Manufacturers Monthly April 2022

manmonthly.com.au

MANAGEMENT >> TECHNOLOGY >> SOLUTIONS

APRIL 2022

manmonthly.com.au

MANAGEMENT >> TECHNOLOGY >> SOLUTIONS

APRIL 2022

SUSTAINABILITY IN SPACE: MANUFACTURING HYPERSONIC VEHICLES Official Industry Partners

INSIDE >>

Print Post Approved PP100007882

23

The future of glass melting

44

Laminex Australia brings local manufacturing back

48

Indo Pacific returns in 2022

>>

manmonthly.com.au twitter.com/Manmonthly facebook.com/Manmonthly

Inside­­ APRIL 2022

For daily news visit manmonthly.com.au

linkedin.com/showcase/manufacturer’s-monthly/

CEO: John Murphy Publisher: Christine Clancy Group Managing Editor (Northern): Syed Shah syed.shah@primecreative.com.au Assistant Editor: Billy Friend billy.friend@primecreative.com.au Journalist: Alexandra Cooper alexandra.cooper@primecreative.com.au Production Coordinator: Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Art Director: Blake Storey Design: Kerry Pert, Aisling McComiskey Sales/Advertising: Danny Hernandez Ph: 0431 330 232 danny.hernandez@primecreative.com.au Subscriptions Published 11 times a year

26

33

Subscriptions $140.00 per annum (inc GST) Overseas prices apply

Manufacturers’ Monthly Contents 6 Editor’s Note

26 Software Management

44 Manufacturing Excellence

8 Weld Australia Comment

29 Sustainability

46 Supply & Demand

10 CSIRO Comment

33 Hoists & Chains

50 Industrial Filtration

12 News@MM

34 Software Management

52 Lubrication

16 Manufacturer Focus

37 Industrial Equipment

55 Customer Advocacy

20 Industry Focus

40 Events

57 What’s New

23 Energy Management

42 Energy Chains

Ph: (03) 9690 8766 Copyright Manufacturers’ Monthly is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in Manufacturers’ Monthly is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

The opinions expressed in Manufacturers’ Monthly are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. © Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2021 Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform

Behind the cover

with the magazine format.

Head Office 11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205

manmonthly.com.au

MANAGEMENT >> TECHNOLOGY >> SOLUTIONS

APRIL 2022

enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.primecreative.com.au Sydney Office Suite 3.06, 1-9 Chandos Street Saint Leonards NSW 2065, Australia P: +61 2 9439 7227

Printed by: Manark Printing 28 Dingley Ave Dandenong VIC 3175

Sustainability has become the industry buzzword of the moment. For some companies such as Tyre Stewardship Australia, it is embedded in its DNA to support and guide others in creating sustainable solutions using recycled materials. And for organisations like the CSIRO, there has been a renewed focus on researching batteries that are both efficient and green for a multitude of purposes.

This includes applications for

the space sector. With the global market for hypersonic technology currently set at $5.41 billion in value, in addition to international plans to launch approximately 50,000 small satellites into space by 2030, the need to manufacture clean spacebound technologies is growing more apparent by the day. In our Manufacturer Focus, an Australian clean scramjet technology company is aiming to remedy this issue.

SUSTAINABILITY IN SPACE: MANUFACTURING HYPERSONIC VEHICLES Official Industry Partners

INSIDE >> 23

Print Post Approved PP100007882

P: +61 3 9690 8766

The future of glass melting

44

Laminex Australia brings local manufacturing back

48

>>

Indo Pacific returns in 2022

Ph: (03) 9794 8337

4 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Track & Trace Solutions from ifm

Minimise downtime, increase availability ■ Efficient

■ Clear

■ Reliable

ifm tracking solutions address every aspect of OEE (overall equipment effectiveness). With all resources in one place, it’s never been easier to choose your next continuous process improvement project to boost efficiency.

Identify a tracking solution to benefit your facility and get started.

Reduce sourcing time with localised, real-time inventory.

1300 365 088 sales.au@ifm.com | www.ifm.com/au

■ Flexible

Comment

SYED SHAH – Managing Editor, Manufacturers’ Monthly

Investing in local manufacturing beyond COVID-19

A

T the end of 2020, the federal government announced its $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy. A vital part of Australia’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, the strategy was introduced to help Australian manufacturers scaleup, improve competitiveness and build more resilient supply chains.

Australia has long depended on international trade and imports, but adversity from the pandemic has pivoted into money-making and job opportunities. Manufacturing is critical to safeguard Australia’s economic future and the success of other industries that tie into it.

By no means are we at the end of the line with COVID disruptions, but things are looking to be on the up. We have perhaps said this before, but little victories like the removal of mask mandates at workplaces and relaxation of work from home rules form as a little light peeking out of the end of the tunnel.

6 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Then, just when the world looks like it is about to emerge from COVID hell, harrowing images have gone across the world of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, putting into perspective how lucky some of us are. The world seems to be fighting crisis after crisis in recent years, some impacting Australian manufacturing more than others, but the investment in Australian-made products remains front of mind for industry leaders and government. Sentiment is growing that an investment needs to be made separate to our response to COVID-19, rather for the country’s future landscape.

Aluminium prices are heading towards record highs, following financial sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine. In this edition, Capral Australia talks about how local manufacturers are benefiting from the reduced presence of imported aluminium products, spurring on increased demand for locally

fabricated aluminium products.

The global aluminium supply disruption will surely only increase demand for local manufacturing, with prices of the metal hitting a record of $3,525 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange in the past month.

Rusal is the world’s biggest aluminium producer outside China, accounting for around 6 per cent of global supplies, estimated to be 70 million tonnes this year.

Russia supplies the world with around 10 per cent of global nickel, which is used to make batteries for electric vehicles, but shipping lines halting traffic to and from Russia could disrupt supply to global customers. According to the Cooperative Research Centre, the national batteries industry could generate more than $7bn annually by 2030. In a pre-budget submission to the federal government, the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC) said that a

potential 34,700 jobs could be created within the next 10 years.

CSIRO writes about a development opportunity for the whole battery value chain from mining of battery minerals to processing, battery active materials and eventually cell manufacture. One hundred per cent of Australia’s lithium-ion batteries currently imported from overseas, but with the global market projected to be worth $242bn by 2026, industry experts are working to change this.

Also in this edition, we look at innovation on the global scale.

International expert Chikashi Kimura from Air Liquide explains how industrial gases can reduce the carbon footprint of industrial processes, but there is no one future-proof solution.

His team is conducting extensive research around the world into different glass melting technologies, including the potential upside of hydrogen as an efficient route to decarbonisation. manmonthly.com.au

Man

Safety Storage Efficiency Enhance the Safety, Storage and Efficiency of your Storage Combilift is the perfect fit for the manufacturing industry. Our multidirectional forklifts and pedestrian reach trucks will allow you to maximise the storage, efficiency and safety of your warehouse & storage facility.

Contact Us Today To find out how Combilift can help you unlock every inch of your storage space

combilift.com Manufacturer Monthly Chris full 235x210 option 2.indd 1

28/02/2022 16:10:18

Comment

GEOFF CRITTENDEN – CEO, Weld Australia

There is an opportunity for local governments to enable the local manufacturing scene to compete on a world stage.

Manufacturing needs a coordinated national policy approach

R

ECENTLY, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet awarded a $70 million contract for the manufacture of electric buses to a western Sydney manufacturer. Custom Denning will manufacture 79 electric buses, as part of the NSW Government’s commitment for the state’s fleet of more than 8,000 buses to go green by 2030.

Weld Australia has long urged all state governments to support local manufacturers, welders, and fabricators in their procurement processes. Local procurement has the power to create thousands of jobs, a solid local supply chain, and an industry equipped to export worldclass products all over the world.

Cornering the global market There is a real opportunity for our governments to invest in creating a robust, resilient manufacturing industry that can compete on the world stage.

Over the years, AustralRecently, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet awarded a $70 million contract for the manufacture of electric buses to a western Sydney manufacturer. Custom Denning will manufacture 79 electric buses, as part of the NSW Government’s commitment for the state’s fleet of more than 8,000 8 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

buses to go green by 2030.

Weld Australia has long urged all state governments to support local manufacturers, welders, and fabricators in their procurement processes. Local procurement has the power to create thousands of jobs, a solid local supply chain, and an industry equipped to export worldclass products all over the world.

Cornering the global market There is a real opportunity for our governments to invest in creating a robust, resilient manufacturing industry that can compete on the world stage.

Over the years, Australians have been responsible for engineering and manufacturing some of the most ingenious inventions that have not only competed on the world stage but cornered the global market. For instance, in 1953, Melbourne-based Aeronautical Research Laboratory scientist David Warren invented the “black box”, forever changing the aviation industry.

In the 1920s, an Australian team, including Dr Mark Lidwill and physicist Edgar Booth, developed the pacemaker. Over three million people across the globe rely on pacemakers.

In 1992, researchers at the CSIRO (who were originally looking for faint

echoes of black holes) developed Wi-Fi technology. Today, Wi-Fi is used by billions of people.

As history clearly demonstrates, there is enormous potential in the Australian manufacturing industry.

But this potential must be fostered

by Federal and State Government procurement policies that support local manufacturers. This government support will go a long in ensuring that, while the engineering and ingenuity remain onshore, the manufacturing is not sent offshore. This government support will create thousands of jobs, supporting local economies in a post COVID-19 world – the NSW Government contract with Custom Denning is expected to result in the employment of 40 new apprentices, plus many more skilled tradesmen.

A coordinated national policy approach In addition to local procurement, one of the most effective ways in which our governments can support the manufacturing industry is a coordinated national policy approach.

Let’s use electric vehicles as an example. Global automotive manufacturing is rapidly transitioning to electric vehicle production in response to technological advancements and consumers’ growing

demand for vehicles that respond to climate change.

According to The Australia Institute’s recent report, Rebuilding Vehicle Manufacturing in Australia, this transition presents an enormous opportunity for Australia to rebuild its vehicle manufacturing industry.

It leverages Australia’s competitive strengths in renewable energy, extractive industries, manufacturing capabilities, and skilled workers.

Australia possesses many of the crucial elements for an electric vehicle manufacturing industry: rich mineral reserves, an advanced industrial base, a highly skilled workforce, and consumer interest. But, according to The Australia Institute, what we lack is an overarching, coordinating and strategic national industry policy.

Global experience shows that this is central to an electric vehicle industrial transformation. Australia can play an important role in global electric vehicle manufacturing industries but developing a strategy to realise this will require active government policy responses to both the challenges and opportunities at hand.

Australia already has a strong, proud history of automotive manufacturing – it was one of the key drivers of Australia’s economy for most of the 20th century. The 2013 manmonthly.com.au

report by the Allen Consulting Group, The Strategic Role of the Australian Automotive Manufacturing Industry, demonstrated that the automotive industry, supported with $500 million in government funding each year, increased the size of the Australian economy by $21.5 billion annually.

Unfortunately, the automotive industry folded in 2017 when the last Holden rolled off the production line at General Motors in South Australia.

And, without a coordinated national policy approach for the transition of the automotive industry – and the skills and technology that it boasted – Australia now enters the electric vehicle race significantly behind its global competitors.

As The Australia Institute’s recent report contends, political decisions to accept, and even endorse, the end of automotive manufacturing in Australia were short-sighted. They were the polar opposite of strategic, long-term industry policy planning adopted by some of the world’s leading economies, including the US, Germany, Japan, and China. In fact, in May 2021, the US President Biden agreed with local automakers to a US$174 billion plan to build electric vehicles in the US. The Federal Government’s policies on electric vehicles, and climate change more broadly, have been described by The Australia Institute as the weakest of any advanced industrial country. The Federal Government’s signing of the Breakthrough Agenda on electric vehicles at COP26 Glasgow climate summit was largely symbolic. The electric vehicles strategy announced by the Federal Government at COP26 allocated just $250 million to deploy charging stations. There was no mention of tax incentives for electric vehicle uptake. No new emissions standards for combustion engine cars, and certainly no investment in either research or the advancement of the automotive manufacturing industry.

And, let’s not forget that the 2021-2022 Federal Budget contained no support for the development of the electric vehicle industry. Instead, the Federal Government announced a plan for a gas-fired recovery, committing a whopping $6 billion to the development of gas in Australia, in manmonthly.com.au

an economic strategy that is entirely contrary to the interests of the country.

The Federal Government’s reasoning is that electric vehicles are not simply not suited to the Australian market. The only problem: these claims have been entirely discredited, again and again. Production of an electric model of Australia’s most popular ute – the Ford F-150 – has doubled from a target of 40,000 units in 2022 to 80,000, given extraordinary demand for the electric version. And, Australia’s mining and agricultural industries are amongst the first industrial adopters.

With no clear Federal Government policy, the state government approach is fragmented, inconsistent and uncoordinated. Some states are nurturing electric vehicle manufacturing, while others have no strategy in place. This situation creates conflict and confusion between the states, which has flow-on effects for consumer sentiment and business confidence.

With a long-term, coordinated national electric vehicle policy approach that flows down to the state governments, Australian manufacturers will have the confidence to reinvest in their own capabilities, strengthening the industry from within. This type of business innovation strengthens businesses. It creates new and better jobs, which support a move to higher living standards. This strengthens the national economy.

The need for a national policy approach is not limited to electric vehicle manufacturing. It can be applied to all manner of manufacturing, from rail and defence, through to medical technology and major infrastructure.

Australian manufacturing needs strong leadership, the support of all levels of government, and investment in technology, education, and resources.

It needs a commitment from government to foster the ingenuity of our inventors and engineers, as well as our manufacturers. Only then can Australian manufacturing return to its former prosperity and make a vital contribution to Australia’s economy, workforce, and future.

ERP Software System Tailored to Metal Fabricator Suppliers.

Manage inventory, order processing & reporting seamlessly through our fully integrated software system created specifically for metal fabricator suppliers.

Find out how JobBOSS2 can benefit your business. Go to www.ecisolutions.com/en-au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 9

Comment CSIRO

Building Australia’s lithium battery value chain

F

ROM powering our mobile devices, electric vehicles and homes to providing grid-scale energy storage, lithium-ion batteries have revolutionised the way we live in the world. As lithium-ion battery costs fall – down 97 per cent since 1991 – and the world pursues a lower emissions energy future, batteries are an enabling technology that will support an even greater penetration of these technologies. The demand for lithium-ion batteries is growing, and the global market is projected to be worth $242 billion by 2026.

With 100 per cent of Australia’s lithium-ion batteries currently imported from overseas, an opportunity exists for Australia to build the whole battery value chain from mining of battery minerals to processing, battery active materials and eventually cell manufacture.

This opportunity could contribute $7.4 billion annually to Australia’s economy, according to the 2021 Future Charge: Building Australia’s Battery Industries report out of

the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC), and support 34,700 jobs by 2030.

In 2020, researchers at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, worked with the FBICRC to develop the State of Play: Australia’s Battery Industries report. The report highlighted Australia’s potential to capitalise on the value add from moving further along the battery value chain. FBICRC’s CEO at the time, Stedman Ellis, said the landmark study provided an important foundation for wider policy framework and identified priority areas which could turbo charge job creation - resources technology and critical minerals processing, recycling and low emissions energy, and defence.

CSIRO is actively developing enabling technologies for a minerals to manufacturing approach for Australia, leading to jobs and growth for Australian high-tech manufacturing. The organisation

has world leading expertise in the discovery, mining, beneficiation, production of battery materials, manufacturing, deployment, use and recycling of lithium batteries.

Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, Dr Adam Best, said the organisation is working with industry partners to grow the lithium battery industry and create wealth through new knowledge for Australia.

“By value adding Australia’s mineral resources, we can grow the material value of our exports and create high value, high technology jobs, which will lead to economic growth for Australian manufacturers,” Dr Best said.

An example is Australia’s burgeoning graphite industry.

Today’s lithium-ion batteries utilise artificial graphite as the anode (negative electrode), which is produced from petroleum coke, and has a tremendous energy and CO2 footprint during manufacture. The mining of natural graphite followed by beneficiation produces a flake

One hundred per cent of Australia’s lithium-ion batteries are imported from overseas.

10 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

graphite, but is not suitable for direct use in batteries. By spheroidising the graphite flakes, we are able to produce a “potato-shaped” particle that has high tap density and volumetric energy suitable for use in battery anodes. A final purification step is also needed, and we are developing cleaner and greener methods to achieve this.

These are key steps that we are building capability to support an Australian battery anode industry.

CSIRO is working with a number of local companies, and the FBICRC, to achieve this.

Australia also has significant reserves of Nickel, Manganese, Copper, Aluminium and Cobalt, all elements that are critical to the manufacture of lithium batteries.

In 2018, Australia became the largest supplier of lithium to the world. Together with the Australian minerals resources sector, CSIRO has the skills and capacity to deliver innovation and technical solutions to companies interested to enter this space. The downstream processing of these materials to cathode materials, such as the eponymous Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), is critical to creating further value from our mineral wealth. CSIRO is working with Queensland nanotechnology company, VSPC Ltd., on the development and characterisation of an Australian developed version of this material.

CSIRO also worked with BHP to build a pilot plant at their Waterford site in Perth to test BHP’s process for producing quality battery grade nickel sulphate for their customers in the battery market. BHP has since produced its first batch of nickel sulphate crystals from its nickel sulphate plant in Kwinana, WA. To further bring innovation to the Australian lithium industry, CSIRO is working with NSW battery manufacturer, Energy Renaissance. Operating in Tomago, Energy Renaissance is set to be Australia’s first lithium battery technology gigafactory with its manmonthly.com.au

CSIRO’S research works towards a minerals to manufacturing approach for Australia. new manufacturing facility due for completion in May 2022. Called ‘Renaissance One’, the battery gigafactory is a 4,500m square metre facility with a capacity capable of producing up to 1GWh of batteries per year.

The Renaissance superStorageTM batteries that are designed and made in Tomago, have been developed in collaboration with CSIRO for use in stationary and transport applications.

