Month: May 2015

Australian manufacturing has gone through some difficult times in recent years, and conditions are undoubtedly still tough out there for many Australian manufacturers. However, there are signs that we’re beginning to turn a corner, with evidence emerging of a cautious optimism taking hold across our industry. Against this backdrop, Austech is set to make its return, and as preparations for the show have proceeded, the sense of renewed confidence has been evident. The enthusiastic response from exhibitors, as well as the early interest from those planning to attend the show, have provided a robust affirmation of the enduring importance of Australia’s advanced manufacturing industry. Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW) and Safety First Expo, as well as the Inside 3D Printing conference, Austech 2015 will be a must-attend event for manufacturing professionals from around Australia. More than 10,000 industrial decision makers are expected to visit the show, taking the opportunity to interact and see the latest technology,…

Running alongside Austech at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, NMW 2015 will be laid out in 12 Product Zones to help visitors navigate the range of products and services on offer. A key focus will be to introduce updates in sectors and technologies that are driving industry growth: Digital Manufacturing, CleanTech/Sustainable Manufacturing, Engineering Services and more. In line with the changing face of Australian manufacturing, there will be a large number of new exhibitors and new capabilities on display. Among these will be KPMG, with an update on government grants and research incentives, alongside internationalisation consultants Baden-Württemberg International and dozens of international specialist suppliers. In addition, some of industry’s established leaders – including the likes of BOC, BAC, Lincoln Electric, Klingspor, Supagas, Stratasys, Telstra – will bring new and innovative solutions to the event. Demonstrations bring new technologies to life NMW visitors will be able to see and try new technologies like never before, with this year’s event including live demonstrations of innovations…

I am not sure how often I’ve related the statistic that, whereas in the 1920s the life expectancy of a public company in the USA was some 65 years, by the 1990s this had fallen to ten years and today is even less. There is a clear message here of the need for innovation and to be constantly moving your products, services and customers to an ever better place. In short, “Innovate or Perish”! Is ISO9000 the answer? The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) was founded in 1947 with the aim of bringing some international standardisation to manufacturing quality and traceability. Many companies have embraced the teachings of the ISO regime, and indeed many suppliers demand that their subcontractors be accredited to this standard as there is little doubt there are benefits to be had, at least in the short term. Some studies have tried to establish a direct link between improved profits…

Located in Mulgrave, in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Britannia has been in the sheet-metal fabrication industry for over 70 years, and is currently a major manufacturer of sheet-metal components to a wide range of industrial sectors. With a forward-thinking commitment to customer service, the company invests in many of the latest technologies in order to meet clients’ exacting specifications and quality requirements. Britannia’s aim is to supply right first time and on time. Britannia had an existing stationary electrically powered compressor, which began exhibiting problems on 11 April 2014. As its entire production operation relies on the supply of quality compressed air, Britannia immediately requested assistance from Sullair’s service department, which made arrangements for an emergency technician to visit the site. On arrival, the technician discovered that the compressor’s airend had seized. To minimise Britannia’s production downtime, Sullair supplied a portable diesel air compressor as an interim measure. Sullair also organised a site and air-compressor…

The airport has invited Expressions of Interest from manufacturers in Australia and overseas to take part in an open tender for the supply of electric buses, to be used on the shuttle route between the T2/T3 precinct and the Blu Emu Car Park. The electric bus tender is part of the airport’s commitment to sustainability and follows the publication last month of Sydney Airport’s first Sustainability Report. “We are always looking to improve the efficiency of our ground transport operations and to do so in a sustainable way,” Sydney Airport General Manager Parking & Ground Transport, Craig Norton, said. “Finding sustainable transport solutions is a priority for the airport, and advances in electric vehicle technology in recent years mean we can now look seriously at the feasibility of introducing electric buses.” Sydney Airport is advertising its electric bus tender in a number of publications in Australia, the USA, the UK, Europe and Asia, with interested parties required to register Expressions of Interest by 12 June. “We’re looking for a manufacturer who can deliver first-rate…

In March this year, Haas Automation held its HaasTec show at its manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California. Among visitors from all over the world was a group of Australians who were keen to learn more about this incredibly successful machine tool builder. Haas Factory Outlet-Australia (HFO-Australia) led the group as it was taken on a comprehensive tour of the Haas facility, and got to see a full range of Haas machines in action both at the HaasTec show and within the factory in full production making Haas machines. “There were 20 machines at HaasTec and all were cutting, adopting different machining techniques, and this attracted many favourable comments from our customers,” says George Buhagiar, MD of Alfex CNC Australia. “Customers found the Haas facility very informative and inspirational in many respects. Seeing and hearing the machines and cutting tools working at optimum rates, using the latest tooling and cutting techniques, left customers comparing how they do things…

The EIP is a national programme that connects businesses with quality industry facilitators and advisers, at no financial cost, to provide advice and support aimed at helping them improve their competiveness and productivity. The primary focus is to provide access to advice and networks that are often of significant value to business. In addition to this, co-funded grants, advice on technology, vital connections and collaboration opportunities also form part of the extensive support available for businesses nationally. So are you eligible? The EIP considers and alters its eligibility criteria in order to support local businesses and their suppliers. While historically the programme was largely known to have targeted traditional manufacturing business, the criteria for participation in terms of turnover have been reduced from $2.0m-$100m to $1.5m-$100m. In addition, for applicants from remote Australia, the turnover criteria is between $750,000 and $100m, in recognition of the many businesses that are not able to scale up the size of their business due to a potential lack of opportunities and the…

