Industry News

Based in Melrose Park, New South Wales, McNeall Plastics services customers across the broadest range of industries, including mining, energy, pharmaceutical, transport, automotive, packaging, building and construction, bulk handling, foundries and many more. The company continues to looking to the future to expand on its reputation as a leading supplier of high quality engineered plastics. Its latest acquisition is the recently commissioned Okuma Genos L3000-eMYx1000 CNC lathe, along with an OSP-P300LA controller and accessories. The new machine is already enhancing volumes and size capabilities in precision components and will allow the company to produce tooling for casting moulds in-house. “The selection of the Okuma machine was an easy one for us as the name is known throughout the industry as one of the highest precision machine brands available,” says Josh Budd, Managing Director at McNeall Plastics. “And the technical support and training from Okuma is just outstanding.” McNeall Plastics has the only major nylon…

The new UX range is engineered to bring to a wider range of users Yale’s value proposition – “Simply Efficient” – which has at its core the understanding that, if a forklift usage is only around four hours a day, companies don’t need a more expensive forklift that has been designed to handle all-day, everyday applications. The expanded UX family delivering this no-nonsense, uncomplicated approach to materials handling with efficiency and strong safety features now includes three-wheel forklifts in 1,600-2,000kg capacity, pallet lift trucks in 1,500kg capacity and stand-up and sit-down tow trucks in 3,000-6,000kg capacity respectively. “All are engineered to expand the long-established strengths of the Yale brand into wider markets seeking a quality, cost-efficient solution backed globally by service and customised solutions to meet users’ needs for applications requiring less frequent usage,” says Mark Chaffey, Hyster-Yale Area Business Director, Pacific. Yale is a leading provider of a full line…

The new precinct is a joint venture between Frasers Property Industrial, Aware Super and Altis Property Partners. With an end value of $1bn, will be a benchmark in Australian industrial development and cements the region as a key distribution hub in New South Wales. Strategically located on the corner of Mamre Road and the future Southern Link Road in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, the development is Australia’s first industrial community. It is also one of Sydney’s largest industrial developments, spanning 70 hectares. The development will provide a significant boost to the Western Sydney economy and become a key employment hub for the region. In total, The YARDS is expected to generate over 3,500 jobs during construction and after completion, helping to fulfil the NSW Government’s objectives for growth in the region and the creation of the 30-minute city. Frasers Property Industrial CEO Reini Otter and Aware Super CIO Damian Graham were joined on 4 March by NSW Minister for Jobs, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres, Member for Mulgoa Tanya Davies and Mayor of…

The majority of issues that arise in a job shop can be linked to miscommunication during the very first interaction with the customers and their request for quote (RFQ). Common errors are made due to a lack of or missing information in the source drawing, correct interpretation of the process layers in the source drawing and duplicate data in part names or part IDs, to name a few. These can occur in any one item of the quote request. Of course, with errors come unhappy customers who can’t rely on you to deliver exactly what they expected, and we all know what happens next. The good news is that these issues can be addressed, and your customers’ experience enhanced if you have a system in place that addresses the “Three Rs”: Records: Maintaining a record of each and every communication with the customer about their RFQ and their requirements ensures compliance to quality systems and reduces the cost of quality.…

Mars operates six manufacturing sites in Asquith, Ballarat, Bathurst, Wacol, Wodonga and Wyong and two sales offices in Melbourne and Sydney – which will be offset with 100% renewable electricity from the new Kiamal Solar Farm. The commencement of generation of the Victoria-based Kiamal Solar Farm, developed by renewable energy producer Total Eren, follows announcements from the Federal Government to modernise Australian manufacturing. The Kiamal Solar Farm has an eventual grid output of 200MW and spans more than 4.6 sqkm, featuring 718,000 solar panels. The 50MW that the Kiamal Solar Farm generates for Mars Australia is enough renewable electricity to power the production of 185 million 180g bags of peanut M&Ms; or 30 million 3kg bags of Pedigree; or 1.4bn bottles of Masterfoods tomato sauce; or 2.5 billion packets of Extra. Marking a key step in advancing Mars’s global Sustainable in a Generation goals to reduce its global greenhouse gas emissions by 27% by 2025 and 67%…

Businesses with a track record of reliability, performance and quality are best placed to serve our national defence procurement needs. One such company is Elexon Electronics. This Australian-owned, Brisbane-based company prides itself on delivering innovative solutions to customers from ‘niche’ markets, with an unmatched ability to offer turnkey solutions of electronics products using local suppliers and Australian resources. “Throughout the last 16 years, we have successfully developed a wide range of unique products serving the medical science, mining and automotive industries,” says Frank Faller, CEO of Elexon. “Now we are offering our extensive intellectual property (IP), ability to quickly innovate, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to defence suppliers.” Elexon’s growth and development over the past two decades means their customers now include many renowned national and international companies such as Rio Tinto, Newcrest, Volvo, Aurizon, Aim Lab, Agilent and…

