Manufacturers' Monthly November 2013 by Prime Creative Media

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Publisher: Martin Sinclair martin.sinclair@cirrusmedia.com.au Managing Editor: Cole Latimer Ph: (02) 8484 0652 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 cole.latimer@cirrusmedia.com.au Editor: Matt McDonald Ph: (02) 8484 0645 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 matthew.mcdonald@cirrusmedia.com.au Journalists: Brent Balinski Ph: (02) 8484 0680 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 brent.balinski@cirrusmedia.com.au Alex Heber Ph: (02) 8484 0884 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 alex.heber@cirrusmedia.com.au Editor-at-Large: Alan Johnson Ph: (02) 8484 0725 alan.johnson@cirrusmedia.com.au Graphic Designer: Dave Ashley david.ashley@cirrusmedia.com.au Creative Director: Julie Coughlan Production Co-ordinator: Mary Copland Ph: (02) 8484 0737 mary.copland@cirrusmedia.com.au VIC/Overseas Sales: Michael Northcott PO Box 3069, Eltham, VIC 3095 Ph: 0448 077 247 michael.northcott@cirrusmedia.com.au NSW Sales: Anthony Head Tower 2, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067 Ph: (02) 8484 0868 Fax: (02) 8484 0722 Mobile: 0414 644 664 anthony.head@cirrusmedia.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@cirrusmedia.com.au NSW, SA/NT & WA Sales: Cirrus Media Ph: (02) 8484 0868 anthony.head@cirrusmedia.com.au Published 11 times a year Subscriptions $140.00 per annum (inc GST) Overseas prices apply Ph: 1300 360 126

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Inside NOVEMBER 2013

4 Editorial ■ Is free trade with Asia a good idea?

■ Food eco-labelling – green

credentials or green-mail?

8 Analysis News ■ What’s happening

Ogis Engineering embraces diversity.

12 IT@MM ■ Designing for sustainability

■ Accelerometer

■ A 3D design solution for non-CAD

■ Logistics App

experts

16 Management ■ Protecting your intellectual

property

18 Endeavour Awards 2014 ■ Manufacturers’ Monthly launches

the annual awards

■ SolidWorks 2014 launches in

Australia

■ Manufacturers ignoring welders’

cell ■ Press tending robot ■ FDT provides fieldbus flexibility

■ Turnkey welding cell

28 Metalworking

■ Integrated protection for

through divesity ■ Turbo Helial cutters ■ Metal Manufacturing Industry Guide to Safety

32 Motors & Drives ■ Conveyor investment decision

made easy

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ANALYSIS >> TECHNOLOGY >> SOLUTIONS

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36 Welding

■ Gear drives

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Protecting IP >> Endeavour Awards Launch >> OHS for Welders Automation & Robotics >> What’s New >> Designing for Sustainability

health ■ Magnetic metalworking angles and

lifting devices welders

40 Materials Handling ■ Mini palletisers ■ Veyance’s $32 million upgrade

46 Compressors & Pneumatics ■ VSD air compressor

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Editorial

COLE LATIMER – Managing Editor

editor@manmonthly.com.au

Is free trade with Asia a good idea? The Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Rob has been given the task of securing FTAs with China, Japan, and South Korea. Cole Latimer asks if Australia really wants these agreements.

ustralia is a part of Asia. No matter how we try to position ourselves as part of the western hemisphere, the fact remains that we are sitting on the edge of the world’s largest growing market and these people are going to want our manufactured goods. Goods that have a reputation for quality. However unlike Australia, these nations have the ability to produce on a scale basically unachievable in our country and that could put our manufacturers at risk. Yet we need to be open to trade with these nations, but at the same time protect our own manufacturers from being overwhelmed and undercut by cheaper foreign imports flooding the market. It’s definitely a tightrope that the industry, along with government, has to walk. It’s a fine line from being open for business and sensible to outright protectionism. Added to this is the issue, though unrelated directly to manufacturing, of Asian consortiums buying prime Australian M A 1 1agricultural 1 3 _ 0 0 0land. _ T UR Only last month the newly

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is keen to secure FTAs with Asian nations. appointed Trade And Investment of protecting Australian Minister Andrew Robb attempted manufacturers. to secure trade deals with the major This apparent recent renewed players in the Asian sphere – China, urgency, which didn’t seem to arise Japan, and South Korea. during the time of our heavily At the time Robb was reportedly Asia focused former leader’s reign, given a given a mandate by the follows Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s cabinet to break the deadlocks in recent statement that he would like trade talks with the three Asian to finalise the three deals within 12 nations. months. At the same time he also He had to travel to Asia and try to wanted to turn back to the west, 1make 2 0progress 1 3 - 1on 0 -the 0 issue, 9 T 1 while 4 : 1 at 2 : 1 securing 9 + 1 1 :a trade 0 0 deal with the US by the same time being cognizant the end of this year.

At the time Robb said that the government would not be changing its election pledge to cut the threshold for Foreign Investment Review Board scrutiny of foreign purchases of agricultural land from $248 million to $15m. This policy is one of the main obstacles to a trade deal with China. The Opposition recently claimed that it makes the prospects of a deal impossible and even Liberal West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has claimed that the regulation discriminates against China and should be changed. So this is the current situation. China, if we can make our way into it, represents a huge potential market for Australian manufacturers and a Free Trade Agreement will open up new possibilities. But inversely it also puts our manufacturers at risk of being priced out of the market. We’re going to you, the reader, to get your views on it, and while the poll has likely closed by the time of publishing, the results will no doubt paint an interesting picture of how the industry views this potential prize and peril.

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Industrial COMMENT DANIEL TAN – Senior Lecturer in Agriculture at University of Sydney

Food eco-labelling – green credentials or green-mail? Eco-labelling is booming. But, according to Daniel Tan, it can sometimes be misleading and should follow proper scientific methods such as lifecycle assessment.

ustralia has seen a boom in eco-labelling: more than 50 different organisations were eco-certifying products in 2010. Queensland National Senator Boswell calls it green-mail, forcing food producers to bear the cost of certification and shoppers to pay a premium, while certification organisations pocket the profit. Should we consider standardisation of food eco-labelling for Australia? What are the implications for agricultural producers? Aldi announced in 2010 it would team up with Planet Ark to become the first Australian supermarket to put Carbon Trust labels on their products. Other Australian supermarkets are adopting a wait and see approach to carbon labelling especially after Tesco in the UK dropped its plan to label all 70,000 of its products with Carbon Trust labels claiming that the program is too expensive and time consuming.

Calculating a carbon footprint In Europe and Australia, there is a popular movement towards buying food locally to support local farmers and to eat fresh, in-season food. Campaigns focus on consumers reducing their “food miles”. Food miles refer to the distance food is transported from the farm gate to the consumer, and the energy and carbon dioxide emitted during transportation. But food miles are only part of the picture. The carbon footprint during on-farm production can have a larger impact. For example, even when shipping was taken into account, New Zealand dairy products imported into the UK used half the energy of their UK counterparts. In the case of lamb it 6 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

was a quarter of the energy, due to grass-fed conditions in New Zealand compared with the energy-intensive system used in the UK. In Australia, a 2010 study by Aldi and Planet Ark found that a brand of Italian olive oil had a carbon footprint about 14% smaller for every 100 mL than that of a local brand, even though it was shipped 16,000 km from Italy. This was mainly due to the oil’s traditional Mediterranean farm production system. Of

the total amount of “virtual” or “embedded” fresh water used in making a product such as food. The water footprint includes three components: green, blue and grey water footprints. The green water footprint refers to rainwater transpired and the blue water footprint to surface and groundwater

Done properly, eco-labelling can promote energy and water efficient food production practices.

course, the Australian olive oil is probably fresher and may taste better. If it’s to realistically meet consumers’ requirement to shop more sustainably, any carbon footprint labelling should be based on a full lifecycle assessment of carbon emissions from paddock to plate. It needs to include production, procession and everything in between, not just the food miles incurred during transportation. In life cycle assessment, all major greenhouse gases – not just carbon dioxide – should be included.

Calculating a water footprint Agriculture accounts for about 86% of global fresh water consumption. A product’s water footprint describes

evaporated following their use in irrigation. Grey water footprint refers to water that becomes polluted during crop production. It includes the amount of water necessary to reduce pollutants discharged so that water quality meets appropriate standards. A global study of the water footprints of nations found Australian households held the world’s worst record for water consumption. We have a water footprint of 341,000 litres a person a year compared with the global average of 57,000 litres. The report equates eating a kilogram of steak to using up to 16,000 litres of water, a kilogram of lamb to 10,600 litres and a 200 ml glass of milk to 200 litres of water. But there are so many different ways to calculate the water footprint of a product that there is no way to compare each methodology. Scientists at CSIRO, Swiss University, and ETH Zurich are developing a new water footprint standard based on lifecycle

assessment and compatible with the International Organisation for Standardisation. Their water footprint is expressed as a unit called water equivalent (H2Oe) similar to CO2e used in carbon footprinting. Using this method, the water footprint of lamb cuts produced in south-west Victoria was 44 litres of H2Oe per kg and the average dairy milk water footprint in the Gippsland region was 1.9 litres H2Oe a litre of fresh milk at the farm gate. These are mainly rainfed farming systems in high rainfall zone with no irrigation, so the water footprints were relatively low.

Implications for food producers Poor eco-labelling unjustly disadvantages farmers. For example, Australian cotton and rice farmers are the most water efficient in the world but they still get the negative publicity of being water guzzlers. A water footprint labelling system for rice would need to be very well refined. If eco-labelling is to further expand in Australia, it should be done with proper scientific methods such as lifecycle assessment. Eco-labelling should educate consumers and give farmers an incentive to improve their practices. Eco-labelling should promote energy and water efficient food production practices and must not be green-mail. * This article was originally published at The Conversation. (theconversation. com/au) Daniel Tan receives funding from the Cotton and Grains Research and Development Corporations. He is President of Ag Institute Australia (NSW Division). manmonthly.com.au

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Analysis NEWS 3D printed horseshoe to improve performance for Melbourne racehorse

SIRO scientists have custom made and 3D printed a set of titanium shoes for a Melbourne racehorse in a first for the sport. The horse, dubbed by researchers as ‘Titanium Prints’, had its hooves scanned with a handheld 3D scanner. Using 3D modelling software, the scan was used to design the perfect fitting, lightweight racing shoe and four customised shoes were printed within only a few hours. Traditionally made from aluminium, a horseshoe can weigh up to one kilogram but the horse’s trainer, John Moloney, says that the ultimate race shoe should be as lightweight as possible. “Any extra weight in the

horseshoe will slow the horse down. These titanium shoes could take up to half of the weight off a traditional aluminium shoe, which means a horse could travel at new speeds. “Naturally, we’re very excited at the prospect of improved performance from these shoes,” John Moloney said. CSIRO’s Titanium expert, John Barnes, said that 3D printing a race horseshoe from titanium is a first for scientists and demonstrates the range of applications the technology can be used for. He added that the precision scanning process takes just a few minutes and for a horse, shoes can be made to measure each hoof and printed the same day.

The ultimate race shoe should be as lightweight as possible.

Government to look at potential exports disallowed for security reasons FEDERAL Defence Minister “I think that’s an area where David Johnston plans to look I am going to make some into the practice of blocking significant changes in the way potential exports of defence we go about our business,” industry products for security Johnston said. reasons. “So the challenge for me Adelaide Now reports that the facilitating what you do out national defence export control there in this very important office has the power to prevent area is to have an export office exports for security reasons. that is quite dynamic, that As a result, the business goes anticipates the problems, and elsewhere. understands that you must Senator Johnston has succeed in your commercial experience working in the endeavour.” defence sector and he wants However, Defence Teaming to ensure that no potential Centre chief executive officer exports are prevented Chris Burns said he had only unnecessarily. had one experience of the “We want you to invest, export control office we want you to make a profit preventing an export on such Senator Johnston wants to ensure that no grounds. and we want to assist you to potential exports are prevented unnecessarily. export,” Senator Johnston said “We need to look more in Adelaide last week. closely into what the causes He pointed to the example of a Western Australian are before we say it’s a particular office,” Burns company which wanted to export $27 million worth said. of a particular type of metal to the Middle East but “I would certainly say the experience we had with was not permitted to do so. a South Australian company, it wasn’t the export He said that the company had no avenue to control office, it was the (former Defence) minister question the decision or to lodge an appeal against it. sitting on the clearance.” 8 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Henkel opens ‘world’s largest’ adhesives factory in Shanghai HENKEL A.G. and Co. has opened a new adhesives factory in Shanghai. The company claims the plant is the largest of its kind in the world. RubberNews.com reports that the factory measures over 1.6 million square feet and has an annual capacity of 428,000 metric tons. It cost the company almost US$68 million ($71.53 million) to build and will employ around 600 people. According to a strategy for 2016, Henkel intends to expand its presence in the emerging markets of China and the Asia Pacific region and hopes the new plant, which it calls the ‘Dragon Plant’ will facilitate this strategy. Henkel says that the new factory has condensed water recovery systems and will therefore use less water. In addition, the factory features translucent roofs which will cut its electrical lighting costs by 90 per cent. And it has a system for recovering waste heat and filling equipment which is designed to prevent leaks and spills of adhesives.

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Hopes for Adelaide submarine Young Chinese don’t want to work in factories, says electronics boss assembly project THERE are hopes that the new Federal Government will commit to the Future Submarine project, a plan to assemble 12 new submarines in Adelaide. Adelaide Now reports that the Submarine Institute of Australia’s vice-president communications, Frank Owen said that, following a period of prevarication during the term of the previous government, there is optimism that the Abbott government will decide to commit to the project. According to Owen, who was previously the operational requirements manager for the Collins project, Australia has world-class submarine building capabilities. “We produced submarines that are the envy of those who know what submarines are,” said Owen, as he prepared for the recent Submarine Institute of Australia’s conference in Adelaide.

Commenting on the Future Submarine project, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said, “The Future Submarine Project will be an enduring national project with significant, long-term impacts on our nation’s economy and our industry capability, as well as on national security.” Weatherill encouraged the Federal Government to recommit to the project and said, “We’ve reinforced the critical need for a clearly defined path forward and timely decision making, so that industry and state governments can invest and prepare for the project.” News.com.au reports that, according to analysis of the nation’s military capability by the Lowy Institute for International Policy, Australia needs to increase defence spending to avoid becoming a second rate military power.

