March 28, 2019
Based in Reutlingen in south-west Germany, this manufacturer of high-precision machining centres and even more of their customers have already learned to appreciate the many advantages when it comes to installation, configuration, diagnostics and service. In B+W’s new MCC series, the company has used Safety over IO-Link from Balluff to integrate safety into the overall concept of IO-Link. This makes the processes simpler, more efficient, cost-effective and of course safer. Measuring 8 metres by 3 metres and 3.5 metres high, the MCC 630 exudes elegance and power, radiating a feeling of solid performance, precision and reliability within its compact dimensions. Not visible is the fact that this is a new series production machine with a complete set of possible uses. Nor is it obvious that behind the blue, grey and black facade of this machining centre is a modern control and safety concept from Balluff based on the digital IO-Link standard. With Safety over IO-Link from Balluff, the system has the world’s first simple-to-install and easy-to-retrofit IO-Link safety system on-board. The advantage: both Balluff safety components as well as…
March 28, 2019
As new private label products continue to proliferate in the beverages category, established brands like Schweppes are under increasing pressure to stay current in the eyes of the market. To refresh its image as an upper-mainstream option for mixers and sparkling beverages, Schweppes enlisted Birdstone, a Melbourne-based packaging agency to design a contemporary look for its sparkling waters and carbonated soft drinks. Schweppes products are offered in both glass and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles. For a comprehensive redesign and evaluation, Birdstone was tasked with generating design proposals and prototypes for each material option. To ensure both sets of prototypes convincingly represented their real-world counterparts, Birdstone collaborated with 3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing throughout the redesign, taking advantage of the service bureau’s deep manufacturing expertise and broad technology portfolio to quickly deliver high-quality, true-to-life prototypes to its client. Designing contemporary packaging across materials A packaging redesign is no small undertaking. Not only is a production overhaul typically required, and expensive, but it puts a brand’s visual identity on the line. Both Schweppes and…
March 28, 2019
Adelaide-based FCT International had a small customer base in the cement industry when its current ownership group took over the company in 1999. But instead of simply continuing to design and build industrial burner systems, FCT won the right to design the burner system for the Olympic torches and the entire cauldron at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. That success led them to design and manufacture 14,000 torches for the Athens Games in 2004, as well as the cauldron and the Olympic rings of fire featured in the opening ceremony. FCT quickly became the global leader in ornamental flames, and revenues from the major events market reached up to 70% of the company’s total. “We quickly became the market leader in that space and became involved in more and more major events around the world,” says FCT Managing Director Con Manias. “The thing with the flames business is it’s hit a ceiling – it’s got no more market share to grab as there…
March 28, 2019
The partnership will allow Vestas to bring its wind turbine assembly and testing capabilities to Victoria, thereby supporting and expanding the Victorian renewable energy sector. Located at the former Ford manufacturing site on the Princes Highway in Geelong, the facility is part of the Vestas Renewable Energy Hub, a multi-disciplinary industry development initiative designed to support the Victorian Renewable Energy Target and Victoria’s New Energy Technologies strategy. The facility will be responsible for making 4MW drivetrains and hubs and component testing for the Dundonnell Wind Farm and Berrybank Wind Farm projects, both of which were successful in the first auction under the Victorian Renewable Energy Target. The facility will also support future wind projects in Australia. “Vestas is committed to building new skills in the local workforce in Geelong, and with our wind turbine component assembly and testing capability, we are helping build on Geelong’s background as a heavy manufacturing hub and use that to establish a renewable energy hub”, said Clive Turton, Vestas Asia Pacific President. “In Marand,…
March 28, 2019
In just a few years, 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has evolved from an alien-like technology confined mainly to labs to a bona fide manufacturing method ready for prime time. GE has already started using it to mass-produce parts for jet engines. In October, GE Aviation’s 3D-printing facility in Auburn, Alabama, produced its 30,000th fuel nozzle tip. It all started a decade ago, when CFM International, a 50-50 joint venture between GE Aviation and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines, was developing the LEAP engine, a new commercial jet engine that promised to burn less fuel than existing engines and release fewer emissions. As ambitious plans for…
March 26, 2019
Austech has always provided a comprehensive showcase of the latest innovations across every category of advanced manufacturing technology, and that tradition will continue at this year’s show, with two dedicated areas focusing on specialised technologies – the Digitalisation/Industry 4.0 Pavilion, and the Air Technology Pavilion. Having made its debut two years at Austech 2017, the Digitalisation Pavilion will again explore the latest technological developments at the cutting edge of manufacturing today. With the industry entering a new phase of rapid, radical change, often described as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, breakthrough advances in fields such as robotics & automation, interconnected devices and the Internet of Things, big data and Cloud computing are ushering in the era of the smart, connected factory. Amid ever-accelerating rates of technological change, and ever-growing competition, it is vital to not get left behind. The Digitalisation Pavilion will provide a snapshot of how the latest smart technologies are changing the very basis by which products are manufactured today, while offering insight into how these changes can benefit you and your business. Meanwhile the Air Technology Pavilion is a new section of the Austech exhibition, focusing on the latest state-of-the-art compressor equipment and associated air technologies. Encompassing…
March 21, 2019
