Industry News

Projection Micro Stereolithography or PµSL for short, is a micro 3D printing process that is a variation on stereolithography (SLA) that enables users to microfabricate components with ultra-high resolution down to 2 µm. With a range of commercially available liquid polymer resins and the ability to tailor your own formulation, PµSL introduces new levels of freedom compared to other traditional microfabrication techniques. It has the added benefits of superior material integrity and surface finish compared to conventional polymer 3D printing. With many manufacturers across a variety of industries pushing for miniaturisation in their product designs, micro 3D printing opens new possibilities for component manufacturers, offering design freedom and rapid concept to product timeframes. While 3D printing and desktop 3D printers have become extremely accessible, sometimes design specifications go beyond their capabilities and even those of micro injection moulding and micro CNC machining. In this article we explore Projection Micro Sterolithography (PµSL) as an alternative solution.   Background 3D printing of polymers has really taken off in recent years. Interestingly, the driving force behind the growth has been non-commercial…

Rising consumer demand for ethically sourced and environmentally friendly products, changes in the Australian policy landscape, and growing pressure from stakeholders means sustainability is now front of mind for every organisation. Simultaneously, an increasingly competitive and uncertain global economy of fast-rising materials and shipping costs is forcing manufacturers to implement intelligent, agile, and cost-effective production processes to improve efficiency and throughput. Fortunately, despite these converging challenges, businesses today have the digital tools to support collaboration with industry peers on a global scale. The rise of Internet of Things (IoT) connected smart factories provide manufacturers with the capabilities to leverage data insights from their shop floor and supply chains to develop end-to-end circularity in their sourcing, production and distribution processes. This is helping to minimise unnecessary waste and reduce carbon emissions for more sustainable operations. As more manufacturers move into a circular economy business model, decision makers are turning to innovation to support this transition, with 80% of CEOs increasing digital technology…

Welding has long been the go-to method for repairs and restoration of metal parts. Although it’s a well-established and great method for joining metals, when it comes to repair, welding may not always be the most suitable solution. Unfortunately, with limited alternatives available, it has often been the common or default choice. However, a new technology is now emerging that promises to revolutionise the repair process and offer a more versatile and efficient solution: low-pressure cold spray technology. Cold spray – also known as supersonic particle deposition - is a groundbreaking technology for repairing geometries and applying functional coatings. Unlike welding, which involves high temperatures and can result in distortion, residual stress, and damage to surrounding materials, cold spray operates without the need for extreme heat. Instead, it propels metal particles at supersonic speeds onto metal surfaces. As they collide, the kinetic energy of the particles causes them to deform and interlock with the metal surface, creating a strong, metallurgically bonded coating.  When it comes to repair and maintenance, the advantages of low-pressure cold spray over conventional welding…

Opal’s Wodonga facility, which utilises the latest advanced, high-speed packaging manufacturing technology, has a total footprint of approximately 55,000 square metres. The facility will process recycled and kraft paper from Opal’s Botany Mill in Sydney and Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley. Opal has invested in Australia’s newest corrugating facility, which will produce packaging for a wide range of fresh produce, food processing, FMCG and manufacturing industries across Australia. The facility also features a highly automated materials and waste handling system. Mr Fumio Manoshiro, Chairman of Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd, officially opened the Fibre Packaging facility by unveiling a special commemorative plaque made by the creative design team at Opal Specialty Packaging. Opal is a member of Nippon Paper Group, one of the world’s leading pulp and paper manufacturers. The Victorian Government also provided grant funding for the project, to support jobs in regional Victoria. Minister for Regional Development, Gayle Tierney, congratulated Opal on the opening of its new facility. “Our support for Opal’s new $140m investment in Wodonga is a…

