Industry News

GE is investing US$10m globally over the next five years to create a pipeline of additive manufacturing experts to accelerate advanced manufacturing under its Additive Education Program. A hand-picked team of GE specialists evaluated and selected eight universities to receive the 3D printing equipment, with UNSW the only recipient outside the US. “This is a wonderful opportunity for GE to partner with UNSW and continue to grow the design possibilities for Australian engineers,” said Max York, GE’s CEO for Australia. “This collaboration will help UNSW and GE to take the lead in fostering the next generation of additive manufacturing technology in Australia.” Tom Gleeson, General Manager for Global Sales at GE Additive added: “That UNSW would be selected from 250 college and university applications under the GE Additive Education…

At the threshold of Industry 4.0—the technology and innovation Industrial Revolution—we are only beginning to notice a profound shift taking place. The magnitude of this transformation is, according to the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, unlike anything that humankind has experienced in history, and the industry poised to lead the Australian economy into the 21st century is advanced manufacturing—an industry in the midst of a historic transformation across the entire industrialised world. The Productivity Commission has already confirmed that the labour market will change significantly over coming years, and while the enormity of…

One such opportunity became apparent as Productivity Improvers, a Lean consultancy and training businesses, were coming to terms with the loss of the Simulated Work Environment (SWE), a unique training facility that was owned and housed at Caterpillar’s facilities. The SWE had traditionally been used by Caterpillar to teach the Lean manufacturing principals that underpinned its productivity across the world. Productivity Improvers had only recently developed a three-day, nationally accredited training course in Competitive Systems and Practices (Lean) that utilised the SWE. The course had seen attracted demand from industry, and delivered amazing results. “We had to find a practical way to keep the SWE here in the North-West,” says Productivity Improvers Director Clynton Jaffray. “The potential for it to positively contribute to improving the culture and productivity of business in our State was obvious.” One of the biggest advocates for the SWE was Lee…

January marked a 16th month of expanding or stable conditions for the Australian PMI – the longest run of expansion since 2005. For the third consecutive month all seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI expanded, with six accelerating their pace of growth. Five of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded in January (according to trend data), led by the very large food & beverages sub-sector (61.4 points). Large differences in conditions were evident, with the petroleum, coal & chemicals sub-sector recording its highest monthly result in almost a decade (67.9 points) while the textiles & clothing sub-sector recorded its lowest monthly result in a similar timeframe (33.5 points). The input prices (down 1.1 points to 69.7) and wages (down 1.1 points to 59.1) sub-indexes continued to recede from November’s historic highs, while the selling prices sub-index indicated mild price reductions in January (down 4.2 points to 49.2). Manufacturers…

Victorian Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll announced the opening of nominations on 31 January during a visit to Carbon Revolution in Geelong, a manufacturer renowned for its innovative carbon-fibre wheel technology. Manufacturing is worth $27.7bn to the Victorian economy and employs 286,000 Victorians across more than 13,000 businesses. In 2016, manufacturing experienced the fastest employment growth of any industry in Victoria with around 40,000 new jobs created. This year’s theme is Advancing Victorian Manufacturing, which highlights innovation and the strengths of Victorian companies in advanced manufacturing. The 2018 awards will feature a new award, Woman Manufacturer of the Year, to recognise outstanding women working in the manufacturing industry. Other categories include Young Manufacturer of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year and Leader in Workforce Skills Development and Company Induction. Awards will also be given to companies operating in high-growth manufacturing sectors: transport, defence & construction technologies; medical technology and pharmaceuticals; new energy technologies; and food & fibre. “I’m proud that this year’s awards feature the new Woman Manufacturer…

The plan is designed to boost Australian industry, increase investment, and create more jobs for Australian businesses. According to the Government, a strong, exporting defence industry in Australia will provide greater certainty of investment, support high-end manufacturing jobs, and support the capability of the Australian Defence Force. The Defence Export Strategy includes several new initiatives and investments, including: A new Australian Defence Export Office, which will work hand-in-hand with Austrade and the Centre for Defence Industry Capability to co-ordinate whole-of-government efforts, providing a focal point for defence exports. A new Australian Defence Export Advocate, who will provide high-level advocacy for defence exports and work across industry and government to ensure all efforts are co-ordinated. A new $3.8bn Defence Export Facility administered by Efic, Australia’s export credit agency. This will help Australian companies get the finance they need to underpin the sales of their equipment overseas. According to the Government, it will provide confidence to the Australian defence industry to identify and pursue new export opportunities…

The Thai Government understands that manufacturing will be a key driver of the country’s long-term economic growth and has been encouraging companies to establish facilities in their territories through tax and other incentives. As a result, the country today has flourishing automotive and aerospace sectors that require suppliers. SK Precision has around 50 people working two shifts servicing their traditional market of cutting carbide tools and PCD tools. “We have been operating for over 20 years and know the local Thai market intimately,” says Tibordee Srikul, President of SK Precision. “We saw an opportunity in the tap grinding segment as until now companies could only source taps from overseas suppliers and that means longer lead times of up to three months and higher cost. Our customers want just-in-time products so they can reduce stock and inventory costs. Having a local supplier who can deliver taps in a short period of time helps them achieve a more efficient supply chain. “Taps are…

