Manufacturers’ Monthly September 2018

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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JAR Aerospace: Setting the perfect example

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Endeavour Awards 2018: Winners edition

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Behind the cover The manufacturing sector is going strong, with July marking the 22nd month of consecutive growth for the sector, according to the Australian Industry Group’s Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI).

But, the rules of the game are changing for manufacturers as disruptive technologies penetrate each and every aspect of the business. One of the best ways for manufacturers to keep up with the advancements in technology and to benefit from the new possibilities is to collaborate with research organisations to help them turn their innovative ideas into a reality.

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth

Centre (AMGC) invited manufacturers to participate in a symposium at the New South Wales University (UNSW) in Sydney on 4 July to learn about the collaboration opportunities.

This issue of Manufacturers’ Monthly brings insights from the lessons shared at the AMGC event. We also take a closer look at the capabilities that exist within the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC) centre at UNSW. We also get up-close-and-personal with JAR Aerospace, a young company that is setting an example for growth through collaboration.

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Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 3

Comment

SYED SHAH – Managing Editor, Manufacturers’ Monthly

Collaboration in research paying off for industry professionals

O

VER the past two decades, manufacturing in Australia has gone through many peaks and troughs.

With the automotive industry officially gone, and competition from cheap overseas labour, plus a range of incentives from the same governments, it is hard for Australia to compete. But we have to be competitive. Instead of struggling with costs we can’t control, we have to be smarter.

This was pointed out recently at an event held by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The AMGC’s Michael Sharpe offered up the centre as a prime example of where advantage could come from – collaboration between research and manufacturing enterprises.

4 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Sharpe points that Australia has an advantage via advanced technologies and business models, partially because we have tertiary institutions that are well funded so they can develop new technologies and products. And it is in this spirit that Sharpe was talking when he mentioned there are opportunities for manufacturers and research institutions to start collaborating.

These collaborations will give Australia an advantage over some of its off-shore competitors who don’t have the budgets for such intricate research and development.

A prime example of this is JAR Aerospace’s collaboration with the UNSW. The company was started 20 months ago by four drone enthusiasts and has now grown to a team of 29 who have two hubs – one in south Sydney and the other at

I would like to congratulate all the winners of the Endeavour Awards 2018, that were held in July in Melbourne. the university. While the company initially specialised in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), it has a much larger ambition – to play a major role in Australia’s fledging space industry. And it is this kind of ambition that excites both the company and the university. The university gets the benefit of a bunch of enthusiastic entrepreneurs, who are driven to make a successful company, while the business gets the payoff of having some of the best minds in the country help them solve intricate problems.

Speaking of innovation, I must mention the Digitalize Conference that was held at the beginning of August. Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) have both been bandied around quite heavily in the Australian manufacturing space over the past 18 months.

A main point to come out of the conference is that one of the main advantages of Industry 4.0 is that manufacturers will be able to produce products at the point where they are consumed. This means less costs with transport and logistics. Something worth thinking about as additive manufacturing/3D printing starts kicking in and economies of scale become more affordable for even small manufacturers.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all the winners of the Endeavour Awards 2018, that were held in July in Melbourne. It was a great night, and once again highlighted how much the industry is full of companies and people with a passion for their various fields of expertise.

Whether it was Robo Helix who won the Outstanding StartUp Award, or REDARC, who was celebrated as Exporter of the Year, or Manufacturer of the Year, BOC, they all deserved their spot in the sun, as did all the winners and nominees. It was also a great place to network and catch up with old friends and make new ones.

Bearing in mind what I said at the top of this piece, it will be interesting to see what next year’s entrants will be bringing to the table with regard to innovations and products.

Have a great month. manmonthly.com.au

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News@MM Siemens, Swinburne University launch cloud-based IIoT centre

Siemens and Swinburne launch MindSphere Centre.

Siemens, in partnership with the Swinburne University, has launched an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) demonstration and application centre, called MindSphere.

Housed in the Swinburne University of Technology’s Factory of the Future, the centre will enable students, academics and industry partners to collaborate and co-create local and

6 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

global projects on the cloud-based platform.

Siemens’ MindSphere already has over one million connected devices and systems worldwide. Eight founding partners have signed agreement to become MindSphere Foundation Partners.

Jeff Connolly, Chairman and CEO of Siemens Australia said the partnership is the first-of-its-kind industry-university partnership for MindSphere in Australia and is an extension of Siemens’ $135 million product lifecycle management (PLM) industrial software grant to Swinburne University announced last year.

“Data is being described as the oil of the 21st century. 90 per cent of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years and 5.5 million new ‘things’ get connected every day. However, the value is in

being able to refine that crude data and turning it into usable business information. This requires sophisticated platforms that simplify and enable the process. It also requires skilled people coming through the system – which is what this facility and the partnership is all about,” said Connolly.

“The centre will facilitate the creation of applications in advanced manufacturing, smart cities and transport, health and other areas.

This is an important stage in the implementation of our Industry 4.0 Strategy,” Swinburne’s Deputy Vice Chancellor – Research and Development, Professor Aleksandar Subic said.

“The centre will demonstrate in action the value of partnerships between industry and the education sector by driving innovation and positive transformation. The access

to MindSphere at our Factory of the Future will help demonstrate the Industry 4.0 facility as a whole – a fully integrated, connected and fully operational learning factory – the first of its kind in Australia and this part of the world,” added Professor Subic.

Michael Freyny, head of Digital Factory and Process Industries for Siemens Australia and New Zealand, said MindSphere will play a critical role in Siemens customers’ digitalisation journey.

“The centre will enable our customers across various sectors to explore data-driven business models.

Following successful use cases and applications in China, Germany, USA and other parts of the world, Australia can now connect industry to the digital world of IIoT and create powerful industry applications and digital services.”

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News@MM CSIRO technology ignites fuel cell car potential Australia has moved a step closer to becoming a world renewable energy superpower, thanks to the revolutionary membrane technology developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) that allows the separation of ultra-high purity hydrogen from ammonia.

Australian scientists have managed to overcome one of the biggest obstacles in the hydrogen fuel industry – safe transport and storage.

CSIRO’s membrane technology allows bulk hydrogen to be transported in the form of ammonia (using existing infrastructure) and then reconverted to hydrogen at the point of use.

The technology drastically simplifies the currently complex and expensive process of hydrogen transportation and storage, allowing for in situ production of hydrogen fuel.

To test the breakthrough Projekt3 28.06.18 13:39 Seite 1

8 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

achievement and prove the effectiveness of CSIRO’s membrane technology, CSIRO’s scientists successfully refuelled two cars in Brisbane with hydrogen derived from ammonia.

The first to take the wheel in the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo vehicles that were powered by ultrahigh purity hydrogen was CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall.

“This is a watershed moment for energy, and we look forward to applying CSIRO innovation to enable this exciting renewably-sourced fuel and energy storage medium a smoother path to market,” Dr Marshall said.

“I’m delighted to see strong collaboration and the application of CSIRO know-how to what is a key part of the overall energy mix.”

CSIRO has partnered with industrial gas multinational BOC to work on the project that received $1.7 million

CSIRO’s scientists successfully refuelled two cars with hydrogen derived from ammonia.

from Australia’s Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF). The amount was matched by CSIRO. “BOC’s innovative engineering team are proud to be collaborating with CSIRO researchers on this technology breakthrough, as we focus on advancing the hydrogen economy and global transition towards clean hydrogen for mobility and energy,” said BOC sales and marketing director Bruce Currie.

CSIRO now plans to increase the

technology in scale and conduct other larger-scale demonstrations both in Australia and abroad.

In addition to its membrane technology, CSIRO is applying its expertise to all stages of the hydrogen technology chain (including solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, grid management, water electrolysis, ammonia synthesis, direct ammonia utilisation via combustion and/or fuel cells, as well as hydrogen production).

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News@MM Quickstep, Chemring involvement in F-35 production increased Chemring Australia and Quickstep have secured funding for product development and cost reduction initiatives for F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) countermeasure flares.

Chemring Australia, a leading pyrotechnic and countermeasures developer, manufacturer and supplier, received a $1.2 million Local Industry Fund for Transition (LIFT) grant from the Victorian government to expand and modernise its already highly advanced manufacturing facility in Lara and create 40 new jobs.

Victoria’s minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll visited Chemring Australia to announce the $1.2 million Local Industry Fund for Transition (LIFT) grant to help the company embark on a massive expansion.

The expanded facility will develop and commission new advanced manufacturing technology for the production and testing of JSF countermeasure flares, capable of countering the threat to the aircraft from ground or air launched infraredguided missiles.

“We’re making sure manufacturing has a strong future in Victoria. With companies like Chemring Australia at the forefront of their field – that future is bright,” Minister Carroll said.

Quickstep, Australia’s leading independent manufacturer of advanced carbon fibre composite components, received a $1 million grant from the New Air Combat Capability – Industry Support Program to establish world-class advanced manufacturing capabilities

for production of F-35 countermeasure flare housings, which will then be supplied to Chemring.

Already a key supplier into the global F-35 Program, the company will also commission additional advanced manufacturing processes and technologies at Bankstown, extending its capability to support the F-35 Program and other defence and aerospace projects.

Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne congratulated the two companies on securing funding for work on the world’s largest military aerospace program.

“Chemring and Quickstep are excellent examples of leading-edge Australian companies succeeding in winning work in international supply chains,” Minister Pyne said.

“This initiative will position Australian industry to take advantage of emerging opportunities to supply countermeasures to the burgeoning F-35 market and beyond.”

“Chemring and Quickstep have both invested heavily in this initiative, and have also received funding from the United States F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office.”

The F‐35 Lightning II Program is the world’s largest military aerospace program. More than 50 Australian companies have directly shared in more than $1 billion in global F-35 production contracts to date, and small and unique Australian businesses have the opportunity to benefit indirectly through supply chain work.

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News@MM Baraja launches new LiDAR scanner for driver-less cars Sydney-based startup, Baraja, is offering a solution to autonomous car manufacturers, that the company says solves the scalability, reliability, and performance issues they have faced in the past.

Baraja’s Spectrum-Scan LiDAR (light detection and ranging) uses prism-like optics and shifting wavelengths of light to create powerful eyes for autonomous vehicles.

Traditional LiDAR scans the roadway by physically rotating lasers or using moving mirrors to steer the light using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). These moving parts have unresolved reliability problems in vehicles due to constant vibration and shock. Delicate components fail or require costly over-engineering to house and protect.

These legacy scanning methods inject cost, reliability and performance issues, and contribute to the unwieldy appearance and vehicle integration difficulties of existing LiDAR solutions. These limitations

have become a serious bottleneck to the mass deployment of selfdriving cars.

Baraja’s compact, modular “eyes” connect via fibre optics and deliver the high level of performance demanded by the autonomous vehicle industry using off-the-shelf components—like optical-grade silica-glass found in every smartphone camera and telecom-grade lasers that power the internet. These components maximise automotive reliability and the ability to mass produce the technology for fleets while enabling long-term cost benefits.

Baraja, which only came out of stealth mode last week, borrows its unique LiDAR technology from the telecom industry, the company’s cofounder and CTO Cibby Pulikkaseril explained to Manufacturers’ Monthly.

Pulikkaseril and Baraja CEO and co-founder Federico Collarte met while developing multicolour lasers at an optics company in Sydney.

These lasers are used for wavelengthdivision multiplexing, which enables

Baraja’s Spectrum-Scan LiDAR uses prism-like optics and shifting wavelengths of light to create powerful eyes for autonomous vehicles.

telecommunications companies to send or receive multiple colours of light on a single fibre-optic cable—the more bandwidth the better.

Pulikkaseril said the technology is ground-breaking for driverless vehicles. “The laser we are using comes from the teelcom industry. Noone had ever used it for LiDAR. Every time I go to San Francisco, no body in the US can believe that the winning strategy could actually come from Australia,” Pulikkaseril said.

Pulikkaseril and Collarte raised money in 2016 and rented labs at

CSIRO Lindfield, where they put together a team. to make some prototypes.

“We have now successfully made a product that the customers are very excited about and they want to integrate it into their cars,” said Pulikkaseril.

“We expect that within five years, we will see cars on the street that have our LiDAR,” he said.

Baraja is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in San Francisco and China. The company is currently expanding throughout Asia and Europe.

New collaboration to bridge the tech skills gap TAFE Digital, Australia’s largest online education provider, and Ribit.net, a student jobs-matching platform, which is part of CSIRO’s Data61 have announced a collaboration that will help connect TAFE Digital students to Australian startups and innovative companies offering jobs and work experience in emerging areas such as big data analytics, cybersecurity, fintech, medtech and artificial intelligence.

The Ribit platform made accessible to TAFE Digital students will connect employers with student talent with skills in cyber security, AI and machine learning, information networking, website development, database design, business and data analytics.

Demand for roles involving data science, data analytics and big data is high while the talent

12 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

supply is low. In Australia, 90 per cent of respondents to an Institute of Analytics Professionals of Australia poll found recruiting for these roles more difficult than prior years, despite organisations paying nearly twice the median Australian salary for professionals with these skills.

“VET students who undertake career related work experience during their studies are almost 70 per cent more likely to be employed first year out,” Assistant Minister for Skills, Adam John Marshall said.

“The agreement between TAFE Digital and Ribit.net is an important collaboration that will see NSW lead the charge in skilling up students for tomorrow’s jobs,” Marshall said.

The agreement between the two organisations will involve

inviting students to join the Ribit network, giving them exposure to thousands of companies looking for tech talent around Australia, and provide the opportunity for students to attend targeted events per year, which introduce them with companies that are investing in data-driven talent.

“We have thousands of students looking to gain experience in their chosen field of study. Through this collaboration TAFE Digital will provide more meaningful connections, and work experience for students in areas where skills demand is the highest such as cyber security and machine learning,” TAFE Digital general manager, Megan Aitken said.

“TAFE Digital provides indemand education to students looking to work in high-growth areas. Ribit connects them to

these businesses via a matching algorithm. One of our goals as an organisation is to support STEM careers across the nation, and we are pleased to launch this partnership by opening up more opportunities for students with TAFE Digital in NSW through the Ribit platform,” CSIRO’s Data61 CEO, Adrian Turner said.

The Ribit platform made accessible to TAFE Digital students will connect employers with student talent.

manmonthly.com.au

News@MM

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Australia (RMMVA) will deliver 1,044 high mobility logistics trucks, 872 modules and 812 trailers, worth $1.4 billion, to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the Commonwealth’s LAND 121 Phase 5B program.

RMMVA will partner with a range of Australia-based companies like Varley in Newcastle, Holmwood Highgate in Brisbane, and ECLIPS in the ACT to supply the modules and trailers, with Haulmark Trailers Australia to manufacture and sustain the trailers for the project.

Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne said that while the trucks themselves would be manufactured on an existing production line in Austria, Australian industry would play a vital role in the project.

“LAND 121 Phase 5B will sustain over 100 jobs with Haulmark in Brisbane, as well as over 100 more

Picture credit: Defence

ADF orders over 1000 additional trucks from Rheinmetall

with Rheinmetall, its subcontractors and supply chain across Australia,” the Minister said.

