Member News

The current run of expanding or stable conditions (21 months) for the Australian PMI is the longest since 2005, with the longest positive run being 50 continuous months from July 2001 to July 2005. Readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase. Seven of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded in June (according to trend data), with the textiles, clothing, furniture & ‘other’ manufacturing sub-sector’s stable conditions the only exception (down 1.0 point to 49.3). Sub-sectors providing manufactured goods for civil engineering, residential and commercial construction projects continue to report very strong levels of activity: petroleum, coal & chemicals (down 0.9 points to 62.3); metal products (down 1.8 points to 56.2); machinery & equipment (down 0.3 points to 58.9); and non-metallic minerals (down 0.4 points to 63.4). “Manufacturing production, employment, exports and sales were all higher in June, driving the Australian PMI to its longest run of expansion in well over a…

The cloud computing megatrend has been hard to miss for consumers or businesses. Cloud-enabled platforms have transformed everything from transportation to accommodation, and helped create some of the world’s most valuable companies. As a matter of fact, 1.65m business people rely on cloud data day in and day out. Adoption by enterprises has been swift. Technology research firm Gartner published a report in February predicting the pace of growth in public cloud services would reach its peak this year at 18%, with a total value of US$246.8bn. Companies were pursuing cloud strategies, said Gartner, due to the “multidimensional value of cloud services, including values such as agility, scalability, cost benefits, innovation and business growth ”. Despite these and other benefits, manufacturers appear to be slower adopters than those in other sectors. An Economist Intelligence Unit report published last year notes that “manufacturing appears to have something of a late…

Imagine the scenario: You own a small or medium-sized business. The business is stagnating because you don’t want to stop micromanaging. You have a team who can perform their roles, but you don’t believe you can depend upon anyone. You are mostly working in the business – not on it. As a result the business is not growing or realising its potential. You are in firefighting mode every day. The whole time is spent “managing” people, resources or urgent customer issues, which is frustrating. As a professional running the organisation, you hardly have time for your own projects that could help the organisation. You can grow fast as the market and the product you are in is in a growth phase. However, that growth needs managing and you are short of management resources. You need to hire managers but don’t know who to hire, what skillssets suit your organisation, or who will…

Proslab is a full service dental laboratory in Canterbury, Victoria. The company was founded more than 30 years ago and has always maintained a keen interest in cutting-edge technology. 15 years ago, Proslab became the first Australian dental laboratory to bring in CAD/CAM processes for metal frames for dentures. Before working with Renishaw, Proslab introduced a partially digital workflow, using 3D scanning and design tools to design dentures. Once designed in CAD, the dentures were printed in resin, then using traditional lost-wax casting were manufactured in cobalt chrome. It was this traditional, uncontrolled process that reduced the accuracy of the parts, despite careful design. Proslab turned to Renishaw to overcome issues with human error and accuracy by incorporating a state-of-the art AM 400 metal additive manufacturing machine. The challenge At Proslab, the lost-wax casting technique started with producing a CAD design of the denture, which was then printed in resin…

Sensor-based automated systems are becoming increasingly important for vehicles used in mining, civil engineering, agriculture and forestry, and with construction, municipal and special vehicles. One area where sensors are used is to provide reliable systems that detect the risk of a collision and warn the driver. The main driving force behind this development is the fact that a large number of collisions and accidents can be prevented if suitable technology is available to support the driver or machine operator. Active warning functions are not enough. The assistance system must also be able to distinguish between different objects depending on their importance for collision warning purposes. The particular challenges involved in these applications not only concern detecting and evaluating objects. The sensor solutions must also be designed to withstand the tough outdoor environments where the machines are used. The Visionary-B active driver assistance system developed by SICK meets all of these requirements. Visionary-B…

Machines, technologies and devices that make our lives simpler excite us all. Much of the time, what attracts us to them first is their functionality, but their simplicity often has us wondering why ‘someone’ hasn’t come up with ‘it’ before. The reality is, for every ‘hit’ that is created, there’s probably a heap of ‘misses’ that failed to see the light of day. An integral part of the procedure in developing the hits and minimising the misses is a process called prototyping. What we mean when we say ‘prototype’ A prototype is essentially a creation that is as close to the finished product as can be made. It’s an essential part of manufacturing that brings an idea to reality. At Integra, we find that customers love to see renders from computers, as well as artists’ impressions, but these are often created without the input of a product or industrial engineer. For us, prototyping is…

The Fipronil scandal originated in the Netherlands but had global effects. Around ten million tainted eggs were imported into Germany, with not only eggs themselves being contaminated, but also egg products such as sandwich fillers. One of the main concerns from the scandal was that authorities in the Netherlands had become aware of the illegal use of the insecticide Fipronil in November 2016, which is not fit for human consumption. Due to a series of administrative errors and a lack of collaboration between authorities, the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), was not informed until July 2017, when the eggs were pulled from shelves across Europe. Another concern was that the two perpetrators of the crime launched their product at a farming convention in March 2016, selling it as a miracle cure for lice infestation in chickens. When poultry farmers asked about the ingredients of the product,…

