Month: September 2021

Comparing data collected in early 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, to today, AMGC has contrasted the awareness and attitudes toward local manufacturing, showing that support is higher compared to pre-pandemic times. The research reveals that manufacturing is highly regarded by the public, viewed as vital to our nation’s economy, and is critical to maintaining our high living standards. Yet, the full impact of the industry is misunderstood and mismeasured. The report states that having a holistic view of manufacturing and its impact is crucial, as it affects everything from people’s understanding of our economy to their purchasing decisions and career choices – the latter being highly significant given current skills shortages. Data highlighted in the report includes: 72% (+7% from 2019) of Australians believe manufacturing is important, or very important to the economy. Double the number of respondents believe manufacturing will get stronger in the coming years, compared to responses in 2019. 79% of Australians perceive trade and export of manufactured goods are important to the economy.…

You don’t compete successfully at Bathurst unless you understand performance and reliability. The Walkinshaw Automotive Group, the new owner of New Age Caravans, is famous for its design and production of high-performance and luxury GM Holden vehicles. Walkinshaw is an Australian icon and has integrated its automotive expertise in engineering, design, manufacturing, field testing and quality control to introduce a new level of innovation to New Age Caravans. New Age Caravans uses all of Walkinshaw’s expertise and know-how in rough durability testing, robotic welded chassis and clay modelling for prototype design, resulting in a highly engineered and durable product. New Age Caravans uses the latest in Industry 4.0, digital manufacturing and Lean manufacturing data collection, with tablets on the workshop floor and job, task and individual workshop staff tracking, and scheduling software to drive production. This technology enables New Age Caravans to deliver caravans of the highest quality while at the same time minimising costs to achieve highly competitive caravan pricing for the Australian marketplace.…

Radetec Diagnostics is a Melbourne-based biotechnology company dedicated to developing a world-leading “platform technology” based on quantum dots – advanced luminescent nanoparticles that can be used as labels for imaging and sensing applications. This has a wide range of clinical applications, particularly in the field of point-of-care rapid diagnostics, portable in-vitro diagnostic (IVDs) devices that are used for fast and inexpensive testing of various infectious diseases such as COVID-19, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or even cancer and Parkinson’s’ disease biomarkers. Radetec’s IVD product range consist of point-of-care test strips, and an electronic reader that is able to generate quantifiable readings in the diagnostic process. The test strips are based on a lateral flow assay test methodology, where a reagent deposited on the test strip generates a reaction to a targeted biomarker. In this case, this reaction creates a visible florescence response in the reagent when illuminated with a UV light source. The project entails the design and manufacture of such a reader to initially assist…

The ipLaser cloud-based technology suite – which can automatically process three-dimensional engineering and production graphics provided by customers – not only automates business processes and saves time, but transforms and expands business opportunities for the huge and rapidly growing number of laser service providers. “It does this by enabling laser cutting businesses to respond to customers’ needs more quickly and to reach many more prospective customers than previously in a given time,” says ipLaser Managing Director, Ivan Cooper. “The new process – which we believe is unique in the global market – goes far beyond saving time and costs, to fundamentally change and improve the way a business built around laser cutting can grow. “This technology is a game-changer across multiple industries, because laser cutting is one of the world’s fastest growing industries, with the machine market alone expected to exceed US$7bn (almost AUD9bn) by 2024, as major industries adopt this fast, accurate technology that flexibly responds to the digital revolution of…

Experts from around the world have spent the past three years pushing the boundaries of autonomous robotic technology to map, navigate and search environments as part of the Subterranean challenge, run by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). With teams eliminated from the competition each year, only eight remain to contest the 2021 grand final. Breakthroughs discovered through the DARPA Challenge have helped push real-world applications forward, including improving safety and enhanced efficiency in local mining sectors, and promising significant potential in agriculture and manufacturing. Though based in Australia for the competition, CSIRO’s Australian team members will appear at the event via telepresence. US-based representatives and partners Emesent and Georgia Tech will be on the ground. CSIRO group leader Dr Navinda Kottege said they were thrilled to be one of the final eight teams to compete. “In the world of robotics, these challenges are like our Olympics,” Dr Kottege said. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time any Australian team…

The AMTIL Board has decided not to proceed with the AMW 2022 exhibition that had been scheduled to take place at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 8-11 March 2022. The decision was taken in response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria and the resultant uncertainty over the viability of large public events so early in 2022. “The AMTIL Board met last week and made the very difficult decision not to proceed with the show in its current March 2022 timeslot,” said Shane Infanti, Chief Executive Officer of AMTIL. “Despite the great support we have for the exhibition from all our exhibitors, recent developments relating to the COVID-19 Delta strain have created an unpredictable environment that we felt had the potential to seriously jeopardise the event given that it is so early in the New Year.” With the Melbourne event not going ahead, AMTIL is now moving forward with plans for a rescheduled event to take place later in the year…

