Month: November 2021

AMT: Firstly, what is the ARM Hub and why was it established? Cori Stewart: The ARM Hub is now a year and a half old, and it was established around a couple of drivers. Firstly, to see Australia drive the commercial value of robotics and come out big in the way robotics are applied to industry. One of our founding partners, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), is the nation’s leading robotics centre, and they got behind it. Along with its national partner network, QUT has been conducting amazing fundamental research in robotics. That technology is now coming down and being used on the factory floor – things like computer vision, AI, machine learning ... all the things that make robots smart and integrate into wider manufacturing capability. So, ARM Hub came about to offer this agile translation capability, and also knowhow, for new technology. The other part was as the country drives towards a manufacturing future – and this was happening before COVID – we had major manufacturing strategies in…

Manufacturers must often respond fast regarding the repair and turnaround of faulty equipment, minimising production disruption and downtime. Using 3D printing, parts can be produced rapidly in common materials such as steel, titanium, aluminium, or more exotic materials. Moreover, new materials designed specifically for AM offer improved performance. Given the large inventories found within typical manufacturing operations, a major question is: which parts are technically and commercially viable for AM? A recent audit for a US operation included a total inventory of 4,500 individual parts. Of these, some 450 were identified as technically feasible for printing, and 200 offered significant commercial benefits to the company compared with historic sourcing. Given the speed of production possible using AM in prototyping and serial production, manufacturers may consider investing in their own in-house 3D printing operation. The advantages include a ‘zero-mile’ parts supply chain, avoidance of high inventory levels, better process control, and risk mitigation against costly downtime. The alternative option is to source from a supplier offering printing services, with their specific lead…

Supported by the Australian Space Agency, CSIRO’s ‘Innovate to Grow: Space’ program will support 20-25 small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) with mentoring from some of Australia’s leading space experts, including from CSIRO and the Space Agency, access to world-class research facilities and infrastructure, and support to navigate grant application processes. Innovate to Grow is a free ten-week training program designed to boost the innovation and take-up of research and development (R&D) by Australian small businesses in industries with high innovation potential, like space, agrifood, plastic waste, net zero, and cybersecurity. CSIRO Space Research Program Director Dr Kimberley Clayfield said collaboration was key to growing Australia’s space industry. “CSIRO works with leading global companies, international space agencies and small-to-medium businesses on a variety of space-related activities,” Dr Clayfield said. “SMEs have a lot to contribute and when combined with our strong capabilities in Earth observation, robotics, advanced manufacturing and communications, the sky is no limit to what we…

Economy Spring is known for manufacturing a wealth of complex parts, such as two concentric tubes used in the medical industry for administering fluid to incisions. The outer tube requires a 4.4mm outer diameter and a 4mm inner diameter, while the inner tube requires a 3.9mm outer diameter and a 3.3mm inner diameter. The front end of the inner tube is marked by several intricate shapes, including two boot-shaped features precisely 180 degrees apart from each other. To make matters more complex, the inner tubes also require drilling of 22 injection holes in a helical pattern, each with a diameter of 0.18mm. There’s also a 30cm slot in the part that is longer than the total travel of the lathe. Economy Spring programmers previously programmed this and other similar parts using the machine control. This entailed the entry of many manual commands, including…

Celebration dinners are being held throughout December in Victoria, New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. With a three-course meal and drinks, the events are an opportunity to bring your partner and colleagues and share in some Christmas cheer against the best backdrops in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Events will be held at: Melbourne: Thursday 2 December Aerial, 17 Dukes Walk, South Wharf, VIC 3006 7.00pm – 11.00pm AEDT Sydney: Wednesday 8 December Kingsleys Woolloomooloo, 10/6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011 7.00pm – 10.30pm AEDT Brisbane: Thursday 9 December Massimo Restaurant, Boardwalk level, Riverside Centre, 23 Eagle Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000 7.00pm – 10.30pm AEDT All attendees at AMTIL events must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. On arrival, please follow the directions of venue staff, check in using the COVID-19 app and present your vaccination status. Appropriate measures are being implemented at all AMTIL events to ensure they are conducted safely. Moreover, AMTIL may be forced…

Tool presetters provide three key features in the one machine: measuring, presetting, and inspecting tools. They save on set-up time, improve accuracy and produce better quality parts, while minimising scrap. A state-of-the-art image processing system measures the cutting edges of tools in seconds, then saves and documents the measurement results. As a result, the time-consuming process of making fine adjustments are a thing of the past. Adjustable boring bars can be easily set with micron precision in less than a minute, which in turn eradicates frustrating “trial and error” cutting. Tool run-out can also be checked and cutting inserts inspected using the on-board inspection camera. “Presetting and measuring allows for shorter fitting times and greater productivity – while your machine works you can get the next tool ready,” explains Paul Fowler, Managing Director of Dimac Tooling. “Thanks to correctly preset tools, the very first part will be of the highest quality. You can also be confident the tool will…

