Industry News

Sensors provide the senses for machines. They provide the feedback that makes intelligent machines possible in the first place. Sensor intelligence focuses on one aspect of sensor technology: equipping machines with the ability to see, recognise and communicate intelligently. Intelligent sensors contribute the ability to classify and interpret information. This is characterised by intelligent signal processing, which derives the truly relevant information from large quantities of data. This is why – in addition to the primary control system for machines and systems – information is provided for monitoring production systems and making it possible to detect faults. Transparency of processes and material flow produces additional potential for optimisation. Processes are becoming more efficient and cost-effective, increasing competitiveness. As a driver of technology in Industry 4.0, SICK is already capable of presenting and implementing solutions to the four key challenges throughout the production levels: Quality Control at the sensor-and-drive level; Flexible Automation, at the machine level; Safety at the production level, and Track & Trace, at the corporate level. Flexible automation: customising…

Last year the Federal Government initiated an Industry 4.0 Taskforce in co-operation with Germany to develop global standards, support manufacturers, examine security of networked systems, and help the transition though education and training. A timely step, since that same report estimated that, if Australia boosted the pace of its efforts around automation, the country could boost productivity and national income to the tune of up to $2.2 trillion by 2030. According to APAC research sponsored by Seagate – Data Pulse: Maximising the Potential of Artificial Intelligence, the majority (88%) of organisations in Australia believe they need to implement AI to stay relevant in the near future, with 86% planning to adopt more AI solutions in the next 12 months. However, more than half still face hurdles when it comes to understanding and applying AI within their…

AMT: Let’s start with the Ai Group and its activities, particularly with regard to manufacturing. Mark Goodsell: The Ai Group is the national industry association for the industrial sector, not limited to but very much centred on manufacturing. It’s interesting that these days it’s hard to know where the boundaries between industries begin and end. Even conjuring up a concept of what manufacturing is can be difficult. You’ve got an increasing intersection with the ICT (information and communication technology) sector, manifesting itself in the digitisation revolution or Industry 4.0. Manufacturing has always had a strong overlap with the construction supply chain, and the trend to offsite pre-fabrication means that is an even stronger interaction now. Even in the food supply chain, it’s hard to know where a farm ends and food-processing starts. And increasingly manufacturers derive revenue from the services they supply off the back of manufacturing. So it may be hard to define…

Held at the GMHBA Stadium, home of the Geelong Football Club, the event brought together hundreds of local manufacturers under the theme ‘Evolve.Grow. Prosper’. Ben Carroll, the State Minister for Industry and Employment, officially opened the event, which provided a chance for leading industry figures to share their experience and knowledge with smaller manufacturers. “Manufacturing has a bright future in Victoria – and we’ll continue to back local businesses – so they can create jobs and boost our economy,” said Carroll. “The Manufacturing Showcase brings some of our best and brightest manufacturers under one roof – and highlights the diversity of the multibillion-dollar industry.” The Showcase featured a wide array of speakers discussing a broad range of subjects. Professor Saeid Nahavandi of Deakin University gave the keynote presentation ‘Manufacturing & The Future’, examining the current wave of disruption under Industry 4.0, and looking forward to the next wave, Industry 5.0. He was followed by Vanessa Kearney, Commercial Manager at Viva Energy, who gave an account of the work she led to improve productivity at Geelong Refinery, for…

The company boasts an impressive product range including side, rear- and front-loading refuse machines as well as compact/truck-mounted road sweepers, vacuum tankers, and stationary and transportable compactors. Every Bucher machine is application-engineered, manufactured in Victoria, and supported by a passionate after-sales support team that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Jason Tisbury is the Quality and Continuous Improvement Manager at Bucher. His role entails looking after all of the quality systems, as well as managing a team of quality inspectors and quality officers to maintain Bucher’s quality practices on a day-to-day basis. In 2013, when Tisbury started at Bucher, one of the first things he noticed was the company didn’t have defined or properly controlled processes for undertaking a quality inspection. The Quality Assurance team would go to the completed vehicle, they would have a pen and a piece of paper and they would go through the truck, taking photographs of any faults they found. They would then write those…

Manufacturing companies already use various technologies to address operational and product complexity, From ERP or PLM to custom solutions. These investments have helped improve visibility and efficiency within their organisations and between major supply chain partners. Yet the challenges in managing extended enterprises beyond tier-one suppliers, to introduce and deliver on new value-added aftermarket services, and to do so while simultaneously managing costs, are testing existing technologies. Blockchain offers manufacturers an intriguing value proposition to augment existing technology investments. It provides an immutable transactional record that maintains and records data in a way that allows multiple stakeholders to share access to it confidently and securely. Blockchain, like many new technologies, is full of promise but is still in the early stages of development. As companies explore that promise, they should do so with a firm focus on identifying use cases that accomplish two objectives: demonstrating that blockchain can deliver business value; and highlighting the role it can play within an overall digital technology architecture. While blockchain’s general characteristics align with many challenges faced by the…

