Month: May 2020

Blower packages assembled by sourcing components from a variety of suppliers is still quite common and usually a result of adding to the blower as new requirements arise. As an example, a blower is determined to be too loud, so a new silencer is sourced. Perhaps even a sound enclosure is purchased. However, this now means that being inside a box, the blower runs warm, so now the operating temperature must be monitored. Then, perhaps it is determined that the blower needs to make more or less air, so a frequency-controlled drive is installed. The needs grow, and so does the package and its components. There are many versions of these packages in the field and…

The Australian manufacturing sector can achieve significant costs savings, by improving the efficiency of equipment and processes and lowering energy and water consumption. Other effective strategies will include increasing the use of renewables, reducing waste, emissions and packaging, as well as using fewer raw materials. Wind and solar Wind and solar energy are becoming more cost-competitive. This means the transition to clean renewable energies is either in progress or planned by heavy industries. Now that renewables are accountable for an ever-rising share of Australia’s power mix, supplying about 20% of demand, the transition is already in full swing. Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent. Manufacturers, who usually have extensive roof space, can harness the power of the greatest free energy source available – the sun. B&R Enclosures, an electrical enclosures, racks and cabinets manufacturer and a loyal SYSPRO customer, has announced a piloted project at its Brisbane facility by installing a solar energy system. This has provided the company with…

In the 1990s, manufacturers across the world – including Australia – were sold on the lower cost of Asian labour. This is how the global offshoring boom started in Asia. In the millennium, offshoring peaked, and between 2011 and 2016, the number of Australian manufacturing jobs fell by a staggering 24%. How times have changed since then. Manufacturing salaries in Asia have risen dramatically, and manufacturers have experienced the flip-side of cheap overseas production: these include low quality, high duties and taxes, expensive freight costs, bloated inventories, and long lead times. China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which requires Chinese companies to contribute to national intelligence, has made intellectual property thefts a nightmare. Environmental and social issues are causing substantial damage to manufacturers’ reputations. Lastly, the rise of protectionist policies and continuous global uncertainty has turned the tide for offshoring – it simply doesn’t guarantee profits anymore. Rapid advancements in automation technologies, robotics and predictive analytics have…

In the coming decade, we will see a change in STEM careers and, consequently, the ways in which graduates will be prepared for them will need an overhaul. Based on an NAE survey of global technology leaders and scholars, STEM careers of the future will be faced with solving four “grand challenges” comprising major technology issues in the areas of sustainability, health, security, and the joy of living. What are some of the areas that teachers, students and parents should track to help create a workforce that is ready to take on the challenges of the coming decade? Below are five of the major trends that we will see affect how university students and independent learners are taught to meet the challenges of the decade ahead. Authentic learning is bolstered by authentic assessment: We are seeing the…

For the first time, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have enabled a soft robotic arm to understand its configuration in 3D space, by leveraging only motion and position data from its own “sensorised” skin. Soft robots constructed from highly compliant materials, similar to those found in living organisms, are being championed as safer, and more adaptable, resilient, and bioinspired alternatives to traditional rigid robots. But giving autonomous control to these deformable robots is a monumental task because they can move in a virtually infinite number of directions at any given moment. That makes it difficult to train planning and control models that drive automation. Traditional methods to achieve autonomous control use large systems of multiple motion-capture cameras that provide the robots feedback about 3D movement and positions. But those are impractical for soft robots in real-world applications. The researchers describe a system of soft sensors that cover a robot’s body to provide “proprioception” — meaning awareness of motion and position of its body. That feedback…

Prima Power is a leading specialist in machines and systems for sheet metal working. With manufacturing facilities in Italy, Finland and the US, it delivers machines and systems all over the world. Its range of machinery in this field covers all applications: laser processing, punching, shearing, bending, automation and now additive manufacturing. The Prima family of highly advanced servo-electric solutions for punching, bending and integrated processes is the widest in the world. Prima has been at the forefront of this technology since 1998 and is a world leader in servo-electric machinery. The company is also among the main world players in the 2D laser segment, with a wide range of top-performance, highly efficient machines used in a multitude of fields around the globe. Prima is now one of the only laser system manufacturers able to offer its own solid state diode laser up to 10kW. All Prima products are developed according to a “Green Means” concept, combining sustainability and productivity. Industry 4.0 marks a new era in the history…

The process known as ‘Design Thinking’ has been adopted as standard practice at some of the world’s most successful companies – Apple, Google, Samsung and GE, to name just a few. Similarly, some of the most prestigious seats of learning teach courses in this progressive approach to problem-solving. Rikke Friis Dam, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Interaction Design Foundation and product designer Yu Siang Teo, explain the main phases of the Design Thinking process as taught at Stanford University’s renowned school design institute: Empathise with your users. Define your users’ needs. Ideate by challenging assumptions and creating ideas for innovative solutions. Prototype to start creating solutions. Test your solutions. As they explain, these steps are not linear: “You should not understand the phases as a hierarchical or step-by-step process. Instead, you should look at it as an overview of the modes or phases that contribute to an innovative project, rather than sequential steps.” Roger Simpson, design consultant and mentor to the team at Integra believes that ‘Design Thinking’ as a…