MANY young people in China are rejecting factory work and would prefer to find jobs in the services sector or other industries, according to Terry Gou, head of the Taiwanese contract electronics manufacturer Foxconn. Gou expressed these views at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on the Indonesian island of Bali. “Many workers are moving to the In China, workers are moving from services sector and, in the manufacturing to the services sector. manufacturing sector, total demand [for workers] is now more than supply,” Gou said. Apart from the job expectations of According to Gou, the movement of the young, the trend can also be migrant workers from poor rural villages explained by the government’s desire in central and western China to factories to develop industry within the country’s along the country’s southeastern coast, interior. which began in the 1980s, is starting to For example, Foxconn itself has slow. been moving its operations from the Although that demographic trend has southeastern city of Shenzhen to inland not stopped all together, the numbers of provinces such as Sichuan and Henan. people M A heading 0 7 1 3 to _ jobs 0 0 in 0 the _ BSouth O G East 1 In 2such 0 1areas 3 - 0there 6 - is1 a8larger T 0 9supply : 0 4of: 4 2 + 1 0 : 0 0 has fallen. cheap labour.

Doc Martens receives buyout offer from Permira ICONIC British boot makers Dr Martens has received a £300m ($506 million) buyout offer from private equity firm Permira. As the Telegraph reports, the majority owner of the company is the Griggs family. The owners first attempted to sell the company 15 months ago, but failed to secure an acceptable offer. However, it is hoped that the current deal may be announced by the end of this month. AAP reports that Doc Martens footwear was first made in 1960. Ever since, they have been adopted on and off by youth culture. Everyone from Pete Townsend to Joe Strummer to Kurt Cobain has worn them. If Permira is successful in its bid, the boots and shoes will join the Permira stable. Other brands within this group include Hugo Boss and New Look. Any purchase will require the owners to pay a separate royalty fee to the brand inventors’ families, Dr Klaus Maertens and Dr Herbert Funck. This follows a license deal manmonthly.com.au

est Today, most production is done in Asia. (Image: Wikipedia) which requires the buyer to pay a set 2.5 per cent of sales up to £200m a year and a further 2 per cent for sales above that. The shoes feature an air-cushioned sole which was invented in Germany by Maertens and Funck. They were originally intended to be worn by Martens who had injured his foot in a skiing accident. From 1960, the Griggs family manufactured the products at their Northamptonshire factory. Today, most production is done in Asia but the original Northamptonshire factory was reopened in 2007 to produce vintage styles.

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Analysis NEWS Industry opposes government’s climate change policy THE Coalition government’s direct action climate change policy has been rejected not only by the opposition and environmentalists but also by industry. AiGroup chief executive Innes Willox has claimed that the policy is unlikely to achieve its target of reducing emissions by 5 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020 and should be dumped in favour of helping the developing world reduce carbon emissions. Willox’s criticism comes as the government is forging ahead with its plans to remove the price on carbon. As the SMH reports, Tony Abbott has announced plans to present his carbon price repeal legislation this year. As a result, the government may move closer to a double-dissolution election which would probably take place in early 2014. Willox attended a stakeholder briefing on the climate change issue with Environment Minister Greg Hunt. Following the meeting, he said that the emissions

goal is a serious challenge, especially if carbon reductions are only sourced locally. As an alternative, he suggested that Australia buy Certified Emissions Reduction credits, (CERs) from developing countries. These are issued in return for those countries taking measure such as upgrading to cleaner technologies or planting trees. On the other side of the debate, Greens Deputy Leader Adam Bandt has told reporters in Melbourne that Tony Abbott is a “climate-change criminal” for going ahead with draft legislation to repeal Labor’s carbon pricing scheme from mid-2014. Bandt said that, in contrast to the government, “The Greens will stand steadfast to protect the Australian people from the climate change criminality of Tony Abbott.” He added, “This is about protecting the Australian way of life, making sure that when you go camping at the end of the year over the Christmas holidays you don’t have to worry about bushfires wherever you go.”

100 to be laid off at Toyota by December TOYOTA Australia has announced that it will offer a round of voluntary redundancies, with 100 workers to leave the company’s Altona manufacturing plant at the end of November. The best-performing of the three car makers in Australia returned to profitability this year, announcing a $149 million profit in June after tax for the year to March. However, at the time it was reported that Toyota loses $2,500 for each Australian-made car. It has announced that it needs to reduce costs by $3,800 by 2018 to remain viable. “We’ve got to continue to work hard to reduce our overall cost base,” the company’s executive vice president Dave Buttner told AAP. 2,500 are currently employed at the Altona plant. It will reduce output by 40 vehicles a day to 430, starting in December. “Our employees are our greatest asset, so it is with extreme sadness that we have to adjust our workforce,” said CEO Max Yasuda in a statement. The need to shed workers was put down to a fall in exports to 10 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Toyota loses $2,500 for each Australianmade car. the Middle East. 70 per cent of production at Altona is exported, according to Toyota. “As a manufacturer we are subject to fluctuating orders from our domestic and export markets, so we need to have the flexibility to respond to changes in conditions,” said Yasuda. “We will now be working closely with all of our employees to ensure they understand why we have made this decision and support them during this difficult period.” Toyota recently announced that it sold its 2 millionth Australian-made car in Australia, and celebrated its 50th year of operation in Australia.

AiGroup chief executive Innes Willox is opposed to the government’s Direct Action policy.

Hedweld triumphs at NSW Premier’s Export Awards THE Hunter region’s Hedweld Engineering has won the NSW Premier’s Export Award in the energy and minerals sector. This was its third consecutive year of success at the awards. Hedweld is a maker of safety products for miners. The company has expanded its global reach from 26 to 29 countries, and makes 40 per cent of its revenues from exports. “We’ve gradually increased our export percentage by roughly ten percent per annum for the last five years and we’ve also been increasing our turnover by roughly 20 percent per annum for the last five years,” Mark Gream, Hedweld’s global products manager, told the ABC. “So we’ve effectively doubled the size of our business in the last five years and export is a major part of that growth.” This was not the company’s first success in these awards. Last year Hedweld won the small to medium Manufacturing Exporter of the Year at the Premier’s NSW Export Awards, as well as awards including the NSW Minerals Council’s Supplier of the Year (Mining Technology Award) in 2012. Gream said that the company was a demonstration of the region’s strength in manufacturing. “We support the local industry heavily and we try and use local suppliers wherever we can and we believe that the Hunter is still a great place to be a manufacturer,” he said. Hedweld’s products include its Safe-Away ladder and access systems and Trilift component handling tools. Safe-Away access systems are exported to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for factory installation, OEM distributors and direct to mine sites in South Africa, the UK, USA, Canada, South America, Indonesia and South Africa.

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Tony Abbott hopeful of free trade deal with US before end of year PRIME Minister Tony John Kerry lobbied for Abbott met the US a mega free trade pact secretary of state at the which would include 12 Asia Pacific Economic APEC nations but exclude Cooperation Forum (APEC) China and Indonesia. And and stated that he hoped he is aiming for the pact, Australia and the US would known as the Trans-Pacific be able to secure a free Partnership (TPP), to be trade deal this year. signed by the end of this As the ABC reports, year. Abbott added that there “We need modern rules was still some work to be for a changing road, rules done if such a deal could be that keep pace with the met in that time. speed of today’s markets,” The meeting between Kerry said in a speech that Abbott and Secretary of touched on the TPP. State John Kerry took According to the US, place on the last day of the the TPP would deal with summit. Apart from that Tony Abbott met the US secretary of state at complex changes to the APEC. (Image: Wikipedia) 21st-century economy, meeting, the Prime Minister also held talks with the such as how to police cloud leaders of China, Singapore, Thailand, Mexico, computing and patents. and Canada. However, China and some developing nations Meanwhile, as Global Nation reports, APEC involved in the TPP have said that it will set saw something of a struggle between the US and down trade rules that will favourMthe A 1 richest 0 1 3 _ 0 0 0 China for trade dominance within the region. countries and most powerful firms.

Hilton’s solar installation to get international attention HILTON Manufacturing, a steel manufacturing subcontractor in Dandenong South, is expecting visitors from Taiwan and India to inspect the company’s new solar panel installation, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The Dandenong Leader reports the installation’s 340 panels provide 25 per cent of the company’s power. “We’re hoping to inspire other people, especially (the owners of) empty factory roofs around us,” project manager Jacques Esper said. “There are millions of square meters of factory roofs out there which could be used for a good cause.” A viewing platform and training room help visitors to see the solar farm in action, while a weather station allowed the panels to sit flat in high winds. Less energy-hungry operations could reasonably expect to require only a quarter of the energy provided from a comparable set-up, and sell the rest back to the grid. Hilton has gone through a period of rapid expansion. With a workforce of 230, the company is one of the country’s biggest manufacturing sub-contractors and the country’s leading manufacturer of diesel fuel tanks for trucks. The company counts Kenworth, Mercedes, and -Western _Iveco MI T 1 Star 2 0 amongst 1 3 - 0 its 9 -customers. 1 6 T1 2 : 0 1 : 2 9 + 1 0 : 0 0

Public pessimistic about manufacturing’s future: report

Mitchell & Cheesman Pty Ltd Engineering Since 1957

A recent survey has found that two thirds of Australians believe the manufacturing sector cannot compete on the world stage and that many are opposed to government support for the sector. The survey, entitled Public Perceptions of Manufacturing, was commissioned by the Industry Department and carried out by the Wallis Consultancy Group. Its intention was to guide the deliberations of the Manufacturing Leaders Group, which was established by the Gillard government. The survey included a poll of 1,503 respondents and involved a number of focus groups. 90 per cent of those surveyed believed that manufacturing is important, especially in providing jobs and most believed manufacturing contributed more to the Australian economy than it actually does. (Many overstated its size by three or four times). But it also found that just 37 per cent of respondents said they believe

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Just 37 per cent of respondents said they believe Australia can compete globally in manufacturing. Australia can compete globally and most parents who responded said they would not encourage their children to seek jobs in the sector. Most people had a negative view of Australian manufacturing. When asked about their “top of mind” thoughts, 19 per cent said manufacturing was declining, dying or in trouble; 16 per said it was not big enough; 13 per cent felt manufacturing was heading offshore; and 12 per cent said high costs made it cheaper to make things overseas.

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n Design & Engineering Service § Product and tooling design § Prototyping facilities § Reverse Engineering § Engineering and Project Management n Fabrication, Tooling & Equipment Manufacture § Fabrication & equipment § Thread repairs and cutting § Machine repairs and maintenance § Gear box design and repair § Drill bit spares and manufacture § CNC machining & turning § Robotic Manufacturing Cells/ Lines § Jigs and fixtures § Press metal tooling § Sand blasting, priming and paint § High frequency MIG & TIG n Quality Assurance § Technical documentation § Statistical reporting § AS/NZS ISO9001:2008 Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 11

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TechnologyIT@MM Designing for sustainability Brent Balinski recently spoke to Autodesk’s regional head of sustainability and clean technology about how the company is helping manufacturers design environmental solutions.

“T

MA 0 9 1 3 _ 0 1 2 _ E C I

he message that I like to get across is we as a company really see sustainability as a design challenge; as a matter of fact when I spoke yesterday at the conference I sort of challenged everyone in the audience to consider themselves as being a designer,” explained Jake Layes, Autodesk’s head of sustainability and clean technology for Asia Pacific. “For anybody who is involved within the greater manufacturing or professional world, any time you Autodesk believe that are intentionally changing the world using tools that a 2 0 1 3 - 0sustainable 8 - 1 3 Tinnovation 1 0 : 4 has 7 : 3 you 7 + are 1 0essentially : 0 0 a bright future in Australia. designer would use as well.”

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Layes spoke to Manufacturers’ Monthly during a stretch of four sustainability conferences in a week in Canberra in early October. Despite the new government’s pledge to do away with the former Labor administration’s Clean Technology Program in a bid to save $400 million, Layes and Autodesk believe that sustainable innovation has a bright future in Australia. He believes it will only become more important as time goes by, for engineers and everybody else on the globe. “Whether you’re managing teams, businesses, assets, whether you’re an

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architect or engineer or industrial designer you’re intentionally trying to shape the world for the better,” said Layes. “When we as a company speak about a better world, we mean a world that in 2050 will be 9 billion people, living on the planet, and a better world is where the 9 billion people are living within their means and the limits of the planet and can live well.” As part of the US-based software giant’s quest to improve the world, it expanded its Clean Tech Partner Program – which started in 2009 – to Australia and New Zealand this year. The program offers successful applicants up to $150,000 of Autodesk’s software for $50. The design phase is crucial for how efficiently a product will operate. According to Layes, 80 per cent of the environmental impact of a product gets determined in the design phase.

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maker of water heating and treating systems – featured in Manufacturers’ Monthly earlier this year – enables its customers to reuse what’s usually considered wastewater. Grey water accounts for about 70 per cent of water used in homes. Through Nexus’s innovations, recycled grey water can have its waste component converted into heat energy. Nexus was also Australia’s first participant in the Partner Program. “They have developed an onsite device for domestic installations and this product essentially harnesses the power of grey water and reduces water heating costs by up to 75 per cent,” said Layes. Nexus used Autodesk Inventor to build a virtual tank for grey water. “And using our product to simplify, simulate, visualise, and optimise, the product was built and this process took them much less time Making grey water useful than building a prototype, which is One example of successful very costly and takes a lot of time sustainable inAAustralia A D _ Minnovation A N MB A C P R _ 1 1 . ptodmake, f Pand a g ife you1 make 9 / a0physical 3 / 1 1 , is Nexus eWater. The Canberran prototype you need to make another

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one, which is another expensive exercise to do,” said Layes.

Engineering the future Nexus were one of 30 semifinalists (from a field of 150) in the Australian Cleantech Competition – run by the Clean Technologies Supplier Advocate and sponsored by Autodesk – with the winners announced on October 2. The overall champion was BluGlass Ltd, a semiconductor technology company. The clean technology industry that Nexus and Bluglass belong to represents a significant part of the economy, with the Australian Cleantech Review published in March calculating the sector’s value at $29 billion. Layes believes that there is a strong and growing global demand for sustainable technology solutions, and cited a recent HSBC report suggesting the industry will be worth over $2 trillion by 2020. With or without government input, Autodesk can only see the importance 2 : 3 3 PofMsustainability in product design increasing.

