Month: March 2022

In any industry, motors are major consumers of cost and energy. In addition to the high maintenance costs, it is estimated that more than 65% of electrical energy in industry is consumed by motors. Manufacturers of motors are working hard to produce ever more efficient motors and governments the world over are introducing regulations to encourage their uptake. Whether you are looking to lower the cost of running your facility, reduce the risk of unplanned downtime, or reduce the carbon footprint of your manufacturing operations, here are some useful factors to consider when maintaining your motor. A need for speed control Variable speed drives (VSDs) are an increasingly popular way of allowing manufacturers to achieve cost savings and energy efficiency gains. Without a VSD, the motor will always operate at full speed but the use of a VSD will match the speed to the application.…

The reduction is being achieved by implementing recommendations provided from auditing the compressed air system including: upgrading compressed air equipment; adding an Industry 4.0-ready compressed air management system; and implementing an air leak management programme. Stuff Limited is New Zealand’s leading media organisation. Its flagship news website stuff.co.nz is well known, but Stuff also owns and prints a large portfolio of New Zealand’s best-loved magazines and newspapers. This includes national, metropolitan and regional newspaper titles, including the Sunday Star-Times, the Press and The Dominion Post. Stuff prints its newspapers and magazines across two print plants located in Petone and Christchurch. Both plants are continuously striving to improve processes and technology to reduce the impact they have on the environment. This is part of the company’s wider commitment to being a sustainable business. Part of this commitment includes reducing its emissions. Stuff became a signatory of the Climate Leaders Coalition in 2017, and in 2019 set an ambitious target to reduce its Scope 1 (fleet fuel) and Scope 2 (purchased…

Geoinventions Consulting Services, in collaboration with Griffith University and supported by the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), has secured $420,000 in cash and in-kind funding to prototype the novel sensors using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology for smart highway applications. Once developed, the multi-functional sensors will measure the stress-strain behaviour and soil-infrastructure interaction of roadways to identify potential risks and safety issues. Barry Kok, Geoinventions’ Operations Director, said the IMCRC activate collaboration would connect Geoinventions with the Industry 4.0 capability needed to deliver the first-ever Australian-made MEMS geotechnical sensors. “This project will help pave the way for Geoinventions to establish itself as a leading Australian geotechnical consultant and instrument manufacturer in collaboration with Australian manufacturers,” he said. “It will also be a catalyst for Geoinventions to migrate from using the conventional ‘one sensor, one location’ ‘vibrating wire’ sensor technology to the proposed ‘multi-sensors, one location’ efficient MEMS-driven sensor technology. This will empower Geoinventions to push boundaries in the competitive business world and make an impact in national and…

You might not realise that when solar panels are fitted to the roof of homes or commercial buildings, the panels are typically installed using a series of aluminium rails. The rails allow for consistent and regular fixing to the roof structure and deliver a robust and streamlined way for panels to be installed. As homes and businesses choose solar to improve their carbon footprint and reduce energy consumption, it is important to consider the full life cycle of the solution. While considerable research has been done into the payback period, life cycle and emission offset for solar panels, you would rarey ever see news coverage about the impact of the many thousands of kilometres of aluminium solar rails spanning the roofs of Australian homes and businesses. When it comes to solar and environmental sustainability, credentials matter. That’s why Australian-manufactured Mill Finish aluminium solar rails are fast becoming…

There is a complex series of activities that ensure a supply chain works. Retailers communicate with distributors, distributors connect with manufacturers, and manufacturers engage suppliers of materials and components. On the transport side, there is involvement with shipping lines, airlines, trucking and delivery companies, all of which are facilitated through ports, airports, warehouses, and distribution centres. Ai Group has released a report that seeks to explore current business experience associated with supply chain pressures (particularly as they relate to sea freight), and connected impacts in other areas of policy with the aim of identifying possible constructive solutions and pathways forward. Supply chain chaos has been created by a combination of factors including the increase in global demand for goods; lengthy lockdowns and infections of workers; a global shipping container shortage; reduction in shipping services and port skipping; Australian industrial action; and rising costs.…

There is stored energy and there is kinetic energy – or movement. Motors turn the first into the second. As with everything else, ways to create movement have evolved. One comparatively recent kind of actuation, tubular linear motion, is gaining in favour in applications as diverse as machine tool building, factory automation, packaging, printing and material handling. ANCA Motion is an Australian developer and manufacturer of motion control systems, hardware, and software, including for its sister company, ANCA CNC Machines. ANCA CNC Machines has used LinX tubular linear motors for its globally-renowned tool and cutter grinders since 2014, introducing them in their FX Linear and MX Linear tool grinding machines. Customers have also welcomed the better surface finish, increased efficiency and improved reliability gains at reduced operating cost in their machines incorporating LinX tubular linear motors within the precision toolmaking industry, where micron-level resolution,…

