Manufacturers' Monthly February 2011

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS IN MAY 2011 RS

YEA

manmonthly.com.au

Est. 1961

Print Post Approved PP255003/00324

February 2011

INSIDE Industry News >> Coming Events >> Latest Products >> Industry Opinion >> Motors & Drives >> Automation & Robotics >> Metalworking & Machine Tools >> Recruitment & Training >> CAD/CAM & PLM >> Warehousing & Distribution

BRAVO BEER >> Bluetongue builds $120m state-of-the-art brewery

www.kaeser.com.au

Built for a Lifetime!

Two-stage Airend featuring Ultra Coat, delivering highly abrasion proof protection ensuring consistent compressed air delivery.

Sigma Control 2.

Integrated compressor management and control system.

Air Cooled +45ยบC and Water Cooled versions.

Reduce Lifecycle costs with KAESER Service programs.

Exceptional Dry-Running Performance

To find out more and receive your complimentary mug, contact us today: 1800 640 611 or info.australia@kaeser.com

KAES 11001

KAESER brings to the Australian market proven experience in the field of Oil-Free Air.

ABN 80 132 719 861 Average Net Distribution Period ending Sept’10 15,273 ISSN 0025-2530

Inside FEBRUARY 2011

4 Editorial ■

For daily news visit manmonthly.com.au

20

22

Helping those in need.

6 Comment ■

Manufacturing a safer workplace.

8 Analysis News ■ ■ ■

49

Endeavour Awards deadline extended: nominate now!

Combating product piracy in Australia.

Bluetongue builds $120m brewery.

18 IT@MM ■ ■ ■

Simulation: promise versus reality.

Cloud now on design’s horizon.

Turning ideas into results.

Training drives company’s success.

36 Automation & Robotics ■

22 HR & Recruitment ■ ■ ■

Skills shortage set to rise.

Demand for engineers rising.

Training drives Advance Metal Products’ success.

26 What’s New ■

New manufacturing products for your plant.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS IN MAY 2011 S

YEAR

manmonthly.com.au

Est. 1961

February 2011

Print Post Approved PP255003/00324

Editor Sarah Falson Ph: (02) 9422 2480 Fax (02) 9422 2722 sarah.falson@reedbusiness.com.au Journalist Annie Dang Ph: (02) 9422 2964 Fax (02) 9422 2722 annie.dang@reedbusiness.com.au Editor-at-large Alan Johnson Ph: (02) 9422 2325 Fax (02) 9422 2722 alan.johnson@reedbusiness.com.au Graphic Designer Ronnie Lawrence ronald.lawrence@reedbusiness.com.au Creative Director Julie Coughlan Production Co-ordinator Mary Copland Ph: (02) 9422 2738 mary.copland@reedbusiness.com.au VIC/Overseas Sales Michael Northcott PO Box 3069 Eltham VIC 3095 Ph: 0448 077 247 michael.northcott@reedbusiness.com.au NSW Sales Anthony Head Tower 2, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067.

Ph: (02) 9422 2368 Fax: (02) 9422 2722 Mobile: 0414 644 664 anthony.head@reedbusiness.com.au QLD Sales Sharon Amos PO Box 3136, Bracken Ridge QLD 4017 Ph: (07) 3261 8857 Fax: (07) 3261 8347 Mobile: 0417 072 625 sharon.amos@reedbusiness.com.au SA/NT & WA Sales Reed Business Information Ph: (02) 9422 2368 anthony.head@reedbusiness.com.au Associate Publisher Michelle Graves Ph: (02) 9422 2391 michelle.graves@reedbusiness.com.au Head Office Tower 2, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood NSW 2067 Locked Bag 2999 Chatswood DC Chatswood 2067 Ph: (02) 9422 2999 Fax: (02) 9422 2966 Published 11 times a year Subscriptions $140.00 per annum. (inc GST) Overseas prices applyPh: 1300 360 126 Printed by Geon Impact Printing 69 – 79 Fallon Street, Brunswick VIC 3056 Ph: (03) 9387 7477

INSIDE Industry News >> Coming Events >> Latest Products >> Industry Opinion >> Motors & Drives >> Automation & Robotics >> Metalworking & Machine Tools >> Recruitment & Training >> CAD/CAM & PLM >> Warehousing & Distribution

BRAVO BEER >> Bluetongue builds $120m state-of-the-art brewery

Finding the right robot for your use.

■ Size no obstacle for 3D system.

■ No tangle cables for industrial robots.

45 Metalworking & Machine Tools ■ ■

49 Materials Handling

40 Motors & Drives

■

■

■

Keeping motors running.

■ High force-to-size ratios in linear actuator.

In the mood for metal.

Precision measurement & CMMS.

■

BMW drives DC overhaul.

Economical raised flooring.

Crown launches its first IC lift truck.

Behind the cover THE quality standard of ifm products is an integral part of the company’s philosophy, and the new LMT level sensor is no exception. The LMT features factory settings for different media types, making adjustment unnecessary, even for viscous and sticky products such as ketchup. The sensor also ignores foam and build-up. The hygienic point level sensor LMT with complementary output features a maintenance-free

sealing concept and stainless steel housing. Thanks to its orientation-independent installation it is easy to mount.

The LMT level sensor safely monitors the level in storage tanks or protects pumps from running dry. Its compact sensor tip allows integration even in small DN25 pipes.The food-grade sensor features high-quality housing materials including stainless steel and PEEK. Visit www.ifm.com/au

Now direct to you. Faster and smarter.

Over 15,000 sensing, connectivity, interface and communications solutions are now available locally and direct from TURCK Australia.

1300-132-566 turck.com.au

©2011 TURCK, Inc.

manmonthly.com.au

SENSORS | NETWORKS/FIELDBUS | RFID | CONNECTIVITY | INTRINSIC SAFETY Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 3

Editorial

SARAH FALSON – Editor

editor@manmonthly.com.au

Helping those in need The Queensland and Victoria floods during January reaped havoc on Australian businesses across the East, but the manufacturing community is banding together to lend a hand to those in need.

T

WENTY-TWO people have been found dead*, and countless victims are harmed, after some of the most frightening floods in history swept through Queensland and Victoria last month.

Billions of dollars worth of infrastructure, housing and property is ruined. Hundreds of businesses are affected, with numerous either out-of-action while they patch-up their records, or totally wiped-out without a hope of playing in the market before the financial year is out.

IBISWorld estimates the floods will subtract 0.6 percentage points from our previous GDP forecast for the third quarter of 2010–11 (which ends March 31).

No doubt, the floods are already having a significant impact on the Australian economy.

Estimates show that the floods will result in $2 billion in lost coking coal production, and a further $1.6 billion worth of crops.

Add to this approximately 18,000 residential and commercial properties being significantly affected in Brisbane and Ipswich, while productivity in the Brisbane CBD was completely halted for a time, affecting commercial construction and

4 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

There are various ways manufacturers can help those affected by the floods.

delaying important deals with businesses in other states.

Australian manufacturers are about to experience a ‘mini business boom’. Affected companies are going to need replacement machinery, maintenance personnel, construction and safety equipment to get their businesses back up and running.

Anyone who manufactures industrial-grade cleaning products is about to get an influx of business while Queenslanders attempt to re-build their plants, one foot of water at a time. Some plants won’t even be salvageable – some will need to re-build from

scratch and will also need new automation systems, IT equipment and extra safety measures.

But while we’re looking at images of the disaster and waiting for the phone to ring with new orders, why don’t we all take a moment to think of how we can help those in need, rather than simply taking their money.

It’s no secret the Australian manufacturing industry has taken some hard knocks over the past three years, but it’s also a well-known fact that it is made up of a tight-knit group of individuals who are passionate about their businesses and what they

can offer their customers.

Bravo to the Australian Industry Group, which has reacted quickly and launched a web page designed to connect those affected by the floods with those willing to help (www.aigroup.com.au/industryconnections/findhelp.php).

Fifteen companies were listed on the site at the time this magazine went to press, all offering free or discounted equipment, and free or discounted services, to those affected by the floods.

I hope that this column will encourage more companies to give a little to those so down on their luck.

The team members at Manufacturers’ Monthly would like to send their best wishes and condolences to those businesses and individuals affected by the floods in Queensland and Victoria.

We will also be publishing news of discounted and free goods on our website, at no cost, in a bid to make a difference to those in need.

Send your notices to us at the below email. As always, every little bit counts. (*Figures correct at time of printing.) sarah.falson@reedbusiness.com.au

manmonthly.com.au

Comment

MARK GOODSELL – NSW Director Australian Industry Group

editor@manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturing a safer workplace Zero harm goals are being set for industrial workplaces and in many locations they are being achieved. Mark Goodsell writes for Manufacturers’ Monthly.

B

Y this time next year, all Australian businesses are likely to be working under a new set of workplace health and safety laws.

The introduction of model national WHS laws in 2012 will bring a renewed focus on workplace safety in at least two ways.

Firstly, the new laws include concepts that will require management attention.

And secondly, the regime will be expected to deliver safer workplaces if it is to survive the fragile political consensus on which it relies.

Amid the debate over laws, consistency and natural justice for employers, we sometimes risk losing sight of the end game: safer workplaces.

So how is manufacturing performing relative to other highrisk industries?

It is not well-known that Australia has a national OHS strategy for 2002–2012, agreed by all governments.

It includes targets to reduce work-related fatalities by at least 20% over that decade, and the incidence of serious injury (resulting in a week or more off work) by at least 40%.

We are doing well in reducing fatalities, although the numbers are low and can be volatile over time.

The serious injury figures are therefore taken as a more useful guide to overall performance in reducing risks and harm at work, and there we are falling short.

In the seven years to 2008–09, we reduced serious injuries by 21.8% in all industries – just over half the ten-year target.

The national OHS strategy prioritised five industries for the achievement of the national targets, one of which was manufacturing. These areas employ 34% of wor-kers but produce 54% of claims.

Manufacturing has reduced injuries by 21%. Significantly, its overall injury rate was equal highest of all sectors mid-way through the decade until a marked fall in 2007-08. However, injury rates in manufacturing still remain above those for construction.

About one in five manufacturing injuries are to hands, and

back injuries are at a similar level.

Manual handing and slips, trips and falls cause 60% of all injuries.

Many companies and some specific sectors in manufacturing have made extraordinary improvements in their safety performance and culture in recent years. Zero harm goals are being set and achieved.

However, as an industry we still have some way to go.

We should never underestimate the value of the leadership we can all provide on safety, not only in our own workplace, but also on an industry basis through our supply chain and customer base.

That’s when we’ll know we are walking the talk.

Mark Goodsell is NSW director of the Australian Industry Group.

Visit www.aigroup.com.au Comment at manmonthly.com.au

BAC Drawer Storage Modules BAC Workplace Systems BAC Mobile Workbenches & Tooltrolleys BAC Racking & Shelving Systems BAC Dust Suppression Cabinets

BAC Systems Pty. Limited 193-195 Power St Glendenning NSW 2761 Australia Tel. (02) 9832 2777 Fax (02) 9675 3645 www.bacsystems.com.au

6 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Unexpected downtime?

We can fix that.

The Loctite® Maintenance Workshop…

Hands on training to increase reliability & reduce costs.

To learn more call 1300 88 555 6 Every time your equipment goes down, or springs a leak, your profits do too. There’s no more compelling reason to enroll your staff in the Loctite® Maintenance Workshop.

After just two hours of training, your staff will be on the shop floor applying the skills they’ve just learned - Immediately and with confidence.

• Reduce downtime

• Product application technique

• Reduce costs • Reclaim worn parts

• Customized content - aimed at trouble shooting, eliminating key problems within your plant

• SAVE MONEY!

• Conducted at your facility

• Increase reliability

• Practical hands on training

To learn more about how you can take advantage of the Loctite® Maintenance Workshop, contact your local Loctite® representative or call 1300 88 555 6

©Henkel Corporation, 2011. All rights reserved.

AnalysisNEWS Sustainability = bottom line benefits

BY HARTLEY HENDERSON

M

ANUFACTURING enterprises across a wide variety of industries are increasingly finding that implementation of sustainability programs can deliver substantial benefits, not only for the environment, but also in relation to productivity improvement and the bottom line.

Add to this a smart employee involvement system to get workers involved, and one Australian car manufacturer has seen positive results in both revenue and engagement.

At its fully-integrated manufacturing plant in the Melbourne suburb of Altona, where the Camry, Hybrid Camry and V6 Aurion are built, Toyota Australia produced a record 96,817 vehicles and 95,873 engines in 2009.

The company’s direct environ-

8 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

During 2009/10 Toyota Australia's capital and operating expenditure on environmental protection was approximately $2.8 million.

mental impacts include energy and water consumption, emissions from energy use, volatile organic compound emissions from the use of paint, waste generation, and indirect emissions from transporting vehicles and

parts. Toyota Australia’s Environment Management System (TEMS) is the key business system used to manage environmental risks, ensure legal compliance and promote continuous improvement.

According to environment policy manager, Jon Ward, TEMS is a human system that engages employees to help Toyota manage its environmental footprint.

“Each manufacturing shop at the plant has a TEMS team and employees on that team are responsible for identifying, developing and implementing projects that will improve Toyota’s environmental performance,” he explained.

“Many of the initiatives that have significantly reduced energy use, water consumption, and improved recycling rates at the plant have been generated by employees.