“However, there are signs the Australian manufacturing industry could be set for a comeback with manufacturing jobs increasing by 40,000 in the last 12 months,” says Greg O’Loan, Regional Vice President, ANZ for Epicor Software. “This suggests Australian manufacturers have found new ways to compete and prove their relevance.” The most successful manufacturers tend to concentrate their efforts in three key areas: Production planning and scheduling Manufacturers must first plan what products need to be produced to satisfy existing orders, then when these products can be made. There are four ways manufacturers can maximise production: Define existing capability for production: A realistic assessment of production capacity includes factors such as the availability of machine time, the flexibility of the various types of machines for different tasks, and the availability of skilled labour within the organisation. Improve accuracy of production scheduling: Organisations must continuously refine both manufacturing processes and…

Cutting tools are by their nature consumable; they wear until they are no longer effective. A traditional approach to metalcutting tool management employs wear analysis alone, focused on manipulating tool materials, geometries and application parameters to improve part output and tool life in a selected operation. Maximising the efficiency of a facility’s manufacturing process, however, involves consideration of a broad range of factors in addition to tool wear. It is essential to examine tool wear – or more broadly, tool deterioration – in light of the overall or “global” manufacturing process. Global Tool Deterioration Analysis (GTDA) goes beyond basic measurement of tool wear to include tooling-related considerations such as time spent in tool manipulation, problems other than wear, production economics, shop organisation, personnel attitudes and assumptions, value stream management, and total manufacturing costs. GTDA is based on regular evaluation of a…

The theme for this year’s AMTIL National Conference will be ‘Strategies for Manufacturing Resilience and Growth’. The one-day event will take participants on a learning journey that will help them build resilience in their business, look outside their traditional avenues for opportunities for growth, and inspire them to think outside the square. AMTIL has already secured an impressive line-up of speakers. The opening keynote will be given by Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), while later in the day Claire Madden, founder and director of Hello Clarity, will offer her insights on ‘Creating an Engaging Culture’. For the closing address, iconic athlete Deanna Blegg will be discussing ‘Personal Resilience’, and the incredible adversity she has dealt with and triumphed over in her life so far. Expert speakers Among the other highlights of the speaker program, Gary Bertwhistle will open up proceedings after lunch with the question ‘Who Stole My Mojo?’ Gary is a pioneer in creative and innovative…

ACS is a premier provider of industrial automation, control systems and services in Australia. The company provides industry-leading value-add engineering services with expertise in power control, electrical installation, safety, network studies, packaging and power conditioning that meets critical measures for operational excellence, application knowledge and customer satisfaction. ACS has a well-established competency in motor control and software to help customers understand and implement these intelligent capabilities in a way to help generate value for their organisations. The MCC is destined for an explosives manufacturing plant in Eastern Europe and features the complete Rockwell Automation Connected Components range, including E300 Electronic Overloads and PowerFlex 525 and 753 drives all on an Ethernet backbone. “Customers’ requirements are changing and they are looking for motor control solutions that can integrate with their existing systems and provide advanced diagnostic capabilities,” explained Andrew Taylor, Engineering & Operations Manager at ACS. “The Centerline 2500 meets these requirements and provides an efficient and effective solution.”…

This is the view of Dr Michael Myers OAM, and I agree with him. There are very few real STEM activities available to schools today which can deliver long-term and lasting STEM educational outcomes. Dr Myers established Re-Engineering Australia (or REA as it is more commonly referred to) 20 years ago because, as an engineer himself, he saw the education system wasn’t delivering enough students with the appropriate skills to become engineers. Last year, the Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel AO, warned that: “The enemy of our future prosperity is complacency. Past investments in skills development have underpinned our strong economy and enviable lifestyle, which in turn have diminished our sense of urgency. While our school system remains above average among…

These variables are anything but inconsequential to the flavour, colour and body of the wine, and can be fascinating to learn about. Yet short of walking through a vineyard with surveying poles and kneeling to rub earth between your fingers, it can be challenging to get a comprehensive picture of terroir to fully appreciate the nuances at play in your glass. This was a problem for Ten Minutes by Tractor, a winery on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, that wanted to give its patrons a deeper understanding of its wines. Ten Minutes by Tractor is made up of three vineyards located ten minutes apart, with widely different environmental characteristics that deliver vastly distinctive wines. The winery’s goal is to add value to its wine tour experience wherever possible by sharing its knowledge of wine making with its visitors. Yet verbally explaining the…