“This project presents an exciting opportunity for Australian industry to continue delivery of new-generation capability in support of the ADF. “Australian industry involvement is in the order of half a billion dollars for acquisition, with ongoing

One of the Land 121 3B Rheinmetall MAN vehicles during testing.

sustainment being carried out

by Australian or Australia-based companies.”

The project is an extension of the current LAND 121 Phase 3B program under which RMMVA is delivering protected and unprotected military logistic trucks and modules from its Brisbane-based integration facility.

The new modern trucks will be

used for a broad range of military contingencies, from resupplying combat operations to supporting the ADF’s assistance to Australian and regional communities after natural disasters such as floods, fires and cyclones, RMMVA, which has more than 150 employees in four locations in Australia, said it will continue to work with its network of Australian partners and suppliers to provide a high quality logistics backbone for the ADF. “Australian content is a critical part of the Project LAND 121 Phase 5B program, and will see the involvement of SMEs from across Queensland, NSW, South Australia and Victoria,” said Marco Van Lieshout, the chief operations officer of Rheinmetall’s Australian business.

According to the company, deliveries will start in 2019 and will run to 2024.

CSIRO: Australia could lead lithium-ion battery recycling Australia recycles only about two per cent of the lithium-ion battery produced annualy.

As the demand for energy storage systems and batteries grows, so too does the amount of lithium-ion battery waste. Australia alone produces about 3,300 tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste annually, of which only about two per cent is recycled.

The statistics is part of a new report by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), titled “Lithium battery recycling in Australia”, which says Australia could lead the world in the re-use and recycling of lithium-ion batteries, addressing this waste which is manmonthly.com.au

growing by 20 per cent each year.

To paint a picture of the challenge, the report states that if recycled, 95 per cent of waste components of lithiumion batteries could be turned into new batteries or used in other industries.

By comparison, of the 150,000 tonnes of lead-acid batteries sold in 2010, 98 per cent were recycled.

The majority of Australia’s battery waste is shipped overseas, and the waste that remains left in landfill, leading to a potential fires and environmental contamination.

The report addresses growing demand for lithium-ion technology, currently used in vast quantities in electronic and household devices.

Low battery recycling rates can be overcome through better understanding of the importance of recycling, improved collection processes, and by implementing ways to efficiently recycle materials.

The report also says that an effective recycling industry could also stabilise

global lithium supplies to meet consumer demand.

CSIRO research is supporting recycling efforts, with research underway on processes for recovery of metals and materials, development of new battery materials, and support for the circular economy around battery reuse and recycling.

“As a world leader in the adoption of solar and battery systems, we must responsibly manage our use of lithiumion technology in support of our clean energy future; CSIRO has set out a pathway to do this,” CSIRO battery research leader Dr Anand Bhatt said.

“The value for Australia is threefold. We can draw additional value from existing materials, minimise impact on our environment, and also catalyse a new industry in lithium-ion re-use/ recycling.”

Bhatt and his team are working with industry to develop processes that can support the transition to domestic recycling of lithium-ion batteries.

“The development of processes to effectively and efficiently recycle these batteries can generate a new industry in Australia. Further, effective recycling of lithium batteries can offset the current concerns around lithium security,” Bhatt said.

Australian Battery Recycling Initiative CEO Libby Chaplin said the report came at a critical time.

“Currently we are racing towards a world where lithium batteries are a very big part of our energy supply, yet we have some real work to do to ensure we are able to recycle the end product once it has reached its use by date,” Chaplin said.

“The CSIRO report provides critical information at an opportune time given the discussions around how to shape a product stewardship scheme for the energy storage sector.”

The report also found that research, government and industry must work closely to develop standards and bestpractice solutions to this issue.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 13

Issues &INSIGHTS Working together to grow manufacturing The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) is inviting Australian manufacturers to take advantage of the capabilities within universities to create new opportunities for research and development.

T

HE terms of success in the manufacturing sector are changing, and according to Michael Sharpe, the AMGC NSW/ACT State Director, the new space means new opportunities for Australian manufacturers.

“The manufacturing sector is undergoing a revolution, both here and around the world. The new space has created opportunities for manufacturers to differentiate themselves with the help of ideas that are bold, original and smart,”

Sharpe told a crowd of around 250 manufacturers, industry experts and academics at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney.

The event, titled “Path to advanced manufacturing,” was organised by AMGC on 4 July to discuss the emerging trends in manufacturing and demonstrate the potential for collaboration between manufacturers and research organisations.

As part of the program SME businesses including Tradiebot,

Rotacaster and JAR Aerospace shared their experience of collaborating with universities.

Professor Gangadhara Prusty, director of UNSW’s ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC) and Professor Veena Sahajwalla, director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) at UNSW both introduced the capabilities within their research laboratories and guided the participants on a tour of

their respective facilities at UNSW. Behrang Poorganji, GE Additive’s Materials Development LeaderUSA delivered a keynote speech and presentation about the latest developments in additive manufacturing techniques and materials.

“The idea of today is to show collaboration in action,” Sharpe told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“Companies like Tradiebot, Rotacastor and JAR Aerospace are at the frontline of showing how

The event was organised by AMGC to discuss the emerging trends in manufacturing and demonstrate the potential for collaboration between manufacturers and research organisations.

14 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

Issues&INSIGHTS collaborations can be a powerful tool for competing at global markets,” he said.

Professor Gangadhara Prusty, director of UNSW’s ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC) talked about the centre’s capabilities.

Shifting the focus Sharpe said for Australian manufacturers to be able to compete in global markets, they need to shift their focus from simply manufacturing goods to creating value, both in preand post-production phases.

“Our nation’s strength once lay in manufacturing finished goods such as household appliances and cars. Today most of these traditional production activities are being outsourced to lower-wage countries. However, opportunities are being presented where we can re-shore a number of these activities with the help of advanced technology and advanced business models,” Sharpe said.

He used the “smiley curve” diagram to show how value is shifting from traditional production phase to early stage research and development and design and post-production activities such as logistics, packaging, sales and customer service.

“Manufacturing today is different from 50, 20 and even 10 years ago.

Manufacturing no longer simply equals production. For Australian manufacturers to be successful we must focus on the activities before and after the actual production.

On the sales aspect, our research shows that 40 per cent of Australian manufacturers do not even have a website. 60 per cent of those that do have a website are not up-to-date with the latest news and updates,” he said.

He noted that Australian businesses could use the digital transformation of businesses to their advantage, as the geographical barriers fade away.

“The new space allows manufacturers to integrate digital technology into their operations.

As more and more functions can be performed from anywhere in the world, it also makes Australia’s geographic distance from the world market less relevant,” Sharpe said.

He also pointed out that manufacturing is no longer about delivering whole products.

“Today’s advanced manufacturers feed components, services and manmonthly.com.au

solutions into the global network. In fact intermediate goods now account for more than 80 per cent of the global trade. Australia’s share in that trade is only one per cent.

“A good example is Australia’s automotive sector. Companies like Ford, Holden and Toyota are retaining significant domestic skill capacity in areas such as engineering, design and research even as their assembly lines have moved off-shore,” Sharpe said.

The collaborative models Mario Dimovski, founder of Tradiebot Industries, talked about his journey from running a traditional automotive repair company to establishing a technology platform and automated solutions company.

Dimovski has been in the automotive repair industry for more than 25 years, starting out as a 16-year-old plastic repair welder.

But, the shortfall of skilled workforce in his industry encouraged him to launch Tradiebot.

Established only about six months ago, Tradiebot is already working on a number of major projects focused on automated automotive repair and workforce up-skilling.

“We have teamed up with three separate universities – Swinburne, UNSW and Deakin University – to work on three separate projects, all of which involve smart technologies including robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR),” Dimovski said

“The collaborative model has worked very well for us. Some of our industry partners are also the end users of our technology. In a way, we are building our solutions around the needs of our collaborative partners. So, we have done things the opposite way, working for with them and developing for them,” Dimovski said.

Another case study was presented

by Peter McKinnon, managing director of Rotacaster, whose company designs and manufactures Omniwheels – multi-purpose, omnidirectional wheels produced through injection-moulding into a web-like structure.

A Newcastle based company established in 2005, Rotacaster is currently working on a collaborative project to design a “smart factory” conveyor table and digital control system for Tesla at its Gigafactory battery plant in Sparks, Nevada.

Rotacaster is working to achieve a shift from large production-centric manufacturing to customised, smart and competitive manufacturing that is backed by collaborative research and development and highly skilled workers.

Bridging the gap The message from the day was to encourage closer engagement between manufacturers and universities.

The UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian Boyle, noted that the vision is also shared by UNSW. “Engagement is a central pillar of this university’s strategy. From 2016, the UNSW Sydney committed to

double its engagement with industry in five years, as a means to ensure our research has an impact on society.

We are on track with that objective and we have an annualised growth of 20 per cent in our engagement with industry,” he said.

Michael Sharpe explained to Manufacturers’ Monthly that AMGC is working closely with other organisations such as the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC) and Austrade in its efforts to engage with more manufacturers across the nation as well as to create export opportunities for local manufacturers.

“Our membership is growing daily.

The ability to connect our members from various sectors has proven itself to be very effective. There are many companies present here today that did not know each other before – even though they were located only a few blocks away. Through AMGC they learned about each other’s activities and started collaborating,” he told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

IMCRC funding R&D for manufacturers To wrap up the program, David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of IMCRC, gave the manufacturers an overview of IMCRC’s research and development fund for manufacturers and encouraged them to take benefit from it.

“Hopefully the conversation about collaboration and R&D between companies and universities has whetted your appetite. I want to tell you about the largest R&D fund currently available in Australia for manufacturers, to access if you want to do R&D in a collaborative environment with a university,” he said.

The IMCRC is a not-for-profit, independent cooperative research centre that helps Australian manufacturing companies increase their relevance through collaborative, market-driven research in business models, products, processes, and services.

Chuter noted that out of the $30 million Commonwealth fund available to IMCRC to spend before 2022, $17 million has already been allocated to collaborative projects, leaving another Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 15

Issues &INSIGHTS $13 million for companies planning to engage in R&D with universities or the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

“The $17 million has been assigned in co-fund 17 industry projects. So, we have invested an average of about one million dollar per company. We can fund as high as $3 million per company and as low as $150,000.

This means that $150,000 of your cash is matched with a $150,000 of Commonwealth cash to create $300,000 that can be used for doing research with universities or CSIRO,” he explained.

He clarified some points about the types of projects that IMCRC funds.

“The difference between our program and some programs that AMGC or The Entrepreneurs’ Programme run is that while those programs are designed for shorter, industry-based research projects, we focus on projects that require between 18 months to four years to conduct the R&D and get the product to the market, ” he explained.

“Another key thing for us is about driving real-world outcomes. What is the focus of your research and what results you are hoping to achieve. We fund ideally from a proof of concept, where you already have a business model. We work with you through that proof of concept until you have a product that is ready for the market,” he said.

Professor Veena Sahajwalla, director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT), guided the participants on a tour of the facility.

Manufacturing is not dead In a conversation with Manufacturers’ Monthly, Chuter noted that the projects funded by IMCRC are a testimony that the manufacturing sector in Australia is thriving.

“More than half of our funding has already been granted and

that has led to about a $100 million of total R&D investments in manufacturing that has been facilitated by IMCRC. So, if anyone says that manufacturing is dead, there are many big investments taking place that show otherwise,” he said.

Chuter also noted that events like

the “Path to advanced manufacturing” are important for bridging the gap between research and industry.

“Events like this help break down some of the existing barriers as the industry is often not aware of what the universities are doing and the universities aren’t always aware of what the industry needs,” he said.

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Issues & INSIGHTS Solving industry challenges through collaboration The ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC) at UNSW Sydney offers unique collaborative opportunities to manufacturers. Tara Hamid spoke to the centre’s director, Professor Gangadhara Prusty, to find out more.

P

ROFESSOR Gangadhara Prusty has one passion: bringing industry and academics together to solve real-world engineering challenges, with the focus on advanced composite materials.

A professor at UNSW Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, he was the driving force behind founding the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC), which launched officially in November last year.

Professor Prusty currently serves as the director of AMAC, where he works closely with industrial partners, UNSW’s PhD students and postdoctoral research fellows around composite material development and research.

The AMAC features world-class facilities for composite material design, analysis, lay-up, curing and testing, all under one roof. But, the centrepiece of the laboratory is the Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) robot – currently the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

The Automated Dynamics manufactured robot platform provides fast, precise and flexible automated composite fabrication. Featuring a 6-axis robot with coordinated spindle, the device integrates computer-aided design, analysis and manufacture of composite components.

“In founding the centre, our objective was to fill the gap for the technologies that were not available in Australia. After extensive research and investigating across multiple countries, we realised there was no Automated Fibre Placement capability in Australia, or anywhere in the southern hemisphere,” Prusty told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

The centre partners with the Australian National University (ANU), led by AMAC deputy director Professor Paul Compston, and the manmonthly.com.au

Technical University of Munich (TUM) led by Professor Klaus Drechsler, as well as nine industry partners. These include national research providers such as the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia Institute of Sports (AIS) and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST Group) to SMEs (Carbonix, AFPT, Omni Tanker and ACS-Australia) and even large OEMs like Ford Motor Company and FEI -Thermo Fisher Scientific.

“The operations for AMAC began in 2017 with a total funding of $6.5 million over five years. AMAC recieved funding from the Australian Research Council, NSW Department of Industry, UNSW, ANU and all partnering organisations,” Prusty said.

A collaborative model “Having those organisations as our industry partners means that if we need any facilities that are available in those organisations, they will help us. For example, if a research student requires specialised facilities available at one of the centre’s partners, access becomes easier,” Prusty said.

Apart from collaborating with the founding partners, Prusty said AMAC is looking to expand its industrial partnerships. The centre has already received extensive interest from multiple parties, such as the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) of India, a constituent of the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, which has now become an industrial affiliate of AMAC. However, AMAC is selective when it comes to choosing industry partners.

“We choose organisations that are willing to share their own research facilities with our students. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, as our PhD students will spend 12 months working with the industry partner at their facilities to understand their challenges. We

The Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) robot is the centrepiece of UNSW’s AMAC laboratory. then work together to develop a scientific approach to tackle those challenges,” Prusty said.

The centre has a more or less similar approach when it comes to dealing with clients that approach the centre to collaborate on industrial projects.

“Our preferred model is the one where we sign a research contract with the industrial client. We negotiate a framework regarding the duration of the project, the desired outcome for the client, and the availability of the resources. We then come to an agreement with them based on those factors,” Prusty explained.

A one-stop shop Being an advanced composite material research hub, the UNSW node of AMAC has all of the facilities required from fabricating to testing of composite materials and structures – a process that Professor Prusty describes as the “make, bake, break.”

The “make” aspect refers to various processes involved in the traditional composite fabrication. These include hand lay-up, compression moulding

and resin transfer moulding.

“The students use the facility to fabricate composite materials of varying specifications. They lay the dry fabric into the moulds layer by layer and infuse them with resins,” explained Prusty, who runs a course on composite materials and structures to the UNSW PG/UG level students.

