June 13, 2019
Most durable and engineering grade plastics can be printed reliably at moderate sizes, but when scaled, many of these materials become much harder to print without advanced printing systems or technologies. Compromises must be made between print time and resolution, and consideration should be given to the desired printing material. It can be easy Full-size 3D printing with some materials can be fairly straightforward. Polylactide (PLA) can be printed reliably at room temperature and has therefore maintained its reputation as the most popular 3D printing filament. When printing large parts, draughts can certainly cause shrinkage or warping, so a printer with enclosed sides is ideal and a heated bed or printing surface is recommended to maximise bed adhesion. The main consideration when printing PLA at larger scales is minimising print time with larger layer heights/nozzles and ensuring…
June 13, 2019
Equipped with a state-of-the-art augmented reality lab featuring the most advanced welding simulators available anywhere in the world, the AWTC will help ensure local welders are ready to meet the huge demand that will be created by the naval shipbuilding program. It is anticipated that the continuous naval shipbuilding program in South Australia will require around 2,600 tradespeople from 2020 to 2027. Almost half of this demand will be for welders. Minister for Education John Gardner and Minister for Industry and Skills David Pisoni were both on-hand at the official opening ceremony today. Minister Pisoni said the state-of-the-art equipment will provide a valuable training platform to supply skilled workers to the Osborne naval shipyard when the program commences next year. “There are enormous naval shipbuilding opportunities on the horizon that are heading to South Australia and the Marshall Liberal Government is ensuring that we provide the right resources to fill these jobs through appropriate skills and training,” said Pisoni. “Welding techniques required for shipbuilding are of a higher quality standard than regular welding…
June 13, 2019
Headquartered in Bayswater, Victoria, ANCA was struggling to recruit young engineers and trades people to join its team. As a privately-owned global exporter of advanced manufacturing technology, with more than 1,000 people around the world, a turnover of $250m and a dominant position in its sector, searching for skilled people was becoming a major business issue. In response ANCA decided to develop its own talent. In January 2011 the company established an apprenticeship program that has been successfully training highly skilled technicians ever since. Set up by ANCA co-founder Pat McCluskey, the program has been designed to offer participants a range of technical training paths in CNC machining, machine building, machine commissioning, fault finding and analytical skills, and customer service. ANCA currently has 15 apprentices and recently celebrated the graduation of four of these from the program. Commissioning Technician Daniel Shepley graduated from the ANCA Apprentice 2019 program in March and took out the Apprentice of the Year award by the company at the celebration evening. Of participating in the program, Daniel…
June 13, 2019
LAD is an additive material technology which rebuilds damaged metal surfaces. A high-power laser beam creates a melt pool in the surface. Metal particles are injected into the melt pool, and fuse with the surface as it cools and solidifies. Overlapping passes build a 3D deposition structure, which can then be machined to the required shape. LAD is applicable to the repair of high-strength metal components and structures. As part of the LAD technology validation in a real component repair situation, RUAG successfully repaired the high-strength steel arrester hook from an RAAF F/A-18 Hornet. The hook had been previously identified as worn ‘beyond safe limits’, due to operational activities. LAD technology restored the hook and ensured it met operational and design requirements. At the same time, the full repair significantly improved the component’s return-to-service time, compared with the typical replacement options.…
June 13, 2019
A welding process that benefits from enhanced integrity of materials, rotary friction welding is fast and highly energy-efficient. It’s currently used across niche manufacturing areas within the aerospace and oil & gas sectors. The AFRC, however, is seeking to change this and explore wider opportunities for rotary friction welding across various applications, with big implications for industry. The AFRC recently acquired two rotary friction welding machines, and the centre’s engineers and technicians are integrating this new capability with other advanced manufacturing techniques. The 125 and 300-ton machines will provide efficient, low-cost solutions for firms requiring high-integrity manufacturing processes in sectors, such as aerospace, automotive and oil and gas. The AFRC has already received significant interest in its new rotary friction welding capability from within its network. One of the initial projects using the new equipment will see rotary friction welding used alongside other capabilities at the centre to develop a high-performance, high-integrity component for aerospace applications. This combination of highly efficient manufacturing techniques will significantly…
June 6, 2019
In the wash-up of our Austech exhibition there are many people to thank. First and foremost - the 165 exhibitors who put on a fantastic showcase and the 12,991 attendees - from 29 different countries - who came to visit Austech and National Manufacturing Week. In addition to the visitors we also had 3,030 exhibitor personnel and over 200 students attend the show. I would also like to thank our contractors who largely go unnoticed in the overall scheme of putting on such a large event but are an integral part of making it happen. So at the risk of embarrassing some companies and individuals, I write this article to thank them and give our readers some insight into the mechanics of running our show. Thank you to Michael Begg and his team at Harry the Hirer. The four-to-six months…
June 6, 2019
On 20 June, more than 250 CEOs – the biggest number yet – will make a bed for the night out under a cold winter sky. They will bed down on the roof carpark at the historic South Melbourne Market, where they will face bitter temperatures, a cold, hard concrete surface and, if they’re really unlucky, terrible chill winds. A week later on 27 June, more than 60 CEOs will bed down under the stars at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong. As the chill bites amid the first days of winter, the Sleepout promises to be one of the most challenging nights of the CEOs’ lives – and one they won’t forget. They are motivated by the plight of 24,800-plus Victorian individuals and families living with the uncertainty of homelessness. Some of the companies and organisations pledging to help raise $1.1m this year include: L’Oreal; New Balance; Grill’d; Beyond Blue; Belong; and the ANZ and…
