Member News

Headquartered near Barcelona, in the Catalonia region, Vilardell specialises in the production of precision parts with a high added value. The company comprises two divisions: the Medical Division and the Industrial Division. Jordi Roy Torras, Manager of the Industrial Division, says Vilardell has specialised in the production of highly complex parts for some time. “This is our core competence. Something we have developed year after year and part by part,” he explains. “We employ 165 staff and they are very important to us. Almost every day, we are faced with new challenges. Even with the best machines, we wouldn’t be able to tackle these challenges, if we didn’t have such a strong team! “Our customers know that they can count on us and on our expertise when it comes to meeting any machining challenge. We have to keep our minds open and focus on innovation as one of our key values. Each and every one of us has to remain innovative, irrespective of his or her position…

While the majority of Australian PMI respondents remain concerned about drought, weak demand from the construction sector and a general slowdown in the economy, coronavirus emerged as a concern for respondents for the first time in February, impacting negatively on the exports of Australian manufactured goods. “The manufacturing sector recorded a fourth consecutive month of contraction with the impacts of drought and the devastating bushfires continuing to be a drag on the sector,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “The disruptive effects of the coronavirus, including on supply chains, are deepening and adding to the slowdown that has been in train since the closing months of 2019. The large food & beverages sector was the only sector that expanded in February with all other sectors experiencing steeper falls than in January.” Six of the seven activity indices in the Australian PMI contracted in February, with employment the only index being…

Perth-based project development company Neometals has developed a patent-pending process that converts aluminosilicate residue – a waste material produced when extracting lithium from ore concentrates – into an advanced material know as synthetic zeolites. Zeolites are microporous, aluminosilicate minerals commonly used as molecular sieves, sorbents and catalysts in applications such as gas separation, water purification and green chemistry. Chris Reed, Managing Director of Neometals, explained that his company’s research has shown a gap in the market and high potential to add upstream value to the lithium production chain. “Australian mining companies involved in the lithium production chain have the opportunity to convert aluminosilicate residue to zeolites to offset production costs, add value to a waste material which is abundant in the mining sector, and at the same time mitigate issues with environmental responsibility,” said Reed. In partnership with QUT, Neometals plans to advance the proof-of-concept zeolite synthesis method, which has been successfully demonstrated at bench scale. Over the next two years, QUT will be establishing and road testing a digitalised…

The fully reconfigurable Australian Research Experimental Submarine (ARES) will be used for hydrodynamic and crew efficiency testing of future submarine designs. The project is a collaboration between the University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, Flinders University, TAFE SA and the University of Tasmania’s Australian Maritime College with Defence support from DST Group. The four industry partners for the project are SAAB, ASC, Dassault Systemes and MOOG Australia. ARES received $150,000 in Defence Innovation Partnership funding from the South Australian Government in December to boost a $350,000 in-kind contribution from participants to fund the project’s first year. An estimated $3m will be needed to complete the three-year project. Project lead and University of Adelaide Director of the Shipbuilding Hub for Integrated Engineering and Local Design (SHIELD) Eric Fusil said the project would deliver Australia’s first reconfigurable research submarine. He said the autonomous submarine would be used to test hydrodynamics – how a submarine behaves underwater – to aid in the design and safe operation of new submarines globally. “Because you can’t see on board a submarine and you don’t…

Once constrained to a few specialist tasks due to limitations in force sensing and machine vision, today’s manufacturing environment sees a broad range of applications, from trimming flashing from plastic and aluminium mouldings, removing moulding flash and edging material from carbon fibre products, polishing moulds and dies, and deburring edges following machining. While previously these applications relied solely on compliant tools, more recent developments such as force sensing control and vision have created the ability to handle variability in the position and size of the material that has to be removed. Force sensing provides greater control over cutting loads and the direction of the applied force, leading to more consistent and cleaner edges. In more recent times, the robot is used to articulate the part itself over the tool, versus the traditional method of a robot mounted tool. Whichever approach is used, the accuracy and path repeatability of the robot provides less variability across the substrate, irrespective of the die or machine they were manufactured in, overcoming one of the major hurdles for manufacturers…

Regardless of your goals, reviewing the efficiency of energy consumption is becoming increasingly commonplace as it makes better business sense. It’s therefore unsurprising that more industry and government initiatives have become accessible to support business efficiency practices. Some key resources include: gov.au/business is a national joint initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments administered by the Department of the Environment and Energy. The website supports the implementation of energy efficiency practices and shares best-practice information on energy efficiency, case studies and resource materials. AIG’s (Australian Industry Group) website is full of resources that feature information on energy efficiency, optimisation and management as well as an environment and energy toolkit and energy efficiency checklist. NSW’s Energy Saver program helps businesses identify energy saving opportunities, access funding and assists with project management and training. The Victorian Energy Upgrades Program is designed to make energy efficiency improvements more affordable, contribute…