The “bake” area is dedicated to curing the composite materials, using resin infusion methods, hot-forming and autoclaving. The industrialgrade autoclave can cure composite specimens as big as 1.1 metres in diameter and 1.5 metres long. The autoclave has a maximum working pressure of seven bar and maximum working temperature up to 250°C. The “break” part is where the specimens are tested under mechanical loadings such as bending, tension, compression, impact and fatigue. The test facilities include the equipment capable of testing samples for uni-axial, bi-axial and multiaxial loadings. The base isolated multiaxial test bed is a 16 square metre envelope, featuring four 100kN Instron dynacells, designed to test large Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 17

Issues & INSIGHTS

Professor Gangadhara Prusty, director of the ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC), along with his research group.

components under multi-axial loading.

The high-frequency fatigue test machine is a compact table top servohydraulic dynamic material testing system that can achieve +/-25 kN force capacity and >100 Hz cyclic test frequencies (at lower amplitudes).

The latest addition to the facility is a servohydraulic dynamic test system that provides a combined axial and torsion loading. This is the only system in Australia with a torque capacity of ±1000 N-m.

Digital composite production The most unique feature of the laboratory is the AFP robot, which features a coordinated multiaxis robot and spindle system for maximum control over fibre trajectories and part geometry.

“The AFP eliminates the complexities in traditional composite manufacturing, which involved getting the dry fibres and infusing them with resin. Here, you input the preimpregnated fibres into the machine and it dispenses them in any shape or direction you want, simultaneously applying the necessary pressure and temperature,” Prusty said.

“This is what we call 3D printing of carbon composites. Similar to the typical 3D printers, the AFP lays the composite material layer-bylayer, creating any desired shape,” Prusty said.

The AFP can make composite parts up to 3.0 metres long and 1.1 metre in diameter. The composite part model 18 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

is input using CAD software such as CATIA or Solidworks.

The facility includes a head for laying parallel thermoset preimpregnated composite tows as well as a specialist thermoplastic composite head for in-situ melding (melting and welding) for one-shot part fabrication.

AMAC is currently collaborating with the Maritime Platforms Division of DST Group to develop superefficient composite propellers for large ocean-faring vessels.

The novel shape adaptive propeller uses an exotic property of composites, bend-twist coupling, to achieve efficiency across a range of operating conditions.

“It’s an intelligent propeller, which means it can sense the water loading and tune itself by deflecting and twisting in relation to the water velocity,” Prusty explained.

His group is currently working on a project for development of restorative tooth material using glass fibre.

The Australian Research Council, in collaboration with SDI, a Melbournebased industry partner, has funded the project.

“Normal tooth restoration is usually carried out using amalgam material, which is currently being phased out.

Amalgams will be obsolete in a few years. People are looking at alternate materials and we are at the forefront of that,” Prusty said.

“We are developing a novel restorative dental material that is flowable and packable,” Prusty explained.

Smart monitoring of composite components AMAC is also enabling Australian companies to equip themselves for the fourth industrial revolution by introducing smart monitoring into their manufacturing process. This is a key component of Industry 4.0 that promises to better quality, reduce waste and hence drive down costs. UNSW has developed a novel application for embedded sensor

technologies to monitor the processing conditions during the manufacture of composite components and structural health throughout the life of these components AMAC uses fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) for life-long health monitoring of composite parts, as well as for real-time measurement of conditions during automated fibre placement of laminates.

“While a typical strain gauge can detect quantities such as mechanical or thermal strain on the surface of the composite parts and components, fibre optic sensors carry out the same task from inside and outside the composite laminate, offering very accurate data about the health of the material.

“Fibre optic sensors, having more or less the same size as that of carbon or glass fibres (approximately 125 microns) are embedded inside the carbon fibre composites and remain there. When we pass laser source through the sensors, we can record the refractive index and it enables us to detect structural response due to thermal and mechanical loadings,” Prusty said.

Composites are everywhere While the application of composite material was first realised in the aerospace and automobile industry, Prusty said the composites have now penetrated every single engineering sector.

“The industries are turning towards integration and adaptation of composite material for their lightweight and superior properties,” Prusty said.

One sector where Prusty’s research group is also contributing towards is the development of composite materials for dental restorations.

The UNSW node of AMAC has all of the facilities required for fabricating and testing of composite materials and structures.

manmonthly.com.au

Industry FOCUS Young eyes, mature vision Tech startup, JAR Aerospace, aims to redefine the Australian aerospace industry. To achieve that, it wants to ensure the next generation of Australians share an enthusiasm for advanced manufacturing and aerospace technologies. Tara Hamid reports.

J

AR Aerospace is a skyrocketing startup with aims of simultaneously redefining the Australian aerospace industry and becoming a major figure in the country’s aerospace engineering future.”

That’s how JAR Aerospace defines itself in the “About” section of its website, and going by what the company has achieved in less than two years, the ambition does not seem far-fetched.

It all started out with a group of four drone enthusiasts, Jack Cullen, Sam Lewinson, Lochie Burke and Daniel Moscaritolo, tinkering with some basic drone prototypes in the garage of Cullen’s house on the Central Coast in New South Wales.

After developing some early stage concepts of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) using components that they had purchased off the market and pitching their early MVPs (minimum viable products), the team secured some investments which allowed them to scale development at JAR Aerospace throughout 2017.

Over the past 20 months since its inception, the company has grown to a 29-member team operating in two locations – a research precinct at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and a facility in south Sydney – developing customisable UASs for various commercial applications, with a core focus on the defence industry.

In January 2018, the company won a $275,000 Defence Innovation Hub contract from the Australian Army to develop a hybrid vertical take-off and landing fixed wing unmanned aerial system that will incorporate target tracking, encryption and acoustic sensing and analysis at an extended range.

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20 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Going to space JAR Aerospace’s ambitions do not end with drones. The company’s ultimate goal is to use the knowledge and expertise gained from its UAS development operations to play a key role in the country’s budding space industry, developing small rockets for low-earth orbit operations. The company plans to reach this stage within the next five years.

From a very early stage, JAR Aerospace realised that to achieve its ambitious goals, it would need manpower. But, as it turned out, finding people who shared the same enthusiasm as the founding members was not an easy task.

JAR Aerospace’s solution to the

issue was two fold: the first was to engage with the university students in research and development to bringing them on-board with its industry initiatives.

JAR Aerospace has teamed up with the UNSW’s ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC) on research and development. The majority of JAR Aerospace’s current team members were picked out from UNSW graduates.

The second solution that JAR Aerospace came up with was a quite unique one – and one that shows the company has a long-term vision to help grow the national aerospace sector.

To make sure the workforce

pipeline remains full with aerospace enthusiasts in the years to come, JAR Aerospace has launched an educational branch – named JAR Education – to engage school students with drone science and to create excitement among the younger generation to take up science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) branches as they move to higher education.

JAR Education runs curriculum aligned student and teacher drone programs and workshops in schools, where students get the chance to build, code and fly drones, helping students build an understanding of UAS design, construction, safe operation, programing, systems integration and flight fundamentals.

Lochie Burke, co-founder and chief marketing officer, JAR Aerospace, spoke about the benefits of collaboration at the “Path to advanced manufacturing” symposium at UNSW.

manmonthly.com.au

Industry FOCUS

JAR Education runs curriculum-aligned student and teacher drone programs and workshops in schools.

Manufacturers’ Monthly caught up with Lochie Burke, co-founder and chief marketing officer of JAR Aerospace, to talk about the company’s ambitions in the aerospace industry and its research and educational activities.

MM: What is the nature of your collaborations with UNSW? LB: We are currently operating from a space in the university’s innovation precinct, where our business development staff spend most of their time. It’s an opportunity for our business team to be in a close-knit community with other innovative groups and entrepreneurs. It also allows us to free-up more space in our Carringbah site so that we can focus strictly on rapid prototyping and manufacturing.

We are currently looking to sponsor UNSW’s AMAC centre as we see it as an opportunity to give back to a university that has played such a pivotal role in our development. We would like to help the university, mainly by giving the students insight into the commercial aspects of our manmonthly.com.au

work and sharing with them the methods that we’ve implemented.

Working in a close collaboration with the university allows us to work with expert professors and to use their knowledge and experience. It will also ensure that, as we take on new contracts, we keep that tight-knit collaborative approach with one of Australia’s best research organisations.

Another benefit in working with universities in general is that there are so many incredible things going on within this organisation at any one time and you can certainly benefit from them, as one partnership opens the door to so many other partnerships.

Through our research collaborations with UNSW for example, we are now working towards new partnerships for our educational initiatives.

MM: How did the idea for JAR Education start?

LB: From the very beginning of launching the company, finding the right people to grow our team was a big challenge. Of course, there are plenty of talented people in Australia with great qualifications, but what we are looking for are people with an innovative and disruptive mind-set.

So, we decided that to solve our problem to some extent, we should create a subsidiary educational company to drive young people into STEM areas.

Going by our own experience as students, had we had the opportunity to learn about UAS or drones in a hands-on, projectbased learning environment, it would have been a much more exciting experience than learning those things from out-dated, hand-

me-down textbooks.

So, we decide to make the learning process more exciting by allowing the students to build their own drones, to encourage innovation within students and to give them an industry insight. We have developed an educational offering using customised drones that the students can de-construct and build themselves.

It’s all about connecting education to industry and letting students discover that the systems that they see in commercial and defence operations aren’t as complex as they give them credit for, and unlocking the potential within each student when they realise that it is something that they can very well do.

Developing sovereign capabilities in aerospace cuts across so many other sectors, from design and manufacturing to complex materials and data collection. We think the best way to ensure that we [as a nation] have capabilities there in the years to come, is to get people excited about it. Drones are an incredible vehicle for us to get young people excited about space.

MM: Is JAR Education a different division from JAR Aerospace’s commercial business?

LB: No. We are all directly involved with JAR Education across the business through our aerospace and education divisions.

Even the engineers that spend most of their time on development of commercial products do keep an eye on the educational operations and participate in them when necessary.

We learn so much out of our educational efforts from the students doing our course. They are very bright young people and they come up with some incredible ideas that get circulated throughout our company.

Sometimes, the students come up with questions that even our lead aerospace engineer may not have a ready answer for. We take a lot of pleasure out of that and it complements our aerospace efforts Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 21

Industry FOCUS very well. Each and every member of the team is 100 per cent on-board with it and gains a lot out of it.

We are very fortunate that our three lines of business – commercial, educational and research – complement each other so well and they have all grown to a maturity level where they each function independently but we can take very valuable lessons out of each and apply them across the board.

MM: What industrial sectors is JAR Aerospace currently focusing on?

LB: Our market of choice, from the very beginning, was defence and high-end industrial and commercial systems.

When we worked out our priorities from a market potential point of view, it quickly became obvious for us that to truly innovate and to truly develop Australia’s sovereign capabilities, defence was a big part of our business. We wanted to develop systems for the defence as we knew this is the pinnacle of innovation, all across the world.

We also have a big focus on the medical delivery space. We think it’s a good opportunity to take the technology that we have developed into use cases that can not only save lives, but also save a lot of money in the transport of medical goods.

This will be a huge step for our UAS delivery in every industry. I think it’s

a great starting point. We are also looking to use the systems for asset management and high-end security and surveillance.

It’s our company’s goal and vision to be operating in space within five years and to be developing technologies for Australia’s space industry. Five years is a very short timeline, but we think that if we keep developing UASs the way we do, it’s feasible for us to move into development of small rockets for low-earth orbit operations.

MM: What is the state of progress in your commercial projects?

LB: We are flying and fully testing a string of different multi rotors, including systems with matched take-off weights or payloads ranging up to 70 kilograms, all the way down to small unmanned aerial systems (SUAS) that are under the 2.2 kg threshold that can be used for fastappointment reconnaissance and surveillance.

They are all in different stages, with different technology readiness levels (TRLs). We have a system that we are developing for the army, which is in the prototyping phase at the moment. We’ve just completed Phase-I of our contract with the Defence Innovation Hub for our vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing system and we are looking at hopefully moving to Phase-II soon.

JAR Aerospace CEO, Jack Cullen and Defence Industry Minister, Christopher Pyne at Eurosatory 2018 exhibition in Paris.

MM: Are you collaborating with any other manufacturers?

LB: We were very fortunate that the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) was around, which gave us the opportunity to be identified and to collaborate with other groups with similar or higher capabilities to ours.

It’s been very beneficial for us because it allowed us to network with the manufacturing community around us – which as a start-up allowed us to focus on what we are good at (design and development and systems integration of different

systems) and to take on the manufacturing capabilities of other organisations.

Such collaborations have allowed us to get products out to the market at a rate that makes a system commercially viable to a large client base. It also gives validity to the commercial opportunities that arise, because it means that we can work in partnership with groups that have manufactured on scale before and be confident that we can make delivery deadlines that we set for ourselves or that clients and consumers set for us.

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22 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

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Compressors Compressed air that doesn’t blow your budget Atlas Copco Compressors’ GA VSD+ range of air compressors combine a compact design and in-house developed motor and drive systems to create maximum energy efficiency.

While rotary screw compressors are available both in the oil-free and oil-injected formats, Perozo said the oil-injected rotary screw compressors – identified by the suffix GA in the Atlas Copco family of products – are the more common products on the market.

Atlas Copco Compressors offers GA VSD+ oil-injected rotary screw compressors in three different capacity ranges: 7-15 kW, 15-37kW, and 75-110 kW. The company is expanding the GA VSD+ product range up to 160 kW later this year.

Atlas Copco Compressors will be extending the GA VSD+ product range up to 160 kW later this year.

E

NERGY costs are a major concern for all manufacturers in their struggle to keep operations profitable and to be able to compete globally. Selecting the right equipment can help plantowners drive down energy costs considerably.

Traditionally, air compressors were given little attention to when it came to energy savings. However, today manufacturers can’t afford to be negligent with any of the equipment in their space. A poorlychosen air compressor could cost the manufacturer thousands of dollars in wasted energy costs per year.

Atlas Copco Compressors has been championing a compact and efficient industrial air compressor – the VSD+ – which is proven to cut a company’s power bill by 50 per cent on average.

“There are two main ways by which the VSD+ family of compressors save energy costs,” Delfin Perozo, Atlas Copco’s product manager – oil injected screw compressors and low pressure, told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“The first one comes from a combination of a highly efficient manmonthly.com.au

iPM (Permanent Magnet) motor, a patented compression element and the direct drive technology. All three technologies have been designed inhouse by Atlas Copco Compressors to ensure maximum efficiency.

“While the typical energy rating for electrical motors in the market IE2 and the premium efficiency IE3, Atlas Copco’s Plus series fixed speed compressors have high efficiency IE4 motors. In the variable speed (VSD) compressors, the combination of the motor and the in-house developed drive produces an efficiency level of IE5.

That is two steps higher than the typical premium compressors,” Perozo said.

Being more efficient also means that the compressors can deliver more air for the same quantity of power.

“The second way by which they save cost is that the user can purchase smaller compressors to carry out the same tasks they did with a bigger compressor,” Perozo said.

A VSD compressor automatically adjusts its motor and element speed to the air demand, considerably cutting energy use and costs.

Compact size, small footprint A big advantage with the VSD+ compressor range is the compact size, according to Perozo.