“The speed of the new machine is unbelievable with a time reduction of 1.5 hours on one complex part alone to just nine minutes fully finished,” said Jason Cameron, Production Manager at Elphinstone. “The new machine complements another recent Okuma machine, a CNC lathe model LB3000EX, also with Okuma’s own CNC OSP Control, allowing us to meet strong demand and drastically reduce production delays, and at the same time bringing work back in-house. The latest machine will also be used for fast prototyping and product development.” The Elphinstone story is a long one, commencing with Graeme Elphinstone moving from Burnie to Triabunna in 1971. Graeme had been a logger and started welding and chainsaw repairs before purchasing a two-hectare block of land in Triabunna and establishing Elphinstone Saw Centre. Graeme’s specialist knowledge of the logging industry led the company to import Australia’s first on-board weighing system fitted to a logging truck. Further developments followed, with a special folding pole tandem…
March 21, 2019
Fraisa is a family-owned business that offers its customers a complete range of solid round tools with endmills, drills and taps, with a full service offering encompassing logistics, customised tooling, regrinding and recycling of tools. Headquartered in Switzerland, Fraisa has a strong position in Europe and has entered the US and Chinese markets in the last ten years as it capitalises on a tap market predicted to reach $699m globally by 2020. “I think opportunities in the tool and cutter market are significant,” says Josef Maushart, CEO and President of Fraisa. “I expect a further growth of 2-3% a year and see especially high growth in solid round tools. To meet this demand, we are moving into a complete renewal of our tap production. “We knew that providing taps was a unique selling proposition for us as most of our competitors only manufacture endmills and drills. However, with high labour costs in Switzerland we needed to incorporate automation into the manufacturing process and that took us to the edge of technology as far as cutting…
March 21, 2019
South Australian company ecoJet Engineering demonstrated its 20kW gas turbine in Canberra in late November. The prototype engine system is only about 10% of the weight of a comparable internal combustion diesel engine and can be configured to run on a range of liquid and gaseous fuels, including propane, natural gas and diesel. ecoJet Engineering received funding at the beginning of this year from the South Australian government and the RAAF Air Warfare Centre Innovation Hub to progress its concept design for a 20kW micro gas turbine into a viable prototype unit. The demonstration unit is the first stage in developing the next generation in deployable power generators for the military. The demonstration unit generator weighs just 48kg, excluding the control system and the fuel tank, compared to 433kg for a current military diesel generator. It is also about two-thirds the size of the diesel engine, measuring about 600mm long and 250mm wide ecoJet Co-director Alexander Wright says the mobility of the unit, the versatility of the fuel source, and its…
March 21, 2019
The materials were launched at Formnext 2018, the leading trade show for additive manufacturing technologies, in Frankfurt in November. Henkel was appearing at Formnext for the first time ever, presenting a variety of differentiated new engineering resin platforms: General Purpose, Flexible, High Temperature, Durable High Impact, Ultra Clear and Silicone Elastomeric. The company showcased its growing solution portfolio for end-to-end-processes. As an enabler for the resins, Henkel also introduced its new Loctite 3D Printer and equipment for functional prototyping applications at an entry-level. For small-run production and industrial manufacturing of final parts the company is collaborating with technology leaders such as HP and others. Henkel also launched its first General Bonding Kit for 3D Printing applications. The kit consists of Loctite 3D Printing Universal Bonder and the Loctite 3D Printing Instant Bonder, as well as activators, primers and cleaning products. The kit aims to easily support customers in bonding prototyping parts for the most-known 3D printing technologies. Henkel also offers bonding solutions for the industrial series production of 3D-printed parts.…
March 21, 2019
Thousands of customers – from small artisanal bakeries right through to large-scale industrial applications, rely on RONDO “dough-how”, the company’s unique combination of expert knowledge and experience in dough and technology. RONDO North America is responsible for sales and after sales support across the US and Canada. As RONDO North America grew, it became clear that its 18-year-old, UNIX-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system was struggling to cope with business demands. Jerry Murphy, President of RONDO North America explains: “We had significant problems reconciling sales, managing inventory and creating accurate reports. The user experience was also very poor and employees were frustrated by the limitations of the systems. In many instances hours of additional work had to be done to get the information we needed – so it began impacting our productivity.” After a competitive bid process, the organisation chose Pronto Xi. “One of the key features of Pronto Xi for us, was the ability to organise and track every…
March 14, 2019
The young Australian entrepreneur has been dreaming about designing a vehicle ever since he was six, when he made his first sketch of the new and very different engine configuration. At the age of 14, Dennis shifted his interest to motorcycles. Since then, he has been working on a new concept for an electric motorcycle, which features impressively instantaneous torque and rapid acceleration, all with a vastly reduced environmental impact. This will be the first electric motorcycle company in Australia, manufacturing internationally and assembling bikes locally in Melbourne. Savic Motorcycles, a young start-up, is currently in the design phase and will build their production prototypes in 2019, followed by their first production run in 2020. The company has already received seed investment and is preparing for a Part Series A capital raise. The plan is to focus on sales and production first in Australia, then take the offering to international markets. Driven by his passion to do to motorcycles what entrepreneurs such as Elon…
March 14, 2019
Konstantinos Bountolas, Product Data Solutions Manager at Walter, summarises the company’s data philosophy as follows: “Product data that is ready to use enables our users to find, choose and assemble tools more quickly when it comes to designing, planning, NC programming and purchasing, as well as on the shop floor.” Walter’s strategy of focusing on its customers is also geared towards the customers’ procurement preferences. “We leave it to our customers to choose where they would like to access the product data for our tools,” Bountolas explains. “Everyone has their own preferred channels for obtaining this data. All that matters is making sure that we provide our data exactly where our customers are looking for it.” Walter mainly relies on the “channels” of MachiningCloud, the e-catalogue for TDM, and Tools United. Walter on MachiningCloud Customers around the world can access more than 40,000 Walter tool elements on MachiningCloud.…
