Industry News

In high and low-wage countries, interest in the many benefits of industrial robots has never been higher. Released last year, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) Industrial Robots report showed unit sales figures in 2015 up 15% on the year before, reaching an all-time high of 253,748. Since 2010, technical improvements in robots and automation have turbocharged investment, according to the report. Furthermore, double digit percentage growth is predicted to continue every year up to 2019 . However, within CNC machining, robotics applications have been dominated by machine tending. Overall, the benefits enjoyed by industrial users of robots – such as accuracy, productivity and capacity utilisation – have been under-realised by machine tool users. According to 2012 IFR research, only 1.5% of machine tools were being automated in conjunction with robots . Nonetheless, this trend is starting to shift, with robots becoming increasingly affordable and easy to program – making the technology more accessible to the CNC grinding market. Global influences are also having an impact, such as the South…

Manufacturing companies today are embracing more cutting-edge technologies than ever before. In fact, global market intelligence firm IDC predicts that by 2019, 75% of large manufacturers will have updated their operations and operating models to incorporate the Internet of Things (IoT) and associated software applications to help mitigate risk and increase efficiency. This increased connectivity of IoT devices, robotics, and human-machine interfaces as a way to improve automation means that there are now an overwhelming number of connected devices and technologies within manufacturing that need to be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure they are delivering top performance at all times. For organisations in the manufacturing industry, a high-performance network is becoming a basic ‘must have’ in this automated world – particularly when it means ensuring a functioning IT infrastructure is properly maintained. To ensure smooth operating procedures, all processes in the production line should run without complications, as…

Based in Artarmon, NSW, KBW is a family-owned and managed business with over 30 years of experience in vehicle repairs. KBW caters for both vehicle repair insurance and private work as well as specialising in car and motorcycle custom and restoration work. Dedicated to completing work at the highest standards, KBW keeps its team trained in an evolving industry while investing in state-of-the-art machinery to ensure each motor vehicle leaving the shop looks better than ever. From powering air tools to the spray paint booth, compressed air is integral to the operation. Just over a decade ago, an ageing compressed air system prompted KBW’s Manager Charles Koudsy to contact the company’s longstanding compressed air partner Fracks for a solution. Fracks – an authorised Kaeser partner – recommended and subsequently installed an Airtower 11 from Kaeser. The Airtower was a compact compressor solution that incorporated a rotary screw compressor and refrigeration dryer within one housing. This series was…

AMT: Tell us firstly about the Cumberland Business Chamber and its membership. Craig Hingston: Cumberland Business Chamber was formed 30 years ago in the Smithfield-Wetherill Park region of western Sydney, which is home to the largest industrial business park in the Southern Hemisphere. This is a strategic hub representing a board cross-section of the manufacturing and engineering sector. There are over 20,000 people employed here and many of these businesses have been here for decades. Because we are an industrial-centric chamber, as opposed to a strictly geographical one, we attract people from all over Sydney. Our members range from CEOs and management at multinational corporations to owners of SMEs and micro-enterprises. They represent manufacturing and the many sectors which support it. Our purpose is to encourage and stimulate business growth. We are advocates for ‘Support Australian Industry. Buy Australian Products.’ AMT: What sort of services and projects does the Chamber…

Many of us have experienced that nervous feeling you get when you’re following a trailer that has begun to sway and it would appear that at any moment it could fishtail out of control. Worse still is the feeling of a loss of control while negotiating the twists and gradient of the road with a trailer in tow. Both circumstances can be stressful, and for both driver and surrounding traffic, potentially very hazardous. Trailers can easily become unstable and cause accidents when braking, swerving, overtaking, driving in high winds or on difficult roads. In 2016, loss of control accounted for 30% of caravan accident claims, with oversteering and fishtailing among the main causes. The need for a solution to this problem was identified by Bosch’s Australian Vehicle Safety Systems engineering team. This prompted an innovation idea and subsequent R&D project in 2014. The parent company acknowledged the local engineering capability and market opportunity, which led to the establishment of a Bosch global Centre of Competence for…

Many of us have experienced that nervous feeling you get when you’re following a trailer that has begun to sway and it would appear that at any moment it could fishtail out of control. Worse still is the feeling of a loss of control while negotiating the twists and gradient of the road with a trailer in tow. Both circumstances can be stressful, and for both driver and surrounding traffic, potentially very hazardous. Trailers can easily become unstable and cause accidents when braking, swerving, overtaking, driving in high winds or on difficult roads. In 2016, loss of control accounted for 30% of caravan accident claims, with oversteering and fishtailing among the main causes. The need for a solution to this problem was identified by Bosch’s Australian Vehicle Safety Systems engineering team. This prompted an innovation idea and subsequent R&D project…

