February 12, 2016
The ‘I’ word is being bandied about a lot these days. In my role as an IT specialist I like to consider how IT systems can affect a company’s ability to innovate in a positive way. Specifically, can operational software such as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system help a company to innovate? Often the definition of innovation seems to change depending on what is being discussed or even who is discussing it, so for the purposes of this article I will use Roger LaSalle’s definition: Innovation is change that adds value. So how can software help to make change that adds value? Many companies are using software systems that are fragmented and the processes have evolved to closely parallel the processes of the business, or indeed in some cases create them. These systems work well for day-to-day operational management but typically lack flexibility to change if needed and, due to the disparate nature of the systems, have a moderate overhead to access timely information…
February 12, 2016
Work-life balance and stress management are becoming (if not already) a major factor for employers as well as employees as we seek to achieve a sense of balance between work and our personal life. Having just become a grandfather for the first time (yes, little Isabella Rose Infanti was born in October last year) and having also enjoyed a longer than usual break over the Christmas period my personal life has undergone a few changes. One thing I have noticed though is that I am stress-free and looking forward to my 2016 work life with a much different attitude to before I went on leave in December. Whilst a good break and good family news will do that for most people, the challenge now is: how do I maintain a good work-life balance through the course of the year so these positive feelings and energy are translated to better work productivity, focus and higher levels of job satisfaction and effectiveness? I think the key factor here is to always have little things…
February 5, 2016
The novel high-strength magnesium-lithium alloy weighs half as much as aluminium and is 30% lighter than magnesium, making it an attractive candidate to replace commonly used metals in transport vehicles. The UNSW-led researchers, working with a team from Monash University in Melbourne, have shown the alloy forms a protective layer of carbonate-rich film upon exposure to air, making it immune to corrosion. The finding is published in the current edition of Nature Materials. Professor Michael Ferry, from UNSW’s School of Materials Science and Engineering, said the excellent corrosion resistance of the alloy was observed by chance, when his team noticed a heat-treated sample from Chinese aluminium-production giant, CHALCO, sitting inert in a beaker of water in their laboratory. “This is the first magnesium-lithium alloy to stop corrosion from irreversibly eating into the alloy, as the balance of elements interacts with ambient air to form a surface layer which, even if scraped off repeatedly, rapidly reforms to create reliable and durable protection,” said Professor Ferry. The UNSW…
February 5, 2016
Capable of a colossal 660,000Nm of continuous, servo-controlled torque, the custom-designed machine will be used for precision bending of thick-walled carbon steel pipes up to 273mm in diameter. It is the second all-electric pipe bender that Unison has supplied to Westcon’s pipe production facilities in Ølensvåg, Norway. The first, a 90mm single-stack model from Unison’s Breeze range, was installed at the beginning of 2015 and enabled the company to bring much of its pipe fabrication in-house. With the new machine, Westcon intends producing virtually all the pipe sizes it needs in-house, without having to use pre-fabricated bend sections. Although Unison’s bending machines are used by a number of leading ship and submarine builders to produce large pipe and tube assemblies, this is by far the most powerful that the company has ever designed and built. Unison’s range of all-electric bending machines now extends from 16mm to 273mm. Westcon specialises in building and repairing ships for the offshore and fishing sectors, and in servicing, maintaining and repairing semi-submersible and jack-up rigs used by the offshore oil and…
February 5, 2016
Four of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded (that is, above 50 points in three-month moving averages), led by: wood & paper products (unchanged at 64.3); petroleum, coal, chemical & rubber products (up 3.9 points to 59.1); and food, beverages and tobacco (up 4.9 points to 56.7). Textiles, clothing, furniture and other manufacturing was broadly stable (50.1 points). The non-metallic mineral products sub-sector ended three months of expansion (down 6.4 points to 47.8), while machinery and equipment remained in contraction but is moving steadily towards stabilising with its best result since June 2014 (up 0.4 points to 47.6). “The manufacturing sector opened 2016 by continuing the positive momentum built over the second half of 2015,” said Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox. “The benefits of the lower dollar continue to accumulate with local manufacturers enjoying greater shares of the domestic market and increased…
February 5, 2016
Premier Daniel Andrews’ Government is urging Victorian businesses to nominate for the Awards. With the theme ‘Towards Future Industries’, the Awards include Young Manufacturer of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year, Company Induction, Honour Roll, as well as six Hall of Fame Awards for outstanding manufacturers in sectors the Victorian Government has identified for high growth potential. These include: medical technology and pharmaceuticals; new energy technology; food and fibre processing; transport, defence and construction technologies; professional services and international education. The nominations will be judged across a range of criteria that demonstrate best practice manufacturing, including innovation, adoption of advanced manufacturing technology, business and environmental sustainability, and skills development. The Hall of Fame Awards were established in 2001 to recognise individuals and companies who embrace new technologies and manufacturing techniques, are export focused and excel in business innovation. “I strongly encourage Victorian businesses to nominate for the 2016 Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards and showcase their talents,” said Minister for Industry Lily D’Ambrosio. “The Andrews…
February 5, 2016
After working for three years as an industrial programmer, Gene Haas founded Proturn Engineering in 1978. It was a small contract machine shop in Sun Valley, California, where Haas worked side-by-side with two employees, machining parts for the electronics and aerospace industries. During this time Haas developed a fully-programmable 5C collet indexer to boost productivity in his own shop. The Haas 5C was the industry’s first device to automatically reposition parts accurately for machining by simply pressing a button, as opposed to having to reposition the material by hand – a cumbersome and time-consuming process. The machine-tool industry received the economical and reliable Haas 5C Indexer with enthusiasm and, in 1983 Haas Automation Inc. was born. The company started with three employees in a 465sqm facility. During the next four years, Haas expanded his product line to include a wide selection of fully-programmable rotary tables,…