“During the global financial crisis we made use of non-production days to run site-wide training including clean production/environmental awareness training to employees to help them to manage their individual environmental footprint and better contribute to site-wide TEMS initiatives.”

With a strong focus on continuous improvement, significant results are being achieved across the Altona manufacturing plant

operations, including the Powertrain Shop, Press Shop, Weld Shop, Paint Shop and Assembly Shop.

In the Powertrain Shop for example, wastewater generated through cleaning metal dies was previously treated off-site at a cost of 31c per litre. Now it is diverted to an onsite treatment plant before being discharged to sewer, resulting in savings of $15,405 pa. Also, there was no method for reclaiming coolant from swarf, the coolant was going to waste at high cost, and there was a low return on loose swarf.

Powertrain Shop manager, Steve Lampard, says that every day approximately 800 litres of coolant is now reused and 2.5 tonnes of aluminium briquettes is diverted from the waste stream and sold to a recycler, resulting in total savings of $607,000 pa and a return on investment of just 6 months.

Action to improve material yield in the panel Press Shop focussed on cutting the steel as close to the actual part dimension as possible. In 2005/06 521.09 Kg of steel was needed per vehicle, whereas for 2009/10 507.85 Kg was needed, providing a total saving of $21.48 per vehicle. In addition, changes to enable compressed air to be supplied from the Paint Shop rather than from an old compressor in the Press Shop, have delivered a total saving of $3.43 per vehicle.

According to Press Shop manager, Graeme Temperley, Press Shop productivity has improved 40% percent in 4 years.

Major advances have also been achieved in the Weld Shop by reducing by 50 percent the amount of copper tips used by 203 robots to weld vehicle bodies, resulting in total savings pa of $529,827.

Also, action is being taken to reduce electricity, gas and water usage in the Paint Shop, already resulting in savings totalling $27,305.

Toyota Australia www.toyota.com.au manmonthly.com.au

AnalysisNEWS EVENTS MARCH 1–3: National SCADA Conference 2011 After positive feedback on the location of this year’s event, Sydney will host the 10th Anniversary of the National SCADA Conference at Doltone House, Darling Island Wharf. www.scada-conference.com.au 22–25: AUSPACK PLUS 2011 AUSPACK PLUS is Australasia’s Premier International multi-platform Exhibition of Packaging, Processing and Plastics Machinery, Materials and Associated Technology. It will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Go to www.auspackplus.com.au 23–24: AIP Members Only National Technical Forum The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) will be holding its biennial Members Only National Technical Forum alongside AUSPACK PLUS 2011 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. The theme will be ‘The Packaging Supply Chain’.

Visit www.aipack.com.au

APRIL 5–7: Safety In Action Safety in Action is one of a series of safety trade shows. Held in Melbourne, it is a leading event for OH&S and features the latest products and services pertaining to safety managers. The event features all the latest safety products and services.

Visit www.thesafetyshow.com.au

MAY 24–27: National Manufacturing Week NMW 2011 NMW 2011 in Melbourne will showcase all major aspects of the manufacturing industry across ten specialist zones – from welding, engineering and IT to automation and robotics.

Visit www.nationalmanufacturingweek.com.au 24–27: Ausplas 2011 AUSPLAS is Australasia’s only trade show for the plastics processing industry and is the largest trade exhibition for the plastics industry in the Southern Hemisphere. It will run concurrently with NMW 2011.

Go to www.ausplas.com

10 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Awards deadline extended!

A

FTER struggling through a hard year in 2010, the Australian manufacturing industry is quietly optimistic about the year ahead, and the Manufacturers’ Monthly Endeavour Awards program is rewarding those who take advantage of the improving climate.

With a brand new award on offer this year, bringing the total number of categories to 13, there has never been a better chance to win one of these coveted gongs.

Plus, Manufacturers’ Monthly has decided to extend the nomination deadline to 21 February, giving all those stragglers more time to organise their nominations and take advantage of this premier awards program.

The only national awards specifically for Australia’s manufacturing industry, the Endeavour Awards are designed to celebrate Australia’s manufacturing achievements and inspire innovation and success.

This year, we introduce a brand new category, the Manufacturers’ Monthly 50th Anniversary Award, designed to celebrate the magazine’s 50th year providing all the latest news, opinions, analysis and new products.

The 50th Anniversary Award recognises the most innovative manufacturing company 1961 to 2011, including longevity in the business, pioneering technology and superior service to customers over a sustained period.

The Endeavour Awards is a

Help us celebrate 50 years!

Nominations have been extended to 21 February.

fantastic way to motivate your employees, with past award nominations and wins boosting the morale and team spirit of workers, proud their efforts and achievements have been recognised.

The Endeavour Awards program, sponsored by BlueScope Steel, now includes 13 categories: Technology Application of the Year Award; Environmental Solution of the Year Award; Safety Scheme of the Year Award; Exporter of the Year Award; Global Integration Award; Enterprise Connect Significant Achievement Award; Australian Consumer/Trade Product of the Year; Australian Innovative Steel Award; Young Manufacturer of the Year;

Manufacturers’ Monthly is looking for videos and photos that document the Australian manufacturing industry over the last 50 years, to help us celebrate our 50th birthday in May! Do you have old footage, images of factories, old advertising or any other information about Australian manufacturing from 1961 to the present that you could share?

Chosen entries will be used as part of a video which we will put together to broadcast at our 50th Anniversary Endeavour Awards in May. Successful entries will also be published in the special 50th Anniversary Issue of Manufacturers’ Monthly in May. Please contact the editor, Sarah Falson, by email on sarah.falson@reedbusiness.com.au or by phoning 02 9422 2480.

We appreciate your support in making our 50th birthday the best ever!

Manufacturers’ Monthly 50th Anniversary Award; Lifetime Achievement Award; and Overall Manufacturer of the Year award.

The Awards ceremony will be held at the RACV Club in Melbourne on 26 May, to coincide with National Manufacturers’ Week 2011.

Entry is free, with information and nomination forms available at www.manmonthly.com/Awards Contact Margaret Tra on 02 9422 2759 or email margaret.tra@reedbusiness.com.au for more information or to enter.

EFIC holds key to exporting success EXPORT Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC) is proud to sponsor the 2011 Endeavour Awards’ ‘Exporter of the Year’ award. The organisation has sponsored the awards since their inception in 2003 and is delighted to reward excellence among Australian manufacturers who are succeeding in today’s very competitive world markets.

As the Australian Government’s export credit agency, EFIC’s role is to help Australian exporters overcome the barriers they face when

growing their businesses overseas.

EFIC works directly with exporters or their banks to provide financial solutions that can assist exporters to free up their working capital or fund their export activities.

“For more than 50 years, EFIC has helped Australian manufacturers to take advantage of overseas opportunities and compete on the world stage,” says Andrea Govaert, EFIC’s executive director, SME. “Australian manufacturers often encounter considerable obstacles

when exporting or establishing global supply and distribution chains. With global financial markets remaining volatile and credit for exporters still tight, the last 12 months have continued to be challenging for Australian companies expanding overseas.

“The ‘Exporter of the Year’ award acknowledges the innovation, hard work and determination that are needed to make a local manufacturing business into an international success.”

EFIC 1800 887 588, www.efic.gov.au manmonthly.com.au

Rubber, we can do anything with it.

Mackay Consolidated Industries are one of Australia’s foremost suppliers of rubber products.

Since 1932 we have supplied engineered rubber and bonded metal/rubber products to the automotive industry.

We now supply quality products to defence, transport, construction and industrial markets.

Using the latest CAD and quality systems, we specialise in short runs. This allows our customers shorter lead times, continuity of supply and, because we are local, immediate

response to urgent orders.

We are certain that Mackay can provide a solution to your rubber requirements – it’s amazing just how flexible we are.

T (03) 9555 6500 F (03) 9276 8882 E info@mackayrubber.com.au W mackayrubber.com.au

E X C E L L E N C E MAC007

I N

R U B B E R

T E C H N O L O G Y

AnalysisNEWS

Manufacturing softens in December

BY HARAS NOSLAF

MANUFACTURING in Australia continued to soften during December, with few signs of any pick up according to the latest seasonally-adjusted Australian Industry Group – PwC Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI).

The PMI fell 1.3 points to 46.3, which remains well below the 50point level of contraction.

Again, manufacturers cited weakening domestic demand together with the strong Australian dollar and higher interest rates as negatively impacting on growth.

Nine out of the twelve subsectors recorded declines in activity, including clothing and footwear, textiles and wood products, and furniture.

Australian Industry Group chief executive, Heather Ridout, said: "The Australian PMI in December points to the manufacturing sector losing ground and showing few signs of upturn as it

12 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

finished the year on an ordinary note. The continuation of flat conditions in the sector reflects accumulating structural pressures mounting on the industry along with other trade-exposed sectors in the wake of the mining boom.

"These pressures look set to continue due to the strength of commodity prices and the levels of investment we are seeing in the mining sector. These forces are pushing up the level of the dollar and expectations about the directions of interest rates and inflation. These structural pressures need to be at the centre of policy attention as we, as a nation, grapple with the risks of becoming an unbalanced and insufficiently diversified economy into the future.”

PwC global head of industrial manufacturing, Graeme Billings, said: "While the manufacturing sector started 2010 with conditions improving strongly, since around March the sector saw first a slowing pace of growth

and, over the closing four months of the year, falls in levels of activity.

"In the face of these declines in activity and the continuing slump in new orders, it is imperative that businesses continue to search for efficiencies, improve-

ments and innovative approaches to their markets, products and business models.”

Manufacturing activity contracted in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania in December.

Ai Group www.aigroup.asn.au

manmonthly.com.au

Rubber is our blank sheet of paper.

Solving problems is the core capability of Mackay and we have been doing it since 1932.

Our strength lies in our ability to design then mould rubber solutions for a vast range of business areas.

The working environment, performance and durability all play a critical role in developing a successful rubber component.

Mackay is Australia’s leading manufacturer of engineered rubber products, with expertise in defence, automotive, rail and marine industries.

Using the latest technology we can design, manufacture and produce prototypes or full production runs.

We are certain that Mackay can provide a solution to your rubber requirements – it’s amazing just how flexible we are.

T F E W

(03) 9555 6500 (03) 9276 8882 info@mackayrubber.com.au mackayrubber.com.au

E X C E L L E N C E MAC008

I N

R U B B E R

T E C H N O L O G Y

AnalysisNEWS

Combating product piracy Facing product piracy is a reality for many Australian manufacturing companies in today’s increasingly globalised industry where cheap imports are rife, Hartley Henderson writes.

P

IRACY of intellectual property and the copying of products, particularly emanating from China, is a continuing issue for many manufacturers.

Such products are often of inferior quality, may not be sold with the standard manufacturers’ warranty, and technical support can be lacking.

Melbourne-based company, FCR Motion Technology, an Australian distributor of Motovario industrial gearboxes, recently released a new NMRV Power series of worm and helical-worm Motovario gearboxes onto the Australian market.

According to the company’s director, Larry Rigoni, the new gearboxes have a distinctive patented angular shape which differs from the traditional square look to differentiate the latest range from unauthorised copies that have been introduced into the market in recent times.

“About 15 years ago Motivario sought to have the aluminium gearbox housings made in China.

Their co-operation with the local supplier did not last long, and it was after this ended that the copies began to appear on the market. Some carried the original Motivario name, others were rebranded,” Rigoni told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“Over the last seven years, copying of Motivario products has become very prevalent and patents appear to be ineffective in China. These pirated products are sometimes hard to pick and come onto the market some 30% cheaper that the original product.

“The quality of these products can be inconsistent as the cost savings are often achieved by the use if inferior materials and quality control is not always automated. Problems include leaking oil seals, noisy bearings, porous casings, and premature failure of the bronze crown wheel.”

14 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Spot the counterfeit? It’s the one on the left.

Protecting intellectual property Ai Group chief executive, Heather Ridout, says no companies or sectors are immune to IP breaches and recent international cases have demonstrated this.

“The impact on businesses, including manufacturers, is great as failure to properly protect IP can easily result in copycat products/processes and lead to lengthy and very expensive litigation to try and claim ownership,” she said.

“Ai Group is helping more and more businesses to understand what constitutes IP and the need to protect it. While protecting IP rights in Australia is important, IP rights are jurisdictional, so this doesn’t mean that a company is protected in all the markets it manufactures in or exports to.

“It’s a complex regulatory environment, so when operating internationally it is also important to utilise experts – go through an attorney or agent in the relevant country. It is important to search and file applications in each country of interest.

“Although traditionally it has been difficult to enforce IP in Asia, foreign companies are now

being increasingly successful against copycats in China. But it’s not all one-way. IP litigation in China grew by 35% from 2007 to 2008. This has been driven by Chinese companies suing foreign entities in China, to protect ‘their’ IP. “With more companies operating in or exporting to China, IP Australia has developed specific information on the challenges for protecting IP in that country. It is advised that before operating in China, businesses should undertake an IP audit to accurately assess what needs to be protected. It is then important to develop strategies to protect a company’s IP that are tailored to its individual situation and the unique challenges provided by the Chinese IP environment.”

Market entry strategy Christopher Wright, Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Shanghai, emphasises that protection of a company’s intellectual property, trademarks and the like, are a vital part of any market entry strategy.

“Austrade recommends that companies familiarise themselves with the Intellectual

Property Rights (IPR) protection mechanisms and regulation in whatever markets they are contemplating. This applies to China as well as other markets,” Wright said.

