February 27, 2020
Called HARP (high-area rapid printing), the new technology enables a record-breaking throughput that can manufacture products on demand. Over the last 30 years, most efforts in 3D printing have been aimed at pushing the limits of legacy technologies. Often, the pursuit of larger parts has come at the cost of speed, throughput and resolution. With HARP technology, this compromise is unnecessary, enabling it to compete with both the resolution and throughput of traditional manufacturing techniques. The prototype HARP technology is 13 feet tall with a 2.5 square-foot print bed and can print about half a yard in an hour — a record throughput for the 3D printing field. This means it can print single, large parts or many different small parts at once. Professor Chad A Mirkin, who led the product’s development along with researchers David Walker and James Hedrick, predicts that HARP will be available commercially in the next 18 months. “3D printing is conceptually…
February 21, 2020
On 3 December 2019, the Australian Space Agency (ASA) signed a Statement of Strategic Intent and Co-operation with defence and space giant Thales, strengthening Australia’s international space connections to create new local jobs. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the agreement was an important step in the Federal Government’s plan to create opportunities for Australian industry and new local jobs in the burgeoning space sector. “Engaging with big international players like Thales will allow Australian businesses, including our advanced manufacturers, to carve out a place in the international space supply chain,” said Andrews. “Space is very much an international game and for Australia to succeed we need to play to our strengths and have our businesses and researchers working co-operatively. This statement is designed to mutually identify key areas of investment as well as potential research, development and commercial opportunities.” The agreement with Thales was the latest in a string of recent announcements by…
February 21, 2020
Once constrained to a few specialist tasks due to limitations in force sensing and machine vision, today’s manufacturing environment sees a broad range of applications, from trimming flashing from plastic and aluminium mouldings, removing moulding flash and edging material from carbon fibre products, polishing moulds and dies, and deburring edges following machining. While previously these applications relied solely on compliant tools, more recent developments such as force sensing control and vision have created the ability to handle variability in the position and size of the material that has to be removed. Force sensing provides greater control over cutting loads and the direction of the applied force, leading to more consistent and cleaner edges. In more recent times, the robot is used to articulate the part itself over the tool, versus the traditional method of a robot mounted tool. Whichever approach is used, the accuracy and path repeatability of the robot provides less variability across the substrate, irrespective of the die or machine they were manufactured in, overcoming one of the major hurdles for manufacturers…
February 21, 2020
Regardless of your goals, reviewing the efficiency of energy consumption is becoming increasingly commonplace as it makes better business sense. It’s therefore unsurprising that more industry and government initiatives have become accessible to support business efficiency practices. Some key resources include: gov.au/business is a national joint initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments administered by the Department of the Environment and Energy. The website supports the implementation of energy efficiency practices and shares best-practice information on energy efficiency, case studies and resource materials. AIG’s (Australian Industry Group) website is full of resources that feature information on energy efficiency, optimisation and management as well as an environment and energy toolkit and energy efficiency checklist. NSW’s Energy Saver program helps businesses identify energy saving opportunities, access funding and assists with project management and training. The Victorian Energy Upgrades Program is designed to make energy efficiency improvements more affordable, contribute…
February 21, 2020
Headquartered in Melbourne, Fenner Dunlop manufactures and supplies a complete conveyor system from head-to-tail: belt, electrics and terminal equipment. With more than 30 sites in Australia, the company delivers engineered conveyor solutions to evolve the way mining companies approach their conveyor belt life cycles, saving costs, and increasing productivity. “As a company, everything we do is supported by information systems,” said Sammy Jammal, National IT Manager at Fenner Dunlop Australia. “Manufacturing, technical support, installation, maintenance, diagnostics services, you name it. “If the system is down for even 10 minutes, the whole operation would come to a halt. This not only has financial implications but is detrimental to our brand reputation and diminishes our customers’ confidence. As an IT team, we want to leverage technology that can help optimise our processes, allowing us to focus on enabling our users and thereby benefiting our customers.” Jammal oversees an IT team of six, which supports more than 900 employees nationwide, including the core applications – spanning finance, payroll,…
February 21, 2020
Specially designed trains, operating at a constant speed of 700 metres per hour, machine the existing track profile. By removing millimetres of metal from the damaged surface, the track is restored to its original condition. With each application, the first cutter roughens the surface, the second one finishes it, and the two units act on both rails simultaneously. The operation provides a high-quality surface finish, while metal chips produced during the milling stage are transferred to a nearby container, ensuring no debris is left on the track. This ‘on the-move’ application requires specialised equipment to achieve optimum results, such as ‘train machine tools’ designed to carry dynamic rail milling cutters and inserts. An increasing number of these are being produced by leading global manufacturers as demand from railway organisations and government bodies for track maintenance increases. Global cutting tool manufacturer Dormer Pramet works in partnership with several high-speed milling machine manufacturers to delivery key projects around the world. One of these projects included the milling…
February 21, 2020
