Month: July 2021

AMT: Tell us about the origins of Perrott Engineering. John Perrott: Perrott Engineering was formed by my wife and I back in 1974 as a one-man welding and machining business in Atherton. As the company grew, there was a need for us to be nearer to our larger clients so we established a branch in Cairns in 2001, later closing the original business and transferring the operation entirely to Cairns. Today the company employs more than 36 personnel covering a range of skills, and has grown into a specialist hydraulic and lubrication service business and a precision component manufacturing business servicing a broad range of industries across Australia, Papua New Guinea and southern Asia. AMT: What are the current principal areas of business that Perrott Engineering is established in? JP: Marine and mining are…

The Australian manufacturing industry is a difficult industry to be in right now. The COVID-19 crisis has put immense pressure on global supply chains, which has shone a spotlight on the importance of domestic manufacturing capabilities. Despite being a critical part of the Australian economy, manufacturing accounts for only 6% of Australia’s GDP in 2021. There is a widespread recognition that more needs to be done to build the resilience of this critical sector. However, market forces such as international competition mean companies in Australia cannot gain a competitive advantage through price. Many overseas manufacturing competitors have lower wage bills, raw material costs, and overheads. Meanwhile digital disruption is shaking up the way we do business, leaving companies who fail to digitally transform behind. Manufacturers around the world are looking for new revenue streams and opportunities. Many are turning to services and solutions such as implementation, maintenance upgrades and product lifecycle services. Rolls-Royce is often cited in business schools as a case study for how to separate manufacturing and services to create…

Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro said it continued to be a challenging time for local makers and growers, with many states recently experiencing various levels of lockdown. “With continued COVID-related disruptions, many local businesses are hurting,” said Lazzaro. “By calling on Australians to buy Australian, consumers can be sure that their products will not only be made to some of the highest quality and safety standards in the world, they will also help to deliver certainty for local growers and manufacturers, creating local jobs and economic activity whilst strengthening our local manufacturing capabilities. Our support is key to ensure these businesses not only survive but thrive into the future.” Approximately 13 million people have been in some form of lockdown in recent weeks, with different stay-at-home orders imposed in South Australia, Victoria and parts of New South Wales. “Australians are aware of the value that buying Australian brings to…

Cassie was developed under the direction of robotics professor Jonathan Hurst with a 16-month, US$1m grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the US Department of Defense.  Since Cassie’s introduction in 2017, OSU students funded by the National Science Foundation have been exploring machine learning options for the robot. Cassie, the first bipedal robot to use machine learning to control a running gait on outdoor terrain, completed the 5km on Oregon State’s campus untethered and on a single battery charge. “The Dynamic Robotics Laboratory students in the OSU College of Engineering combined expertise from biomechanics and existing robot control approaches with new machine learning tools,” said Hurst, who co-founded Agility in 2017. “This type of holistic approach will enable animal-like levels of performance. It’s incredibly exciting.” Cassie, with knees that bend like an ostrich’s, taught itself to run with what’s known as a deep reinforcement learning algorithm. Running requires dynamic balancing – the ability to maintain balance while switching positions…

The user-friendly Aircenter is a complete turnkey system which incorporates a Kaeser rotary screw compressor, an energy efficient refrigeration dryer and an air receiver – all in one space-saving compact package. The space-saving design has long since made the Aircenter the ideal solution where space is at a premium, such as in auto body garages and workshops. For 5.5kW to 9kW requirements, the Aircenter incorporates the Kaeser SM series rotary screw compressor. For maximum efficiency, the SM 10 and SM 16 compressor models both have premium efficiency IE3 motors, and the SM 13 compressor model is now equipped as standard with a super-premium efficiency IE4 motor. These motors comply with and exceed prevailing Australian GEMS regulations for three-phase electric motors. IE4 motors are the technology of tomorrow, with current regulation introduced in January 2015 only requiring the use of IE3 Class motors. For the end user this translates into the best possible compressor performance, reduced energy costs and significantly enhanced…

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres said the new Network builds on the release of the NSW Space Industry Development Strategy. “This investment will bring together universities, industry and government to tackle space challenges, translate vital research into commercial space products, attract investment, upskill graduates and drive growth in high-tech jobs,” said Ayres. “The Network will build on NSW’s cutting-edge space R&D to support NSW enterprise to compete both locally and globally by leveraging significant domestic and international funding opportunities.” With NSW already home to more than a third of Australia’s space start-ups, Ayres said the state boasts impressive credentials in the space sector and well-established space R&D infrastructure through its world-class universities and centres of excellence. “NSW offers an extensive network of ground stations including CSIRO’s Australian Telescope National Facility installations at Narrabri, Coonabarabran and Parkes, the Optus Earth Station in Sydney and the Commonwealth Government’s defence satellite station in Wagga Wagga,” Ayres added. The…

Military aircraft represent some of the most advanced engineering on the planet, with minimal weight design, precise machining and highly specialised materials all contributing to the high cost of new platforms and spare parts. The incredible price tag associated with maintaining such platforms is a major issue for Australia, where harsh sunlight and coastal corrosion accelerate the need for part replacements in addition to the rigors of service. Australia’s current reliance on legacy systems and overseas suppliers can also lead to aircraft being grounded until suitable replacements are found, presenting major costs in aircraft readiness and reliability. To address this critical problem, a collaborative project led by RUAG Australia and involving Swinburne University, DMTC, the Department of Defence (Defence Science and Technology Group) and the RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing is targeting new and innovative technologies for sovereign industrial repair of military aircraft. A key…