“We have been able to reduce the size of these compressors by about 30 per cent. That means that the plants need to allocate smaller spaces to the compressor. It also means that the compressors have a smaller carbon footprint, as they are made using less material and transported using less fuel,” he said.

This is particularly beneficial when an existing industrial plant expands its operations.

“If a plant decides to expand the operational capacity and requires more compressed air, there is no need to increase the compressor space as similar results can now be achieved with more compact compressors,” Perozo explained.

Fewer services: more uptime While the typical oil-injected rotary-screw compressors require maintenance at least twice per year, and some of them four times per year, Perozo said the VSD+ series reduces the maintenance frequency to once a year.

This means considerable saving in replacing the oil for oil-injected compressors. “For example a 90 kW compressor uses about 25 to 30 litres of oil, which is replaced

in each service cycle and goes to waste. In the VSD+, the oil needs to be replaced only once a year,” Perozo said.

The service time is further reduced as the compressors provide easy access to all components. “Easy access means less hours spent doing servicing and more uptime for the compressor,” he said.

Atlas Copco Compressors prides itself on offering the customer the complete solution, including the service. The company offers different service packages, where the customer can choose from a basic maintenance package to a premium, life-time warranty at an annual cost.

The user can also request some optional add-ons as in built refrigerant dryers, including an energy recovery system, which recovers the heat from the compressor in the form of warm water or hot water without any adverse influence on the compressor performance.

“Our customers use this option to reduce their energy and gas bills.

Some of our customer is using the energy recovery system to pre-heat water for their boilers. This has lowered heir gas consumption by nearly 25 per cent,” Perozo said.

Atlas Copco Compressors uses the same philosophy of energy efficiency in all of their product range, Perozo said.

“Be it the oil-free compressors, the vacuum pump or low-pressure compressors, we do not only design the compression element. We also design and manufacture the main components as the variable speed drivers, the premium electric motors, unloader valves, etc. – which helps us make them more efficient.

“Reducing the size, increasing efficiencies and increasing uptime with less demanding services. That’s the philosophy for every single Atlas Copco product,” he said.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 23

Lean MANUFACTURING Getting ahead through the magic of Lean AME Australia to host world renowned, keynote speaker, Paul Akers, author of “2 Second Lean”, at the 2019 Conference.

Lean expert, Pauk Akers, has a passion for teaching about deploying Lean thinking within organisations.

O

NE of Australia’s premier industry organisations, AME Australia is excited to announce that it will be hosting internationally acclaimed Lean expert, Paul Akers as the keynote speaker at the 2019 “Empowering Organisational Change and Transformation” two-day conference, which is to be held at the William Angliss Conference Centre, in

Melbourne from Tuesday 7th May to Wednesday 8th May 2019.

The AME is a not-for-profit organisation, run by volunteers solely for the benefit of its members. Our vision is to be recognised as the leading association for operational excellence, which we aim to achieve by bringing together like-minded individuals who are seeking to

improve both themselves, and by extension the businesses that they work for. To this end the AME facilitates and promotes shared experiential and practical learning events e.g. Site visits, workshops, networking meetings etc, for their members.

Another primary objective of the AME is to bring over to Australia internationally renowned experts and thought leaders in Operational and Business Excellence, experts such as Paul Akers, in order to provide low cost, affordable learning opportunities for Australian practitioners and the companies they represent.

With that in mind our 2019 conference will explore the most successful and effective business practices that improvement practitioner​s can employ in order to promote and facilitate change at all levels of their organisation. Our conference theme “Empowering Organisational Change and Transformation”, Leading through Excellence and Innovation 2019 will help attendees to:

• Understand how the magic of Lean, and other continuous improvement methodologies, can without doubt radically improve a business, no matter how diverse the application may seem at first glance.

• Understand, identify and overcome the barriers to change management.

• Develop new ways of thinking.

• Increase engagement amongst team members.

• Develop a thriving continuous improvement philosophy and culture.

• Empower team members to contribute in ways they never thought were possible • Learn how innovative and intelligent technologies can be used by their enterprise today.

• Learn how innovation and technology are successfully automating business operations in order to drive revenue and reduce operating costs.

Who is Paul Akers?

Anyone who knows anything about “Lean Thinking” knows the name

The 2019 conference will explore the most effective business practices that improvement practitioners can emply.

24 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

manmonthly.com.au

The “Empowering Organisational Change and Tranformation” conference will be held from 7 to 8 May in Melbourne.

Paul Akers. He clearly demonstrates a passion for helping other people to discover their full potential and learn how to deploy Lean thinking within their organisation.

Paul is an energetic speaker, over the last 15 years of his Lean journey, his passion has been promoting Lean, and helping people from all over the world apply continuous improvement methodologies. By teaching people how to implement Lean thinking both in their own businesses and personal lives, he believes that he can help them reach their full potential.

Paul is also the founder and president of FastCap LLC, a company based in Ferndale, WA. FastCap is an international product development company that was founded in 1997 and has over 2000 distributors worldwide. Born and raised in Southern California, Paul was drawn towards excellence and high standards from an early age. By the age of 15, he had built his own guitar and in doing so got the attention of guitar designer Bob Taylor, who went on to mentor and eventually employ Paul at Taylor Guitars. As a true American innovator, Taylor made a long-lasting impression on Paul, through his involvement in the building of over 2000 world class musical instruments.

That experience catapulted Paul into the business world where his knack for problem solving led him to invent, and eventually own a manufacturing business that started in his garage. After numerous twists and turns, he discovered Lean and the Toyota Production System (TPS), which helped launch his business from his garage into the successful internationally renowned product development company known as manmonthly.com.au

FastCap. By using Lean, FastCap prospered and expanded, even in times of economic downturn. Paul is proud to say that he has never had to lay off a single employee or cut one salary and he currently offers the highest entry level pay rate of any business in the region.

With thousands of followers for his weekly broadcast, “The American Innovator,” Paul teaches about the power of innovation and Lean thinking. He shares with everyone his insights and observations, along with some amazing photography/ videography that is taken from

his travels around the world. Paul has also written three books “TwoSecond Lean”, “Lean Travel” and “Lean Healt”’, and he commands a huge social media following, posting blogs and YouTube clips almost daily with more than 130,000 viewers. In short, anyone around the world who knows Lean now knows the name Paul Akers.

In 2010, Paul ran for the U.S. Senate in Washington State on a Lean platform of transforming government by empowering people. After the election, he continued to work with various government agencies teaching

them about Lean thinking and then helping create a Lean culture within numerous government organisations throughout the country.

I am sure that you will agree that the 2019 AME Conference on “Empowering Organisational Change and Transformation”, staring Paul Akers, is a conference not to be missed. So, why not put the date in your diary now. We look forward to seeing next May. Guy Bulmer National President.

The Association for Manufacturing Excellence.

The AME is a not-for-profit organisation, focused on exchange of knowledge for enterprise excellence.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 25

NOMINATIONS NOW

OPEN For more information, please go to

www.prospectawards.com.au Sponsors

IIOT @MM Industrial revolutions: Using IIoT to create profitable efficiencies The potential of IIoT is giving industrial companies the ability to control their business performance in real time and drive operational profitability improvements – safely and sustainably. Brad Yager, director of process automation and software, Schneider Electric, explains.

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WO decades ago, determining the business impact of improved efficiency was a relatively simple task. Since the costs of energy, material, and the value of the products produced were relatively stable over long periods, determining value was as simple as determining the total quantities of each and multiplying by the fixed values of each. Improvements in efficiency essentially directly translated to improvements in operational profitability.

Over the last two decades, this has changed dramatically. Today, these costs tend to change very quickly. In the wholesale energy market, each generator places daily price bids to sell power and adjusts quantities in up to 10 price bands every five minutes.

With the deregulation of electric power grids, the pricing dynamics of the electric power industry increased to the point at which the trading price is now calculated every 30 minutes.

This is also true for other energy sources such as natural gas, the price of which can also change every 15 minutes. The dynamics of raw material pricing has also increased over the last 20 years. For example, the price of base metals can change multiple times every minute.

Web-based outlets such as Amazon and direct business-tobusiness interactions are able to respond much more quickly to this changing price than the average manufacturing plant which reviews its operations monthly.

In Australia, there is a plan to move to five-minute settlement over the next three years. This would help reward more flexible resources (including batteries) as they respond manmonthly.com.au

Increased connectivity, computing power and technology means it is possible to put real-time control, interoperability and communication at every level. more efficiently to the impact of sudden changes in output.

The result of this dynamic shift is that it is much more challenging to convert efficiency improvements into financial terms. Today, the operational profitability of an industrial operation is almost as dynamic as the efficiency of the processes.

Trying to manage operational profitability on a monthly basis, as many companies do, no longer works the way it had. Profitable efficiency is a real-time control problem that needs handling in a very similar manner to process control.

But in the age of connectivity and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), business managers and plant personnel alike have never had better opportunities to measure and improve the profitability of their operations in real time. Increasing the visibility into your plant assets

and process performance can increase your margins by as many as 10 points. That equates to $1.3 million for a large plant.

Driving profitable efficiency starts with optimising the performance of each industrial asset so that it performs its prescribed work in the safest, most environmentally sustainable, reliable and efficient manner possible.

Increased connectivity, computing power and technology means it is possible to put real-time control, interoperability and communication at every level, from the simplest plant asset all the way up to the supply chain.

Gifted with more connectivity and computing power, smarter, connected products, even equipment such as pumps are now able to control, monitor and secure themselves to become autonomous assets. This better, automatic real-

time control can then be extended upward, all the way to the value chain asset sets.

Empowered with the ability to control every asset in real time, even intangible assets like energy, raw materials and production, companies are now able to conduct business and respond to fluctuations, especially the business functions that have been historically transactional.

Controlling operational profitability and efficiency requires interdependent control strategies.

In fact, what is required is a cascade control strategy in which profitability control is cascaded to efficiency-based process control.

The combined control strategy is referred to as profitable efficiency and is what industry requires to continually maximise both operational efficiency and operational profitability.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 27

Manufacturing STRATEGIES Pioneering emergency lighting systems What if the power failed and the lights went out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or the Sydney Opera House? Tony Todaro, managing director of Clevertronics, has safety covered with Australia’s leading emergency lighting, building and evacuation systems. has around 30 per cent market share. The company is also due to launch in the UK in September this year and is hoping for similar success there.

Quality control

In the past 12 years, Clevertronics has been growing in excess of 20 per cent per year.

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NY public building, whether it be a football stadium, school, hospital or cinema, is required by law to have exit signs and emergency lighting fitted. Manufacturers Monthly sat down with Tony Todaro, managing director of Clevertronics to find out how the business is growing and what makes Australia a world leader in this area of business.

After leaving his legal profession behind in 2001, Todaro decided to make the move into the emergency lighting sector and purchased Clevertronics. Back in 2001, Clevertronics had approximately 20 members of staff and a small portfolio of clients. Now, boasting 70 per cent of the large-scale project market share, Clevertronics is a growing company with plans to move into the UK later this year.

28 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Sophisticated systems Though the emergency function of emergency lighting systems can go unused for long periods of time, it is subject to strict regulation rules and maintenance requirements. “You have to test emergency lighting every six months. This is a time-consuming and expensive job to do,” Todaro said.

If this process was to be done manually at a location such as the MCG, it would take several weeks.

“Larger buildings have thousands of fittings. The MCG, for example, has over 8,000 fittings,” Todaro said.

Clevertronics has developed a system that can test fittings automatically in real-time and send reports back via a computerised system. “Our systems simulate a power out, they test each fitting and tell you whether it has passed or

failed. In addition, if it has failed, it will tell you why and email you a full report of all fittings,” Todaro said.

Clevertronics has also pioneered the use of batteries in its products using a new Lithium based technology. The result is fittings that reduce maintenance costs in excess of 80 per cent. These technologies have enabled Clevertronics to grow and develop across Australia and, more recently, New Zealand.

“Australia really leads the world in these products and systems.

Australia has traditionally treated compliance seriously which has driven the development of higherlevel, more sophisticated systems,” Todaro said.

According to Todaro, in less than two years of operating in New Zealand, Clevertronics now

Like many Australian businesses, Todaro found that manufacturing prices were rising and it was necessary to off-shore some processes to China. However, product development is undertaken by the company’s engineering team in Australia as is the manufacture of project-specific products.

“We develop all our new products here in Melbourne, from mechanical design, to hardware layout, process engineering, and software engineers writing code,” Todaro said.

With around 30 per cent of all products manufactured here in Australia, the commoditised, highvolume products are manufactured at a joint venture facility in Shanghai. Quality assurance is key to everything that Clevertronics produce and for this reason, Todaro said, it’s important to treat the plant just like your own.

Todaro said this combined process ensures the quality is high and the costing is well-managed.

“The challenge with manufacturing in Australia is that it’s expensive. So, we need to do our high-end products and processes here and then we add value from the Shanghai plant.

Much of our product arrives with the easier labour-intensive work having been undertaken, and then we undertake the more complex tasks, or manufacture and add the high value circuitry here.”

Room to grow In the past 12 years, Clevertronics has been growing in excess of 20 per cent per year. “We now have offices in every State and have just over manmonthly.com.au

ManufacturingSTRATEGIES Future plans As Clevertronics continues to grow, Todaro has his eyes set on bigger premises and will be engaging Bank of Melbourne in this exercise. “I know they are there when I need them and I will be sure to work with them when moving into new premises,” he said.

For Todaro, the key differentiator with Bank of Melbourne is how they value personal relationships, how they tailor their solutions and how they keep in contact on a regular basis. This has enabled the company to keep developing in Australia and New Zealand and sets Clevertronics up to further expand overseas, starting with the UK in September.

Company: Clevertronics Web: www.clevertronics.com.au Pioneering the use of new technologies has enabled Clevertronics to grow. ask for help. They already have the processes in place to grow when I grow. It gives me the working capital I need,” Todaro said.

In an industry as competitive and fast-paced as manufacturing, it’s important that anyone engaged Industry insight with the business understands the sector.

In an industry as competitive and half of the market share here in Australia,” Todaro said.

In terms of people, there are around 150 employees in Australia and a further 130 in the joint venture plant in Shanghai. This is compared with around 20 people when Todaro took on the business in 2001.

For Todaro, this consistent growth has been made easier by having a supportive, helpful and understanding bank. “I initially chose Bank of Melbourne because of the personal relationships they build with their clients. I had already been working with them in a legal capacity for a few years and knew that Bank of Melbourne was the bank I wanted on board with Clevertronics,” he said. manmonthly.com.au

The real stand-out product that helps Clevertronics to consistently grow is the invoice financing facility, which extends as the business and debtors grow, Todaro said. “When you are a growing business, you need a good financing facility. That way as you grow, your facility grows.

With Bank of Melbourne, they automatically extend the facility according to the growth of the business,” he said.

A key element of this facility is that Todaro is not required to keep making applications for funding as the business grows. “What I really like about the bank, is that they are there if I need them. I have all the finance I need to develop. When I wanted to go to the UK, I didn’t need to go running to the bank to

Bank of Melbourne Andrew Eastwood, Executive Manager – Manufacturing and Wholesale E-mail: Eastwooda@bankofmelbourne.com.au Phone: 0402 970 792 Tony Todaro, managing director of Clevertronics.

fast-paced as manufacturing, it’s important that anyone engaged with the business understands the sector and for Todaro, Bank of Melbourne provides this support. “The bank really focuses on its groups. They understand the sector and, because of this, they look after us really well,” Todaro said.

