Industry News

The manufacturing industry – in Australia and worldwide – functions as a kind of ecosystem, where individual organisations exist within a network of interdependent relationships. Many OEMs are multinational corporations selling products to customers all over the world. However, most of them would struggle without the support of numerous smaller manufacturing businesses that form their supply chains. And neither the biggest OEM nor the smallest SME would retain their competitive edge without the latest advanced manufacturing equipment, provided by technology suppliers with the experience and expertise to fulfil their requirements. All these facets of the manufacturing ecosystem will be on display at Austech 2019. The participation of BAE Systems Australia and Volgren will provide a valuable insight into how companies like these operate and the opportunities that exist in their supply chains. “We’re very happy that BAE and Volgren have agreed to take part in Austech this year,” says…

The Manufacturers’ Pavilion is a specially dedicated section of the Austech exhibition that spotlights Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry. Having first featured at Austech back in 2013, the Manufacturers’ Pavilion has grown steadily to become an integral part of the show, with more than 20 exhibitors already signed up to participate this year. “We’ve worked very hard over the years to make the Manufacturers’ Pavilion a key aspect of Austech, and it’s been really satisfying to see how it’s grown,” says Kim Banks, AMTIL’s Events Manager. “We’re picking up a real sense of excitement from among those manufacturing business that have booked their stands this year.” The Manufacturers’ Pavilion showcases the capabilities of Australian component manufacturers, precision engineering firms, toolmakers, advanced manufacturers and general engineering companies. The Pavilion will help exhibiting companies to promote their capabilities to an expected audience of more than 10,000 visitors, connecting with potential clients, partners, and other organisations such as government, research and training bodies. As well as a broad array of…

CSIRO’s Data61 is one of the global leaders in the field, with capabilities ranging from legged robots and 3D mapping through to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). Fred Pauling, Robotics and Autonomous Systems group leader at CSIRO’s Data61, said the 600sqm facility would enhance the group’s world-class research capabilities. “The new centre expands our research infrastructure to develop highly autonomous robotics systems that can interact safely and seamlessly with humans and other dynamic agents, in challenging indoor and outdoor environments,” Pauling said. “Our robots are already being used to safely inspect and create 3D maps of underground mines, monitor biodiversity in the Amazon Rainforest, and navigate difficult terrain in emergency situations.” One project being spearheaded by the centre is the testing of technology to rapidly map, navigate, and search underground environments as part of a three-year Subterranean Challenge funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The centre houses the biggest motion capture system…

The Vernier Foundation is the charitable wing of the Vernier Society. The Foundation’s “School STEM Collaboration Project” is a three-year project with a limited number of schools, of which Dandenong High is one, to promote STEM learning and development. The project is primarily focused on providing donations for the purchase of robotic education kits, tools and components in each of the three years but in 2018, the Foundation introduced three personal awards, across the years 9 to 11, for students who demonstrated exemplary commitment to STEM learning and development. This year, the Foundation introduced three individual achievement awards for Dandenong High students as part of its three-year rolling program with the school to promote STEM education and careers. The financial awards were created for the first time in 2018 from donations from Vernier Society members and in particular Sutton Tools, who in addition to cash, donated a special tooling prize. The awards ceremony was held at the Robert Blackwood Hall on the Monash University campus and attended by students and parents.…

Sometimes less is more. The temptation for a Government is to feel that they need to announce a whole series of new tax measures every year. But rarely is this the best way to develop a strong and efficient tax system. Thankfully the 2019/20 Federal Budget hasn’t gone down this path. Rather, the focus has been on targeting specific areas of tax avoidance, in particular through funding the ATO and other regulators. The Black Economy is a recognised issue and one that is being systematically addressed. The Federal Government’s continued support for addressing this issue would be welcomed by the vast majority of taxpayers who are doing the right thing. Funding of the ATO’s Tax Avoidance Taskforce is another effective way for the Government to ensure compliance with the tax system and raise tax revenue. The Taskforce targets the highest value and highest risk taxpayers in the system – multinationals, large corporate, large private groups, trusts and high-wealth individuals. The…

The Australian PMI has been stable or positive (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase) since August 2016 (31 consecutive months), but its trend has suggested slowing growth rates since its recent peak in March 2018. Four of the seven activity indexes indicated expansion or stable conditions in March, with all indexes lower this month compared to February except for finished stocks (up 1.6 points to 46.1). Production (down 5.1 points to 52.8) and employment (down 1.1 points to 56.6) remained in positive territory, while the new orders index was stable (down 2.0 points to 50.0). There was a clear divergence among the six manufacturing sectors in March. Food & beverages (up 1.4 points to 59.0), chemicals (down 0.8 points to 51.3) and textiles, clothing, footwear, paper & printing (up 2.0 points to 57.7) expanded, while machinery & equipment (down 1.7 points to 46.1), metals…

