Member News

Through the Agreement, signed with ZEN Energy, 26 CSIRO-managed research sites in ACT, NSW, and Victoria will be supplied by renewable generation from two regional solar farms. This includes the iconic Parkes Observatory in regional NSW, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Centre in Tidbinbilla and the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong, the site of key research in the rapid global response to COVID-19. The Agreement is the largest of its type in place for a Commonwealth Government agency. Dave Agnew, CSIRO’s Director of Business & Infrastructure Services, said the agreement will enable CSIRO to halve its annual carbon emissions associated with electricity use at CSIRO sites. “This is a very significant step towards being net-zero in our operations, and is in line with our broader remit to help Australia navigate to a low emissions future,” said Agnew. CSIRO’s energy research portfolio is delivering affordable, reliable and sustainable solutions for the nation. This includes innovation and simulations to support Australia’s electricity network transformation, and key…

The hub includes a significant high-tech industrial software grant from Siemens, as well as support by the Federal Government to participate in an innovative trial of a new Industry 4.0 teaching model in higher education. With these grants, RMIT joins a national network of universities driving change to help prepare students for the future of work. On Thursday, the Federal Minister for Education, Dan Tehan, announced the Government will provide a grant of $1.2m to enable RMIT to join a multi-university trial of an advanced apprenticeship-style Associate Degree in Digital Technologies (Industry 4.0). RMIT will join five other universities across Australia participating in the pilot, which will provide an opportunity for employees of local industry partners to gain skills in software applications, design and engineering methodologies, and practical problem-solving approaches in advanced manufacturing. The announcement reinforces a MoU commitment between Siemens, RMIT and Festo announced in June this year, to explore major areas of co-operation to help drive workforce transformation for Industry 4.0 in the Australasian region, including…

BAE Systems’ subsidiary ASC Shipbuilding is now in the final stages of the formal handover from Australian Naval Infrastructure of what will be one of the world’s most modern naval shipyards, a key enabler of Australia’s continuous naval shipbuilding strategy. The Hunter Class Frigate program will deliver nine anti-submarine warfare frigates to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), using a digital environment for the design and build of the ships made possible at the new shipyard. The company is now rapidly mobilising its people to work from the site. The company also announced that it has been given the green light to commence prototyping in December 2020 as planned, following the Prototyping Readiness Review, a formal review with the Department of Defence. BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Officer Gabby Costigan said: “The Hunter Class Frigate program is significant to both the defence of the nation, and the contribution it will make to the Australian economy. Today’s visit by the…

Creaform has announced the release of the latest version of the MetraSCAN 3D line-up, the company’s advanced optical CMM scanner designed specifically to perform metrology-grade 3D measurements and inspections — right on the production floor. As the fastest and most accurate portable optical CMM scanner, the MetraSCAN BLACK can be seamlessly integrated in any quality control, quality assurance, inspection, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), or reverse engineering workflow and operated by users of any skill level in any type of environment. The MetraSCAN BLACK dimensional metrology system has been developed to measure complex parts and assemblies from an array of industries such as automotive, aeronautics, power generation, heavy industry, and processes such as metal casting, metal forging, sheet metal, plastic injection and composites. Features include: 4X faster: Featuring 15 blue laser crosses for a larger scanning area that takes up to 1,800,000 measurements per second, and live meshing ultimately cutting down the time between acquisition and workable files. 4X…

Why the change? It turns out that many manufacturers have learned a hard lesson regarding the negative side of offshoring over the last 30 years that do not occur when manufacturing remains onshore in Australia. Can the industry easily transition back to onshoring? First, let us look at why so many manufacturers moved metal fabrication outside of Australia in the 1980s and 1990s to places like China and Vietnam. Australia’s steel production according to Trading Economics, was at its peak in the late 1990s and today it has fallen to around 50% of that, with 400,000 tonnes produced in April 2020. The development of computer-based automation technologies, programmable logic controllers and cheap offshore labour are the rationale for so many to have moved their production offshore. As a result of offshoring, there have been countless issues over the past two or so decades with quality control, which is an extraordinary challenge when it is managed from 7,000km away. There have also been frustrations over production…

“Particularly in the area of high performance cutting, the number one customer requirement is the achievable material removal rate alongside the best possible component surface,” reports Andreas Wittenauer, Head of Application Technology in the PCD Tool division at MAPAL. “For this reason, the FaceMill-Diamond features an exceptionally high number of permanently brazed cutting edges for its diameter. The cutting edges are designed for a cutting depth of up to 10mm. Furthermore, the robust tool body absorbs the vibrations generated during machining and prevents damage to the component surface.” Additionally, the FaceMill-Diamond can be inserted directly into the machine when newly equipped – without time-consuming adjustment work requiring operator expertise. Based on this, MAPAL further developed the PCD face milling cutter in…