The industry insight that the bank provides also helps Todaro in his planning for the future of his business. “We periodically attend talks by the Chief Economist, Besa Deda. She regularly gives us insight into the market and recently I engaged her to talk to one of our industry groups. She tailored her content and economic outlook specifically for our industry. It was really helpful information,” Todaro said.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 29

Lubricants Getting a clean advantage over the rest Manufacturers’ Monthly finds out from CRC how specialty chemicals for cleaning are essential in maintenance and performance in defence industries.

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S one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of chemical cleaners, CRC Industries offers a comprehensive range of scientifically formulated products specifically targeted to meet the needs of Australia’s defence industries.

CRC’s diverse offering of aerosol and bulk cleaning products and systems cater to a broad range of defence applications, including auto mechanical, heavy vehicles, aviation, electrical precision, marine and more.

Managing director of CRC Australia, Shona Fitzgerald, said the company was dedicated to increasing the efficiency, reliability and safety of machinery and equipment through the provision of technologically advanced, high performance products.

“The defence sector is critically aware of the importance of asset protection and performance and the detrimental effects poor cleaning and maintenance protocols can have on machinery and equipment wear, safety and workplace productivity,’’ Fitzgerald said.

“CRC’s proven products and industry best practice are giving military and peacekeeping teams peace of mind and the ability to extend equipment life and provide healthier and safer working conditions.”

Fitzgerald said CRC’s expertise in supplying the defence sector was based on its commitment to innovation, strong process understanding and distribution networks.

“Through our proven systems, products and services, backed by over 50 years’ experience, we are proud of the role we have played in providing customers with excellent outcomes in productivity, labour management, equipment maintenance and safety,’’ Fitzgerald said.

“The defence industry has high standards and so do we. CRC is recognised as being a leader in product quality, performance and

30 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

regulatory compliance.

“Our research and development team continually advances new and improved products to help workers in the defence industry do their job faster, easier and safer.

“As a premium supplier of quality industrial cleaners, degreasers, corrosion inhibitors and effective lubricants, we offer the tools needed to keep operations running smoothly, even in the harshest environments,’’ she said.

When choosing an industrial cleaner it is important you are getting the product that is best suited to your needs, and to seek professional advice where needed.

“There are many options to consider, such as whether to use chlorinated or non-chlorinated formulas, with each have their advantages depending the specific applications and compliance protocols,’’ Fitzgerald said.

Traditional chlorinated solvents such as CRC Brakleen is an industry favourite because of its fast evaporation and good cleaning properties for non-polar soils such as grease, oil and carbon deposits.

CRC also offers an extensive range of non-chlorinated solvent blends such as Non-Chlorinated Brakleen, Brakleen Force and Lectra-Clean in addition to brominated, fluorinated and naturally derived solvents.

In each case it is important for users to familiarise themselves with the intended use, follow directions carefully and consider factors such as flammability, controls for EHS and effects that some compounds may have on materials such as plastics and elastomers.

Some of CRC’s best-selling cleaners are: • CRC Bio Degreaser: It is biodegradable, non-toxic, nonhazardous, non-flammable, pH balanced, and water soluble. The advanced formula is powerful but

non-abrasive, non-corrosive and solvent free, specially designed to penetrate and dissolve tough grease, oil and contaminants for easy removal – with a focus on personal and environmental safety.

• SmartWasher: Considered across multiple industry sectors as the ultimate solution to parts washing, CRC’s patented SmartWasher systems deliver high-performance cleaning while maintaining a non-hazardous and non-flammable environment.

The SmartWasher uses a natural process called bioremediation to degrade and remove contaminants from its cleaning fluid, allowing re-use.

• CRC NF Contact Cleaner: This is a revolutionary precision cleaning solvent which is nonflammable, chemically stable, nonconductive, non-corrosive and fast evaporating. NF Contact Cleaner instantly removes grease, oil, dirt, flux and other contaminants.

• CRC Brakleen NF: A nonflammable (NF) heavy duty cleaner and degreaser for brake, clutch parts and general mechanical equipment. With its excellent penetration, CRC Brakleen NF helps brakes last longer and perform better, helps eliminate brake squeal and clutch chatter and safely settles and removes potentially hazardous brake dust. It is powerful, quick cleaning, quick evaporating, non-staining, non-corrosive and silicone free.

• Brakleen Compliance Plus: This modern technology product has been formulated to not only remove brake fluid, grease, oil and other contaminants from linings and pads, but is an ideal wetting agent for both brakes and clutches. Brakleen Compliance Plus is designed to be applied using a plastic sprayer, creating

a mist which settles and removes dust from brake and clutch assemblies, keeping users in line with new Australian regulations prohibiting the use of compressed gas for the removal of debris.

In jurisdictions not impacted by the new laws, CRC’s original brake parts cleaner Brakleen and Brakleen Force are non-staining and non-corrosive products designed to safely settle and remove dust without the need for disassembly.

• CRC CO Contact Cleaner: A precision electronic cleaning solvent, CO Contact Cleaner is a technically proven, stable, inert, plastic safe formula. It is a high purity, non-staining, cleaning solvent with rapid evaporation.

• CRC Lectra-Clean: A trusted electric motor and equipment cleaner and degreaser. The TCE free product effectively removes grease, oil, wax dirt and other contaminants from motors, parts and other electrical and mechanical equipment.

CRC Industries Customer Service: 1800 224 227 Web: www.crcindustries.com.au

CRC’s patented SmartWasher systems deliver high-performance cleaning.

manmonthly.com.au

OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS AS AN INDUSTRY LEADER ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR 2019 WOMENININDUSTRY.COM.AU P R O U D LY P R E S E N T E D B Y

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Automation The merits of staying connected Inductive Automation’s Ignition SCADA platform, provided by ESM Australia, allows businesses in every industry to cost-effectively monitor and control their facilities.

Manufacturers’ Monthly reports.

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S industrial organisations grow in scale, collecting and monitoring real-time data from multiple devices becomes crucial to maintaining the efficiency and safety of the systems.

Real-time data monitoring enables managers to get a clear picture of their entire process and to make timely decision to avoid unnecessary downtime.

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, such as Ignition, allow industrial organisations to monitor and control industrial processes locally or at remote locations.

Using Ignition, plant supervisors can easily monitor, gather, and process real-time data by directly interacting with devices such as sensors, valves, pumps, motors and more, through human-machine interface software.

ESM Australia has been offering the Ignition SCADA platform in Australia for nearly five years.

Manufacturers Monthly reached out to Glen Fry, founder and managing director of ESM Australia, to learn how the system can help manufacturers run their plants more efficiently.

“Ignition is a great connector of things. It is an ideal platform for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) as it can easily and cost-effectively collect data from multiple devices on the plant-floor, irrespective of what brand or model they are, and store the data in a database,” Fry said.

“Once the data is collected in a database, we then have the ability to use statistical process control (SPC) or machine-learning technologies or to carry out predictive analysis of that data. This can give us, as humans, insights into data that we cannot see just by looking at it – because of the huge volume of data available.”

32 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Real-time data monitoring enables managers to get a clear picture of their entire process.

Engineers can use the real time data gathered by Ignition to measure OEE (Overall equipment effectiveness) – a standard measure of manufacturing productivity.

“Apart from giving real time data, Ignition also stores historical data, and provides powerful visualisation tools allowing business owners to look at the productivity of a line, month-on-month or producton-product and understand whether their performance is getting better or worse,” Fry explained.

Considerable cost savings The main benefit for managers in having a clear, real-time visualisation of their plant’s data, is the ability to make decisions that save them money.

“The visibility of the production process allows people to make changes that drive yield improvements. By integrating optional production scheduling, downtime tracking, tack and trace, and recipe modules, then connecting this data with ERP, enormous efficiencies can often be realised.”

“Our team of engineers work with the client to scope their

requirements concisely up front. It means that we need to get a good insight into what their business is doing, so that we can help pick the right metrics to measure. The actions that the clients take based on those metrics help them not just save money, but improve yield,” Fry explained.

Unlimited Licencing With all the benefits that data monitoring platforms like Ignition offer, why are some business owners still wary of deploying the system?

“Licencing fees and total cost of ownership are the main concerns for most plant owners,” Fry said.

“Some industrial automation software companies charge for every client and every tag. This means that if you want to bring another part of your plant online, or if you want to connect another operator to your existing system, you need to buy more client licenses.”

“A differentiator for Ignition is that with that one purchase, we provide unlimited tags, and unlimited user clients. The system can communicate with all their devices on the factory floor –

without any software limit to the number of hardware the system can support. Ignition is sold by the server rather than by the number of users, devices or tags connected to the system. As a result, the system only costs a fraction of what some other solutions cost. The only costs are the engineering costs of deploying those new systems.”

Ignition also uses a modulebased sale model, which means the clients can tailor the solution to their needs and avoid paying unnecessary charges.

“We go through a scoping process with the client where we identify what modules of the Ignition system the user needs to buy in order to achieve the desired outcomes. Once the client purchases a module, then they only pay a reasonable annual licensing fee,” Fry said.

Understanding client needs Being a versatile solution, it is important that the engineers and technicians from ESM Australia understand the client’s needs first before offering the best solution.

“The first thing we do is to schedule an initial scoping meeting with the client, where we work with the client to understand what their brief is and what their requirements are. Not only do we need to understand what their business does and how it works; we need to share the client’s vision.

“When the clients come to us, they usually have an idea of what their visualisation system – or manufacturing execution system (MES) – should look like and the gains they expect to see as a result of running the Ignition platform.

That is what we focus on. We work with the client to help provide the tools to better measure their manufacturing efficiencies,” Fry said.

manmonthly.com.au

Industrial CLEANING Air knives and custom air blowing solutions for all needs Safety air nozzles, having applications in a range of industries, can drastically reduce the compressed air usage without compromising the blowing force.

Spray Nozzle Engineering supplies a range of Silvent air knives, air curtains and custom blowing solutions.

C

OMPRESSED air has many uses in industry for cleaning, drying, sorting or cooling processes during manufacture.

While many applications use an open-pipe system to supply compressed air, this can result in excessive noise levels and compressed air wastage, as well as being a potential injury hazard to personnel.

To combat this, Spray Nozzle Engineering supplies a range of safety air nozzles, which reduce the compressed air usage without compromising the blowing force.

Other factors include reducing air noise and using a patented nozzle design to prevent injury to the operator manmonthly.com.au

from dead ending or skin contact.

Spray Nozzle Engineering supplies a range of Silvent air knives, air curtains and custom blowing solutions for various applications, from process to packaging. They can be constructed to meet any requirements or operating parameters.

The range of products available, combined with Spray Nozzle Engineering’s 25 years of experience, ensure an optimal solution to suit both unique applications and environmental needs.

A better solution One client, an international transport component manufacturer, had a

large number of compressed air points throughout its manufacturing sites, had a specialised application requiring compressed air to blow away excess plastic and dust in the manufacturing process and to cool the panels as they were made.

The existing system used a steel pipe containing holes mounted across the panel width to supply the compressed air for blow off. This old set-up did not only create excessive noise, but also caused uneven and insufficient blowing coverage. This resulted in an inefficient use of the manufacturer’s compressed air supply and a danger to its employees.

As the panels varied in width from 2.4 metres to 2.9 metres, a better solution was required. The client needed a system of air nozzles where the outer nozzles could be switched on and off according to the panel width in production. The client chose the Silvent system with a specifically designed air knife, consisting of 28 in-line Silvent 920 air nozzles.

In the design, the two outer nozzles could be turned off via a ball valve. The technicians installed two of these unique air knives – one

each above and below the panel in production. This arrangement resulted in significant reduction in the noise level as well as an effective and efficient use of the compressed air to cool and clean the panels.

Silvent 920 air nozzle The Silvent 920 air nozzle is a flat nozzle that provides a wide, but thin, line of compressed air.

Constructed of zinc, the Silvent 920 air nozzle is often used in air knife applications and can reduce noise levels by up to 77 per cent and compressed air usage by up to 55 per cent.

Silvent has a range of stainless air knives for both food and industrial applications, as well as pre-made manifolds for ease of installation.

Spray Nozzle Engineering is the exclusive supplier of Silvent’s safety air nozzles, a range of safety air guns and safety silencers for exhaust port silencing without effective valve efficiency.

The products are available throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Silvent has a full range of stainless air knives for food and industrial applications.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 33

Sensors &SAFETY Twice as safe under pressure VEGADIF 85, a differential pressure transmitter developed by Vega, offers a safe and reliable tool for measuring differential and static pressure simultaneously.

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N processing facilities in the chemical, pharmaceutical and energy industries, the main focus today, more than ever, is on safety. That’s why SIL, or Safety Integrity Level, is becoming more and more important, providing modern process instrumentation with a coherent concept that can minimise potentially high risks to people and the environment.

Reliable measurement, easy integration VEGADIF 85, a differential pressure transmitter developed especially with safety in mind, is Vega’s new component for reliable, continuous control and monitoring of industrial processes. Its strengths lie not only in functional safety, but also in the option of measuring differential and static pressure simultaneously with just one instrument. Housed in a compact single-chamber case, the transmitter is designed for economic efficiency and installation with low space requirements. These features are flanked by particularly simple, intelligent operation: a real plus in terms of error avoidance.

VEGADIF 85 is qualified and approved according to SIL-2 (SIL-3) for manufacturing processes that depend on certified components, user-friendly operations and permanently transparent processes. It can be parameterised conveniently via cable connection as well as wirelessly via Bluetooth. Its measured values can be integrated into the existing processes quickly – in a form suitable to the respective conditions and requirements.

Unaffected by steam Differential pressure, a robust and universal measuring principle, is used in many processes, especially for gases or steam. The pressure difference is determined by means of an orifice disc that narrows the 34 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

flow in a pipe at a predetermined point. Flowing steam or gas builds up a higher pressure in front of the constriction point than behind it. The difference between the two values – before and after the restriction – can be used to deduce the absolute quantity of gas that flows through.

Differential pressure transmitters are characterised by their high accuracy in measuring flow rates, even at pressures of only a few millibars. They also handle extreme temperatures with no problem.

Vega rounds out these advantages with a large number of available measuring ranges. Many different process fittings are available in conjunction with single or double sided chemical seals, denoted as CSS or CSB respectively. With this high-performance line of products, highly accurate measurements can be realised even under the most challenging conditions.

Differential and static pressure with one instrument VEGADIF 85 sensors are equipped with a second, piezoresistive detector. They are thus the first transmitters of their kind that can measure both differential pressure and static pressure. And they can easily handle these two different measuring tasks in parallel. For example, they ensure a high degree of fail-safety in pipelines by determining the dynamic pressure and the superimposed static pressure at the same time: a measuring task that always required two separate pressure transmitters until now.

Where Bluetooth makes sense There are many ways to simplify processes. However, it is important to strike the right balance between

VEGADIF 85 by Vega is a differential pressure transmitter developed especially with safety in mind.

safety and convenience. Wireless data transmission can offer real added value in cases where access to data is difficult. With intuitive simplicity, Bluetooth makes operation more flexible via smartphone, tablet or PC and provides transparency in wide applications.

