Member News

Mining, so long a key driver of Australia’s economic prosperity, has hit a slow patch. The boom of the 2000s is long passed. Following a wave of investment in construction and equipment, the industry has entered a production and sustainment phase, employing fewer workers and spending less. In 2014-15, revenue and exports both dropped substantially, as increased production resulted in global oversupply and depressed commodity prices. However, grounds for optimism remain. According to the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s Resources and Energy Quarterly for the March Quarter, Australia’s resources and energy sector enjoys broadly positive prospects in the medium-to-long term. Earnings from exports are forecast to decline by 7% to $160bn in 2015-16, but will average annual growth of 3% to 2020-2021, reaching $208bn in real terms. Although challenging market conditions are likely to persist in the short term, consumption of most commodities is projected to increase as Asian economies urbanise. The post-boom years have to some degree forced Australian mining to up its game. Mining companies and manufacturers supplying…

A previous edition of AMT magazine included a first-rate article on how software systems such as ERP platforms assist businesses in driving innovation. Done correctly they do; and I am sure that the majority of business today would agree with this. However, most business are also faced with conflicting messages and confusion in regard to ERP success. To add to the drama, in 2013 Gartner told us that 75% of all ERP projects fail and more recently have stated that until 2018 that 80% of enterprises will lack the capability to successfully deliver a “postmodern” ERP strategy – “postmodern” representing a fundamental shift away from a single-vendor (on-premise) mega-suite, toward a more loosely coupled, federated and cloud-based ERP environment. Consequently, when businesses embark on an ERP project the fear of choosing poorly has a profound effect on both the length of time and quality of the ERP selection and evaluation process –so much so that we actually have a term for…

AMT: How did Bolts & Industrial Supplies start out in the industry? Andrew Rodgers: Bolts & Industrial Supplies has been in business for over 40 years. Incorporated in 1973 by founding partner John Rodgers, the business is still in the Rodgers family to this day. Since then we’ve served the engineering community of Australia with a strong sense of pride and customer service that simply cannot be beaten. The company has been moulded into what it is today by providing high-quality Australian-made products at a respectable price, top-notch service and reliable, timely delivery. No matter which industry you’re in – aerospace, automotive, die & mould, general engineering, construction or just day-to-day hardware – we’ve got you covered with a tool to suit your needs. We have over 60 staff specialising in various fields, working hand in hand with over 200 suppliers, providing the best technical information possible to enhance performance and productivity. AMT: And what about more recent developments? AR:…

The launch event was attended by customers, partners and suppliers of Integra, as well as various industry figures and representatives of the media. They enjoyed speeches from the leadership team at Integra as well as from Frank McGuire MP, Local Member for Broadmeadows and Parliamentary Secretary for Medical Research in lieu of Lily D’Ambrosio Victorian Minister for Industry, Energy and Resources, and Hume Mayor Cr Helen Patsikatheodorou. McGuire also did the honours in cutting the ribbon to officially launch the new machine, a Salvagnini L5 fibre-optic laser cutter. Along with refreshments and networking opportunities for the guests, there were opportunities for everyone to watch demonstrations of the new machine in action up close. “This event is a celebration of the progressive thinking amongst everyone here today,” said Erika Hughes, Integra’s Marketing Director. “It is a demonstration of the power of disruptive technology to make things happen in a highly competitive world. And with the number of people here today from all areas of industry,…

It’s frustrating to me that many people still reference manufacturing as having an image problem and the mainstream headlines still proclaim the death of manufacturing because our passenger vehicle production is leaving our shores over the next year or two. It’s frustrating because I see great companies, great people and great opportunities every day and I wish the people who write negatively about the manufacturing sector had the same chance as I do to witness these stories. I see companies that are leveraging the latest thinking in technology and design. I see companies transforming their business through innovation and leadership. I see young people that have chosen career paths for themselves in manufacturing and are going from strength to strength. I see major projects being announced that have great potential for Australian content. I see effort being put into local supply chain management. I look ahead and see revolutions like Industry 4.0 and additive technologies and wonder what positive impact they will have…

Mine ventilation management systems are rarely a simple amalgam of gas analysis technology and supporting instrumentation. Hazards controlled by mine ventilation include: flammable gases, oxygen content, temperature, fumes, toxic gases, asphyxiants, dust and humidity. There is no universal “silver bullet” solution. Individual sites have unique features, and most demonstrate unique behaviours. A successful solution is more than the combination of components, systems and services. Mine ventilation must be planned precisely, with performance carefully monitored to enable continued improvement. A typical mine ventilation circuit offers a variety of tools to enable the control of the underground environment. Efficient performance of ventilation fans, airways and flow regulators is essential. Uncontrolled airflows in a ventilation circuit can severely compromise any ventilation system, regardless of its capacity. A sound mine ventilation strategy should include acquisition of accurate, timely data. Systems to continually monitor gas composition in underground mines have become commonplace over the last decade. Real-time gas monitors, extractive gas analysis (tube bundle) systems and gas chromatographs ensure…