The LTS-640V is designed to be used during the certification stage before an aircraft is approved for commercial or military use. The capability it provides will allow for a potentially more streamlined certification process, and should help eliminate some of the surprises that can occur during testing of a new aircraft structure. The technology was developed in collaboration with scientists at the Australian Department of Defence where a prototype of the technology has helped support sustainment of the F/A-18 Classic Hornet, and more recently provided Lockheed Martin Aeronautics with valuable new information during structural certification testing of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Australian invention is the first of its kind, providing real-time fusion of stress and visible spectrum imaging – in effect merging the visible with the invisible. “This inspection approach is based on the ‘thermoelastic effect’; put simply, when you squash something it heats up, when you stretch something it cools down,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Defence.…

The 2022 AFL Season is building up to be a big one! Kicking off on Wednesday 16th March. AMTIL is once again running its annual AFL competition.   GREAT CASH PRIZES FOR FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLACES! This year the big prize is $1,000. Entry fee FREE for AMTIL Members Non AMTIL Members $50.00 The prizes will be awarded to 1st Prize  $1,000 2nd Prize $500 3rd Prize $300 Monthly leaderboard will be published in AMT. This competition does not include the Finals games. TO REGISTER Step 1. Register to be a member on www.footytips.com.au this is free. (You may already be a member from last year.  If so you will need to reactivate your account.) Step 2. Join AMTIL AFL 2022 group, click here. The password is AMTIL8910 Step 3. If you are an AMTIL member you are ready to start tipping. If you are a non AMTIL member you will need to pay your registration fee of $50. Contact Julie on 03 9800 3666 or email admin@amtil.com.au to pay for your registration or you have any further questions. Make sure you register and pay before Wednesday 16th March so you don't miss round 1. Happy tipping and good…

Four of the seven activity indices in the Australian PMI expanded in February (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with higher results indicating a faster rate of expansion), with the production (up 2.7 points to 54.6), new orders (up 8.5 points to 59.8) and finished stocks (up 3.4 points to 55.9) indexes expanding at an accelerating rate. Supplier deliveries improved but remained narrowly in contraction (up 11.2 points to 49.0) while employment (down 1.9 points to 43.5) and exports (down 2.5 points to 42.6) fell further into negative territory. “Australia's manufacturing sector edged back into expansion during February following the sharp labour and supply chain disruptions of the December-January period,” said Innes Willox, Chief Executive of Ai Group. “Price and wage pressures continued in February with some easing in the pace of increase in input prices. At the same time, selling prices accelerated suggesting further recovery of earlier cost increases. Encouragingly, new orders were…

Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula on 22 February welcomed Hanwha Defense Australia’s announcement that its $170m Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence will be established at the Avalon Airport Industrial Precinct. “We’re backing Hanwha to make the Geelong region its home because we know it will grow the economy for years to come,” said Pakula. “Victoria continues to lead the way in advanced manufacturing and this state-of-the-art facility in Avalon will create hundreds of jobs and deliver major benefits for local businesses in the supply chain.” Hanwha will use the new Avalon facility to build self-propelled howitzers to deliver the Commonwealth’s approximately $1bn LAND 8116 program. The investment will strengthen the state’s defence capabilities and create hundreds of highly skilled local jobs in design, engineering and advanced manufacturing. Construction on the 32,000 square metre state-of-the-art facility is expected to start later this year and take two years to complete – creating more than 100 jobs during construction. Richard Cho, Managing Director of Hanwha Defense…

The vehicle, aimed to be launched in 2030 and code-named the Polestar 0 Project, will be developed with the single goal of eliminating emissions from the entire supply chain including all logistics and support functions rather than planting trees to offset CO2 emissions. “At Polestar, we are not just about changing the cars we drive, we are about changing the way vehicles are made,” says Samantha Johnson, Managing Director of Polestar Australia. “Vehicles are not produced sustainably today but by addressing the challenge of climate change through the supply chain we can be part of the solution. “We know that Australia is home to some of the best innovative minds and businesses, manufacturing high-quality products that are competitive on the world stage. We are seeking their input into the global Polestar 0 Project as we accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility.”…