Bluetooth is now available as an option for the new generation of differential pressure transmitters.

Since it is part of the modular Vega instrument platform plics, it implements safety precautions at various levels already proven in the field. These include current encryption modes at the interface level, i.e. via PC or smartphone, as well as the necessary access codes that protect the sensor from unauthorised access.

Bluetooth is also suitable for older systems. The current display and adjustment module PLICSCOM is downward compatible for the majority

of Vega measuring instruments manufactured since 2002 and now operating in the field.

Flameproof housing In process engineering applications, pressure transmitters have to withstand environments where flammable gases, vapours or mists can escape from closed systems. Under certain conditions, with oxygen from the air mixed in in the right proportion, there is a great risk of explosion.

The electronics used in VEGADIF 85 are intrinsically safe and flameproof and they are certified by organisations including the European Union’s ATEX, the IECEx (International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres) and the CSA Group.

This means that the instruments can be safely adjusted at any time, even during operation in hazardous areas. manmonthly.com.au

, D E E N U .

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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.

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Sensors A laser for precise measurements Manufacturers’ Monthly spoke to Glenn Thornton, national product and brand manager at ifm efector, about the company’s latest addition to the family of photoelectric sensors. ifm’s new O6 laser has a 100mm detection range.

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HOTOELECTRIC sensors are used in a variety of industrial processes, including packaging, manufacturing and componentry assembly – to discover the distance, absence, or presence of an object.

The global photoelectric sensors market size has been growing in recent year, with more companies realising the power of automation in improving efficiency in their manufacturing processes.

According to a recent report by the US-based Grand View Research consulting company, the global photoelectric sensors market size is expected to reach USD 2.09 billion (AU$2.83 billion) by 2025.

The growing demand for photoelectric sensors is attributed to the rising penetration of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the numerous benefits offered by the sensors – including maximising asset utilisation, improving productivity, and enhancing work safety. ifm efector’s national product and brand manager, Glenn Thornton is also of the opinion that an uptake in the use of photoelectric sensors in Australia is inevitable.

“With the way the markets are going, the companies will be forced

36 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

to use automation to enhance their efficiency and productivity,” he told Manufacturers’ Monthly. ifm, a global manufacturer of sensors and controls for industrial automation, has developed a new O6 laser sensor to complete its O6 sensor family.

The new O6 laser features a background suppression system that is colour independent at 100mm range.

This enables the laser sensor to detect tiny objects where conventional red light sensors reach their limits.

The laser is also equipped with IOLink functionality, making it possible to automatically parameterise the sensors, diagnose plant states and transmit measured values without loss.

“The new O6 laser sensor has a very fine and uniform light spot which enables it to provide precise detection and consistent laser alignment,” Thornton said.

The O6 Wetline family ifm first introduced the O6 wetline photoelectric sensor series about four years ago, growing the product suite over time.

The small rectangular design of the O6 was specifically designed for wet areas in the food industry.

The stainless steel body offers the protection rating IP68/69K that is particularly suited to harsh wet environments in food production such as dairies, breweries and abattoirs. ifm followed these product series with a new O6 range released in 2016 in a plastic body – offering the same optical performance as the lasers with the stainless steel body, but at a competitive price.

The new precise laser sensor with the 100mm detection range adds to the existing laser sensors in this family of products, which also include a through-beam laser with a range up to 15 metres and retro-reflective laser with a range up to 8 metres.

“The retro-reflective arrangement uses a reflector to bounce the inverted light beam back from the transmitter to the receiver. A through-beam arrangement consists of two sensors. One sensor acts as the power unit and sends the laser beam, while the other one acts as a receiver,” Thornton said.

With such a varied range, the need for consultancy services is apparent. “When the customers visit our service centres or approach us directly, we help them identify the best technology for their particular applications,” Thornton said.

“We ask them questions to determine whether they need the sensor for packaging, manufacturing or parts assembly applications, to understand the challenges for mounting the sensors and to find out the required distances to the objects. Accordingly, we advise them on the suitable technology,” he said.

Opening up new perspectives with IO-Link The O6 laser features IO-Link functionality, which is a worldwide open-standard protocol for connecting sensors and devices.

Through this technology, a binary laser diffuse reflection sensor becomes a high-precision distance

sensor. This creates new application possibilities, including length and height monitoring.

“The IO-Link technology allows for millimetre-scale accuracy, making the sensor suitable for measurements within the 100mm range,” Thornton said.

Precise distance measurement enables the sensors to detect the presence of very small parts, such as small seals, washers, screw heads, metal clips and electronic components.

IO-Link is a powerful, yet simple protocol, which enables smart connection of sensors and substations to the control level. IO-Link uses standardised interfaces that work with all IO-Link technology. If a sensor fails, it can be replaced without interrupting the production line. ifm offers a wide range of IOLink enabled sensors, including capacitive sensors, flow sensors, level sensors, pressure sensors, optical distance detection sensors, and temperature sensors.

Using IO-Link also minimises the need for shut down of machines to change sensor parameters. IO-Link allows remote parameterisation without incurring unnecessary downtime.

ifm’s new O6 laser sensor is equipped with IO-Link functionality.

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Women IN INDUSTRY Setting the stage for more diversity Manufacturers’ Monthly caught up with the Sydney president of Engineers Australia, Julie Mikhail, to talk about her activities in promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers.

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ULIE Mikhail is an engineer with nearly 20 years of experience. Having a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in electrical engineering, she has spent most of her career working with the Australian government’s Department of Defence, where she has been involved with critical projects, including the replacement of HMAS Manoora’s electrical switchboard and power system.

About two years ago, Mikhail launched her own advisory firm, Engineering Business, using her experience to help engineering companies through the process of bidding for various government tenders.

Mikhail has also been actively involved with Engineers Australia, holding numerous voluntary positions, including chairing the Women in Engineering group for four years and

currently serving as the president of Engineers Australia’s Sydney division.

A hands-on experience While she was acting as the chair of the Women in Engineering sub-group in Engineers Australia, Mikhail and her colleagues identified the need for a program to introduce female students to the various engineering disciplines and the career prospects in engineering.

“While a lot of universities organise orientation programs for students, most of these programs are mixed (open to both male and female students) and they also tend to focus mostly on the year 11 and 12 students, as they prepare to make their university choices. But, the feedback we received from our assessment was that while girls were happy to attend the programs along with their male colleagues, they were less likely to get involved in the handsPicture credit: Bree Hulme.

Julie Mikhail currently serves as the president of Engineers Australia’s Sydney division. She is also the founder of advisory firm, Engineering Business.

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on activities and less likely to open up and ask questions,” Mikhail told Manufacturers’ Monthly.

“We also wanted to target the students in a lower age group, focusing on the 8th-10th grade students, because we wanted to influence the girls at a younger age,” she said.

The initiative led to a program called “Experience It,” which has been running successfully for the past five years. All major technical universities in Sydney take part in the one-day event – setting up stalls and organising hands-on and fun-filled activities to familiarise girls with the world of engineering.

“The girls work in teams to either solve problems, or participate in competitions or challenges. The team-work is exciting for them and they have a lot of fun. In between the programs, speakers from industry, including young or senior engineers, talk to them about the different aspects of engineering,” Mikhail explained.

The last “Experience It” program in Sydney was held in July in the Western Sydney University, where 150 students participated along with their parent or school representative. For the first time this year, Engineers Australia also held a parallel workshop for parents, explaining to them the different career options for students in engineering.

“Engineering has changed a lot since the time when I went to college.

When we studied engineering, the main disciplines were chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.

But, nowadays, there are so many new engineering disciplines and it can be confusing for some parents.

“At a recent careers fair where Engineers Australia held a stall, most queries came from the parents; asking us questions like: What is a day in the life of an engineer like? What jobs can our children expect to have? What does it mean to be a mechatronics engineer?

And so on,” she said.

The value of mentorship Engineers Australia has also been organising mentorship programs for female engineers. While the program has been running for more than ten years, Mikhail said it has focused in recent years on the middle stage in the professional women’s career.

“The middle years in a woman engineer’s career are usually the most critical years. This is the time when women usually decide between whether to take a more technical direction in their career or whether to move to managerial positions. It is also usually the time when women are considering having children and that could affect their career,” said Mikhail.

As part of the program, the applicants apply to Engineers Australia requesting a mentor.

Engineers Australia then looks into the case and pairs up the mentee with a suitable mentor from the pool of volunteer senior engineers, Mikhail explained.

Attract, retain, celebrate Mikhail said that events like the Women in Industry Awards are very important in attracting women to jobs that have been historically dominated by men. “While working in the Women in Engineering sub-group, we had three main focus areas: to attract, to retain, and to celebrate women’s role in STEM careers. Events like Women in Industry Awards deliver on all three of those objectives.

“When you celebrate, you recognise people amongst their peers which is very encouraging and rewarding to the recipient. It also provides aspiration for others. If people feel that they are recognised, and have something to aspire to, they are more likely to stay in that career path. So, it helps with the retention part. When you are awarding leaders and you are highlighting and showcasing them to the general public, that also helps with the attraction part,” she said.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 37

Events @MM Driving Australia’s digital future Leading industry experts across the manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure and energy sectors met at the MCG in Melbourne to discuss the opportunities that digital transformation will provide and to give advice for turning data into value.

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IGITIALIZE is an annual conference organised by Siemens and for 2018 the event was held on 8 August at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The theme this year was “unlocking the potential” and featured a line-up of global and local industry experts.

The four topics of the day were workforce of the future, Industry 4.0, intelligent infrastructure and Australia’s Energy Transition.

Gaining competitive edge with Industry 4.0 Chairman and CEO of Siemens Australia, Jeff Connolly, kicked-off the day with a lively discussion about what Industry 4.0 is. For Connolly, Industry 4.0 is a metaphor for the future of manufacturing. Sporting a new pair of Adidas sneakers, Jeff spoke of the potential that Industry 4.0 will provide for localised manufacturing.

“Years ago the main concern for manufacturing was the cost of labour, so you looked for the cheapest place to manufacture. With Industry 4.0, companies will be able to produce products at the point where they will be consumed, significantly reducing transport and logistics costs,” Jeff said.

Connolly’s sneakers had been customised to showcase the Siemens brand, with the trademark three strips in Siemens-style green. “Industry 4.0 will allow for personalisation and customisation. Products like my customised sneakers can be produced at the same cost as 1,000 batch products. This is a very exciting prospect for Australia.”

According to Connolly, the potential of the fourth industrial revolution doesn’t stop at product personalisation and customisation. It will change everything. “The way we work, the way we learn, the way we make things and the way we use our planet will all change.”

38 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Chairman and CEO of Siemens Australia, Jeff Connolly, spoke of the potential that Industry 4.0 will provide for localised manufacturing.

Industry 4.0 provides major opportunities for businesses to improve their competitive edge.

“Historically there was a huge amount of engineering discipline going into product releases, everything needed to be 99.9 per cent right before going out to market. Then it didn’t take long for businesses to copy. But with the ability to design and iterate fast, you can go from concept to reality very quickly, gaining a serious competitive edge,” Connolly said.

Even the MCG has the potential to gain from the concepts at the heart of Industry 4.0. Using the European example of the Allianz arena in Munich, Connolly explained the ways in which Industry 4.0 is helping to

maintain the highest quality of grass on the pitch. “There are sensors underneath the grass which monitor light, temperature, weight and humidity 24 hours a day. This data is then used to keep the grass at its highest quality at all times.

And the benefits to be realised don’t stop at grounds maintenance: “What does an AFL shirt have to do with Industry 4.0?” Connolly asked.

Every AFL player has a sensor in the back of their shirt, monitoring 100 per cent of their movement. This includes body temperature, sweat and breathing. “This data means that after the game you can work out what went wrong, and adjust diet and training regimes accordingly. All of these

capabilities are a product of Industry 4.0”, Connolly said.

Workforce of the future With endless opportunities Industry 4.0 is set to transform many industries.

For Innes Willox, Chief Executive at Ai Group, Industry 4.0 provides Australia with the opportunity to have a thriving manufacturing industry.

“To walk the road to Industry 4.0, organisations will need ambition, to cultivate innovation at every level, collaboration, robust technological infrastructure a rock-solid approach to cyber security and new skills,” Willox said.

Siemens, Swinburne University of Technology and Ai Group have manmonthly.com.au

Events@MM established a pilot program to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills. The pilot includes a range of topics including Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT).

“The pilot has been very successful and is a project that gets to the heart of what’s needed for a workplace of the future,” Willox said. The importance of preparing a workforce of the future was an idea that resonated throughout the day, with the importance of skills and training coming up in all sectors.

Siemens has been doing some significant work in this space and the collaborative pilot program with Ai Group and Swinburne will reinvent apprenticeships in Australia. The qualification is the first of its kind and is designed to meet the particular needs of Industry 4.0.

Data and how to use it A central aspect of Industry 4.0 is data. According to Connolly, data itself isn’t valuable. The question is, how to unlock it?

“Organisations shouldn’t be collecting data alone, they need to make sense of it and then work out what they want to do with it,” Connolly said.

Siemen’s answer to this common problem is Mindsphere. The newlylaunched initiative is the first industry and university partnership in Australia.

Swinburne University of Technology’s Hawthorn campus will house Australia’s first demonstration and application centre for a cloudbased open Industrial IoT operating system.

MindSphere is a solution that will connect physical manufacturing, energy and infrastructure assets to the virtual world. The centre will join together industry with education, training and research.

“Data is being described as the oil of the 21st century. 90 per cent of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years and 5.5 million new things get connected manmonthly.com.au

Jens Goennemann, managing director, Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, facilitated a panel discussion on Industry 4.0.

every day. However, the value is in being able to refine that crude data and turning it into usable business information. This requires sophisticated platforms that simplify and enable the process. It also requires skilled people coming through the system - which is what this facility and the partnership is all about,” Connolly said.

Early adopters The event also provided an opportunity for early adopters of Industry 4.0 to showcase their success. Siemens business development manager Leonie Wong spoke through the success that local distiller Brogan’s Way has found with using Industry 4.0 principles.

“The increasing popularity of microbreweries has meant that producers have had to make the processes much more flexible without affecting efficiencies,” Wong said.

She spoke of the importance of tech in this industry and that small batches have become the norm. “Automation is the key

to maintaining consistency and quality for smaller manufacturers, and Brogan’s Way has utilised this method to improve its efficiencies,” Wong said.

An additional Industry 4.0 success story was presented by Dulux Australia. Brad Hordern, executive general manager – supply chain at Dulux talked about the level of automation adopted at the company’s new Merrifield factory site in Melbourne’s north. The company has invested $165 million in the manufacturing facility.

This facility is highly automated and according to Hordern is the most advanced in paint manufacturing technology and innovation. “This new facility was an exercise in precision,” Hordern said.

The factory is the largest coatings factory in Australia and New Zealand and Dulux has purchased 17ha of land to allow for expansion.

“With an investment like this, we wanted to do it right. We knew it would be a multi-decade investment so we wanted to design for the future,” Hordern said.

