Month: September 2021

“Almost three quarters of the lifetime costs of a compressor are attributed to energy,” says Peter Eckberg, Managing Director at Kaeser Compressors Australia. “If you take the example of a 250kW compressor, running three shifts, seven days a week, and with electricity costs at $0.15/kWh, then over an average 10-year lifecycle that will cost $3.28m to run in electricity costs alone! What’s surprising to many people, is that in most compressed air systems only around 50% of the compressed air produced is actually production demand.” With Eckberg’s example, that means that more than $1.6m is being potentially wasted through issues such as: compressed air leaks (25% to 30%), artificial demand (10% to 15%) and inappropriate uses (5% to 10%). But there is good news. Many existing compressed air systems are hiding an energy savings potential of up to 30%. “Whether you’re…

Supporting the largest industries in the world, including automotive, aerospace and electronics, metal fabrication is one of the most important manufacturing sectors, currently valued at $3.8bn by IBIS World in Australia. Consequently, competition is fierce and most businesses in the fabricated metals sector are facing serious challenges with their complex supply chains, and collaborating with customers to design the most effective products – all while meeting quality, tolerance and material specifications and keeping their customers loyal by delivering exactly what they ordered, on time, every time. The challenge is that the industry needs to maintain flexibility to change capacity requirements while operating effective continuous replenishment systems. Operators need to be able to manage production costs, product quality and on-time delivery by automating and integrating business processes and improving the visibility of management information. Putting the P in ERP Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software allows metal fabrication companies to manage their businesses from the front office to the factory floor. To maximise the use of their ERP system’s planning capabilities, fabricated…

However, many air cleaners are unable to extract the invisible, superfine particles that constitute the greatest threat to workers’ heath: mist particles with a diameter below 3-5μm. These particles can get into a person’s lungs and then the blood, potentially causing health issues. Available in Australia from Dimac Tooling, Reven air cleaners feature Reven’s patented high-performance X-CYCLONE separating system, specifically developed for the separation of air-borne substances including fluid and superfine particles. Measurements by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute prove that Reven air cleaners with X-CYCLONE technology attain a separation efficiency of 98% with critical particle sizes below 3-5 μm. “The issue of removal of superfine particles in the air has perhaps been overlooked when it comes to general air filtering,” says Dimac Managing Director Paul Fowler. “But only highly efficient air cleaners such as Reven can remove a complete spectrum of pollutants such as mists and smoke, including of course superfine particles. Using a Reven air cleaner will ensure workers breathe fresh air and are protected from these particles. A Reven air…

The emerging field of tissue engineering aims to harness the human body’s natural ability to heal itself, to rebuild bone and muscle lost to tumours or injuries. A key focus for biomedical engineers has been the design and development of 3D printed scaffolds that can be implanted in the body to support cell regrowth. But making these structures small and complex enough for cells to thrive remains a significant challenge. Enter a RMIT University-led research team, collaborating with clinicians at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, who have overturned the conventional 3D printing approach. Instead of making the bioscaffolds directly, the team 3D printed moulds with intricately-patterned cavities then filled them with biocompatible materials, before dissolving the moulds away. Using the indirect approach, the team created fingernail-sized bioscaffolds full of elaborate structures that, until now, were considered impossible with standard 3D printers. Lead researcher Dr Cathal O’Connell said the new biofabrication method was cost-effective and easily scalable because it relied on widely available technology. “The shapes you can make…

The merger is the sixth for William Buck since 2019 as the firm continues a growth trajectory that’s achieved both organically and through strategic equity partnerships and merger opportunities. Effective since 13 September, the merger brings together the strong client base and relationship-driven team of boutique firm BR Wellington with William Buck’s deep resources and 125-year history. BR Wellington is a dynamic firm with a demonstrated history of winning sophisticated small-to-medium business owner clients in their growth phase. This aligns with William Buck’s vision of being the leading advisory firm to mid-market clients. Neil Brennan, Director, William Buck said the firms are an obvious fit as they share the same value proposition of providing exceptional client services and building lasting relationships. “Like with each of our past mergers, this decision was designed to create an environment where we can improve on our delivery of superior client experiences,” said Brennan. “The addition of BR Wellington’s expertise enables us to provide increased value and choice for our…

Porter’s resignation came in the wake of ongoing controversy surrounding the payment of his legal fees via anonymous donations to a blind trust. Porter’s departure was announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “I want to thank Minister Porter for his service in my Government,” said Morrison. “I want to thank him for his service as the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology.” Morrison also commented on Taylor’s appointment to take over Porter’s duties on a temporary basis: “I’ve taken the step of appointing Angus Taylor as the Acting Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. He will perform those responsibilities together with his responsibilities for Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. Both of these portfolios sit within his department, and I have no doubt that he will perform extremely admirably in taking on those responsibilities.” The Prime Minister would not confirm whether Taylor would retain the role in the longer term or a more permanent appointment would be…

Precision requirements in the manufacturing industry are completely revolutionizing the process of obtaining high-definition prints. However, printing intricate geometries over the surfaces like glass or ceramics poses the challenge of positioning the print head at the right place and distance for unmatched accuracy in prints. Particularly, the process of generating finely detailed structures on the surfaces is highly sensitive to the misalignment of the print head as even the subtle variations in prints cannot be tolerated. Here, manual position control of the print head might have shortcomings in acquiring quality prints due to erroneous distance measurements. This degrades the integrity of the final printed product. Therefore, a precise control system for positioning the print head in place is as significant as selecting the right printing technique to improve accuracy in prints. To cater to this printing requirement, Bestech offers an extensive range of smart laser triangulation sensors from Micro-Epsilon. These sensors serve the purpose of precise distance measurement of objects from the surface. Using optoNCDT 1420 sensor from this category simplifies the task of position monitoring of print head to obtain the utmost quality prints. The combination of the sensor and an integrated controller allows measurement in dynamic printing…