“Any reduction in support for clean tech industries is unfortunate, but business opportunities in this sector have not been artificially inflated by government funding,” said Layes. “While government support may be unavailable under the new administration, clean tech innovators in Australia can still turn to other sources of support, such as programs run by private companies and the international clean tech community. He cited the company’s Partner Program, as well as programs such as the GE ecomagination challenge, and returned to the ambitious business of helping Autodesk users make the world a better place. “Autodesk is looking at driving behavioural change to make sustainable design easy and accessible and effective,” he said. “So for us this is where we can have the biggest impact, to provide tools to users to help them create a better world. If we...put better tools in the hands of users, together we can overcome these challenges in sustainability.”

Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 13

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Technology IT@MM

A 3D design solution for non-CAD experts The two main barriers to the widespread use of traditional 3D CAD tools have long been cost and the need for extensive training. With the release of DesignSpark Mechanical, RS Components has removed both barriers in one go. Kevin Gomez reports.

S Components has unveiled DesignSpark Mechanical in Australia. The new 3D solid modelling and assembly tool is available free of charge. Developed in conjunction with SpaceClaim, DesignSpark Mechanical is a step in the evolution of the DesignSpark online resource hub for the engineering community. The availability of DesignSpark Mechanical overcomes the two major barriers to entry faced by potential users who do not have access to a 3D design solution and can benefit from 3D modelling to quickly develop sophisticated concepts and products. These impediments are the prohibitive costs and the considerable investment in learning time associated with traditional 3D computer-aided design (CAD) tools. “Only five percent of the world’s engineering population have access to 3D tools,” Mark Crundle told Manufacturers’ Monthly at the launch in Sydney. Cundle is Global Head of Technical Marketing at RS Components. People using 3D tools over 2D save about 45 percent of their time during the design phase. DesignSpark Mechanical is free and its simplicity of use means that engineers and others involved in product development can become fully conversant with the software within minutes, rather than the weeks or months required to become skilled with traditional 3D CAD tools. “The launch of DesignSpark Mechanical is the first time a 3D design tool with this level of sophistication has been made freely available. “Engineers will love using modelling software that is so intuitive and flexible,” said Crundle. Users appear to be responding 14 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Mark Crundle, Global Head of Technical Marketing at RS Components. positively with over 42,000 downloads of DesignSpark Mechanical in the just first week. “The number two city in the world for downloads is Sydney,” says Crundle. “Melbourne comes in at number four.” “The use of DesignSpark Mechanical early in the design cycle can eliminate much of the timeconsuming rework associated with traditional product development processes. “This is a highly significant initiative that helps engineers bring innovative products to market quickly as DesignSpark Mechanical’s Standard Template Library (STL) output format enables

direct export of designs to 3D printers.” With access to more than 38,000 3D models in the DesignSpark online component library, DesignSpark Mechanical gives engineers the ability to rapidly undertake an end-to-end design with professionalgrade modelling tools that are available at zero cost. RS Components has also collaborated with 3D content company TraceParts to provide access to millions of models from the online tracepartsonline.net CAD portal in DesignSpark Mechanical’s format. “RS Components is partnering with SpaceClaim to launch DesignSpark Mechanical, which

combines the power and ease-ofuse of direct modelling technology from SpaceClaim with access to the massive RS’ library of standard parts, trusted by millions of engineers around the world,” said Rich Moore, vice president of business development for SpaceClaim. “Feature-based CAD is more difficult to learn, compared with DesignSpark Mechanical. Users can now rapidly create 3D models to accelerate engineering design and improve their competitive advantage.” The active base of 3D CAD seats globally is currently estimated at approximately 1.5 million. However, it is also estimated that there are an additional 20 million engineers globally who do not currently use 3D CAD, but could significantly benefit from a tool such as DesignSpark Mechanical. It will enable design engineers not only to be more creative, but will also support a more efficient product development process, allowing the production of professional concepts right through to delivering highly detailed and dimensioned manufacturing blueprints. DesignSpark Mechanical employs a methodology called ‘direct modelling’, which is different from traditional feature- or parametricbased 3D CAD software. The tool uses simple gestures that enable real-time editing and instant feedback, making it possible for engineers and others to create geometry and easily explore ideas and product concepts in 3D. Mike Brojak, Applications Manager, RS Components did a quick demo at the Sydney launch and was able to create a 3D model in minutes. All basic designs are accomplished via the use of the software’s four basic tools – Pull, Move, Fill manmonthly.com.au

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and Combine – in addition to its employment of Windows keyboard shortcuts such as cut/paste, undo/ redo, which makes it intuitive for new users. It took Brojak ten hours to get familiar with the software and this easy-to-learn abiity is attracting the attention of educational institutions. The software can also be used as a complementary 3D tool in the product development process for the creation of early concept designs, for instance, alongside 3D CAD tools that are already in use today. The tool can remove bottlenecks in the early design process by allowing changes and additions in seconds, rather than having to wait for the CAD department using the traditional 3D tools to rework the design. 3D designs can also be exported in STL, the standard file format to enable rapid prototyping builds and computer-aided manufacturing, in addition to providing the ability to quickly obtain Bill-ofMaterials (BOM) quotes via

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The tool uses simple gestures that allow engineers and others to create geometry and easily explore ideas and product concepts in 3D. the RS Components website. The tool can also import circuit layout files in Intermediate Data Format (IDF) format from any Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design tool, including

the DesignSpark PCB software. the DesignSpark community at DesignSpark Mechanical will www.designspark.com. be available for free download via RS Components www.designspark.com/mechanical. MA 1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ B O K 1 2 0 1 3 - 1 0 - 0 9 T 1 41300 : 1656 3 636 : 4 6 + 1 1 : 0 0 Support for the tool is available from australia.rs-online.com

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Management – PROTECTING IP Protecting your Intellectual Property A company’s Intellectual Property is one of its most important assets, but many manufacturers are failing to protect it effectively with dire results. Alan Johnson reports.

n too many occasions, Australian companies are spending a considerable amount of time and money to develop an exciting new product only to see that same technology turn up, sometimes just weeks after its release, often at a lower price point but with far inferior quality. Some counterfeiters are even game (or lazy) enough to copy the company’s colour scheme and logo. Nothing is ever foolproof, but there are a number of strategies manufacturers can adopt to severely restrict other companies stealing their Intellectual Property (IP), as Bruce Grey MD of Advanced Manufacturing CRC (AMCRC) explains. “Whether a company takes out a patent or not, depends on whether it’s serendipitous or whether it’s part of a conscious and thought out strategic use of IP. “In the CRC we see everything from single inventors to companies who take a casual approach to IP through to companies who are very focused on it. “If a company has a formal innovation process, they generally have a clear idea on where the technology is heading and are trying to identify white space opportunities to get strong patents,” Grey told Manufacturers’ Monthly. However he explained that there are patents and patents, saying some are much stronger than others, which nearly always depends on the inventive step. “Some companies overdo the patenting approach and try to patent everything, and artificially create a position. “As well, some of the quality of the patents are questionable, and are rejected by the examiner, others get through even though the patent is weak.” Grey said companies need to have in-depth knowledge about the particular field they are in. 16 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Protecting patents can be a bit of lottery. “For example, when I was at Bishop Engineering around 20 years ago, our focus was on automotive steering. “We looked at where it was heading, and it was clear that it was going to move away from hydraulic activation to electronic activation, because it meant better fuel consumption and was more logical. “We did technology road maps and saw that electronics was going to become very significant in passenger motor vehicles in the future, and worked out the problems people hadn’t anticipated with electronics coming in. “So we looked at steering which was an area we knew very well and realised that no one had thought about how they were going to measure torque, so we did IP landscape mapping to see who was doing what. “We considered the different ways of measuring torque and looked at what IP was being filed in those areas. We were able to lodge patents that were very strong because the inventive step was very strong,” Grey said.

IP strategies Grey explains that during the R&D process, companies often recognise that there are several ways to solve a problem and file patents on the three most promising options, for example.

“This is a well used strategy. They continue to do R&D on all three then discard the weaker approaches, and focus on the stronger approach. “The wonderful part of the IP system is it’s back-end loaded in cost, so while the company is doing its R&D they can be filing many patents to establish a priority date, and as the filing date comes up, when the cost of filing and maintaining the patent increases, they can decide whether to keep it or discard it,” he said. However, with cost of protecting a patent sometimes very high and not always successful, Grey says many companies adopt a speed to market approach and don’t bother taking out a patent at all. “Rather than spending money on IP, they move very quickly in the market. “It’s a valid strategy, but the company has to have its eyes wide open and recognise the difficulty of bringing a product to a global market quickly. “Some companies use this strategy, but if you look at the major players in the global market they are very focused on IP,” Grey explained. “What we teach in our Innovativity program is to have a strategic approach to IP and to build a strong position. That might mean

taking different approaches to IP. “For example, it might mean keeping the IP secret rather than filing a patent, which is a very legitimate strategy. “We did that at Bishop when we developed some engine technology for the Formula 1 industry. “We built a sealed area in the factory with different access cards where only the 10 engineers working on the project could enter, with different computer servers, etc.” He said the company did a lot of development over 10 years without filing one patent. “We knew it would take time, so delaying the filing date meant that we maximised the commercialisation time. “The prime message is to look strategically at IP, because it doesn’t have to be expensive,” Grey said.

Patent breaches For companies who suspect their IP rights are being infringed, it is important to pursue it vigorously and make sure any infringer knows you are serious about protecting your IP. Delay could also jeopardise a company’s legal rights to obtain an injunction. Sending a letter outlining the problem is one option, however experts in the field suggest surprise may be the best tactic in some cases. Giving the infringer notice of a claim gives them time to hide or destroy evidence and prejudice a case against them. In these circumstances it might be appropriate to go to court without giving notice to the infringer. The court has the power to order an interim injunction, which may be an order that the alleged infringers stop their infringing action pending the outcome of a trial (which can take many months). Grey says it all depends on the IP breach and how strong the patent is, but admits even the most experienced companies that file patents can make mistakes. manmonthly.com.au

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“When at Bishops we got it wrong on a manufacturing process for slotting power steering valves. “In hindsight, we should have patented the tool holder, which was quite unique in shape. We patented a lot of other things around the process but we missed that particular aspect. “However, while we were able to get compensation from a company who copied the holder, we weren’t able to stop them from manufacturing it,” he lamented. Grey says this is a common problem, with many companies not realising what innovations they have developed. “In general, Australian companies are very naive to IP. For example, as a company grows it is important that their employee contracts are crystal clear to incoming employees that anything that they create is the company’s property. “It’s the same with collaborative R&D, it is important to make sure the IP approach is clear,” Grey said.

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different to the Western legal system. “It’s somewhat capricious. You can spend a lot of money, and still not be clear what results you are likely to get. “But as China is a member of the WTO, progressively they are being drawn into the global system,” Grey said. However, Jason Furness, CEO of Manufacturingship, says it’s not just the Chinese who infringe another company’s IP.

While China has made a lot of noise in recent years about recognising other companies’ IP, Grey says it is still an issue. “There has been some improvement, and I’ve heard of cases where the local authorities have responded to complaints, however that is not always the case.” M Asays 0 8 the 1 3 biggest _ 0 0 0problem _ K E Rwith Grey China is that its legal system is totally

take a patent out on it. They can’t go backwards,” he explained. Furness also said many Australian manufacturers don’t bother filing a patent, thinking everyone knows about it, when in fact they don’t. “As soon as a person or company has that flash of brilliance, they should visit www.ipaustralia.gov.au or talk to a patent attorney, and at least understand how their IP can be protected. “Unfortunately, we don’t do a great job of protecting our IP in Australia,” Furness said.

Legal advice

A patent is not the only vehicle for IP protection. “There’s a lot that goes on inside Australia,” Furness said.

IP in China

Patent early Furness says many Australian companies don’t patent their designs early enough. “One of the ways companies give away their IP is that they commercialise a product before taking out a patent on it to protect it. “They 1should 2 0 be 1 3aware - 0 7that - 0once 9 T a1 product 0 : 3 3 : is in the public domain, it’s too late to

Furness admits the patent process is not cheap, or quick. “That’s where it is important to get the right legal advice from the very beginning. “One local mid-sized company was recently successful in taking a local chain to court because they were importing a competitive product that breached their IP and also didn’t meet the Australian Standards. “It took them a while, and cost them some money, but they managed to take the offending product out of the Australian market.” The key, says Furness, is to get the right advice, and the earlier the better. “You have to have your IP locked 3 up 2 +before 1 0 : anyone 0 0 else hears about it.” He admits it all takes time.

“Companies are often keen to get the product onto the market, but you really have to sit on it for the 12 to 18 months it takes to get the paperwork done. And basically all the cost of the patents is up front. So you have to have the financial resources to keep going.” He says one alternative is for companies to keep upgrading their products to keep ahead of their competitors, and counterfeiters. “If the old technology is made obsolete by your new technology and you have enough pipeline going forward, then it’s a viable strategy in some cases. “However you might be giving up an income stream on the older technology for nothing. “The answer to all this is ‘it all depends’ and will be unique for every client,” he said. Another option, Furness said, is registered design. “Many car companies, when they release a new model, register the design rather then pattening it as a new product. “Just prior to launch, the companies take photographs of all the components, and register the design. This prevents ‘knock-off’ car parts manufacturers producing aftermarket parts like taillights etc.” Furness says there is more to IP than just patents. “You don’t have to have patents to have a viable business, and many businesses don’t.”

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EndeavourAWARDS Enter online at manmonthly.com.au

2014 Endeavour Awards launch

re you an Australian manufacturer? Of course you are. And you’re reading this because we want you to know that entries are now open for the industry’s leading awards program in this country. Manufacturers’ Monthly’s Endeavour Awards have been recognising and celebrating excellence for 11 years, and we want your entry for 2014’s Endeavours, to be held in May. We are pleased to note that BlueScope Steel remains the principal sponsor of next year’s Endeavours. There have been well over 1,000 M M 3 6 during 0 6 _ Ethe N _Endeavours’ 2 0 1 4 _ hx P. finalists history, and – if you’ve been doing

well in any of the areas below – • Global Integration: Sponsored by you could be helping to swell their ICN, this category is dedicated to ranks. companies who successful engage Categories for 2014 will include in global supply chains. • Safety Scheme of The Year: • Industrial Application: Sponsored Sponsored by SICK, this category by BOC, this is the category will celebrate a successful for Australian innovations for scheme that has made work at a industrial use. manufacturing plant safer. • Enterprise Connect Significant • Technology Application: Sponsored Achievement Award: This category by IFM, the award recognises recognises Australian companies those who have successfully who have made productivity applied a new technical solution to improvements since an Enterprise manufacturing; Connect Business Review. • Environment: Sponsored by Atlas • Australian Consumer/Trade Copco, this category is for a Product: this is an award open to company that has used a solution those who have a new Australian ptod decrease f Pa g e environmental 2 2 8 / 1 0 / 1 3 , product 2 : 2for 6 consumer : 3 5 Por M trade A Euses. DT the impact of their operations.