Renaissance Two, a 5GWh advanced manufacturing prismatic cell facility is currently being planned to supply Renaissance One and this will allow Energy Renaissance to close the loop on their end-to-end model to transform Australian minerals to locally manufactured lithium battery cells.

In the near future, this will improve the sovereignty of Australia’s battery supply and reduce the cost of lithium battery technologies for customers.

As the energy industry becomes increasingly digitised, the ability to secure energy generation and storage assets is a significant challenge the industry is working collaboratively to overcome.

A Battery Management System (BMS) controls the charging protocols of a battery and manages its manmonthly.com.au

operation in real-time, determining the state-of-charge at any given time and providing information on the state-of-health of a battery until the end of its life. As more batteries are deployed on the grid, in businesses and homes, a BMS addresses both cybersecurity and operational risks.

The collaboration between the Innovative Manufacturing CRC, CSIRO and Energy Renaissance to develop a BMS that can work across Energy Renaissance’s suite of superStorageTM products is an example of how the BMS technology provides robust and secure communication with batteries for real-time monitoring and optimising performance for Australian conditions.

Brian Craighead, Founder and Development Director, Energy Renaissance, said the company’s commitment to manufacture and deliver the world’s safest, hotclimate batteries is supported by best-of-breed research partnerships to deliver sovereign, heat-optimised batteries to the Australian and SE Asian markets.

“The collaboration Energy Renaissance has with CSIRO and IMCRC shows how we can create an innovative Battery Management

System that gives Australian batteries a global competitive edge in a global industry which has up till now been focused on price rather than innovation,” Mr Craighead said.

Working with other industry partners, CSIRO has developed battery packs and electric drive solutions for hybrid vehicles, including with Holden in Australia, General Motors in the US and BusTech electric buses in Australia.

Collaborating with the Australian Government’s Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre and the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), they’ve even made tram power lines disappear, thanks to the development of powerful new lithium-ion batteries and associated technologies to enable catenary-free trams.

And now the team is working on batteries for Space. Space exploration and utilisation is a growth area for the Australian space industry. Exploring the next frontier requires power and energy in the form of long-life, high-energy and light-weight devices to ensure the appropriate longevity in space applications.

CSIRO battery specialist, Dr Marzi Barghamadi, said there is a continual need for higher energy batteries with lower mass and volume.

“Batteries provide energy for satellites when solar panels are not receiving sunlight,” Dr Barghamadi explained.

“Lithium-ion batteries, compared to other types of batteries originally used in space application such as nickel-hydrogen, offer higher specific energy and energy efficiency,” she said.

“Because space conditions are very different from our day-to-day life environment, space batteries must undergo extensive testing to ensure they fit the target mission, such as working in extreme low temperature or operating under vacuum and solar radiation.”

Closer to home, commercial enterprises and energy intensive businesses in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors see battery storage as a strategic investment to help reduce their overall energy bills,

back up security when the grid fails and to optimise their investment in rooftop solar. Many state government agencies already offer grants or loans to businesses to help them tap into energy storage to reduce their energy costs, be more cost competitive or to manufacture products with a lower carbon footprint that is highly sought after for export.

As technology advances, our energy storage requirements will also need to evolve. At the grid level, new management systems are required to incorporate more renewable energy into an electricity network designed for predominantly fossil fuel technologies. Disruptive change is crucial if we are to move towards meeting our future energy needs reliably, sustainably and at lowest cost.

To that end, CSIRO has recently launched its Revolutionary Energy Storage Systems Future Science Platform to work on the science challenges that will take us well beyond the limitations of today’s energy storage options and systems.

Dr Best said the FSP has been set up to solve those critical science and technology challenges that will bring about the energy storage revolution that we need to have.

“Unlocking the secret to efficient, clean and safe energy storage could see us charge electric vehicles as easily as we now fill our petrol tanks or keep our portable devices charged for many days without the need for a top up,” Dr Best said.

“On a larger scale, it could even be mimicking pumped hydro through new technology and making it more responsive to the needs of the grid.”

This June, over one thousand of the world’s lithium battery experts will meet in Sydney to attend the 21st International Meeting on Lithium Batteries (www.imlb2022. org). It’s the first time this premier research meeting on lithium-ion and next-generation batteries will take place in Australia. The event will provide Australia with a platform to show off our battery community’s homegrown capabilities in the lithium battery field and demonstrate our importance in the global lithium value chain.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 11

News @MM Cheaper, greener, and faster newly-created lithium-sulphur batteries Researchers at Monash University have created a new lithium-sulphur battery interlayer that improves the performance and lifetime of batteries while promoting fast lithium transfer.

With the increasing swap of fossil fuel power for emissions-free electrification, lithium batteries are becoming a vital storage tool in facilitating energy transition.

They are the main choice of power for household devices like mobile phones, laptops, and electric vehicles to industries such as aviation and marine technology.

The lithium battery interlayer sits in the middle of the battery and keeps the electrodes apart, helping lithium get from one side of the battery to the other faster, Australian Research Council Future fellow professor Matthew Hill said.

“The new interlayer overcomes the slower charge and discharge rates of previous generation lithiumsulphur batteries,” Hill said.

Lithium-sulphur batteries offer higher energy density and reduced

Lithium batteries are becoming a vital storage tool in facilitating energy transition.

costs, compared to the previous generation of lithium-ion batteries.

They can store two to five times as much energy by weight than

generation batteries, delivering high capacity and longer life.

The interlayer stops polysulfides, a chemical that forms inside this type

of battery, from moving across the battery.

Polysulfides interfere with the anode and shorten the battery life, which caused previous batteries to deteriorate rapidly and break down, PhD candidate Ehsan Ghasemiestabanati said.

“It means the battery can be charged and discharged as many as 2,000 times without failing,” Ghasemiestabanati said.

Lithium-sulphur batteries do not rely on metals like cobalt, nickel, and manganese – critical minerals which are found in lithium-ion batteries and are dwindling in supply globally.

Sulphur has abundant supply in Australia and is considered a waste or by-product.

“These batteries are not dependent on minerals that are going to lack supply as the electrification revolution proceeds,” Hill said.

“This is another step towards cheaper, cleaner and higherperforming batteries that could be made within Australia.”

Victoria’s new restrictions follow changes in vaccine manufacturing Victoria has eased restrictions for masks and working from home settings as the public health ministration highlighted the goals towards a fully vaccinated state.

The minister for Health also declared temporary exceptions and deadline extensions for workers required to receive three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Workers in education facilities who were fully vaccinated on or before 25 October will be extended by a month, while fully vaccinated workers who aren’t yet eligible will have a deadline of three months and two weeks from their second dose.

Victorian’s vaccination rates have provided safe steps for more people 12 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

to return to the office, minister for Health Martin Foley said. “We’re balancing the need to support our health system with the benefits of easing restrictions in a careful and sensible way.”

The report, A Fair Share for Australian Manufacturing, highlighted how the pandemic exposed the strategic importance of Australia’s domestic manufacturing while documenting its decline in recent years, according to Pharmaceutical Technology.

An efficient manufacturing sector could have reaped benefits such as $180 billion in new sales, $50 billion in additional GDP, and over 400,000 new jobs, economist and director of the

Centre for Future Work, Jim Stanford said.

Head of investment strategy and chief economist at AMP Capital, Shane Oliver, said the prevailing direction of economic trends in the manufacturing and service sectors were consistent with the Omicron impact, while the GDP continued to recover in the first quarter of the year.

“With the fading of the Omicron wave business conditions, PMIs rebounded in Aug in Feb with the composite PMI plus nine points to a strong 55.9 driven mainly by services,” Oliver said.

Others believe that the pandemic created incentives for private and public sector organisations to

work together on expediting the commercialisation of new vaccines.

Domestic manufacturing of USdeveloped mRNA vaccines recently followed Moderna’s presence in Australia late last year.

Commissioned through Victorian and Commonwealth government agreement that followed nearly a year of deliberations will create a medical manufacturing “honeypot” to the local sector, according to Australia’s chief scientist Dr Cathy Foley. “mRNA is not just for COVID vaccines, that has got potential for a range of different vaccines and therapeutics for different medical conditions,” Dr Foley said, according to InnovationAus. manmonthly.com.au

News @MM Australian innovators called upon to develop world-first climate-neutral vehicle Swedish performance electric vehicle brand, Polestar and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), is calling on Australian and global suppliers, researchers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to put forward the best clean tech ideas to assist with the development of a truly climateneutral vehicle – a feat yet to be achieved by any automotive marque.

The vehicle, aimed to be launched in 2030 and code-named the Polestar 0 Project, will be developed with the single goal of eliminating emissions from the entire supply chain including all logistics and support functions rather than planting trees to offset CO2 emissions.

“At Polestar, we are not just about changing the cars we drive, we are about changing the way vehicles are made. Vehicles are not produced sustainably today but by addressing the challenge of climate change through the supply chain we can be part of the solution,” said managing director of Polestar Australia, Samantha Johnson.

“We know that Australia is home to some of the best innovative minds and businesses, manufacturing highquality products that are competitive on the world stage. We are seeking their input into the global Polestar 0 Project as we accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility.”

The initiative will consider all manner of proposals from Australian entities whether currently available or in the early stages of development to secure a future CO2 -free solution.

To assist with spreading the message, Polestar Australia will engage with AMGC, Australia’s pre-eminent industry body for local manufacturers.

Dr Jens Goennemann, AMGC’s Managing Director, commends Polestar’s ambitions and their outreach work in Australia saying, “Polestar’s call to industry to tackle emissions across the entire manufacturing value chain is to be commended.” manmonthly.com.au

Polestar Australia will engage with AMGC, Australia’s pre-eminent industry body for local manufacturers.

“Australian manufacturers have a long history of developing, commercialising, and exporting high-quality and complex items.

This initiative gives Australian manufacturers a unique opportunity to get in at the ground floor into a global market and to be part of a bold collaborative program,” said Goennemann.

To mark the launch of the global initiative, Polestar has signed Letters of Intent to collaborate with SSAB, Hydro, ZF, ZKW and Autoliv. It intends to work with these partners to significantly revise how cars are made, and what they are made of, to decarbonise manufacturing, and society more widely. The program will aim to eliminate all CO2 emissions from every material, function, and supply chain process.

“It was clear from the start that this is not a solo-mission, and we are very excited to present such a

strong line-up of interested partners, all leaders within their fields.

We are leveraging innovation and collaboration to address the climate crisis,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. Polestar decided to commit to this target for one simple reason: the transport sector is the fastest-growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sector, expected to reach a share of more than 30 percent of total GHG emissions in the future.

Hans Pehrson, leader of the Polestar 0 Project and former Head of R&D at Polestar, said: “We believe in the exponential development of climate solution technologies. For this project, we must tap into solutions that are still in the innovation stage. Even more exciting is that the solutions we develop will not only benefit the automotive industry overall but help decarbonise manufacturing

and society more widely as well.

Wherever we look in the world we see materials like steel, aluminium, electronics, and rubber. Imagine when we can make these materials climate-neutral to produce. Together, we can make the seemingly impossible possible.”

Polestar already boasts a link to Australia in the form of automotive lighting manufacturer STEDI. Founded in Melbourne in 2013, STEDI manufacture high-quality LED driving lights, which featured prominently on the recent Polestar 2 ‘Arctic Circle’ special version.

“When we founded STEDI, LED lighting was in its infancy. While others were seeking ways to cut costs, we invested in our engineering, design, and manufacturing capabilities, and almost 10 years on we proudly list the likes of Polestar as clients,” said STEDI Founder, Eddie Yilmaz.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 13

News @MM New technique could end the refrigeration of vaccines Researchers at CSIRO have developed a technique that could end the need to refrigerate vaccines, with the hope of increasing access in rural and remote communities in Australia and developing countries.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that at least 50 per cent of vaccines are wasted globally each year due to a lack of facilities and temperature control.

Recently published in Acta Biomaterialia, CSIRO researchers encapsulated live virus vaccines with a dissolvable crystalline material called MOFs (metal organic frameworks), which protected the integrity of the vaccines for up to 12 weeks and at temperatures as high as 37 degrees Celsius. Without refrigeration, the vaccines would only last a few days.

CSIRO scientist and immunologist, Dr Daniel Layton, said the breakthrough science would now focus on proving the approach for other animal and human vaccines, including mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

“Vaccination is undoubtedly one of the most effective medical interventions, saving millions of lives each year, however delivering vaccines, particularly to developing countries, is challenging because they often lack the cold storage supply chains required to keep the vaccine viable,” Layton said.

“Live virus vaccines are extremely effective, but their complex composition makes them susceptible to high temperatures, and a universal stabilisation technique has not been found. This breakthrough has the potential to enable more affordable and equitable access to vaccines across the world.”

The research focused on two different types of live viruses as proofs of concept, a Newcastle Disease vaccine designed to protect poultry and a strain of Influenza A. When MOFs were formed 14 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

CSIRO’s senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Ruhani Singh, has developed a technology to preserve the structure and function of live viral vaccines after heat challenges up to 37°C for three months.

around the vaccines they helped protect the vaccine molecules from heat stress. A solution was then used that dissolved the MOF for administration of the vaccine.

CSIRO senior scientist Dr Cara Doherty said MOFs were the perfect material for protecting vaccines from temperature variations.

“MOFs are a porous crystalline material that can grow around the vaccine to form a scaffold that protects against temperature variations,” Doherty said.

“MOFs work similarly to a scaffold you might put around your

house, once you remove the scaffold, your house remains – which is what happens when we dissolve the MOFs in a vaccine.”

CSIRO researcher and author of the paper, Dr Ruhani Singh, said the technique was cost-effective and scalable.

“There are two common approaches to protecting vaccines from heat. You can modify the vaccine, which is complex and laborious and at high temperatures may still only last less than a week, or you can use other stabilising agents which pose challenges

including how to realistically scale up the solution,” Singh said.

“This world-first approach of stabilising a vaccine with MOFs is simple, rapid, and scalable because it takes one step.”

The team continue to progress this research and are looking to partner with animal and human health companies to commercialise their work. Their research forms part of CSIRO’s biomedical research, which is aiming to generate new opportunities for Australian businesses and increase national sovereign capability. manmonthly.com.au

News @MM Manufacturing 400 zero emissions vehicles by 2023 Vehicle manufacturers have been engaged and are encouraged to make a submission to the Motor Vehicle State Purchase Contract to procure 400 zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) to the Victorian government fleet by 2023.

“We are transforming our energy system through an historic investment in renewable energy to meet our ambitious target of halving emissions by 2030, and electric vehicles have a critical role to play in meeting that commitment,” minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said.

The 2021-22 Victorian Budget allocated $15 million to add 400 ZEVs to the government fleet over two years, and upgrade and install electric vehicle supply equipment across government-owned and leased buildings.

Stage one of the program will replace 75 cars with ZEVs by 30 June 2022, with the second stage to see 325 replacements by 30 June 2023.

The ZEV program is progressing

The transport sector accounts for 25 per cent of Victoria’s total carbon emissions.

well, with over 100 ZEVs already being ordered in this financial year – the first of which have been delivered and are now in use by Victorian government departments and agencies.

“Electric and zero-emissions vehicles are the future of transport and we’re paving the way with the first ZEVs entering the Victorian government fleet,” assistant treasurer

Danny Pearson said.

“These vehicles are part of our transition away from combustion powered vehicles to zero-emission vehicles and a clean energy future that’s better for health and our environment.”

The transport sector accounts for 25 per cent of Victoria’s total carbon emissions. Electric vehicles will reduce emissions, while also reducing

the amount of air and noise pollution, making local areas more liveable.

The Victorian government’s Zero Emissions Vehicle Roadmap, supported by a $100 million dollar package of policies and programs, aim to make Victoria a leader in the adoption of ZEVs in Australia in the emerging global shift towards this technology.

Regarding public transport, from 2025 all new buses will be zero emissions and the metropolitan train network will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, like the Solar Trams Initiative already in place.

“Victoria is creating jobs and powering ahead in the transition to zero emissions transport, and our train, tram, bus and government car fleets are being transformed,” minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll said.

As part of the program of adding ZEVs across the government fleet, the initial focus is to purchase small to medium Sports Utility ZEVs, which are suitable replacements for existing small passenger vehicles.

Building a next-gen hydrogen service station in Geelong The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has announced $22.8 million in funding to Viva Energy to develop, build and operate the New Energies Service Station located in Geelong, Victoria, to support the uptake of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) in heavy fleets.

The project will be built opposite Viva Energy’s petroleum refinery and incorporate a 2 MW electrolyser along with hydrogen compression, storage and dispensing infrastructure. The service station will also include 150 kW electric vehicle charging facilities.

ARENA’s funding will go towards both the renewable hydrogen and EV infrastructure, as well as to subsidise the purchase and operations of 15 hydrogen FCEVs to help fast-track FCEV uptake. ARENA funding for the manmonthly.com.au

FCEVs will be paid upon the delivery of the vehicles.

Viva Energy’s $43.3 million project will allow for the procurement, delivery, and operation of hydrogen FCEVs to utilise renewable hydrogen from the New Energies Service Station. Over time, Viva Energy hopes to add traditional diesel refuelling onsite to allow drivers to witness FCEV charging.

All vehicles will be purchased and owned by project partners. Toll Group, ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia, Cleanaway, and Barwon Water have committed to purchasing hydrogen FCEVs for their fleets including prime movers, wastewater and municipal waste collection vehicles and buses.

Locating the project adjacent to Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery

provides several benefits to the project, such as a high level of visibility due to its proximity to major arterial roads and being within an existing industrial area, and access to high voltage infrastructure and access to recycled water from the nearby Barwon Water recycling plant for production of hydrogen.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project will help accelerate commercialisation pathways for FCEV fleets in Australia.

“We’re excited to be working with Viva Energy to build Australia’s first publicly available hydrogen refuelling station to independent fleets,” Miller said. “The experiences of Viva Energy and fleet vehicles using the renewable hydrogen produced onsite for refuelling will provide valuable

insights into the operation of different types of hydrogen FCEV heavy vehicles.