The factory houses around 70 employees, and just under 40 are operators, demonstrating its highly automated functionality.

According to Hordern, economies of scale no longer apply in the same way they used to. “There still is an aspect of it, but customisation is expected now. And that’s one of our points of difference and now we can do variations that we couldn’t’ do before. We can be very competitive on the high-volume stuff but also with the small customised orders. But the important thing is the quality, with the automation upgrades every product we produce has the same precision level,” he said.

Breakout session facilitator David Hegarty, managing director at APS Industrial called the Dulux Merrifield case an important success story for Australian manufacturing. “There is something we can all learn from this great example and I hope you all recognise the benefits that can be made from adoption of Industry 4.0 techniques.”

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 39

EndeavourAWARDS 2018 Meeting up with the expectations of tomorrow Great food, entertainment and the best in Australian manufacturing was what the 15th edition of the Endeavour Awards was all about. Manufacturers’ Monthly reports.

HERE’S THE LIST OF THE ENDEAVOUR 2018 WINNERS: Manufacturer of the Year Award – Proudly sponsored by Bestech Winner: BOC Limited Technology Application Award – Proudly sponsored

by Beckhoff Winner: SPEE3D Environmental Solution of The Year Award Winner: Fletcher International Exports Outstanding Start-up Award – Proudly sponsored by NMW Winner: Robo Helix Global Supply Chain Integration of the Year Award – Proudly sponsored by COG Winner: CST Composites

The Endeavour Awards 2018 featured a sold out crowd that celebrated the best in manufacturing.

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recent report by the Department of Industry Innovation and Science called Globalising Australia mentioned that Australia is moving towards higher-value processes like research and development, and product design and marketing.

All of this points to future growth in the sector in both the short and long-term future. Associations and organisations like the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Council (AMGC), Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) are working hard to make sure that new technologies, trends and approaches to manufacturing make headway into the manufacturing culture in Australia.

During the National 40 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Manufacturing Week 2018 which was held earlier this June in Sydney, there looked to be increased interest from more Australian manufacturers to invest in tomorrow’s technologies.

3D printing, for example, saw a big jump in the number of exhibitors as compared to 2017.

The 2018 Endeavour Awards also saw an increase in the number of quality submissions and there was even a new category that was introduced – Best IoT Application.

This year’s biggest winner for the night was BOC who walked away with two awards including the Manufacturer of the Year award.

By the end of the night, winners, judges, finalists and attendees were impressed at the direction that the awards were taking – keeping

manufacturing in Australia and are looking forward to next year’s party.

“We have always supported the growth of Australian manufacturing and know that the Endeavour Awards are committed to that support as well. We are proud to be on board to be a part of this event as one of the judges,” said Michael Grogan, director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania.

“The quality of the participants of the Endeavour Awards have always been high, but this year’s entries are just on another level – a testament to an industry that is innovating and growing,” said Scott Martin, site and group leader – applied physics, CSIRO.

Best Industrial IOT Application Award – Proudly sponsored by B&R Automation Winner: Sage Automation Safety Solution of The Year Award – Proudly sponsored by Sick Winner: BOC Limited Exporter of The Year Winner: REDARC Australian Industrial Product of The Year Award – Proudly sponsored by Vega Australia Winner: Carbon Revolution Most Innovative Manufacturing Company Award – Proudly sponsored

by SEW Eurodrive Winner: Watkins Steel manmonthly.com.au

EndeavourAWARDS 2018 ENDEAVOUR AWARDS WINNER SAFETY SOLUTION OF THE YEAR

Sponsor:

ENDEAVOUR AWARDS WINNER MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

Sponsor:

Committed to safety and excellence in manufacturing This year’s double winner at the Endeavour Awards, BOC Limited is no stranger to innovation and commitment to growing the presence of manufacturing in Australia.

Malcolm Watson, Automation Engineer at BOC South Pacific, receiving the award.

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OC Australia, a member of leading gases and engineering company The Linde Group, was presented with the prestigious Manufacturer of the Year Award and Safety Solution of the Year Award for its $15 million robot cylinder automation system at the Endeavour Awards held in Melbourne in July this year.

The company was also recognised as a finalist in the Supply Chain Integration and Technology Application categories for its new $20 million specialty gases facility that has increased its capacity to produce and supply over 8,000 high purity and specialty gases to high value sectors in Australia and abroad.

John Evans, BOC South Pacific

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managing director, said it is an honour to receive industry recognition for two significant investments completed at its Sydney Operations Centre, which were opened earlier this year.

“BOC has a long, proud manufacturing history in Australia spanning over 80 years. We believe embracing the new era of advanced manufacturing is vital for our longterm success and will continue to invest to ensure we meet the needs of our customers and staff long into the future.

“With safety as our number one priority, it is rewarding to see our world-leading robot cylinder automation system recognised for safety excellence. It has almost

BOC Limited was the biggest winner of the night snagging two prestigious awards. eliminated the risk of manual handling injuries to our staff, while setting a new standard in safety across the global industrial gases industry.

“Congratulations to all BOC staff, Linde global colleagues, contractors and suppliers who were involved in the successful delivery of these projects.”

Martin Tomlin, general manager, Gas Supply Chain, BOC Limited said, “It’s fantastic and a really great honour for our team. Particularly considering the strong competition.

We saw some great companies and great innovations in the list of finalists tonight.

“We are committed to manufacturing. We operate in

many sites across Australia and manufacturers are basically our customers as well.”

Malcolm Watson, Automation Engineer, BOC South Pacific who received the Safety Solution Award on behalf of BOC for the night said, “Safety is paramount to all our operations onsite and we will always place that as the highest priority.”

He also added that the awards are a good testament of the position that the industry is in at the moment.

“I think it is exciting to see manufacturing in Australia being bolstered up like this by Manufacturers’ Monthly. Having all these people in the same room is nice and makes me proud to be part of the industry,” said Watson.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 41

EndeavourAWARDS 2018 Sponsor:

ENDEAVOUR AWARDS WINNER BEST IOT APPLICATION

Putting IoT into recycling The inaugural winner of the Best IoT Application Award went to Sage Automation for their Vision CSS product that sorts out waste with the power of the Internet of Things (IoT).

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AGE Automation’s Vision CSS automatically sorts, identifies and counts container types for recycling depots – all to help increase the recycling under the Australian Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) scheme.

The system is an example of the great things IoT can do in practice; container data is sent to the cloud for a faster processing and customer refund process, as well as historical reporting and greater probity of information across multiple sets.

The system developed by Sage Automation and sister company digital transformation consultancy Nukon, targets to improve problems experienced by the recycling depot industry, including long wait times for customers, theft and poor count accuracy due to manual counting and sorting.

At the recent Endeavour Awards, Sage Automation became the first winner of the Award’s newest category – Best IoT Application Award for the Vision CSS product.

Paul Markwick, general manager, Victoria and Tasmania for Sage Automation who accepted the award on behalf of the company told Manufacturers’ Monthly that the goal was always to develop a container recycling machine that was low-cost and fast.

“That’s because using the machine involves interacting with the public. So, we engaged with Flinders University and came up with a sensor that could recognise all different types of recyclable cans and bottles, even if they were smashed or crushed,” said Markwick.

He mentioned that the machine is capable of recognising and sorting out waste material. “Essentially, 42 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Paul Marwick, general manager of Victoria and Tasmania, Sage Automation, recieving the Best Industrial IoT award.

people could dump their waste and go to a cashier and get their money back straightaway,” said Markwick.

Marwick also mentioned that the Vision CSS marked the first time that Sage were using what he described as “really low-cost sensors”.

“While a typical sensor might be higher in cost, we were using IoT sensors that helped keep the costs down, because then, there could be a lot of these container recycling machines being built.

“This was our first deep dive into Industry 4.0 for and using it to come up with solutions for non-industrial products,” he said.

With the Vision CSS product, Marwick said that the possibilities are limitless where they can now offer the benefits of Industry 4.0 to traditional customers.

“The traditional industries are obviously manufacturing, food and beverage, mining, utilities and defence. I think there are

applications for smart sensors and Industry 4.0 applications across all of those,” said Marwick.

With regards to collaboration and change, Marwick said that it was all about keeping an open mind and being adaptable to change.

“We found that collaborating with the university (Flinders) was great, because the universities like to be given problems to solve and we had a very good outcome from working with them,” said Marwick. manmonthly.com.au

EndeavourAWARDS 2018 ENDEAVOUR AWARDS WINNER AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

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A class apart from the rest The competition was especially tough in this year’s Australian Product of The Year category but with its unique high-performance carbon fibre wheels, Carbon Revolution emerged the ultimate winner.

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EELONG-BASED manufacturer Carbon Revolution was the winner of the “Australian Industrial Product of the Year” award at the Endeavours Awards 2018.

The finalists for this award were evaluated for their Australian made and designed products and points of difference to other available products designed for industrial applications.

The company is a leading example of growth through collaboration. Emerging from an independent R&D program

providing technology mentoring to university teams involved in Formula SAE campaigns, the company recently partnered with Ferrari to make high-performance carbon fibre wheels. This was for Ferrari’s new 448 Pista model that made the wheels 40 per cent lighter than the wheels on the standard 488 GTB model.

Carbon Revolution’s CEO Jake Dingle described Ferrari as an innovation leader and praised the car maker for how they put “extreme demands” on any technology that they employ in a car.

Manufacturers’ Monthly’s Tara Hamid accepting the Australian Industrial Product of The Year award on behalf of Carbon Revolution.

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“It is a really strong signal in terms of the technology and it’s a great achievement for us to meet their requirements,” said Dingle.

Also recently, the company had formed a $15 million research and development partnership with Deakin University to deliver advanced manufacturing technologies for composite wheels.

The research and development project, facilitated by the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC), will give the company access to Deakin University’s material science and engineering capabilities.

“This project has the potential to take our technology more rapidly to the next level, which will further strengthen our global leadership and competitiveness in the area of composite wheels,” Dingle said.

The IMCRC will reportedly contribute $3 million to the three-year research project. According to head of the IMCRC, David Chuter, the fund will be used to catalyse investment in manufacturing technologies, as well as facilitating a dedicated Carbon Revolution and Deakin co-located Innovation Space within the new Carbon Revolution facilities.

“The IMCRC’s focus is on catalysing tangible, commercial outcomes for Australian manufacturers, by bringing together manufacturing businesses and research organisations, to support innovations that will ensure the Australian manufacturing industry can meet the challenges and opportunities presented by today’s global economy,” Chuter said.

The research will take place at a dedicated collaborative Innovation Space and R&D Lab, on site at Carbon Revolution located within the Deakin Waurn Ponds Campus.

Professor of Composite Materials at Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials, Russell Varley, is part of the steering committee leading the $15 million research project mentioned that the university is excited to partner with Carbon Revolution.

“The technology developed in this project will ensure Deakin and Carbon Revolution remain at the leading edge of global composite materials research, particularly in relation to lightweight structures, raw materials and fabrication technologies,” said Varley.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 43

EndeavourAWARDS 2018 Sponsor:

ENDEAVOUR AWARDS WINNER OUTSTANDING START-UP AWARD

National Manufacturing Week

Aspiring to be the best there is From working in a garage in a Sydney suburb, RoboHelix has come a long way to now exporting its flight forming robot to international markets.

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OBOHELIX is a Sydney based design and manufacturing company which was founded in 2016. The company had started from a garage in the Sydney suburbs, and now exports globally. Its exports even reach as far as Germany and is the sole technology forming provider of a multinational corporation. This was all done in the space of two years. Specialising in industrial robotic innovation, it started with two engineers spending months in research and design working to automate the forming process of sectional screw segments, also referred to as “flights”. The government saw the potential in the technology prototype and funded them through grants.

For CEO Hayel Smair, winning the Outstanding Start-Up Award at this year’s Endeavour Awards was the icing on top of the cake of what he described as “unbelievable” journey.

“For an Australian start-up company to become a world leader and to export to Germany and the US, within the span of just two years, is unbelievable,” said Smair.

“We would like to always represent Australia, not just as a typical manufacturing company, but a hi-tech manufacturing company that is number one in the world.”

Smair said that winning the award is a big recognition for what the company has done so far in that space and is a demonstration of what the industry recognises of them.

“We ourselves know what we have accomplished, but for the Australian industry to come behind us and acknowledge what we have done, that’s really great and we appreciate that,” Smair told Manufacturers’ Monthly after receiving the award.

Smair describes the journey for RoboHelix as not being an easy one with a lot of ups and downs. He

44 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Hayel Smair, CEO, and David Gardner, product manager of RoboHelix receiving the Outstanding Startup award.

understood the risks of how many other aspiring start-ups have come and not succeeded in the space, but he had faith in his product and a lot of support behind him – something he is always thankful for.

“Many people may give up along the way when faced with difficulties.

However, we were fortunate to have great support from friends and family and from our colleagues who were there for us and we worked tirelessly to achieve what we have achieved,” said Smair.

Smair also pointed out that it is a great achievement to be a “bornglobal” company that focused on the international market rather than just distribution to the local market is a great achievement. “That’s what we were focused on. We did not want to start with the local market, but we wanted to go straightaway to the

international market,” he said.

Despite targeting the international market for distribution, the heart and soul of manufacturing, according to David Gardner, product manager of RoboHelix, however, still remains Australian.

“By having such an amazing idea behind our products, and to be able to get the right people and the right tools, with government backing, we wanted innovation and advanced manufacturing to stay in Australia.

“That really encouraged us to go through that journey and it empowered us to go straight into the international markets and we disrupted the entire industry. It’s been phenomenal,” Gardner said.

At the moment, RoboHelix are on the lookout for young and enthusiastic and passionate people who have the same passion the founders – individuals

who want more than just a mundane engineering job.

“We are always on the lookout for people who think big and want to achieve big. We are growing our team slowly. At the same time, we are working with Macquarie University, where we have direct communication with them and we use some of their facilities. They are our partners and make sure that we have the right tools and technological capabilities to be able to achieve the required results that we want,” said Smair.

“It’s a long road ahead of us and we will be focused on our flight manufacturing industry and maybe have a vertical range of products from there. For me personally, I have great ambitions and I want to strike not just the flight-forming industry, but the whole manufacturing industry. So, there’s a lot to come,” he said. manmonthly.com.au

EndeavourAWARDS 2018 ENDEAVOUR AWARDS WINNER MOST INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURING COMPANY AWARD

Sponsor:

Rolling forward with automation For its use of automation and analytics in steel fabrication, Watkins Steel walked away with the Most Innovative Manufacturing Company Award for the night.

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VERY year, the one award that demonstrates Australia’s commitment to innovation and drive is the Most Innovative Manufacturing Company Award. At this year’s National Manufacturing Week (NMW), keynote speakers spoke about manufacturers throughout the sector that are looking for and implementing advances in technology and production processes to improve their operations to remain competitive.

Innovation, as pointed out speakers at the futuremap workshops, held at the NMW, is not confined to just a few industries, but across the board. The search for leading-edge innovations can be seen in virtually every industrial sector. It can be anything.

From optimising and accelerating production with the latest equipment or analysing big data to measure and improve machine output, work processes, customer preferences, and engagement. These show the way opportunities for manufacturers, such as potential offerings or changes in business models for improved operational efficiency.

