Month: February 2015

Although the digital process chain from design through CNC programming already exists in many companies, there is often a break in the chain when it comes to the production environment. The actual programs are forwarded to the controller via the network, but the associated information is not normally transferred. Machine operators can usually only take advantage of static aids like drawings, tool reports, screenshots and PDFs. It is a different picture with a viewing system, which provides the operator with all the information related to manufacturing data, as well as geometry and component structure. hyperMILL ShopViewer makes it possible to view and examine data from hyperMILL and hyperCAD-S in more detail directly next to the machine. “The viewer typically allows the machine operator to view everything but not modify anything,” explains Wolfgang Weiss, Product Manager for CAD at OPEN MIND. “hyperMILL ShopViewer features an uncluttered interface, where the user can only see what he…

Established in 1996, Bertazzo Engineered has forged a strong reputation in the Albury & Wodonga area, on the border between Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), by delivering high-quality component fabrication and installation services. After almost two decades in operation, the company remains a family-owned business employing approximately 30 people at its facility in Wodonga. “Basically, we’re a complete one-stop-shop,” says owner and Managing Director Raymond Bertazzo. “From 3D modelling with AutoCad Inventor right down to fabricating and dispatching – we build, we cut, we fold, we weld, we blast, we powder coat, we assemble, and we deliver customer satisfaction. The company concentrates on trying to offer clients improvements and cost savings to their products using the latest technology that’s available.” Its technical expertise in advanced laser cutting and automated folding allows the Bertazzo team to deliver highly accurate, cost-efficient solutions for any project specification. By maintaining a strong focus on customer satisfaction and adding value, Bertazzo has established long-lasting relationships…

Across the manufacturing industry, 3D scanners are becoming more widely used in a range of vastly different applications and environments. From the point of view of 3D scanner manufacturers, it makes the most sense to develop general-purpose devices that simply capture 3D data and offer little in terms of analysis. This approach makes product development much easier for the scanner manufacturer. However, unfortunately it places the burden of interpreting and analysing the 3D data onto the customer or end-user – a complex and costly task. This also has the unintended consequence of actually making 3D scanning technology less readily accessible to new markets and industries. Recognising the burden general-purpose 3D scanners place on customers, both in terms of the additional overhead required in analysis, as well as the time, training and cost needed to configure and operate such systems, 8tree has adopted a completely different approach to scanner design. Rather than a ‘one size fits all’ 3D scanner, 8tree develops application-specific 3D inspection tools targeting…

The two cranes, each with a 14m span, will be used in TFG’s new production facility to lift a wide range of parts for general engineering projects. The cranes will enable TFG to optimise quality and safety, while maximising usable space and uptime. “Konecranes not only gave us excellent productivity and safety with their cranes, but their sales team were very professional and experienced,” says TFG’s Managing Director, Justin Anderson. “They made the effort to come and see the facility so they could ensure we got the best product for our specifications.” TFG performs a range of engineering and fabrication services for food and beverage, energy, oil and gas, mining, minerals processing and bulk handling industries at its WA facility. The company is the stainless steel accredited fabricator for Water Corp in WA and has a specialised expertise in welding, fabrication and exotic metals. “The CXT cranes maximise our usable space,” says Anderson. “They allow us to use every square inch of the workshop by giving us more floor space…

Carlos Broens founded his company in 1979, initially operating out of the back of a ute, providing subcontract toolmaking and general engineering services to a range of clients. With a loyal customer base soon established, the company moved into a modest factory unit in Prestons, in Sydney’s south-west suburbs. Soon it was also renting the unit next door, and then the one across the road as well. Initially thriving as a manufacturer of precision tooling, dies and general engineered products, Broens was quick to diversify, branching into sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical, mining and heavy industry. One key aspect of the company’s growth has been a willingness to defy the prevailing wisdom of the time. In 1987, as Australia languished in one of its worst-ever recessions, Broens purchased land in Ingleburn and built a larger factory, having outgrown the units in Prestons. The company was…

The world has witnessed three Industrial Revolutions, with all signs pointing toward an impending fourth one. Each revolution saw significant jumps in productivity and efficiency, and corresponding reductions in costs. Today, manufacturing practices are evolving to include ‘cyber-physical’ production systems controlled with smart products and the internet ‘cloud’. With regard to quality control for the automotive industry, the ‘smart factory’ revolution has brought about changes in manufacturers’ measurement needs. The conventional factory and its methods are no longer ideal. Increasingly, climate-controlled metrology labs are making way for in-line inspection systems that enable quick assessment and prompt corrective action. Single-use measurement tools and template-type productivity tools such as check fixtures are also slowly becoming obsolete. Replacing them are new devices that cater to multiple application needs, and that allow for machine-to-machine collaboration, cloud-based data inspections, and digital engineering processes. Here are some ways that 3D co-ordinate measurement technology contributes to better-running automotive production in the new manufacturing environment: In-line inspection. Amid changing market demands,…

