 20%, or even more than 50%. As such high-speed molding and mass production is hugely significant businesses in thin-wall plastic pack agingYIZUMImolding.always reacts quickly to emerging market developments, in this case providing customers with a more competitive integrated solution for the PAC380K3 high-speed injec tion molding Consideringmachine.thetrend to
rate, high precision and more.
Well-engineered magnetic lifters are built with close tolerances between the rotor and static components to limit flux leakage and maximise mag netic circuit efficiency.
Not all magnetic lifters can do the heavy lifting
GreaseMax lubricators protect against lubricant degradation
Dove serpent-dove.com GreaseMax greasemax.com.au
PRODUCTS Industry Update Issue 127 August / September 2022 | 61industryupdate.com.au
The magnet lifting face must be made of relatively soft iron to conduct maximum magnetic flux to the steel being lifted. A good permanent lifting magnet will, however, use nickel plat ing on the face to help limit damage.
Poor quality lifting magnets can leak so much magnetic field from the rear of the magnet that contact of that rear surface with steel—for example, the lifting chain—can compromise the field at the front face of the magnet where lifting is done. This can raise significant concerns when magnets are part of specialised equipment in OEM applications that require removal of the lifting eye to mount the magnet directly to a steel lifteryears,Magneticwarranty.forlife,er-bearings125Lifters,sidesminimisesmagneticcrown’featureSerpentMaxXmember.Mag-Autoblok-TecnomagnetePermanentLiftersfrom&Dove—AppliedMagneticsasystemknownas‘neutraltechnologywhichmaximisesforceattheliftingfaceandfieldleakagetothebackorofthemagneticlifter.Inaddition,MaxXMagneticwithliftingcapacitiesfromkgsto2,000kgsalsofeaturerollontherotorshaftforlonghavemodelsspecificallydesignedthinsteelandallcarryafive-yearForthesereasonsMaxXLiftershave,formanybeenthefavouredmagneticforsafetyandreliability.
L ubricants have a finite life and degrade in storage. Typically lubri cant containers should be stored for only one year after being opened and use of contents commenced.
Grease lubricant degrade for sev eral reasons, outlined below. Oxidation of the oil in the grease will occur with air contact. How quickly and how readily oxidation occurs depends on the grease type. The grease base-oil type and the additive package influence the rate of oxidisation and regardless of the type of thickener, the thickener increases the rate of oxidation of the oil in air.
Environmental conditions have a big impact on the storage life of greases. Noria Corporation reports that generally greases such as lith ium-based multi-purpose greases should not be stored for more than one year. This is based on storage conditions being dry and about 200C. However, this storage period is dramatically lowered with increased temperature and according to Noria for a 10C increase in storage tempera ture the oxidation rate is doubled and the storage life is reduced by 50%. Water contamination increases the rate of oxidation. Once a grease container is opened it is always sus ceptible to water contamination. This occurs as a result of condensation caused by daily temperature cycles and also from storage in humid con ditions; in practical terms therefore it is almost unavoidable. Not only does as little as 0.05% of water contamination degrade the grease, causing failure of the grease’s lubrication and protection properties but it will also cause a number of bear ing lubrication problems such as break down of the oil film strength which reduces the oil’s ability to separate roll ing elements under load. It will also lead to corrosion, for mation of acids due to the breakdown of EP additives in the grease, openedgreasegreasesthethatcracking.embrittlementhydrogen-inducedandandOtherfactorswillreducestoragelifeofarefrequentagitationincontainers, promoting surface area contact with air and hence oxidation. It also emulsifies water from condensation and humidity into the grease. Steel containers, if not suitably prepared for grease storage, will expose the oil content to iron which in the presence of oxygen is a catalyst for oilGreaseMaxoxidation. continuous automatic lubricators overcome grease storage issues and prevent the maintenance problems that these may cause. The GreaseMax unit is sealed: there is no possibility of water contamination or oil oxidation, and other storage problems are eliminated. &
Serpent
M ost classes of industrial prod uct vary widely in technology, style and quality, and it’s par ticularly true of the many permanent lifting magnets now available. When it comes to lifting steel, no risk in poor technology or quality is worth taking. Lifting magnets must undergo regular inspection and testing to ensure they are fit for purpose. Permanent magnetic lifters are easily compromised if the lifting face is damaged, or has a build-up of dirty grease, or by wear and tear on the safety latching mechanism. Dents or corner damage can compromise lifting capacity because flat, full-face contact is necessary to achieve rated lifting capacities.
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