Iscar’s best cutting tool recommendations and cutting data can be downloaded anywhere and at any time. The Iscar Tool Advisor (ITA) will automatically calculate the preferred cutting tools for the job. All that the user has to do is enter a few machining parameters. The ITA is an Industry 4.0 standard, consisting of a user-friendly, cyber-based tool selection software package that uses a unique mathematical algorithm. The tool selection process maximises productivity and is based on objective technical data as opposed to an intuitive method of search. For this Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is a optimal tool advisor based on application parameters and available machine power. It works in conjunction with Iscar’s electronic catalogue, from where the tool parameters are accessed and used for continuing machine processing. The ITA also includes sub-applications such as machining power, grades and chipformer selection tools. Iscar’s ITA package reduces tooling scenarios while accounting for cutting conditions, workpiece material, machine power and metal removal rates. The ITA places emphasis on customer profitability while assuring the right method of tool…

With most packing operations still finishing with an operator loading a carton onto a pallet manually, ADDE saw an industry need to find a solution that could automate one of the most physically demanding – and liable to cause back injuries – tasks on the production line. ADDE’s response was to create the Zero Footprint Palletiser (ZFP), which takes no more space than a pallet on the floor and an operator, and allows manufacturers to generate greater efficiency and safety across operations, while also enabling employees to work closely in collaboration with the palletiser. To create the ZFP, ADDE started with a UR10 robot, which can work without safety caging or barriers (subject to a risk assessment), and then added the hardware and software needed to achieve an affordable, minimal footprint and easy-to-deploy solution that can reach an Australian standard pallet. “The intuitive nature of the UR10 provided a great starting point for us to build a flexible, easily programmable solution that takes…

Keyways and splines are generally manufactured through broaching, slotting, milling, EDM or wire cutting. Each method has its own restrictions, particularly in the length they can achieve. Misalignment, deflection, vibration and size limitations are common problems faced by engineering workshops using conventional methods to cut keyways or splines in long parts. However, one Queensland-based company is providing a solution, promising a fast and reliable turnaround, cost effective production, tight tolerances and a high quality finish in difficult parts, with keyways up to 700mm long. Elmass (Australia) discovered this niche market 18 years ago and has been manufacturing precision keyways and splines for a wide range of industries across Queensland and Australia using its patented broaching tools and machines. Starting…

As with many other success stories, C&S Engineering and Toolmaking began in a shed in a backyard. Trading since 2003, Craig and Steven Darvill’s business got started after Steven got tired of commuting from The Oaks to Greenacre, and joined his dad – who repaired trucks – in the family workshop, with Steven’s brother Craig subsequently joining in his off-hours. The brothers invested in an old manual machine, and word got out that if a job needed doing, then Craig and Steven could get it done. Neighbours were early customers, then they told their friends, then those friends told their friends and so on. “Once we got our first CNC machine, it was only a month and Craig had to give up his full-time job,” says Steven. “Very daunting, of course, because we’d never taken a wage out of the company at that stage. And I think a month or two after that, once they knew someone was there all the time, we just got flooded. We purchased two more CNC…

The one constant is change. Change does not have to be rapid or radical. It can be subtle and seamless. But if you are not constantly changing aspects of your business and personal lives, you are at risk of being left behind. So as I look back over the last year and plan for the next year or two, I am conscious of the minor changes we have made to our business and how we operate. One internal change is our commitment to work/life balance and providing flexible working arrangements for staff. There is certainly a mind shift to the way we employ staff and keep them invigorated, accountable and productive. Our biennial flagship exhibition – Austech - ran in May 2017 and was a great success with over 12,000 visitors and…

Held at Leonda by the Yarra in Hawthorn, the one-day conference was focused on the ways in which emerging digital technologies are revolutionising manufacturing the world over, and explored the opportunities this created for the industry here in Australia. With a line-up of speakers that encompassed manufacturing companies, technology suppliers, research bodies and industry groups, the Conference offered a comprehensive, in-depth perspective of what the future holds. The event also featured 10 exhibitor stands from companies such as SICK, Lightwave Technologies and evok3D, the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC), and the Conference’s sponsor - William Buck. Following a welcoming address from AMTIL Board Member Brigitte Stavar, the first presentation came from keynote speaker Brad Howarth. Drawing on two decades as a journalist covering technology’s impact on organisations, society and individuals, Howarth’s presentation offered a wide-ranging view on the impact digital innovations are having on the world of business and wider society. “Wealth is generally generated by those who drive change,” said Howarth. “So at some stage…

Under the theme ‘Manufacturing’s Future in a Digital Age’, some of the speakers who will be presenting at the Conference include: Brad Howarth. Keynote: ‘Navigating to a Digital Future’ Brad is a respected authority on technology, marketing and digital media. As a journalist, Brad spent the last two decades researching and writing about technology’s impact on organisations, society and individuals. While he continues to study change as a freelance journalist, as a speaker and facilitator he works with organisations to help them understand and plan for changes yet to come. In 2012 Brad was selected to participate in the Prime Minister’s Digital Economy Forum alongside leaders from Australian industry and academia. Brad’s books ‘Innovation and Emerging Markets’ and ‘A Faster Future’ (co-authored with Janelle Ledwidge), respectively examined the impact of high-speed communications technology on business, society and individuals, and the path to commercialisation for Australian technology innovation. His latest, ‘Managing for Change’ (with Peter Fritz AM) sets out a practical guide…