“This project will be a key opportunity for early uptake of commercially viable hydrogen and a service station model that could be replicated across Australia as the price of electrolyser technology drops.”

The ARENA funding has allowed Viva Energy to work with longterm customers, demonstrating the important role of hydrogen in the future of Australian transport, Viva Energy CEO Scott Wyatt said.

“This project puts hydrogenpowered vehicles on the road to prove their value in day-to-day commercial operations while reducing the carbon footprint of the heavy vehicle transport we rely on every day.”

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 15

Manufacturer Focus Sustainable, affordable access to space Alexandra Cooper sits down with David Waterhouse, co-founder and managing director of Hypersonix Launch Systems, to uncover how it is using scramjet technology and clean energy to form the basis for the manufacture of hypersonic vehicles.

I

NTERNATIONALLY, there are plans for around 50,000 small satellites to launch by 2030, according to McKinsey. With vessels such as the Space X Falcon 9 polluting the atmosphere with over 425 metric tonnes of CO2 per launch – the equivalent of 395 transatlantic flights – this does not bode well for the environment. However, the current global market for hypersonic technology is valued at $5.41 billion; and for one Australian manufacturer, these statistics pointed to a solution that they could provide.

In 2018, after many years of research in their separate fields of engineering, David Waterhouse and Michael Smart combined their respective knowledge of satellites

and aerospace to form Hypersonix Launch Systems – an Australian “new space” engineering, design and build company that specialises in scramjet technology: the fastest and most efficient way of flying through the atmosphere.

With Waterhouse’s expertise in electrical engineering and Smart’s capabilities in mechanical engineering, they built a team of aerospace and composite specialists focused on building hypersonic aircrafts that are both sustainable and more affordable.

According to NASA, sound waves travel at around 340 metres per second on the ground. Any faster than this is supersonic, and five or more times faster is hypersonic. A

scramjet engine is defined by the supersonic airflow within the engine, which is greater than the speed of sound.

As a start-up company, Hypersonix has been able to benefit from multiple technological evolutions.

One of them is low-cost access to great computing power.

“In bottling hypersonics, while it’s still aerodynamic, because you’re travelling at those speeds it’s much more complex than just modelling how a plane flies,” Hypersonix co-founder and managing director David Waterhouse said. “That computing power is really necessary not just for how it flies, but also the thermal properties and how the heat dissipates through the structure,

which is a major factor of what we do.”

The second element is that high temperature materials have been made readily available, commercially, and at a reasonable cost. Another contributor is the hydrogen economy as it becomes dominant in the automotive sector in certain global markets, such as Europe and Japan.

This means that Hypersonix has been able to attain lower cost access to hydrogen as a fuel and components such as fuel tanks, valves and filling procedures are already in place.

According to Waterhouse, these evolutions in technology has enabled Hypersonix to address certain market issues, such as the explosion in the market for low Earth orbit satellites.

The Delta Velos project.

16 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturer Focus “We launched more satellites last year than in the entire history of humankind – and it’s just going to get bigger and bigger,” he said.

“That’s created this huge market and we particularly fit that market well because we’re high cadence, which means we can launch frequently.

We’re green and reusable, which is going to be a big driver going forward because I can reuse my vehicle hundreds of times, not just one or two times, and because we’re using green hydrogen, we don’t produce any pollution, methane gas or CO2.

“The other thing is because we’ve got a vehicle with wings, we can launch in any direction and then change our orientation to fit into any orbit. If you’re trying to do that with a rocket – if you can do it at all – it burns a lot of fuel. What that means in practice is you must have multiple launch sites to service a particular network. Our technology fits that really well.”

In providing the tools and the means for extending the technology, Waterhouse says that Hypersonix’s design is aiding the holistic development of hypersonic technology. It also encourages people in the industry to be more conscious around the environmental impacts of launching vehicles that produce high emissions. This is an especially valuable commodity because the global airline industry contributes over one billion metric tonnes of C02 into the atmosphere per year, according to Worldindata.

“People are now more conscious. I think the airline industry has put out about 2.5 per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions,” Waterhouse said. “Not only is there a pollution element to this, but there’s the speed of travel.

If I can jump on a plane and fly from Sydney to New York in two and a half hours, it certainly beats the 26 hours it currently takes me; this includes freighting as well. So, speed adds to the whole global economic efficiency side of things as well.”

Sustainable processes and products With an underlying focus on sustainability throughout their operations and processes, hydrogen manmonthly.com.au

David Waterhouse, co-founder and managing director of Hypersonix Launch Systems.

What we’re trying to do is make that whole thing as reusable as we can. We have a first stage we’re calling Boomerang and that basically has a deployable wing system. We’re able to do that with wings rather than the rockets that SpaceX does because we’re only travelling to 20 kilometres in altitude. fuel is at the heart of all of Hypersonix’s technologies. According to Waterhouse, the fuel has a high ISP, burns cleanly and its only by-product is water. By pulling the hydrogen from the water using solar power, no CO2, methane, or noxious gases are produced.

“The problem is, historically rocket companies have been looking at other ways of doing things. For a lot of them, the solid rockets are frankly just burning plastic. That wasn’t an issue if you were doing a dozen launches a year, but now they’re looking at putting around

50,000 satellites into orbit over the next few years. Even SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has the equivalent of about 395 transatlantic flights in terms of emissions.”

Additionally, by creating reusable components Hypersonix can fundamentally change the impact that such vehicles have on their environment.

“When looking at the carbon footprint, you actually have to take into account the manufacturing side of things as well, including the manufacturing of the materials and the transport,” Waterhouse said.

“Most rocket companies just throw their rockets away after a single use – so there’s a huge CO2 footprint, let alone a pollution footprint, because they are either burning it up in the atmosphere causing pollutants or dumping it in the ocean causing pollution, or a combination of both.

“What we’re trying to do is make that whole thing as reusable as we can. We have a first stage we’re calling Boomerang and that basically has a deployable wing system. We’re able to do that with wings rather than the rockets that SpaceX does because we’re only travelling to 20 kilometres in altitude. Also, because we’re only travelling at about Mach 5, if you compare that with a normal rocket, it could be travelling up to 120 kilometres to speeds of between Mach 10 or Mach 15; then it’s a much harder problem to bring it down safely.”

Manufacturing launch systems In manufacturing scramjet technology and hypersonic vehicles, there are three challenges that Hypersonix was faced with on Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 17

Manufacturer Focus starting the company: temperature, cadence, and cost.

“First and foremost, we have to manage the high temperatures we’re dealing with, and these temperatures get up to about 1300oC depending on the part of the plane and what sort of flight profile you’re using,” Waterhouse said. “Another thing is cadence and finally, cost.

What we wanted to be able to do is manufacture something quick, reliable, cheap.”

your special vacuum autoclaves, so you can inject inert gases in there.

The skill set around this is just starting off Australia, it’s not really there at a production level right now.”

While the company was able to commission a European aerospace company to build the first prototype of the scramjet engine from UHTCMCs, they also sought out a different high temperature composite that could be manufactured

To get away with only using Inconel, we slightly changed our flight profile. If you’re flying at a higher altitude, there’s less temperature to worry about because there’s less air resistance.

But also, we were able to have a look at using the hydrogen fuel for regenerative cooling.

The first avenue that Hypersonix trialled was using ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs). These were attractive due to their reusability and low thermal expansion, or their ability to handle the high temperatures. However, there was an issue in producing these within Australia.

“The big problem is that industry is still very nascent and particularly in Australia, while we do some really good stuff with composites, we haven’t really got into the high temperature composites,” Waterhouse said. “You often must bake these things up to five times in

in Australia in the future. In partnering with the University of Southern Queensland, Hypersonix aims to assess the potential of these materials through materials characterisation, polymer analysis, mechanical testing, and large-scale structural testing.

“What we can do in Australia now is the oxide sort of composites, and that’s a different sort of high temperature composite. It doesn’t have quite the same high temperature range that we get out of the UHTCMCs, but it’s a really good stepping stone. By developing the manufacturing confidence around that, we can then progress it to

the next step – and that’s the work we’re doing with the University of Southern Queensland.”

Another avenue that they determined as more presently commercially viable, using Australian manufacturing, lay in 3D printing a scramjet engine using Inconel – a high temperature metal that can handle up to 800oC. Hypersonix sourced a Victorian company called Amiga Engineering for the purpose.

“To get away with only using Inconel, we slightly changed our flight profile,” Waterhouse said. “If you’re flying at a higher altitude, there’s less temperature to worry about because there’s less air resistance. But also, we were able to have a look at using the hydrogen fuel for regenerative cooling. To do that, you must put these cooling channels integral with the scramjet engine, and 3D printing was really ideally suited to that. The tradeoff we made is by using the high temperature alloys, yes, it expands with temperature, but it all expands in the same way and in the same direction.

Inconel is also efficient in that it creates very low wastage and the powders required are able to be produced in Australia, which better supports local supply chains as a value-added export.

“Also, because we can 3D print it, we can do this very, very quickly.

We 3D printed that engine in six

weeks; we’re currently looking at 3D printing the entire vehicle, which will be a three-metre vehicle. That’s the sort of thing that hasn’t been done before and that fits our industrial capability today – and we can do that all made in Australia.”

Current projects One of the recent Hypersonix projects that has brought a great deal of media attention is the Delta Velos project, having received an Accelerating Commercialisation grant valued at almost $1 million from the federal government in August 2020 to manufacture the components. As part of the Delta Velos project, there are three products currently under development including Orbiter, Demonstrator and DART AE. The Delta Velos Orbiter, due to be completed in three years, is a zero emissions hypersonic spaceplane that is capable of deploying small satellites into low Earth orbit. Both sustainable and reusable, the Orbiter flies at hypersonic speeds between Mach 5 and Mach 12 and functions using hydrogen fuel.

The Delta Velos Demonstrator is a 30 per cent smaller version of the Orbiter, which Hypersonix is using as a testbed for high temperature composite flight through the atmosphere at hypersonic speed.

Demonstrator is anticipated to be completed in two years, with the

A Hypersonix Launch Systems scramjet engine.

18 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturer Focus What we’re starting to find with some of the better universities, they are trying to get at least to that TRL 5-9, so the programs we’re doing with universities are around CRC-Ps, and the CRC-P programs is where industry leads the research. prototype build of the engine already underway.

DART AE is a 3D printed hypersonic drone designed to be launched at a very low cost. With plans to launch DART AE in the first half of 2023 in partnership with Kratos Defense & Security Systems, it is being made in Australia, powered by a single SPARTAN scramjet engine which is hydrogen fuelled. The launch will be using a sounding rocket that spins at 5 Hertz and DART AE will be used as a test platform for the other facilities on a plane, such as guided navigation control and audio subsystems. It is a technology demonstrator.

Future plans In partnering with universities, such as the University of Sydney and University of Southern Queensland, Hypersonix has plans to work towards closing the gap between research and development and commercialisation.

“What we’re starting to find with some of the better universities, they are trying to get at least to that TRL 5-9, so the programs we’re doing with universities are around CRC-Ps, and the CRC-P programs is where industry leads the research. So, it’s designed with a specific commercial outcome in mind. As part of our long-term industry capabilities plan, we want to support that in Australia because that helps us in many ways for everything from supply chain to cost to knowledge of management know-how. That’s why we wanted to build that capability up and we’re happy to help the universities steer that later level research towards an industrial outcome.”

As a start-up, the company is manmonthly.com.au

seeking to bring together the right investors who will help deliver their deep technologies through the middle range of TRLs – an issue that many start-ups face within Australia.

“A start-up can have great ideas, a great team and everything else, but you still have to get that product to market – and finding the appropriate funding for that is often quite a challenge,” Waterhouse said. “If we’re going to maintain an industrial sovereign capability, industry needs more support. I think there needs to be incentives for private equity to be part of that financial ecosystem as well. If you look at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Australia has some of the highest academic published papers in the world; but if you look at patents and inventions,

A blueprint of DART AE. we’re not the best. We’ve got to fill that gap somehow and we are a part of that picture.”

Having completed their $1 million Accelerating Commercialisation grant project in March, Hypersonix is also working to further expand the industry’s knowledge around the concept of clean hypersonic technology and

how it can be actioned to facilitate a positive change for Australia and the world.

“We’re participating in several shows and conferences, we’re going out there and evangelising green space and hypersonics in general.

We’re trying to make people aware of the market potential of our technology.”

The emissions produced by other hypersonic vessels, compared with Hypersonix Launch Systems’ Delta Velos vehicles.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 19

Engineering Focus Researchers from UNSW have discovered a process to create a self-healing 3D printed plastic.

Self-healing 3D printed plastic components A team of University of New South Wales researchers, led by Professor Cyrille Boyer from the School of Chemical Engineering, discusses a novel treatment used in 3D printing that allows the material to repair itself with Manufacturers’ Monthly.

A

S additive manufacturing becomes an increasingly widespread process for various applications, what happens if a 3D printed component is damaged?

How much would it cost to fix or replace, and how much downtime would it require? How much waste would it incur?

According to a Macromolecules article, “Living Free-Radical Polymerization by Reversible Addition−Fragmentation Chain Transfer: The RAFT Process,” reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) – a form of living radical polymerisation – was discovered by the CSIRO in 1998. The CSIRO had studied linear growing systems and how to make polymer chains that incorporated a “living” group on the end.

“It’s a very versatile technique that they developed, and I think it’s used in a lot of industrial applications as well, just because you can make very well controlled polymer chains

20 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

and you can have very different chemical compositions and polymer chain topology,” UNSW School of Chemical Engineering researcher, Dr Nathaniel Corrigan said.

Since then, several RAFT agents have been found. One class of them are known as trithiocarbonates.

In a recent study led by a team at the UNSW School of Chemical Engineering, Professor Cyrille Boyer and his associates including Corrigan and PhD student Michael Zhang, found that trithiocarbonate can be used as a special additive in the liquid resin used as a material for additive manufacturing.

By using this particular additive, the nanoscopic network of elements can be rearranged within 3D printed plastic that has become damaged.

This fuses the broken pieces together, in response to light.

“The material can grow again, as it responds to light,” Boyer said.

“We decided to exploit this ability to repair the 3D printed object.”

Grow and repair With trithiocarbonate as a living group, it allowed the polymer chains to grow, according to Corrigan.

“We’ve implemented trithiocarbonate because the chains are living, and when the material is broken you can regrow the

The UNSW team’s research was the first instance where a RAFT agent was used in 3D printed components. The initial aim was to reduce plastic waste for the long term in industrial applications, as broken plastic parts would not need to be discarded or recycled; they

We’ve implemented trithiocarbonate because the chains are living, and when the material is broken you can regrow the chains,” he said. “That regrowth of the chains and the regrowth of the polymer network enables the two 3D-printed fragments to re-heal together. chains,” he said. “That regrowth of the chains and the regrowth of the polymer network enables the two 3D printed fragments to re-heal together.”

could simply be repaired.

“If a component fails, you can repair the material without having to throw it away,” Corrigan said.

“There is an obvious environmental manmonthly.com.au

Engineering Focus benefit because you’re not having to re-synthesise a brand-new material every time it gets broken. We are increasing the lifespan of these materials.”

By using trithiocarbonate as an additive in the liquid resin that makes up the 3D printed plastic material, it plays a role both as a transfer agent as the network reforms and as an inhibitor, activated under radiation to allow the material to be modified.

“In this project, the RAFT agent can not only help to form a homogenous network, but also they can be reactivated under a UV light to start a secondary polymerisation and facilitate the self-healing process,” Zhang said. “Put simply, if we use this additive in a network of 3D objects and we shine a light on it, it can be reactivated into an active species, which then allows it to bring the broken parts together. That creates the self-healing process.”

A better method While other processes of repairing 3D printed plastic components do exist, they rely on a more complicated method that takes longer and requires the component to be treated in a high temperature environment. Not only is the UNSW method simple and quick, it can also be achieved at room temperature by using a standard LED light.

“Other processes to heal the samples mainly rely on thermal chemical reactions and typically, it takes around 24 hours or maybe longer as well as a multi-heating cycle to heal the sample,” Zhang said. “And even then, it’s at a really high temperature – at around 100oC. “When compared with our system, we don’t have to do that.

We just put the samples in place and shine a light on it – and that’s it. On top of that, with a high concentration of the special powder in resin formulation the fractured materials can fully recover its strength within 30 minutes to one hour, so it’s much faster.”

Another benefit of adding the RAFT agent to the liquid resin is that the final 3D printed component would not have to be removed from manmonthly.com.au

the end-use device it is embedded into in order to conduct repairs.

“In our process, because it’s based on light, there’s the potential to be able to use it in situ and for the plastic component to be healed in place,” Corrigan said. “So, even for something as simple as a ring, if you take it out of the device it’s going to be a nightmare to get it back in. Whereas if you’re using light, you can do it in place and you can really spatially direct where you want the healing to occur and potentially also treat it through other objects or components, depending on how thick they are.”

Boyer agreed: “It’s easier if you can just repair the damage, as you don’t have to change the entire component.”

According to Corrigan, while other materials proved to be quite strong, they lacked functionality and once printed, they were not able to be repaired after a certain point.

“We found that first and foremost, the materials had to have that material strength – we needed our materials to be comparable to other 3D printed materials,” he said.

“But the goal was to reduce that plastic waste by introducing another functionality, which was selfhealing. The materials are still rigid, they’re structurally sound, but we also added that other functionality – the self-healing capability.”

The future of 3D printing The new technology has the potential to be utilised in a range of applications, wherever advanced 3D printed materials can be used in hightech specialised components such as wearable electronics and sensors.

“As we know, there are 3D printing techniques that are widely used in many different fields such as aerospace and electrical engineering,” Zhang said. “I think

A dumbbell-shaped sample in the self-healing process.

A 3D printed violin self-healing under light irradiation at room temperature for 60 minutes.

A 200g weightlifting test on a 3D printed hook, before and after the self-healing process. this process could help to give the materials a longer lifespan, while also reducing the cost and resources waste. Anywhere where 3D plastic parts can be found, this technology can be of great use. It could even be used in dentistry, to make dental implants.”