Australia’s premier manufacturing technology trade show, AMW Sydney 2024, is promising to be a dynamic and innovative event that brings together professionals, companies and experts from many industries related to manufacturing, engineering and technology. It is AMTIL’s aim for Australian Manufacturing Week to be more than just an exhibition. This is the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of manufacturing in Australia today. “On the back of the overwhelming success of AMW 2022 in Sydney, we have returned to the ICC at Darling Harbour for April 2024 and are excited to be delivering another strong show,” said Shane Infanti CEO of AMTIL, organisers of Australian Manufacturing Week. “We are very pleased to have the support of the NSW Government as the Major Sponsor for AMW. Government support is important in delivering the message to our industry that manufacturing is important and that the support mechanisms are there to assist.” Australian Manufacturing Week will take place at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The stats from our Melbourne show at the MCEC showed conclusively the appetite for…

Breaking new ground in sustainable construction, Capral has achieved yet another milestone with its Lower carbon aluminium offer, LocAl®, recognised at the 2023 Architecture and Design Sustainability Awards as the Green Building Product category winner. In an era where environmental consciousness is paramount, Capral's locally extruded, lower-carbon aluminium stands out as a testament to the company's commitment to sustainable practices and aluminium stewardship. The Sustainability Awards is Australia's longest-running and most prestigious awards program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating sustainable design and architecture excellence. 2023 marks the 17th year of the program, with winners announced on November 9th at the annual gala event held in Sydney. Capral was recognised as the Green Building Product category winner for its market-leading Lower Carbon Aluminium offer - LocAl®. When LocAl® was introduced in November 2022, Capral had a clear objective to make locally extruded, lower-carbon Aluminium available to Australian manufacturers, architects and designers. The LocAl® offer includes two lower carbon aluminium options: LocAl® Green with carbon emissions of 8kg CO2e/kg Al* and LocAl® Super Green at 4kg CO2e/kg Al* - amongst…

Thanking Mark and Craig for their commitment, KAESER Australia Managing Director, Peter Eckberg said, “We are grateful for your dedication and long-standing loyalty to the company as well as the industry.” “It is unusual these days for people to remain with one employer for such a long period of time. Over 70% of the Australian workforce has been in their current position for ten years or less. So in this environment, for a person to reach 20, and then 30 years of service is absolutely outstanding.” In 1993, Mark Dudman was employed as a Sales Engineer for KAESER Australia. Based in the Sydney branch office, Mark progressed to the role of Branch Manager and then National Sales Manager. Decades of experience mean Mark is well-known and respected in compressed air circles. Asked about his time in the industry, Mark says the key to navigating the ever-changing market is to focus on the customers and always check that the product solves the problem. In that…

Markforged has revealed its newest industrial 3D printer, the FX10 at the Formnext Conference in Germany. Continuing Markforged’s heritage of reliable printers that deliver strong, precise parts, the FX10 is designed to supercharge manufacturing line productivity and profitability. The FX10 empowers users to print the right part when and where it is needed, reducing costs and cutting lead times from months to days compared to traditional manufacturing methods. “We engineered the FX10 to be the best tool for the manufacturing floor,” said Shai Terem, CEO of Markforged. “The FX10 allows manufacturers to slash original part replacement costs when compared to traditional methods and keep production lines running without worrying about supply chain issues or spare parts inventory. The FX10 can accelerate the digitization of the manufacturing floor by increasing the adoption of digital inventory to build supply chain resiliency.  Our customers now have the potential to save even more capital by reducing physical inventory and boosting production yields while decreasing operating costs.” Designed with flexibility in mind, the printer's modular systems are engineered to be…

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), is now a viable technique for large-scale analysis of geological materials with the ability to contribute to ore body knowledge and directly influence exploration geology programs and process metallurgy operations. The technique has some similarities to spark OES which has been used for many years in the metals industry to confirm or identify alloy grades. While LIBS is not a new technology, it really came to the fore in 2012 when NASA employed it on the MARS Rover Curiosity. Their LIBS system called ChemCam is mounted on top of the mast and can analyse materials as far as seven metres away, where it was used to determine the composition of Martian geology samples. In July 2021 it was reported to have collected over 800,000 spectra from more than 2,500 individual targets. In the process, it has been responsible for some of the Rover’s most significant discoveries. Main image: The NASA Curiosity Rover. The ChemCam LIBS system is housed in the module atop the mast (photo courtesy of…

