Member News

Next month we’ll be holding two special ‘Christmas in July’ celebrations, in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria. The events are an opportunity for you to socialise and network in a relaxed setting – bring your partner and colleagues and share in some mid-year Christmas cheer. The Sydney event will consist of a dinner cruise in Darling Harbour, with a luxury private dining experience against one of the best backdrops in Sydney. The Victorian event will be held at Carousel in Melbourne, with guests enjoying a three-course meal and drinks, as well as live music. Full details are as follows: AMTIL 2021 NSW Christmas in July Dinner Cruise Wednesday 21 July 2021 7:00pm – 11.00pm Darling Harbour, Convention Jetty, Morpheus Cruises, Sydney, NSW 2000. AMTIL 2021 VIC Christmas in July Dinner Function Thursday 22 July 2021 7:00pm – 11.00pm Carousel, 22 Aughtie Drive, Albert Park Lake, VIC 3205. Tickets for both events are $65 for members of AMTIL or the Additive Manufacturing Hub, and $129 for non-members. For the Victoria event, Corporate Tables…

Operating a spindle with high rotation speed and gaining the optimal balance between the provided speed and torque is the main task of high-speed engineering. The spindle’s performance depends on a variety of different factors. One of the main factors relates to the design concept of a single- or combined twin-motor bearing system, seal components, and a tool retention method. When machining, the spindle is not in direct contact with the workpiece but interacts with it through another technological system – the cutting tool. This connection acts as a conductor and should transform the impressive capabilities of a high-speed spindle into improved machining results. Another element between the cutting tool and the spindle is the toolholder that is fitted into the spindle. A poor performance from this small assembly, consisting of the cutting tool and toolholder, may reduce the function of the spindle to…

Two initiatives are now being developed and discussed and they are outlined below. Young Industry Ambassador Program A Young Industry Ambassador Program will generate an interest in a career in manufacturing. Imagine 50 young people from our industry who have the passion and drive to speak to other young people about their journey and experience so far. The intention is to have these ambassadors go through a public speaking course to give them the confidence and skills to present themselves. WIN. Imagine hundreds of high schools around the country that are on a database for communication around manufacturing careers and thus having the opportunity to have a Young Ambassador come and talk to their students. Imagine career advisors being better educated about the many career options available through our industry. WIN. Imagine 100 advanced manufacturers around the country prepared to open their doors and have school groups come for a plant tour. The intention will be to cover the costs of travel for…

“Using this technology, the cost of a quarantine project could be lowered by 80% in comparison to traditional construction, and 55% compared to prefabricated solutions,” says Ahmed Mahil, co-founder and CEO of Luyten. “Ready to be fitted with utilities and plumbing, these accommodation facilities would be aesthetically pleasing and liveable within just a couple of days. The months, and even years, some projects can take to be constructed is now redundant – the new age of construction is upon us.” According to Mahil, the construction industry is at a tipping point after a century of stagnation, and Luyten’s technology, which began as a passion project between university mates, has the capacity to shake up the industry: “Just as Ford changed the game with the Model T, Luyten has changed the game with the Platypus mobile 3D concrete printer. The affordability of the Platypus will make it an essential part of the equipment tool kit that small and large…

The OnRobot range of robotic arm grippers, sensors and tool changers makes it faster and simpler to automate tasks such as packaging, materials handling, machine tending, assembly, and surface finishing. With its new partnership with OnRobot, John Hart aims to provide effective solutions to help small and mid-sized manufacturers optimise their processes and grow their businesses, with greater flexibility, higher output and improved quality. According to John Hart, collaborative automation has levelled the playing field for small and mid-sized manufacturers, and as robots become easier to buy and implement, the tooling has become the vital element in adapting for a wide range of applications. OnRobot’s product range features a wide assortment of tools for collaborative applications, including: electric, vacuum and magnetic grippers, the award-winning Gecko gripping technology, force/torque sensors, a 2.5D vision system, screwdriver, sander kits and tool changers. Headquartered in Odense in Denmark, OnRobot also has offices in Los Angeles and Dallas in the US, Soest (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Warsaw (Poland), Budapest (Hungary), Shanghai (China),…

Based in Keysborough, Victoria, Automation Innovation has developed a new turnkey robotic cell laser cleaner that incorporates artificial intelligence and robotic automation as an answer to manufacturers’ needs for a safer, environmentally friendly, and more economical solution to cleaning glass moulds. In 2020, the glass and glass product manufacturing market size in Australia reached $4.2bn. It’s grown 2.1% in the last five years. Glass and glass product manufacturing in Australia as an industry continues to increase faster than the Australian manufacturing sector overall. The growth is attributed to increasing investments in building construction, and a heightened awareness of glass as a more sustainable material in comparison to plastic. Glass is also fully recyclable, and lasts several years longer than plastic, which gives the material its conspicuous environmental appeal. The art behind glass cleaning and raised concerns Glass moulds are used in the manufacture of glass products, and are made up of interlocking parts, small features, and pinhole-sized cooling vents. In glass bottle manufacturing processes, lubricant is used…