In the last year, Lockheed Martin has signed five contracts with Ronson Gears under its Global Supply Chain (GSC) Program agreement with the Commonwealth. This makes the gear manufacturer, headquartered in Highett, Victoria, the first-ever Australian company to supply precision gear components that will be carried into space. Ronson is providing prototype gears for the Common Solar Array Drive Assembly (CSADA), which will be utilised on several Lockheed Martin satellite platforms. The CSADA performs key functions, including the deployment and rotation of the solar cell arrays that power the spacecraft. This helps ensure they remain optimally positioned towards the Sun. Additionally, Ronson has been awarded a contract for the delivery of anti-backlash output gears. Designed to perform with tight tolerances, these components will be integrated into a subassembly that will be used on several satellite programs. “The agreements with Ronson Gears reinforce Lockheed Martin’s commitment to developing Australia’s space sector,” said Joe North, Lockheed Martin Australia Chief Executive. “Our collaboration with local research and industry partners, like Ronson, demonstrates that Australia has the capabilities here and…

Fast forward to today and Hydramech boasts a fully fitted workshop with an extensive range of new precision machining equipment and a team exceeding 18 people with diverse skills from mobile maintenance to precision machining. The business is innovative and unafraid to move with technology and the constantly changing business environment. Hydramech specialises in mobile mining machinery components including hydraulic cylinder services for underground mining equipment within the Kalgoorlie region. The company is the first choice for cylinder precision machining and fabrication tasks such as cylinder refurbish, repair, rebuild, exchange and sales. Hydramech carries an extensive range of service exchange components to suit Caterpillar, Sandvik, and Epiroc machines, along with complimentary parts for installation and service. Continued business growth and a dedication to timely customer service has driven Hydramech to invest in smarter solutions. A recent investment in several Micron Technologies…

To retain its position as a key supplier to the aerospace industry, XCEL invests heavily in the latest technology and innovation to ensure cost-effective manufacturing of high-quality precision components. As part of this drive to ensure cost-effective manufacturing, the company recently invited tooling manufacturer Guhring to review the machining process on an aerospace valve component. The problem for XCEL was the cost-efficiency of its existing Woodruff type cutters that were being used to machine a cast aluminium component with a 9% silicon content. The previous solid carbide Woodruff cutter consisted of three teeth on a 21.7mm diameter tool, which was both expensive with relatively poor tool life. Only capable of cutting 10 components before tool replacement, the abrasive high-silicone-content aluminium was creating productivity, cost and surface finish issues…

With all of its products having direct contact with patients, it’s crucial that Nidek produces fully functional prototypes that precisely replicate the final product. This enables a comprehensive evaluation of the fit, form and function of new devices before investing in expensive clinical trials and moving to final production. As this process often proved costly in terms of lead time and capital, Nidek turned to Stratasys 3D printing in a bid to optimise its prototyping process and, as a result, accelerate its clinical validation. This was demonstrated in a recent project that saw Nidek produce a new automatic Gonioscope, a device designed to observe the space between the iris and cornea. Typically, the R&D team would create the prototypes using traditional manufacturing, requiring expensive injection moulds or using CNC machines to create the individual device components. This led to escalating lead times and, should iterations be required, substantially increased prototyping costs. To overcome these barriers, Nidek invested in a Stratasys Objet500 Connex3 3D printer. “Our prototyping process has become much more streamlined since incorporating Stratasys 3D…

The world-first personalised nutrition wearable patch being developed by Melbourne-based start-up Nutromics painlessly measures key dietary biomarkers and sends the information to an app, enabling users to precisely track their bodies’ response to different foods. A collaborative team led by Nutromics, RMIT University, Griffith University, and established medical device manufacturer Romar Engineering, with support from the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), is now developing the capabilities required to pilot manufacture the device. Diabetes is one of the largest chronic health challenges globally, but with early interventions and lifestyle changes, the condition is often preventable. Nutromics co-CEO Peter Vranes said the smart patch leverages emerging technologies to empower people to take greater control of their health: “Research has shown that what we eat affects us all differently; two people might have the same meal but their post-meal response can vary wildly. People want to make healthy food choices but with so much conflicting nutrition advice, many of us are confused. Being able to…

The company that would eventually become Forme Technologies started life in the early 1990s, when Charles Land established CL Plastics in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs. For its first decade in business the company achieved a solid degree of success as a contract manufacturer of plastic components. In the mid-2000s it was acquired by the Anderson family investor group, with Mirko Tappero appointed as General Manager shortly after that. Since then the business has undergone a significant modernisation process, as well as a name change. “The company started out as a nicely run ‘Mom-and-Pop’ sort of organisation, and I think we’ve turned it into a fairly sizable player in the industry,” says Tappero. “We’ve spent a lot of money on automation, mechanisation, streamlining processes and just getting smarter about how we do things. Our biggest investment over the last five or six years has been very modern machinery, coupled with a lot of automation. That’s probably…

While unveiling a new fleet of Chinese-built Waratah 2 trains last week, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said “there’s a reason” why the trains weren’t built locally. Constance said that locally manufactured trains were likely to cost 25% more due to higher labour, energy and material costs. His comments came just a week after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reportedly said Australia and NSW are “not good at building trains”. The comments drew widespread criticism from the opposition, unions and industry bodies. Geoff Crittenden, Chief Executive Officer of Weld Australia, said: “It is precisely this attitude – that sees state governments send what could be local jobs offshore – that will prevent Australia from recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.” Weld Australia has called on all state governments to support local welders and fabricators in their rail procurement processes, arguing that this would create thousands of jobs, a solid local supply chain, and an industry equipped to export world-class trains all over the world. According to Crittenden, there is a real opportunity for…