• Lifetime Achievement: This is

an award open to those who’ve made a lasting and meaningful contribution to the Australian manufacturing industry. • Australian Metal Innovation: This category is for new companies with new, innovative products that use Australian metal. All finalists will be featured both in Manufacturers’ Monthly magazine and on our website early next year. For more detailed information (coming soon) on each category, keep an eye on www.manmonthly. com.au/awards. Finally, write to editor@ manmonthly.com.au for an entry form – let everyone know the great things you’ve been doing. Good luck!

INNOVATIVE

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Nominations are now open for the 11th annual Manufacturers’ Monthly Endeavour Awards. Be a part of the national awards program that celebrates the industry and recognises and rewards manufacturing excellence. Join us for Australian manufacturing’s night of nights by nominating your business or employees. PLATINUM SPONSOR

18 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

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3DDESIGN

SolidWorks 2014 includes a very effective set of enhancements without any big surprises.

SolidWorks 2014 launches in Australia Being close to and understanding customers are important to any business. SolidWorks – owned by French software giant Dassault Systemes – takes this to the extreme. Brent Balinski spoke to the company and one of its clients about developments in the current suite of programs. Listening to customers “90 per cent of what we put in the software is a direct input from our customers’ recommendations and their wish list,” explained Sharon Toh, the general manager for Asia Pacific South at the company, at the Australian launch of SolidWorks 2014. “And this year we added a few more products to our portfolio: one is SolidWorks Plastic, so that our customer can have an end-to-end product development solution.” According to Toh, there are two major parts to the company doing its job successfully, and thus helping its clients do the same. 20 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

One is the company’s practise of gauging clients’ needs through a number of channels, including surveys, and feedback through local value-added resellers (VARs) and users’ groups. Another is providing support through VARs, the local partners (such as SolidTech and Intercad in Australia) to the company. “We continue to do a lot of training so that our team can be locally present, near to our customers, so that our customers can always get local support and local training and make sure that they continue to improve in the product

development process,” said Toh. “And this is really my personal commitment and my passion, to ensure that our customers are successful using our product.”

This year’s model Key user upgrades in 2014, which has been described as including a very effective set of enhancements without any big surprises, include Advanced Shape Control (with a new Style Spline functionality), streamlining in areas including simulation and EPDM, improved integration and performance for SolidWorks Electrical, workflow

improvements (such as a new history folder to track recent changes by team members) and new sheet metal features, including better corner treatment and a new gusset feature. The 2014 version also features upgrades to the photo-realistic Photoview 360 rendering and animation tool. “All of the changes are driven through the customer portal,” Nick Mennell, chief information officer at ZIP Industries told Manufacturers’ Monthly at the launch. ZIP is one of over 182,000 companies in the SolidWorks community. manmonthly.com.au

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“I’ve often wanted one of my VAR to put something forward, but they said ‘look, they treat the requirements from the customer higher than the requirements from the VAR,’” he mentioned. Mennell, who began his career as an engineer in the UK, has worked at companies including Land Rover, Westland Helicopters and AP Racing, before joining the Australian firm that makes ubiquitous products such as the ZIP Hydroboil. He believes the sheet metal upgrades in the new release are particularly attractive, and has found previous versions’ sheet metal capabilities useful for what ZIP manufactures. EPDM also makes working with sheet metal much easier. “We’re one of those rare breeds actually, we still manufacture parts,” he said. “We still do all of our sheet metal and have got all of our own pipes. So what SolidWorks is able to do is take that 3-dimensional, folded piece of geometry that the designer’s done and it’s able to produce the flat pattern. “It’s actually able to do that in reverse. And what the EPDM system does is all a designer has to do is say ‘Look, I’m designing this three-dimensional folded chassis, but it’s this folded piece of sheet

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metal’. And all he has to do is tell the EPDM ‘this is a sheet metal component’. When it releases the prediction of the prototype it actually deciphers ‘look this is a sheet metal part’ and it’ll unwrap it for him. “So we’ve got the ability to interrogate the software, unwrap it for him, and convert it to a dxf file and send that file to the manufacturing department. And that’s work the designer would’ve

Soildworks Electrical was upgraded with the latest release. had to do that he doesn’t have to do any more.”

Plastics, printed circuit boards, pictures Mennell also plans to invest in SolidWorks Plastic (which has been made easier to use by streamlined simulation setup in 2014) and SolidWorks Electrical (which has has its integration improved).

The company has responded to customers’ recommendations and wish lists. manmonthly.com.au

“We do a lot of PCB design. A big requirement for our products is electrical,” he said. Another part of SolidWorks’ offerings that ZIP gets a lot of mileage out of the PhotoView 360. The company, which has been in operation since 1947 and owned by Michael Crouch since 1962, used to shell out enormous amounts of money on photo shoots to market its products. A model kitchen would be hired for four or five days, 500 or so photos taken, and these then painstakingly edited due to the glare off ZIP’s products. Chrome would always show a reflection of the cameraman in the pictures. The company cut out a lot of the fuss by using Photoview 360 (which now can be programmed to simulate how a design idea might look outdoors in sunlight by inputting the time, date, latitude and longitude.) “All of this rendering that we’re doing now would be done traditionally by sales and marketing,” said Mennell. The old photographer learned how to render on the program, and does his newer job untroubled by the shininess of taps. “We’re now able to do the same sort of task in a much, much shorter period of time.” Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 21

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

Stainless steel, right angle helical bevel gear drives A new line of Boston Gear stainless steel, right angle helical bevel gear drives is now available with output torque up to 7.700 lb.in. (870 Nm) and input power to 10 HP (7.5 kW). SS2000R models are designed to meet the demands of washdown applications including cheese slicers, dairy and bakery mixers, spiral heating and cooling racks, produce drying bins (tumblers), meat forming and carcass processing equipment, bottling lines, conveyors and palletizers. Units feature a 316 Series stainless steel housing with domed crown and rounded corners for washdown runoff in harsh environments where highpressure caustic solvents and cleaners are utilized. A laser-marked nameplate is resistant to the effects of caustic washdowns. Stainless steel shafts and a high-pressure washdown deflector are also available. The gear drives feature unique mounting registers and keyless tapered bushings for fast and easy installation. Other advantages include automatic entrapment of wear debris, large diameter oil fill/drain holes, synthetic

The gear drives feature a 316 Series stainless steel housing with domed crown and rounded corners. lubrication and O-rings for high leak and ingress resistance. Design flexibility is enhanced with a large assortment of shaft options, a variety of optional hollow bore sizes and input styles. With the premium efficiency of ground helical gearing (98% per gear mesh) and increased tooth contact area, SS2000R helical bevel drives are ideal for use in high torque applications with continuous or high duty cycle operations, high-ratio reduction, and limited access installations where long life is a necessity. The gear drives are dimensional dropin replacements for major competitive products. Warner Electric Australia 02 9894 0133 www.warnerelectric.com.au

LPG fuel cell THE Roamio ‘Performer’ P250i is a back-up power source for critical, remote applications. Employing solid oxide fuel cell technology, this fuel cell provides dependable, portable power using readily accessible fuel. According to the company, it integrates seamlessly with grid, generator, battery, wind or solar power to deliver the assurance that critical applications will run, uninterrupted, when other power sources fail. This fuel cell is field-proven and works in sun, rain, hot, cold, blowing sand, snow, or wind. It provides power for inaccessible, remote, or hazardous locations. Powered by commercially available LPG, the fuel cell is low maintenance. Users simply need to connect it to an LPG tank and leave it to work on the side of a mountain, in a dense forest, tundra or desert, miles from civilization. Applications include remote security, meteorological stations, data collection 22 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

The fuel cell delivers 250 watts of continuous power. and monitoring, pipeline monitoring and protection, telecommunications, primary power for oil and gas wellhead monitoring and site communications. EHM Solutions www.e2mtechnologies.eu

Accelerometer THE Endevco 7253D triaxial Isotron accelerometer measures shock and vibration simultaneously in three mutually perpendicular axes. It allows 360° cable orientation with hermetically sealed titanium housing to protect against environmental contamination. The accelerometer is suitable for applications where the orientation of the connector and sensitive axes are critical. Testing environments include flight testing, aircraft engine testing, industrial engine testing, missile testing, aircraft component testing, spacecraft component testing, and industrial machinery testing. It has sensitivities of 10mV/g or 100 mV/g, is lightweight (10g). In addition, it features broad frequency response at operating temperature between -55°C to +125°C. Each axis utilizes an Endevco type P-8 shear piezoelectric sensing element in conjunction with a hybrid charge amplifier to provide a low-impedance output

The accelerometer is lightweight. of ±5 volt full scale in a two-wire IEPE system configuration. A constant current excitation of 2 to 20 mA is required for each axis, with the electrical connection made to each axis through a 4-pin connector. Accessories included with the accelerometer include the 3027AM3120 cable, 42883 mounting screw assembly and EHM488 wrench. Optional accessories include the models 123, 133, 2775B or 2793 signal conditioner. Bestech Australia 1300 209 261 www.bestech.com.au

Logistics app SDV is launching a mobile app for tablets and smartphones, which integrates the features of universal shipment tracking, alert management, information and geographic location. The shipment tracking features, called “Link”, enable real time follow-up of shipments entrusted to SDV and provide the CO2 measurement of the transport according to the GHG Protocol method. The LINK project fits into the framework of the redesign of SDV’s tracking system. Using login and secure access codes, customers will be able to view the full details of their shipments: stakeholders, kind of goods, packing details, historical events, etc. The application offers ‘Push’ alerts, notifying clients of any new position on sensitive shipments, in order to secure the final delivery. The “SDV live” and “My News” modules highlight the latest information from the group, as well as an extract of SDVLive.com, the expert eye on

The app can track shipments in real time. current transportation and logistics trends. “Save Program” presents SDV’s solution to support an environmental policy for its customers. The “Agencies” feature enables customers to search and save SDV offices in a list of contacts: by continent, country or current user position. The application continues to evolve. Advanced features are in development including loading and direct sharing of documents/pictures; and proof of delivery secured through QR codes integration and signature capture. SDV Australia 02 8336 3900 www.sdv.com

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Brought to you by

Turning insert grades for challenging materials

Plastics extrusion blow moulding accumulator die head machinery

SECO’S new TH1000 and TH1500 turning insert grades further extend the company’s offerings of extremely wear-resistant The grades are designed for high performance. solutions for cutting difficultto-machine materials. The company has engineered the grades to bring high performance and increased productivity to a range of challenging applications, such as the machining of superalloy and hardened steel components, which are frequently found in both the aerospace and automotive segments. TH1000, a TiSiN-TiAIN nanolaminate PVD-coated grade, is designed for machining the hardest steels, superalloys and ‘hard-faced’ materials. It is said by the company to deliver toughness and high wear resistance to applications involving these demanding materials, where variations in hardness and interrupted cuts are frequently found. Additionally, the grade is highly resilient, allowing it to resist edge fracture and combined with the well-adapted chipbreakers, promote effective chip control in these types of applications. Intended to handle higher material removal, the TH1500, a hard Duratomic-coated grade, provides excellent wear resistance, allowing optimal productivity in continuous cut operations involving moderately hardened steel components (HRC 40-55). Seco Tools Australia MA 1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ N E D P a g e 1 2 01300 1 355- 7326 1 0 www.secotools.com/au

GRAHAM Engineering Corp has broadened its range of accumulator die head blow moulding machinery with new additions in both smaller and larger formats. Graham accumulator head machines are used to process a wide variety of plastic parts and are particularly popular in the automotive and leisure industries for the production of floor panels, seat components, spoilers, coolant tanks, kayaks, and playground equipment. In the industrial packaging market, the machines are used for manufacturing closed head drums, jerry cans, bins, etc. The small 50 ton clamp machine is available in single or dual head accumulator configuration with shot sizes of 1.13kg or 2.26 kg with side or bottom takeout options. Included is the XBM navigator PC Controller with 100 point parison programming and 1touchscreen 5 T 0 9 : operator 2 3 : 5interface. 4 + 1 1 : 0 0 The top-end machine is now available with

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either 34kg or 45kg shot sizing. The larger diameter heads (254 mm to 762 mm) also utilize the GES spiral diverter technology which is intended to facilitate fast colour change capability. The clamping unit features motorized roll out allowing for ease of mould change-over, necessary for the large moulds that can be accommodated in the (up to) 2.4M x 1.5M platen sizes. HBM Plastics Technologies 1300 903 963 www.hbm.com.au

FM Series Dust and Fume Collectors

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cartridge to avoid dust build up Modular Design capable of easy expansion for large flows Standard pre-separation chamber Certified explosion relief options. Patented UniClean® cartridge cleaning system Galvanised construction, suitable for indoor or outdoor installations Integral or remote fan options Assembled in Australia www.nederman.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 23

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Automation& ROBOTICS Robotic Welding Cell Within this enclosed cell, customers can now pre-test their desired Kemppi power source using their own materials and consumables; and try various welding software options.

ustralian welding equipment supplier, Kemppi Australia, recently unveiled its Robotic Welding Cell. The introduction will allow customers to pre-test their desired Kemppi power source using their own materials and consumables to demonstrate the reliability and quality of the power source. In addition, they will be able to supplement and test the standard robotic power source package with various Kemppi welding software options, to identify the optimum welding arc for their specific application. The purpose-built, fully enclosed cell demonstrates the key attributes of a robotic welding package. Kemppi Australia has combined its Kemparc 450 Pulse power source with an ABB 1520ID robot to illustrate its capability. According to Kemppi Australia’s Managing Director, David Green, the pace and precision of a robotic welding package is exceptional. “Robots weld with far greater speed and accuracy when compared

to traditional manual welding methods. These benefits can translate into huge productivity gains and improved quality management and control for firms,” said Green. Apart from the dual benefits of increased productivity and quality control, robotic welding is on the rise globally due to two other key factors. Firstly, the cost of installing robotic systems has fallen considerably in relative terms, particularly over the last five years. This has helped to make robotic welding a viable option for even small manufacturing operations. In addition, there is a general lack of highly skilled welding labour in many markets around the world, including Australia, which is helping to drive the demand for robotic welding. For many manufacturers which need welding skill sets, robotic systems are becoming a necessity. Kemppi’s parent company, Kemppi Oy, has long supplied robotic power sources to robotic manufacturers worldwide as well as their integrators and customers.

