May 27, 2016
There’s been plenty of gloomy news surrounding Australian manufacturing in recent years, but we saw a welcome bright spot last August, an Adelaide-based firm won a supplier contract with Northrop Grumman. Mincham Aviation will manufacture aircraft structure components for the first low-rate production lot of the US Navy’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV). The contract is recognition of a company that over two decades has established itself as a specialist supplier to the aerospace and defence sectors, held in high regard both nationally and globally. However, the company has faced its share of setbacks in that time. As Managing Director and founder Darryl Mincham jokes: “There’s a saying in aviation. How do you make a small fortune in aviation? Start with a large one.” Darryl spent 10 years in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as an aircraft maintenance engineer, where he built up a wealth of experience across aerospace design and manufacturing. On leaving the RAAF in 1996, he set…
May 27, 2016
The push of the Turnbull Government into the policy of innovation is to be congratulated and supported. It is early days for policy definition, which we know is still evolving, and accordingly it would be premature to be a critic. So in the spirit of ‘contribution’, there are some issues to be suggested by a team who have embraced this need for change and innovation for over 10 years. This is not a new economic theory to overcome the Chicago School or Marx’s theories. It is part of ISO 9000 and extolled by the management guru W. Edwards Deming in the 1950s. Constant improvement and adaptation are known to the best manufacturers in the same way Wheaties are an athlete – you have them for breakfast. In the Hunter Valley, the business organisation Hunternet is the only business association that has the word on its website, and has done so for over eight years. Ten years ago, its then-CEO John Coyle embraced the need to bring…
May 27, 2016
Modern IT technologies are set to reinvent the manufacturing industry and turn factories into digital enterprises. Since the introduction of advanced software and disruptive technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), cloud computing and social media, manufacturers have managed to keep up with the escalating expectations of the modern consumer and remain competitive. These advances have seen the growing introduction of robotics in the workforce to assist in managing business efficiency. Some tech enthusiasts even project a new era of “lights out factories”, which can largely operate without the need for human engagement. And so this raises a number of questions: will this reliance on automation be a positive trend for manufacturing or will it bring with it unexpected risks? Can manufacturers rely too heavily on automation and fall into auto-pilot complacency? These are certainly questions with no easy answers, but they deserve further consideration. Ever-evolving automation The current state of shop floor automation has changed drastically over the last five years. IT capabilities…
May 27, 2016
Victoria State Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis announced the opening of applications at Parliament House on 23 May, addressing commissioners from Victoria’s global network of trade and investment offices and representatives from some of the state’s best export companies. This will be the 37th year of the Governor of Victoria Export Awards, which celebrate the innovation and hard work of exporters across a range of sectors – providing a great opportunity for companies to raise their domestic and international profile. They are open to Victorian exporters across a range of nationally recognised categories including: agribusiness, business services, creative industries, digital technologies, eCommerce, education and training, environment, health and biotechnology, manufacturing, minerals, energy and regional development. There are a further three Victorian-specific categories made up of the Victorian Exporter of the Year, Victorian Export Award for Innovation Excellence and the Victorian Women in International Business Award. Winners of the national categories are automatically entered into the 54th Australian Export Awards as national finalists with the opportunity to grow…
May 27, 2016
On 13 April, around 30 guests enjoyed a two-hour tour at the Australian Synchrotron in Clayton, Victoria, a world-class facility supporting research in sectors ranging from medicine and nanotechnology to manufacturing and mineral exploration. The AMTIL party received a presentation on the Synchrotron’s history and case studies of the research work undertaken there, as well as a tour of the facility. Details were also provided for how companies can apply for access to the Synchrotron to assist in their own projects, and the costs associated with “beam-time”. The first of the two breakfast events took place on 20 April at Riversdale Golf Club in Mount Waverley, with Mike Anderson of Anderson’s Business Facilitation Services giving an informative talk on ‘Marketing Essentials For a Profitable Business’. This was followed on 5 May by the ‘Show Me the Money’ seminar, at The Centre Ivanhoe in Ivanhoe, with AMTIL service partners William Buck Chartered Accountants giving presentations on how to determine a manufacturing business’ value, and the best practice for structuring…
May 20, 2016
The ABB robots are part of an $80m investment in six new production lines at AstraZeneca’s North Ryde, NSW facility. A further two lines are currently being installed and validated. The pharmaceutical company, which has been manufacturing in the Sydney suburb for more than 50 years, recently completed installation of the six new lines. Each of the six existing production lines has the capacity to produce 65m units per year of AstraZeneca’s asthma medication, called Pulmicort Respules. Each line features a 4010 Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS) with purpose-built finishing and packaging system known as Respules 4010, culminating in a case packing and palletising cell which utilises an ABB IRB 4600 robot. Once all eight lines are in operation, AstraZeneca will have the capacity to produce 520m units per year of the Pulmicort medicine. World-first system Plans for AstraZeneca’s North Ryde upgrade commenced in 2011 after the company signed a supplier agreement with the Chinese government, naming North Ryde the sole global site for the supply of Pulmicort…
May 20, 2016