Lapp Australia – headquartered in new 3100sqm premises at Eastern Creek, Sydney – will meet demand nationally for technologies used in future-focussed areas of industry, such as automation, robotics, energy management, data distribution and intelligent manufacturing, buildings, infrastructure and process engineering. Lapp Australia General Manager Simon Pullinger says the new facility – opening in February – will bring new levels of service and choice to the Australian market, offering more than 1,000 product lines onshore as well as direct access to more than 40,000 standard items from Lapp’s global ranges. “We are offering a one-stop shop for highly integrated, efficient and reliable systems which comply with the leading Australian, European and American compliance and quality standards, which are among the most demanding in the world,” says Pullinger. “In addition to major Lapp brands, Lapp Australia will focus strongly on world-class total solutions incorporating highly compatible components from the one source. This integrated approach will save customers time and money when assembling optimum solutions to their particular needs,…

Based in Tullamarine, Ferraro is a tight-knit family-run business that supplies more than 25 varieties to some of Australia’s leading food manufacturers including Arnotts, Paddy’s Pies and Goodman Fielder. As production of shredded mozzarella, shredded parmesan and grated parmesan increased, Ferraro needed larger volumes of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas, which resulted in a new solution to support its modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) process. “Since moving to BOC, we’ve had no gas supply issues and can confidently increase our cheese production knowing that we have the right gas solution,” says John Ferraro, the company’s owner. “We don’t change for the sake of change – but BOC’s offer was competitive and they have really looked after us.” The challenge Ferraro had outgrown its existing gas system from a previous supplier, and now required more nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas flows and larger vessels to support increasing quantities of cheese packs being produced using a MAP process. “We have a single chamber and double chamber machines that need gas all day long,” says Ferraro.…

South Australian-based car battery handle supplier Rope & Plastic Group had a successful business in Australia and the United States before the automotive industry’s decline. However, the company has now begun manufacturing clotheslines. According to owner John Sutton the transition was an obvious choice. “We were supplying car battery company Exide with handles, cases and lids, so it was a very lucrative business,” he explained. “In the meantime about five or six years beforehand we got involved with a company called Mrs Peggs Clotheslines, and started to manufacture, warehouse and distribute clotheslines in China. “About the same time that Exide decided to close down their manufacturing operations, Mrs Peggs came to us and said they were going to take back the business and run it themselves. We had a double whammy.” With the automotive industry offering no real future, Sutton decided to draw on the company’s experience in clothesline manufacturing to design and manufacture his own washing line. The venture was assisted by a $200,000 grant through the SA…

Eilbeck Cranes – Lifting capabilities A third-generation family-owned business in its 110th year in operation, Eilbeck Cranes is now Australia’s largest and most advanced crane manufacturer, towering over the Australian crane market due to its engineering and manufacturing excellence. Today Eilbeck has manufacturing facilities in Sydney, Western Australia, Mackay in Queensand, and a new facility currently under construction in Melbourne, as well as service centres around the country. Eilbeck Director Tom Eilbeck took the bold move in 2015 and invested massively into the development of the Eilbeck Heavy Machining Centre. This daring decision was not only aimed at gaining competitive advantage, but also an investment in the future of Australian manufacturing and the security of future Australian jobs. Investment over the last two years has been significant for this company, with the installation of the Okuma MB8000H CNC horizontal machine centre with OSP P300M control in 2016, followed this year by an Okuma Genos…

Throughout its long history, turning in the conventional direction – namely starting at the end of the workpiece and working longitudinally towards the chuck – has prevailed. Although this technique has proved successful, as the process has matured, ongoing advances in productivity and profitability have been increasingly difficult to achieve. Many are bound by the limitations of traditional turning. For instance, while experienced operators are aware that factors such as small entry angles permit increased feeds, they are restricted to around 90 degrees in conventional turning in order to reach the shoulder and avoid the long, curved chips that small entering angles characteristically provide. In recent years, the advent of…

Based in the town of Arch, DPRM regards itself as a watch manufacturer that is mainly focused on the bar turning of micro parts that constitute the working features of a watch. The company also performs all peripheral activities in the fields of production, quality control and even assembly. Established in 1947 under the name ‘ASKA’, DPRM has been built upon a unique knowledge base that its employees have gained during the course of time. Using bar turning and gear cutting technologies, the company can develop and produce all kinds of components that meet the requirements of the high-end watch market. Today, DPRM is a part of the Dubois Dépraz Corporation, a famous manufacturer of exceptional watch components. To manufacture components that set the benchmark in the watchmaking industry, DPRM utilises 44 machine tools. Besides specialised machines for blanking, burnishing, decoration, thermal and surface treatment, the Swiss company employs seven EvoDeco machines, four…