To commercialise the new process, the UNSW research team believes further development is still required to make the 3D printed material more efficient.

“I think this process does require further development,” Zhang said.

“We would like to actually make the materials stronger, but we also definitely want to ensure our

materials have various properties, like the ability to make stretchy materials while still keeping it as strong as possible.”

Once commercialised, a selfhealing plastic material would reduce the amount of plastic waste and minimise costly repairs in terms of the funds and time spent.

“In terms of the commercial licencing, I think this process will definitely help to reduce plastic waste if all 3D printed materials are able to self-repair,” Zhang said.

The UNSW research team’s discovery has been published in the scientific journal, Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 21

RECYCLED TYRES HAVE UNLIMITED REAL-WORLD USES

ROAD & PATHS Spray Seal

REGISTER YOUR RECYCLED TYRE PRODUCTS WITH TSA

Asphalt Mix Permeable Pavements

PLAYING SURFACES Sports Fields Athletics Tracks Sports Courts Horse Racing Tracks Playground Matting Walking Trails

PARKS & GARDENS Irrigation Pipe Mulch/Groundcover Permeable Pavements

CONSTRUCTION Retaining Walls Noise Walls Impact Barriers Hardstand Areas Erosion Protection Bridge Abutments

MAKE A REAL-WORLD IMPACT WITH TSA

GET IN TOUCH

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) is committed to increasing the demand for tyre-derived products and finding solutions that turn end of life tyres into a valuable commodity. Is your business utilising end of life tyres in products? If so, we encourage you to register with TSA using the QR code, and join the list of innovative organisations on our website.

If you use raw rubber or tyre derived rubber in your products or have an innovative use for end-of-life tyres, we want to hear from you. getonboard@tyrestewardship.org.au

TSA0163 ManMonthly FPA-PR.indd 1

3/3/2022 9:41 am

:41 am

Energy Management The future of combustion energy in glass melting Manufacturers’ Monthly talks to Air Liquide’s international oxygen combustion expert about how its heat recovery packaged solution decreases the environmental impact of glass melting – and the potential upside of hydrogen as an efficient route to decarbonisation for melting technologies of the future.

A

USTRALIA consumes about 1.36 million tonnes of glass packaging per year: wine and beer bottles, glass jars and containers.

In Western Europe, the average person consumes 18 kilograms every year.

The manufacturing processes of products like glass contributes to more greenhouse gas emissions than the chemical and metal industries.

Front of mind for forward-thinking companies is reducing this impact – and industry has started taking steps to revolutionise the future of glass melting.

Chikashi Kimura, NEAPac international expert (combustion) for Air Liquide, said industrial gases can reduce the carbon footprint of industrial processes, but there is no one future-proof solution.

“Several options might emerge, alone or combined, with the electrical melter: co-firing with Biogas or Hydrogen, heat recovery and ultimately Carbon Capture Use and Storage (CCUS),” he said. “All these energies can be combined with

Oxycombustion that uses pure oxygen instead of air reduces fuel consumption. manmonthly.com.au

oxy-combustion technology for better effectiveness.”

Having been with Air Liquide for more than 15 years, Kimura noted customers are prioritising low carbon materials in order to be selected for major contracts.

Heat Oxy-Combustion Air Liquide’s Heat Oxy-Combustion technology has become renowned in the glass industry, and its effectiveness has only improved since it was recognised with the innovation award at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. Leveraging off the experience of a brain like Kimura, the company continues to make strides in the research space for glass melting.

“The main principle of heat oxycombustion is to recover a substantial portion of the heat lost through flue gases by indirectly preheating fuel and oxygen,” he said. “That heat extracted from the combustion fumes is used to heat oxygen and fuel, thereby improving oxy-combustion performance by at last 10 per cent and even more with new upcoming

developments. Compared to air combustion, this technology provides up to 50 per cent energy savings and up to 50 per cent CO2 emission reduction (excluding emissions generated for oxygen production).”

To develop this patented technology, safe and reliable equipment with specific material is designed and fully integrated with glass-melting furnaces. The equipment is made of special materials suited for very hot reactants.

Melting-Heat oxy-combustion consists of: • Oxygen supply: Liquid Oxygen storage (LOx) or low pressure gaseous state (FLOXALTMFloxal Oxygen). This is a competitive on-site production offer which provides the required quantity of oxygen according to all your needs.

• Glass melting patented technologies Heat exchangers A unique and patented combination of HEAT RECUPERATOR and HEATERS: • the HEAT RECUPERATOR recovers heat from hot fumes to air; • the HEATERS transfer heat from air to fuel and oxygen.

Patented burners All burners are made of specific materials to comply with high temperature: • GLASS MELTING BURNER-FCHEATOX is a patented nonwater-cooled oxy-fuel burner for technical and containers glasstype applications.

• GLASS MELTING BURNER-SUNHEATOX is a patented non-watercooled oxy-fuel burner for large furnaces, such as those that use float glass-type production.

Chikashi Kimura is an international expert, leading Air Liquide’s Oxy combustion team in Japan for the NEAPac cluster.

Real-world applications In a project funded by the European Commission to help industry reduce its environmental footprint, Air Liquide’s Heat Oxy-Combustion is being used at a factory in Bulgaria for the Şişecam group. In just one example of the innovation’s real-world capability, a pilot-scale industrial furnace was set up for tableware glass that uses only hot oxygen and natural gas to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emission for standard industry furnaces.

The project focused on validating the technology on tableware glass ahead of its potential transfer to small and medium sized furnaces regardless of the sector.

Under the system, natural gas and oxygen consumption is reduced by preheating the reactants (natural gas and oxygen) up to 550°C with waste heat from furnaces. This system entailed installing a heat-ox burner that is dedicated to work with preheated reactants. The operation was then optimised, improving efficiency by 10 per cent compared to air furnaces. The technology was Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 23

Energy Management

The reduction in carbon shown in different glass melting processes. shown to reduce emissions of CO2 by 23 per cent and NOx by 90 per cent.

As project partner, Air Liquid conducted the detailed analysis necessary for the validation of the pilot furnace and its environmental results. The validation of the technology hopes to encourage glass producers to invest in it.

Hydrogen as a new source of energy Kimura said because heat oxycombustion is already established, it will become more prevalent in the next 10 to 15 years. After 2035, however, the expert sees hydrogencombustion as an efficient technique, which is why Air Liquide continues to work with institutes around the world to develop more fundamental research to apply in the industrial field.

“Key studies we are conducting are showing a lot of potential options for the future,” he said. “There’s no single way in order to reach carbonneutral. The best solutions to grow and better our customers will change from country-to-country, so we are researching the best options for particular environments.”

One such study, based on the LCA (life cycle analysis) approach, was recently conducted by Air Liquide to assess the overall impact of the different decarbonisation strategies for glass melting.

A typical medium-size regenerative furnace operating 24 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

with air and natural gas was chosen as the baseline scenario. Several technical improvements were then considered, like the replacement of the air with pure oxygen, the switching from natural gas to hydrogen and the addition of up to 50 per cent electrical boosting. The implementation of a Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) unit was also considered to reduce the CO2 released in the atmosphere.

“Several options were compared for hydrogen production: Steam Methane Reforming (SMR), with or without a CCS unit downstream, or water electrolysis,” Kimura said. “As revealed by the study, the carbon intensity of the electricity has a strong impact on the overall emissions level. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on this parameter to better represent the variety of cases, from geographical areas with a high carbon footprint in the electricity mix to much lower levels

like decarbonised electricity obtained from offshore wind.”

The most effective solution to reduce the overall CO2 emissions consists in installing a CCS unit directly at the exit of the glass furnace. This solution allows a reduction in both the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gases and the CO2 released by the degassing of the raw materials, leading to an overall 64 per cent reduction of CO2 emissions compared to the baseline scenario. Combined with a HeatOx, this figure can be further increased up to 88 per cent.

Kimura noted CCS can not be implemented everywhere and requires important infrastructure with significant costs.

“When focusing on the CO2 emissions due to the combustion part, different options without CCS were compared,” he said. “The first one consists in replacing 50 per cent of the input energy by decarbonized

electricity (hybrid furnace).

Considering the French CO2 emissions factor for the electricity (52g CO2 /kWh), 56 per cent of the CO2 emissions due to glass melting can be avoided with this hybrid furnace. The decarbonization of electricity leads to higher reductions, up to 62 per cent with offshore wind (15g CO2 /kWh) and 64 per cent with the theoretical 0g CO2 /kWh CO2 emissions factor.”

According to Kimura, a higher reduction of the carbon footprint can be reached by replacing natural gas by decarbonised hydrogen with air combustion (up to 88 per cent CO2 reduction with offshore wind electricity). This option can be further improved by the combination of reactants preheating with oxycombustion, leading to up to 92 per cent CO2 reduction.

“Finally, the best approach appears to be the H2-hybrid furnace,” he said. “This is obtained by combining 50 per cent electrical boosting with 50 per cent decarbonized H2 with heat oxycombustion. The approach leads to 94 per cent CO2 reduction for the combustion part (assuming offshore wind electricity).”

Undoubtedly – as the world continues on the path to a lowcarbon economy – demand for low-carbon glass will amplify with the development of new furnace generations and technologies. Air Liquide has already identified the hybrid melting tank (electrical melter + oxy-firing, possibly combined with HeatOx) as an efficient glass container production solution. Kimura concluded that technologies for a low carbon industry exist today and will continue to be competitive.

“The benefits in terms of CO2 emissions reduction are highly dependent on several factors like the CO2 emitted during electricity production and cullet ratio,” he said.

“Solutions needs to be assessed for each individual site and specificities.

Heat oxy-combustion is particularly relevant when used with hydrogen

Oxy-flames obtained at four levels of hydrogen enrichment, from 100 per cent natural gas up to 100 per cent hydrogen, at 100kW.

but also for CCS purposes.”

manmonthly.com.au

Fi

r f u u re t

Find your future For people who belong at Laminex – Cheltenham

n d you

Since 1985, our Cheltenham plant has been the only manufacturer of thin high pressure and compact laminates in Australia.

We always have been, and remain at the forefront of Australian manufacturing.

The long-term success of this plant is thanks to our engineering, research and development, maintenance, operations, electrical and production teams who call Cheltenham home.

Interested in joining us? We’re always on the lookout for new members.

Reach out to discuss what your future may hold at Laminex: email peoplewhobelong@laminex.com

Software Management How software can help SMEs grow ECI Software Solutions provides business management and e-commerce software for growing small and medium-sized companies. Manufactures’ Monthly sits down with ECI’s managing director in APAC, Joe Wrightman, to talk about the company’s flagship software for manufacturers – ECI M1.

B

ACK in 1992, Bowen and Groves was founded to empower manufacturers with a uniquely flexible ERP that could be adapted to any environment and drive overall business efficiency.

After years of making a difference to local SMEs, ECI Software Solutions acquired the Australian company in 2009, bringing with it the flagship manufacturing solution called M1.

The American company headquartered in Texas has offices across the US, UK and Netherlands, as well as Australia which is anchored

by ECI M1 and JobBOSS².

The company’s in-depth industryknowledge is reflected by the diversity of its manufacturing customers, working with businesses across an array of different sectors.

“We are completely dedicated to the small to medium market,” Joe said. “We understand the challenges that these businesses face and appreciate their need for a truly costeffective solution that delivers results and enables growth.”

Global turbulence created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing global supply chain crisis has forced manufacturers to significantly adapt.

Combine this with the ongoing labour and material shortages, and manufacturers are facing some big challenges. Now, new technologies are being rapidly deployed and more innovative methods of production being trialled, helping to improve overall service delivery and efficiency.

Improve visibility across departments The key to the software is its ability to integrate every department. Those reliant on disparate systems or those that find themselves constantly chasing a paper-trail or having to speak to other teams to source key information.

“ECI M1 is designed to provide a single source of truth, integrating all key business data, meaning, for example, that your sales team no longer need to bother the schedulers or planners when a new order comes in,” explained Joe. With all information entered into the ERP system, key data is accessible across the entire business.

Not only does this increase data accuracy and minimise the chance of duplication, it will help the entire business run more smoothly.

Using the ECI M1 design studio,

Joe Wrightman says ECI M1 helps manufacturing businesses make sense of their data. a simple and flexible customisation tool, businesses can add new fields, create new tables, change input forms, and view information in different ways through search grids, KPI’s and integrated graphical

output. The integration of an added new tool called Alora is allowing further machine intelligence and maintenance planning.

“ECI M1 is designed to improve visibility and help manufacturing businesses make sense of their data, allowing teams to pull reports whenever necessary. Over time, this insight can be used to enhance decision making, drive growth and improve profit margins,” explained Joe. Customer and project data can also be entered as soon as an order is placed. This data will then progress through all phases of the project, eliminating the need for the data to be re-entered at each stage.

Better inventory management Efficient inventory management is critical for any business, but especially crucial for manufacturers.

The ECI M1 solution ECI M1 is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, designed for small and medium-sized discrete manufacturers, while JobBOSS² is specifically for job shops, custom and make-to-order manufacturers.

26 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

ECI’s ERP solutions are targeted at improving inventory management in manufacturing businesses.

manmonthly.com.au

Software Management “Effectively planning and structuring production runs in line with lead times can be a challenge, especially given the ongoing global supply chain crisis and the impact this is having on component and product availability,” Wrightman said.

“Having an inventory management system in place, such as ECI M1, will prevent the over or under ordering of stock and enable cash flow across the business. The last thing you want is to end up with thousands of dollars of stock sitting idle in your warehouse.”

Customer support ECI M1 has rapidly become a global product, having been rolled out in the US, New Zealand and Europe, leading ECI to bolster its customer support team.

“As we’ve become more and more of a global organisation, we found that we needed to expand and change our customer support infrastructure,” Joe said.

“We now have a 24/7 ‘follow the

sun’ support structure which allows customers in any location to access expert advice and guidance. ECI’s Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is an incredible 98 per cent in Australia.”

The support team constantly monitors whether a customer’s needs are being fulfilled in a timely manner.

ECI also monitors this data throughout the initial sale, installation and implementation phase.

“Looking specifically at the team involved in developing the ECI M1 product, the level of expertise really is insurmountable,” Wrightman said.

“We have people who have been with us for 29 years, so their level of understanding of the software and wider industry really is second to none.”

ECI is about to embark on a new initiative designed to educate businesses about how specialist software can help them streamline and strengthen their processes to drive efficiency.

ECI has recently expanded its customer support infrastructure.

Treotham Automation is a leading supplier of high quality components and products to the industrial automation sector

Flexible Cables

Chainflex Cables

Energy Chains

Connectors

Flexible Conduits

Cable Accessories

Safety Products

Sensors

Measuring Systems

Bearings

Gear boxes

Linear Units

Australian owned & managed manmonthly.com.au

|

1300 65 75 64

|

www.treotham.com.au

|

info@treotham.com.au Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 27

CAN THE ALUMINIUM I NEED BE STOCKED LOCALLY AND DELIVERED AS REQUIRED?

capral.com.au

At Capral, we operate a network of regional distribution centres stocking an extensive range of aluminium plate, sheet, mesh and treadplate, as well as standard geometric and customer exclusive extrusions. We can design, produce and stock your custom Aluminium sections locally for regular transport, so you have what you need on hand when you need it. What’s more, our team are close by to answer your questions and deliver solutions when you need us most. So, if you’re looking for locally stocked Aluminium that can be delivered when you need it, Capral can do.

Sustainability

Acustico Lighting worked with Tyre Stewardship Australia and Envirorubber to create an acoustic light using recycled tyres.

Illuminating a future for end-of-life tyres Acustico Lighting founder and director, Samantha McKenzie, was researching the viability of using recycled tyres in the design of her new collection when she came across Tyre Stewardship Australia.

P

RIMARILY an interior designer, Samantha McKenzie formed Acustico Lighting in Melbourne to solve the issue of noisy spaces in office environments.

On spending an initial two years in research and development, she found that a human-centred design approach for acoustic lighting was the way forward.

Essentially, this meant a special type of lighting fixture that could absorb up to 30 per cent of sound.

“I was working in commercial spaces and there seemed to be a problem with sound and people complaining about echoing boardrooms, or noisy breakout spaces, or open plan offices,” McKenzie said. “It was my intention from that point to go into some sort

manmonthly.com.au

of manufacturing that would address sound and noise in those spaces.

“I worked out that it was probably best to have a suspended solution, so lighting just made sense because that is something that is often suspended from the ceiling and is close to the source of the noise. I set about creating one particular product line, which was acoustic lighting, and we were lucky enough to win a gold Good Design Award for that first product in 2019.”

More recently, with an influx of clients beginning to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Acustico Lighting founder came across a novel raw material that suited both residential and commercial environments – crumb from recycled car tyres.

Brutalis Collection Inspired by the brutalist architecture style that emerged in Europe following World War II, as well as the nature of design in historically austere periods, the concept for the Brutalis Collection was conceived.

On receiving a Creative Victoria 2021 Sustaining Creative Workers grant, the product development process began.

“I looked at an underlay for some flooring when we were in the middle of a building project, and I thought that recycled tyres could be good,” McKenzie said. “Then I started researching as to how I could go about working with that material, and I came across Envirorubber.”

Envirorubber Solutions, a local specialist in prefabricated rubber

products that are made from recycled tyres, is focused on developing new applications to reuse discarded tyres.

This aligned not only with McKenzie’s new project, but with Acustico Lighting’s underlying philosophy in ensuring sustainability in its products and processes.

“The number one thing with everything that we do is to look back into the materials and where they come from,” McKenzie said.

“There are some components in every design that can’t all be Australian made – particularly the LED lighting strip which just does not get made in Australia; so, there are elements that we can’t help importing. But the very fact that these tyres are from Australian trucks and cars was really important. Also, the fact that Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 29

Sustainability

Acustico Lighting founder and director, Samantha McKenzie.

Envirorubber is very local to me, so there haven’t been many kilometres travelled prior to getting them out the door.”