Kemppi Australia’s Robotic Welding Cell.

David Green, Managing Director, Kemppi Australia; Chris Smallbone, CEO, WTIA; Emil Dela Cruz, Kemppi Australia Regional Sales Manager for NSW/NZ. 24 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

“We recognise that we have top performing robotic power sources with some unique features as well as an international track record in this area. This, together with the growing local demand for highly skilled welders that is becoming increasingly difficult to fill, has helped to crystallise our strategy for robotic welding in Australia,” explained Green. Kemppi offers a range of robotic power sources in its Kemparc, (both Synergic and Pulse options) and Tandem systems. The systems can be supplemented by ‘intelligent’ software which aims at optimising

the welding arc to help deliver increased productivity and better quality management. In addition to independent service agents’ assistance, the compact Kemparc and Tandem systems are also supported locally by Kemppi’s in-house technical and service centre. “Our Robotic Welding Cell clearly demonstrates the capability of robotic welding and allows customers to envisage the potential of such capability,” said Green. Kemppi Australia 02 9605 9500 www.kemppi.com manmonthly.com.au

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ABB releases upgrade to press tending robot

Software to simplify controller integration and energy reporting

ABB, the power and automation technology group, has been developing robot-based press automation solutions for more than two decades. According to the company, its latest variant, the IRB 6660 100/3.3 is up to 15 percent faster than its counterparts. To expand the usefulness of this established robot, ABB has extended the IRB 6660’s reach from 3.1 metres to 3.35 metres. The new variant increases the distance The press tending robot between is fast and flexible. press lines to between 8.5 metres and 8.7 metres and allows the robot to handle larger blanks with very short cycle times. The robot is designed for flexibility and speed. Indeed, according to the company, it is the fastest press tending robot on the market for large blanks. With this latest variant the company is intending to demonstrate its commitment to press tending. It is intended to help customers meet their production requirements, and save costs associated with press tending automation. Suitable for both new and existing press tending manufacturing lines, only the robot’s arm length has been changed, allowing customers to easily and cost effectively upgrade their existing assets. Commenting on the release, ABB’s Robotic Product Specialist Paolo Maggi said, “It guarantees flexibility and speeds that far exceed the capabilities of other press tending robots on the market.” ABB Australia 1300 619 118 www.abbaustralia.com.au

NEW features in the Allen-Bradley Intellicenter software – Intellicenter Integration Assistant and Intellicenter Energy – are intended to accelerate the configuration time and enhance end users’ data-driven energy decisions. With Intellicenter Integration Assistant, users can integrate their IntelliCENTER Motor Control Centers (MCCs) into their Rockwell Software RSLogix 5000 programming software. This feature is intended to reduce programming time by automatically adding the AllenBradley Centerline MCC devices to the RSLogix 5000 I/O tree. In addition, Integration Assistant takes advantage of existing premier integration features to automatically create controller tags and IP address configuration in RSLogix 5000 software, reducing errors and the time it takes to configure the intelligent devices. According to the company, Intellicenter Integration Assistant enables faster installation and commissioning time, providing real-time, device-level information and higher productivity. Intellicenter Energy offers a pre-configured setup of FactoryTalk EnergyMetrix software for intelligent motor control devices in the MCC, including variable speed drives, overload relays and SMCs.

The software gives users simplified integration and advanced energy data. In addition, users can view energy consumption at the device level directly from Intellicenter software. With Intellicenter Energy, it becomes easier to monitor and manage energy usage in the industrial facility for cost savings, and allows for easy integration of Intellicenter MCCs into plantwide energy-management systems. Intellicenter Energy gives users the information necessary to make fact-based decisions to help them optimise energy usage, improve equipment performance, and even predict equipment failure. Rockwell Automation 1300 319 741 www.rockwellautomation.com.au

Embedded automation computer and rugged flat panel monitor ADVANTECH’S Industrial Automation Group (IAG) has two products which it recommends as a pairing for many harsh industrial automation applications such as: communication protocol conversion, machine automation and factory automation. The UNO-21xx series are Intel Atom based embedded automation computers and the FPM-2000 series are industrial grade flat panel monitors. The UNO-2173A and UNO-2178A are IP40 rated Atom-based Embedded Automation Computers, which feature low Energy Star certified power

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consuming1.67GHz Intel Atom CPUs and the UNO2184G has an Intel Core i7 processor. All models have 2GB DDR2 RAM and are capable of working in temperatures from -10 ~ 70° C (14 ~ 158° F), making them ideal for operating in a wide range of environments. For increased versatility and to suit the needs of a wide range of application the UNO-21xx models come with combinations of external ports: one HD channel Audio, RS-232/485 and RS-232/422/485 ports, which support any required baud rate.

Additionally, two GbE ports support teaming function for networking backup while six USB 2.0 ports support an increased variety of peripherals and a printer port. Internally the models are equally versatile with the ability to accept: two full sized Mini PCIe, one SIM card and optional PC/104+ and PCI-104 daughterboards thereby allowing options such as Wi-Fi, 3G modules, additional I/O and fieldbus cards. Advantech 1300 102 896 www.advantech.net.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 25

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Automation & ROBOTICS

FDT provides factory fieldbus flexibility FDT-enabled applications within the automation system can manage field devices regardless of the device’s manufacturer, and regardless of the fieldbus protocol employed. Harry Forbes* writes.

raditionally, FDT (Field Device Technology) had been associated largely with process automation and process field devices, but this is no longer the case. Suppliers in the factory automation space are now adopting FDT because they find it affords them the technical flexibility needed to deal with the wide range of product configurations their customers demand. Factory equipment suppliers and machine builders, even major ones, must comply with the system specifications demanded by end user manufacturers. As a result, they must deliver their products to support one of many different combinations of factory automation system and fieldbus. ARC spoke with one major equipment supplier that now uses FDT to increase product flexibility without adding permutations to its product design.

The factory equipment value chain As the owner-operators, end user manufacturers (such as global automo-tive companies) create the specifications for their factory production systems. Their specification decisions flow “up” the value chain, while the products that equip the factory flow in the opposite direction. This complicates matters for the equipment and

Harry Forbes. device suppliers further up the chain who must serve a large number of end user customers, each with its own specifications. One major technical challenge they face is to customize their equipment as demanded by each end user without creating a large number of product permutations that would be prohibitively expen-sive to develop,

maintain, and support. Equipment suppliers must usually support user-chosen factory automation systems as well as user-chosen factory fieldbus technologies. End users usually prefer to standardize on one automation platform and as few fieldbuses as possible. This greatly simplifies the end user’s operating and maintenance tasks over the operating life of the equipment, but the machine builders can find themselves “sandwiched” between their customer’s automation and fieldbus choices. This places a premium on a supplier’s ability to be flexible. Complex machines will likely contain one or more embedded controllers supporting proprietary machine features. So the machine builder must integrate its own embedded control technology with whatever else the end user specifies.

FDT FDT, the IEC 62453 standard, is 26 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

a software interface specification for interoperability between field devices and automation systems. Its design basis is such that FDT-enabled applications within the automation system can manage field devices regardless of the device’s manufacturer and regardless of the fieldbus protocol employed. This is achieved by equipping each device with a unique software element called a Device Type Manager (DTM). FDT-enabled applications called “FDT Frame Applications” contain a fully defined interface to DTMs, providing interoperability between any pair of Frame Applications and DTMs. Frame Applications typically operate in a Microsoft environment. The scope of the FDT interface includes more than operating data communication. DTMs can be used over the device’s entire life cycle. Functions for device parameterization, messaging, health monitoring, interactive functions, and online help can be integrated into a DTM. Effective implementations can provide support from commissioning to repair.

Global equipment supplier embeds FDT ARC Advisory Group interviewed one large (over $1 billion annual reve-nue) global supplier of factory equipment that has begun embedding FDT into its equipment controllers. The supplier asked to remain anonymous. The supplier’s decision to use FDT was driven by its customer’s demand to support several different PLCs for factory automation and over six different fieldbuses to the various devices that are used with their equipment. The supplier’s FDT implementation presents fieldbus-independent process data both to its controller and to higher level automation systems. The company has embedded FDT into its controller to such a degree that the end user does not see it, but can use the technology manmonthly.com.au

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to configure, commission, monitor and debug all connected devices regardless of fieldbus. The supplier has integrated FDT into its internal product management. Each customer order now ships with a pre-configured FDT project within the equipment. Built automatically by its order management system, this covers all the manufacturer’s components in the shipment. System integrators receiving this equipment can add their own custom components to the FDT project when they integrate the equipment into a production line or machine. FDT extensibility is also a plus. The company plans to extend its own FDT implementation to include two additional fieldbuses to expand its served market. FDT represents an important strategic choice in that it ties in with the company’s corporate strategy to differentiate its equipment as being easier to customize than competing products. The company now expects to embed FDT in the current generation of controllers for theirMentire A 1 1 product 1 3 _ 0 life. 2 7 _Asked NOR to summarize their experience,

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Suppliers in the factory automation space are now adopting FDT. company representatives said that whenever you face a wide range the move to introduce FDT into their of fieldbus protocols.” – Clearly controllers was difficult, but they for this major supplier, FDT plays 1felt 2the 0 1difficulty 3 - 1 0 was - 2 worthwhile, 1 T 1 5 : 1 0 : 5 an 3 +important 1 1 : 0 0role in achieving reporting that “it has great benefits product flexibility and overcoming

the difficulties often presented by fieldbus market fragmentation. *Harry Forbes is a Senior Analyst, ARC Advisory Group.

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Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 27

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Metalworking& MACHINE TOOLS Strength through diversity Sydney-based metal working business Ogis Engineering recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. As the company looks towards its next half century, it continues to look for new ways to develop and innovate. Matt McDonald reports.

gis Engineering came into existence on 24th June, 1963. Founded in the Sydney suburb of St. Peters by Hungarian refugee Otto Giesser (Ogis), the company started off manufacturing cast brass souvenirs. As time passed, the business developed into an upmarket shop fitter and counted Mark Foys and Richards Menswear amongst its customers. Fast forward to 2013, and Ogis is no longer based in St. Peters. Its headquarters have moved just down the road to Roseberry where its current managing director, Kevin Adler holds the business reigns. Manufacturers’ Monthly recently caught up with Adler. He told us that the company has changed a lot in the last 10 years. “We used to make a lot of furniture..we used to do probably 300 chairs a week for the office furniture industry and make a lot of trolleys and chairs for the hair dressing industry. But all of that’s gone to China so we then started focussing on diversity,” he said. As such, Ogis now specialises in tube and pipe bending as well as metal fabrication. The company has become a preferred supplier to a range of customers from the transport, defence, infrastructure, architectural, mining and manufacturing sectors. However, it is not all plain sailing in the industry. While the company is currently doing well and performing above budget, diversifying has brought forward some problems of its own. For example, Adler points to the situation where “..a customer comes and says I want 300 chairs made out of a particular material.” “15 years ago, I’d ring a supplier and just buy it off the shelf..Now I’ve got to order a mill run which might require me to buy 1,000 lengths or something like that which makes 28 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Ogis has customers from the transport, defence, infrastructure, architectural, mining and manufacturing sectors. the job just unjustified,” he says. The local demand for materials has fallen right off because a lot of high volume manufacturing work has gone to Asia. As an example, Adler points to one supplier which used to keep 6,000 items in stock, but now has just 900 items.

Ogis Express Another recent change at Ogis Engineering is a service the company calls ‘Ogis Express’. Ogis Express does what importers can’t do – supply urgently needed goods at very short notice. For example, Adler points to a recent instance where “CSIRO rang us up and said they need something cut, bent and welded in just 5 days.” Ogis took the job on (at a higher than normal charge), completed it on time and made a high margin on it. Although this service has only ‘officially’ existed as Ogis Express for around six months, the company always did take on urgent contracts. The only differences were that it didn’t have a formal name and they didn’t charge any extra for it. But, Adler points out, if it’s important people are willing to pay extra.

“If we do a bending job and we’ve got a product on the bending machine then the customer has to pay for us to take it off, do their job and put the original product back on again. So they might be paying as much as twice as much as normal.” Adler says. “And there might be VIP couriers

involved so it’s quite an expensive option but some people just don’t mind...They need it now”. However, Adler is quick to emphasise that the company’s top priority remains its regular production. Any urgent work has to fit in with that. And express work is only done if Ogis employees are

Kevin Adler, Managing Director of Ogis Engineering. manmonthly.com.au

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AM A D _ MA N MMT I S E P _ 1 2 . p d f

Pa ge

2 / 0 8 / 1 2 ,

A Gold annodised feature screen by Ogis Engineering. willing to stay back at night or on weekends to complete it.

Technology According to Adler, Ogis prides itself on being well-organised and wellrun. The company carries out OHS audits and emphasises efficiency and traceability. The company is always on the lookout for opportunities and new directions; and has recently purchased several pieces of machinery. Specifically, in the past 12 months they have bought CNC bending machines, mandrel benders, a precision plasma cutter, a CNC rolling machine, and a CNC press brake. Apart from the bending machines, all are new to the company. Adler points out that previously the company used to use only laser cutters on all pieces. This meant that they had to sub-contract a lot of work. But today, with the addition of the press brake and the plasma cutter, they can do most work in-house. “By doing it in-house we have more control,” he says. “We don’t charge high set up fees and we don’t have to get couriers involved.” “We are just trying to become as competitive as we can because our competition isn’t from China any more... it’s local...because we’re fighting for the work that’s remaining here.” manmonthly.com.au

During the recent election campaign, then Deputy Prime Minister Albanese visited Ogis to launch a website that assists small business in using the NBN. For his part, Adler mentions a large tender Ogis recently did which involved files which were so big they took hours to download. He agrees that the NBN would make a big difference in such cases.