Since its launch in 1981, Lotte Corporation’s Yukimi Daifuku has been a popular Japanese household favourite that is loved by people of all ages. Many have tried the unforgettable flavour and texture of the vanilla ice cream balls wrapped in soft, chewy mochi rice cake, regarded as “Delicious whenever eaten, regardless of the season”. However, to achieve that deceptively simple goal of consistent texture, quality and taste is actually more difficult than most people would have thought. To solve this challenge Lotte has introduced Mitsubishi Electric’s e-F@ctory to the production of Yukimi Daifuku. e-F@ctory is Mitsubishi Electric’s integrated concept to build reliable, flexible manufacturing systems that enable users to achieve high-speed, information-driven production. “Before introducing e-F@ctory, there was an issue of inconsistency of the rice cake quality,” said Hiroshi Sugimoto, Manager of the Facilities Department at Lotte Corporation’s Urawa plant. “When wrapping the ice cream, the hardness of rice cake used to vary depending on the temperature and water content. Some…

Manufacturing is one of the largest markets for Internet of Things (IoT) devices – second only to the IoT devices used in buildings and for security systems. Conventional methods of data security aren’t enough to keep up with the demands of modern manufacturing. As manufacturers progressively expand past local roots, subsequently creating a global market of suppliers and customers, how can organisations keep up with this increasing need for data-sharing while minimising vulnerabilities? A central component to managing complex value chains is with identity security. Visibility across the organisation is crucial in knowing who has access to what information and when. Manufacturers can have the strongest cybersecurity framework in place, but a partner could unintentionally create gaps, exposing internal data to potential threat actors. Contractors – or even some remote employees – may join full- or part-time staff…

The company is the first tap manufacturer in Australia to be certified as both a carbon neutral organisation, and the first to offer certified carbon neutral tapware, achieved in partnership with Climate Active. Certification has been achieved using a range of active and passive emissions reduction strategies, including offsetting 1,133 tonnes of carbon emissions via wind farms, to ensure Sussex has a net zero carbon footprint. In addition to being the first and only Australian tap manufacturer to reuse all waste metal materials, Sussex’s emissions reduction strategy in 2021 includes goals to reduce packaging, landfill, water and electricity usage, as well as to recycle 85% of materials each year. In 2017, there were approximately 53.7m tons of greenhouse gas emissions produced by the manufacturing industry in Australia. Climate Active is a partnership between the Federal Government and Australian businesses to drive voluntary climate action. The certification – which is understood to be one of the most rigorous in the world – is awarded to businesses and…

scanCONTROL laser scanner has been used to detect free forms and deviations before the components are sent to laser processing. The geometry scanning is done from several directions to ensure accurate 3D profiling for optimum results. The laser scanner provides constant and reliable values regardless of the materials' reflective properties. Laser processing of components is a versatile task. It ranges from cutting and welding work to coating. Mechanical components are measured three-dimensionally before machining to derive the optimum machining processes from the profile data obtained. Laser profile scanners from Micro-Epsilon are used for this purpose. In laser cladding, a melt pool is created on the surface of the component. Adding a powdered filler material creates a new, pore-free layer. The core task of the scanner is the detection of free forms and the recognition of form deviations before laser processing. Different sensors can be used depending on the application, such as repair, 3D printing, joining or coating and component size. The scanCONTROL 3050-50/BL is ideally suited. This scanner offers a measuring range of 50 mm, with 2,048 measurement points per profile and a measuring rate of up to 10,000 profiles per second. The blue laser line enables precise measurements…

Based in Melbourne, Megafun is a designer and project manager of exhibitions and theatre works with more than 23 years of experience in providing creative and technical services to companies, artists and exhibitions around the world. The company specialises in delivering quality theatre and events and creating intriguing and engaging interactive experiences. Megafun was engaged to develop, construct and install a new 3D animated zoetrope in ACMI’s permanent exhibition space. For this new zoetrope, Canadian video game company Studio MDHR was approached to provide the characters and storyline from its Cuphead series of games. While the historical zoetrope concept was a slitted drum, this new variation is a 3D animation. A disc spinning at a set speed is illuminated with flashing strobe lighting. Each flash illuminates a slightly new position of the disc as it turns. By aligning objects and characters at just the right spacing with slight adjustments of position,…

A relative newcomer to the global 3D print market, silicone has enormous potential for 3D printing and is estimated to be worth over US$91bn dollars by 2026. But as a new technology, 3D printing with silicone has its challenges – low resolution and slow speed being the key issues. According to CSIRO polymer chemist, Dr Ke Du, current silicone resins are also restricted for use on specialised printers, which can be expensive. To solve these problems, Dr Du and her colleagues have developed a family of new silicone products. “Our unique biocompatible resins boast a suite of excellent attributes,” Dr Du said. “What’s more, they can be used with off-the-shelf printers, without the need for modification.” The resins are non-cytotoxic and are capable of printing complex designs in high resolution, including irregular shapes, thin walls and hollow structures. The printed silicone parts produced with the resins have tunable mechanical properties, making them customisable for different applications. Dr Tim Hughes, team leader of CSIRO’s Biomedical Polymer Chemistry group, said…