Industry News

Pneumatic actuators, which run on compressed air, have been around since World War II. They are well-understood, cheap, and suited to harsh environments. However, they also come with their penalties. Obviously, compressed air must be generated to power them. Depending on the expansiveness of a factory, this can mean numerous compressors and/or a complicated reticulation system. A reliable level of pressure must be maintained, or pneumatics will work poorly or not at all. Air leaks can be expensive. According to a leading compressor technology company, one leak in one unit costing 15 cents/kW/hr to operate will represent well over $2,000 a year to a power bill. With a single point of failure – for example air leakage at one location – the air pressure of the whole plant will drop, and operations will be affected. Then there is the noise. “If you are working in or visiting a factory, you will usually hear…

Dr Foley, who has spent the last two years as the CSIRO’s Chief Scientist, will take over from Dr Alan Finkel AO, whose tenure comes to an end in December 2020. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Dr Foley had the background needed to deliver during such a pivotal time in history. “As we recover from COVID-19 and look to rebuild a brighter future, the role of the Chief Scientist has never been more important,” Morrison said. “Dr Foley has a big task ahead to drive collaboration between industry and the science and research community, as we look to create jobs for the COVID-19 recovery and for the future.” Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews also thanked Dr Finkel for his service and said Dr Foley would bring a unique mix of experience to the role. “Dr Foley is highly regarded in the scientific community, has extensive experience working with government, but most importantly understands how to drive collaboration between industry and researchers,” said Andrews. “We know science will play a crucial role in helping to create jobs at this…

Professional services and global consulting firm Deloitte recently published a study – The heart of resilient leadership: Responding to COVID-19 – into what effective leadership looks like in a crisis. Integra’s leadership team – Managing Director and CEO Paul Hughes and Commercial Director Erika Hughes – discussed how their organisation is meeting Deloitte’s benchmarks for resilient leadership in the context of COVID-19. Stabilise today, spark innovation tomorrow The Integra team is using the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to emerge stronger on a number of fronts. One of the key strategies of Integra has been to use what otherwise would become a bit of downtime for an informal internal review; an opportunity to prepare, refine and then “plough ahead” – as Paul describes it – with the company’s development. “There’s an underlying mission to…

The State Government is allocating $37m in the upcoming 2020/21 State Budget to upgrade the Port Bonython jetty as part of an ambitious plan for SA to become an exporter of green energy to world markets. Premier Steven Marshall said upgrading the jetty will unlock significant investment and export opportunities, with hydrogen driving renewed interest in Port Bonython. “SA’s ambition to create, use and export green hydrogen is getting global attention, and has great potential to create jobs and sustain long-term investment,” said Marshall. “Maintaining this critical piece of infrastructure will unlock further export opportunities in key markets, particularly across Asia, boosting economic activity and creating jobs in our state. “My government has also been working to assist Australian company H2U to establish connections with potential international customers, and their hydrogen project at Port Bonython is a very exciting one for South Australia. The $240m demonstrator…

The sudden shortage of essential medical equipment brought on by the pandemic, including respiratory support and personal protective equipment (PPE), has offered a glimpse at how supply chain disruptions can be mitigated with 3D printing, as well as new business opportunities 3D printing can provide when adopted at a large scale. One advantage of 3D printing is extreme flexibility and the ability to rapidly redeploy equipment from one task to another – in other words, to retool. Using a 3D printer, you can be creating building materials one moment and medical prosthetics the next by loading a digital design of the new part into the printer. This agility makes 3D printing useful for prototyping and for making low-run parts that can be used to repair outdated equipment or create custom products to solve unique challenges. Flexibility has allowed industries to repurpose their production and R&D capabilities towards manufacturing…

The two organisations have entered into an agreement to expand their combined international outreach. “This partnership between AWS and the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM) is a great outcome,” says SEAM Director, Distinguished Professor Chris Berndt. “We will both have significant benefits by training early career researchers who will share their excitement and enthusiasm in surface engineering.” The collaboration will ensure a pathway for the promotion and advancement of fundamental knowledge and understanding of surface engineering. ITSA, a standing committee of the American Welding Society, is a professional industrial organisation dedicated to expanding the use of thermal spray technologies for the benefit of industry and society. “Part of the AWS mission is to advance the science, technology and application of allied joining processes, including thermal spraying,” says Alfred Nieves, Manager of AWS Membership Operations and ITSA liaison. “The partnership between ITSA/AWS and Swinburne aligns with our mission and will encourage the next…

Established in 1982, GMG is a metal manufacturing and engineering company offering customers exceptional quality and service utilising the latest advancements in technology. Located in Maryborough with a second facility in Gladstone, GMG employs 60 highly skilled staff servicing industries including mining, defence, construction, transport, rail, medical, marine/shipping, and oil & gas. Highly experienced in metal fabrication, surface coatings and component machining, GMG offers a complete turnkey solution utilising modern world-class equipment and Lean manufacturing principles. The new Mazak machines are a VTC-530/20 vertical travelling column machining centre, a VCN 530C vertical machining centre, and a HCN-5000 twin-pallet horizontal machining centre. GMG Managing Director Richard Aylward cites increasing client demand as the driver for the investments, together with productivity increases brought by newer technology. “The latest Mazatrol Smooth conversational controllers have delivered a significant reduction in programming and set up time for us,” he explains. “And together with the latest technology Mazak offers in their machines, this has given us significantly reduced in-process times.” The Mazak VTC-530/20 vertical machining centre features a…