The collaboration between DST and Walter goes far beyond the supply of tools. Jürgen Senger, a field service employee at Walter, provides some examples: “We give training sessions at DST, work closely with the programming department on a permanent basis, and have been doing more and more project work together since 2012.” The latest venture involves tools for the new EcoForce Ti machine for machining titanium. Thomas Troup, head of applications development at DST, says: “The collaboration between us is characterised by professionalism, we can rely on one another, and we have created an atmosphere of mutual trust as a result.” DST enjoys an excellent reputation with aircraft manufacturers in particular. A walk through its production halls in Mönchengladbach soon makes the reason clear: the size of the machines reflects the huge dimensions of the structural components produced on them, while their sturdy design is indicative of their high performance.…
May 20, 2016
The shortage of skilled workers is expected to grow, but customers are always looking for intelligent solutions to produce faster, more efficiently and more accurately. Where once long programming times and high expertise were necessary, today one click is all it takes. This is where the RAS XLT Bend comes into a world of its own. Now available in Australia from Sheetmetal Machinery Australia, the RAS XLT Bend is an impressively flexible UpDown folding machine, with 4,060mm x 2.5mm or 3,200mm x 3mm mild steel capacity. Along with innovative mechanical components, the CNC’s One-Click Programming is certain to be a production highlight. The folding beam is a revolutionary new design that has been proven to reduce deflection by 20x over the bend line, without the need for adjustment. Bent parts no longer need to be flipped, as the folding beam is capable of automatically avoiding prebent flanges. Even the folding beam pendulum, critical for changing the folding beam direction, is driven…
May 20, 2016
Based in Labrador, Queensland, Camtech Engineering specialises in servicing the tooling needs of the rigid plastics packaging industry and is recognised as one of Australia’s leading blow moulding and injection moulding manufacturers. Established in 1988, the company specialises in precision toolmaking, providing new mould design development and production in the plastic industry for clients through Australia and abroad. In addition it offers a comprehensive range of support, repair, service and technology update options for existing moulds and dies. Camtech has an advanced workshop facility with a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art CNC machine tools giving it the capability to deliver a high level of efficiency and service. Its modern machine shop has been designed primarily to ensure Camtech can maintain the high levels of quality, support and service in its work for clients in across the mould and die industry both in Australia and overseas. To meet the demands of its customers, the team at Camtech are continuously looking at ways to improve their processes and capabilities. Consequently, in February, the company completed installation of a Kellenberger Kel-Vista Type UR…
May 20, 2016
The Port of Newcastle is the largest bulk shipping port on the east coast of Australia and the world’s leading coal export port. NCIG owns and operates one of Australia’s major coal export terminals with proximate rail, storage and shiploading facilities and associated infrastructure. NCIG’s terminal has been operating since 2010 and services coal mines in the Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Gunnedah, Gloucester and Western Coalfields of New South Wales by providing access to port infrastructure to export mainly their thermal and sometimes metallurgical coal production to the world market. To meet the requirements of growing exports from the Port of Newcastle, the Terminal was expanded to provide an overall export capacity of 66m tonnes per annum (Mtpa) in June 2013. A key focus of NCIG’s operational strategy is to operate continuously, 24 hours a…
May 13, 2016
In fact Industry 4.0 is a term developed by German government to describe its high technology strategy for manufacturing. Like all trendy new buzzwords, however, it has been quickly grabbed by consultants and the media and turned in to a catch-all term used to describe, well, whatever people want it to describe! So what is Industry 4.0? What is new and different about it, what does it change, and what should you be doing about it? I would argue that the answer to all three questions is “not much”. The reality is that we have become accustomed to a blistering pace of technological change in manufacturing over the past 20 years. Industries as old and traditional as metalworking and printing have been transformed by the combination of highly automated digitally controlled machinery and highly integrated computer aided digital work…
May 13, 2016
The Cobalt 3D Imager is equipped with dedicated on-board processors – an industry first – and a smart sensor that allows unique multi-imager array configurations. An unlimited number of 3D imagers can be placed in array configurations virtually anywhere in a manufacturing process, all scanning simultaneously and controlled by a single computer. Ideal for integration within the production environment, Cobalt can also be installed in more conventional ways, such as in conjunction with a rotary table, robot, or industrial inspection cell. Cobalt captures and processes millions of 3D data points in seconds. With high resolution, automatic exposure and high dynamic range, Cobalt can handle complex parts with fine details, varying colours, textures and reflectivity. Cobalt delivers fast, consistent measurements, independent of the operator, for quality inspection and reverse engineering applications on parts, assemblies, and tools. “The FARO Cobalt 3D Imager delivers reliable and accurate 3D scan data within an automated workflow,” stated Dr Simon Raab, FARO’s President and CEO. “With no restrictions on the number of sensors in…
May 13, 2016
The machining of complex parts with intricate forms and profiles has resulted in the need for local suppliers to deliver special cutting tools with unique geometries and advanced ceramic coatings in rapid delivery times. For over 10 years, Guhring has supplied customised cutting tools from its Production and Service Division based in Melbourne. The major growth area has been the supply of custom-made solid carbide rotating cutting tools. The high-performance range includes step drills, form/profile end mills, special reamers, compression routers and clay model cutters. Encouraged by this success, Guhring has just announced a major new investment in CNC grinding and PVD coating equipment to further support local manufacturers. Complete value-chain optimisation “High productivity, excellent economic efficiency and optimal machining have been the hallmarks of Guhring products for over 100 years,” says Brendan Smith, National Sales Manager at Guhring. Guhring customers’ trust is well-founded, with tool material, geometry and coating all perfectly matched to one another. Guhring’s revolutionary coating technology complemented by state-of-the-art R&D ensure its technological leadership in rotary…