“In the event of counterfeiting, which normally takes the form of misappropriating a company’s trademark, companies need to be able to access IPR protection measures available under local law. In many markets, this may mean that a company must take out local trademarks in order to access local IPR protections.

“While there have been some reported instances of counterfeiting of Australian goods in China, this has not stopped companies from pursuing market development and adopting strategies to counter IPR infringements. Austrade and other agencies of the Australian Government in China likewise monitor IPR conditions in the market, on occasion working with firms to develop approaches to specific IPR issues.”

Ai Group 02 6233 0700 www.aigroup.asn.au Austrade 13 28 78 www.austrade.gov.au IP Australia 1300 65 1010 www.ipaustralia.gov.au manmonthly.com.au

Servicing the Manufacturing Industry for 30 years Hydraulic and Industrial hose and fittings 90 Service and Supply Centres Australia wide National fleet of 320+ fully stocked mobile service workshops Rapid response time, 24 hours 7 days All Service and Supply Centres ISO9001:2008 accredited NATA certified hose testing facility Registered training organisation Nationally accredited and certified technicians National pricing policy

AnalysisNEWS

Brewery boosts beer benefits A local brewery has gone international with the launch of a new, state-of-the-art, $120 million premises to provide boutique beer to the masses. Sarah Falson writes.

W

HEN the Bluetongue beer brand was established in the 1990s, it was a boutique, hand-crafted brew with the stamp of the creators’ local region.

The brain child of four Hunterbased entrepreneurs, the beverage combined their passion for their local region and quality Australian beer.

In 2003, the foursome’s first brewery was built at Cameron Park, Newcastle on New South Wales’ central coast. Now, eight years later, the team has garnered the backing of SABMiller and Coca-Cola Amatil’s joint-venture, Pacific Beverages’, which has just re-located the Cameron Park facility to a new, purposebuilt, $120 million, state-of-theart facility in the Hunter Valley region of Wyong.

This new premises is being hailed as the most high-tech, significant brewery of its size in Australia.

At five acres in size, with the potential to double this over the next year, the new brewery will create almost 150 jobs in the plant alone, and is estimated to grow to a $150 million investment in under a decade.

The Bluetongue Brewery is reportedly one of the most sustainable breweries in Australia, and has water-saving and recycling measures in place at every stage of the brewing process.

The brewery manufactures the Peroni, Grolsch, Miller and Bluetongue brands for distribution around Australia. Though the business already supplies up to 20% of the country’s premium beer needs, Pacific Beverages technical director, Kevin Hardman, says this could grow to 40% in the near future.

“We are brewing 250,000 hectalitres this year, and the plant’s whole capacity is 520,000 hectalitres. One expansion could take us to 850,000 hectalitres, and then we could potentially go as high as 1.5 million hectalitres,”

16 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Pacific Beverages CEO Peter McLoughlin at the new $120million-dollar site in Wyong.

Hardman told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

These planned expansions could pave the way for new opportunities for technology suppliers in the area. Though the brewing side of the business uses process control and instrumentation technology from Germany and Italy which is designed specifically for breweries, local companies could have the chance to bid for tenders for construction, building supplies automation and materials handling technologies over the next six years, Hardman says.

Wyong’s new Bluetongue Brewery is differentiated in the market for two reasons: it is one of the most environmentallyfriendly of its size; and it uses a brand new packaging technology called ‘autofill’ that doesn’t require the beer to be heat-treated.

“Where we’re significantly different is that we sterile-fill all

our products. We achieve that through a filter that is completely enclosed in a sterile enclosure that allows us to get a lot more freshness in the beer because you don’t use heat to treat it,” Hardman said.

On the sustainability side, the brewery includes a large water processing plant to allow the business to re-use water from the brewing process.

The brewing technology itself – including the entirely-sealed bottling room – was provided as a turnkey project from German company, Ziemann. Ziemann also provided a special centrifuge which is required in the production of the Miller draft beer.

In terms of energy management, the brewery captures 50% of the methane it exudes during the production process to re-use as energy to fire the building.

The packaging process and conveyors at the Wyong plant are also very high-tech, delivering 60

kegs or 48,000 bottles per hour.

The bottles are manufactured using gear from Sidel, and the conveyors are water-free, meaning the process is completely dry.

The labeller is from KHS, and labels 14 bottles every second.

According to Pacific Beverages chief executive officer, Peter McLoughlin, the plant is trialling some unusual packaging options to cater for fussy clientele.

“We can do lots of different types of beers in different packages including 2-, 4-, 6-, 10- and 12-packs. It’s all around consumer and customer preference,” he told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

The business is also looking for new markets in which to launch: “We will be going to New Zealand, and we are also beginning to look at Singapore more and more as an opportunity for export,” McLoughlin said.

To view the full article, go to bit.ly/gMQ120 Bluetongue 02 4394 3599, www.bluetongue.com.au manmonthly.com.au

®

BIG ASS LIZARD

BIG ASS FAN

In Our Case, Size Really Does Matter!

NASA Physical Performance at Various Effective Temperatures* Physical Performance %

200

80

160 60 120 40

80

20

40

0 60 15

70 20

80 25

90 30

100 35

110 40

45

Total Work Done ft lbs x 1000

240

100

0 120 ˚F 50 ˚C

*Effective temperature is the temperature you feel. It is a combination of temperature, humidity, and air speed.

Think one of those little fans can do the same job as a Big Ass Fan? Think again. ®

Just one 7.3-m Powerfoil X Plus provides more air flow than 45 noisy pedestal fans combined at only 14% of the operating cost. The result: a more comfortable, productive workforce. Big Ass Fans can lower standard effective temperatures 5.6–11.1 degrees, reducing heatrelated accidents while improving the morale and output of your workforce. †

Create a comforting breeze this summer with Powerfoil X Plus.

Call (07) 5500 0690 or visit www.BigAssFans.com.au to find out how 3.1- to 7.3-m Big Ass Fans can improve the conditions in your facility. † ASHRAE Transactions – OR94 An ISO 9001:2008 certified company.

Covered by one or more of the following U.S. Patents: 6,244,821; 6,589,016; 6,817,835; 6,939,108; 7,252,478; 7,284,960; 7,654,798; D587,799; D607,988 and other patents pending. © 2010 Delta T Corporation dba The Big Ass Fan Company. All rights reserved.

TechnologyIT@MM Simulation: promise vs. reality Engineering simulation can cut manufacturing costs and time but working out a favourable ROI is one of the technology's many challenges, writes Stephanie McDonald.

P

The cost benefit of simulation for high value products is obvious, but a similar ROI can be achieved on lower value products such as small mechanical products.

18 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

ARTLY art but largely science, simulation allows users to manipulate 2D and 3D CAD models to simulate the physics of how a structure or a process might form in a virtual/digital environment.

But like most technology, it is not without its challenges – working out a favourable ROI, up-skilling employees and deciding how much of the design process simulation can replace.

The main benefit of simulation is it reduces costs and time as it lowers the number of physical prototypes required.

It also reduces errors in the design process.

Vernon McKenzie, director at EnDuraSim, says the cost benefit of simulation for high value products such as airplanes and spaceships is obvious: situations where prototypes are extremely costly or not possible.

“When working out the cost benefits of lower value products

such as small mechanical products and structural products and process, the same ROI is yielded.

The only difference is the model and equation are smaller,” he told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“The cost benefit equation has several inputs. For example, comparing the cost of a prototype (including material and labour costs) and the cost of revising the physical prototype if an error is found to the cost of running numerous iterations in simulation software.

"Even though the simulation might not get it exactly right because it's fairly complex physics, it gives users more insight into what parts of the product is doing the work when the test is performed.”

He believes the cost of the software and computing power required is relatively low. The main financial expense is hiring either a consultant to carry out and analyse simulation results or

manmonthly.com.au

employing or training an engineer in-house to carry out those tasks.

According to McKenzie, it can take up to 18 months for a person to become completely competent in simulation capabilities.

"For us, that's our biggest concern for customers getting value for money – whether they should be getting us to consult or whether they should be developing this expertise inhouse and making the effort to do this sort of work themselves," McKenzie said.

He believes companies should be developing the expertise inhouse, particularly if engineering design makes up a large part of their company and where intellectual property is at stake.

"I don't believe they should be outsourcing the simulation aspect of that. Rather they should make the decision that this is technology they should be developing expertise in and using the advantages of simulation within their own organisation," McKenzie said.

However, he freely admits the cost benefits may not always be immediate or even quantifiable.

Counting the costs Graeme Klee, senior design at GRG Consulting Engineers, says his company has been using simulation software for over two years for the analysis of steel structures, tank analysis, structural connections and mechanical components.

"But at this point in time, I do not believe there has been significant cost savings,” he said.

"However, we do not use the software package on a day-to-day basis and as such, the biggest challenge due to the lack of regular use is it is difficult to be conversant with the diversities of the software and the various options available in its dialogue boxes.

“Nevertheless, the software has broadened GRG's scope to a wider range of more complex design projects that can be undertaken, therefore exposing GRG to a broader engineering market.” manmonthly.com.au

According to McKenzie, a big advantage of simulation is it provides insight into several aspects of product development. “Which parts didn't work, but also aspects which did work.

“This allows engineers to not only assess errors, but also to look at whether areas have been over designed or where they could be better optimised. These insights may not be gleaned from physical tests.”

McKenzie says the key for smaller companies making the most of simulation comes back to expertise and whether they choose to develop it in-house or use consulting companies.

"That decision is not a trivial decision because it involves either a high cost in terms of a person they're going to employ and how much time that person will be used in that particular area of their expertise, or if they develop up a person, how long is that going to take," he said.

Simulation has theoretically meant prototypes aren't required, but McKenzie is adamant this process should not be entirely eliminated.

He recommends a physical testing program to calibrate simulation processes to provide external validation of simulation results.

Otherwise, the simulation will work on a user putting in all information correctly, which may not always occur. Without checking simulation results, the risk of errors at the end increases.

"The connection between the practical, real world conditions and how the product operates needs to be preserved, otherwise there is that risk that the product is not going to be as good as it needs to be.

"We hope that organisations that are sensible enough to invest in digital simulation technology take heed of our message, which is – don't completely disconnect this from the physical world.”

FEM software upgrade ENDURASIM has released Femap 10.2 with NX Nastran 7.1 designed to improve productivity by streamlining the meshing process with extensions to the interactive Meshing Toolbox.

Femap is a PC-based finite element modeling (FEM) component of the Velocity Series portfolio of PLM software.

Version 10.2 is also said to bring significant performance improvements when post-processing results data and new methods of visualising beam element results that help speed results comprehension.

A new Topology Optimisation module is now available that can suggest the best design for a given set of boundary conditions.

Femap 10.2 ships with NX Nastran 7.1 and extends support of NX Nastran with edge to glue connection support, and NX Nastran in general with extended support for model checking,

Latest version supports the new NX Nastran edge glue contact capability that allows easier assembly of shell models.

frequency response and rigid elements. There is also a new forced response capability inside Femap.

New Meshing Toolbox tools and capabilities include Mesh Surface and Geometry Editing and Feature Editing plus postprocessing acceleration factors x20 in speed for complex output processing operations.

EnDuraSim 1300 790 661, www.endurasim.com.au

EnDuraSim 1300 790 661, www.endurasim.com.au GRG Consulting Engineers 07 3849 5600, www.grgengineers.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 19

TechnologyIT@MM

Turning design ideas into great results

BY ALAN JOHNSON

ANNOUNCED in the November 2010 issue of Manufacturers’ Monthly, SolidWorks 2011 3D design software is said to be constructed to turn good ideas into great results.

According to Solidtec Solutions’ MD, Shane Preston, this release has something for everyone.

“There are a large number of significant improvements to this latest release that will be of benefit to Australian manufacturers,” he told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“For example, for lifelike visualisation users can now create powerful photorealistic renderings of their designs with more ease and in less time than ever.

“PhotoView 360 is now fully integrated into SolidWorks –bringing SolidWorks materials, decals, lighting, scenes, appearances, and more, directly from model to rendering.”

Preston said there is now no need to launch a new application, because PhotoView 360 can be used for rendering large animations.

And for a more immersive experience, he says users can escort their clients through their design using new WalkThrough capabilities.

20 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Increased features with latest 3D CAD version.

“It’s now easy to make drawings clean and professional without the wasted time and effort of manual dimensioning,” Preston said.

“Users can now automatically align, stagger, or centre all dimensions in a single click without any overlap. They can also select several dimensions for linear, radial, collinear, or staggered alignment or top/bottom/left/right justification.

“As well, new weldment features are designed to improve accuracy by automating and simplifying weld placement and documentation.

“The Smart Weld tool helps users select weld bead paths and depict the beads as callout symbols in the graphics window for

easy reference. Enhanced fillet and groove features enable users to specify which type of weld they want to use in each location. Weld tables automatically compile data on weld counts, length, and type, providing detailed breakdowns for cost analysis and developing bids.”

Preston explained that users can now analyse parts with SolidWorks 2011’s new 2D Simplification capability, quickly and efficiently.

“Users simply select an intersecting plane and apply the loads and restraints. SolidWorks Simulation instantly calculates the results and displays them on the full 3D model.

“This approach enables you to swiftly analyse a variety of

challenging problems in thin extrusions, long extrusions, and revolved geometry,” he said.

Preston also said users can now optimise the thermal management of their electronics enclosures with the new Electronics Cooling Module.

“Making simulations simple to execute, this new tool guides users through an intuitive, intelligent setup to ensure they arrive at a successful design that produces a reliable product,” he said.