International logistics and shipping leader Maersk is strengthening its omnichannel-fulfilment capabilities in Australia, with the opening of seven new facilities across the country. As the integrated container and logistics company celebrates its 30th anniversary in Australia, plans are in place to grow its already extensive operations and land-side capabilities.   The seven new facilities are being delivered over the 12 months to Q1 2024 as part of Maersk’s global integrator strategy with clear opportunities identified to expand the regional logistics landscape. This will bring the company’s total number of sites in Australia to eight in total, serviced by 550 full-time employees. Four sites opened earlier this year and three more are coming online between now and Q1 2024. Two of these facilities were integrated into the Maersk network as part of its acquisition of LF Logistics.  Maersk invited AMT magazine to the new Derrimut warehouse in Melbourne to meet with staff and view the complex matrix system on the occasion of the company's 30th anniversary in Australia. The huge network space was rolling with robots, pickers,…

Mineral exploration plays an important role in society. Today, with the drive for a low carbon economy there is pressure to discover mineral deposits such as nickel, lithium, cobalt, zinc and copper that are required to build renewable energy sources such as solar panels, wind turbines and batteries for homes, industry and electric vehicles. Without access to ‘green metals’ a low-carbon world won’t be possible. In support of mineral exploration are two technologies that offer improved mineral identification techniques through reliable analysis. One of these technologies is LIBS or Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. A rapid minimally destructive chemical analysis technique used to identify and detect mineralogical samples. A leading laser system is the J200 LIBS instrument from Applied Spectra designed specifically to handle the most demanding trace element analyses — those requiring high sensitivity and accuracy. With a single-digit ppm (parts per million) level of detection (LOD) limit for many elements in the periodic table, the J200 LIBS is an ideal instrument for challenging quantitative elemental analysis with many sample matrices and capable of monitoring single or multiple elements of…

Originally founded in New Zealand in 1974 by Keld and Vivi Sorensen manufacturing specialised machine tools, Sorensen Engineering relocated to Sydney in 1981. Although continuing to manufacture machine tools until the early 2000s, this second-generation family business diversified into the production of precision component parts and assemblies in the mid-1980s and has continued to innovate and was recently recognised in the top 100 most innovative companies in Australia. Today, with a total staff of 30, the company is a highly competent precision engineering business with more than 40 years’ of experience. Sorensen services diverse markets such as mining, pump & fluid controls, film & TV equipment, and biomedical & scientific equipment. More recently, in response to the COVID crisis, they have been supporting critical projects with components for ventilators and PCR instruments involved in large-scale COVID testing. The first Okuma lathe was purchased by Sorensen Engineering in 2006 and today it has nine Okuma machines including CNC lathes, horizontal and vertical machining centres, plus automation and robotics. “The selection of Okuma machines came down to the precision and reliability of…

Weld Australia's Excellence Awards are the most prestigious event on the welding industry calendar. The Awards showcase and celebrate the world-class work being undertaken by local welders, fabricators and industry educators.   This year, the awards were held at Waterview and saw the best and brightest from the ACT and New South Wales' welding industry come together to acknowledge the incredible calibre of work achieved over the past 12 months.   According to Weld Australia's CEO, Geoff Crittenden, "The 2023 New South Wales and ACT Welding Excellence Awards highlight the outstanding achievements of our local professionals while emphasising the industry's unwavering commitment to excellence. At Weld Australia, we are proud recognise both companies and individuals who are pushing boundaries in welding quality, safety, and innovation."   "Our celebrated winners this year represent both businesses and individuals dedicated to crafting innovative and sustainable strategies, prioritising safety, and enhancing the overall skill set in the welding community," Crittenden said.   NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation won the 2023 Company of the Year Award - Fabrication. Established in 1974, NEPEAN Engineering & Innovation has…