Another facet of Acustico Lighting’s goal to maintain a high level of sustainability across all their products involve recyclable solutions to reduce waste as much as possible.

“In our Musica product range, we ask that people return the product at the end of its lifecycle and then, with our other products, we crumb and use as carpet underlay,” McKenzie said.

“And with the Brutalis product line, I will also ask clients to return them so we can recycle all the components that we can.

“The beauty of using the recycled car tyres is that it is moulded as well, so there’s no wastage. We make them to order and that’s the same with all our products; so, we don’t have huge amounts of product sitting around and any wastage in the other range is all sent back to the manufacturer and crumbed as well.”

In working with Envirorubber, McKenzie also discovered Tyre Stewardship Australia, which promotes the development of viable markets for end-of-life tyres.

Lina Goodman, CEO of Tyre Stewardship Australia, was enthusiastic about the concept of converting a waste product into a practical product.

“Tyre Stewardship Australia works collaboratively with the entire value chain to stimulate demand for 30 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Acustico Lighting focuses on sustainability in all its products and processes. tyre-derived products, like Acustico Lighting,” Goodman said. “We do this not only by funding, but by promoting these innovative processes and technologies. We want to be the connecting conduit between suppliers and innovators and enable industry sectors to deliver the best real-world solutions.”

McKenzie agreed that utilising Tyre Stewardship Australia’s extensive network supported her venture.

“They connected me with industry researchers and manufacturers in their network, including Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology associate professor Everson Kandare from the School of Engineering,” McKenzie said. “This helped to allay some of my concerns around using recycled tyre crumb and the potential heat and safety issues involved in such manufacturing.

“Having made a couple of calls to them, it was a really nice collaboration at a time when we weren’t really collaborating much, being able to chat to people about something new and exciting.”

Design and manufacturing After performing independent testing on the material, McKenzie found that recycled tyre crumb made for an effective lighting product that absorbed noise. It’s porous, yet soft and demonstrated a good sound absorbency in the mid-frequency range, otherwise known as “voice noise.”

Envirorubber was able to manufacture the Brutalis Collection using a mould designed by Acustico Lighting.

“Prior to them receiving the rubber chips the tyres have wire, cord fluff and reinforcements used to produce various grades of rubber chips, buffings and powder,” McKenzie said. “It is then processed to further remove impurities and is graded by its quality. Envirorubber use a variety of rubber mesh and crumb, depending on the application of their finished product. In this case, a UV resistant binder was used to bind the product in a mould, and that’s how I use it.”

McKenzie believes her use of recycled car tyres as a material for lighting applications is quite unique – and it has had a good response from other professionals in the industry.

“We just exhibited the collection at a large design exhibition in Melbourne and the feedback was overwhelming,” she said. “It really confirmed that architects and designers are looking for ways to specify recycled and upcycled products into their designs, which I think is a major selling point.”

Acustico Lighting’s Brutalis Collection has now been nominated for a Victorian Premier’s Design Award in the Product Design category.

“There has been such a diverse range of products nominated for this award, that I am extremely excited to get this far,” McKenzie said. “It

is a tremendous honour to even be nominated by a high calibre of design judges who live and breathe good design.”

The combination of authentic design and Australian manufacturing are of the utmost importance to McKenzie, which is why she worked with Envirorubber and Tyre Stewardship Australia to such great success.

“Our copyright laws in Australia don’t yet recognise furniture and lighting design and unfortunately it has facilitated a ‘replica’ industry which devalues our whole industry,” she said. “It really is a numbers game – we need to change our behaviour around buying Australian design. We have the talent and manufacturing capabilities, but to get our prices down, we need the scale, which can only happen when people stop buying disposable design.”

Tyre Stewardship Australia’s mission is to collaboratively ensure the sustainable management, recycling, and productive use of endof-life tyres.

Tyre Stewardship Australia’s work helps to drive the transformation of a waste product into a useful commodity, create new employment opportunities and markets for end-oflife tyres.

Visit www.tyrestewardship.org.au/ innovation/source-recycled-tyre-products to discover more products that can be made from recycled tyres. manmonthly.com.au

FIND MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN MORE PLACES

ITIES THE BEST WORK OPPORTUN HOME AREN’T ALWAYS CLOSE TO s. ernment has introduced JobPas That’s why the Australian Gov ally atic om aut now registrations are It means more work licences and y gth len and s fee nal t delays, additio recognised interstate, withou paperwork. people who need work done.

This is good for workers and inesses rkforce, JobPass is helping bus By creating a more mobile wo p hel l wil It ssly across Australia. grow and operate more seamle st boo and r yea interstate jobs each over 168,000 workers take up l wil s Pas Job r the next 10 years. the economy by $2.4 billion ove l tions in more states, which wil upa continue to apply to more occ work for everyone.

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

JOBPASS AUSTRALIA.GOV.AU

Driving your performance to the next level

HEAT OXY-COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY At Air Liquide, we have helped to move the glass industry forward for over 30 years, perfecting the use of oxygen in the melting processes.

With Melting-Heat-Oxy-Combustion, boost the performance and reduce emissions of your furnace by preheating oxygen and natural gas before combustion.

•

10% Extra energy savings

•

10% Extra CO2 emission reduction

•

Maximized oxy-combustion performance

A I R L I Q U I D E A C T S F O R A S U S TA I N A B L E F U T U R E -33% Carbon emissions by 2035, Neutrality by 2050

Contact us today to discover more with one of our experts

www.airliquide.com.au

Hoists & Chains High performance hoist beyond expectations KITO PWB national hoist specialist, Glenn Morgan, speaks with Manufacturers’ Monthly about KITO PWB’s new RY Series Wire Rope Hoists – designed for safety, reliability and performance.

K

ITO PWB has been in Australia since 1923 and began distributing KITO electric hoists and manual hoists since 1986. With this rich history, the company is well known and regarded in the industry as a supplier of high-quality industrial lifting products with a well-earned and successful track-record of supplying to the Australian, New Zealand and Southeast Asian markets.

Over the years, KITO PWB has developed and grown by recognising the value of its customers and responding to clients’ needs. The organisation’s daily mission is to provide the customer with the highest quality in products, service and support.

Glenn Morgan, KITO PWB national hoist specialist, said in

addition to superior products and customised solutions, the company offers a sales and customer service team dedicated to serving customers, a well-qualified engineering department to support technical needs, and a full support staff who all know how important it is to work together to provide solutions for material handling projects.

Now, they are working harder than ever before to be the supplier of choice for hoist and lifting applications with a new hoist.

KITO PWB has introduced their new KITO RY Series Wire Rope Hoists. Designed for safety, reliability and performance, these low headroom wire rope hoists have an M5 duty rating for any heavy-duty lifting demand. The standard configurations are certified and conformed to

Australian Standard AS 1418.

“The RY Series wire rope hoists are designed for use in any application where any 5t or 10t Wire Rope Hoist will be used, from manufacturing and engineering, to warehousing and mining,” Morgan said.

The RY Series hoists are loaded with revolutionary features for high demand applications including inverter control as a standard. The inverter is a dual speed variable frequency drive (VFD). These control both hoist and trolley for optimum speed adjustability as well as lifting and lowering accuracy. A low-load high-speed function allows for hoist operation at 1.5 times the standard high speed with a load less than 25 per cent of rated capacity to increase productivity. A smooth start/stop and KITO PWB introduces their new KITO RY Series Wire Rope Hoists.

transition from slow to fast protects the load and supporting structure, reducing load swing and bounce, with the ability to adjust the lifting/ travelling speeds to suit the users’ application.

Furthermore, the VFD incorporates an easily accessible condition monitoring system via an hour meter and operation counter.

This means users can plan their preventive maintenance based around the exact hours of operation and the exact operations the hoist has done.

The RY hoist comes jam packed with safety feature, including electronic overload limiter, externally adjustable limit switches, emergency paddle limit, electronic thermal motor protection and highperformance motor brakes which are maintenance free for up to one million starts.

In conclusion, the new RY hoists will provide more value over time due to its high-performance features and improved service life.

KITO PWB, a subsidiary of the third largest hoist company in the world, KITO Corporation, the company is a renowned manufacturer and importer of superior quality products operating for up to 98 years.

KITO PWB is located at Bundoora in Victoria, Richlands in Queensland, and Canning Wale in Western Australia. KITO PWB is a leading supplier of electric and air powered chain hoists, electric wire rope hoists, lever hoists, manual hand chain hoists, push and geared trolleys, belowthe-hook devices, material handling equipment, lifting chains, technical chains, and associated fittings.

Visit www.kitopwb.com.au for more information or contact KITO PWB sales team at 1300 792 262 to discuss your lifting requirement.

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 33

Software Management Integrating design and manufacturing data to support business expansion Kelly Engineering has grown into a global manufacturer of agricultural equipment from humble beginnings in South Australia. Manufacturers’ Monthly finds out how Central Innovation’s flagship product DataSuite has helped support the company’s rise.

T

HE Kelly family settled in Booleroo Centre, South Australia in 1875. Owner of the business Shane Kelly recounts that if his father Peter needed some machinery for the farm, he would often build it himself. In the 1980s, Peter Kelly set off with a demo machine of his Kelly Diamond Harrow around Australia. He towed the machine behind his four-wheel drive to all the relevant field days, trade shows and potential customers.

Building off the reputation of its products, Kelly Engineering now exports to Europe and South Africa, and manufactures in the US and Germany, with 70 per cent of its total customer base in the US and Canada and 85 per cent in total revenue coming from offshore markets.

Lawrence Healy, product designer at Kelly Engineering said the company sold around 200 machines – chiefly tillage systems for soil preparation and weed control, designed to be towed behind tractors –in the US in the last year. To support this demand, Kelly has worked with Central Innovation for years to integrate its data, constantly adapting the software to the requirements of the market.

“In 2012, we decided to invest in a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional system, because the business had grown large enough to support multiple users,” Healy said. “Back then PDM only had one and a half users. We had two SOLIDWORKS licenses at the time, so Kelly made that decision a long time ago, based upon the foresight to see how important document control is.”

Having initially utilised SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional to get its engineering documentation under control, the next step for Kelly was to consult with Central Innovation

34 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Advancing software has been crucial in supporting Kelly Engineering’s growth.

on how it could further be used to implement an engineering change workflow.

“We needed to be able to control change within the organisation from a paper-based to an electronic system,” he added. “To optimise our own requirements in terms of supply chain and production, as well as those of our overseas partners. Central Innovation has been instrumental in customising that and making it work for us.

That led to us developing a closer relationship, which has culminated in the implementation of DataSuite that is used to link the data in our Design software, PDM software and ERP software.”

Central Innovation’s flagship solution, DataSuite, helps computeraided design data (CAD) flow seamlessly to production systems. The software was developed by Central Innovation in Australia to enable businesses in the manufacturing industry to introduce a single process to their data management and approval processes. DataSuite is used by companies in Australia and New Zealand to provide a common language to transform and merge data between systems and automate the business rules of just about any company. It automates the previously

manual, error prone work of moving data from one system to another.

DataSuite also has the capabilities to host a production workbench with business rules, for example checking for compliance with the correct drawing numbers, part numbers, specifications, and standards.

Kelly Engineering is moving to the next level of automation with the move to a new, Netsuite ERP System, and they are utilising DataSuite to integrate the system to their own Design and Data Management environment. There is no additional cost for software as Kelly Engineering is still using the same DataSuite software they implemented for their first ERP integration.

Healy explained the aspirations and plans of the company to introduce a new ERP system.

“We have been able to implement the ambitious plans of Kelly Engineering by retaining and growing our investment in systems where appropriate and introducing new systems such as our cloud-based ERP,” he said. “DataSuite has meant that the resilience and continuity of our business operations has been maintained whilst enabling us to put in place a new ERP.” The investment of people, effort

and change management was minimised because of DataSuite and the upgrade path it provides.

With DataSuite to manage the integration, Kelly has been able to retire older technology, and embrace cloud or desktop applications that are appropriate to the needs of the business as it grows. DataSuite supports whatever direction the business chooses.

“Kelly Engineering is running to keep pace with the positivedemand for its products globally,” he added. “Implementing PDM, Web2 for our supplier portal, DataSuite enables quicker, accurate and secure manufacturing data sharing, which is completely controlled in the PDM.” “We are reviewing our CAD and PDM system needs for the next 5 years currently. We expect Central Innovation to be able to talk to us about their product roadmap over the next 3 years at least. As cloudbased CAD and computing becomes more common place Kelly needs to be keeping up with the pace of change.”

Healy added, “the key to the business relationship with Central Innovation has been the ability to customise solutions as Kelly’s demands change”.

“We come to Central Innovation and describe the outcome we would like, and they can advise pretty quickly whether it’s possible or not, and usually it is because it’s about manipulating simple information and transforming that into different fields,” he said. “Kelly is a great example of a medium sized equipment manufacturing business that wants to grow and recognises that if you want to bring on new people and expand, having the right partners and software to support that makes it so much easier.” manmonthly.com.au

Consistency you can count on Innovation. Quality. Performance.

When it comes to optimising your process, you need just the right solution for the job. That is why customers around the world turn to 3M Filtration and Separation Solutions.

We understand the potential challenges many industries face on a daily basis, and we’re constantly exploring new ways to help you overcome them, because when your business operates at the full capacity, you need filtration and dissolved gas control solutions that can keep up and do so reliably.

Working with 3M, our customers have access to a global network of sales professionals, application engineering experts, and passionate teams driven to help with your challenges.

For more information, visit 3M.com.au/purification ©3M 2022. All rights reserved.

3M is a trademark of 3M Company.

AV011503040

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

The region’s largest international civil and defence maritime exposition, incorporating the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea Power Conference and the International Maritime Conference.

In 2019 this internationally renowned event attracted:

657 participating exhibitor companies from 22 nations

21,241 attendances across three days

182 industry, government, defence and scientic delegations from 48 nations

48 major conferences, symposia and forums

indopacificexpo.com.au For further information contact the INDO PACIFIC 2022 Sales Team - T: + 61 (0) 3 5282 0500 E: expo@amda.com.au

s, s

Industrial Equipment The 6X® – A simple radar formula for better processes VEGA believes in continuing to optimise its level sensor which already has the best focusing, highest accuracy, simple operation and universal communication. With this mindset, the company’s new VEGAPULS 6X is more than a sensor that counts.

T

RADITIONALLY, the search for a suitable radar sensor begins with the question, which frequency would work best for this particular application?

This query might be followed by thoughts about the properties of the media and how it could influence the measurement, as well as the specific installation environment.

Furthermore, the temperature range or the presence of aggressive chemicals may give cause for concern. Businesses need to decide whether a standard process fitting, or special materials that meet the highest requirements are the right choice, especially if the user has some uncertainty and wants to be on the safe side. This needs to be weighed up with the distances a sensor has to measure, and whether it’s exposed to wind and weather all year round.

These and countless other considerations make one thing clear: With such a wide choice, you also have to select the right choice from the the large variety of radar sensors that are currently on offer. Because the areas of application are becoming more multi-faceted and processes more complex, the buyer requires an understanding and overview of what the market offers. The right know-how, experience and time can help avoid making costly, inefficient investments in place of a reliable measuring system.

A new certainty – “One for everything” Florian Burgert, one of the product managers closely involved in the development of VEGAPULS 6X, says until now, choosing an instrument was a laborious process and often involved a lot of questions and product research.

“VEGA is now turning this process manmonthly.com.au

inside out with its new VEGAPULS 6X,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s not the sensor that counts, but what the users can achieve with it in their individual applications. Just knowing that they’ve chosen the best possible instrument solution, and that they’ll reach their goal faster with it, makes a big difference in their everyday operations.”

VEGA now offers one sensor for all applications: VEGAPULS 6X. Selecting the right frequency or determining the DK value of the medium are no longer obstacles, Burgert says, because choosing the right sensor specifications has become much easier. The new configurator asks for the type of application and then quickly determines which sensor version is required. The entire procedure now consists of just a few mouse clicks, but an advisory discussion with a VEGA radar specialist is still a good alternative to the configurator. In any case, the result is unprecedented simplicity for users and a measurement solution that delivers perfect results independently of the media properties, process conditions, vessel shapes and internal installations.

Over one million instruments in use worldwide The radar success story of today’s world market leader in radar level measurement began 30 years ago.

It includes milestones such as the world’s first two-wire radar instrument and the first 80-GHz radar sensor for liquids on the market.

In total, there are now well over 1 million radar instruments from VEGA in use worldwide – in industries such as chemical, energy, food, oil and gas and many others. With each new instrument generation, the company has been able to set new

With VEGAPULS 6X, VEGA has changed the traditional way of choosing an instrument, with only one radar sensor suitable for all applications. standards and develop new features that have made the products even more reliable, accurate, robust and flexible. And the focus is always on high sensor quality.

Four-stage, all-round protection VEGAPULS 6X also offers decisive technical innovations, equipped with a comprehensive safety concept.

Functional safety is guaranteed, as it conforms with all the requirements of Safety Integrity Level. The

certified sensor has exceptional SIL characteristics and provides the necessary operational safety to minimise risks in safety-related applications. Another increasingly important focus is “cybersecurity”.

In this regard, the VEGAPULS 6X conforms to IEC 61511, which fulfils the strictest requirements for security of system access and communication control. It thus guarantees comprehensive process security, right through to the control system.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 37

Industrial Equipment sensors that could be used for an application, but today, with VEGAPULS 6X, there is one sensor for all applications. Even setup and commissioning, has been reduced to a minimum, requiring now just a few clicks and the input of basic data. Our customers can even order a sensor that has been factory calibrated, customer-specific down to the last detail, that only has to be installed and connected. It doesn’t get any easier than that.”

Radar made for people

The safety concept of VEGAPULS 6X is a complete package to protect against cyber-attacks.

Focusing on the application

It is especially characterised by its low energy consumption, high sensitivity, scalable architecture and universal applicability.