Activated carbon is one of the most widely used materials for environmental remediation in the world. It contains small holes, or ‘pores’, which give it an extremely high internal surface area, which allows pollutants to ‘stick’ to the inside of the carbon, removing them from the ecosystem. Activated carbon can be used in a range of applications, including water purification, remediating contaminated soils, treating air pollution, and recovering gold from mine sites. Globally, approximately 3 million tonnes of activated carbon are used every year for the purposes of cleaning up contaminated soil, water, and air, as well as recovering precious metals. Most activated carbon is made from expensive and non-renewable hardwood or coal, rather than cheap and abundant sources of agricultural waste, or from coconut shells in developing countries. Founded by Dr Lewis Dunnigan and Ben Morton, Bygen has ambitions to become the world’s first sustainable producer of high-quality, bespoke activated carbon. The company first began transforming low-value agricultural waste into activated carbon…

Based in Schmallenberg, Germany, transfluid specialises in the production of tube bending and tube processing machines, and has been developing customer-focused technologies for tube processing since 1988. The high-tech engineering company offers tailor-made solutions for the construction of plants and machines, for the automotive, energy and shipbuilding sectors and the manufacturing of medical equipment. The bending systems produced by transfluid can take isometrics data and generate bending data without separate programming of the robot system.transfluid has now designed the next step in the development of its range of tube bending robots and improved it again. The online connection to CAD systems has always been possible, which reduces the set-up time a lot. Another important aspect is to simplify the software connection because of the robot programming capabilities of each customer. The latest generation of machines can process isometrics data online. There are…

Markus Stumm, Product Manager for Grooving at Walter, states: “We have significantly expanded our portfolio in recent years. In 2020, we will further strengthen our activities in this field. With the Walter Cut DX18, we are launching a tool with innovative clamping that will set completely new standards.” Conquering a conservative market with innovative solutions Users are particularly conservative when grooving. Stumm explains: “In mass production, when the process is running reasonably well, manufacturers rarely change the tooling system. We have to offer a clear advantage in terms of productivity and cost-efficiency to get to the machine. Problems with process reliability with the existing tools, or when a machining strategy is changed, provide us with an opportunity.” The parameters according to which the decision for a parting-off process and the corresponding tools is made, are machine run times, tool life and process reliability.…

Developed by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), the COVID-19 Manufacturer Response Register will bring together manufacturers, suppliers and customers via a self-managed platform. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said finding a solution to connect local supply and demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) was at the forefront of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. “Industry asked for this and we have delivered,” Minister Andrews said. “This digital platform is the missing puzzle piece that will unlock widespread collaboration across the manufacturing sector and boost domestic capability by creating and expanding local supply chains. “The matchmaking platform has already resulted in local businesses pivoting to produce essential medical supplies for COVID-19 – keeping Australians in work and building long-term capability in the recovery phase. Importantly, the platform can be used by hospitals, GPs and community groups to find Australian suppliers of essential products such as hand sanitiser, ventilators and PPE not just now but into the…

Triple Eight – also known as the Red Bull Holden Racing Team – is an Australian motor racing team that competes in the Virgin Australian Supercars Championship, Australia’s premier motorsport category. Parts inside Triple Eight cars need to be structurally fit-for-purpose and durable enough to endure the harshness and vibration that come with racing. High temperatures inside the cars can exceed 65 degrees Celsius. During racing, these cars reach speeds in excess of 300kph and generate g-forces up to 2.5 times gravity. In early 2017, EVOK3D, a Melbourne-based 3D printing solutions company and HP partner, visited Triple Eight’s workshop to show HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) parts. “We were blown away with the part quality and strength, compared to what we were used to,” said Mark Dutton, Race Team Manager at Triple Eight. “We realised we needed to have access to this technology to improve a whole host of components”. This aligned with a broader discussion with HP and resulted in a joint partnership with EVOK3D, HP, and Triple Eight. The team…

ProtoSpace is unique in offering access to both high-end equipment and technical advice and expertise beyond the reach of many manufacturing businesses. It encourages direct, hands-on experimentation, and offers training and consultation alongside access to AM capabilities supported by operational and engineering teams. “We want to collaborate with industry partners by providing access to cutting-edge expertise in 3D printing technology, software, engineering and design,” says Hervé Harvard, Director of both ProtoSpace and UTS’ Rapido facility. “We have assembled a highly advanced suite of printers, with eight individual AM machines on-site, and provide guidance on how AM technologies will best fit a business. And we can bring together multi-skilled teams from across UTS drawing on specific discipline areas including artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and automation to work closely with businesses to develop their best solution.” As AM has matured from design/prototyping and tooling, a new era in bespoke 3D printing promises great potential for further innovation, says Hervé.…