For a long time, additive manufacturing has been known as a new processing method for rapidly prototyping concept designs in various industrial sectors. Nowadays, advanced 3D printing technology is on the cusp of reaching a critical level in the innovation, research & development of new products. Research activity at RMIT’s School of Engineering shows the feasibility of using 3D printing technology for acoustic research and noise control applications. A number of micro-perforated panel multilayer acoustic absorbers have been fabricated using 3D printing technology. These sound absorbers are particularly good at attenuating noise in a specific frequency band. The research motivation A micro-perforated panel absorber (MPPA) usually consists of a thin panel with many sub-millimetre-sized perforations in the front of a rigidly backed air cavity, forming a mass- and spring-resonant sound absorber. Such sound absorbers are used in acoustic design to enhance noise attenuation and to tune the sound absorption peak frequency in various industrial applications, such as transport vehicles and buildings. The geometric design of…

Thermwood is a US-based manufacturer of CNC machinery that markets its products and services through offices in 11 countries. Its has also become a technology and market leader in large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) systems for thermoplastic composite moulds, tooling, patterns and parts. Its line of LSAM machines can perform both 3D printing and trimming operations on the same machine. Its systems are marketed to major companies in the aerospace, marine, automotive and foundry industries, as well as military, government and defence contractors. Unlike standard LSAM systems, which feature dual gantries operating over a large fixed table, the LSAM MT (which stands for “Moving Table”) features a single fixed gantry mounted over a moving table. This configuration offers several significant advantages, not the least of which is a dramatically lower price. Despite the lower price, the LSAM MT is still a massive, robust industrial production machine capable of reliable, day-in and day-out production. Unlike standard LSAM systems, the MT…

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D metal printing, allows for the manufacture of complex shapes from light metals with high mechanical strength. This unique material combination yields parts with a high strength to weight ratio along with good corrosion and fatigue resistance. One of the most popular powder-based materials is the titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V, which has found its way into both aerospace and medical applications. Titanium is already widely used in aircraft manufacture to prevent fatigue cracks or in structural parts like the frames of cockpit windows. Applications of titanium alloys are even more widely used in military aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft due to their high performance and unique properties, particularly weight reduction. Selective laser melting machines are regarded as the most versatile additive manufacturing technology because the system can process a wide spectrum of materials that include aluminium, titanium, iron, nickel, cobalt, copper-based alloys and their composites. Choosing the appropriate material depends…

The AMTIL Export Hub is a vibrant community of SMEs in the Australian rail, road passenger and freight supply chain (encompassing trams, trains, trucks and buses). The Export Hub will enable participating small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to collaborate on projects and address specific supply chain gaps identified by OEMs and work together to lift the capability and performance of their businesses and provide a path to global markets. The Export Hub will enable SMEs to: Collaborate to leverage individual business strengths, assets and resources. Share resources that an individual SME cannot access alone. Improve local supply chain capability and competitiveness. Develop new technologies and service offerings. Leverage collective strengths and capabilities in supplying to a low-volume, high-quality, customised vehicle design and assembly customer base. Work with Australia’s research…

Auger centrifuges are versatile and effective material handling tools, critical to the conveyance of materials in material handling, geotechnical and mining projects. Smooth material displacement operations for such projects depend on the precision of the auger fins or blades, commonly referred to as “flights”, formed out of stainless steel or abrasion-resisting steel. Traditional forming of auger flights utilise hydraulic machines that wield bulky industrial dies, die plates and platens to form the pitch and size of flight diameters. These die plates and platens are often bulky to handle and time-consuming to tool, adjust and set up, not to mention cost-prohibitive to replace if they are damaged. The hydraulics are manually operated with the operator’s hands just millimetres away from reciprocating jaws exerting forces up to 50 tonnes; operator injuries are a high risk, resulting in calls for higher safety standards in helical flight production. RoboHelix machines incorporate robotics that completely automate flight…

Thermwood is a US-based manufacturer of CNC machinery that markets its products and services through offices in 11 countries. Its has also become a technology and market leader in large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) systems for thermoplastic composite moulds, tooling, patterns and parts. Its line of LSAM machines can perform both 3D printing and trimming operations on the same machine. Its systems are marketed to major companies in the aerospace, marine, automotive and foundry industries, as well as military, government and defence contractors. Unlike standard LSAM systems, which feature dual gantries operating over a large fixed table, the LSAM MT (which stands for “Moving Table”) features a single fixed gantry mounted over a moving table. This configuration offers several significant advantages, not the least of which is a dramatically lower price. Despite the lower price, the LSAM MT is still a massive, robust industrial production machine capable of reliable, day-in and day-out production. Unlike standard LSAM systems, the…

As an internationally recognised and respected freight specialist, SternaGL offers a truly seamless service, utilising resources positioned all over the globe to move freight efficiently from its origin to its destination. SternaGL offers a wide range of cost-efficient and flexible cargo options, including freight-forwarding, customs clearance and transport. Combining more than 50 years of logistics experience with exceptional human talent and systems, SternaGL provides customers with tailored solutions for any import or export shipments moving via sea, air, rail, road or multi-modal. From parcels to over-dimensional cargo, and everything in between – SternaGL’s dedicated team utilise their extensive skill and expertise to manage the journey of shipments from origin to destination, intact and on time. SternaGL services a wide range of industries including manufacturing, with extensive experience handling delicate process-line machinery and raw materials. Its consultative approach ensures attention to detail, which invariably leads to strong results and a positive customer experience. SternaGL operates under four core principles that permeate the organisation into every transaction – Integrity, Care, Accuracy, and Innovation. Under these principles SternaGL presents a refreshing brand of honest advice…