Various parts for the M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier were replaced with metal parts manufactured on site during Exercise Koolendong, an annual bilateral military exercise between the Australian Army and the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. Parts were identified, 3D printed, certified and then subsequently installed on vehicles The Australian Army is rapidly developing its metal manufacturing capability with SPEE3D’s award-winning metal 3D printing technology. The company’s WarpSPEE3D Tactical Printer uses patented cold-spray technology that enables significantly faster and more cost-effective metal part production than any other process. It can print large metal parts up to 40kg at a record rate of 100g per minute. SPEE3D has been working closely with the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy to bring this capability to the Australian Defence Force with world-first field trials designed to test the feasibility of deploying metal 3D printing as a capability, both in barracks and in the field. A number of field trials in 2020 resulted in more than 50 case studies of printable parts and…

Laserline laser systems is well known worldwide, with many installations in a range of industries including on the production line of various Audi models for welding tailgates, doors and roof joints. The systems are favoured due to the high-quality finished product and their use in conjunction with a robot for automated process controls. Welding of aluminium often requires a filler material but can be used on visible surfaces without further processing – a result that has been tested and used by Audi in Germany. In Australia Laserline lasers are used extensively for cladding, repair and refurbishment of worn or damaged parts. A 3D process is also possible to print new parts or add functionality. Recently Laserline has focused on developing a system suitable for welding copper, a key component in many modern technological devices. Copper is one of the most important raw materials for electrical power and signal transmission, and with the growing use of small devices, the demand for good quality welding that provides suitable…

The democratisation of manufacturing data won’t unlock the value of the Industry 4.0 era. Despite all the industry talk about it, democratisation of data isn’t enough. You need to focus on the democratisation of insights. You need to get actionable insights based on real-time data into the hands of people who can use them, to achieve business objectives such as fewer shutdowns, improved health and safety outcomes, higher productivity, better throughput or increased profit margin. But will your people actually trust these insights? Every business will experience this somewhat differently, but there are challenges we consistently observe, and tried and true tactics that work. The amount of data isn’t the only issue There’s so much data to manage, and so many different types of data are required to paint the whole picture. Manufacturers need the infrastructure to support the seamless integration of data from a variety of disparate sources; data of different types and in different formats, structured differently or not at all. To make the most of your data,…

The Boyle Consulting Employee Engagement Survey analysed the responses of managers, supervisors, customer service representatives, fitters, technicians and apprentices in the manufacturing, mechanical repair and mining sectors and discovered: 64% of blue-collar workers are not involved in decisions that affect their team. 62% of blue-collar workers do not receive positive reinforcement for work they do. 61% of blue-collar workers believe internal communications are ineffective. 52% of blue-collar workers think people management is ineffective. 50% of workshop employees are disengaged and do not feel part of a team. 19% of workshop employees are highly disengaged. The research also discovered workshops with the most engaged employees generate 11% higher customer satisfaction and 43% greater productive workforce efficiency, which translates to $75,000 more labour recovery, per productive worker per annum. Rob Boyle, Director of Boyle Consulting, said the research, which evaluated employee satisfaction with the clarity of overall direction, resources, processes, involvement, teamwork, growth and leadership at some of Australia’s top mechanical repair workshops, discovered some sobering findings. “Employee experience is diminished by poor…

After graduating as a materials engineer in the early 2000s and spending a decade working with newer production technologies such as 3D printing in the manufacturing industry, David Forrestal sought a career change and headed back to university for a PhD in tissue engineering. He graduated with a doctorate in 2019, developing new systems and methods for seeding living cells in 3D-printed bioresorbable polymer scaffolds – culturing cells and keeping them alive so a patient’s body can use them to restore tissue. Nowadays, Forrestal is an Advanced Biomedical Engineer at Herston Biofabrication Institute, a multidisciplinary institute at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) which officially opened in February. It focuses on 3D scanning, 3D modelling and 3D printing of medical devices, bone, cartilage and human tissue. It has programs based around orthopaedics; burns, skin & wounds; vascular & endovascular surgery; urology; cancer care; craniofacial; and anaesthesia & intensive care. “We’re an institute, but we’re directly in…

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) is tasked with enforcing compliance with the FW Act, including ensuring employees receive their lawful entitlements. The FWO can investigate employers if a complaint has been made regarding a failure to comply with workplace laws, including wage underpayments. If a breach has been identified, the FWO has a range of compliance powers, including issuing a compliance notice requiring that the breach is rectified within a certain period of time, entering into an Enforceable Undertaking and/or issuing prosecution proceedings against the employer and persons knowingly involved in the alleged breach, including directors. Sapphire Freighters: a case study The consequences of not paying the correct wages to employees and failing to rectify the issue were demonstrated recently in a Federal Circuit Court case against Sapphire Freighters Pty Ltd, a long-haul trucking business based in Melbourne. The FWO successfully secured a…

With a hybrid chassis provided by Scania and the body manufactured by BusTech (SA) at its facility in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, the 20 new school buses will support the South Australian State Government’s commitment to providing school students with a safe, effective and reliable bus service. The milestone was celebrated on 20 August at Unley High School, with the State Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Corey Wingard, congratulating BusTech (SA) and Scania for delivering the first tranche of locally built school buses for South Australian students. “We want to provide the next generation of school students with a cleaner and greener public transport experience, especially as Year 7 transitions into public high schools from next year,” said Minister Wingard. “As an added bonus, our adoption of the Scania Hybrid for the Adelaide Metro fleet is also creating jobs for South Australians as it has led to an increase in the number of employees at BusTech (SA) dedicated to bus body-building.” The partnership with BusTech (SA) and…