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In a metal cutting operation, a tool deforms workpiece material and causes it to shear away in the form of chips. The deformation process requires a significant amount of force, and the tool endures a variety of mechanical, thermal, chemical and tribological loads. Over a period of time, these loads eventually cause the tool to wear to the point that it must be replaced. Accordingly, for more than a century, scientists and engineers have created and tested mathematical models that factor in the forces upon a tool to provide estimates of expected tool life. Many of these models focus on a specific tool’s performance in a certain material and operation, and simple formulas and repetitive testing produce valid tool wear projections. However, generalised models that can be applied across a wide range of workpiece materials and tools are more useful in industrial applications. Because these models take into account a variety…

Medical manufacturing is an innovative sector that continues to show positive growth against the backdrop of a turbulent global market. While some questions remain on the future of the Australian manufacturing industry due to recent high-profile changes in the market, evidence shows that innovative manufacturers are taking advantage of the opportunities in international markets and growing their businesses. Against this uncertain future, BJP Laboratories has experienced significant growth by exporting its products to new markets. The company specialises in manufacturing and packaging organic and non-organic complementary medicinal products, such as tablets and capsules. Among its extensive range of products, BJP specialises in the production of probiotics, which it undertakes in its purpose-built, humidity-controlled facility located in Yatala, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. BJP has experienced exponential business growth as a result of increasing demand for listed medicines in overseas markets. On the back of this success, one of its existing clients, Blackmores, required increased production capacity to meet the growing demand for glucosamine tablets…

Established in the 2014 restructuring of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Airbus Defence and Space is responsible for the areas of defence and space as a subsidiary of the Airbus Group. With headquarters in Ottobrunn, Germany, the company focuses on the development and construction of engines for the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, among other activities. Airbus Defence and Space meets the high demands on quality with long-standing experience in machining and state-of-the-art CNC technology. Among its recent acquisitions are two DMU 70 eVo linear machines and one DMC 125 FD duoBLOCK. The company also uses the DMG MORI machines in an exact 1:1 simulation on the PC, in the form of the DMG MORI Virtual Machine. The software can be used in a preliminary PC simulation to safely check the complex machining of the highly expensive workpieces. This makes manufacturing completely safe and enables process optimisations already at a preliminary stage to increase efficiency in machining. A fully loaded Airbus A380, at a weight of approximately 590 tons, launches…

Market conditions in Australia are changing, though at the core of it all, Australian companies are amongst the most innovative and resourceful in the world. At Applied Machinery, we began seeing signs of renewed optimism from our customers towards the back end of 2015, and it’s with this in mind that the following Top 10 will be where our customers are, and will be continuing to invest their capital. Pro-Plas CNC plasma cutting systems                                                                                                                             With the Pro-Plas series plasma cutting systems from Applied Machinery, we have managed to put together a quality CNC machine, with Hypertherm plasma source and Fastcam software for under $27,000 plus GST. With an edge finish that has to be seen to be believed for a system at this price point, in-house sheet-metal profiling just became accessible to companies where in the past it was just not financially viable. We saw record sales of these machines prior to Christmas 2015 and orders in early…

In some cases, operations may seem impossible to perform, but as such they also provide a potential for being transformed to processes that are efficient and secure. This potential has been the driving force behind the development of vibration-dampened tooling – from initially being a problem solver to today’s position as a recognised productivity booster. Research into the causes and possible remedies of vibration tendencies was started as early as in the 1960s. With vibrations having been a problem in machining as long as cutting metal has existed, a closer look was warranted into the nature of the problem, originating at the cutting edge – especially when related to tool overhang. It was established that a vibration could be seen as a variable deflection of the cutting tool and that with no or minute deflection there was no vibration that would affect machining to any consequence. In cutting tools, vibrations are triggered and maintained by dynamic cutting forces. Even during continuous cuts, forces…

The largest workplace health and safety event in Australia will feature over 20 free seminars on insights and priorities for employee safety. “It’s estimated that over 2,000 workers die from a work-related illness each year, highlighting the urgent need for national improvements to prevent and reduce the number and severity of injuries and illnesses in the future,” says Keith Barks, General Manager at Informa Australia, which is jointly presenting the event with the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA). Running parallel to Safety in Action will be the Safety Institute of Australia’s National Convention, a two-day conference featuring global and Australian safety leaders who will address the theme of ‘Disruptive Safety’. The convention program will include the SIA Annual General Meeting, OHS education awards, OHS leaders and CEO's breakfast, and a Women in Leadership forum. Mental health and physical wellbeing will be a key focus of the free Safety in Action seminar series, which will hear from leading industry professionals discussing this…

With more than 30 years of experience in CNC machine tool accessories, Dimac is the agent for many highly respected brands such as Kitagawa, Cooljet, Reven and Eron. The company also manufactures soft and hard jaws in its own CNC-equipped machine shop. After 30 years at its manufacturing facility in nearby Mulgrave, the move to the site in Dandenong South will, according to Managing Director Paul Fowler, further enhance Dimac’s ability to service its clients’ needs. “These new premises will allow us to operate more efficiently, provide even greater levels of customer service and of course maintain our local manufacturing of soft jaws,” says Fowler. “It will also allow us to develop and expand our product offering of CNC accessories that improve our customers’ bottom line, enhance their productivity and improve machining safety and efficiency.” More options from Mitee-Bite Dimac is the exclusive agent for Mitee-Bite products and…