An important third aspect of its extensive safety features is its selfdiagnosis system. It continuously monitors the function of the sensor and recognises if it has been impaired in any way, thus contributing significantly to higher plant availability and sensor performance.

Central to these important features is a new, second generation radar chip directly from VEGA. Because there was no chip available on the market that would have met all requirements, the research and development team set to work to design one themselves, from scratch.

Jürgen Skowaisa, VEGA product manager said the result pretty much consolidates the entire radar experience from three decades.

“In its scope and functionality, the chip is unique in the whole world,” he said. “It is especially characterised by its low energy consumption, high sensitivity, scalable architecture and universal applicability. The radar antenna 38 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

system and the chip are connected directly to each other, without any cable, for maximum performance.”

New in a different way: Innovation of values Beside the technical highlights, the VEGA radar team addressed questions that, from the very beginning, went far beyond product design: What will be the long-term impact of this technology on the people who use it? How can their work be simplified? What future goals of industry can be realised with the new technology?

“This new approach gave rise to the impulses that make VEGAPULS 6X different,” Skowaisa said. “By carefully considering the users and the process conditions of their applications, other points came into focus. These include the challenges in using measuring instruments, such as complicated adjustment procedures, the constant pressure to increase efficiency, and time constraints in general.”

The actual task of level sensors is to help users and make it easier for them to monitor their industrial processes. They often make processes more controllable and efficient, but even if they are basically easy to use, the process of selecting the right one for an application can still be difficult.

Skowaisa summed up in two words the strategy VEGA is pursuing with VEGAPULS 6X: “Maximum simplification,” he said. “Until now, there were many different

With VEGAPULS 6X, VEGA has rounded out its radar measurement technology with four important innovations: More safety and selfdiagnosis, new radar chip technology, new application possibilities and simpler adjustment. “Our technology has reached such a high level today that reliable function is no longer the issue. The only risk now is choosing the wrong sensor,” Skowaisa added. “Thanks to the new approach with VEGAPULS 6X, VEGA now provides the tools to get right sensor version for the application in 99 per cent of all cases, while keeping experienced application engineers on standby to help with the special, more difficult applications. In the future, the user will no longer have to worry about the technology, frequency or instrument version – the measurement will simply work.”

For more information, visit www.vega.com/radar

VEGA’s research and development team have designed a new, second generation radar chip.

manmonthly.com.au

Customised Lubrication Solutions SKF Lubrication Systems Distributor JSG Industrial Systems

Correct lubrication reduces maintenance costs, eliminates machine downtime and avoids premature failures by protecting equipment. Our tailored lubrication solutions keep your machinery running smoothly while providing you with excellent return on investment. JSG Industrial Systems broad range covers the simplest to the most complex lubrication system covering the full range of lubricants available Our strength comes from high-quality distribution partners who manage installation, service, technical support & training nationwide.

Lubrication Management | Flow Management | Fire Suppression

Quality Engineered Systems JSG Industrial Systems | jsgindustrial.com | 1300 277 454

Events

AUSPACK 2022 on track for an excellent show Forum tickets are selling well and directories are now live for AUSPACK 2022 in Melbourne this May.

A

USPACK 2022, the largest event of its type in the southern hemisphere, is on track for an exciting show next month.

Mark Dingley, chairman of the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA), which owns AUSPACK, said, “The main exhibition is free to the industry to attend across all four days, and registrations have been very good so far. The anticipation behind the show across the industry has been building due to this event being the first inperson show since 2019.”

Dingley said tickets for the AUSPACK Leaders Forum went on sale last month, with many taking advantage of the “super early bird” from 4 March. Tickets will be available on the website.

“In the true spirit of hybrid offerings, we’ve made online tickets available for those who can’t attend the in-person sessions or choose not to. These offer great value.”

40 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

He said the AUSPACK Business Leaders’ Forum, which will take place during the middle two days of the main exhibition, 18-19 May, will also run onsite at the MCEC. “We created the AUSPACK Leaders Forum to offer business owners the opportunity to benchmark their businesses as an organisation of the future, gain knowledge and inspiration, and network with likeminded, forward-thinking leaders.

“We have chosen the forum topics by what’s necessary on the business front across the manufacturing sector: Australia is at a critical recovery stage after the COVID-19 pandemic with supply chain disruption, sustainability demands and technology and automation leaps, then combine that with fast-paced changes in consumer buying habits, environmental impact and regulation and governance. All of these factors are driving unprecedented organisational transformation in

manufacturing and the packaging and processing industry.”

Dingley encouraged attendees to visit the program online, to see the full range of presentations across the two days, which fit into the key themes of Future Technology, Sustainability & The Circular Economy, Investment & Collaboration, Future Supply Chain, Adapting & Diversifying for Commercial Success

and Future Workforce.

The highly searchable online program means if attendees just want to attend certain sessions, they can filter for those interests and “favourite” them.

Directories live Mr Dingley said the exhibitor and product directories on the event website had proven popular for

Gain new ideas on how IIoT can be best used by manufacturers.

manmonthly.com.au

Events people to search.

“Our aim is for visitors to have a valuable experience. Enhancements to both the exhibitor and product directories mean visitors can search for very specific areas.

“For instance, to search the Product Directory, visitors can enter a keyword in the ‘search’ field, or filter by product type under ‘filters’, selecting from dozens of categories under auxiliary packaging means, components, packaging, packaging machinery, packaging materials and means, plant equipment, processing machinery, and software and services.

“Visitors can also browse the exhibitor directory, and ‘favourite’ companies to follow up at the show so they can plan their visit. Catching up face to face with current suppliers or customers and seek out potential new ones is a perfect way to both reconnect and generate new business.”

Strong anticipation Members of Open IIoT (Stand G130) are looking forward to the exhibition

for several reasons.

Open IIoT is an initiative of some of Australia’s most prominent automation brands – SMC Corporation ANZ, Beckhoff Automation, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS, Balluff, ZI-Argus and KUKA Robot Automation.

A spokesperson said, “AUSPACK is such a well-respected event that everyone in the industry looks forward to, and we couldn’t think of a better place to bring IIoT and Industry 4.0 to the forefront.”

The group is anticipating gaining new ideas and feedback about how IIoT can best be used by manufacturers by talking to the manufacturers themselves at the exhibition.

“We are also looking forward to interacting with people who may be completely new to the concept and explaining it as simply and practically as possible. Finally, we are looking forward to networking with our industry peers and reconnecting with those we haven’t

been able to see face-to-face for a long time and making our mark at this pivotal moment for the Australian manufacturing and packaging sector.

“We will be exhibiting our demo unit at AUSPACK 2022, which demonstrates the benefits of full IIoT integration in a visually accessible way. Visitors to the Open IIoT stand will be able to see first-hand how the collaboration of automation components can create a comprehensive IIoT end-user system, complete with a production dashboard that unlocks the power of the system data collected.”

Two members – Jim Wallace sales manager for Balluff and Jozef Ceh, SMC Corporation’s digital transformation and Industry 4.0 manager – will also be presenting at the Solutions Seminar Series.

Their seminar, “Quick Wins for Industry 4.0 Implementation”, will be interactive session that will give visitors real-life examples of where to start their Industry 4.0

implementation, critical steps on the digitisation journey and quick wins to data gathering.

APPMA’s Mark Dingley encouraged people to register for the main free exhibition and make sure they didn’t miss out on tickets to the Gala Night, where the results of the APPMA Awards of Excellence will be announced, or the AUSPACK Leaders Forum.

Following strict COVID-Safe guidelines, AUSPACK 2022 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 17-20 May 2022. Tickets to the exhibition are free and are now available on the website. Entry to the Solutions Theatres is also free, via the registration pass.

Tickets to the AUSPACK Leaders Forum (18-19 May) and APPMA Awards of Excellence Gala Night (18 May) are now on sale.

Please visit www.auspack.com.au for more information.

DataSuite: Central Innovation’s digital continuity solution Would you like to have an error free flow of data between CAD designs and your production systems? Central Innovation’s DataSuite may be the solution for your business to ensure digital continuity.

Moving data from one system to another is a complex, often manual task that is slow, monotonous, and prone to human error. The errors can be disastrous, causing significant losses in profits and productivity.

DataSuite automates this process, providing a common language between systems to allow data to flow seamlessly across platforms, removing the chance of human error and increasing the options for process automation.

DataSuite has many flexible options for robust, reliable automation of business rules, triggers, and standard data flows. Talk to us today to see how DataSuite may ensure that your business decisions are based on accurate information.

To find out more visit https://centralinnovation.com/datasuite/

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 41

Energy Chains Powering cranes with energy chains Treotham Automation’s national sales manager, John Sharp, explains why energy chains are the best option for harnessing the power required in heavy duty industrial machines such as cranes.

T

HE new generations of shipto-shore cranes continue to demand more from their energy supply systems as the need for greater speed and reliability is amplified. igus, a manufacturer and supplier of a wide range of motion products such as cables, bearings and automation technology, has now introduced their heavy-duty energy chains in response to this need.

According to igus partner, Treotham Automation, energy chains are used to carry and guide power to moving parts of machines or structures with the power coming from electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic sources.

“An energy chain is an engineered plastic chain with integrated rollers built into the sides of the link and you put the cables in that and it drags it backwards and forwards along with the trolley,” Treotham Automation national sales manager John Sharp said.

In comparison to more traditional energy supply systems that are used in cranes, such as festoon systems, energy chains have become a more reliable and efficient option for crane operations.

42 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

igus has introduced their new heavy-duty energy chains.

“Many cranes come with this festoon system, which is basically a collection of cables which are hung from little skateboards, if you like, in loops,” Sharp said. “When the crane trolley moves, it drags the skateboards along and carries the cables. The cables pull the first trolley and then the sets behind get pulled along. However, the motion of all those cables is not synchronous with the motion of the trolley, and that causes a lot of problems such as wear and tear.

“But with a chain, as soon as the trolley moves, the chain moves so that the motion of the cables is synchronous with the trolley. That alone makes a big improvement in the wear and tear on all the components, because it doesn’t have the shock loadings of going from zero to speed.”

Sharp describes the igus energy chain itself as a plastic compound reinforced with glass fibre nylons, with rollers built into the links to ensure the chain both slides and rolls.

This creates very low wear compared with festoon systems.

“We have a plastic chain where you put the cables inside it, you attach one end to the fixed part of

the machine at the other end of the trolley,” Sharp said. “It’s a system, so it’s not just the chain alone – we have a guide trough which is a critical element of the system and holds the chain at a straight level, parallel to the trolley motion, which allows the chain to follow the trolley.”

With the igus range of energy chains, no two systems are identical because no two machines have the exact same cable package. The products are mass customisable, ensuring that they suit any crane operator’s needs in relation to size, the travel length of the machine, speed, and acceleration.

“From day one, we select the chain which is going to be strong enough to carry the push and pull of the motion,” Sharp said. “As far as detailing the rest of the chain, that’s really individual. This creates two selection criteria: one is choosing the right series of products for the job, the other is tailoring the accessories inside the chain to suit your cable package.”

The igus energy chains have opened the market due to their longer service life. This has been facilitated in several ways – for example, wind does not degrade the

cables over time as it would with a festoon system, Sharp explains.

“The servicing needed is quite minor for the energy chains,” he said.

“There are some ports in Australia that are quite exposed to wind. An interesting thing with a festoon is that even when the machine is off, the cable is still working because the wind is moving it. However, the issue is that the wind is degrading the cables and can actually blow the cable up onto the skateboard, eventually breaking the cable. So, the cable is suffering from wear and its lifespan is ticking the whole time because it’s moving the whole time. It’s also quite a big job to change that out, whereas with the chains the cables only move when the shuttle moves.

“The other interesting point is when you have a festoon, you have a loop, so all the bending is done at the bottom of the loop. The loop moves up and then it bends in the same spot; whereas with the chain, you’re putting that bend along its entire length. So, there’s a few fundamental things which make it live longer.”

In turn, a longer service life for the energy chains means that maintenance is simplified overall – a huge benefit for the long-term costs manmonthly.com.au

Energy Chains associated with the upkeep of an expensive, hard-working machine like a crane. Sharp has been witness to this on many occasions.

“I’ve been working in this sphere for 25 years and used to call on P&O Ports back in the day and they’d say, ‘No, no, we don’t use chains, there’s too many individual components – how can that be more reliable?’”

Sharp said. “But over time, we’ve seen the market swing because once they get the energy chains in at one terminal, they realise that they have way less maintenance issues and that at the end of the day, they’re saving money.”

Another benefit of incorporating an energy chain into a modern crane impacts the crane manufacturer as well, as it takes up less space on the machine itself. A traditional festoon system would need the additional infrastructure to park the skateboards at the back reach of the crane; an energy chain eliminates the extra steel required to build this, along with the added cost.

The next generation of energy chains is anticipated to bring further benefits with the introduction of predictable maintenance. According to Sharp, this feature will embed wireless sensors into the plastics to provide real-time data, remotely.

“The next step for igus is predictable maintenance, where sensors in the chain can give you

real-time data on wear to prevent a shutdown or unplanned failure,” he said.

Energy chains, such as those supplied by igus through Treotham Automation, have transformed the way cranes operate by introducing a simple, reliable, cost-effective and more efficient system.

“I think that port operators have realised that the faster they can

move a container, the more they can move. The more they can move, the more money they make and the more ships they can unload,” Sharp said.

“Over time, they have tried to make these cranes go faster and faster and found that the festoon system started to become quite complicated.

You couldn’t just have a skateboard getting pulled along, you actually have to have a motor and a drive

wheel. Once you start to do this, you have a very complicated system that is difficult to maintain and has unexplained stoppages and faults.

“The evolution was that if you want the machine to go fast, cheaply, a chain is a much better option.”

For more information about Treotham Automation’s stock of energy chains, visit www.treotham.com.au.

Energy chains are used to carry and guide power to the moving parts of machines.

Protecting What’s Valuable To You Australian Made Bollards. Manufactured to the highest quality to protect what’s valuable to you.

• Bollards designed to protect your Business, Property and Assets.

• Stop Unauthorised access • Preventing vehicles smashing into your premises, protecting Staff and Assets • Suits all types of applications

manmonthly.com.au

Call us now for a quote and 10% discount on your order Ron Parker - 0413 606 456 E: info@bollardsdirect.net.au www.bollardsdirect.net.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 43

Manufacturing Excellence Laminex Australia brings local manufacturing back Manufacturers’ Monthly throws a spotlight on Laminex Australia’s very first manufacturing plant and how it made a monumental change to secure future success for the company, in a chat with its general manager of Operations, Graham Andrew.

S

PANNING 85 years of history, Laminex Australia is a manufacturer of highpressure laminate, compact laminate and wet-area panelling, decorated MDF used for cabinetry doors, raw particleboard and MDF. With multiple manufacturing plants across Australia, the company’s original manufacturing plant was located in Cheltenham, about 18km south of the Melbourne CBD. It was here that Laminex Australia became the only producer of thin high pressure and compact laminates in Australia and New Zealand – which is still true today.

The Cheltenham plant has been in operation for almost 70 years, according to general manager for Operations, Graham Andrew.

“The plant at Cheltenham was built just after the second World War

in the late 1940s, early 50s,” he said.

“The equipment has been upgraded over the years but it is at the centre of the history of the company.

Laminex started with the product that’s made at that plant, so it really was the height and founding location of the company.”

“And since then, the origins of the company have become part of our big growth story.”

Overcoming adversity But several years ago, in 2019, the Cheltenham manufacturing plant was placed in the black. Operating on a limited three and a half days of production each week with 60 employees working across two shifts, the volume of their production was dropping fast.

“If you roll the tape forward a

few years, there was a very high possibility that the plant would have to close,” Andrew said. “It would’ve been 60 jobs lost in Melbourne. So, we had to make a conscious decision to turn that around.”

This started with insourcing a product that was being made in China and imported. This was compact laminate, a 13mm thick and heavy product that’s often a material used for toilet partitions in spaces like hotels and airports.

“To get the plant up to 3 shifts and get some capacity and get some momentum going, we decided to make that product locally,” Andrew said. “We did a whole lot of product development work, and made certain we could do it, then included a $5 million investment into a finishing line, which basically

trims the product and gets it looking good and ready to be dispatched to customers.”

This new investment was in a trimming machine which has the ability to finish the compact laminate after being pressed, creating a more presentable product for Laminex Australia’s customers.

Once that investment had been made, the volume was brought back into Australia and the shifts were able to increase. This created 20 new jobs at the Cheltenham manufacturing plant. The demand for the products then grew slightly more, which created more employment opportunities.

“In August last year we put a fourth shift on and another 18 people were hired,” Andrew said.

“Overall, that’s about 38 extra Laminex Australia’s original manufacturing plant has become key to its growth.

44 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturing Excellence people that we’ve hired now in that plant, compared to when it was going in the other direction a few years ago.”

success for Laminex Australia. More information on this will become available soon.

Laminex Australia’s Cheltenham plant.

Future plans

Sustained success The success of the plant continued to rise from there – from a plant that was destined to be closed to becoming the foundation for fresh and sustained growth for the company in the future.

“We’ve also invested another $1 million since then and the plant actually shut in March for a big upgrade on one of the vessels we had to install there, which is a $2 million project,” Andrew said.

“Overall, it’s about $8 million from where we started in 2019 from a combination of insourcing products instead of getting them from China, and also introducing new products we’re developing. We hope to launch the products on the market and load up the plant even more in the back end of this year.”

In embarking in more product

development for the company, the Cheltenham plant has been working on several different avenues to boost the capabilities and aesthetics of their existing lines. One of these is introducing different types of décor for both the thin laminate and the thicker compact laminate.

“We use press plates to impart a new finish on the product, whether it be a grain finish, a stipple finish, or a smooth, glossy finish,”

Andrew said. “With some of the new products, we’ve changed both the décors including the colours, patterns and designs that we have available, as well as the finish on the product.”

Another new option the plant explored was considering other functions and applications for their products. This kind of innovative product development could be the next step in generating further

For the near future of the Laminex Australia Cheltenham plant, Andrew says there will be an increased focus on upping the demand to support the extensive product development they are now undertaking. In doing this, the company hopes to employ more skilled employees.