For a long time, additive manufacturing has been known as a new processing method for rapidly prototyping concept designs in various industrial sectors. Nowadays, advanced 3D printing technology is on the cusp of reaching a critical level in the innovation, research & development of new products. Research activity at RMIT’s School of Engineering shows the feasibility of using 3D printing technology for acoustic research and noise control applications. A number of micro-perforated panel multilayer acoustic absorbers have been fabricated using 3D printing technology. These sound absorbers are particularly good at attenuating noise in a specific frequency band. The research motivation A micro-perforated panel absorber (MPPA) usually consists of a thin panel with many sub-millimetre-sized perforations in the front of a rigidly backed air cavity, forming a mass- and spring-resonant sound absorber. Such sound absorbers are used in acoustic design to enhance noise attenuation and to tune the sound absorption peak frequency in various industrial applications, such as transport vehicles and buildings. The geometric design of…
February 13, 2020
Thermwood is a US-based manufacturer of CNC machinery that markets its products and services through offices in 11 countries. Its has also become a technology and market leader in large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) systems for thermoplastic composite moulds, tooling, patterns and parts. Its line of LSAM machines can perform both 3D printing and trimming operations on the same machine. Its systems are marketed to major companies in the aerospace, marine, automotive and foundry industries, as well as military, government and defence contractors. Unlike standard LSAM systems, which feature dual gantries operating over a large fixed table, the LSAM MT (which stands for “Moving Table”) features a single fixed gantry mounted over a moving table. This configuration offers several significant advantages, not the least of which is a dramatically lower price. Despite the lower price, the LSAM MT is still a massive, robust industrial production machine capable of reliable, day-in and day-out production. Unlike standard LSAM systems, the MT…
February 13, 2020
Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D metal printing, allows for the manufacture of complex shapes from light metals with high mechanical strength. This unique material combination yields parts with a high strength to weight ratio along with good corrosion and fatigue resistance. One of the most popular powder-based materials is the titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V, which has found its way into both aerospace and medical applications. Titanium is already widely used in aircraft manufacture to prevent fatigue cracks or in structural parts like the frames of cockpit windows. Applications of titanium alloys are even more widely used in military aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft due to their high performance and unique properties, particularly weight reduction. Selective laser melting machines are regarded as the most versatile additive manufacturing technology because the system can process a wide spectrum of materials that include aluminium, titanium, iron, nickel, cobalt, copper-based alloys and their composites. Choosing the appropriate material depends…
February 13, 2020
Called HARP (high-area rapid printing), the new technology enables a record-breaking throughput that can manufacture products on demand. Over the last 30 years, most efforts in 3D printing have been aimed at pushing the limits of legacy technologies. Often, the pursuit of larger parts has come at the cost of speed, throughput and resolution. With HARP technology, this compromise is unnecessary, enabling it to compete with both the resolution and throughput of traditional manufacturing techniques. The prototype HARP technology is 13 feet tall with a 2.5 square-foot print bed and can print about half a yard in an hour — a record throughput for the 3D printing field. This means it can print single, large parts or many different small parts at once. Professor Chad A Mirkin, who led the product’s development along with researchers David Walker and James Hedrick, predicts that HARP will be available commercially in the next 18 months. “3D printing is conceptually powerful…
February 13, 2020
The AMTIL Export Hub is a vibrant community of SMEs in the Australian rail, road passenger and freight supply chain (encompassing trams, trains, trucks and buses). The Export Hub will enable participating small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to collaborate on projects and address specific supply chain gaps identified by OEMs and work together to lift the capability and performance of their businesses and provide a path to global markets. The Export Hub will enable SMEs to: Collaborate to leverage individual business strengths, assets and resources. Share resources that an individual SME cannot access alone. Improve local supply chain capability and competitiveness. Develop new technologies and service offerings. Leverage collective strengths and capabilities in supplying to a low-volume, high-quality, customised vehicle design and assembly customer base. Work with Australia’s research…
February 13, 2020
Auger centrifuges are versatile and effective material handling tools, critical to the conveyance of materials in material handling, geotechnical and mining projects. Smooth material displacement operations for such projects depend on the precision of the auger fins or blades, commonly referred to as “flights”, formed out of stainless steel or abrasion-resisting steel. Traditional forming of auger flights utilise hydraulic machines that wield bulky industrial dies, die plates and platens to form the pitch and size of flight diameters. These die plates and platens are often bulky to handle and time-consuming to tool, adjust and set up, not to mention cost-prohibitive to replace if they are damaged. The hydraulics are manually operated with the operator’s hands just millimetres away from reciprocating jaws exerting forces up to 50 tonnes; operator injuries are a high risk, resulting in calls for higher safety standards in helical flight production. RoboHelix machines incorporate robotics that completely automate flight…
February 13, 2020
Thermwood is a US-based manufacturer of CNC machinery that markets its products and services through offices in 11 countries. Its has also become a technology and market leader in large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) systems for thermoplastic composite moulds, tooling, patterns and parts. Its line of LSAM machines can perform both 3D printing and trimming operations on the same machine. Its systems are marketed to major companies in the aerospace, marine, automotive and foundry industries, as well as military, government and defence contractors. Unlike standard LSAM systems, which feature dual gantries operating over a large fixed table, the LSAM MT (which stands for “Moving Table”) features a single fixed gantry mounted over a moving table. This configuration offers several significant advantages, not the least of which is a dramatically lower price. Despite the lower price, the LSAM MT is still a massive, robust industrial production machine capable of reliable, day-in and day-out production. Unlike standard LSAM systems, the…