Month: November 2018

The kit to diagnose leishmaniasis began trials in July by the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) in Addis Ababa, as part of a program to revolutionise the way diseases are tested and treated. Working with Austin-based infectious disease virtual incubator PandemicTech and the New Venture Institute (NVI) at Flinders University in Adelaide, Dr Endalamaw Gadisa has been able to quickly iterate his knowledge of a better way to test for leishmaniasis into a practical, cost-effective design. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread through sandfly bites. The World Health Organization estimates up to 1m new cases and 30,000 deaths occur annually, usually among malnourished people living in poverty or unsanitary conditions. Although it can lead to ulcers and death, leishmaniasis is curable if diagnosed and treated early. Gadisa identified several difficulties in testing for the disease in Ethopia, leading to the need for more effective, practical diagnostic equipment. The difficulties with the current system include the cost of a liquid medium (reagent) for testing, the fragile test tubes…

The awards showcase craftsmanship and excellence in the commercial building sector. Vaughan secured the Master Builder of the Year Award, as well as the award for Excellence in Construction of Industrial Buildings, for its work on the $165m Dulux Merrifield Coatings Plant. Managing Director Andrew Noble said Vaughan was absolutely thrilled to take out such a prestigious award. “We are very proud to accept an award, which puts us at the top in our industry in ultimately recognising the years of hard work and commitment from our highly experienced and highly skilled team, our attention to detail, and our superior ECI project methodology which works with the client to achieve the best possible outcome, ” said Noble. “The award also reflects the contribution of our consultants, suppliers and subcontractors for their hard work, dedication and loyalty to Vaughan over the years, which is greatly appreciated in helping us to deliver outstanding results.” Vaughan was engaged under an ECI (Early Contractor Involvement) agreement to complete the base build of Dulux…

Machining specialist Walter decided to tackle the topic area of digitalisation some years ago and, under the Walter Nexxt product line, is offering digital products and Industry 4.0 solutions that are tailored for use in medium-sized companies. It does not have to be, and above all cannot be, the one and only Industry 4.0 solution. Instead, Walter is dealing with a wide range of different levels of the planning and production process. For example, the Comara iCut software for optimising cutting data and the Comara appCom platform for monitoring production processes. Adaptive feed control: Cutting data optimisation via live data Automation, digitalisation and networked processes have been everyday aspects in many areas of industrial production for a long time now. New opportunities for further optimising processes have been created by…

Manufacturing is critical to the Queensland economy. It is the state’s sixth-largest employing industry with more than 170,000 people in the year to June 2018, and is the third-largest employer of full-time workers. Strategy is fundamental to the success and longevity of industry, which is why the Queensland Government has committed significant resources to ensuring manufacturing continues to be a key driver of the state’s economic and jobs growth. The Queensland Advanced Manufacturing 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan, the State Government’s strategic vision for the sector, is supporting manufacturers as they transition to advanced manufacturing, increase productivity, improve international competitiveness and access emerging opportunities. Since the launch of the plan in December 2016, the State Government has provided advice and support to hundreds of Queensland manufacturing businesses, helping them make the transition to high-value, knowledge-based advanced manufacturing. Utilising industry expertise – The…

Tool builders must also adapt to developments in the aerospace, aviation and medical industries that have necessitated machining high-temperature or exotic materials with maximum efficiency. In particular, the application of coolant with high (or ultra-high) pressure, directly to the working area to increase efficiency and chip flow, requires a suitable tooling solution. Vertical pick-up turning machines have wide applications for manufacturing of automotive, hydraulic and general industry parts, and their value in maximising efficiency should not be underestimated. Tools for multi-spindle machining centres Multi-spindle machining centres save space at manufacturing facilities and reduce tool inventory by using combined tools for sequential operations, and decrease set-up time by assembly and adjustment of the same tool for each spindle. The principal aim for using multi-spindle machines without Z-axis compensation is to facilitate the axial adjustment needed to achieve overlength precision. This ensures…

Professor Mahendran said the project, in collaboration with the National Association of Steel-Framed Housing (NASH), would specifically examine the fire resistance levels of complex, high-strength Light Gauge Steel Framed (LSF) wall systems, which are being increasingly used in low and mid-rise buildings around the world. “We are seeing plasterboard-lined LSF walls being used more and more, because they are a cost-effective load-bearing wall, but that has required new wall designs, which involve complex steel stud wall configurations. The real issue is that their fire resistance is not yet fully understood,” Professor Mahendran said. “This project aims to investigate the thermal and structural behaviour of those wall systems when they are exposed to fire, and to also develop a generic model for predicting fire resistance levels of LSF wall systems.” Professor Mahendran said he was pleased that this project would further increase awareness of fire-resistance levels and make important fire…

Deakin scientists Dr Nolene Byrne and PhD candidate Beini Zeng have discovered how to dissolve denim and manipulate the remains into an aerogel – a low-density material with a range of uses including cartilage bioscaffolding, water filtration and use as a separator in advanced battery technology. Dr Byrne, who completed the ground-breaking work in a joint project with Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) and the School of Engineering, said the process worked because denim was made from cotton, a natural polymer comprised of cellulose. “Cellulose is a versatile renewable material, so we can use liquid solvents on waste denim to allow it to be dissolved and regenerated into an aerogel, or a variety of different forms,” said Dr Byrne. “Aerogels are a class of advanced materials with very low density, sometimes referred to as ‘frozen smoke’ or ‘solid smoke’, and because of this low density they make excellent materials for bioscaffolding, absorption or filtration. When we reformed the cellulose, we got something we didn’t expect – an aerogel with a…