Eco-friendly design With sustainable design front-ofmind for many manufacturers, Preston says SolidWorks 2011 allows users to know how their location affects their products’ environmental quotient by evaluating transportation needs and manufacturing processes.

“The new and expanded database now includes information for Australia and South America, enabling users to evaluate locations all over the world,” he said.

“As well an updated materials database in SolidWorks, Sustainability automatically compares custom materials to standard materials and reveal their environmental impact.”

Solidtec Solutions 1800 824 883, www.solidtec.com.au

manmonthly.com.au

BY MAX PIPER*

C

LOUD computing is a term that has been bandied about in many different industries, and it has now reached us in the manufacturing industry.

While there are some concerns around security and reliability in the cloud, if it is done right, this technology represents a huge opportunity for Australian designers, engineers and manufacturers.

The simplest explanation of cloud computing is web-based computing. The cloud allows IT services, typically software applications and business tools, to be accessed over the Internet on demand. Designers, engineers and manufacturers already using the cloud have realised IT services are not their core business.

Handing over to the IT experts means they can focus on their own area of expertise.

But the question now is: what does it mean for your business?

Firstly, it means freedom for you to develop teams that are no longer restricted by location, and

manmonthly.com.au

Cloud computing now on design’s horizon freedom for your employees to work from anywhere.

Getting all your experts together for a major project means they no longer have to physically be in the same room – a great advantage for those companies with multiple locations around Australia. Offering cloud

solutions is also another way to provide flexible work arrangements, which we know helps retain staff, increase productivity and improve morale. When using the cloud, collaboration is not restricted to in-house teams. If you work closely with suppliers and customers they can have

access to common components via the cloud. No longer will you need to email large files with models, drawings and parts, your partners can access these from anywhere via the web.

And while this may throw up some concerns about intellectual property (IP), there are tools available to limit the amount of design data which is shared. Or you can arrange with your cloud provider to only allow third-party access to approved files.

When considering security in the cloud it's important to note that by its very nature, the cloud provides multiple redundant sites, which means your IP and files are saved, replicated and backed up in secure facilities.

In fact, the cloud may even be a means of helping you retain, and build on, your IP. Collaborating with international designers, engineers and manufacturers over the cloud means you can take advantage of their expertise but still keep your designs, ideas and skills local, protecting your IP. *Max Piper is CEO of Intercad.

Read the full story online at bit.ly/gjVjUY

Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 21

AnalysisMANAGEMENT Training drives company’s success

BY ALAN JOHNSON

W

ITH unemployment falling and skill shortages starting to reoccur, recruitment and training of workers is, or should be, front of mind for Australian manufacturers.

Ian Stone, CEO of Advance Metal Products – one of Australia’s leading sheetmetal manufacturers employing around 150 workers – has been in the industry long enough to understand the importance of obtaining and retaining a fully-trained team of employees.

“Possessing a highly skilled workforce is instrumental to the success of our organisation, particularly with the workplace development initiatives we have implemented over the past year,” Stone told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“These programs and training have equipped us with the skills to drive change and implement improvements across our workplace, enabling our organisation to remain competitive.

“Training engages employees and gives them a sense of achievement. Not only are they improving themselves, they are utilising their new skills to improve their own roles as well as the entire workplace for everyone’s benefit.

“We are working toward a more change-oriented culture and in today’s market being a responsive and dynamic organisation is so important.”

In late 2009 Advance Metal Products commenced a partnership with TAFE NSW SSI (South Western Sydney Institute) to rollout a business improvement program involving various training initiatives, including setting-up a Business Improvement Team consisting of 11 employees to undertake a Diploma of Competitive Manufacturing.

“At present, a Certificate III of Competitive Manufacturing is also being undertaken by our entire workforce, with this train-

22 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

A highly-skilled workforce is instrumental to the success of our organisation – Stone, right.

ing delivered on-site by TAFE Workplace Facilitators,” Stone said.

“The Business Improvement Program involves making changes across all areas of our organisation and engaging all employees to create high standards. This is a long-term, ongoing project that will see lean, agile, modern manufacturing practices and principles implemented (including 5S) to assist in improving processes and becoming more efficient.

“As part of our partnership with TAFE, we hosted a Certificate I in Engineering last year as part of the Australian Apprenticeship Access Program.

The training included a combination of classroom theory and practical experience in various areas of manufacturing and production.

“This was a 10 week course that provided disadvantaged job seekers with pre-vocation training and tailored support to overcome their barriers to employ-

ment and help them obtain and successfully participate in an Australian Apprenticeship or Traineeship. All participants received a Certificate I in Engineering with the possibility of being selected to undertake an Apprenticeship or Traineeship with us.

“Participants ranged from school leavers to mature age. The program is an important initiative as not only does it make the individuals involved job-ready for employment with us, but it also makes them job-ready for other organisations in the community.

“As well, in June 2010, in excess of 50 of our employees commenced a Mature Age Apprenticeship Scheme.

“This is an important program for us, it formalises current skills, multi-skills our workforce and bridges skills gaps.

Additionally, having highly skilled mature aged workers in our workplace allows them to provide valuable mentoring and

supervisory support to younger team members whilst gaining a formal trade qualification that is nationally recognised.”

Stone says there are also other benefits in terms of Government funding that are available to both employers and apprentices.

“The bulk of the training is delivered in-house by TAFE Workplace Facilitators, along with some off-site training. Upon completion, these individuals will be rewarded with a national qualification and trade status.

Our younger apprentices also complete their trade through local TAFE colleges,” Stone said.

As a member of the TAFE Commission Board, TAFE NSW SWSI Advisory Council and the University of Western Sydney’s Board of Trustees, Stone is a strong believer in the benefits of working with local TAFE and universities.

“We believe in community and regional engagement with our tertiary education providers. Our partnerships allow our company manmonthly.com.au

to link to the latest training trends whilst providing opportunities for students to tour our facilities on a regular basis,” he said.

“It is important for students to engage with industry and view first hand leading edge manufacturing technology and the exciting and highly skilled career opportunities available in manufacturing.

“We have partnerships with both TAFE NSW SWSI and the University of Western Sydney which allow each organisation to draw on new skill-sets from each other and also assist with maintaining our position as market leader.”

Last year, Advance Metal Products was recognised for its innovative business improvement and training initiatives by winning the Minister's Awards for Excellence for Employers of Australian Apprentices for the Sydney region. The awards formally recognise organisations and individuals who have made

an outstanding contribution towards the training and employing Australian Apprentices.

The presentation evening and dinner was hosted by Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, at Parliament House in Canberra on 26 October 2010.

The Australian Government is committed to working together with industry and training stakeholders over the next four years and is investing over $4.8bn to support apprenticeships.

Stone says this includes increases to tax exempt payments available to Australian Apprentices training in identified skill shortage occupations and funding for up to 40,000 apprentices to receive mentoring and support.

“Having these schemes in place certainly makes it attractive to both employers and employees to become involved with apprenticeships,” he said.

“We have received financial

assistance from the Government to undertake our workforce development program, including that from the Federal Government’s Productivity Places Program.”

To overcome the rust belt/smokestack image of the manufacturing industry when attracting school/university leavers, Stone says the company plays an active role in the community.

“We boost awareness of the manufacturing industry and our own organisation, particularly with educational institutions, by participating in initiatives and projects such as hosting factory tours for local schools, TAFE colleges and universities,” Stone said.

“We also encourage our younger apprentices to participate in the WorldSkills competition, plus we sponsor awards such as the Endeavour Awards and the TAFE NSW SWSI Student Achievement Awards.”

Advance Metal Products is also

supportive of other companies furthering their endeavours in the industry, through its sponsorship of Manufacturers’ Monthly’s 8th Annual Endeavour Awards’ Young Manufacturer of the Year Award at the forethcoming Awards night in Melbourne in May (read more on p.10).

“At Advance Metal Products we believe in community and regional engagement with our tertiary education providers. Our partnerships allow our company to link to the latest training trends whilst providing opportunities for students to tour our facilities on a regular basis,” said Stone.

“It is important for students to engage with industry and view first hand leading edge manufacturing technology and the exciting and highly skilled career opportunities available in manufacturing.”

Advance Metal Products 02 8796 6222, www.advancemetal.com.au Comment at manmonthly.com.au

CUSTOMISED TRAINING

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

WORKFORCE PLANNING

TAFE NSW coordinates training and employer services for leading organisations. Our Client Relationship Management team will work with you to maximise your training dollar. Businesses located in multiple locations will benefit from TAFE NSW’s experienced network of ten Institutes. Contact us today to discuss your specific training needs.

ACCESS FUNDING

INDUSTRY QUALIFICATIONS

FAST-TRACK OPTIONS

WORKPLACE AND ONLINE TRAINING

802599 NP1A

Enquiries: 131 601 – individual course enquiries (02) 8293 6931 – for medium to large organisations www.tafensw.edu.au

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 23

AnalysisMANAGEMENT

Manufacturers optimistic but skills shortage

BY ALAN JOHNSON

W

HILE manufacturers are confident going into 2011, and the prospects for Australia’s job seekers look positive, the news is not quite so encouraging for those in industry already struggling to find skilled workers, According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, employers in the manufacturing sector are showing higher employment optimism (+18%) for the first quarter of 2011.

Lincoln Crawley, MD of Manpower Australia & NZ, says manufacturers are certainly more confident going into 2011 than they were going into 2010.

“Sentiment amongst hiring managers has improved significantly since the financial crisis and manufacturers are becoming more confident. While demand for flexible workers remains strong, we are also seeing a growth in permanent hires,”

24 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Manufacturers could be forced to pay electricians, welders and fitters above average wage rates in 2011.

Crawley told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

However on the flip side of the coin, he believes skills shortages are set to become a major industry issue in certain areas.

“Skills shortages in manufacturing are on the rise – not so

much on the production line but in maintenance and support functions. We’re seeing more employers in the manufacturing sector trying to source labour from overseas to bridge the gap.

“Manufacturers are going to find it increasingly difficult to

source trades people – like electricians, welders and fitters – unless they have a strong employer brand and above average wage rates.

“They are also competing with the mining and transport/logistics sector for staff, and the tal-

manmonthly.com.au

s set to rise ent war for these skills will get more intense in 2011,” he said.

Crawley expects the flow of skilled workers from the manufacturing sector to the mining sector to continue to rise.

“This drift will definitely continue, particularly in regional areas where mining projects are close by. Already, people with manufacturing experience are looking to upskill in order to join the mining sector. It’s going to be difficult for manufacturers to compete for the skills they need that are also common to the mining sector,” he said.

Crawley admits it’s going to be tough to stop the drift to the mining sector.

“Aside from offering more money, manufacturers will need to work hard on their employer brand. They need to ask themselves what they can offer to their employees that the mining sector can’t – is it stability? Is it location? Is it flexibility? Whatever it is, it’s going to be increasingly

manmonthly.com.au

important to differentiate.

“Companies who start this process first, and begin to communicate their employment proposition with their staff and potential candidates, will be the ones who succeed in the long run,” Crawley said.

Overall, the survey of more than 2,200 Australian employers, indicates hiring for the first quarter of 2011 will remain steady overall, with the Mining & Construction, Services and Public Administration sectors buoying the rest of the employment market.

The seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook is at +21%, a one percentage point increase from the last quarter’s seasonally adjusted outlook and a two-point increase from a year ago.

The number of employers planning to increase hiring has increased to 28% (up from 27% in the fourth quarter of 2010), while the number of employers planning to decrease headcount remains steady, at 7%.

Employers in the Services sector are showing the highest employment optimism for the first quarter of 2011, at +28% (up from+ 27% in Q4 2010).

“The Services sector is Australia’s quiet achiever. It’s the only sector where employer hiring expectations continued to increase through 2010, doing so consistently and without the fluctuations we’ve seen in many other sectors,” said Crawley.

Similarly, says Crawley, the Mining & Construction sector has remained strong throughout the year, and will only continue its hiring surge in 2011.

“We’ve heard a lot from Mining & Construction sector employers about skills shortages and these figures now serve to add more urgency to the need for a solution,” said Crawley.

Across the other industry sectors, Crawley said he saw a surprising amount of optimism, with employers in the Transportation & Utilities (up eight percentage

points to +23%) and Wholesale & Retail Trade (at +14%) sectors all increasing their employment outlook from last quarter.

“These results indicate much higher levels of confidence than I would have expected for these sectors, and indicate that retailers are expecting a big Christmas and will need stock replenishment in the new year,” said Crawley.

For job seekers, Crawley says the key will be to develop skill sets that travel well.

“We believe that 2011 is going to be a bumper year for job seekers, with the returning skills shortages set to heat up.

Companies are going to have to be flexible about their job criteria and consider candidates who tick most, but not all, of their boxes.

“At the same time, candidates who are willing to relocate, reskill or change industries will have plenty of opportunities to succeed,” Crawley said.

Manpower www.manpower.com

Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 25

What’sNew See more new products at manmonthly.com.au

Isolation procedure software

The compressors are designed for areas where oil cannot be used.

Oil-free screw compressors BOGE’s second generation SO 150-2 to SO 269-2 oil-free, water-cooled screw compressors are said to increase efficiency, improve volume flow and lower sound pressure values.

The SO series oil-free, water-cooled screw compressors range from 110 to 200 kW in power, and also provide 100% oil-free compressed air.