The future Ogis Engineering will continue to develop and continue to diversify. According to Adler, while the company is performing well right now, in the current climate manufacturers can’t afford to rest on their laurels for long at all. He says that it’s hard to look forward a distance of just 12 months with total confidence, let alone look to 10 years in the future. “We are constantly looking for different things to do in the future. We are thinking about whether we should design our own product or get involved in a completely different field.” As he signed off, Adler mentioned he was off to Europe. It’s a holiday, but while he’s there, he’ll have half an eye open for any new ideas or opportunities to bring home with him. Ogis Engineering 02 9313 3777 www.ogis.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 29

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Metalworking & MACHINE TOOLS ‘Metal Manufacturing Industry Guide to Safety’ - new edition released

Machines generally have the potential to cause injury to workers and those in the vicinity of the machine.

PRO-Visual Publishing, along with the Australian Industry Group, has released the 2013/2014 edition of the Metal Manufacturing Industry Guide to Safety. This latest edition arrives as Commonwealth, state and territory governments have agreed to harmonised work health and safety laws to improve work health and safety, provide consistent protection for Australian workers and reduce the regulatory burden. This includes any worker, contractor or manager working within the metal manufacturing and steel fabrication industry. Safety is imperative. So whether it comes down to storing, manufacturing and managing the metal refining process, safety is a priority in all work policies and procedures. And this is everyone’s responsibility. All Australian jurisdictions are committed to the prevention of workplace deaths, injuries and illness. The storing of steel poses numerous potential problems that may easily lead to injury if appropriate

provision is not made. Hazards include the potential for steel in its various forms to roll, slip, and slide or fall over if not suitably restrained. Furthermore, machines generally have the potential to cause injury to workers and those in the vicinity of the machine. Hazardous noise can also destroy the ability to hear clearly and can make it more difficult to hear sounds necessary for working safely. For all these potential problems the Metal Manufacturing Industry Guide to Safety provides easyto-read guidelines to identify, manage and control risks and hazards that arise in the workplace. Commenting on the release of the 2013/2014 edition of the Metal Manufacturing Industry Guide to Safety, John Hutchings, CEO, Pro-Visual Publishing said, “I would like to thank all of the sponsors of the Metal Manufacturing Industry Guide to Safety 2013/14. Their support has made it possible for the guide to be distributed free of charge.”

Turbo helical cutters SECO recently expanded its Turbo range of products to include new helical cutters that bring increased machining flexibility, stability and productivity to aggressive metal cutting operations such as aerospace shouldering applications. The new helical cutters are available in diameters from 32 mm to 80 mm with cutting depths between 0.8xD and 2.0xD and include Seco-Capto mounting options. The broad range of advanced inserts for these helical cutters includes new grades and geometries. These are intended to bring increased metal removal performance to materials with unique machining challenges, such as titanium, aluminium and stainless steels. Furthermore, the high level of versatility that comes with this range of helical cutters is said by the company to allow manufacturers to optimise existing applications, whether they have rigid or weak machining conditions. Seco 1300 55 7326 www.secotools.com

The plastic energy tube is intended to offer comprehensive protection against chips of any size.

Plastic energy tube for moving cables

The turbo helical cutters are available in a range of diameters.

30 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

THE plastic energy tube RX from igus has been designed to protect moving cables in CNC machinery applications. According to the company, it can successfully resist chips when put through even the most demanding operations. If moving cables during the operation of CNC machines, lathes, mills and sawing machines require protection, the energy chains themselves also need to be inwardly tight and simultaneously guide the cables so that there is low abrasion. For this specific purpose, the company has developed its first foldable plastic

energy tube R68. The latest energy tube is intended to offer comprehensive protection against chips of any size. On its smooth and convex outer contour, the chips simply fall out on contact with the surface and are deposited in the stop system of the energy tube. The tube is said to provide protection due to its especially smooth contours and tight production tolerances. These factors stop chips from getting between the stoppers. Treotham Automation 1300 615 110 www.treotham.com.au manmonthly.com.au

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Seco expands EPB 5600 Shrinkfit range with Safe-Lock system SECO has expanded its range of EPB 5600 Shrinkfit holders to allow them to be ordered with the Safe-Lock system, which achieves advanced pullout protection for round shanked cutting tools. This brings increased reliability, tool life and productivity to high-speed rough milling applications that involve workpieces machined from hard materials, such as titanium and special alloys. According to the company, the EPB 5600, when compared with a DIN-type Shrinkfit holder, achieves higher clamping forces, increased rigidity and the same runout at 3xD. In fact, the EPB 5600’s clamping force, on average, is 33 percent stronger than an equivalent DIN holder. Combining this clamping force with the Safe-Lock system enables the EPB 5600 to eliminate tool ejection and achieve high material removal rates through increased depths of cut and higher table feeds. The Safe-Lock system features drive pins in the Shrinkfit tool holder bores. The pins, when combined with spiral-shaped grooves in the cylindrical cutting tool shank, prevent the tool from being pulled out from the chuck during extreme machining conditions. Safe-Lock is a solution against tool pull-out effects, it: • secures the tool clamping, • avoids tool ejection, work piece scrapping, and damage on machine spindle, • ensures optimum process reliability and longer tool life • increases productivity as the milling cutter can be used with its maximum cutting data. Seco MA 1 1 1 3 _ 0 0 0 _ P R O 1 2 0 1 3 - 1 0 - 1 4 T 11300 5 :5607326 0 : 0 2 + 1 1 : 0 0 www.secotools.com

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manmonthly.com.au

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Motors& DRIVES Conveyor investment decision made easy With potential annual energy savings in the thousands of dollars, the decision to use SEWEurodrive equipment as part of a major factory refurbishment project was easily justified.

ruce Granger, General Manager with Industrial Conveying (Aust) (ICA), a project orientated conveyor company, says that with the increasing cost of electricity, energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important for his clients and end users. “For it was not just energy savings we were able to offer the client, there were substantial savings in installation and wiring costs as well. “While the project is in an existing building, it had been completely stripped and refurbished inside with new equipment from us and equipment from other plants.” Mr Granger said there are two phases to ICA’s part of the project. “One phase is taking cartons from the plant’s manufacturing cells through an overhead conveyor system, then carrying the cartons down to a sophisticated palletising system, with around 250m of conveyors in total.” He said the system has several automated mergers where cartons from four different manufacturing cells travel on the overhead conveyor systems. “Then they all merge onto one main trunk line which takes the cartons to the palletising system.” Mr Granger explained that the manufacturer has 30 plus SKUs with two main variations of cartons; one measuring 400mm x 250mm x 200mm with the larger carton measuring 650mm x 300mm x 280mm and weighing up to 20kg. “While the flow rate through the system is modest at the moment, the system has the ability to be increased when needed as production rates increase. “We have designed the overhead conveyor system to accumulate via particular types of belts that we use, with the ability to turn the drives off and on as needed. “From the overhead conveyor systems, the cartons feed down to the palletising unit itself where the

32 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

ICA was able to offer their client energy savings, installation savings and wiring costs on the conveying system. sorting system sorts the cartons into various lanes. “Like most of our projects, we are using SEW-Eurodrive electrical equipment with various types of the Movigear Mechatronic drive system, which is ideal for materials handling systems.” Mr Granger explained that the Mechatronic drive system comprises an efficient electric synchronous motor and gear unit with matching electronics in a single compact housing. “Overall, we are using 56 SEWEurodrive motors on this project; the Movigear SNI, linked to Movifit field controllers, and Movigear DRCs. “The Movifit system has allowed us to control up to ten of the Movigear drives from just one controller, which has significantly reduced our field wiring component and simplified the controls. “It has also considerably cut our installation times by allowing us to do the pre-wiring of many of the components, such as the photo-electric cells where they are connected straight back to the Movigear units, in our factory set-up.

Mr Granger said the main reason ICA uses SEW-Eurodrive equipment is the quality of all the equipment. “This project, with its 56 motor system, is just one example of what we can achieve using SEW-Eurodrive equipment. “Across the drives, we estimate the current draw will be as low as 20 Amps, whereas if we had designed the project the conventional way the current draw would be much higher, could be up to 60 Amps, and cost the manufacturer considerably more to operate. “Over the life of this equipment, there will be substantial savings in energy consumption; savings in the region of thousands of dollars every year. Mr Granger explained that the motors are also compact and lightweight meaning the overall weight is reduced. “This was another advantage for us, with the drives offering reduced suspended weight,” he said. “As one of Australia’s leading project orientated conveyor companies, operating since the mid-70s across a wide range of

industries, this project is a prime example of one of our customised projects designed and built to the client’s specific requirements. “We specialise in materials handling, transporting raw materials, processed materials and finished products for a diverse range of manufacturing industries with a lot of our work in the food and transport industries,” Mr Granger said.

The technology John Gattellari, SEW-Eurodrive’s National Industry Specialist – food and beverage, said the Moviegear drive system is a remarkable intelligent device and one every manufacturer should be taking advantage of. “A systematic development approach was taken right from the start of the design process of the drive system with a very high level of system efficiency, which in turn helps lower energy costs. “While the technology has been around for a couple of years now, today with electricity costs continually rising, companies really appreciate the benefits of investing in this technology,” Mr Gattellari said. manmonthly.com.au

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“The motors comply with IE4 (Super Premium Efficiency) energy efficiency classification, and higher, offering impressive energy savings. “Depending on the application, the Movigear drive system offers customers potential energy savings of up to 50%, every year,” he said. “The Movigear SNI (Single Line Network Installation) also allows simplified installation, which leads to significantly reduced installation and system costs. “In contrast to current decentralised automation technology, which relies on two separate cables for energy and communication, the single line technology deployed with Moviegear communicates over one of the phases of power, reducing the complications and cost of on-site installations. “This simplified system structure can often reduce the time taken for start-ups from weeks to a matter of days. “With this project, the manufacturer the M A 1 0 1 has 3 _ linked 0 0 0 _ PI E Movigear drives to Movifit SNI

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ICA did a lot of pre-installation work in their Bendigo factory, which gave them an advantage of reduced on-site work. controllers which have been “Also, customers are able to designed for decentralised optimise a Movigear unit for installation in the field. different speeds, meaning a “The Movifit SNI can control up reduction in the number of variants to 10 Movigear drive units, passing required, with the corresponding required also 1the 2control 0 1 3 information - 0 9 - 1 2 via T 1Ethernet 4 : 5 3 : 3 number 5 + 1 0 of : spares 0 0 signals. heavily reduced.”

Mr Gattellari explained that when it comes to old and new technologies, the difference is huge. “In fact the ROI on this project is expected to be even less than 18 months,” he said. Mr Gattellari went on to say that as well as providing the conveyor systems for the new section of the plant, ICA is also upgrading other parts of the plant and installing SEW’s Movigear DRC motors. “These motors can simply be plugged into our standard gearbox. In this section of the plant, the manufacturer didn’t want to change anything mechanically, they just wanted to lower their energy costs and improve efficiencies. “So they took off the old gearboxes and put new ones in with the same mountings. There are two variants of Movigear DRC motors, one with brakes, one without. Both were used on this project. SEW Eurodrive 1300 331 968 www.sew-eurodrive.com.au

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Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 33

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Motors & DRIVES

Choosing the best harmonic mitigation solution for drive installations The benefits of variable speed drive technologies include variable speed control, energy efficiency, in built motor protection and reduced mechanical stress. However, as Schneider Electric reports, these benefits are not without some trade-offs.

n ideal mains voltage should be a sinusoidal voltage with constant amplitude and frequency. Variable speed drives for AC or DC motors are non-linear loads with the potential to distort the supply waveforms. These loads create harmonic currents through the distribution system and, coupled with network impedance, result in voltage distortion. The major consequence of harmonic current is the increase in r.m.s. current through the different circuits and the deterioration of the supply voltage quality. To save cost with regards to power distribution and maintenance, it is necessary to compensate for harmonics. Furthermore if multiple variable speed drives are installed on the same network, harmonics can either cancel out or more likely be compounded which can result in a disaster situation if not mitigated correctly. Proper harmonic mitigation reduces overloading of the electrical system thereby increasing useable capacity. It also reduces system losses, power demands and the risk of outages whilst helping to maximise the lifespan of equipment.

What are the available harmonic solutions? There are many harmonic mitigation solutions available on the market, but which one is the best for your application? The most common forms of harmonic mitigation solutions in variable speed drive applications are:

AC-Line reactor or DC-Link chokes The rectifier in the drive produces high current peaks. A choke can be used at different positions within a drive to reduce the current peaks in a circuit. The choke expands the current flow and reduces the 34 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Monthly

amplitude hence reducing harmonics overall. Chokes are commonly used up to about 500 kW unit power or 1,000 kW total drives power. When a large number of drives are present within an installation, the use of AC-Line or DC-link chokes for each individual drive is recommended. If AC-line or DC link chokes are not sufficient for a large drive, a multipulse arrangement is the next step to consider.

composed of a number of filters to eliminate several harmonic orders. A passive filter compared to an active filter has a lower price and only covers one operating point, hence are inefficient at partial loads. Furthermore, due to the internal combination of chokes and capacitors, passive filters pose a risk of causing resonance within the grid as well as low power factor.

Active filter

An active filter is typically inserted Multi-pulse upstream of the arrangement inverter in the Multi-pulse supply power network. is generally used The active for drives above 400 filter can be seen kW, but can also as a generator be used for smaller of harmonics. power ratings. A It produces and multi-pulse supply inserts the opposite requires a dedicated phase harmonics transformer directly to the measured supplied from the distortions in the MV network used power network upstream to the which reduces the drive. The standard overall harmonics to AccuSine Power Correction System. is to use a 3-winding almost zero. transformer Active filters providing a 12-pulse supply for the cover a large extent of customer drive. A 12-pulse transformer with a needs. They are available in star and delta connected secondary different supply voltages (threewinding generates a 30Â° phase shift. phase with and without neutral) and By connecting 6-pulse converter can be used for filtering networks bridges on each output, it will (several drives up to 30,000A with give an overall 12-pulse operation. parallel operation). This limits the harmonic emission Low harmonic drive/active considerably and usually no further mitigation is necessary. front end In a low harmonic drive the Passive filter input rectifier is replaced by a A passive filter consists of reactors bidirectional active IGBT inverter. and capacitors set up in a resonant This enables the drive to consume circuit configuration, tuned to the energy normally and avoids frequency of the harmonic order distortion of the mains current to be eliminated. A system may be waveform, thereby the impact on

the mains due to harmonics and idle power is avoided. The new generation Active Front End (AFE) solution is a low harmonic drive with full regeneration capability. Energy regeneration with AFE in high inertia applications reduces overall energy consumption and cost of operation.

