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
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 16, 2015
In 1898, a young and aspiring innovative engineer named Eiichi Okuma established the Okuma Noodle Machine Co. to manufacture and sell noodle-making machines. It may seem an unusual field of technology to enter, but the consumption of noodles was (and still is) very high in Japanese cuisine and an invention to cut down the massive labour content in producing them was indeed revolutionary. Eiichi Okuma went on to make several automated machines, most notably cigarette-rolling machines and even textile-knitting machines a little later. However, it was in 1904 that machine tools became Okuma’s focus as industrialisation really took hold, and by 1918 Okuma Machinery Works Ltd was formally established and the volume production of the OS Lathe commenced. By 1937, Okuma was the number 1 machine tool producer in Japan by value. The company’s growth remained rapid through the 1950s, and in 1963, it launched the OSP control with its unique absolute position feedback encoder, thus becoming the only machine tool builder to build its…
October 9, 2015
We have just gone through a number of focus sessions with our members and gathered feedback from them that the cost of inputs into their businesses is getting prohibitive and reducing their competitiveness. So I thought it would be a timely reminder that the benefits of industry associations should not be overlooked when it comes to minimising costs in your company. AMTIL offers quite a few member services including electricity brokerage, all types of insurance, foreign exchange, telephone and ICT solutions, and consulting services through William Buck. Make It Cheaper is our energy expert. The company offers a quick, easy and efficient route into what can be a murky energy market, doing everything they can to save time and money for your home or business. Their experts will compare prices from Australia’s leading energy suppliers to ensure you’re getting a fair deal. Once they have found the best prices from their panel of 14 different retail providers, they then set you up on these rates to make your…
October 2, 2015
The Australian PMI increased by 0.4 points in September to 52.1 (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase). Six of the seven activity sub-indexes expanded: new orders (up 0.5 points to 53.4); production (up 0.5 points to 51.7); manufacturing sales (up 4.6 points to 53.2); supplier deliveries (up 0.9 points to 53.9); employment (down 0.6 points to 50.7); and exports (up 4.6 points to 53.2). Manufacturers ran down their stock levels for an eighth consecutive month (broadly unchanged at 48.6). The input prices sub-index eased 0.9 points but remained elevated at 66.9 as further depreciation in the dollar raised prices for imported inputs. The wages sub-index fell by 9.3 points to 55.0 as the annual wage increases for national minimum and award wage rates (effective July 1) have now passed. “In encouraging news for an economy searching for sources of growth outside mining, September saw the manufacturing sector consolidate on gains generated in recent months,”…
October 2, 2015
Since its establishment in 1917, Sutton Tools has continued to develop an expanding portfolio of cutting tools. Today, while its products are exported worldwide, the company remains a proudly Australian family business. The tour took in the entire production process, from raw materials to warehousing and distribution, providing fascinating insights into its specialised areas such as coatings, heat treatment and the company’s dedicated regrinding facility. One highlight was a look at the inspection process on a line of tiny forming taps that Sutton supplies to Foxconn in China for the production of Apple’s products. Sutton produces more than 10,000 of these taps a year, and each one must be meticulously checked for quality. Sutton’s Chief Manufacturing Executive, Peter Sutton, was particularly happy with the tour, saying it allowed the company to showcase its world-class facility and demonstrate that manufacturing can continue to exist in Australia. “We really enjoyed hosting the tour,” said Sutton. “It was a great networking opportunity to meet others from the…