According to Boge, this is ideal for large compressed air users in industries such the semiconductor, pharma-

ceutical and food and drinks where the risk of oil contamination is rife.

The new models incorporate the same compressor technology originally utilised in developing the SO series oilfree screw compressors.

Improvements have reportedly been made on sound pressure values, volume flow and specific power efficiency against the former models.

Boge Compressors 08 9528 2157, www.boge.net.au

PLM 3D geometric modelling

The software can be used from a PDA.

A NEW lockout procedure management program called IsolationPoint from Redbusbar allows maintenance engineers to use a PDA to execute energy isolation procedures.

IsolationPoint comprises an isolation procedure library located on a PC and a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) as the means to execute isolation procedures.

When required, an isolation procedure is scheduled for execution onto

the PDA. The isolation officer then follows the isolation steps specified in the procedure and uses the PDA’s barcode or RFID scanner to verify isolation point identity.

When the procedure is complete, time stamped progress information is archived to the PC. Using this approach, IsolationPoint is said to enhance safety, use less people and require less administration.

SIEMENS PLM Software has announced a new version of its Parasolid software – with a PLM 3D geometric modeling component.

Parasolid Version 23.0 (V23) is said to deliver a wide variety of enhancements which reflect Siemens PLM Software’s commitment to improving complex processes throughout the entire product development process.

Parasolid has extended its support for multi-core processor hardware to enable applications based on Parasolid to take full advantage of their significant performance advantage over single-core processors.

Parasolid V23 is now fully threadsafe, enabling applications to have

several threads running on different processors, with each calling any Parasolid function simultaneously.

A new face deformation operation enables sophisticated shape changes to digital models based on either design requirements or simulations of shape changes that occur due to realworld situations such as deflection under load or distortion during temperature cycles.

In addition, Parasolid V23 is said to offer more sophisticated blending techniques and controls that extend the software’s existing range of blending capabilities into the domain of complex modeling.

Siemens PLM Software www.siemens.com/plm

Redbusbar 07 3630 2112, www.redbusbar.com

Machine-mount robot tongs All-in-one portable computing METROMATICS’ new NextComputing solution – the Radius LE – is an all-inone portable workstation/server designed to provide high-performance computing in a mobile, lightweight package.

According to the company, the LE unique is the thinnest of the 26 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

NextComputing portables.

At 4.3 inches deep, and with base configurations weighing around 15lbs., it is said to bring desktop-class computing with PCI Express expansion, all for the price of a high-end laptop.

Metromatics 03 9872 4592, www.metromatics.com.au

GERMAN company TOX PRESSOTECHNIK has expanded its TOXMini handheld and machine-mount robot tongs range to include a generation of pneumohydraulically-operated drive cylinders, called the TOXPowerpackage type RZ, reportedly offering high precision and easy flange mounting.

This model is designed to offer

engineers new possibilities for the rationalisation of production processes for pieceparts and for the mounting of subassemblies.

TOX-Handheld Tongs come in six types and further executions and equipment variants, including mini handheld, handheld and flange tongs.

TOX PRESSOTECHNIK 03 9800 1300, www.tox-au.com manmonthly.com.au

What’sNEW The forklift is suited to tough applications.

Provides automated testing of densely packed surface-mounts.

Automated probing station THE Huntron Access DH (dual head) Automatic Probing Station is designed to open the measurement spectrum to fixtureless diagnostic robotic probing.

The addition of a second point is said to provide accurate automation of a two-point measurement, therefore reducing the manual dexterity limits when an event needs to be captured.

The Huntron Access DH can be configured to work with almost any standard measurement instruction such as Huntron Trackers, Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, Spectrum Analysers and LCR meters, Australian distributor

Tough, compact forklift ADAPTALIFT Hyster has extended its Fortens forklift range with the introduction of an 8-9 tonne capacity series, which offers models that are compact, efficient, and high capacity with a low cost of operation in tough applications, according to the manufacturer.

The new H170-190FT Fortens series is suited for industries such as paper, wood, beverage, metals, ports, automotive or construction materials.

The design also benefits operations with high attachment usage.

The forklift is said to optimise space, loads moved per hour and on-site efficiency. It shares many features with the company’s H135-155FT series, including the frame construction, low maintenance oil immersed brakes, leak-free hydraulics and drivetrain.

The compact frame design results in a wheelbase of 2450mm, making the H170-190FT one of the smallest in its capacity class, the company says.

Adaptalift Hyster 1300 880 335, www.aalhyster.com.au

Oil-free air compressors KAESER Compressors Australia is now offering two new oil-free, two-stage rotary screw compressors – the DSG and FSG – designed for applications where oil-free compression is specifically required, such as clean manufacturing areas.

At the heart of these units lies a twostage compressor airend. The rotors are equipped with Ultra Coat, which is 28 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

said to be resistant to temperatures up to 300 °C. Because this coating is also abrasion-proof, its sealing and protection performance remains unchanged, even after years of operation, Kaeser says.

The units can be provided in either water-cooled or air-cooled versions.

Kaeser Compressors 03 9791 5999, www.kaeser.com.au

Metromatics says.

Huntron Access Probers connect to the Huntron ProTrack, the Tracker Model 30, and TrackerPXI. The Access Prober comes with the Tracker Model 30 built-in for an all-inone test solution.

The Huntron Access Probers are said to allow economical, automated testing of densely-packed surfacemount and other devices, on the most complex boards from the smallest to the largest systems.

Metromatics 07 3868 4255, www.metromatics.com.au

Integrated servo motors MOTION Technologies, Australian distributor for JVL Denmark, is now offering an integrated servo motor – called MAC 141 – in a totally stainless steel version, designed especially for the food and medical industry which both require food-grade products which won’t contaminate the environment.

The unit incorporates a 100% stainless steel shaft, flange, tube and rearend cover. It also offers a stainless cable gland rated to IP67.

According to the company, the new MAC141 is a cost-effective servo motor that performs well in harsh, wet and corrosive environments, such as food and beverage manufacturing.

The products offer special Teflon sealing for long lasting, watertight operation in high pressure washdown conditions.

The integrated motor is a brushless servomotor capable of 0.48/1.59 Nm

RMS/peak, 134 W and up to 2700 RPM. It offers integrated electronics, encoder, driver and controller; the servomotor, hallsensor, encoder and electronics are specially developed by JVL so that they together form a closed unit where the power driver and controller is mounted inside the motor in a closed section.

The units can be supplied with options for built-in PLC, RS232/485, Profibus, CANbus or industrial Ethernet (EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP, Sercos III and more).

These units are said to be durable solutions for food and beverage processing, pharmaceutical, wash down, and chemical industries, and can be supplied with optional planetary gearheads in ratios from 3:1…216:1.

Motion Technologies 02 9524 4782, www.motiontech.com.au manmonthly.com.au

What’sNEW

The software offers live video capability.

CitectSCADA 7.20 hits market SCHNEIDER Electric’s new CitectSCADA V7.20 is said to be a secure and high-performance industrial automation and control solution.

According to the company, this latest release extends the performance, quality and security of the company’s existing SCADA products.

It is also said to deliver on Schneider Electric’s vision of a seamless system that integrates real-time process and equipment information for improved

operator effectiveness, simplified engineering and tighter security.

Users of CitectSCADA 7.20 can meet growing security and remote monitoring requirements through the addition of a Pelco camera interface, which is designed to allow operators to view live video and control the camera movement. Operators can also access real-time operational intelligence through the extended tag information.

Schneider Electric www.schneider-electric.com

Online incident reporting system A NEW online incident reporting system is designed to help companies improve safety. The software, called Rapid Incident Reporting, comes from the developers of the online induction software, Rapid Induct.

Originally developed for manufacturing giant, Kraft Foods Australia, this web-based incident reporting system

30 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

ensures corrective actions are taken to prevent reoccurrence of injury. It also automatically keeps all relevant personnel regularly updated via email.

The system can also generate reports in a company-branded PowerPoint presentation.

John Temple Group 08 8410 6700, www.incidentreporting.com.au

manmonthly.com.au

Assembly line storage racks KINCROME’s new set of Workshop Storage Racks with removable tubs are designed for handy storage around the workshop.

Suited for a variety of areas, the racks store smaller items such as nuts, bolts, washers, screws, nails, seals and o-rings, as well as drill bits, electrical fittings, spare parts, and more, and are ideal for use on manufacturing assembly lines and workshops.

Available in two different sizes, the Kincrome Storage Rack range includes the 24-bin rack small enough to fit on a workbench, and the larger 43-bin rack offering more storage potential.

All racks feature a metal construction with a silver powder-coated finish, along with adjustable shelves, and are said to be easy to assemble.

The units feature a quick and easy ‘knock down style’ assembly with bolts included.

The racks include durable plastic storage tubs with moulded label holders for easy identification of contents.

Each rack includes two different size tubs to fit a range of parts and accessories. The tubs are also available separately in the two different sizes.

Data acquisition system MATHWORKS has announced the R2010b release of Data Acquisition Toolbox, which enables engineers and scientists to use National Instruments CompactDAQ data acquisition hardware directly from MATLAB. Data Acquisition Toolbox supports more than 25 CompactDAQ devices, providing access to measurements

manmonthly.com.au

The storage racks are designed to hold small items.

Kincrome Australia 03 9730 7100, www.kincrome.com.au

Supress dust and neutralise odours

that include voltage, current, and temperature, MathWorks says.

The toolbox is designed to enable customers to acquire data simultaneously from multiple CompactDAQ modules using either background acquisition or foreground acquisition.

MathWorks 02 8669 4730, www.mathworks.com.au

TECPRO Australia’s new GIRAFFA fog cannon – manufactured by Italian company Idrotech S.r.l – is a dust supression system designed to neutralise odours in industrial spaces.

The unit has the flexibility to be mounted on a moveable extension, enabling it to reach five metres in height.

Two atomising nozzle-rings in the mouth of the cannon create a misting effect, with fine water vapour thrust over a wide distance by a powerful fan.

The GIRAFFA reportedly makes it simpler to comply with environmental requirements on a range of work sites.

Tecpro Australia 02 9634 3370, www.tecpro.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 31

What’sNEW - TEST & MEASUREMENT Infrared windows

FLUKE’S new CLKTO C-Range of Infrared Window is designed to facili-

tate infrared and visual inspections of indoor switchgear and electrical instal-

lations, while protecting technicians from arc-flash or electric shock.

The CLKTO Window is designed for indoor applications and is said to incorporate a clear, impact resistant viewing pane for indoor switchgear rated at up to 72kV. This viewing pane with Fluke’s own Quadraband optics is designed to allow visual inspection of electrical equipment, even with the cover closed.

The unique twist-off magnetic cover is also impact resistant.

Fluke’s Quadraband multispectral optic is said to allow inspection with any thermal imaging camera, for maximum flexibility. Optics are sealed against moisture degradation with a Fluke CLIRVU coating and tested to withstand the long term aging effects of UV exposure.

The unit is designed for maintenance professionals in industrial plants, commercial buildings and electrical utilities who use infrared thermal imagers to inspect installations for hot spots that could indicate loose connections, bad bearings or other equipment failure.

Process moisture measurements MICHELL Instruments’ MultiChannel Control Unit (MCU) is designed to make multiple process moisture measurements easier.

The Promet I.S, process moisture in gas analyser, is now available in a multi-channel format, with the MCU enabling up to four measurement channels within a single 19-inch sub-rack unit.

The Promet I.S channels can be combined together with a sister product for moisture in liquid measurement – the Liquidew I.S – into the MCU to enable both gas and liquid sample measurements to be taken with a single analyser system. Each channel of the MCU functions independently of the others so that maintenance can be carried out on one channel while the others continue to operate as normal.

The MCU is reportedly very simple to operate: its LED display provides unit conversions from dew point to a range of alternative moisture content.

Fluke 02 8850 3333, www.fluke.com.au

Michell Instruments 08 9304 6587, www.michell.com

Leadership has a class of its own

FLIR E-Series: Picture Perfect A new generation of FLIR hand-held ‘point & shoot’ thermal imagers is here. Packed with class leading features, the E-Series is designed for applications including electrical, industrial, mechanical, HVAC and building.

Take your pick of three pixel resolutions – all with 60Hz frame rate and a 3.0 Meg visual camera built in.

The new FLIR E-Series. It’s all class.

Get Connected!

Connect to iPhone or iPad via Wi-Fi to use the FLIR ViewerApp for processing and sharing results.

◊ Mobile Device Wi-Fi Connectivity ◊ Large Bright Touchscreen ◊ Built-in Digital Camera & Laser Pointer ◊ Groundbreaking Performance & Affordability ◊ Superior Point & Shoot Thermal Imagery

FLIR Systems Pty Ltd. 10 Business Park Drive, Notting Hill, VIC 3168, Australia VIC: 03 9550 2800 NSW: 02 8853 7870 WA: 08 6263 4438 QLD: 07 3861 4862 SA: 08 82743747 Tel: 1300 729 987 Email: info@flir.com.au www.flir.com ISO No. FLIR20837

32 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Y R A U R B E F 1 2 O 1 T 1 0 D 2 E R D O EN EGORY F T X E E IN EW CAT L D A E D PLUS N The 2011 Endeavour Awards is the pinnacle event where the best of Australia’s manufacturing industry get the recognition they deserve!

All finalists will receive free publicity in Manufacturers’ Monthly and two free tickets to the gala dinner on 26 May 2011 in Melbourne where the winners will be announced.