How to choose the best solution for your application? It is hard to compare the different solutions objectively. However these factors should be considered: Total Harmonic Mitigation required (THD), Energy Efficiency, Simplicity, Compactness. Total Harmonic mitigation is often the deciding criteria for an application. If harmonic mitigation was the only criteria then the low harmonic/ active front end drive solution provides superior and predictable harmonic mitigation. It is also simple to implement with no detailed system evaluation, however it may impact the energy efficiency of your system. A multi-pulse solution is the most energy efficient, but complex to design and install except for green field installations. The active filter is a good solution to mitigate the harmonics of several drives in parallel operating on one point of coupling. While line chokes offer good value for money, they have the lowest predictable harmonic mitigation capability of all the solutions. Supply network analysis in relation to harmonics is complicated. It is often a combination of two or more harmonic mitigation solutions that result in complete harmonic compliance. Schneider Electric 1300 369 233 www.schneider-electric.com.au manmonthly.com.au

MA1113_000_SEW

2013-10-09T14:15:16+11:00

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WeldingTECHNOLOGIES Manufacturers ignoring welders’ health Despite the inherent dangers of breathing toxic welding fumes, companies continue to put their workers at risk. Alan Johnson reports.

ost welders understand the many health risks of working in the fabrication industry, which include electric shocks, fire, explosions and radiation exposure, but it appears that one of the biggest threats to a welder’s health - toxic welding fumes - is being ignored by many welders and their employers. Research shows a lack of familiarity with the gases used or fumes produced during the welding processes can be a serious health risk. Workers can become ill if dangerous fumes are not removed from the workplace. OHS groups say it is essential welders are familiar with the materials being used (such as gases, base metals, coatings and cleaners) and their possible health impact. Research reveals fumes produced during welding processes can lead to workers experiencing eye, skin and respiratory system irritation, nausea, headaches and dizziness. In some cases, the fumes can cause serious lung diseases and increase the risk of asthma and cancer and possibly lead to asphyxiation. However, despite all these warnings, Oscar Barahona, Sales Manager – Metal Fabrication Products with Nederman, says many manufacturers are unaware of the need for adequate fume extraction to create a safe working place. “Some companies just rely on an open roller door, a fan on the roof or a fan in the wall as the only form of ventilation in their factories for these toxic welding fumes. “While these fans are able to effect a number of air changes per hour or minute, the problem is the welders, and the others with them, are still exposed to the fumes, due to the fact the fumes pass the welders and others breathing zones.” “Welding should always take place in a well ventilated area to allow the toxic fumes and gases to escape. Central ventilation systems or large 36 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

It has been shown that a single welder produces 20 to 40g of welding fumes per hour which corresponds to about 35 to 70kg per year. extraction hoods over workbenches are often completely inadequate: the welder or operator cannot avoid inhaling the fumes as these always contaminate the general airflow. “Nor are systems like these costeffective: they require a great deal of power to run as they extract enormous quantities of heated air from the premises. “Extraction-at-source is most effective – as soon as the fumes are generated. Our extraction arms, for example, can be positioned as close as 300-400mm away from the weld without impacting the shielding gas or the welding process. “Wherever it is a viable solution, it has been proven that extractionat-source is the most effective and efficient method of capturing and removing welding and similar fumes. “Using this method, the risk of the welder or operator being subject to hazardous fumes is minimised,” Barahona said. He pointed out that Australian Standard AS 1668 calls for

extraction-at-source, and that Worksafe also encourages companies to provide these types of systems for the welders. “As well, most welding training centres are very aware of the need for these systems, however once the welders leave the centres and go out into industry they find a completely different situation. “Many manufacturers still see safety of its workers as a cost. I estimate of the 70 to 80 factories I visit every year, only around 10 per cent use extraction-at-source equipment. “I was shocked at one company I visited recently, where the workers said they needed to take a couple of days off after finishing a job because of the fumes generated when welding aluminium. “If these manufacturers take more care of their workers, their companies’ number one asset, workers will appreciate it and perform better and be more productive when using the correct equipment,” Barahona said.

Fumes from different welding methods

It has been shown that different welding methods give rise to different amounts of fumes containing different concentrations of hazardous substances. Among the high-risk elements are hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), manganese, nickel and lead. The particles at source are often extremely small; 0.01-0.1µm which means they are very easy to inhale deep into the lungs. Furthermore, not only welders are at risk in unsafe environments. Production equipment, as well as end products, are negatively affected by the lack of adequate safety measures. During welding, the intense heat of the electric arc vaporises a fraction of the metal in the electrode and weld pool. Any metal vapour that escapes the arc area condenses as it cools and oxidises into weld fume. The vapour that develops condenses as it cools and oxidises into weld fume manmonthly.com.au

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containing a complex mixture of metal oxides. Particulate fume is formed mainly by vaporisation of metal and flux. As it cools, the vapour condenses and reacts with the atmospheric oxygen to form fine particles. The size of the particles (0.01 1µm) tends to influence the toxicity of the fumes, with smaller particles presenting a greater danger. Additionally, many processes produce various gases (most commonly carbon dioxide and ozone, but others as well) that can prove dangerous if ventilation is inadequate. Many readers may not realise that around 90% of the fume originates from the consumable, while the base metal only contribues very little. The fume contains all the elements present in the consumable, but often in very different proportions. Volatile components have a higher concentration in the fume than in the consumable and the opposite is true M Afor 1 components 1 1 3 _ 0 3 with 7 _ Ba Ihigh N melting point.

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The amount of welding fume are also risks due to the presence varies between different welding of manganese, nickel and other processes: Fumes from manual metal elements. arc (MMA) welding and fluxcored Welding Chromium VI – arc welding (FCAW) contain a high proportion of components coming Cr(VI) from the electrode coating or the Stainless steel is a ferrous alloy with flux core. a minimum of 10.5 % chromium Comparatively little comes from content. the filler metal. The chromium in the steel Fumes from metal inert gas (MIG) combines with oxygen in the and metal active gas (MAG) welding atmosphere to form a thin, invisible contain high concentrations of the layer of chrome-containing oxide, metals being deposited. which enhances the corrosion It has also been shown that resistance. particles in welding fume are small Hexavalent chromium or Cr(VI) enough to be suspended in the air compounds are those that contain for a long time. the element chromium in the +6 They can be inhaled and penetrate oxidation state. Chromium in the into the innermost area of the lungs. base material and the welding Over time, the particles can even electrode (consumable) does not reach the bloodstream. normally appear in the form of Fumes from MMA and FCAW hexavalent chromium. welding usually contain significant However, during the welding quantities of hexavalent chromium process the alkali based flux Cr(VI). compound reacts with the chromium This is important to observe generating CR(VI), which emits into 1because 2 0 1hexavalent 3 - 1 0 - chromium 2 3 T 1 1 :Cr(VI) 0 3 : 0 the 0 +welding 1 1 : 0 fumes. 0 has a very low exposure limit. There Cr(VI) is a known carcinogen and

investigations have clearly shown that exposure to Cr(VI) can have a very dangerous effect on health.

Welding manganese Manganese is essential to iron and steel production by virtue of its sulfur-fixing, deoxidizing, and alloying properties. Manganese is also a key component of lowcost stainless steel formulations. Long-term or chronic exposure to manganese fumes or dust at high concentrations can damage the nervous system and respiratory tract, as well as having other adverse effects. Wide spectrums of neuropsychiatric illnesses have been described with manganese toxicity. Among the neurological effects is an irreversible Parkinsonian-like syndrome. The neurological disorder resulting from this type of manganese toxicity is known as Parkinson’s Manganism. Nederman 03 8720 3700 www.nederman.com

EWR. Weld more efficiently Maximise your cost savings! Optimal use of all resources is essential for an economic and efficient welding process, be it manual or robotic. However, options for shielding gas consumption are often given too little consideration. The EWR (Electronic Welding Regulator) system can save up to 60% of shielding gas and at the same time provide superior gas coverage during the welding process.

Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 37

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Welding TECHNOLOGIES Magnetic metalworking angles and lifting devices LINCOLN Electric now offers a line of magnetic angle fixturing devices and hand lifters in its Radius tool welding gear product group. The magnetic fixturing tools can be used to position steel for tack welding or other pre- or post-weld operations. They also are suited for cutting and grinding applications. The magnetic fixtures are available in three different models intended for various material thickness or applications. All are easy to operate—a half turn of

the knob can toggle the magnet on and off for part removal and cleaning. The fixtures are compact and lightweight, making them perfect for tight spaces. In addition to magnetic fixtures, the company now offers a manual hand lifter designed for small steel part lifting and sheet dragging. The manual hand lifter does not require batteries or electricity. Lincoln Electric 1300 728 720 www.lincolnelectric.com.au

Integrated head, eye, face, hearing and respiratory protection for welders.

Integrated protection for welders THE new 3M Speedglas Welding & Safety Helmet 9100 MP offers welders integrated head, eye, face, hearing and respiratory protection. This comfortable Australian and NZ standards compliant industrial safety helmet has a flip-up mechanism which reveals a high impact protective visor that is suitable for grinding and low light conditions. The company’s Adflo Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) or the

Versaflo Supplied Air Regulator V-500E can be integrated with the helmet to provide respiratory protection that is compliant with Australian and NZ standards. For hearing protection, the optional Peltor earmuffs attach to the helmet to give the welder integrated hearing protection all day long. 3M 136 136 www.3m.com/au/ppesafety

Turnkey welding cell

The devices are designed to minimise hand contact with hot or sharp-edged steel.

New welding safety guidelines

The welding cell is designed for fast integration. THE flexibleCUBE is a German made turnkey welding cell manufactured by KUKA System Group. It is available locally from Headland Machinery. The welding cell is recommended for experienced users, and for manufacturers who want assistance with welding fixtures, weld trials or other production issues. It can be either seen as a first step into automation or act as an extension to existing 38 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

automation systems. It is designed for fast integration, intuitive operator control and simple maintenance; and has been positioned as an all-in-one product solution. The welding cell provides simple operation. Upgrades and expansion options are available. Headland Machinery 1300 592 061 www.headland.com.au

WITH a raft of new work health and safety laws recently introduced for welding processes, BOC is urging all welding operators to seek expert advice to ensure compliance. Richard Fowles, BOC’s Senior Product Manager for Welding Products in Australia and NZ, said it was crucial the welding industry kept abreast of the important Safe Work Australia reforms aimed at reducing the incidence of work related death, injury and illness. He said an important element of the new control measures when working with compressed and liquefied gases was to ensure flashback arresters were fitted at the blow pipe and at the regulator on oxygen and fuel lines of oxy-fuel gas systems. “Many operators may not be aware that it is now mandatory under the new standard to have flashback arresters fitted on the torch component of welding apparatus. “The public should also be aware that flashback arresters need to be tested every 12 months and replaced every five years,’’ he said. (These requirements refer to AS4839 - Clause 8.2 and Table 1) BOC 131 262 www.boc.com.au

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Welding/cutting equipment BOC has developed a range of industrial welding/cutting equipment for welding, brazing, heating and cutting applications. Whether opting for LPG or oxy-acetylene fuel gases, the company says the Promaster oxy-acetylene kit has made strong inroads in the industrial sector, while the soon to be released Masterstart LPG kit is expected to make the same impact. BOC’s technical manager for industrial gases, Paul Wotherspoon, said the Promaster’s oxy-acetylene flame offered superior localised heating. “In cutting, oxy-acetylene gives the fastest preheating and piercing times of any fuel gas combination. In oxy-acetylene cutting processes, improved cut quality, higher cutting speed, faster cut initiation time and reduced oxygen use are also achieved,’’ he said. Producing a maximum flame temperature of approximately 3150°C, it is the only fuel gas that can be used to weld steel. Other applications including flame hardening, flame cleaning and thermal spraying of various metals and ceramics. Wotherspoon says many users favour acetylene over LPG because it produces the hottest flame, is more efficient, uses less oxygen, offers better control, is safer, and has wider applications. Meanwhile, the Masterstart LPG kit is designed for getting started on general oxy-LPG cutting and brazing with the flexibility to add accessories specific to individual requirements. BOC 131 262 www.bocworldofwelding.com.au

Low-alloy cellulosic electrode LINCOLN Electric has released a new, low-alloy stick electrode the Pipeliner Arc 80 designed for root pass welding up to X80-grade pipe, and fill and cap pass welding for X70grade pipe. The electrode is classified as E8010-G and E8010-P1 per AWS, and has the same AWS classification as ShieldArc®70+ and Pipeliner8P+, without the intentional addition of boron. This allows for a variety of choices based upon the application and operator needs. Key features, says the company, include high productivity in vertical down and out-of-position pipe welding, deep penetration, Q2 Lot control showing actual deposited chemistry, a clean, visible weld puddle and superior puddle control. Lincoln Electric 1300 728 720 www.lincolnelectric.com.au manmonthly.com.au

The electrode is designed for root pass welding up to X80-grade pipe, and fill and cap pass welding for X70grade pipe.

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Displacement sensors

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Strain Gauges

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Load Cells

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Torque sensors

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Level sensors

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Pressure sensors

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Inclinometers

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Tilt sensors & switches

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Accelerometers

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Signal conditioners

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Digital panel meters

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Package leak tester

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UTMs

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Wireless sensors

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Colour sensors

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Inertial gyros

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Enquiry@bestech.com.au www.bestech.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 39

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Materials HANDLING Economics continue to improve for mini palletisers Australis Engineering’s range of Mini Linear Palletisers aim to deliver automated palletising on a budget. As Matt McDonald reports, the capabilities of the units are developing and expanding.

he MLP Mini Palletisers from Sydney’s Australia Engineering are low-cost units which require only a small footprint in which to operate and have been designed with a ‘plug and play’ philosophy in mind. They can take up approximately the amount of space used in the average hand palletising operation; and can be shipped, installed, and up-and-running in as little as three days. The Mini palletisers can be used for products weighing up to 20 kg and, depending on box size and

weight, can palletise up to 28 boxes per minute. Because they are pre-programmed, they are suitable for potential customers who currently do a lot of hand palletising. Such outfits tend to handle several different products. And they find that, with the MLPs, it is easy to quickly change from one product to another. The touch screen units mean that operation is simple. The selling point of the MLP Series has always been fast Return on Investment (ROI). According to the company, they can help reduce labour costs and increase production in a very short space of time. And, in an effort, to further improve the economics of the machines, the company is currently upgrading their capabilities. Manufacturers Monthly recently caught up with Anthony Gustafson, Engineering Manager at Australia to hear about the developments. He first outlined the distinction between the two models – “The MLP 12 is the cantileavered version with integrated wrapping and multistations. “The MLP 10 is a gantry style sytem, again multi pallets but without the wrapping.”