Precision Metal Group offers a broad range of services including metal fabrication, profile cutting, workshop machining, machinery repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical engineering services. It prides itself on the ability to be a one-stop shop, offering 24/7 support for a growing band of loyal customers. Company founder Jason Elias is the driving force behind this innovative operation. Jason set up the business in 2000 at Yennora in western Sydney after finishing a highly successful apprenticeship as a boilermaker – he was named Apprentice of the Year three years running. After operating the business successfully for eight years as a sole trader Elias decided to form a company after moving to bigger premises at Wetherill Park. After four years, the company boasted 16 full-time employees, including Elias – the archetypal hands-on boss. “We then managed to land a couple of big contracts and the company grew from 16 employees to 42 in a six-month period,” he adds. Precision Metal Group now has 51…

In times of increasingly complex and individualised components, additive manufacturing processes with their high degree of geometrical freedom regarding component design are an effective way of escaping the complexity trap. However, the technology is slow, inaccurate and expensive which, up to now, has made it difficult to make inroads, particularly in the field of metal processing. Against this background, the combination of laser deposition welding by means of a powder nozzle with chip removal opens up fully new perspectives. As a pioneer and trendsetter, DMG MORI is already offering two groundbreaking hybrid machines. We spoke to Friedemann Lell, Sales Manager of SAUER, who is responsible for additive laser technology in the DMG MORI Group, about the advantages and areas of application of the combi-machines. AMT: What is the difference between the LASERTEC 3D machines and other additive metal processing systems? Friedemann Lell: In the field of additive manufacturing, we are focusing on powder deposition welding using lasers, a technique which has…

Upcoming events include: Business Master Breakfast Seminar “The Importance of leadership in a high-performing manufacturing company” Wednesday 17 August, 7.30-9.30am Riversdale Golf Club, Mount Waverley, VIC Speaker: Linsey Siede, Automotive Supplier Excellence Australia   The management and leadership of any company affects everything they do, and their importance to the business’ performance cannot be ignored. Business strategy, customer focus, operational excellence and company culture are just some factors that determine success. This presentation will look at the data, results and outcomes of working with 150 companies over an eight-year period, and provide key information to help companies focus on achieving greater success. Amaero Site Tour 5 October Notting Hill, VIC   Details coming soon to www.amtil.com.au/events. Bookings are essential as places are strictly limited.   AMTIL AGM – Save the date Thursday 20th October 7:30am for Breakfast Riversdale Golf Club, Mount Waverley, VIC Aviation Aerospace Australia/AMTIL Joint Site Tour 27 October, 8.30am-10.30am Advanced Manufacturing and Design Centre, John St, Hawthorn, VIC…

Many manufacturers achieve this by following a narrow-perspective model that begins with tool selection and application and solving problems on a reactive basis. Reversing that approach, however, can reduce costs and increase efficiency. Instead of waiting for problems to arise and then making adjustments, manufacturers should focus first on proactive preplanning aimed at eliminating rejected parts and unplanned downtime. Once a stable, reliable process has been established, applying the concepts of production economics can help manufacturers find a balance between production rate and manufacturing costs. Building on the foundation of secure, economically strong operations, manufacturers can select tools and cutting conditions that will fully optimise the machining process. Production economics Before taking steps to optimise metal cutting, it is essential that processes are secure and reliable, minus defective parts or unplanned downtime. Process security requires a stable production environment. Manufacturers must analyse machine tool maintenance, CAM programming, tool holding systems and coolant application. Work-handling automation…

It’s Not Funny (INF) is a collection of people with Parkinson’s disease celebrating the positive aspects rather than dwelling on the negatives. The INF team thought it would be a great idea to make a dashboard wobbly doll, as a good representation of a positive attitude to living with the condition. “We wanted to create a wobbly doll, Australian-made and with a genuine look to it, somehow linking it back to real people and Parkinson’s,” says John Peplow of INF. “I investigated getting a doll made but soon realised this was a mammoth exercise. I soon realised that getting a 3D scan and a 3D print was not that easy. Not because of the technique, but because I was confronted with a maze of unsuccessful attempts until I found someone who knew what they were talking about.” That someone was Shane Rolton, Managing Director from Wysiwyg 3D, who listened to the idea with interest, in part because his grandfather had Parkinson’s. Rolton saw an opportunity to…

The real stalwarts of the manufacturing industry have a clear understanding that there is always a fine balancing act between being a well-established brand that is known to many, and being recognised as sitting at the cutting edge of innovation. A privately owned company, Décor Engineering has managed to achieve this delicate balance, elevating it to an enviable position as an industry leader within its own specific niche. Based in the bayside suburb of Seaford, in Melbourne’s south-east, Décor has strong, long-established foundations in the Australian car manufacturing industry. The company began life in 1970, back in the days when there were no fewer than five car manufacturers operating in Australia. Those five car-makers all required hundreds of different parts that needed masking and painting, so Anton Derlet set up Décor to meet that need. Derlet began his business operating out of his garden shed in the early days, before moving to a factory site a year later as it became clear the fledgling company would…