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the Demonstrator Feasibility grants will allow businesses and researchers to look into whether their projects are viable – showcasing local space capabilities on the global stage. “Investing in space is investing in our future,” said Andrews. “By backing Aussie businesses to be part of global space supply chains we can grow our economy and create new jobs. These grants will provide opportunities for businesses and researchers to scope out the feasibility of projects which have the potential to operate or support operations in space, including activities related to NASA’s Moon to Mars endeavours. “Space isn’t just about launch. Space technology can improve our lives, from assisting in the delivery of remote rural medicine, helping us stay connected with loved ones across the world and assisting farmers to manage their land through advancements in robotics. We’re also focused on building…

From humble beginnings with only two staff members almost 20 years ago, TruFlow Spray Booths Australia has grown to an Australia-wide operation employing 40-plus workers. The company manufactures unique custom-made spray booths that have been installed in a variety of industries including aviation, automotive repair, commercial trucking, industrial painting and cabinet making. AMT: Why did you need the new machine? Anton Pirie: We had an old second-hand 3.2m press brake that we had purchased through CMTS about 10 years ago, and although it was still running well, it wasn’t keeping up with our production. Neither was the additional 5m press brake machine, which is about 40 years old now, so we understood that we needed to update our press brake technology. AMT: How important are the press brakes to your business? AP: Very important! The press brake machines are a major piece of our production; they run all day every day. They are a…

By introducing scanning and digitising expertise into GoProto’s advanced manufacturing network, the merger enables a streamlined solution at every stage of the product development cycle. Shane Rolton, Managing Director of Wysiwyg 3D, sees the merger as a particularly beneficial opportunity for his clients, employees and business partners. “Our focus has always been on taking care of our customers by understanding what drives their business and providing solutions that affect the bottom line,” said Rolton. “We’ve already been working on a number of projects with GoProto. Combining our expertise and resources shortens the time-lag between scan data and production, putting ourselves exactly where our customers need us.” A recent project involving the repair of a rescue helicopter fuselage hatch served as a testament to the capabilities of these two companies and the potential for building greater manufacturing sovereignty within Australia. Traditionally, the NSW emergency service provider relied on overseas supply of spare parts, but with the delays relating to COVID-19, this meant that the helicopter was going to be out-of-service for several weeks.…

Businesses with products licensed to carry the Australian Made logo will be able to incorporate the brand into their AMGC COVID-19 Manufacturer Response Register listings. Broad enhancements to the Register include the ability to: Display the Australian Made logo. Note Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval. Upload a PDF for brochures, spec sheets or other key information. Navigate with more powerful search and connection functions. Ben Lazzaro, Chief Executive of the Australian Made Campaign, said there has never been a more important time to consider buying local: “Australian manufacturers produce products made to some of the highest quality and safety standards in the world. AMGC’s COVID-19 Response Register is a great resource for local businesses to connect and identify local products and supplies relating to managing COVID-19, and we are happy to support the initiative via the use of the Australian Made logo. “The many benefits of buying Australian Made…

The Hydrafeed barfeeder offers a number of unique features. One of those is that it is a full servo-driven barfeed eliminating the need for compressed air. It can also accommodate different bar diameters and lengths including random bar lengths, and is suitable for both bar or shaft feed. One of the most important time-saving features of the Hydrafeed is that once you’ve set a bar size and saved the set-up, you never have to open the cover again. Simply call up the program from the touch screen and the Hydrafeed will set itself on the centreline automatically thanks to the servo drive bar lifter mechanism. “This feature alone puts the Hyrdafeed Barfeeder on a different level and really does take barfeeder productivity to a new level,” said Paul Fowler, Managing Director of Dimac Tooling, suppliers of the Hydrafeed barfeeder. “It’s also quick and easy to set up which helps businesses to remain flexible as they can run small batch jobs without excessive set-up times.”…

The contracts are authorised under the AUSMIN Defence Acquisition Committee (ADAC) initiative, a collaboration between the US and Australian Departments of Defence. This is the second consecutive contract with the US Navy for RUAG Australia in Q3 of 2020. First orders have been secured for the repair and overhaul of selected components on MH-60R Seahawk helicopters in the US Navy fleet. MRO support for the platform’s complex componentry requires specialized treatment and repair methods inherent to RUAG Australia’s proven aircraft component capabilities. The defence supplier is able to build upon its reliable performance and support in the componentry for the SH-60B Seahawk and to apply the full scope of its accumulated knowledge and experience therein. This is the second US Navy platform RUAG Australia is set to support, in addition to the F/A-18 Hornet contracts awarded in August 2020. This new contract strengthens the existing collaboration between RUAG Australia and the US Navy and sees a foundation for future growth for the national Defence SME. “Earning the confidence and trust of…