Multi-pallet capabilities Peter Gustafson, Managing Director Australis Engineering. 40 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

The first area of development Gustafson mentioned was multi-

The MLP-12 Mini Palletiser. pallet capabilities. He pointed to operations which “have a packing line that is doing multiple products simultaneously coming down a single conveyor.” In such cases, the system can “pick off that [conveyor] and can palletise multiple pallets all at once”. “With the MLP range, by just extending the track it runs on, we can do more or less as many as we like.” He said. (Though he points out it is obviously governed by speed and production rates). In contrast, he says, “even a big robot is generally limited to at most four pallets, unless you put it on a track.” He tells us that, with the MLP palletisers, there is a system on the floor at the moment which is doing four pallets simultaneously; and

another that’s currently doing two simultaneously. “That’s an option where you can expand that track and even tack on units – the actual palletising mast – onto multiple tracks,” he adds. “I quoted a system for New Zealand where we’re actually doing 48 pallets simultaneously...That had six or eight masts but on one common track, operating in unison.” The significance of this development is, of course, its costsaving potential. By increasing the capabilities of the palletisers Australia will be able to offer clients faster production rates and lower labour costs.

Use of MLP Mini Palletisers in freezers The other area of development manmonthly.com.au

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Gustafson mentioned is the use of MLP Mini Palletisers in freezers. “At the moment we’re in the process of quoting and negotiating a system that’s going to go into a freezer at –25 degrees C.” “The customer has been looking for a freezer palletiser for some time and has looked at various options but...has been put off in most cases simply because it is in a freezer.” Australis has experience working with freezers. In the past, the company has done a number of jobs in the harsh setting. While these jobs involved conveyors and other equipment, Gustafson points out that the company has done a fair amount of research into the area and has the expertise to complete the job.

Return on investment Gustafson stresses ROI as key. With the MLP, Australis has tried to keep M A the 0 8 cost 1 3 of _ 0ownership 0 0 _ T SasU low as possible. “That’s not just the

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upfront costs but also the cost of programming, doing maintenance and so forth. The customer can basically do all that in house,” he says. “Once the unit is installed – while we’re of course happy to support it and to be there for the customer – eventually they can do it all themselves. “So they’re not reliant on picking up the phone and asking us to program a new pallet pattern for them or anything like that.” As such, he is pleased to relate stories of clients who have recorded a 50 or 60 percent labour reduction per product produced on the line, and have been able to increase total output. That type of news means the company is achieving exactly what it set out to do. Australis Engineering 9441 0 : 3 3 : 2 9 + 1 0 : 0 0 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 71300 - 1956 1 T www.australiseng.com.au

The MLP-12 offers the ability to palletise to multiple pallets.

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Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 41

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Materials HANDLING

Veyance’s $32 million factory upgrade Veyance has made a massive investment to boost the output and efficiency of its Bayswater factory. Brent Balinski reports. Built for a generation “You make an investment in a piece of equipment like this you’re investing for no less than 30 years,” said John Hamilton, the CEO since 2010 of Veyance Technologies, the US parent company of Veyance Belting. Veyance Belting has just finished upgrading its Bayswater, Victoria facility after 18 months and a cost of about $32 million. Hamilton shrugged off any suggestion that such an investment might not have been a great idea in light of the apparent waning in enthusiasm for commodities, with coal and iron ore miners making up about 80 to 85 per cent of Veyance’s customer base. “Iron ore mining will ebb and flow as commodity prices ebb and flow but it’s always ebbing and flowing on a very strong upwards trajectory,” Hamilton, who travelled out from Oklahoma, told Manufacturers’ Monthly at the facility’s opening. “All of the independent studies that look at the demand for iron ore, all of the studies that look at the grade of iron ore and the quality of iron ore relative to other parts of the world, the demand in China and the demand for Chinese manufacturing for export all say iron

A state-of-the-art press for the Veyance’s steel cords. ore is on a strong upward trajectory. “I’d also feel good about coal. I know coal has its detractors at the moment and it also has its energy competitors, like shale

gas, especially where I am. But it’s a very cost-effective source of electricity... So coal is always going to be an essential part of any country’s energy mix, and again the independent studies say it’s going up.” The upgrade to the Bayswater site – which was first considered in 2002 but rejected by the American parent company, before eventually being successfully pitched in 2011 – has been driven by long-term goals. “So if [mining] goes up and down in any given year: don’t care,” said Hamilton. “Because we’re investing for a 30-year timeframe.”

The right chemistry matters

John Hamilton, Victorian premier Denis Napthine, and David Stone open the upgraded facility. 42 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Veyance, which leads its market in Australia and several other countries, puts its position down to providing a better value to its customers than anybody else can. It makes a point of mixing its rubber compounds and polymers – which are purchased in US dollars, which adds to its competitiveness while the

dollar remains historically strong – in-house. “That’s one of the things that really distinguishes us,” Veyance Belting’s general manager, David Stone, told Manufacturers’ Monthly. “You can have the best press in the world, but it’s all about how you process those polymers. The press delivers you a means to produce the technology.” Though the factory’s capabilities have been greatly strengthened in the upgrade, this would not matter without the company’s materials science expertise. “The technology that goes into it is those different mixes of compounds,” said Stone. The company employs something like 120 chemists around the world, tweaking and creating the compounds that will determine how well a belt’s surface will do things such as minimise the energy spent moving ore (or other things), rule out static, resist heat damage, and withstand damage caused by having manmonthly.com.au

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Materials HANDLING huge amounts of iron ore constantly smashed up against it. “If you’re looking at it from a customer’s point of view, a mine or even a port, the biggest energy consumer in the operation are conveyor systems,” noted Stone. “So we’ve been listening to them and delivering rubber compounds with low-rolling resistance, which means that there’s less energy to try and push over the idlers. So it’s very much critical to be in control of that process, designing it, mixing it having control of the whole end-toend process.” Stone points out that conveyor belt technology (and its associated services, which Veyance also offer) is not a simple commodity; if this were the case it could be created by anybody. Veyance also develops compounds tailored to clients’ needs, such as those used in the incredibly lengthy belts for the Curragh Overland Project. “If you look at the technology required to make these you see today the technology required, the polymers, the rubber design which we do, the actual manufacturing process – it’s not just a straightforward product,” he added. “So I suppose the way our customers view it, while some of it’s a base price, it’s really the total package and what value we deliver to them.”

Helping Victoria move Though most business comes from iron ore and coal miners, there are

the sector than it did two-and-a-half years ago. Manufacturing also contributes significantly to industry gross valueadd, with the premier putting this at $27 billion for 2011-12 alone. “So there is a role and a great future for manufacturing, but it’s manufacturing of the type we’re talking about today: highly skilled, highly technical, world’s best practise manufacturing, advanced manufacturing that is servicing local needs and creating opportunities.”

Ramping things up

Numerous industries are represented on Veyance’s client list. numerous other industries among Veyance’s client list. “These conveyor belts are absolutely vital to the development and the economy right across Victoria and Australia,” offered Victorian premier Denis Napthine, who, like Stone and Hamilton, helped cut the ribbon at the factory. “I see these conveyor belts that are made here used in my home patch at Portland Aluminium, where they’re conveying a 4 km conveyor, conveying the alumina, shifting up to the Portland aluminium smelter. “I see them each and every day at the port of Portland, conveying both hardwood and softwood woodchips from our stockpiles on the ships going to Thailand, Japan and Korea.

I see them being used exporting our grain products. Of course a big part of the industry are the massive conveyor belts that are used in the mining industry in our north, with black coal, with iron ore and of course, in our own Latrobe Valley, with brown coal.” Napthine was happy to list Veyance, which employs 173 people at its Bayswater site and has been operating in Australia since 1965, as one of his state’s manufacturing success stories, helping fuel power needs and move the state’s exports. “This highlights, once again, that there is an important role for our manufacturing industry in this state,” he added, pointing out that Victoria currently employs more in

The upgrade project – which aims to double Veyance’s overall capacity by about 50 per cent, according to Stone, with earlier reports suggesting it will double the production of belts for its Flexsteel product – is being driven by local demand. The boost in capacity is put down to three main investments: an investment in increased cranage capacity, a state-of-the-art press for the company’s steel cords, and a new hot former extruder. The crane capacity investment allows long-length racetrack reels (typically weighing well over 30 tonnes) of coiled belt to be placed on delivery trucks. The press, by German company Siempelkamp, allows for the individual monitoring of each individually-tensioned steel cord that goes into the company’s belts, with huge productivity benefits along the way. “What that enables us to do is

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MA1113_045.pdf

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now manufacture belts now up to ST10,000,” said Stone. “Before our limitation was probably up to about ST6,500. Our equipment was only up to two metres wide, this equipment’s now up to 2.6 metres wide. “And then typically, if you look at the average press around the world, the average length’s about 10 to 11 metres. This is 18.6 metres in length. So you think about then, instead of curing 10 or 11 metres you’re curing 18.6 with the same amount of people, same amount of overhead.” The demand for steel corded conveyor belts is massive, and Hamilton explained that – not including the company’s Chinese joint venture – the Bayswater factory creates more steel cord than any other in the company’s global network, with the new press to increase things even further. At the far end of the factory is the hot former extruder, which starts the transition of the carefully formulated compounds into conveyor belts. “For our conveyor belt it’s not just the reinforcing material, like the steel cord, that makes a difference,” explained Hamilton. “It’s the rubber that’s above it and below it, they play very unique roles. The one that’s above it is designed to protect those steel cords from abrasion or impact or things like that. The one below it is what runs on the pulleys and goes around, designed to minimise the energy consumption required to tug that conveyor around the loop.” Again, both Hamilton and Stone stressed that the upgrades were

23/10/13,

4:31:54

The conveyoy belts must withstand damage caused by having iron ore constantly smashed against them. still considered a sound long-term investment, as has with the recent efforts by the company to move into services in Australia. For Veyance, the question is “what downturn?” “For iron ore, if you speak to people like BHP and Fortescue, iron ore will typically chew through

conveyor belts every two to three years, so you think about the installed capacity over the last six years, seven years of projects,” said Stone. “Really the installed capacity of conveyor belts out in the field has increased ten-fold in the last ten years. “I spoke to BHP yesterday and

they’re saying, ‘What’s the problem? We’re still shipping as much as we can get out of the ground.’ It doesn’t really matter about the price, that’s irrelevant, as they point out, ‘We’re still using conveyor belts and nothing’s going to change.’” Veyance Technologies 03 9721 0600

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Manufacturers’ Monthly NOVEMBER 2013 45

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Compressors& PNEUMATICS

Atlas Copco is donating one or two trees (depending on VSD compressor sold) per kW sold to a reforestation program in Africa.

Radical VSD air compressor requires 50% less energy This compressor significantly lowers energy costs and, given that it is vertical, takes up far less floor space.

tlas Copco has released a new oil-injected rotary screw VSD (variable speed drive) compressor with a number of key operational features including less energy consumption, low noise levels and a very compact footprint. According to the company, the GA VSD+ compressor offers a major leap forward in FAD (free air delivery) with improvements of up to 12%, and a breakthrough in energy-efficiency: requiring on average 50% less energy than a comparable idling compressor. With the GA VSD+ compressor, Atlas Copco started with a clean piece of paper back in 2007, and evaluated every part of an air compressor including the motor, cooling, drive train, electronic components, and air intake system. Suitable for a wide range of 46 NOVEMBER 2013 Manufacturers’ Monthly

industries, this radical new rotary screw compressor is driven by a high efficiency IPM (interior permanent magnet) motor, which exceeds IE 3 rating at 94.5%; corresponding to IE 4 (Super Premium Efficiency motor class). The company says the motor is highly efficient over a wide range of power loads, and produces high torque at low speeds for reliable start-up under pressure, making it ideal for the GA VSD+ compressor which only runs when needed. The compact motor, which was designed by Atlas Copco, features optimal oil cooling and an oil-lubricated motor bearing all in a sealed unit, meaning no greasing of bearings or air flow required for cooling of the motor. And unlike traditional

compressors, the motor and drive train share one drive shaft and are vertically aligned to allow a smaller footprint of 55% compared to the previous range. There are also no gears, belts or shaft seal to maintain. The whole drive train is completely closed, offering IP 66 protection, with one oil-circuit that cools the motor and lubricates the element and bearings. Other energy efficient components of the GA VSD+ compressor include a more efficient fan, robust air intake system and an innovative air inlet valve, which is maintenance free. The mechanical polymer inlet valve uses air to open and close (no spring) and with no ‘blow-off’ in operation, meaning no air is wasted. With very quiet operation, down to 62 db(A), the machine can be placed

on the workshop floor, with no need for a separate room, and can be placed against a wall or in a corner due to it’s innovative vertical design and having the ducting on top. The compressor is now available in a wide range of sizes from 7 up to 37kW, and at no extra cost to the equivelant GA VSD compressor, which will continue in production alongside the new GA VSD+ model. Atlas Copco predicts VSD compressors will make up 80% of its compressor sales by 2018, and as part of the world-wide promotion, the company is donating one or two trees (depending on VSD compressor sold) per kW sold to a reforestation program in Africa. Atlas Copco 1300 812 155 www.atlascopco.com.au manmonthly.com.au

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All savings and offers apply to list price sales of selected items. Bonuses only available with purchase of advertised lines from BOC Gas & Gear Stores. Advertised prices are inclusive of indicated discounts. Every product in this catalogue can be ordered through your local BOC Gas & Gear Store even though they may not have it immediately available from stock. Not all products advertised may be available in all stores or online at boc.com.au. Additional freight charges may apply in some areas. Promotion prices and offers valid from 01/10/13 until 30/11/13 or while stocks last. No rainchecks. Note: While all due care has been taken in the preparation of this document, BOC shall not be liable for any inaccuracies or omissions which may occur herein, BOC reserves the right to change product specifications without notice. © Copyright 2013 BOC Limited. The stripe symbol and the letters BOC are trademarks of BOC Limited, a Member of The Linde Group. Gas & Gear is a trading name of BOC Limited. MP12-0873-8|ML|MM|1113

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