June 6, 2019
Hanaki was awarded The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, in recognition of his long-time contribution to the growth of the machine tool industry and other industries in Japan, and the benefits that Okuma’s activities have brought to Japanese society. The award ceremony was held on 27 May by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. On 28 May Hanaki visited the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to meet with Emperor Naruhito and express his gratitude for the honour. “I am deeply pleased and honoured to receive this prestigious award,” said Hanaki. “Receipt of this award does not simply reflect on me personally. I’m very thankful for the guidance, patronage and full support which I have received from so many people and our customers inside and outside Japan. “Special thanks go to our domestic and overseas employees who have been working together. I would like to share joy with you because this award is the recognition of your big efforts. I’m looking forward to continuing working together with all of you.” The…
June 6, 2019
Measuring over 1.8m in diameter, the UAV was manufactured at Titomic’s R&D bureau in Melbourne, where it operates the world’s largest, fastest metal 3D printer. Measuring 9m x 3m x 1.5m, the TKF 9000 incorporates Titomic’s patented 3D printing technology, Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF). Given its superior strength-to-weight ratio, titanium provides the UAV with a strong, lightweight, ruggedised design and ballistics protection, which will provide durability for reliable in-field use by military and law enforcement and is well-suited for deployment in live combat situations. As titanium’s use is often prohibitively expensive and difficult to fabricate using traditional methods, the prototype demonstrates Titomic’s ability to utilise high-performance materials such as titanium, in applications that previously did not overcome a manufacture cost-benefit analysis, forcing manufacturers to use lower-performance materials in design, such as heavier metals or fragile plastics. The technology is widely applicable to the defence industry and can also create parts such as armaments, traditionally created through metal casting, resulting in reduced production time and increased output. Titomic Managing Director Jeff Lang stated: “We’re excited to be working with the global…
June 3, 2019
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 – a period of 33 consecutive months. Three of the six manufacturing sectors expanded in May (according to trend data), led by food & beverages (up 1.8 points to 63.9 – its fastest rate on record) and building materials, wood & furniture (up 3.8 points to 62.0). Both the metals products (down 0.3 points to 45.2) and machinery & equipment (down 0.9 points to 45.1) sectors contracted further in May, weighed down by slowing economic conditions. “While Australia’s manufacturing sector continued to grow in May, performance was mixed across the range of manufacturing industries and there are signs of further softening in the months ahead,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “Manufacturers are hoping that the resolution of political uncertainties associated with the election will provide a base for…
May 30, 2019
Future Engineering commenced operations in 1991, with just principal Alex Ardizzone onboard manufacturing components for the medical industry. Operating out of a small workshop of just 400sqm, using a few manual lathes, Ardizzone created precise surgical instruments for advanced surgery. From those small beginnings, the family business now has a skilled staff of 22 personnel specialising in advanced CNC machinery. In 2017 the company moved to a larger facility in Welshpool, purchasing two new Okuma lathes and introducing a nightshift to meet increased business, achieve shorter delivery times and provide the highest levels of customer service.Today the company has some of the most advanced precision CNC machines, with 13 state-of-the-art machines operating, and plans to expand further in the future. Future Engineering’s Okuma Multus U4000-2SCx1500 with OSP-P300S control was the first one commissioned in Australia. Meanwhile the most recent addition is a Okuma CNC Vertical Machining Centre Model MU-8000V-L with OSP-P300SA-H control. “This Okuma five-axis machine has changed the way we approach our…
May 30, 2019
When setting a strategy, the first 100 days are critical to success. While tax relief may be at the top of the agenda, we asked our experts their thoughts on what Scott Morrison needs to have in his 100-day action plan, what their clients are saying in response to the election results. Here’s the top three things that should be in Scott Morrisons 100-day action plan. 1) Build on the pro-business mandate In the last twelve months, political uncertainty has been negatively impacting business sentiment and investment. Tony Hood, Director of Corporate Advisory, says the Coalition ‘pro-business’ policies are what Australians wanted, and this needs to remain in their focus. “Above all else, our clients were looking for a mandate to remove the uncertainty that has plagued the business environment,” says Hood. “While many are surprised that the Liberal Party has emerged with the mandate, the pro-business mandate is…
May 30, 2019
Fundamentally, soft robots are exactly what they sound like, robots that are compliant in places where it’s most useful. And it’s this softness that makes the new soft robots more successful, interacting with everything from a strawberry to a human.There is no one definition, but all definitions include a category of robots that are not only made from compliant material but have biomimetic capabilities, qualities which make them more readily adaptable to working alongside humans and interacting with “soft” objects, such as food produce, the human body, and even manufacturing materials. The growth of soft robotics is opening up myriad opportunities and adding tremendous value due to their increased application. Constructing a robot from compliant materials, such as elastomers or stretchy plastics, gives them a far greater ability to interact with objects less rigid than they are. Scientists speak of “compliance matching” or the idea that “materials that come into contact with each other should share similar mechanical rigidity…