Based in Reutlingen in south-west Germany, this manufacturer of high-precision machining centres and even more of their customers have already learned to appreciate the many advantages when it comes to installation, configuration, diagnostics and service. In B+W’s new MCC series, the company has used Safety over IO-Link from Balluff to integrate safety into the overall concept of IO-Link. This makes the processes simpler, more efficient, cost-effective and of course safer. Measuring 8 metres by 3 metres and 3.5 metres high, the MCC 630 exudes elegance and power, radiating a feeling of solid performance, precision and reliability within its compact dimensions. Not visible is the fact that this is a new series production machine with a complete set of possible uses. Nor is it obvious that behind the blue, grey and black facade of this machining centre is a modern control and safety concept from Balluff based on the digital IO-Link standard. With Safety over IO-Link from Balluff, the system has the world’s first simple-to-install and easy-to-retrofit IO-Link safety system on-board. The advantage: both Balluff safety components as well as…

As new private label products continue to proliferate in the beverages category, established brands like Schweppes are under increasing pressure to stay current in the eyes of the market. To refresh its image as an upper-mainstream option for mixers and sparkling beverages, Schweppes enlisted Birdstone, a Melbourne-based packaging agency to design a contemporary look for its sparkling waters and carbonated soft drinks. Schweppes products are offered in both glass and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles. For a comprehensive redesign and evaluation, Birdstone was tasked with generating design proposals and prototypes for each material option. To ensure both sets of prototypes convincingly represented their real-world counterparts, Birdstone collaborated with 3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing throughout the redesign, taking advantage of the service bureau’s deep manufacturing expertise and broad technology portfolio to quickly deliver high-quality, true-to-life prototypes to its client. Designing contemporary packaging across materials A packaging redesign is no small undertaking. Not only is a production overhaul typically required, and expensive, but it puts a brand’s visual identity on the line. Both Schweppes and…

Adelaide-based FCT International had a small customer base in the cement industry when its current ownership group took over the company in 1999. But instead of simply continuing to design and build industrial burner systems, FCT won the right to design the burner system for the Olympic torches and the entire cauldron at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. That success led them to design and manufacture 14,000 torches for the Athens Games in 2004, as well as the cauldron and the Olympic rings of fire featured in the opening ceremony. FCT quickly became the global leader in ornamental flames, and revenues from the major events market reached up to 70% of the company’s total. “We quickly became the market leader in that space and became involved in more and more major events around the world,” says FCT Managing Director Con Manias. “The thing with the flames business is it’s hit a ceiling – it’s got no more market share to grab as there…

The partnership will allow Vestas to bring its wind turbine assembly and testing capabilities to Victoria, thereby supporting and expanding the Victorian renewable energy sector. Located at the former Ford manufacturing site on the Princes Highway in Geelong, the facility is part of the Vestas Renewable Energy Hub, a multi-disciplinary industry development initiative designed to support the Victorian Renewable Energy Target and Victoria’s New Energy Technologies strategy. The facility will be responsible for making 4MW drivetrains and hubs and component testing for the Dundonnell Wind Farm and Berrybank Wind Farm projects, both of which were successful in the first auction under the Victorian Renewable Energy Target. The facility will also support future wind projects in Australia. “Vestas is committed to building new skills in the local workforce in Geelong, and with our wind turbine component assembly and testing capability, we are helping build on Geelong’s background as a heavy manufacturing hub and use that to establish a renewable energy hub”, said Clive Turton, Vestas Asia Pacific President. “In Marand,…

In just a few years, 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has evolved from an alien-like technology confined mainly to labs to a bona fide manufacturing method ready for prime time. GE has already started using it to mass-produce parts for jet engines. In October, GE Aviation’s 3D-printing facility in Auburn, Alabama, produced its 30,000th fuel nozzle tip. It all started a decade ago, when CFM International, a 50-50 joint venture between GE Aviation and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines, was developing the LEAP engine, a new commercial jet engine that promised to burn less fuel than existing engines and release fewer emissions. As ambitious plans for…

“The speed of the new machine is unbelievable with a time reduction of 1.5 hours on one complex part alone to just nine minutes fully finished,” said Jason Cameron, Production Manager at Elphinstone. “The new machine complements another recent Okuma machine, a CNC lathe model LB3000EX, also with Okuma’s own CNC OSP Control, allowing us to meet strong demand and drastically reduce production delays, and at the same time bringing work back in-house. The latest machine will also be used for fast prototyping and product development.” The Elphinstone story is a long one, commencing with Graeme Elphinstone moving from Burnie to Triabunna in 1971. Graeme had been a logger and started welding and chainsaw repairs before purchasing a two-hectare block of land in Triabunna and establishing Elphinstone Saw Centre. Graeme’s specialist knowledge of the logging industry led the company to import Australia’s first on-board weighing system fitted to a logging truck. Further developments followed, with a special folding pole tandem…

Fraisa is a family-owned business that offers its customers a complete range of solid round tools with endmills, drills and taps, with a full service offering encompassing logistics, customised tooling, regrinding and recycling of tools. Headquartered in Switzerland, Fraisa has a strong position in Europe and has entered the US and Chinese markets in the last ten years as it capitalises on a tap market predicted to reach $699m globally by 2020. “I think opportunities in the tool and cutter market are significant,” says Josef Maushart, CEO and President of Fraisa. “I expect a further growth of 2-3% a year and see especially high growth in solid round tools. To meet this demand, we are moving into a complete renewal of our tap production. “We knew that providing taps was a unique selling proposition for us as most of our competitors only manufacture endmills and drills. However, with high labour costs in Switzerland we needed to incorporate automation into the manufacturing process and that took us to the edge of technology as far as cutting…