ENTER

NOW

Award Categories: Technology Application of the Year Environmental Solution of the Year Safety Scheme of the Year Consumer/Trade Product of the Year Industrial Product of the Year Australian Steel Innovation Award

Global Integration Award Exporter of the Year Young Manufacturer of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award Manufacturer of the Year Enterprise Connect Significant Achievement Award

New Category 2011: MANUFACTURERS’ MONTHLY 50TH ANNIVERSARY – Most Innovative Company 1961-2011

How to Enter: Download a nomination kit at: www.manmonthly.com.au/awards For information about entering contact Margaret Tra p: 02 9422 2759 e: margaret.tra@reedbusiness.com.au Proudly brought to you by Manufacturers’ Monthly and the following sponsors:

.

LaserTECHNOLOGIES Laser welding is characterised by high welding speed, high levels of stability and very low distortion while producing excellent weld seam surfaces.

The emergence of diode lasers requires a new assessment by Australian industry.

High power lasers Two metal parts firms have found that a new range of high power lasers is taking metal cladding and welding to the next level. Lexie Henderson-Lancett writes.

A

Europe’s latest Laser technology

now available in Australia If you want a laser marker with low consumption costs and high performance, then look no further than Opera...

The Opera laser marking machine is the most compact model with the smallest foot-print that is designed for bench mounting and is similar in size to a standard printer. Air cooling combined with fibre optic technology guarantees optimum energy efficiency with advanced optical quality of the laser beam.

Opera laser markers offer savings in electrical consumption with a truly remarkable marking quality that ensure the highest marking definition on all metals and most types of plastic.

Features: • A compact bench top system • No installation required • CE certified • Works without a P.C. • Powerful Custom Laser Software

To find your Permanant Marking Solution call us on

1800 778 808

NICHOL Industries Pty Ltd. 50 Terracotta Drive, Nunawading, Vic, 3131.

Email: sales@nichol.com.au Freecall: 1800 778 808 Fax: (03) 9894 7977 • 50 years Experience • Australia-Wide • Advisory Service 34 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

USTRALIAN distributor Raymax Lasers has won contracts to install new High Power Diode Lasers into two companies in Australia, both involved in the manufacture and refurbishment of metal parts and assemblies.

The delivery of these Lasers will reportedly bring to Australia state-of-the-art HPDL systems for demanding metal applications. This presents a significant leap forward in implementing efficient, clean and advanced technologies.

At Brenco Surface Engineering in Canning Vale, Western Australia, the laser will provide a cost effective and improved means to perform surface treatment or coating processes to resist erosion, corrosion, and thermal fatigue on many base metals.

The solution comprises a Laserline System with a 6kW laser source coupled into a 1mm diameter optical fibre.

The beam, shaped by Diffraction Optical Elements, will ensure homogeneous energy

distribution across square or linear laser spots.

The laser head will include a coaxial nozzle through which gas and metallic powder are injected into the beam, fusing it with the base material.

In one single operation, the substrate is coated, alloyed or locally reworked, yielding high precision and excellent re-productivity in laser cladding and coating.

A second Diode laser solution is being installed in New South Wales at LaserBond in Ingleburn. The laser is an HPDL model with an 8kW laser source coupled into a 600um diameter fibre.

The optical head is attached to a robotic arm. This Laserline system is replacing an existing machine and is said to offer much higher wall plug efficiency for a more sustainable process.

The targeted application is metal cladding in both the manufacture and reclamation of industrial components. The laser source will be used for metal welding as well.

Laser welding is characterised by high welding speed, high levels of stability and very low distortion while producing excellent weld seam surfaces.

The emergence of diode Lasers, capable of coupling high power beams with continuously improved beam quality into flexible optical fibres, requires a new assessment

by Australian industry.

Raymax Lasers is pleased to be involved with innovation and improvement in operations using laser technology, and to provide professional advice, support and service to Australian companies. [*Lexie Henderson-Lancett is marketing specialist at Raymax.]

Raymax Lasers 02 9979 7646, www.raymax.com.au manmonthly.com.au

Automation&ROBOTICS Robots: finding a good match Having the right approach to choosing robots can lift production efficiencies. Annie Dang writes.

W

HEN automating any manufacturing task, the most effective process is to have the technology wellmatched to said task, especially when it comes to the application of robotics.

Choosing the right industrial robot for your use requires detailed planning as well as the right approach. Often manufacturers select robots based on their ability to perform tasks humans can’t, however taking a wider and more complete look at the tasks to be performed can often add value to the production chain in the long term.

Dr Paul Wong, founder and managing director of Applied Robotics, a leading robotic supplier, says that physiological limitations often become the standard of reference for manufactures in the automation technology market: looking at what humans can’t do rather than what robots can do.

Such an approach he says is limiting to the robot’s generational development, along with the potential maximum capacity of performance.

“When selecting the most appropriate technology to automate a task, it is prudent to review all available technologies for the best match with the task at hand,” Dr Wong told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“It may be, particularly when that manufacturing task is never going to change that much and when flexibility is less important, that there are non-robotic solutions that are much more efficient and cost effective.”

To avoid the potential shortfall of a ‘what humans can’t do’ attitude, Peter Davis, from leading robot supplier, Robotic

36 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Automation, says manufacturers should seek advice from experienced automation integrators as to which robot is most suitable for task.

According to Davis, manufacturers also need to take into account international references in their search for robots and other automation.

“Manufacturers need to be able to analyse and benchmark their current production processes against world’s best-practices in automation and only experienced integrators can really do this,” Davis said.

Another important consideration manufacturers should take into account is the robot's reach or "work envelope" to ensure that it can perform the full range of motion required in the application process. Axis speeds and overall cycle-time, which must be sufficient to meet or exceed the manufacturer's existing production-line speed, are also necessary considerations.

“The robot must be able to complete the cycle of movements involved in the application in time to meet the next product or load of accumulated products coming down the line,” says Davis.

“The cycle speed will depend not only on the robot but also on the end-of-arm tool (EOAT) chosen, for example a gripper, how long the gripper needs to engage with the product and how many products will the gripper handle at the one time.”

Despite the technical requirement of robot selection, costs remain the underlying and often the determining factor of robot choice. To keep production costs down, more manufacturers are looking to market alternatives,

Modern robot technology has lead to wider market choice.

such as refurbished or secondhand robots.

“The market for second-hand robots demonstrates the sound investment that robotic solutions represent, especially versus a dedicated or purpose-built machine which, while they can perform as well as robotics, are not so easily redeployed or sold thereafter,” said Davis.

Dr Wong says that while websites, such as the recently launched Robotize online usedrobot marketplace, is indicative of the growing demand for the secondhand robots, there is still the question of reliability in buying used-goods.

“Most robotics systems buyers will want a new robot with its full warranty in their automation system, especially when the actual robot cost might be as low as 5% to 10% of the whole system cost. In such an integrated automation system, the integrator will warrant the entire system as a whole,” said Dr Wong.

“The second hand robot market is more for those who might dabble in setting up their own robot cell, but here, the robot is

more than likely to languish in a store waiting for an application or because there is insufficient internal expertise to put together a working robot cell.”

According to Dr Wong, the natural advantage for robots is that they are intrinsically flexible manipulators and can be equipped to cope with slightly unstructured environments.

However, the advantages come with limitations of cycle time and capital costs, which is arguably balanced with more efficient production line, increase production volume and higher capacity for development over many years.

Despite the added benefits of using robots in production, Dr Wong warns there are some tasks which robots will not add efficiency to. In this regard, he says it is essential for manufactures to seek consultation with expert integrators before purchasing a robot as well as to have a clear idea of which tasks are required.

Applied Robotics 02 9737 8633, www.appliedrobotics.com.au Robotic Automation 1300 552 333, www.ragroup.com.au manmonthly.com.au

ACS 2000 6.6 kV MV Drive.

Medium voltage motor control.

Here is a Low Harmonic Medium Voltage AC drive that will optimise any common industrial application, from 315 kW, at 6.6 kV. The new ACS 2000 is a voltage source inverter (VSI) designed to work with or without an input isolation transformer, saving capital cost and floorspace. It is one of the easiest Medium Voltage drives to install and commission thanks to a ‘three in – three out’ cabling concept: simply disconnect the direct-on-line cable, connect the drive, and connect the drive to the motor. And because it uses proven and tested technology, it is among the simplest and most reliable of drives. So for a drive with a lower cost of ownership, transform your plant by specifying the ACS 2000 Low Harmonic Medium Voltage AC drive.

ABB Australia Pty Limited Phone: 1800 222 435 E-mail: drives@au.abb.com Internet: www.abbaustralia.com.au

Automation &ROBOTICS No stress cables for industrial robots IGUS has developed the 3D energy chain "Triflex R" for robot producers and users designed to prevent corrugated hoses from kinks and tears.

According to the company, the multi-dimensional, movable robot chain is adjustable in length at any time to its modular construction, and achieves its high tensile strength using the “ball and socket” joint.

Individual elements are reportedly not connected to each other using extra steel cables similar, but with a simple connection like a trailer tow bar.

This ball and socket design is said to ensure mobility in every direction.

As it is possible to turn about +/- 10° per link in the chain, the company says this makes it much easier to guide the cables around difficult geometries.

Furthermore, the robot has a bending radius which is the same in every direction reducing the stress on the chain itself, and

infinity cables

The "Triflex R" robot accessory package includes over 200 components.

The cables can be use in C-track systems, robots and automated assembly systems.

also on the cables, and hoses.

The use of spring-rod modules generates a directed pre-tension, which reportedly makes it possible to create a system where the chain is suspended and doesn’t get caught up in the working area.

The "Triflex R" robot accessory package from igus includes well over 200 components. From large welding to small palletising robots, every industrial appli-

cation can now be covered, the company claims.

The robot is available in three designs: a closed version said to protect the cables on rough applications, such as welding spatters, chips, and dirt; an "Easy" version in which the cables are pressed into the chain by handle; and the third is a "Light" version.

Treotham Automation 02 9907 1788, www.treotham.com.au

Humanoid qualities in slim robots MOTOMAN’S dual-arm robots, DA20, DIA10 and SDA10, are reportedly show distinct humanoid qualities.

According to the company, the robots feature compact actuators that combine the motor, encoder, reducer, and brake, which can be stacked. The use of the actuators for arms reportedly provides a slim profile that is said to be approximately near to the shape of a human arm.

The latest version of the IA10, the SIA10, is compact in size and able to snake into small places.

It caters for deep-throated spot welding guns and can give way to smaller guns on these robots.

The SIA20 is a seven-axis robot that has a minimal footprint and the ability to snake into locations that conventional articulated arms might be challenged to reach.

Robotic Automation 02 8748 6500, www.ragroup.com.au 38 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

High performance

BELDEN Infinity C-TC+ and FCC 'Continuous Flex' cables have been enhanced to provide superior flexing, extended temperature range capabilities and compliance with more industry ratings.

With the addition of Belden high-performance Belflex jackets, these cables reportedly offer exceptional flexing capabilities, are resistance to sunlight, oil and abrasion, and offer the ability to withstand temperature ranges of -40ºC to +90ºC (cold impact) and -50ºC to +90ºC (cold bend).

They offer compliance with 600V TC-ER, 300V UL PLTCER, 1000V WTTC, UL MTW & AWM, and 1000V CSA AWM I/II A/B FT4 ratings.

The cables are also ULapproved for direct burial, suitable for Class I & II Div 2 installation in hazardous locations. They meet NFPA 79 requirements for industrial machinery and are CE and RoHS compliant.

The C-TC+ cables are suitable for extreme flexing applications in severe environments, delivering optimal performance at 10 million flex cycles.

The cable’s unique conductor design is said to eliminates torque and makes the cable less susceptible to fatigue.

The FCC cables are a costeffective alternative to C-TC+ cables and are suitable for moderate flexing operations of 1 million flex cycles. Like CTC+ cables, they are manufactured to exhibit superior flex life and durability.

Belden, 1800 500 775, www.belden.com

manmonthly.com.au

Motors& DRIVES Regular maintenance will help to narrow the scope of potential motor failures.

vibration. In the case of bearing failure, Vera says the key is ensuring the bearing is lubricated. This, he explains, is because grease will lose its lubricating ability over time, leading to eventual motor failure if unmaintained.

“The lubricating ability of the grease over time depends primarily on the type of grease, the size of the bearing, the speed at which the bearing operates and the severity of the operating conditions,” Vera said.

“Failure to lubricate bearings will lead to additional motor loading, bearing heating and ultimately, failure.”

But for many manufacturers working with motors, the big question remains: How to diagnose problems before they arise?

According to Vera, general and specific inspections can assist manufacturers to monitor the functionality of the motors and locate potential motor problems

Keeping motors running Diagnosing motor problems before they arise is best done through regular inspections, helping to save money and increase uptime, Annie Dang writes.

M

OTORS may have been engineered to have high durability and long life, but it does not negate their need for regular maintenance.

Long-term or extensive use of motors can cause a number of problems if motors are not maintained properly, including overheating and bearing failure.

According to Frank Cerra, engineering manager with SEWEurodrive Engineering, motors in general are very reliable pieces of equipment.

“Motors are typically designed to have long life and require little maintenance, especially when sized correctly for the application and built to modern specifications,” Cerra told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“What manufacturers need to worry about with the use and maintenance of motors is to ensure that temperature rise

manmonthly.com.au

over time does not exceed the motors’ insulation rating and making sure they are adequately protected from the overload,” he said.