Well-maintained machines are the foundation of manufacturing processes. Adopting a preventative maintenance approach not only helps minimise the likelihood of equipment failure or downtime, but helps ensure products meet quality benchmarks. Moreover, machine alignment significantly increases the lifespan of tools. Companies used to rely on traditional alignment methods involving tools such as machinist levels, piano or tight wires, optics and lasers. These tools frequently worked well but often served only one dedicated function. Calibration and alignment would typically take days or even weeks, involving multiple instruments, which translated to higher costs and more time setting up each step. Naturally, companies sought out better, faster methods. In the early 1990s, the use of laser trackers became widespread. Compared to traditional methods, the laser tracker is a powerful, user-friendly device that can perform multiple measurement tasks in a much shorter time. Laser trackers combine the capabilities of several traditional tools, and can capture data points in a 3D space, providing…

This year, Austech is proud to be pairing up with Inside 3D Printing to co-host a dedicated Digital & Additive Pavilion within the exhibition. Inside 3D Printing will also be hosting an impressive two-day conference focused entirely on additive manufacturing. The conference will take place 26-27 May, with the Pavilion open throughout the duration of Austech, from 26 May until 29 May. The conference has been programmed by Professor Bernard Meade from the University of Melbourne and Ian Gibson of the School of Engineering at Deakin University. Sessions will be led by industry experts and will explore new innovations and applications of 3D printing, and Inside 3D Printing has assembled an impressive line-up of speakers over the two days of the conference. Giving the opening keynote address will be Terry Wohlers, Principal Consultant and President at Wohlers Associates, Inc., an independent consulting firm which has provided assistance to more than 240 organisations in 24 countries, as well as to 150+ companies in the investment community. Wohlers has been…

AMT: Let’s start with Austech - what can visitors expect this year? Shane Infanti: What we’re very pleased about with Austech this year, is the presence of all of the major machine tool dealers, and that’s the first time for a long time that we’ve had every one present. And in talking to those companies, what they’re anticipating on bringing out from a technology point of view is potentially equipment that hasn’t been seen in the country before, so that’s been pleasing. AMT: Do you think that’s indicative of a renewed confidence in the market here and in Australian manufacturing in general? SI: For Austech it’s more based on the decision we took to go to a two-year cycle. Technology suppliers recognise that Austech is still the major means for them to promote their technology out to the industry. Major shows are still a good way of getting the message out to potential customers. AMT: The decision to hold Austech every two years rather than…

All seven activity sub-indexes were below 50 points in April (readings below 50 indicate a contraction in activity, with the distance from 50 indicative of the strength of the decrease). Manufacturing production (up 2.7 points to 49.3) declined for a sixth month, and manufacturing sales (down 1.5 points to 44.7) recorded an eleventh consecutive month in contraction. Declines were also recorded in new orders (up 1.6 points to 47.4), supplier deliveries (down 0.4 points to 47.2) and stock levels (up 2.5 points to 45.9), indicative of very weak local demand. Manufacturing exports ended four months of expansion (down 4.3 points to 47.5), mainly due to a decline in food and beverages exports (previously the strongest sector). Manufacturing employment fell for a fourth month in April, albeit at a slower pace (up 2.1 points to 49.2). After stabilising briefly in March, selling prices returned to contraction in April (down 4.5 points to 45.5). With input costs still…

Not every system requires large format valves, or fieldbus communication, to achieve the required level of automation. Bürkert offers a range of automation and control technologies for small, mid and large-sized processes. Pneumatic control has been in use for many years, especially in the pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries where hygienic conditions must be maintained. Pneumatics have many advantages, including simplicity of design, low maintenance requirements, and excellent reliability due (in part) to the use of compressed air as the power source. In addition, these systems are intrinsically safe and so can also be used in hazardous atmospheres, such as those in the petro-chemical industries. Modern control systems can be divided into two groups: centralised and decentralised. As the names suggest, the main control functions will either be grouped at a central point or located at the point of control, such as a process control valve. A centralised control solution is the more traditional solution and will usually…

With its cutting-edge grass line-marking business dominating and conquering the Australian market, the progressive-thinking team behind FountainLine was not content to rest on its laurels. Instead the manufacturer, which was founded as John McGain Products in 1927, decided to tackle the manufacturing decline taking hold in Australia head-on. In a bold move, it opted to develop the contract manufacturing side of its business, albeit with a difference – it simply couldn’t compete in terms of the low-price, low-cost manufacturing and piecemeal work that characterises the Asian market. In an industry where many manufacturers provide their customers with just a small part of the solution, FountainLine saw and seized an opportunity to provide an integrated solution – a one-stop-shop for its customers. With its expertise cemented across a broad existing business base, the company was able to buck the trend in Australian manufacturing and repackage its service to offer a consolidated, end-to-end manufacturing solution. Fast forward several years and FountainLine IMS (Integrated Manufacturing Solutions) now delivers the design work, including prototyping, research and…