Manufacturing has been in a state of transition for decades. Lower tariffs, changing technologies and the outsourcing of tasks to low-cost economies have adversely affected the industry. As 21st century manufacturing continues to evolve, there is a move away from heavy industrial manufacturing towards higher value-added, technologically advanced production. FountainLine aims to answer the local needs of Australian OEMs, with its ‘Integrated Manufacturing Solution’ (IMS). Traditionally, OEMs have relied on multiple suppliers for products made from multiple parts. Cut-price suppliers require a ‘leap of faith’ and an experienced purchasing manager to place and monitor the orders. Some companies are completely dependent on suppliers they do not know and trust. Apart from leaving the business exposed to additional challenges, there is an added ‘unknown’ in the quality, logistics, storage and warehousing. Most importantly, the certainty of delivery is questionable, and there are no guarantees that the components will assemble as planned. According to FountainLine, in an ideal world, the OEM would have access to an integrated manufacturing solution.…

In recent times, flexibility has overtaken productivity as the most important criterion for investment and equipment. The new target is economical, flexible production for batch quantities of as few as one. The requirement is a machine that needs very little or no set-up time or tooling costs. The Multiroller achieves this in the production of tubular components in a manner previously not achievable. The demand for increased flexibility prompted Weil Technology, the German manufacturer of tube production machinery, to develop the first parameter-controlled, multiple roll-forming machines in the Multiroller series, thereby creating a launchpad for the development of flexible product flow from flat blanks to finished product. Due to Weil’s design concept to enable automatic bending of cylindrical shapes from flat blanks, these machines can now produce anything from a simple tube shape to the most complex tubular geometry in almost any shape, without needing mechanical setting or readjustment. Variation in diameter and geometry are achieved exclusively through parametric programming.…

Austech will once again be a must-attend event for manufacturing professionals from around Australia in 2015. Austech will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26 to 29 May. As the show’s organiser, AMTIL is looking forward to welcoming the entire Austech community, comprised of more than 10,000 industrial decision-makers, to interact, see the latest technology, and find answers to their manufacturing problems and challenges. Reflecting the strong support from AMTIL members, early results on participating exhibitors is ahead of the Austech 2013 pace, with more than 75% of the overall floor space already booked. “With the recent move to a two-year cycle, early signs indicate that we can look forward to a robust event,” Austech Exhibition Manager Kim Warren said. “Austech is the place to be in May. About 87% of the attendees at Austech are in middle- or senior-management positions. This group is an important audience segment, not just because of its size but also because these professionals play a key role in shaping the…

Boeing forecasts demand between now and 2033 for 36,770 new airplanes, valued at US$5.2 trillion. Of these, 15,500 will replace older, less efficient airplanes. The remaining 21,270 will be for fleet growth, stimulating expansion in emerging markets and development of innovative airline business models. Single-aisle airplanes command the largest market share. Approximately 25,680 new single-aisle airplanes will be needed over the next two decades, driven by fast-growing low-cost carriers and network carriers. The wide-body fleet will need 8600 new planes, with a new generation of high-efficiency aircraft helping airlines open new markets that previously were not economically viable. To meet demand, aerospace OEMs are seeking ways to increase capacity by reducing manufacturing time. A new chapter On 22 December 2014, Airbus opened a new chapter in commercial aviation with the delivery of the world’s first A350 XWB to Qatar Airways. The Airbus A350 represents the latest industry benchmark in terms of reduced noise,…

The Pedders organisation began back in 1950, when Roy Pedder opened Pedders Die-Cast Welding Service at a site on Hawthorn Road, in the Melbourne suburb of Carnegie. Roy, an ex-RAAF welder, began the business by fixing general household items, and with his skills in welding die-cast materials, he soon found his niche in the automotive market, specialising in smash repairs and shock absorbers. Pedders moved with demand and its reconditioning work gained wide acceptance. In 1964 Pedders was mass-producing its own brand of shocks by simply modifying overseas designs to suit local needs. In 1972, Roy’s eldest son Ron took over the running of the company, and two years later he took the next significant step by utilising what the company had learnt in reconditioning others’ shocks, and began designing its own. To support this radical step, Ron understood that the only way to ensure good distribution of his product was to open Pedder’s own stores. Today, Pedders is headed up by Ron Pedder’s eldest son Mark, who took on the role as Managing Director in early…

The list of items needing regular maintenance in your shop is probably long. It probably seems there is always something to be done. Unfortunately, while most shops are great at inspecting items like cranes, forklifts and air compressors, an item that tends to slip through the cracks is the plasma cutting system. It might be that the old adage “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” proves true here. Plasma systems, at least good-quality systems, don’t tend to be troublesome. The systems go about the job day in and day out, slicing through whatever metal is thrown at it, but while your plasma system may appear to work just fine, failure to properly maintain it is quietly impacting its performance and life. Mechanical parts will start to wear out, causing rough machine motion. Part tolerances will deviate. Cut quality, particularly at higher speeds, will suffer. It is kind of like the tyres on your car. To get the best life and performance, you need…

A study led by Professor Amin Al-Habaibeh – of the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment – found that by combining infra-red cameras and artificial neural networks it was possible to consistently detect when cutting tools were broken or missing. The technology – which does not require any contact with the manufacturing machinery – could provide live feedback via computer to alert operators in order to help prevent catastrophic tool damage. The study was supervised by Professor Al-Habaibeh and Professor Ahmad Lotfi, of the university’s School of Science and Technology and developed by PhD researcher Milad Elgargni. It has been published by the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. Professor Al-Habaibeh, a professor of intelligent engineering systems, said: “This could be a very efficient method for manufacturers to maintain the productivity of their manufacturing lines and the quality of their products in an automated way. The real advantage is that the system can detect problems in real time, which is difficult to achieve by common…