To keep motors in check, Baldor Australia managing director, Daniel Vera, advises maintenance on motors should be performed on a regular, quarterly basis.

“We advise inspecting the motor at regular intervals, approximately every 500 hours of operation or every three months, whichever occurs first. However, certain applications may require more frequent inspections due to harsh operating environments as well as age, size and load of the motor,” Vera said.

Performing regular inspections can prevent common failures, such as overheating, bearing and insulation failures, bad connections and irregular noise and

before they arise. General inspections ensure motors are kept clean from dirt, oil, grease and any fluids that could prevent proper motor function.

Checking the interiors and exteriors of the motors, as well as all electrical connectors to ensure that they are tight, and the cables and insulation are intact will help to prevent the accumulation of such particles which can block motor vitalisation, says Vera.

Completing specific tests will help to narrow the scope of potential motor failures, including current/power and voltage test which can be used to measure the current drawn by the motor under peak load conditions.

Equally as important, Vera says, is to immediately investigate any significant drop in insulation resistance which can be

completed through insulation testing.

For the larger part, motor maintenance is about keep energy consumption and thus energy costs down. SEW-Eurodrive’s Cerra notes that the key to reducing energy is to use an efficient motor and to take a closer look what the motor is driving.

“To reduce the energy used by a motor, you need to look at the whole drive system and optimise it. That is the motor, the gear box and the end process that is being driven, be it a pump, fan, compressor or conveyor, because that’s what is actually consuming the energy,” he said.

“Sometimes replacing inefficient motors can also be a better option than getting motors rewound or having older design motors refurbished.

“By putting in a modern, high efficiency motor that will use less energy, the cost saving as a result can see manufacturers recover the cost of the motor within a reasonable payback period.”

And with electricity charges going up and greater industry focus on reducing emissions, Cerra argues that having an efficient motor and an efficient drive process does reduce power consumption and energy costs.

“What we encourage people to do is to look at the process and optimise it. This means using a higher efficiency motor, getting a efficient gear box and looking at what it is driving,” he said.

“Getting the most efficient designs for all components that drive the system will help to lower the overall energy consumption and reduce energy costs. Manufacturers can use also use variable speed drives to optimise the process speed to achieve further energy savings.

With the motor speed and output power optimised to the demands of the process instead of running a full speed, manufacturers can reduce their energy consumption and save on electricity costs.”

SEW-Eurodrive, 61 8 8161 4000, www.sew-eurodrive.com.au Baldor Australia, 1300 225 367, www.baldor.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 39

Motors &DRIVES Stainless steel motors for wet environments

The motor has a stainless steel shaft, flange, tube and rear-end cover.

MOTION technologies now offers JVL’s integrated servo motor MAC 141 in a stainless steel version.

The stainless steel motors have been designed to handle IP67 and withstand high pressure washdown conditions for long-time operation.

They feature special Teflon sealing reportedly for long lasting watertight operation in high pressure washdown conditions.

The motors are brushless servomotor capable of 0.48/1.59 Nm RMS/peak, 134 W and up to 2700 RPM and has integrated electronics, encoder, driver and controller inside.

Also, they can be supplied with options for built-in PLC, RS232/485, Profibus, CANbus or industrial Ethernet, including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP and Sercos III and more.

According to the distributor, the motors are a durable solution for food and beverage processing, pharmaceutical and chemical industries and can be supplied with optional planetary gearheads in ratios from 3:1…216:1.

Motion Technologies 02 9524 4782, www.motiontech.com.au

High force-to-size ratios in linear actuator HAYDON Kerk has added the extended stroke captive 19000 series linear actuator to its high output can-stack line.

According to the company, the 1.22” (31mm) stroke length allows a greater range of linear motion while, at the same time, maintaining the small mechanical footprint for use in demanding applications requiring compact components.

The 19000 can-stack linear actuator reportedly uses the latest technology in both materials and manufacturing. Technical enhancements includes optimised stator tooth geometry, high energy neodymium magnets, custom engineered polymers, and larger ball bearings.

The resulting system is a linear actuator with a body diameter of 20mm and a linear force of up to 180 oz (50N).

The high output can-stack line is said to provide high force-to-

The actuator has a 20mm body diameter.

size ratios and is compatible with applications, including precision medical equipment, scientific instrumentation, scanning

devices, advanced optics, and other units requiring high force.

Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions, 1800 243 2715, www.haydonkerk.com

More durable, more reliable combined bearing WINKEL’s new Vulkollan Combined is a combination bearing that incorporates a drive shaft to run two Vulkollan coated bearings at a speed of up to 4.8m/sec.

According to Winkel local distributor, TEA Transmissions, Vulkollan is the ideal material of choice in all application areas that require exceptionally high wear-resistance, combined with high mechanical and dynamic load bearing capacities.

As well as its high resistance

Vulkollan is a high wear-resistance material.

to wear, Vulkollan coated bearings reportedly offer low permanent deformation, high rebound resilience, quiet running, high

tear resistance and good resistance to UV radiation, ozone, grease and oils.

The bearings are said to have been designed to save energy in industrial applications.

According to TEA Transmissions, the alternative is to spend more money to counteract friction, which can arise from the contact.

The better the bearing, the greater the energy saved, says the company.

T.E.A. Transmissions 07 4129 2533, www.tea.net.au

maxon EC 22 HD

It works through fire and ice. maxon EC 22 HD Extremely tough.

When you need a brushless DC drive to deal with harsh environmental conditions, the maxon EC 22 HD (heavy duty) is your answer: the Ø22 mm survivalist delivers 80 watts in air and 240 watts in oil. It withstands 200°C temperatures and pressure up to 1,700 bar.Vibrations up to 25 grms and shocks and drops up to 100 G do not faze it. maxon motor is the world’s leading supplier of high-precision drives and systems of up to 500 watts power output. maxon motor stands for customer specific solutions, high quality, innovation, competitive prices and a worldwide distribution network. See what we can do for you: www.maxonmotor.com.au

maxon motor driven by precision 40 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Gearmotors \ Industrial Gear Units \ Drive Electronics \ Drive Automation \ Services

Supplier of the Year

Big gear units for big jobs We’re torqueing big.

At SEW-EURODRIVE, we’re world renowned for supplying the highest quality geared motor solutions. More recently, we’ve been building a similar reputation with our industrial gear units. From mining conveyors to bucket elevators, SEW-EURODRIVE’s industrial gear units can provide the solution. We don’t stop there – we supply complete drive assemblies with their matching drive electronics to heavy industry across Australia. With ever-increasing Australian assembly capabilities, delivery times have been reduced from months to a matter of weeks. That’s what we call Drive 360° – Seeing the big picture: industrial gear units delivered in the shortest time possible. We’re torqueing big.

1300 SEW AUS Melbourne (HQ) I Sydney I Adelaide I Perth I Brisbane I Townsville

www.sew-eurodrive.com.au

Motors &DRIVES

Custom-made drives for tough transmission

BY BRENT WHYTE

ALIGNMENT-FREE, heavy-duty drives that cost-effectively integrate motor and gearbox are being custom engineered by Bonfiglioli for low maintenance and high performance in rugged, remote and demanding applications.

The new HD AFD drives – one of the latest of which was engineered for an inclined ship loading coal conveyor in Indonesia – join Bonfiglioli’s expanding range of Australasian-engineered mounting options for specific applications.

The HD AFD combinations, in capacities up to 1722 kW and 150,000 Nm, offer an alternative to laser-aligned baseplate types while allowing the versatile use of close coupled IEC B5 flange mounted motors up to a 315 frame size.

The easily-installed HD AFD drives complement Bonfiglioli’s HD Power Pack drives on base plates and Hi-Torque drives com-

Bonfiglioli MD, Malcolm Lewis, shown with a drive destined for Indonesia.

bining HD drives and Trasmital planetaries.

The HD drive combinations are particularly suited to conveyor

Ready made or Custom made

www.ronsongears.com.au

drives and materials handling applications across a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, mineral processing, primary processing, resources, energy and water and wastewater, says Bonfiglioli Transmission (Australia) managing director, Malcolm Lewis.

“One of the outstanding flexibility features of our new Australasian production and testing line for HD drives is that we can adapt specific drives to particular applications,” Lewis said.

“The new HDO 110 AFD drive recently completed for an Indonesian mining customer, for example, was custom engineered to be compact, easy to fit and

The drives reportedly feature excellent torque distribution across their entire ratio range, with gear ratios laid out in close progression and the drives having a rugged capacity to cope with the shock and impact of intermittent loads. remove, and with motor driving direct to gearbox for optimum performance.

“Durability of the drive is built-in, with alignment-free construction, rigid flange output coupling, forced ventilation, epoxy paint and Taconite protective seals. >>

...now exclusive distributors for KHK 42 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Motors &DRIVES Low thermal couplings reduce system misalignment SERVOCLASS Couplings from Zero-Max have been designed to reduce variations in system accuracy and heat transfer caused by thermal expansion.

They feature stainless steel discs designed into the centre of the coupling that dissipate heat generated from a connected servo motor.

The coupling applications include automation, packaging,

semi-conductor assembly and any system which uses ball screws and servo motors.

They handle bore diameters from 20mm to 35mm and operating torque from 100 to 250 Nm. Sizes start from 4 mm.

The couplings are manufactured of RoHS compliant materials.

They are said to be lightweight and are designed with 304 stain-

The couplings are manufactured of RoHS compliant materials.

continued from page 42

figuration enhances serviceability by permitting high speed components to be removed and replaced without the need for re-alignment.

Bonfiglioli’s HD drives series is a new generation of large industrial drives engineered to produce reliability and torque densities to record values, says Lewis.

The drives reportedly feature excellent torque distribution across their entire ratio range, with gear ratios laid out in close progression and the drives having a rugged capacity to cope with the shock and impact of

intermittent loads.

Finite Element Analysis and Multi Body Simulations were conducted to identify the stress pattern on each of the main components and to optimise the design for system structural stiffness and gear geometry.

The drives offer ratios from 7:1 to 500:1, along with reduced noise emissions from fully hardened and ground alloy steel helical and bevel gears to DIN Class 6. The SG cast iron housings and high grade alloy steel shafts with induction hardened seal journals reportedly ensure greater service

“Similar custom-engineered heavy drives are now being installed throughout Australasia and the Asia-Pacific as we expand our leadership role as a major supplier of helical, planetary, worm and frequency inverter drives.”

HD AFD models can reportedly save both time and money in a range of applications because there is no need to laser-align the motor and gearbox shafts. In addition to reduced initial costs compared with traditional baseplate designs, the HD AFD con-

44 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

less steel disc packs and 7075-T6 aluminum hubs and centre members.

They are available in single and double flex models in inch and metric sizes.

All models and sizes feature clamp style hubs with corrosion resistant socket head cap screws, according to the manufacturer.

Naismith Engineering & Mfg 03 9489 9811, www.naismith.com.au

life in demanding conditions.

Numerous mounting and shaft options are available, resulting from the HD’s multi-machined case and symmetrical design.

Shaft options include hollow keyed bore, single or double solid-keyed, shrink disc and male/female splines on request.

Fully hardened and ground alloy helical and bevel gears, plus high speed bearings are said to result in reducers being up to 94% efficient in threestage form.

Bonfiglioli 02 8811 8000, www.bonfiglioli.com.au

manmonthly.com.au

Metalworking& MACHINE TOOLS

Metalworking equipment is experiencing an upswing in purchases from Australian manufacturers.

increase by close to 20% in business activities with Australian customers,” Dr Schafer told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

Dr Schafer explains that, according to current economic forecasts, investment will rise up to 6% this year.

German export figures show machine tool shipments make up a large part of trade with Australia.

The figures indicate German and Australian export/import is dominated by the sheet metal manufacturing sector, with close to 40% of the entire machine tool deliveries made up of punching (with and without use of lasers), notching, bending, folding and straightening applications.

“This positive development will speed-up proven records in German exports/Australian imports and Australian market size respectively,” said Dr Schafer.

In the mood for metal Manufacturing customers are in the mood to purchase again, Margaret Tra writes.

T

HE metal manufacturing industry is finally on its way to recovery after suffering severely from the 2009 financial crisis. Dr Schafer from the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association anticipates that 2011

manmonthly.com.au

will have be positive for the metal working industry, highlighting manufacturing customers are in the mood to purchase again.

“During the first nine months of 2010, orders of German machine tool manufacturers show an

This is great news for the metal industry as orders were at an alltime low in 2009.

Recently, buying trends in surrounding Asian companies have also been been positive, with countries including China and

South Korea also purchasing more.

“Asia offers a huge degree of demand postponed for structural instead of mere conjunctional reasons, and has overcome the crisis without heavy economic deteriorations, comparable to these in the United States and Europe,” said Dr Schafer.

According to worldwide records from the German machine tool industry's order intake for 2010, the demand in the USA increased by 84%, Brazil accelerated by 157% and Europe by 42%.

Dr Schafer spoke at a business briefing in Sydney last month to promote the Hannover EMO exhibition – an international metalworking tradeshow – to Australian companies.

The show will be organised and staged by the German Machine Tool Builder’s Association (VDW) held in Hannover, Germany, from 19 to 24 September 2011.

Two Australian companies are set to exhibit at the EMO Hannover exhibition this year: ANCA Tool Precision and Sutton Tools.

With a slight decrease to last year, EMO anticipates that due to the EMO Hannover business briefings held in Melbourne and Sydney, it will result in even more Australian organisations participating at this year’s event.