The Demmeler 3D workbench and welding table is a versatile jig and fixtures system for all types of welding and fabrication work. When paired with an ALM Positioner it can bring a whole new level of safety and accuracy to the workshop because the work can be held in place firmly and rotated. Positioners (which are also sometimes called manipulators) allow 360-degree rotation of parts to eliminate heavy lifting and allow for more comfortable welding. Leussink’s Managing Director Jason Leussink explains how he went in search of a company that could supply precision positioners to his Australian-based clients. “We’ve been working with Demmeler for nearly 30 years and have not found a local supplier who can provide the type of product our clients seek,” says Jason. “We were approached by a client who wanted to be able to hold work in place while welding. They fabricate large trailers in their workshop…

A major trend in the Asia Pacific electric motor market is the development of electric motors with high power-to-weight ratios. Sustainability concerns, as well as the necessity to cut costs and increase profit margins, are encouraging manufacturers to invest in the latest energy-efficient technology. However, improving the energy performance of an electric motor does not necessarily mean swapping your trusted favourite for a new one – maintaining it properly and installing a few relatively inexpensive add-ons can be enough to drastically cut costs in the long run. The right load factor The load factor represents the average load of a motor compared with its capacity over a specific period of time. The load factor significantly impacts the energy consumption of an electric motor. Motors are most efficient when operating at full or near full load…

The company has been responsible for numerous workholding innovations that reduce costly changeover time, reduce operator workload and maximise productivity. One of the many benefits of using Lang Technik products is their patented Quick Point zero-point clamping system. This allows for a one-time installation – once the base plate is mounted and aligned to the machine tool table and the zero point is defined, workpieces and fixtures can be built quickly and accurately. “The zero-point system provides a huge boost to productivity, reducing changeover time from 1-2 hours to around five minutes,” says Paul Fowler, Managing Director of Dimac Tooling, Lang Technik’s agents for Australia and New Zealand. Two recent additions to Lang Technik’s respected Makro-Grip range of vices are the Makro-4 Grip and Makro-Grip Ultra. The Makro-4Grip allows Lang’s stamping technology to now be utilised for round parts. The stamping is a patented form-closure technology, which provides the highest holding power for five-face machining worldwide. Often referred to as pre-stamping, it…

In addition to the country’s biggest manufacturing industry expo, AMW 2022 will feature several parallel events to complement the main event. Situated in the middle of the AMW exhibition, the Future Solutions Stage will feature a series of speakers sharing knowledge, expertise and insights. For each of the four days of AMW, the Future Solutions Stage will explore a specific theme. They are: Tuesday 8 March: Women in Manufacturing Wednesday 9 March: Unlimit3D – Unlocking Additive Technology Opportunities Thursday 10 March: Research & Innovation Friday 11 March: A Celebration of Australian Manufacturing The first day of AMW 2022 will coincide with International Women’s Day. To mark this the show will begin with a day-long celebration of the contribution made by women to Australian manufacturing, with the Future Solutions Stage featuring an all-female line-up of speakers from across the industry. The opening of AMW will also be preceded by a special Women in Manufacturing networking breakfast. “It’s a happy coincidence that next year’s show is opening…

Over the last few years there has been a lot of angst with respect to uncertainties and potentially disadvantageous ‘proposed’ changes and cuts to funding of the R&D Tax Incentive (RDTI). The 2020-21 Federal Budget provided R&D companies with long awaited clarity on the RDTI changes, while this year’s Budget further enhanced Australia’s innovation ecosystem by announcing the introduction of a new Patent Box scheme to encourage commercialisation of Australian IP. Below we provide a brief refresher of the new RDTI laws set to take effect from 1 July 2021 and a summary of the new Patent Box scheme, set to commence from 1 July 2022. R&D Tax Incentive The 2020-2021 Federal Budget provided much needed relief for companies involved in undertaking R&D, with confirmation that the previously proposed $2bn cuts to the RDTI were off the table, that there would be no rate cuts for most claimants and no refund caps. The new laws…

Among other things, the new TM grades offer customers used-edge detection technology, resulting in increased productivity. More than a decade ago, Seco’s research & development (R&D) specialists realised that nanoscience could be harnessed to develop highly sophisticated coatings that offered thermal and chemical resistance, which could be extremely strong and durable, and which could be designed at an atomically thin level. The result of their work was a patented insert coating technology that brought a combination of wear resistance and edge toughness to maximise insert grades in the prevention of cracks and breakage. They called it Duratomic. In this, the very first development of Duratomic in 2006, Seco R&D addressed the texturing of atomic layers in critical parts of the coating. “There are different ways to manipulate the various parts of the coating, and different translations of upper, bottom and center layers for various usages,” explains Mikael Lindholm, Product Manager, General ISO Turning at Seco Tools. “Knowing when and how to do it is what would I call the essence…

AMT: How long has NZTM been in business? Terry Carter: New Zealand Tube Mills stared in 1938. Originally, we were focused on producing truck rear-vision mirrors and pram wheels. The production of steel tubing and car exhaust systems followed soon after and took us down the path we are today. During and following the Second World War there was a shortage of materials, which prompted the company to design and build tube mills capable of producing tubular steel using oxy-acetylene welding. Today, we focus on manufacturing precision carbon tube and an extensive range of stainless architectural food and beverage tube. Our primary industry these days is horticulture and viticulture – with tubular steel trellising solutions. Export sales have increased steadily over the last three years, from 17% to over 35%. In addition to New Zealand, we sell into Australia and the USA. We also made sales to parts of Europe…