“For the next two to three years, we want to fully load the fourth shift,” he said. “We made a big decision to put that fourth shift on, knowing that we don’t have all the demand and customers for those products yet – but we are committed to growth. So, we plan to work very closely with our technical team, as well as with our sales and marketing teams, to launch these new products and increase the demand so that we can fully load the fourth shift. That’s where we’re at for the future of the plant.”

PROCESSING + PACKAGING One all encompassing show Owned and presented by

17 20 May 2022 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre Register Now auspack.com.au

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 45

Supply& Demand Global Aluminium demand and pricing impacting local supply Manufacturers’ Monthly talks to Capral Aluminium about how supply shortages and rising LME is impacting Australian Aluminium suppliers.

I

F you’d sat behind the desks of the CEOs of some of Australia’s leading transport, marine, and industrial fabrication businesses in March 2020 – as the first wave of COVID restrictions were rolling across Australia – it would be near impossible to predict the turn of events these industries would experience over the coming 24 months. Many were forecasting reduced demand, industry down turns, contemplating staff reductions

and operational stand downs.

Fast forward 24 months and industry voices are reporting riding a collective wave of strong demand in marine, transport and general fabrication sectors. Local manufacturers are benefiting from the reduced presence of imported aluminium products, spurring on increased demand for locally fabricated aluminium products.

Like many suppliers to Australia’s transport, marine and industrial

sectors, the strong growth and demand across these areas has created a different type of challenge for local businesses using aluminium, who are now faced with supply challenges due to material shortages and supplier capacity while being subject to unprecedented aluminium pricing pressures.

In fact, according to Tony Dragicevich, Capral Aluminium CEO, capacity to supply aluminium products within Australia has never

Tony Dragicevich, Capral Aluminium CEO.

Industry experts predict aluminium prices to remain high throughout 2022.

46 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Supply & Demand been pushed so hard with pricing impacts and supply shortages affecting everything from beer cans to car parts, not to mention plate, sheet and extruded products.

Capral Aluminium is Australia’s largest producer and distributor of aluminium products. The diversified business supplies to a wide range of industrial and manufacturing sectors as well as commercial and residential building and is Australia’s largest aluminium supplier to the transport, marine and general aluminium fabrication sectors.

“Capral has seen a significant change in requirements for local aluminium supply over the past 18 months, we are noticing growing market share against import products,” Dragicevich says.

“Of course, the Australian industrial, transport and marine sectors are currently very buoyant and our customers supplying these industries are under pressure to meet the strong demand.”

Australia is not the only country where the economy has been boosted by government stimulus. In addition to supply pressures there has been a significant lift in global commodity demand and prices, including aluminium.

When understanding aluminium pricing, there are three core elements to consider, all of which are experiencing record highs and ultimately impacting on price of fabricated aluminium products.

Capral has noticed growing market share for local aluminium supply.

LME is the market traded price of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange and is used globally (outside of China) as the primary cost of Aluminium. LME prices reached record highs in early March, above $5.20 AUD with further upside possible, up approximately 50 per cent from the start of 2021.

where smelters add a number of base premiums for extrusion billet supply.

Over the past decade base billet premiums have been stable due to a reasonable supply/demand balance for billet across the globe. The situation has changed dramatically for 2022. Global demand for billet in 2022 has outstripped supply and has led to up to 350 per cent increases in premiums for 2022 smelter supply contracts.

2. Billet premiums

3. Extrusion supply

Aluminium extrusion manufacturers, including Capral, extrude the aluminium profiles from a billet, being the base material extruders use for production. Billet is purchased from primary aluminium smelters both in Australia and internationally,

With record levels of local extrusion supply and many extruders operating a full capacity it is likely that Australian industrial, transport and marine fabricators will see the cost increases of aluminium raw materials experienced by the local extruders

1. LME

manmonthly.com.au

passed on through the supply chain.

No doubt this will also place pricing pressures on these businesses as the cost materials is set to rise over the coming year.

So, what is the forecast for 2022?

Industry experts are purporting the cost of aluminium will remain relatively high throughout 2022.

Global factors play a large part in understanding this scenario, not least the impact of government directives in the two biggest suppliers of aluminium – China and Russia. Concerns that the supply of aluminium from Russia could be hampered in the event of possible international sanctions is expected to further boost aluminium pricing.

As China decarbonises, increasing smelting cuts have been taken to

meet regional energy consumption and energy intensity targets under China’s 5-year plan to reduce emissions. China aluminium cuts are now ~2.3MT/year with unpredictable supply outcomes in the coming months. Combined with other factors already described this has driven up LME metal prices to multi-year highs Finally, freight costs and availability continue to place pressure on the local supply of imported billet with spot prices for containers increasing by more than 200 per cent in 2021 and the shortage of containers is expected to persist in 2022. Costs for importers to ship to Australia will also increase significantly. Therefore, from a profitability perspective, aluminium smelters may be able to generate higher margins in alternative markets, such as the EU and US, relative to Australia with strong product and market premiums.

To maintain the flow of billets in Australia, the product premiums have substantially increased.

Dragicevich says from a local perspective this really is a double edge sword for Australian extruders, who have excellent demand but are dealing with continually rising costs.

“At Capral Aluminum we are working very hard to ensure our plants are operating at full capacity and maximum efficiency so we can mitigate any unnecessary cost increases for our customers within the transport, marine and industrial sectors and meet their expectations around timely supply,” he says. “We are committed to supporting our customers in these areas and have worked very hard to establish the additional capacity needed to supply local manufacturers. Throughout 2021 we have made a number of capital improvements and have even brought an additional extrusion press online to meet demand.”

“There are few industries who are not facing unprecedented times in response to COVID 19 and the changes it has brought to our economy, the transport, marine and industrial, manufacturing industries are no different, I hope these sectors will continue to support our local manufacturers well into the future.”

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 47

Events and Showcases INDO Pacific returns in 2022 For the first time since 2019, the INDO PACIFIC 2022 International Maritime Exposition will bring together Australian and International industry, government, defence and academia to explore the sector’s biggest issues, innovations and technologies.

Manufacturers’ Monthly talks to event organisers about what to expect from the event.

W

HEN the world was in the depths of the pandemic, there were those who wondered if we would ever get back to doing business face to face.

Indeed several commentators, dazzled by the sudden explosion of on-line meetings and virtual events, predicted that by the time COVID-19 was under control business would be so comfortable with online engagement that in-person events would wither on the vine.

Industry evidently strongly disagrees, as shown by the fact that exhibition floor bookings for the Indo Pacific 2022 International Maritime Exposition, set for 10-12 May in Sydney’s Darling Harbour, have already surpassed the recordbreaking pre-COVID 2019 event.

Indo Pacific is Australia’s global

maritime business event, attracting senior merchant marine, shore services, maritime and defence industry, military and government decision-makers from around the world.

It combines a three-day conference program with an industry exhibition and networking and engagement opportunities that bring the civil and defence maritime communities together to discuss topics affecting the industry today and promote industry capability.

In 2019 the exposition, then called “Pacific”, hosted more than 650 participating exhibitor companies from 22 nations. It attracted more than 21,000 attendances across three days, including 182 industry, defence, government and scientific delegations from 48 countries.

Indo Pacific 2022 is on track to surpass those numbers, partly because the Royal Australian Navy is in the midst of the largest peacetime acquisition phase in its history, and needs to talk about what it needs, why and when, through the Chief of Navy’s own Sea Power Conference and formal industry engagement programs.

But the other half of the equation is an industry no longer constrained

by Covid related travel and engagement restrictions, an industry enthusiastic about once again being able to use the most effective marketing tool in history; being face to face with your marketplace.

The sheer size of Indo Pacific is often an eye-opener for first timers; the industry exhibition would go close to covering the Melbourne

Cricket Ground. And so is the hum.

A sea of people, whose first goal is engagement with others, creates a palpable three-day background hum of conversation.

For three days Sydney’s International Convention Centre is a microcosm of the maritime community, defence and commercial.

In the exhibition halls, conference rooms and networking functions, it is possible to bump in to anyone from Australia’s Chief of Navy Australia to federal ministers, visiting overseas naval personnel, prime contractors, small to medium enterprise and start-ups.

Major conferences for the 2022 event will include the Royal Australian Navy’s own Sea Power Conference, the Autonomy In The Maritime Domain conference

Indo Pacific 2022 will explore the Royal Australian Navy’s needs during its largest peacetime acquisition phase.

48 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Events & Showcases from the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems, and the International Maritime Conference, a joint venture between The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and Engineers Australia.

The event is a mix of defence and commercial; in many areas, issues of equipment, technology and development are similar for both civil and defence vessels and shipbuilding.

Conference topics will include environmental issues and developments – alternative fuels, ship design, new maritime technologies and post-COVID recovery of the international shipping industry.

It is also a focus for the commercial and merchant marine: specialists in port operations, marine engineering, cargo handling, tug and pilotage operations, spillage and pollution clean-up, marine safety and their equipment manufacturers and suppliers. Their market is universal – commercial operators as well as navies need their services.

Academic institutions, private industry and government agencies add to the program with events detailing naval insights from allied nations, export advice for small business, innovation and research, new technologies for vessel maintenance and repair, virtual shipyards, sustainment of Australia’s new Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessels and the future of defence workforce simulation.

The Convenor of Indo Pacific 2022 is former Royal Australian Navy Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN (Rtd), a veteran of five previous Indo Pacific events.

“Indo Pacific is essentially unique in bringing the bulk of the maritime community together in an environment that is specifically designed to promote engagement,” said Vice Admiral Barrett. “There’s really nothing quite like it”.

“Every industry, every community, seeks an opportunity to engage, to promote to the decision-makers, to gain information that will help them position themselves and their products for success as prime manmonthly.com.au

contractors or members of a supply chain. Indo Pacific is designed to be that engagement platform.

“Government agencies see Indo Pacific as a platform for publicising their assistance to industry and promoting engagement to tailor their services.

“Defence and Navy also seek opportunities to promote their needs, issues and views to the community,

nations on security issues and conduct bilateral meetings with our various defence partners.”

Indo Pacific a Platform for Innovation Through formal Innovation Awards and “pitchfest” programs, every Indo Pacific exposition is designed to inspire, to promote and to highlight Australian innovation in all its forms.

The Australian Government’s

Indo Pacific’s floor space is close to covering the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Chief of Navy Australia, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, launching the Sea Power Conference at Indo Pacific. Tconference will return for 2022.

and to engage with industry to identify capability that will help Navy achieve its goals. This doesn’t just mean platforms and equipment: Navy has used previous Indo Pacific events to discuss workforce development, engage with regional

2016 Defence White Paper was a watershed for Australia’s defence industry. It enshrined industry as a Fundamental Input to Defence Capability and devoted nearly $1.5 billion to promoting and funding the innovation and R&D that

underpin real growth in both industry capability and exports.

Indo Pacific organiser AMDA Foundation recognised this linkage between innovation and industry growth years earlier, presenting its first Innovation Awards in 2013.

Since then, more than 260 entries have been received for the Awards and AMDA Foundation has awarded SME Innovation Grants and Young Innovator Awards to a total value of around $450,000 at the Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition and at its sister events, the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition and the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition.

Past maritime winners have included a research organisation that invented a new rust‐proofing treatment for Navy warships and submarines, an SME which developed a world‐leading portfolio of counter‐ drone technologies in just 12 months and a team of young innovators who developed a sonar sensor management system for the Navy’s new Hunter‐class frigates.

“The awards reflect our mission, which is to promote the development of aviation and Australia’s industrial, manufacturing and information/ communications technology resources in the fields of aviation, aerospace, maritime, defence and security,” said Ian Honnery, CEO of the national not‐for‐profit AMDA Foundation which organises the biennial Indo Pacific Exposition.

“Since we first launched the Awards in 2012 we have presented around $450,000 in SME and Young Innovator Awards to encourage and reward excellence by our small companies and emerging engineers and scientists.”

“Industry’s ability to deliver on behalf of Defence and the ADF is underpinned by its ability to innovate and bring to the market new defence products and services. That’s what our Awards seek to encourage,” Mr Honnery said.

The Indo Pacific 2022 International Maritime Exposition will be held at Sydney’s International Convention Centre, 10-12 May 2022.

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 49

Industrial Filtration Research and development creating tailored solutions A reliably clean water supply is critical to manufacturing businesses around the world. 3M explains how its filtration technology purifies water and removes contaminants efficiently to improve the performance of industrial equipment.

I

Businesses need filtration and dissolved gas control solutions which keep up with operations.

50 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

N 1902, 3M was founded in Two Harbors, USA. By 1914, Abrasive Cloth became the company’s first exclusive product. Ten years later, while testing abrasive samples at a body shop, Richard Drew, noted that painters were having trouble masking car parts. He had an idea which led to the invention of masking tape. The tape was a hit and the Scotch brand tape line was born.

In 1969, 3M products were used by astronauts in the first moon landing, including 3M Fluorel Elastomer, a synthetic rubber used in the astronaut’s boots worn inside the space capsule.

From the beginning, innovation has been at the forefront of the company’s success. The American multinational now has sales in more than 200 countries, with 96,000 employees, 200 sites and over 55,000 products.

Under the motto “science is just science, until you make it improve the world,” 3M places a focus on inventing products and building them in its R&D labs. Researchers and scientists spend 15 per cent of their time on self-initiated projects, freeing them up from day-to-day work to find new solutions to common challenges facing customers. The company invests 4-5 per cent of sales into capital expenditures to bolster its manufacturing plants in nearly 40 countries around the world.

Cutting-edge science like robotics, 3D printers and laser cutters allows results in higher performing products at a lower cost.

3M established its International Division in 1951 and during the same year, 3M Australia was formed. Since then, the company has grown to service customers around the country.

A team of over 600 employees provide products across 12 expertise areas, at the top of the list is its manufacturing prowess.

Manufacturing is one of 3M’s fundamental strengths. One third of its technology platforms and a quarter of the patents it receives are related to manufacturing.

The company manufactures and converts in Australia at facilities in Blacktown and Guildford in Sydney.

Some of the company’s filtration products are manufactured in the Blacktown facility.

Filtration & Separation 3M provides filtration products for the separation, clarification and purification of fluids and gases. Its proprietary technology is widely used throughout the global biopharmaceutical, industrial and water markets to make customers more successful. The 3M™ High Flow Filter System is for those manufacturer’s who want filtration efficiency and a small footprint within their industrial, chemical,

petrochemicals, electronics or food & beverage applications.

The company has analysed, designed and manufactured solutions to meet specific customer applications for more than 90 years with advanced pleat technology, compound radial pleat design and membrane dissolved gas control technology.

Matt Stewart, ANZ sales manager said despite having a huge range of products with the best technology, identifying a customer’s pain points remains an upmost priority.

“We’ve got so many different solutions, some being proprietary which helps but at the end of the day the end user – whether that’s a process water manufacturer or a meat processing plant – all have pain points with water quality and how often they need to change their cartridges,” he said.

“So what we like to try and do is really focus in on the biggest challenge: is it money, is it cost, is it time? And we build up the solution around that.”

3M focuses on innovation to tackle filtration challenges.

manmonthly.com.au

Industrial Filtration 3M has two application engineers on the ground in Australia: specialising in industrial and bioscience applications respectively.

Matt noted the sales team have the easy job opening doors for customer relationships, having the technical expertise to start the conversation before bringing in the application engineers to strategise the next steps.

The local team comprise of one sales manager, six territory managers, one inside sales rep, two senior applications engineers and two marketers, all of who are dedicated to support 3M’s purification business. Staff at the company’s Blacktown facility produce leading lines such as 3M Zeta Plus.

The team has a combined 100 years of filtration experience from home water filtration through to biopharmaceutical purification As well as having an extensive team in Australia, 3M can lean on its global network to customise its solutions.

“We can step in from the very early stages of design and say: we need to know your flow rates, your temperatures and what you’re trying to achieve,” Stewart added.

“Then our technical team can build it from the ground up. But then we go as far as our development sites in the US, where they are constantly working on updating the equipment, the technology.”

Leveraging off trends and innovation overseas is an advantage, but only useful if it’s applied to an Australian context. Local manufacturers often are presented with similar challenges, which 3M’s team in every state apply specific solutions to.

“If a customer comes to us today with this specific problem and says they need to remove carbon dioxide from oil, we have specific teams on the ground here with the knowledge of Australian standards and engineers which are always available to the customer,” he said. “It’s all good and well being a multinational but if you’re not aware of the local standards and conditions, you set yourself up for failure.”

When businesses operate at the manmonthly.com.au

Five per cent of 3M’s sales go into capital expenditures to bolster its manufacturing plants. full capacity, they need filtration and dissolved gas control solutions that can keep up.

3Ms range of products for water filtration includes: • Surface Filter Cartridges: Extensive line of absoluterated surface filter catridges can provide advantages in various applications and are available in multiple materials of construction, configuration and grades. Then see website for more info.

• Charge Modified Filter Cartridges: Full line of charge modified depth filters trap contaminants through depth straining, but also via electrokinetic absorption of particles smaller than the rated pore size.

They’re composed of cellulose, a variety of application specific filter aids and proprietary binding resins.

• Large Diameter Cartridge Systems: Meet the needs of a variety of applications with an extensive line of large diameter filter cartridges available in multiple configurations, sizes

3M’s product range meets a variety of applications.

and grades.

• Bag Filters for industrial, automotive and oil and gas applications.

• Specialty Systems: unique products with critical advantages in specialty applications, from fine chemical filtration, to fullyenclosed systems, to advanced metal ion reduction solutions.

Stewart said 3M is in a lucky position, being a manufacturer

who has a lot of customers who are manufacturers.

“There’s never any lost in translation between your specific action and what my technical guys have been reading because they speak the same language,” he noted.

“Our advantage is we have local warehousing, local manufacturing, reps in each state, technical advice on the ground in each state and New Zealand as well.”