On 13 April, around 30 guests enjoyed a two-hour tour at the Australian Synchrotron in Clayton, Victoria, a world-class facility supporting research in sectors ranging from medicine and nanotechnology to manufacturing and mineral exploration. The AMTIL party received a presentation on the Synchrotron’s history and case studies of the research work undertaken there, as well as a tour of the facility. Details were also provided for how companies can apply for access to the Synchrotron to assist in their own projects, and the costs associated with “beam-time”. The first of the two breakfast events took place on 20 April at Riversdale Golf Club in Mount Waverley, with Mike Anderson of Anderson’s Business Facilitation Services giving an informative talk on ‘Marketing Essentials For a Profitable Business’. This was followed on 5 May by the ‘Show Me the Money’ seminar, at The Centre Ivanhoe in Ivanhoe, with AMTIL service partners William Buck Chartered Accountants giving presentations on how to determine a manufacturing business’ value, and the best practice for structuring…

The ABB robots are part of an $80m investment in six new production lines at AstraZeneca’s North Ryde, NSW facility. A further two lines are currently being installed and validated. The pharmaceutical company, which has been manufacturing in the Sydney suburb for more than 50 years, recently completed installation of the six new lines. Each of the six existing production lines has the capacity to produce 65m units per year of AstraZeneca’s asthma medication, called Pulmicort Respules. Each line features a 4010 Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS) with purpose-built finishing and packaging system known as Respules 4010, culminating in a case packing and palletising cell which utilises an ABB IRB 4600 robot. Once all eight lines are in operation, AstraZeneca will have the capacity to produce 520m units per year of the Pulmicort medicine. World-first system Plans for AstraZeneca’s North Ryde upgrade commenced in 2011 after the company signed a supplier agreement with the Chinese government, naming North Ryde the sole global site for the supply of Pulmicort…

The collaboration between DST and Walter goes far beyond the supply of tools. Jürgen Senger, a field service employee at Walter, provides some examples: “We give training sessions at DST, work closely with the programming department on a permanent basis, and have been doing more and more project work together since 2012.” The latest venture involves tools for the new EcoForce Ti machine for machining titanium. Thomas Troup, head of applications development at DST, says: “The collaboration between us is characterised by professionalism, we can rely on one another, and we have created an atmosphere of mutual trust as a result.” DST enjoys an excellent reputation with aircraft manufacturers in particular. A walk through its production halls in Mönchengladbach soon makes the reason clear: the size of the machines reflects the huge dimensions of the structural components produced on them, while their sturdy design is indicative of their high performance.…

The shortage of skilled workers is expected to grow, but customers are always looking for intelligent solutions to produce faster, more efficiently and more accurately. Where once long programming times and high expertise were necessary, today one click is all it takes. This is where the RAS XLT Bend comes into a world of its own. Now available in Australia from Sheetmetal Machinery Australia, the RAS XLT Bend is an impressively flexible UpDown folding machine, with 4,060mm x 2.5mm or 3,200mm x 3mm mild steel capacity. Along with innovative mechanical components, the CNC’s One-Click Programming is certain to be a production highlight. The folding beam is a revolutionary new design that has been proven to reduce deflection by 20x over the bend line, without the need for adjustment. Bent parts no longer need to be flipped, as the folding beam is capable of automatically avoiding prebent flanges. Even the folding beam pendulum, critical for changing the folding beam direction, is driven…

Based in Labrador, Queensland, Camtech Engineering specialises in servicing the tooling needs of the rigid plastics packaging industry and is recognised as one of Australia’s leading blow moulding and injection moulding manufacturers. Established in 1988, the company specialises in precision toolmaking, providing new mould design development and production in the plastic industry for clients through Australia and abroad. In addition it offers a comprehensive range of support, repair, service and technology update options for existing moulds and dies. Camtech has an advanced workshop facility with a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art CNC machine tools giving it the capability to deliver a high level of efficiency and service. Its modern machine shop has been designed primarily to ensure Camtech can maintain the high levels of quality, support and service in its work for clients in across the mould and die industry both in Australia and overseas. To meet the demands of its customers, the team at Camtech are continuously looking at ways to improve their processes and capabilities. Consequently, in February, the company completed installation of a Kellenberger Kel-Vista Type UR…

In fact Industry 4.0 is a term developed by German government to describe its high technology strategy for manufacturing. Like all trendy new buzzwords, however, it has been quickly grabbed by consultants and the media and turned in to a catch-all term used to describe, well, whatever people want it to describe! So what is Industry 4.0? What is new and different about it, what does it change, and what should you be doing about it? I would argue that the answer to all three questions is “not much”. The reality is that we have become accustomed to a blistering pace of technological change in manufacturing over the past 20 years. Industries as old and traditional as metalworking and printing have been transformed by the combination of highly automated digitally controlled machinery and highly integrated computer aided digital work…

The machining of complex parts with intricate forms and profiles has resulted in the need for local suppliers to deliver special cutting tools with unique geometries and advanced ceramic coatings in rapid delivery times. For over 10 years, Guhring has supplied customised cutting tools from its Production and Service Division based in Melbourne. The major growth area has been the supply of custom-made solid carbide rotating cutting tools. The high-performance range includes step drills, form/profile end mills, special reamers, compression routers and clay model cutters. Encouraged by this success, Guhring has just announced a major new investment in CNC grinding and PVD coating equipment to further support local manufacturers. Complete value-chain optimisation “High productivity, excellent economic efficiency and optimal machining have been the hallmarks of Guhring products for over 100 years,” says Brendan Smith, National Sales Manager at Guhring. Guhring customers’ trust is well-founded, with tool material, geometry and coating all perfectly matched to one another. Guhring’s revolutionary coating technology complemented by state-of-the-art R&D ensure its technological leadership in rotary…