Employers that are increasing both their headcount and payroll can receive up to $10,400 per year for each new job they fill with an eligible employee aged 16 to 29 years, and $5,200 for each eligible employee aged 30 to 35 years. To be eligible new employees must: Be 16 to 35 years old. Commence employment between 7 October 2020 and 6 October 2021. Work or be paid for an average of at least 20 paid hours per week during the reporting period. Have received the JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment or Youth Allowance (except if they are receiving the allowance because they are undertaking full-time study or are a new apprentice) for at least 28 consecutive days (or two fortnights) in the 84 days (or six fortnights) prior to starting employment. Deputy Commissioner James O’Halloran said that employers do not need to satisfy a turnover test for their business and the three-step process to access the credit is straightforward. “The first step for a business is to…

Manufacturing economics determines a company’s profitability. With metal cutting, production economics should focus on ensuring these processes and environments are secure and predictable. There should be two ultimate goals: firstly, maintaining the highest production output; and secondly, the lowest production cost. These goals present challenges in steel turning operations, with bottlenecks, production slow-downs, or restrictions in the number of components produced per run. Now, there are the wider industry challenges posed by COVID-19. Manufacturers, particularly in mass production, are especially conscious of cost-per-part when managing steel turning operations. The basic principle of cost-per-part is calculated by the total fixed costs plus total variable costs, divided by the total units produced. The parameters of steel turning also depend very much on market demand, with a view to either reducing production costs or increasing output. Companies that manufacture automotive components, for instance, could face either high or low demand scenarios going forward. Low…

The flight of the first military aircraft to be designed and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years flew under the supervision of a Boeing test pilot monitoring the aircraft from a ground control station at the Woomera Range Complex. “The Loyal Wingman’s first flight is a major step in this long-term, significant project for the Air Force and Boeing Australia, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the successful test,” said Air Vice-Marshal Cath Roberts, RAAF Head of Air Force Capability. “The Loyal Wingman project is a pathfinder for the integration of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to create smart human-machine teams. “Through this project we are learning how to integrate these new capabilities to complement and extend air combat and other missions,” she said. Following a series of taxi tests validating ground handling, navigation and control, and pilot interface, the aircraft completed a successful take-off under its own power before flying a pre-determined route at different speeds and altitudes to verify flight functionality and demonstrate the performance of…

AC Australia CAD CAM Solutions is the authorised reseller of ALPAHCAM in Australia. AC Australia is dedicated not only to supplying software, but to delivering solutions that optimise the production of Australian manufacturers. Lead by Brand Manager, Blake McCrossen, the AC Australia team aims to work closely alongside all of its customers to ensure that manufacturing is enhanced as a result of their investment. Describing the benefits of ALPHACAM, McCrossen explains: “ALPHACAM is a customisable system that can be configured to generate and produce files for all CNC machines. We customise and integrate the software to suit each individual business’ needs. This allows AC Australia to provide a customised approach to improving manufacturing processes and ensures our customers gain the most out of their software investment.” CAD Translator functionality is at the core of ALPHACAM’s CAM (computer-aided machining) capability, as it can import and analyse almost any CAD (computer-aided design) file while applying tooling operations…

Robots are such an integral part of industry these days it is hard to imagine production facilities without them. However, their use requires strict safety measures, especially when they come into contact with people. A new generation of robots drastically minimises the risk of injury and offers other advantages: these new robots are made of a flexible material, such as silicone. The movement of the robot is created by a specific filling and emptying of cavities (often using compressed air or vacuum). An example of a soft robot already used in industry is the so-called pneumatic gripper. These actuators are characterised in particular by their high flexibility in gripping shapes and the non-destructive handling of fragile objects. However, the production of these flexible grippers is a challenge. The complex geometries and the many cavities make injection molding very complex or, in some cases, impossible. This can be remedied…

The scanner will be small enough to be placed in ambulances or Royal Flying Doctor Service aircraft and will give more Australians rapid access to treatment in the crucial first “golden hour” after a stroke. It is expected to revolutionise stroke care particularly for rural and remote Australians who are twice as likely as city stroke survivors to be left with a serious, lifelong disability. The Australian Stroke Alliance received $40m under the initiative for a five-year program to lay the foundations for a national and equitable approach to the treatment of stroke. Micro-X will receive $8m of that to develop the portable scanner using their unique technology. Stroke patients have a much greater chance of surviving and avoiding long-term brain damage if they are diagnosed and treatment begins within that first hour. “We are excited to be at the forefront in developing technology which has the potential to radically transform health care for all Australians,” Micro-X Managing Director Peter Rowland said. “This unique collaboration puts Australia and the Australian Stroke Alliance at…

An international study by car rental comparison website StreeFreeCarRental.com has ranked the top ten countries in the world when it comes to adopting carbon-saving electric vehicles, and Australia is nowhere to be seen. The electric vehicle market in Australia has faced various difficulties and the country is falling behind its global competitors. The Netherlands was found to be most advanced in the rollout of electric vehicle technologies followed by Norway and Sweden with France ranked in fourth place. Researchers looked at both electric vehicle sales per head of population and state investment in infrastructure and charging points to compile a definitive leader board of the countries showing the way when it comes to electric cars. The study highlights how much work there is still to be done for Australia to catch up with other countries in the race to net zero carbon emissions. Although there continues to be an undeniable upturn in electric vehicle sales as registrations hit 20,000, the percentage of vehicle sales that were pure electric in…