AMTIL on 10 September announced changes to the schedule for next year’s Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) exhibition, relocating and rescheduling the event from Melbourne in March to Sydney in June. The AMTIL Board has decided not to proceed with the AMW 2022 exhibition that had been scheduled to take place at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 8-11 March 2022. The decision was taken in response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria and the resultant uncertainty over the viability of large public events so early in 2022. “The AMTIL Board met last week and made the very difficult decision not to proceed with the show in its current March 2022 timeslot,” said Shane Infanti, Chief Executive Officer of AMTIL. “Despite the great support we have for the exhibition from all our exhibitors, recent developments relating to the COVID-19 Delta strain have created an unpredictable environment that we felt had the potential to seriously jeopardise the event given that it is so early in the New Year.” With the Melbourne event not going ahead, AMTIL is now moving forward with plans for a rescheduled event to take place later in the year in a different location. A…

Geelong ... Ford. Alcoa. Shell. If you’re a long-time follower of manufacturing in Australia who just read those words, it’s possible your mind just skipped to a difficult period over the last decade. “But I actually wonder if history will show the departure of these big companies will ultimately provide a better outcome,” offers Ross George. And who is Ross George? Some Productivity Commission type? An ultra-dry economist looking at Geelong from hundreds of kilometres away, convinced that the jobs that were lost at those companuies were just crummy old jobs anyway, part of some inevitable “transition to a service industry”? An academic who has spent too much time reading textbooks by long-dead economists, and too little time looking up close at the very real unhappiness caused by closures and layoffs? No, no, and no again. Ross owns and runs Austeng with his wife Lyn. The boutique engineering company goes back to Ross’ grandfather, who started it after finishing…

Developed by researchers at RMIT University, the highly versatile catalysts are cost-effective to make and simple to scale. The team’s lab demonstrations show the 3D-printed catalysts could potentially be used to power hypersonic flight while simultaneously cooling the system. The research is published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal, Chemical Communications. Lead researcher Dr Selvakannan Periasamy said their work tackled one of the biggest challenges in the development of hypersonic aircraft: controlling the incredible heat that builds up when planes fly at more than five times the speed of sound. “Our lab tests show the 3D printed catalysts we’ve developed have great promise for fuelling the future of hypersonic flight,” Periasamy said. “Powerful and efficient, they offer an exciting potential solution for thermal management in aviation – and beyond. With further development, we hope this new generation of ultra-efficient 3D-printed catalysts could be used to transform any industrial process where overheating is an ever-present challenge.” Only a few experimental planes have reached hypersonic speed (defined as above Mach 5…

Throughout history, manufacturers have sought ways to make their machining processes more efficient and cost-effective. Those efforts involve ongoing development of advanced and precise production machinery, improved cutting tools and optimisation of cutting systems overall. Specific strategies include high-speed machining, high-feed machining, high-performance machining and digital machining. The recent initiative called sustainable machining aims at reducing raw material consumption, energy use and generation of waste throughout the product lifecycle to a level that at least is in balance with the carrying capacity of our planet. Often the general discussion of sustainability concentrates on large global environmental issues but overlooks the basic elements of price, cost, customer satisfaction, process knowledge and reliability. When it comes to sustainability in machining, true success starts with simple, straightforward steps and analysis.…

Machining long parts, such as shafts and axles, is challenging because the workpiece must be supported throughout to maintain cutting speed and surface quality. The main and sub spindles must be synchronised to ensure cutting can be performed while both spindles hold the workpiece for maximum support. Bars are also frequently repositioned in incremental steps to keep workpieces rigid, as well as to account for limited bed length. Because the repeat repositioning of the bar presents a collision risk, it benefits machinists if they are supplied with NC code that tracks machine motion for greater flexibility and readability at the machine control. Without the ability to track machine motion, a significant amount of time is spent hand-editing NC code and troubleshooting programs before production begins using complex multi-tasking scenarios. ESPRIT TNG CAM software now automatically tracks the location of work offsets regardless of part position by enabling programmers to define the offset and offset translations, or the points at which offset changes occur. In addition to enabling…

Aero Spec is a family owned business established by Klaus Linke in 1973, and is now managed by his two sons Nick and Mark, who bought the business in 2000. To help enable their vision of taking the business to new opportunities, the brothers changed the company name, invested in a larger manufacturing facility and established a commitment to continual investment in the latest CNC machine and tooling technology. Aero Spec specialises in supplying complex and difficult to manufacture components to various industries such as medical, defence, infrastructure, transport, aviation and mining. Their expertise in machining, CNC turning, three, four and five-axis CNC milling, and design and turnkey manufacturing has enabled the company to develop a reputation as a one-stop manufacturing facility capable of catering for every requirement, including working with materials such as stainless, inconel, acrylics, PEEK and other plastics. While Aero Spec shines in working with complex and difficult components, they also…

Sometimes they may look pretty familiar and insignificant – but seals and gaskets are rapidly advancing fields of technology that perform functions vital to safety, testing, machine-building and manufacturing operations. They play a key role in ensuring the efficacy and longevity of valves, pumps, reticulation systems, machinery and automation solutions, where they are essential in avoiding leaks of fuel, fluid power mediums, harmful emissions, vapours and chemical and aggressive process solutions. And because they may look so simple and familiar, users may assume that what has done a job previously will continue to meet a whole host of issues that may arise in the future, including new challenges where they are essential to the integrity of process automation, materials-handling, machine construction and maintenance and safety, hygiene and export compliance. Sometimes this approach may be right. Proven can be good – if the application is the same, or very similar. But trusting old solutions with new tasks may also be wrong. New machinery technologies (faster, higher…