There is strong evidence that at an economy-wide level, business investment in digital technologies results in higher productivity over the long term. Manufacturing processes that were once standalone and analogue are becoming increasingly digitised. This facilitates development of “smart factories” that are significantly more flexible, transparent and customisable. A recent Epicor study found that over half of global businesses are assigning a high priority to IT investment. The adoption and deployment of Industry 4.0 within Australia has the potential to significantly improve the competiveness of the advanced manufacturing sector. In 2016, the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce was announced, with an initial aim to connect Australian and German industry leaders to collaborate and share information on Industry 4.0. The Taskforce now plans to create a network of Industry 4.0 testlabs, built in partnership with industry leaders to improve the competitiveness…

Any facility that relies on compressed air as source of energy will know that compressed air is a significant consumer of electricity. Not great news when you consider the heightened electricity costs we have all been faced with in recent years. However, what many compressed air users do not realise is that their compressed air system may well be hiding an energy savings potential of 30 percent or more. Uncovering and realising these savings would assist them in reducing their associated electricity bill and therefore their carbon footprint. Unlocking your energy savings potential The key to unlocking hidden compressed air energy savings starts with a compressed air audit. By monitoring a compressed air system for a set period of time, such sophisticated computer aided audits like the Air Demand Analysis (ADA) from Kaeser, are able to determine precisely how much power and energy is being consumed by an existing compressed air system configuration. Where appropriate, this information can then be used to simulate alternative configurations for optimum energy efficiency. As an example, proprietary tools such as the Kaeser Energy Saving System (KESS) enable efficiency comparisons and accurate predictions of the energy savings that other solutions could make. Where can…

Kaeser Compressors Australia launched its new website earlier this month. Along with a fresh appearance and a simplified navigation, the new website has been designed to be user- and mobile- friendly. The new Kaeser website was created with the end-user in mind. A simplified navigation now divides the website into just four sections; products, solutions, services and company. In addition a responsive design ensures that whether a visitor is viewing the website from a PC, tablet or smart phone, the website will adapt to suit the device. The upgraded product section features extensive product range information and now also includes quick access to technical specifications and in many cases 360-degree product views and videos. There are also a myriad of compressed air resources available to Kaeser website visitors including; The Kaeser toolbox calculators (https://au.kaeser.com/services/know-how/calculator/) From a unit conversion calculator to calculating pressure drop, air receiver size and leakages - the Kaeser Toolbox includes a number of practical online calculators and is definitely a section worth bookmarking for repeat visits! Whitepapers (https://au.kaeser.com/services/news-and-dates/whitepapers/) Kaeser regularly writes and presents in-depth reports on compressed air topics such as energy efficiency, as well as advisory articles to assist compressed air users in - for…

Compiled by the Australian Industry Group, the latest PMI extended the index’s period of uninterrupted growth to 25 consecutive months – the longest run of recovery or expansion since 2005. Readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase. For a third consecutive month, all seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI expanded in October. Production (up 2.9 points to 61.6), supplier deliveries (up 3.7 points to 60.9) and sales (up 2.3 points to 59.9) were all encouragingly strong, while employment (down 5.4 points to 52.6), new orders (down 3.8 points to 58.8) and exports (down 3.8 points to 55.1) all slowed in comparison to September. “The strength of Australia’s manufacturing sector continued into October with production, domestic sales and new orders all growing at encouraging rates,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “Employment also lifted – although at a slower pace than in September.” Seven of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded in October…

Based in the Netherlands, Seatools is a global provider of bespoke subsea solutions for companies ranging from offshore oil and gas to offshore renewables and aquaculture development. In light of its expansive and diverse scope, Seatools faced a distinct challenge in quickly and effectively communicating its range of custom offerings at the highly attended Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas. As the largest event in the world for the oil and gas industry, OTC attracts over 2,300 exhibitors a year and counting. Therefore Seatools knew it needed to make a splash with a creative trade show display to ensure a positive return on investment, and that it had to do everything in its power to attract attention and engage new business. With the help of 3D Systems’ On Demand Manufacturing services, Seatools devised a unique subsea landscape to display seven distinct 3D printed appearance models of its various custom underwater technologies. Offering expansive prototyping and manufacturing services to support the entire product development lifecycle, 3D Systems’ On Demand…

Assad Ibrahim worked in car manufacturing for 12 years. He started at Ford in Melbourne straight out of school when he was still a teenager, in the body shop, literally putting cars together. “The exterior, the side assembly, the hood, the bonnet, the works,” he says. Assad did an apprenticeship for a trade in fitting and turning, and then also a diploma in engineering. He went on to work in project management at Ford, working with the newest manufacturing technology in a high-stakes, well-paid role. Then the Australian automotive industry hit the skids. In Victoria, Toyota has now been reduced to a skeleton staff in Altona doing non-manufacturing roles. Ford stopped making cars in Victoria in 2016. Holden shut its last Australian plant, in Adelaide, last year. It had spanned nearly 100 years; the first Ford factory opened in Geelong in 1925. The grand era was over. “We all knew it was doom and gloom,” says Assad. “It was just a matter of when. It was heartbreaking.…