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 51

Lubrication Engineering lubrication systems to work with equipment Manufacturers’ Monthly speaks with the John Sample Group about the importance of pairing the most suitable lubrication system – and lubricating while equipment is running – with different industrial environments.

J

SG Industrial Systems (JSGIS) – a John Sample Group business – enter technical partnerships with manufacturing businesses, delivering lubrication systems engineered to specifically meet a customer’s requirements.

This specificity, according to National Sales Manager Italo Marcantonio, is only possible with access to a diverse range of products.

This luxury, or rather necessity, is afforded to JSGIS as the distributor for SKF’s Lincoln lubrication systems since 1961, and SKF’s largest lubrication system partner globally.

“Problems occur for businesses when they work with people trying to shoehorn solutions into areas they aren’t absolutely suited to,” Marcantonio said. “Our broad range covers the simplest to the most complex lubrication system covering the full range of lubricants available.”

JSGIS became strongly linked with SKF when they acquired the Lincoln Group in 2010. JSGIS has been involved in the delivery of highquality lubrication systems to various markets for more than 50 years.

One of the key causes of machine failure occurs when incorrect quantities and type of lubricant make its way into a machine. Italo says it can be a daunting process for businesses without help who don’t know how to solve such a problem.

“Businesses shouldn’t be intimidated by the process of specifying a lubrication system,” Marcantonio noted. “It’s quite a simple process once clearly explained, which is why we place an emphasis on educating the customer because there is sometimes a lack of industry knowledge. We can provide the initial assessment right through to the design and implementation, but it’s critical for the customer to

The progressive lubrication system is popular in industrial environments because of its flexibility.

52 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Optimum lubrication happens when the equipment is still running.

understand what the products and systems do.”

JSGIS works with the customer to determine the required lubricant – whether that’s fluid grease, oil or standard manufacturing grease – and the number of lubrication points and where those points are located on the equipment.

Lubrication systems can range from basic single point lubricators through to fully integrated 80100 point systems, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time they’re installed.

SFK’s progressive lubrication system helps to bridge the gap of this cost, being easy to install and simple to engineer for industrial environments.

The SKF ProFlex and Lincoln Quicklub, can be used on smallto medium sized machines with dispersed lubrication points requiring varying lubrication quantities. The system has a pump connected to at least one primary metering device. If needed, second level metering devices can be connected to the outlets of the primary metering device to increase the number of lubrication points.

Italo pointed to the progressive lubrication system’s flexibility to explain its popularity in manufacturing and industrial environments.

“Its design capabilities are able to cover the bulk of the small to medium range applications,” he said.

“You’re able to do 40-100 lubrication points in confined spaces, so the

system is more than capable of delivering grease to all points within say a 20 metre radius. Where we see systems get challenged is when they must deliver heavy greases over very long distances, which increases the cost of the system.

But in manufacturing typically, the bulk of the applications that we see, particularly in food and beverage is relatively self-contained, easy to pump and you can design around the equipment.”

SKF and JSGIS strive to educate its customers about the importance of good lubrication. SKF has conducted studies for as long as it has manufactured bearings to investigate the causes of premature bearing failure, which show contamination of the lubricant, over and under lubrication, incorrect storage of lubricants, incorrect handling of lubricants and any cause of cross contamination as major factors.

Italo says over the last ten years, businesses are becoming more aware of the importance of good lubrication.

“Businesses find out the most effective lubrication system delivers lubricant while the system is running,” he said. “That’s when you get the best coverage and protection. People are beginning to understand it’s not just about pumping equipment full of grease with a grease gun at the end of a shift. That gives you some protection, but using much smaller volumes of lubricant more frequently optimises machine performance.” manmonthly.com.au

7 APRIL 2022

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS TICKETS NOW ON SALE

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY.COM.AU P R O U D LY P R E S E N T E D B Y

MHD Supply Chain Solutions

P LATIN UM SPONSOR

AW A R D S SPONSORS

MACHINE TOOLS Whether it is cutting, punching or any kind of fabrication, choosing the right machine tool is critical to achieve the desired outcome and end product.

In June 2022 – we will showcase businesses in the machine tools space, suppliers of machinery and equipment for especially those in the metal working arena and general fabricators.

The edition is an opportunity for businesses to demonstrate the extent of their services to the industries they serve.

In every edition of Manufacturers’ Monthly, we’re proud to work with our commercial partners on content that helps connect you with your future customers.

Booking deadline: 27 april 2022

To book contact DANNY HERNANDEZ now danny.hernandez@primecreative.com.au | 0431 330 232

Customer Advocacy Customers stand to benefit from “One Motion” The move to transition and consolidate all the Australian-based businesses owned by Motion Asia Pacific into one singular business – Motion Australia – will translate to better services for customers in the agricultural and food and beverage industries, say industry experts.

G

RANT Gray, general manager of national sales at Motion Australia said what’s exciting about the company’s model, is that it will improve our product and service offering to customers under the ‘One Motion’, giving them better access to all of our active business streams, which each bring a specific set of skills, products and market-leading culture to the Paddock to Plate industries.

“Having these businesses integrated and streamlined under the one banner – whether it be solutions in fluid transfer, sealing, power transmission, bearings, fastening or engineering – simplifies how customers do business with us, and will significantly improve our ability to cater to all their industrial needs,” he said.

The businesses that will now operate under Motion Australia include AIP, BSC, CBC, Cram, Hardy Spicer, Seal Innovations, Sealing Solutions, SpecFast, Walterscheid and WebsterBSC. Grant says that while customers have historically been aware of the businesses, they may not have made the connection that they fall under the same organisation.

“We can now have discussions with our customers about other areas we can help them with. For example, in an agricultural application where we’ve traditionally supplied bearings or power transmission products, we can now offer hydraulics, specialty plastics, sealing solutions, a whole gamut of products and services that they may not have realised we had,” he elaborated. “We also have a clear line of sight on our supply chain, which enables us to work with our customers on delivering what they need. For agriculture this means we can help ensure they’ve got supply of spares for harvesting equipment, which has been critical for bumper cropping seasons.

manmonthly.com.au

The move to ‘One Motion’ will enhance and strengthen our supply chain even further.”

Russell Randal, who is the national business development manager for Agriculture at Motion Australia, is enthusiastic about how the transition to ‘One Motion’ will make life easier for his farming customers.

“It will open up a lot of opportunities in terms of a widening of product range, but also being able to leverage our supply chain will bring benefits to customers, such as shorter lead times on parts and spares,” said Russell, who is based in the Agricultural heartland, Wagga Wagga. “The challenge for farmers is that they need all hands in the field during harvest times. Offering a onestop shop and trimming down the time spent locating the parts they need, is a big help.”

The Wagga Wagga branch in New South Wales already serves as an agricultural hub for the Riverina region where farming businesses come to as a ‘destination’ for all their equipment parts and maintenance needs. Russell believes this will be exemplified in other branches around the country under the one Motion Australia.

“We are able to offer specialised products and services in all these different streams of business, and for agricultural customers, it’s also having confidence that the quality of product is there and available, and is backed up by 24/7 service, which is what we do,” he explained. “Having all these businesses consolidated under one just makes it easier for customers, as they can get everything they need under the one roof. This will be accentuated in many of the branches around Australia now – customers will have access to these full-service hubs under ‘One Motion’.”

Leon Stefanec, the national

Motion Australia’s acquisitions serve to increase access to subject matter experts in all of the industrial businesses. business development manager for Food and Beverage, said tangible benefits such as reduced costs in administration can be immediately realised by customers.

“The reduced cost of having one purchase order is a clear accounting benefit for our existing customers, who have previously had to have multiple purchase orders to conduct transactions with the various businesses,” he noted. “Additionally, customers will now have access to subject matter experts in all these industrial businesses, so they’re not just dealing with one person, they have a whole team behind them able to provide technical expertise – this will be a huge benefit.”

According to Leon, the new business model will put Motion Australia in a unique position.

“What this move means to our customers is that we will be a truly national supplier for mechanical and drive solutions, flow technologies and industrial and engineering support products, the likes of which has never been seen in Australia before,” he said. “What we can offer is priceless because it’s not just the supply of product, it’s the knowledge and technical expertise that come with those products, as well as a whole host of engineering capabilities. We can custom-make or reverse engineer products, and we can also provide workshops for product maintenance

training, which is particularly useful for companies in the Food and Beverage industries where there is a skills gap and labour shortages.”

Moreover, Grant says the move will benefit Motion Australia’s partners, which in turn, will prove advantageous to customers.

“Our Strategic Suppliers have been operating predominantly through our Industrial Solutions business streams, however now they have access and a high level of engagement across all the Motion businesses, which means extended coverage across all Australian branches,” he explains. “Not only does this open up opportunities for our strategic suppliers in terms of increased customer exposure to their products, but it also gives our customers wider accessibility to different products too.”

To summarise, Grant reiterates that the move to streamline the business model will serve to improve and enhance Motion Australia’s value proposition to customers.

“It’s important to note that we will not lose any of the strength of our brands and what they stand for, and one of those core strengths is the ability to be nimble and respond to customer requests and requirements swiftly,” he says. “This move will not change that, but instead build on that foundation and increase our ability to deliver what our customers need, when they need it.”

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 55

, D E E N U T. O Y E R R E ER N. V E F O T N A O H IS H W D IT RC A N I E F ES TH

RELY ON AUSTRALIA’S MANUFACTURING, MINING AND INDUSTRIAL HUB 70,000 monthly users can’t be wrong. Find what you’re looking for with over 12,000 business listings and 8,000 specific product listings. Access relevant information and resources, empowering you to make a qualified purchase decision. You can always rely on your industry hub.

F E R R E T.C O M . AU

FERRET GROUP OF WEBSITES

MHD Supply Chain Solutions

Brought to you by

What’sNew

Wide temperature industrial computer with 8th/9th Generation Intel Core i processor Interworld Electronics has released the BOXER-6641-PRO multi-core embedded controller from Aaeon. The unique fanless “Graphene” heat sink chassis design of the BOXER-6641-PRO ensures an unprecedented operating temperature range of -40°C to 70°C and features eighth generation Intel® Core™ i socket type processors, extensive I/O support, compact size and robust construction to provide users with unmatched flexibility and performance.

Two BOXER-6641-PRO Models are available. The BOXER-6641-A1 is based on the Intel® H310 while the BOXER-6641-A2 is based on the C246 chipset. Both models provide a state-of-the-art multi-core embedded platform with support for 8th/9th Generation Intel® Core™ i9-9900T, i7-9700TE, i7-8700T, i5-8500T and i3-8100T processors. The BOXER-6641-PRO is equipped with two SODIMM sockets supporting up to 64GB ECC or non-ECC DDR4-2666 system memory, four Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet connectors and six RS- RS-232/422/485 ports. The BOXER-6641-A1 provides four USB 3.2 ports and four USB 2.0 ports while the BOXER-6641-A2 provides eight USB 3.2 ports. The BOXER-6641-PRO includes an Intel HD graphics engine which supports high resolution displays and features two HDMI outputs.

Features Include: • Wide Operating Temperature Range -40°C to 70°C • Extreme Computing Power & Graphic Display Capability • Desktop Grade Socket Type Core™ - i3/i5/i7 (CPU TDP 35W) • Up to 62GB DDR4 ECC or Non-ECC SODIMM • Supports RAID 0/1 (A2 Model) • 4x Intel® GbE LAN (i211 x 3 + i219 x 1) • 2x HDMI Dual Display • 8x USB 3.2 (A2 Model) or 4x USB 3.2, 4x USB 2.0 (A1 Model)

• 6x BIOS Selectable RS-232/422/485 Com Ports • Wide Range DC 10~35V Input Two 2.5” SATA HD/SSD drives can be internally mounted for operating system and data storage. In addition, the BOXER-6641-A2 offers RAID 0/1 support.

Other features include support for audio Line-out and Mic-in, a power button and reset button as well as a remote power switch connector. System expansion is possible via two full size Mini-PCIe slots.

The BOXER-6641-PRO can be powered from a 10~35V DC source. An optional 240VAC power pack is also available.

Company: Interworld Electronics Phone: (03) 9593 7555 Web: www.ieci.com.au/products

Security roller doors for Jaycar in Brisbane The Australian Trellis Door Co. (ATDC) have completed another successful security roller door installation for Jaycar at Toowoomba near Brisbane.

Finished in a Deep Ocean powdercoat to match Jaycar’s corporate colours, these heavy duty aluminium RS3 model roller doors are electrically operated with key switch operation and have a UPS battery back-up facility in the event of a power failure.

Extra security is provided by the RS3’s double walled extruded aluminium curtain profile.

For further information on ATDC’s full range of security roller doors, please visit their website or contact them on their toll free number, below.

Company: The Australian Trellis Door Co. Phone: 1800 657 435 Web: www.trellisdoors.com.au

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 57

Brought to you by

O2I500 multicode reader ifm’s O2I500 multicode reader is simple to use like a sensor, and reliably detects 1D and 2D codes. It delivers reliable reading results even in extremely difficult conditions, reading up to four different codes in milliseconds which ensures efficient, and high-quality production. Thanks to the one-button teach function and the viewfinder, it makes the product immediately ready for use, saving time and costs. In addition to this, the O2I500 can be configured via an app or using the award-winning Vision Assistant software. The device has an exchangeable ifm memory stick, which can be used to save or load complete configurations of the multicode reader. This simplifies device replacement and the set-up of several units for the same application. The integrated optional illumination with polarisation filter, ensures sufficient contrasts to reliably detect codes even in the case of shiny surfaces such as metal. The ifm O2I500 multicode reader combines robustness, compelling design, and intuitive handling.

Company: ifm efector Phone: 1300 365 088 Web: www.ifm.com/au/en

ICP Electronics Australia MDCL-705i Modbus Data Concentrator with Ethernet ICP Australia is proud to introduce ICP DAS’s MDCL-705i Modbus Data Concentrator with Ethernet, RS-485 Serial Ports, and Data Logger.

The MDCL-705i is used to collect and store data from multiple Modbus slave devices over the serial communication interface and make the data available

to the back-end management system via Ethernet communication. In this way, conventional devices can be attached to a modern control system and through the Modbus TCP protocol easily communicate with most SCADA/HMI systems and PLCs. Thus, the management system can poll the MDCL-705i for the data from several Modbus devices at once; making the process much more efficient.

The MDCL-705i can help you build a cost-effective data acquisition solution for reading real-time data from meters, sensors, and more. The ability to integrate with SCADA systems and other industrial devices and the reliable real-time data collection in combination with the data logger makes MDCL-705i one of the most cost-effective products of IIoT. Key features: • Support Modbus Master/Slave; • Supports up to eight Simultaneous Modbus TCP Connections; • Up to 250 Sets of Modbus RTU Commands and Built-in 9600 Modbus Data Registers; • Support CSV (Comma-Separated Values) File Configuration, easy to use and maintain; • Built-in MicroSD Memory Card for Storing Modbus Data Records; • Each Data can contain 120 Parameters; • The Data Record can support the Ratio Conversion Function, which converts the Original Modbus Data into actual Engineering Units; and • Isolated RS-485 with 2500 VDC Isolation Voltage Protection.

Company: ICP Electronics Australia Phone: (02) 9457 6011 Web: www.icp-australia.com.au

58 APRIL 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

What’sNew Australian-made bollards by Bollards Direct As a well established brand, Bollards Direct is one of the largest “Australian Made” suppliers of key-lock bollards and permanent ram/secure bollards in the country.

After being acquired by the experienced G&G Engineering last year, the company manufactures its bollards in Melton, Victoria, which are channelled through G&G’s distributors in every state.

BD90STD: - 90mm Diameter – 4mm Wall - 930mm Height - Weight: 9.8 kgs The BD90STD is designed for RESIDENTIAL USE to protect Garages, Driveways, Carports and similar areas.

• Double locking cam system with internal mechanism.

• Galvanised steel tube.

• Stainless steel internal components to prevent corrosion to all locking and moving parts.

• Can be keyed alike.

• Standard colours are Yellow or Black.

• Round handle which is gentle on the hands.

• 2 keys supplied per bollard.

Options: • Bollard Sleeve, Cap & Storage Holder are available as Spare Parts • Can powder coat special colours.

• Can weld on attachments.

• Can custom manufacture to your requirements.

Company: Bollards Direct Phone: 0413 606 456 Web: www.bollardsdirect.net.au

Mouser Electronics now shipping Skyworks Solutions SKY6803111 Multi-Band RF IoT front-end module Mouser Electronics, the industry’s leading New Product Introduction (NPI) distributor with the widest selection of semiconductors and electronic components, is now stocking the SKY68031-11 multi-band RF IoT front-end module from Skyworks Solutions. The low-profile module supports LTE-M and

NB-IoT transceiver platforms, offering output power up to +23.5 dBm optimised to support LTE for 1 RB to 6 RB. The Skyworks Solutions SKY68031-11 module, available from Mouser, integrates the entire RF front end necessary for an LTE multi-band radio operating in low-band (5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 85) and mid-band (1, 2, 3, 4, 25, 39, 66, 70) frequencies. This feature includes a broadband power amplifier (PA) with bias controller, transmit low-pass harmonic filter, antenna switch, and MIPI RFFE controller.

The module’s PA load-line is optimized for high efficiency while simultaneously meeting 3GPP ACLR, and emissions mask specifications with LTE up to 6 RB. The integrated low-pass filter rejects the PA and transceiver harmonics while at the same time minimising any post-PA loss for an optimised transmit current consumption. Out-of-band emissions performance is emphasised by the design to be 3GPP-compliant for low-band and mid-band frequencies.

Company: Mouser Electronics Phone: (852) 3756 4700 Web: www.mouser.com/new/skyworks-solutions

manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly APRIL 2022 59

WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN A MILLION RADAR SENSORS? ONE MILLION SATISFIED CUSTOMERS. After 30 very successful years in radar measurement technology and 1 million sensors sold, an exciting new chapter is about to begin. Watch this space, so you don’t miss out as we write the next pages in this best-selling story.

www.vega.com/radar