Inline color measurement system is a widely used sensor for injection moulding applications where highly accurate color nuance detection is crucial. For example, color measurements are done at the step where the pieces are extracted from the mould. During this, the product may undergo changes in its color as it cools which in turn, affects color compliance. Therefore, early identification of these defects is possible and the rejects can be removed from the production line. Depending on the angle of measurement and the lighting conditions, color may appear similar but are actually different when assessed through their coordinates in the color space. This is particularly integral in the plastic injection moulding applications where color deviation is not tolerated. To support this measurement task, there needs to be a non-contact dynamic measurement system that can reliably measure the color quantitatively and compare it with the color space coordinates to generate a “PASS/ FAIL” result. Partnering with Micro-Epsilon, Bestech Australia supplies a wide range of sensors and measuring systems for industrial testing and measurement applications. We are proud to announce The ACS7000 inline color spectrometer offers a highly precise non-contact detection of color at high speed. This state-of-the-art measuring system illuminates…

AMT: Firstly, what is the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), and what does it do? SD: IMCRC sits at the intersection between manufacturing and the Australian research community and works with government funding to energise that space. Australia has a state-of-the-art research sector building capability in cutting-edge technologies, and many manufacturing organisations ready to take advantage of that, so IMCRC’s role is to help bring them together to do great work. At a basic level this is by offering financial support through project funding, but perhaps more importantly, we assist by making the right connections, establishing great research collaborations, and helping the businesses to think through their path forward. We have now run over 50 projects, catalysing more than $200m worth of research & development (R&D) investment in Australian manufacturing, helping businesses to take their ambitions, their projects and their relationships with their partner universities further. In addition to supporting these projects, I lead IMCRC’s Industrial Transformation program. The program focuses on raising awareness and educating manufacturing SMEs about the potential of…

The new strategy is part of a new trilateral pact between the US, the UK and Australia to collaborate on a range of security initiatives. Entitled AUKUS, the partnership will focus in particular on strategic collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region. Announcing the move, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “The first major initiative of AUKUS will be to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia. Over the next eighteen months we will work together to seek to determine the best way forward to achieve this.” Australia had planned to acquire 12 new Attack-class submarines to replace its existing Collins class fleet, under a $90bn program with French company Naval Group. Representing Australia’s largest-ever defence contract, the program would have seen the subs built in Adelaide. The break fee for scrapping the deal will cost a reported $400m. It is not clear what implications the move will have for Australian manufacturing – in particular those companies that had been engaged in the scrapped program’s supply…

New forms of human-machine interaction, as well as advances in artificially intelligence (AI) technologies, give manufacturers better connectivity between their customers and supply chains, as well as more flexibility to produce differentiated products to meet consumer demand. However, the amount of technological advancement that once occurred over a number of years is now happening in a fraction of that time. As technologies continue to accelerate and disrupt, the great differentiator won’t simply be a matter of quality or cost but how quickly one company can innovate over another. According to Austrade, over the next 20 years Australia’s manufacturing industry will evolve into a highly integrated, collaborative and export-focused ecosystem that provides high-value customised solutions within global value chains. The sector will focus on pre-production (design, research and development) and post-production (after-sales services) value-adding, sustainable manufacturing and low-volume, high-margin customised manufacturing. To enable this vision, Australia’s manufacturing sector will increasingly rely on sensors and data analytics, AI technology,…

Australia has a long and proud history in manufacturing, a sector where it is renowned for its prowess and expertise across the globe. The industry has found itself at a crossroads, though, with manufacturing on the decline over recent years. There is much to gain from digital transformation. However, manufacturing businesses have a reputation for being slow adopters, and coupled with the perceived threat of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), a digital transformation project can start to look daunting. On the contrary, the prospect of being left behind with outdated processes should be much scarier than a digital transformation. In order to not only stay relevant, but to establish itself as a global leader in Industry 4.0, Australian manufacturers must trust in business intelligence (BI), AI and automation, and its collective potential to improve efficiency, provide insight and oversight, and help streamline supply chains – all while reducing costs, time and errors. Having a contemporary, productive and thriving manufacturing industry…

Gelion was founded in 2015 by Professor Thomas Maschmeyer, awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation 2020, as a spin-out from the University of Sydney. Battery Energy has designed, developed and delivered premier energy storage solutions to a wide range of industries in Australia for more than 30 years. The partnership represents the next stage of commercialisation for the two companies, demonstrating their commitment to supplying competitive Australian-designed and manufactured energy storage products to the local market. Battery Energy will provide manufacturing scale-up of the Gelion Endure non-flow zinc-bromide () battery at its site in Fairfield, Sydney. Producing Gelion’s stationary energy platform domestically will provide local jobs in a green, innovative industry and shorten supply chains for the Australian market. The batteries will be deployed in production trials in 2022 ahead of anticipated commercial availability. Gelion’s breakthrough non-flow ZnBr2 battery is an affordable, safe, recyclable alternative to lithium-ion, making it a reliable energy source for a range of applications. Gelion’s Endure energy storage platform is suitable for…