At this year’s Endeavour Awards, Watkins Steel was selected as the winner of the Most Innovative Manufacturing Company award.

The Most Innovative Manufacturing Company award recognises Australian manufacturers who have thought “outside the box” to implement a new business idea.

Watkins Steel was awarded for the development of their unique digitally linked 4-Step Process for steel fabrication and installation.

The company is a family owned and operated steel fabrication company established in 1968. Traditionally, services include steel detailing, fabrication and installation. However, manmonthly.com.au

over the years, they have implemented changes that have seen a significant shift from labour-based processes to technology-based processes for the company.

A major milestone in this direction was the development of a unique end-to-end digital work flow for steel fabrication and installation called the Watkins Steel 4-Step Linked Process. In this digital workflow process, the entire steel fabrication and installation process is linked from start to finish. From site measurement through to steel detailing, processing,

Watkins Steel was awarded for the development of their unique digitally linked 4-Step Process for steel fabrication and installation. and installation, all data collected by the Watkins Steel team remains consistent and reliable across this entire process.

With their 4-Step Process, Watkins Steel has changed the work

flow process of steel fabrication for its customers with advanced automated robotics for steel processing and fabrication and robotic total station for on-site steel installation.

Watkins Steel accepting the Most Innovative Manufacturing Company award.

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 45

EndeavourAWARDS 2018 Sponsor:

ENDEAVOUR AWARDS WINNER TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION AWARD

Bringing 3D metal printing to the market SPEE3D has come a long way since launching its LightSPEE3D printer last year into the market and its mission remains the same – to help manufacturing efficiency.

Simone Baxter, CFO, and Toby Jarrett, Mechatronic Design Engineer, SPEE3D receiving the award on behalf of the company.

S

PEE3D successfully launched its LightSPEE3D printer in Germany in 2017 that was followed by a launch in the US in 2018. The technology manufactures fast, low-cost, near net shaped parts suitable for commercial and industrial applications. In the printer, rather than using heat to melt powders, SPEE3D’s patented technology uses supersonic deposition in which a rocket nozzle accelerates air up to three times the speed of sound. Injected powders are deposited onto a substrate that is 46 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

attached to a six-axis robotic arm.

When it was first launched in 2017, it was the world’s first commercial metal printer and was located at Charles Darwin University in NT. Then, it produced a copper flywheel that took 11 minutes and 38 seconds to produce which cost $4.60. That feat was a demonstration of the capability of the LightSPEE3D printer to generate lowcost metal parts at high speed, which is was considered to be revolutionary in metal printing.

Following that feat then, co-

inventor of the technology, Steven Camilleri said that up to then, the metal manufacturing industry, which was worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year globally, had used mass production techniques that were slow, inflexible and expensive.

“Lead times from design to first prototype are long, often taking months, and prototyping is expensive because of the need for specialised tooling and design-specific moulds,” Camilleri said.

He said that while traditional 3D

metal printing had improved simplicity and immediacy to the manufacturing process, there had been little uptake in the casting industry because the technology could not deliver the required speed and uniformity in strength and shape.

Moving on one year forward, the popularity of 3D printing has increased tremendously as demonstrated by the amount of traction it got at the recent National Manufacturing Week in Sydney. In addition to that, SPEE3D’s Technology Application Award win at the Endeavour Awards 2018 is a testament to the contributions that the 3D printing sector is bring to manufacturing Toby Jarrett, Mechatronic design engineer at SPEE3D, who received the award on behalf of the company, told Manufacturers’ Monthly, “It’s a very great validation of our last three years of work. As a start-up, we have been working extremely hard, to bring our technology to market.”

Simone Baxter, CFO at SPEE3D said that both the founders worked together for 15 years on various projects and came together to form this company to create a 3D printer for manufacturing.

“It’s (the LightSPEE3D) for manufacturing, not prototyping. It’s very fast, hundreds to a thousand times faster than the current technology, and it’s cheaper, so it’s good for manufacturing’s saving,” Baxter said.

SPEE3D’s mission is to become the first 3D metal printer widely adopted into manufacturing. Currently, the majority of their clientele are international, and they have a team of roughly about 10 full time staff and 10 contractors.

Baxter said that the applications for 3D metal printing are endless because it can be used for multiple industries such as aerospace, defence, automotive. manmonthly.com.au

NOVEMBER 2018 – ENERGY MANAGEMENT With the energy costs comprising a large share of the running costs for all businesses, manufacturers are always looking for ways to lower their energy costs and maximise efficiency.

In November 2018, we speak with energy management solution providers who are guiding manufacturers on how to better manage their energy supply and increase their bottom lines.

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.

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What’sNew Fibre King’s 3-Axis Robot Arm Case Packer

Fibre King has introduced its 3-axis robot arm case packer. As the automated packaging market pushes for robotic automation, Fibre King has set out to incorporate the flexibility that robotic automation offers into their flagship range of equipment.

Before embarking on this research and development challenge, Fibre King considered

the availability of industrial robots but found it difficult to customise what was available to suit their application requirements. Fibre King’s team of mechanical and electrical engineers worked together to rapidly develop the design in a virtual environment prior to confidently building a full-scale prototype. The prototype was on display at Propak Asia 2018 for those lucky enough to attend.

The 3-axis articulating robot arm has been purpose designed to suit multiple applications around product collation, sorting and loading. Using twin robot arms makes the collation and loading of products including pouches, cases, trays, bottles, tins etc a continuous motion which improves productivity, reliability and in a significantly smaller footprint compared to traditional continuous motion machines.

Pick and place loading is vastly improved over parallel arm kinematic systems by providing a wider range of operation and flexibility. It is possible to increase the rate of production by expanding to multiple robot arms for simultaneous loading of multiple cases. In this application it is possible to have a single robot gripper attachment picking multiple caseloads of product or multiple robots working in unison. A single robot is designed to operate at high speed in a frequent start/stop motion while carrying a 40kg payload.

With such a high payload capacity the available applications are not limited to product handling for case packing. Fibre King also see a range of applications for the 3-axis robot in palletising and more specifically, full case handling.

Company: Fibre King Phone: (07) 3293 8800 Web: www.fibreking.com

TIA Portal that enables the Digital Enterprise The digital transformation of the manufacturing industry is picking up speed. In virtually every industry, comprehensive digitalisation of all processes can provide a lasting competitive advantage thanks to increased flexibility, efficiency, and quality. It offers new opportunities for added value, innovative business models, and forwardthinking forms of collaboration.

The technical requirements for implementing the Industry 4.0 concept can be achieved by realising the Digital Enterprise: the link between the virtual and the real world of production along the entire value chain, based on in-depth industry knowledge and unique expertise in the areas of electrification, automation, and digitalisation. The critical action for those in the manufacturing industry is to take full advantage of the opportunities the Digital Enterprise presents, and to set out on the path to a successful future before they fall behind.

The Siemens Totally Integrated Automation Portal (TIA Portal) brought to the local market by APS Industrial, is the perfect place to start on this path to digitalisation.

It helps users unlock the potential of a digitalised value chain, including data acquisition for cloud services in manufacturing execution.

The TIA Portal increases flexibility of machine builders and plant operators through digital workflow. This digital workflow allows a virtual copy of machines and plants to be used to simulate and test every aspect before actually building the real thing.

This “digital twin” is also networked with operational IT and the cloud to enable even more flexibility, with the end result being higher quality products.

Seamless connectivity The cloud offers new possibilities in engineering as well as for the operation of plants. The TIA Portal Cloud Connector makes it possible to work with the TIA Portal regardless of the location or device. For users, this means greater flexibility and less installation effort. During operation, users can benefit from additional digital services thanks to the connection of plants to the Siemens MindSphere Cloud.

48 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

Flexible simulation By simulating the entire installation, including the controller and HMI, and by evaluating it based on a virtual model, local commissioning time is reduced thanks to PLCSIM Advanced, the controller’s digital twin.

Open system TIA Portal allows users to efficiently create your project using software generators, further reducing the number of redundant workflows. With Teamcenter, users also merge the project versions from planning, engineering and design.

The TIA Portal is your perfect gateway to automation in the Digital Enterprise. As part of the Digital Enterprise Suite along with PLM and MES, it complements the comprehensive range of offerings from Siemens for companies on their path to Industry 4.0.

Company: APS Industrial Phone: (03) 8514 3500 Website: apsindustrial.com.au

manmonthly.com.au

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With this new Rugged Tablet PC, the brightness has been increased to 800 nits. The wireless functionality has also been improved with 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WLAN, as well as Bluetooth 4.2.

This Rugged Tablet PC includes a USB 3.0 Type-C Connector. The USB Type-C connector can function as a LAN or RS232 port as well as outputting VGA with an adapter, allowing versatile connectivity in a streamlined port. The Camera and audio feature an 8MP rear camera and dual microphones with noise cancellation.

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Harmony eXLhoist – wireless remote control Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, has unveiled the Harmony eXLhoist wireless remote control. Combining ergonomic design, long battery life, and a SIL3 wireless emergency stop, Harmony eXLhoist brings intuitive ease to remote control of cranes, while also helping to protect the operator and machine.

The ergonomic design of Harmony eXLhoist maximises comfort of use. The smart positioning of buttons enables easy one-handed control of the station, allowing the operator to control a complex series of maneuvers with just one thumb and give their full attention to the hoisted load. The eXLhoist also is built with magnetic pushbutton technology to help decrease operator finger fatigue.

A wireless SIL3-certified emergency stop is placed at the base of the station grip, within easy reach of the operator. Additionally, Harmony eXLhoist integrates SIL1 protection against unintended use and is aligned with new functional safety standards for wireless remote control.

The estimated battery recharge time for Harmony eXLhoist is only 15 minutes, which is minimal when compared to the average recharge time of 3 hours for similar available devices. Combined with long battery runtime of up to 30 hours on a single charge, it delivers an unmatched level of application availability. Long-term battery life is also unprecedented – up to five years, achieving nearly double the life span of similar available devices.

Fix faults quickly with diagnostic and maintenance data available at your fingertips.

Get instant alarm notifications on the screen and quickly download maintenance information which can be stored in the remote device through the data storage function. Quickly replace the remote device via radio, without intervention at the base station on top of the crane Company: Schneider Electric Phone: (02) 9851 2800 Website: https://www.schneider-electric.com.au/en manmonthly.com.au

Manufacturers’ Monthly SEPTEMBER 2018 49

The Last WORD

INNES WILLOX – Chief Executive, Ai Group

Two roads to a new industry

Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, shares his thoughts on how Australian businesses can make the best of the opportunities that Industry 4.0 presents.

I

Ndividual businesses and Australia as a whole need to get a few things right to walk the road of Industry 4.0 and to take advantage of the opportunities it presents.

We need the ambition to excel, grow and learn, rather than settling for stasis or decline. We need to cultivate innovation at every level, whether that is moving to the state of the art or advancing it. We need collaboration between businesses, researchers, governments, institutions and workers to make the most of our resources. We need a robust technical infrastructure of standards and frameworks that give us global compatibility and local access. We need rock solid approaches to cyber security if every part of production and every product is potentially hackable. And we need the skills in our current and emerging workforce and management to make the most of all this.

That is a tall order and meeting it will require concerted efforts by industry, civil society and every level of government.

In April 2016 the Federal Government established the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce to broaden awareness of Industry 4.0 and accelerate the pace of its diffusion. Part of the initial effort was to build official and ongoing links between Australian industry and the German Platform Industrie 4.0. The Taskforce has achieved this, but also much more.

Workstreams have been established under expert leadership to advance standards, innovation, security, work, education and training and Test Labs. Major reports and recommendations for action have been developed on standards and test labs.

The Industry 4.0 higher apprenticeships project – a partnership between Siemens, Swinburne and Ai Group, has been overwhelmingly successful and has generated significant interest across

50 SEPTEMBER 2018 Manufacturers’ Monthly

the country. Further rollout is planned for 2019 and Ai Group is currently working with companies and sourcing candidates to help this get underway.

But ultimately the future of industry is the responsibility of industry and the stakeholders we work with. It is therefore highly appropriate that the good work of the Prime Minister’s Taskforce will continue in a new form as the Industry 4.0 Advanced Manufacturing Forum.

While this initiative retains strong relationships and engagement with government, the Forum is convened by Ai Group, working with a number of other industry bodies, universities and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.

It is fair to say that substantial progress in embracing Industry 4.0 has so far been confined to a relatively small number of leading firms – both multinational and domesticallybased. Embracing Industry 4.0, whether under that name or others, has stretched the gap between these leaders and the majority of businesses.

In many cases these businesses are the usual suspects – those who are known to be proactively on the lookout for opportunities to improve and develop their businesses. In an important sense these businesses self-select. They are switched on, aware of the latest developments and they allocate time and resources to “working on the business”. They are also more generally aware of various policies, programs and measures available to support industry development and innovation.

Key to accelerating the diffusion of Industry 4.0 is ensuring there is a sufficient and growing supply of appropriately skilled people for businesses to draw on as they embrace Industry 4.0. This involves industry and education and training organisations working closely to design and develop an appropriate range of training opportunities both for the existing and future workforce.

The reality is that we as businesses and Australia as a nation have little option but to walk it.

The increasing frequency of reports of skills shortages relating to the adoption of Industry 4.0 suggests that current capacity is constrained.

But more encouragingly it also points to an increased pace of adoption and further diffusion of Industry 4.0 beyond the leading firms.

There are other barriers. We have heard anecdotally from members about possible reasons for the slow adoption of digital technologies, particularly among SMEs: • They do not have the time to assess digital technologies to know what’s relevant to them and what the benefits may be; • They do not know where to start or whom to trust; • They would like to know what others are doing to determine the benchmark; and • The speed of change makes it hard to keep up and adapt, even for innovative manufacturers.

We have also heard from both end users and suppliers that while there may be interest from businesses in digital technologies, the real challenge is the development and implementation of a real business case. This is harder where skills or knowledge of industry 4.0 are thin.

In a report that Ai Group published in May last year, we proposed areas where government and public support could be of value to industry, including: • The disappointing closure of the Industry Skills Fund leaves a gap in support for building workforce digital skills and this gap should be rectified.

• Other public programs targeted

at improving employee skills in use of workplace technology and other foundational skills will help businesses and people transition and develop their capability in the immediate term.

Complementing this, businesses need to understand better the longerterm benefits of digitally upskilling staff. Government initiatives (such as the Entrepreneurs’ Programme and Industry Growth Centres) could be avenues of support. Skills growth and capture, including through greater industry collaboration with universities and vocational education providers, are absolutely fundamental to the national challenge of meeting the demands of industry for the workforce of the future.

Incentives could be created to encourage businesses to take risks to determine how investment in technologies can benefit their business and people. Options include grants or tax concessions for investment in digital transformation, including demonstration projects.

Undoubtedly there can be a bright future for industry in Australia. Implementing Industry 4.0 is making great strides, but there is much more to be done within our organisations and in partnership together.

The skills, the standards, advancing and diffusing technology and business models; there is plenty to get on with, not just for the Forum but for all of us. I look forward to working with you all as we head down this road together. The reality is that we as businesses and Australia as a nation have little option but to walk it. manmonthly.com.au

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