EMO Hannover www.emo-hannover.com

Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 45

Metalworking &MACHINETOOLS Clip angle processing machine HEADLAND Machinery has released a new American-made clip angle processing machine called the Ocean Angle Line.

The unit is designed for the structural steel fabricator to eliminate costly layout and manual drilling procedures.

Features of the Angle Line include the ability to process short clip angles as well as long bracing angles.

The unit is also said to eliminates manual layout, and manual drilling and punching.

The Angle Line provides accuracy of hole placement, eliminating costly field modifications, and is easy installed by a fabricator.

The system is space efficient, at no bigger than most ironworkers, and is reportedly simple and easy to operate.

Headland Machinery 03 9244 3500 www.industryechange.com.au

3-roll plate bending machine THE Lemas 3-Roll Plate Bending Rolls from Power Machinery are said to be universal machines for all plate bending jobs, and have been especially designed with the job-shop fabricator in mind.

The 3-roll, double pinch design is said to provides excellent prebending capabilities as it is easy to pre-bend both the leading and trailing edge without the need to remove, turn or re-insert the plate, says the distributor.

The quality of a profile rolled on this machine is designed to be the same to the ones rolled on 4-roll double pinch or 3-roll initial-pinch machines.

The two lower rolls can be adjusted independently of each other, with variable adjustment

The machine is universal for all plant bending jobs.

speeds, in a curved path around a common center.

The standard rolls are manufactured from SF45C solid steel forgings with a carbon content between 0.38 ~ 0.45% and go through a high frequency surface heat treatment at HRC45 or above for maximum surface

hardness. The top roll comes with a cambering design for compensating during rolling.

Furthermore, all the rolls are reportedly equipped with self-aligning and self-lubricating bearings.

Power Machinery 02 9971 1755, www.powermachinery.com.au

HMI for CNC THE Machine Tool Division of Siemens Drive Technologies has integrated its control and pro-

The HMI is easy-to-use for a powerful CNC.

gramming interfaces – HMIAdvanced, ShopMill and ShopTurn – in a single end-toend interface for machine tools, called SINUMERIK Operate.

SINUMERIK Operate contains animated elements and allows intuitive operation and programming. New functions mean that even complex workpieces are easy to program, set up and machine, according to Siemens.

The clearly-structured layout with context-based functions and self-explanatory icons is designed for machine operators.

46 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Integrated simulation enables the program to be checked one operation at a time as it is programmed. This is said to be very powerful when combined with STEP programming in ShopMill or ShopTurn.

Local Australian machine tool manufacturer Thomas Hegmann (H&H machine tools) is reportedly already using this development, which offers 840Dsl with SINUMERIK Operate on its CNC gantry milling machines.

CNC Design 03 9411 1511, www.cncdesign.com manmonthly.com.au

The cutting tools are versatile and offer high performance.

M.T.I. Qualos Pty. Ltd. are proud to provide the next generation of CNC Co-Ordinate Measuring Machines, the

Thread cutting taps DORMER has expanded its range of multi-material tools with the addition of numerous new thread cutting and thread forming taps.

Carrying the brand name Spectrum, the product introductions target a growing requirement for versatile cutting tools that offer high performance across a wide range of engineering materials.

The Spectrum thread cutting taps are manufactured from either premium quality vanadium powder steel or HSCo for superior toughness and edge strength, with a choice of gold (bright flutes/thread) or steam tempered finishes to provide manmonthly.com.au

a smooth cutting action with less build-up on the cutting edge.

The tools, designed to promote a continuous production process, feature a three radii flute profile with a constant rake angle.

This is said to facilitate the creation and subsequent evacuation of narrow, regular chips, resulting in negligible chip congestion.

Spectrum forming taps offer a chip-free operation with a stronger thread for hole depths up to 3.5xD. The thread profile generates low torque for longer tool life and excellent surface finish, while the stable design is said to reduce the risk of tap breakage.

Dormer Tools www.dormertools.com

With increased measuring speed and higher accuracy/resolution the Crysta-Apex C brings a new dimension to the Quality Control process.

To see the future of High-Speed Measurement please contact:

M.T.I. QUALOS PTY. LTD. MELBOURNE

55 Northern Road, West Heidelberg, Vic. 3081.

Phone (03) 9450 1900 Fax (03) 9458 3217

SYDNEY 5 Hallstrom Place, Wetherill Park, N.S.W. 2164.

Phone (02) 9756 5577 Fax (02) 9756 5666 Web: www.mtiqualos.com.au e-mail: sales@mtiqualos.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 47

www.thebrightworldofmetals.com www.gmtn.de

Metalworking &MACHINE TOOLS

The Bright World of Metals.

Düsseldorf, Germany 28 June – 02 July 2011

This image shows the radial strain on one of Mackay’s plastic moulds.

Modelling boosts plastics production Investment in cutting edge new software and infrastructure for this rubber manufacturer has reportedly resulted in a truly multi-faceted business model.

M

One date – one place – four events Make the most of four high-calibre trade fairs – for foundry technology, metallurgy, thermo process technology and precision castings – in one place and with one entrance ticket.

The industries’ Number 1 worldwide, multiple synergies, connections and networks all in just one show visit.

Welcome to Düsseldorf!

Barth Trade Consulting Australia Pty Ltd PO Box 396 GOSFORD NSW 2250 Tel.: 02 4324 0022 Fax: 02 4324 0002 e-mail: info@german-trade.com.au internet: www.german-trade.com.au

48 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

ACKAY Consolidated Industries is a major supplier of engineered rubber and bonded metal/rubber composite products for the automotive, defence, transport, construction and industrial markets.

The Product and Process Development (PPD) department is responsible for the design and development of new rubber products and for refining and modernising existing offerings.

The PPD department also designs the tooling for the multitude of moulds that are required for Mackay’s extensive products.

“In simplistic terms our role is to take a customer’s concept or problem, work out the technical solution and design an end product that can be manufactured cost effectively,” said Mackay’s product development manger, Ian Simmonds.

Rubber is a notoriously difficult material to model and to aid in the design function, Mackay has invested in the latest proprietary tools including licenses for the powerful Adams Kinematic Modeler, and the ANSYS non linear Finite Element Modeler.

These virtual engineering tools enable Mackay to understand the system and review how rub-

ber components will perform across a wide range of real life conditions.

The ANSYS tool enables Mackay to examine areas such as stress/strain levels, modal analysis and importantly, calculate the rubber volume required and cure temperature/time parameters before the part is manufactured.

The Adams modeler enables Mackay to build a virtual vehicle to test its theoretical dynamic behavior.

“The crucial thing about these software tools is that they allow us to bypass or reduce the expensive and time consuming steps of producing pre-production models – we can proceed confidently and expediently to full scale production,” Simmonds said.

The PPD department is also involved with Capability Technology Demonstrator (CTD) projects which in some cases can literally take years to complete – especially with hi-tech items such as defence products.

Mackay is a first tier supplier to a number of automotive OEM’s including Ford, General Motors and Toyota.

Mackay Consolidated Industries 03 9555 6500, www.mackayrubber.com.au manmonthly.com.au

MaterialsHANDLING BMW drives DC overhaul BMW Group designs a new DC and overhauls its existing base to cater for an 85% increase in sales, relying on SSI Schaefer’s suite of warehousing solutions.

The new DC offers 12,600 square metres of warehouse space.

O

VER the last decade, BMW Group Australia has experienced such unprecedented growth driven by consumer demand, that not only have sales increased by 85%, but their Melbourne warehouse has had to cope with a growth in vehicles being shifted from 9,318 in 1997 to 17,197 in 2007.

To tackle this increased demand, BMW decided that a twin warehouse strategy was the best solution to maintain the company’s premium service objectives of optimising parts availability and maximising speed-of-delivery to dealers and customers.

The strategy was two-fold: design a new National Distribution Centre in Sydney; and re-focus the use of the Melbourne Distribution Centre to become a satellite warehouse.

The resultant project took over three-and-a-half years to become a reality and BMW has now officially opened its new state-ofthe-art National Distribution Centre in Moorebank, Sydney.

According to BMW Group Australia parts operations manager, Martin Ellis, the decision to re-locate the NDC to Sydney was due to 58% of the parts being manmonthly.com.au

sold into dealers across New South Wales and Queensland, with 48% moving in to Sydney and Brisbane metropolitan regions.

“Our new facility stocks the full range of parts and accessories for BMW with over 30,000 SKU’s. Moorebank NDC will supply fast and medium moving stock in to the Northern and Central regions and slow moving stock nationally. Our target FPA is 93-95% ex Moorebank and 8587% ex-Mulgrave,” Ellis said.

Mulgrave satellite warehouse will stock fast and medium moving stock and service 85% of the Southern region requirements directly with over 13,000 SKU’s.

It will also hold the centralised stock of LifeStyle and Motorcycle Rider wear.

The new facility in Moorebank is 12,600 square metres of warehouse, with a provision for expansion to 20,000 square metres to handle future growth of the company.

“A critical component of our new NDC is the turnkey supply of a state-of-the-art racking, mezzanine and storage systems designed and installed by SSI Schaefer International. The racking height is 7 metres, and 3 lev-

els of mezzanine approximately 7.5 metres in height and the footprint of the mezzanine is approximately 1300 square metres,” said Ellis.

SSI Schaefer International custom-built the pallet racking I600, the modular shelving R3000 for storage of small and medium parts, the mezzanine, lighting system, sprinkler system, goods hoist, mesh wall panels, shelf/rack and aisle labelling and modular shelving for storage of bulky and body parts. Schaefer also organised all the local authority consents so the building could be habited, including development application, construction certificate and occupancy certificate.

The Schaefer I600 pallet racking system offers BMW the flexi-

bility towards future modifications and integration of picking levels to meet new and modified product ranges.

The Schaefer R3000 shelving system was easy-to-assemble boltless and modular design.

The Schaefer mezzanine was custom-built for BMW purpose and has the highest load capacity and material quality.

Schaefer installed the BMW goods hoist system which serves three levels of the NDC and has a load capacity of 2000 kg.

“The success and on-time completion of the Schaefer installation was critical to BMW meeting all subsequent ramp-up deadlines, and having the facility fully operational on schedule.

Allan Slingsby and the team at Schaefer were extremely professional and competent, overcame a number of unexpected hurdles outside of their control and achieved all of the deadlines set for them,” Ellis said.

SSI Schaefer 02 9824 3844, www.ssi-schaefer.com.au

MATERIALS HANDLING positioning DISPENSING INVERTING elevating LOADING LIFTING

ARE YOU HANDLING PALLETISED GOODS? WE HAVE THE SOLUTIONS! For information or catalogue: Phone: 1800 066 008 Fax: 1300 858 626 or email at sales@optimumgroup.com.au www.optimumgroup.com.au

Ergonomics in Action Manufacturers’ Monthly FEBRUARY 2011 49

Materials HANDLING 3G fleet management

The truck was designed with the user experience in mind.

Crown’s first IC lift truck The system tracks forklift fleets.

CROWN Equipment has announced it will launch its first company-manufactured internal combustion (IC) forklift, called the Crown C-5 Series, in Australia in April.

The official launch date of April 4, 2011 will mark “the start of a new revolution in internal combustion powered lift trucks in Australia”, the company says.

The new Crown C-5 Series is designed to push the limits of IC performance.

According to Crown, the new model leverages the company’s core expertise and heritage in material handling to deliver commanding advantages to owners and operators seeking improved power and strength, service and uptime, and comfort and safety.

This unit will be marketed specifically to fleet customers in Australia, alongside Crown’s existing extensive IC lift truck

50 FEBRUARY 2011 Manufacturers’ Monthly

range, which is already popular in the Australian manufacturing industry.

The Crown C-5 features an industrial engine that was jointly developed with John Deere Power Systems.

It also offers a ‘proactive approach’ to engine cooling and radiator clearing via an ondemand cooling system.

Other design innovations are included, which are said to improve operator visibility, comfort and productivity.

According to Crown, product owners will see immediate return on their investment after purchasing the C-5 Series lift trucks. Advantages include extended service intervals and an exclusive Crown power brake system that collectively reduce maintenance costs and downtime, according to the manufacturer.

Crown Equipment 131 604, www.crown.com

ADAPTALIFT Hyster (AALH) has updated its ForkTrack fleet management solution with 3G coverage, extending reporting coverage capability.

ForkTrack 3G reportedly allows full reporting and safety alerts in all regions throughout Australia. According to AALH, ForkTrack is currently the most advanced online safety and

reporting system available in the marketplace, bringing the very best safety enhancements and the most advanced fleet analysis technology into one sleek, stateof-the-art device.

Forktrack is now able to band hop between 3G & GSM/GPRS, offering more coverage.

Adaptalift Hyster 1300 880 335, www.aalhyster.com.au

Economical raised flooring expands storage COLBY Raised Storage Areas are affordable solutions that can reportedly double the usable floor area in your warehouse or distribution centre (DC) using standard pallet racking components.

The solutions are said to provide a cost-effective way of utilising overhead space, while not interrupting ground floor opera-

tions. The units are designed to meet a customer’s specific requirements, and are said to create a safe and secure space for use as bulk storage and order picking areas.

A variety of solutions are on offer, including low cost, medium-duty floors, and structural columns for heavy duty jobs.

Dematic 02 9486 5555, www.dematic.com.au

manmonthly.com.au

PRODUCT ZONES

CO-LOCATED WITH:

MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE