October 30, 2015
The two-day event provided a comprehensive showcase for Amada’s extensive range of innovative sheet metal technology. These included its latest line of press brakes, equipped with new controllers designed to enable the machine to run much more quickly while minimising the potential for user error, thereby making operations much more efficient. There was also a big push on lasers, with two machines on display. Amada’s new 3.5kW machine has been designed as an entry-level product, but comes with features more common to elite models, such as fast drive speeds, quick cutting, and instant piercing capabilities. Towards the back of the showroom was a larger machine suitable for any jobbing shop that can cut tube to 0.2mm precision as well as flat sheet. In addition Amada was promoting its latest automation technology, while its Amada Miyachi subsidiary was demonstrating its laser marking systems. While these products were a key focus, Techtember was as much about providing an opportunity for Amada and its customers to get together and socialise. Refreshments were available throughout the event, with beers…
October 30, 2015
As of February, we’ll be producing six editions of AMT per year, instead of ten. As opposed to the current monthly schedule (excluding December and January), each new magazine will come out every second month: February, April, June, August, October and December While this means AMT readers will get twice as long to read their copy of the magazine, there will be a lot more in each issue for them to get through. Next year we’ll be including a broader range of features in each issue, with each feature exploring its subject in greater depth. The new, bi-monthly schedule allows us to cover a greater array of industries and a more diverse range of products over the course of the year. In addition we’ll be continuing to expand our coverage via our online channels, via www.amtil.com.au/News. For information about advertising in AMT Magazine, please contact our Sales Manager, Anne Samuelsson, by calling 03 9800 3666, or by emailing asamuelsson@amtil.com.au. To submit articles or to discuss editorial ideas, contact AMT’s Editor William…
October 30, 2015
The potential for the manufacture of cutting-edge technologies to produce the desired outcomes for the Australian economy has given it prominence in the public policy agenda. With this in mind, AusBiotech will host a second Advanced Manufacturing Summit (AMS 2015) from 17-18 November, to continue discussions initiated at the inaugural summit held last year. Peter Roberts, Founder of the Australian Manufacturing Forum, long-time industry journalist and session chair at AMS 2015, said: “Advanced manufacturing is everywhere in today’s Australia and not just confined to obvious sectors such as medical devices and biotechnology. To have survived in manufacturing after decades of reform pressure and withering competition, today’s manufacturers are either in some cosy niche, or are doing something very right indeed. “We all know about Cochlear, ResMed and CSL. But how many know about Sydney computer chip manufacturer Sillana Semiconduictor, whose communications chips are installed on the Mars Curiosity rover where they relay data and pictures to and from the red planet? Or Cook Medical, whose Brisbane factory is the…
October 30, 2015
Both ANCA and RØDE are regularly cited as examples of the very best of Australian manufacturing today, using state-of-the-art technology and sophisticated processes to make high-value-add, proudly Australian-made products that are exported all over the world. These site tours will give you the opportunity to look behind the scenes at these highly successful companies and learn some of the factors behind their achievements. ANCA – A global leader Founded in 1974, ANCA has gone on to become a world leader in quality CNC grinding machines and CNC systems. ANCA sells to a wide range of industries including aerospace, medical, automotive, electronic, tool manufacturers and even woodwork. The company operates in a highly technical, advanced manufacturing space and exports 99% of the product produced in Australia. In 2008, sister-company ANCA Motion was founded to focus exclusively on OEM CNC applications. One of only a handful of Australian companies producing machine tools today, the ANCA Group has been identified as a true ‘Hidden Champion’ of the manufacturing industry worldwide. AMTIL’s tour of…
October 30, 2015
The Monash Centre for Atomically Thin Materials (MCATM), a joint initiative between Monash Science and Engineering, is an international hub for research excellence in novel atomically thin materials such as graphene – a plane of carbon just one atom thick. The multidisciplinary centre brings together world-leading expertise from across Monash with national and international partners and industry. With state-of-the-art facilities and technology, it offers a platform for researchers to gain a deeper understanding of how atomically thin materials integrate with each other or with other materials, to achieve engineering solutions and realise new applications. Nobel Laureate Sir Konstantin Novoselov from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester (UK), who, with Andrew Geim, first isolated graphene from graphite using sticky tape, welcomed the new centre. “It’s great that Monash University is leading the way in the Southern Hemisphere in developing…
October 23, 2015
G&O Kert was founded in 1974 by its namesakes, George and Olympia Kert, as an enterprise run from their house. The Kerts eventually moved on, but the business continued to flourish over the subsequent years, retaining their names through several ownership changes. Ian Melville joined in 1993, as the company was undergoing the transition from a pure manual machine shop into a CNC-based operation, and he became the fourth owner of the business in September 2008 – a date that would prove symbolic in many ways. “I took over about three weeks before the GFC hit,” he recalls. “We were extremely close to going out of business for probably the first four months. Our income stream dropped more than 50%. And from that period, I never want to go through that again, so we focused on diversification right from that point.”…
October 23, 2015
Apple’s Chief Designer Jony Ive once said design was “about bringing order to complexity”. A simple statement that oozes common sense, especially when one considers the simplicity with which Apple’s designs brings complex technology to the fingertips of millions of smart technology users around the globe. However, I believe this statement has also never been truer when it comes to advanced manufacturing in Australia. Australia has been staring down the barrel of complex challenges within manufacturing for several years now, firstly as the decline of the manufacturing industry gathered pace, and now as the economy feels the pinch from a reliance on the weakening resources and commodities sectors. At this point it is difficult to see how, without a bold, courageous advanced manufacturing vision, coupled with an education framework to ensure graduates are prepared for the jobs of the future, Australia can continue with the standard of living it has become accustomed to. Interestingly, seven years ago while in New Zealand, I wrote an…
October 23, 2015
3D Printing Systems is Australia’s leading distributor of 3D printers. The company recently expanded its capabilities by opening its own dedicated 3D print services facility – 3DPrint-AU – that services consumer and business customers Australia-wide. Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing is the process whereby a real object is created layer-by-later from a 3D design. Originally developed for rapid prototyping, 3D printing has become increasingly popular for the production of end-use component parts. Utilising Elite Selective Sintering (SLS) 3D printers, 3DPrint-AU can print a range of products, from hobbyist models, smartphone cases and life-critical orthopaedic surgical gloves, to strong and flexible functional nylon parts for industry, such as component parts for the automotive sector. Each component can have a highly complex design. The SLS printing process involves a laser being aimed into a bed of nylon powder. The laser fuses (or sinters) the nylon powder, layer upon layer. Once cooled, excess powder is then brushed off to reveal the three-dimensional…
October 23, 2015
Amid increased life expectancy, Australia’s aging population is determined to remain active and independent, fuelling the growth in orthopaedic implants. With that growth come challenges for manufacturers of surgical components and tools, faced with expectations for improved quality, performance and product life, and stringent traceability requirements. Production of medical devices is complex, requiring tight controls along the entire process. Making a metal femoral stem, for example, includes key steps of forging, trimming, drilling, cone-finishing, bead-blasting, and finally plasma-etching to create the micro-porous surfaces essential for bonding the bone to the implant. On completion of this manufacturing process, each individual item requires a permanent identification mark, placed in a precise location with exacting precision to meet standards regulated by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (ATGA). Increases in efficiency are imperative given the global forecasts for orthopaedic implants, predicted to reach US$41.8bn by 2016, with the number of medical implants expected to grow at an annual rate of 7%-8%. Australia saw the number of hip implants reached 39,260 in 2012-13 at a cost of over $1bn, according to the…
October 23, 2015
Overseas competition has taken its toll on the Australian manufacturing industry. We have sadly seen many well established manufacturing companies close their doors. However, despite these tough prevailing economic conditions, there are still countless Australian companies who are continuing to grow and expand. Laser Wizard, a once small start-up, is one such example of how investing in the latest machinery and diversify your service offering, can enable businesses to remain competitive within the industry. The old saying “Work smarter, not harder” is often emphasised across the manufacturing industry, but at Laser Wizard the team are actively putting those words into practice. Laser Wizard is an Australian family-owned laser cutting business based in St Marys, Western Sydney and servicing clients throughout the country. Commencing business in 1999, Laser Wizard initially comprised of only two staff, the company’s owner and founder Ronald Thomson, as well as a laser operator. They had purchased a second-hand 2kw laser machine, rented space in a shared factory in St Marys, and tried their luck in the contract…
October 16, 2015
Australia’s medical technology industry is growing fast, with turnover of around $11.8bn in 2012-13 (including in-vitro diagnostics (IVDs) and dental), up from $10bn in the previous year. Med tech was responsible for 43,952 medical device entries on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) in 2014, estimated to represent between 500,000 and one million different devices, according to the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA). The MTAA’s 2014 Fact Book, Medical Technology in Australia: Key Facts and Figures, reveals that over 500 med tech companies had products listed on the ARTG. MiniFAB – Sustained success A world-leading provider of custom-designed medical and diagnostic devices, MiniFAB is one of Australia’s great manufacturing success stories. In just 13 years the company has completed 900 projects globally and exported millions of units, specialising in contract product development and manufacturing of polymer micro-engineered systems (including microfluidics, biosensors, cell and tissue devices) for the health, biotech, agri-food and aerospace industries. Located at the Small Technologies Cluster (STC) in Scoresby, east of Melbourne, MiniFAB’s production facilities are certified…
October 16, 2015
“It’s not just about speed when you are laser processing” says Richard Ladley, Technical Director of Industrial Laser. “Our customers demand consistency of process which is directly affected by the service and the serviceability of the machine over its entire life.” This is where Industrial Laser offers expert tailor-made solutions to their customer’s problems concerning machine life. With a philosophy of upgrading machines whenever possible, Industrial Laser has maintained systems that are over 20 years old but remain to this day highly reliable, highly accurate and very competitive within their market segment. Indeed, the upgraded machines often end up “better than new”, becoming easier to use with the addition of enhanced functions available from retrofit CNCs. Industrial Laser has retrofitted the latest generation CO2 and fibre lasers, giving Australasian customers the cutting edge in laser technology and service, and resulting in a lower running cost per hour and a reliable extended life…
October 16, 2015
As you may be aware, AMTIL entered into a service partnership earlier this year with Make It Cheaper to bring their energy saving expertise to our members. Make It Cheaper analysed over 6,000 business energy bills and discovered that 75% of businesses are paying too much for their power. That is a huge majority, and both AMTIL and Make It Cheaper want to decrease this figure and ensure that manufacturing businesses are within the 25% who are paying a fair amount for their gas and electricity bills. But why are energy bills so high for businesses? Often this overpayment on energy occurs due to business owners not having enough time or enough information to know when or how to negotiate better energy rates. Power bills are often neglected (understandably) by business owners and left to fester, and as…