Dimac was recently confirmed as the distributor for Lang Technik’s cutting edge innovative products. As a result, any company that is involved with workpiece milling in Australia or New Zealand now has easy access to Lang Technik’s Makro-Grip technology, which provides a workholding solution to almost any clamping requirement from raw material to the finished workpiece. “We are thrilled to have been appointed Lang Technik’s sole distributor in Australia,” says Dimac Managing Director, Paul Fowler. “This well-known German company is recognised as one of the leading manufacturers of workholding and machine tool automation. Every month thousands of clamping set-ups are delivered to customers all over the world to help them increase their production efficiency.” Makro-Grip stamping technology is a patented form-closure technology which provides the highest holding power for five-face machining worldwide. The stamping technology, also called pre-stamping, involves the workpiece being stamped outside of the machine tool with up to 20 tons of hydraulic pressure, before being clamped in the Makro-Grip five-axis vise. Clamping scenarios that require high holding…

The search for a suitable supplier is not always straightforward, but for Thai machine shop MRP Engineering, the journey to identifying a trusted partner was relatively smooth. Established in 1991, MRP provides a comprehensive range of machining and fabrication services such as welding, hard facing, sandblasting, painting, turning, milling, shaping, grinding, drilling, boring, simulation assembly, and machine installation. The company offers made-to-order products and turnkey projects, and provides repair services for all kinds of machinery. Today, the ISO-certified company is the proud owner of several portable co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs), which it purchased to cope with new customer demands. Prior to that, the team at MRP had relied on handheld tools such as vernier calipers, micrometers, bore gauges, height gauges, tapper…

The AM Hub was officially launched on 3 September at the headquarters of Objective 3D in Carrum Downs, in an event attended by Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll and Sonya Kilkenny, the local member for Carrum. The AM Hub will be delivered by AMTIL, and supported by $1.85m from the Victorian Government. Membership of the AM Hub is free for all AMTIL members (but not limited to AMTIL members). “3D printing is a game changer for manufacturing, which is why we’re backing the technology so more local companies can reap the benefits,” said Minister Carroll. “This new Hub will help local manufacturers innovate, become more productive and excel in future industries.” AM is a breakthrough technology for advanced manufacturing, helping businesses design and make new high-value products that are not possible using traditional methods. Capability in this form of high-value manufacturing will help to position local businesses for success in future industries such as defence, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, and transport technologies. The AM Hub will improve…

The Australian PMI has indicated positive conditions (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase) for 23 consecutive months – the longest run of recovery or expansion since 2005. All seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI expanded in August. Six of the seven sub-indexes accelerated, with only inventories decelerating (down 3.6 points to 51.1). New orders grew strongly (up 8.5 points to 59.6) while exports, lower than the other activity sub-indexes over the past year, jumped 8.5 points to 58.4. The input prices sub-index jumped 9.3 points to 77.4, its highest result since March 2011, while wages also continued to rise (up 4.1 points to a record high of 64.7). In response, the selling prices sub-index rose by 5.1 points to 58.1 – the highest result for this sub-index since April 2017. “The Australian PMI rebounded in August on the cusp of two years of uninterrupted expansion,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “The manufacturing sector has…

Smooth Technology can act as the catalyst for the introduction of Industry 4.0. At its core is the ability to gather and analyse data, enabling the factory floor and management suite to make better, faster decisions, improving yield and speeding up production. Crucially, it is entirely scalable. As production increases and new machines or automation equipment are introduced, Smooth Technology can be quickly scaled up to match new requirements. In an Industry 4.0 factory, every aspect of production is connected, monitored and analysed, from production scheduling through to virtual simulation of the component to be cut, energy consumption, tool management and maintenance practices. The goal is to deliver more productivity and better quality products with less machine downtime. Factory floor…

It’s been argued that manufacturing companies are becoming more and more like service companies, and any line between the two is getting harder to draw. There have been many articles recommending that manufacturing companies invest in a high-performing customer service team to better meet their customers’ needs that previously may have been neglected. In many ways I could say I am now tasked with much of the responsibility of selling our machines, a role that traditionally sat with sales and marketing. I say this because the most effective way to build customer loyalty is by providing excellent aftermarket support – by being agile and responding quickly to customer requests. We recently interviewed our customers and after sales support was by far the number one priority. Technology is transforming how a traditional customer service team operates, with remote diagnostics and preventative maintenance quickly becoming…