Member News

Group GSA, a renowned design firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Beijing, Shanghai, and Ho Chi Minh City, has successfully integrated Raise3D 3D printers from Bilby3D into its operations. Known for its innovative designs, such as the award-winning North Fitzroy Library and Community Hub, Group GSA offers multidisciplinary services in Architectural Design, Interior Design, urban design, Landscape Architecture, and Graphics. Challenges faced Prior to adopting in-house 3D printing technology, Group GSA relied on CGI fly-throughs and occasionally outsourced 3D prints for final display pieces. This process was time-consuming and costly, with each outsourced model taking one to two weeks to produce. The lack of rapid prototyping capability hindered their ability to develop and visualise design concepts efficiently and iteratively. To overcome these challenges, Group GSA adopted the Raise3D Pro2 Plus, provided by Bilby3D. This decision was driven by the need to enhance their design process, allowing for quick and cost-effective production of 3D models. The Raise3D Pro2 Plus has significantly reduced the time required to produce models, from weeks to mere hours, enabling more frequent…

Additive Industries and Additive Assurance partner to provide in situ process monitoring with Additive Industries’ MetalFab portfolio of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) machines. This collaboration will leverage both companies' complementary strengths to improve the process monitoring of additively manufactured parts in high-performance applications. Additive Industries is one of the significant manufacturers of metal L-PBF machines globally and has been serving production-oriented customers for over a decade. Additive Industries’ MetalFab printers offer class-leading automation, scalability, and capability. Their product portfolio has recently been updated with their newest machine, the MetalFab 300 Flex. It is the only metal printer on the market that offers a unique on-demand platform size, providing flexibility for manufacturers and making metal AM more accessible than ever. As AM printers increase build rates and productivity, the requirement for in-process monitoring and quality assurance is becoming essential in many industries to ensure repeatability and generate high production yields. Additive Industries has identified the market gap and is leading the charge with offering this extended capability to its customers. Australian start-up Additive Assurance was spun out of Monash University…

In the October/November issue of AMT last year, AXT described Projection Micro Stereolithography (PµSL), allowing 3D printing resolution to go beyond the limits of ~300µm of FDM techniques, using resin-based printing technology. Using PµSL, it is possible to achieve resolutions of just 2µm. But what if you want to print features in the nanometer range? The solution here lies in two-photon polymerisation (2PP), another resin-based printing technology that uses light curing or polymerisation. In microfabrication, systems like the NanoOne from UpNano set the standard, and printing features down to 170nm. The NanoOne is ideal for fabricating parts with complex geometries for academic research and industrial applications as engineers continue to push the bounds of miniaturisation. Contrary to popular belief, 2PP is a fast printing process, and producing parts using 2PP can also be done at a reasonable price. How 2PP printing works 2PP printing technology takes advantage of the spatial selectivity of 2-photon absorption (2PA), i.e. inducing polymerisation at the point where the two photons converge, enabling 3D structures to be directly created in…

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, is announcing the call for applications to the Quad AI-ENGAGE Initiative on behalf of the Australian Government and science partner agencies in India, Japan and the United States. The Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) Initiative calls for cutting-edge research proposals in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), sensors and robotics to help transform agricultural approaches and empower farmers in the Indo-Pacific to increase yield and resilience. By 2050, the world's population is estimated to increase to 9.7 billion people, with a corresponding rise in food demand and pressure on land and water resources. Many of the impacts of these trends will be strongly felt in the Indo-Pacific region, but so will the hope for meaningful solutions. The goal of AI-ENGAGE is to strengthen research collaboration among Quad countries and the broader Indo-Pacific region, improve the impact of critical technology research, and grow our respective agricultural sectors. CSIRO will work with the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Japan's Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to implement…

Chain Systems Australia stocks a wide range of energy chains and cables to meet the diverse needs of various industries. Often overlooked until urgently needed, energy chains play a critical role in all moving equipment applications, making them indispensable across multiple sectors. With their head office in Perth, Chain Systems Australia is the exclusive distributor of Italian-made Brevetti Stendalto energy chain and cables in Australia and New Zealand. The company recently expanded its reach by opening a new branch in New South Wales to serve the East Coast market better. Regional Manager Amy Saunders highlights the company’s commitment to substantial stockholdings: “We invest heavily in maintaining a large inventory. If you don’t have the stock, you can’t meet demand,” she explains. “For our ongoing customers who use products consistently, we always have enough stock to prevent any shortages.” The new Sydney branch in Cranebrook opened its doors in April this year. Strategically positioned to serve the East Coast market, this facility boasts ample warehouse space to maintain extensive stock levels. Sydney's central location between Queensland and…

A 130% price increase for a cast steel blank is a challenge for the Albstadt-based security engineers of Assa Abloy. The solution? Do it yourself—with a new machining strategy and tools from Gühring. The result? A 50% cost saving per component is not the only benefit for the company. Whether it’s a cucumber in the supermarket or a steel component in an industrial company, war and a pandemic have made shopping expensive. Assa Abloy, a security technology manufacturer in Albstadt, also felt this. The company usually purchases the housing for its electric strikes from a steel precision casting manufacturer. But about three years ago, it increased its prices by 130%. “Suddenly, it was no longer economical for us to offer these products,” recalled Patrick Matysiak, Deputy Product Cell Manager at Assa Abloy. An alternative needed to be found. Can we reduce prices with cheaper injection moulding from China? Patrick Matysiak had a better idea: “I had a thought: Why don't we switch to free-cutting steel and machine the entire component in-house?" The plan is clear: A new machining centre will…

Small businesses in remote and isolated areas in Australia encounter unique challenges when sourcing specialised materials and components for their manufacturing operations. One obstacle is the difficulty in accurately cutting steel plates that exceed a certain thickness. These robust metal plates are crucial for various industrial applications, such as mining equipment, construction projects, and heavy machinery repairs. BEZ Engineering connected with Headland Technology at AMTIL’s Australian Manufacturing Week, and their experts understood the challenges and presented the OMAX Maxiem 1530 water jet machine as a technology solution. Andrew Smith, Managing Director of BEZ Engineering, oversees all business operations and financial aspects. Bez Engineering is a family-owned and operated business in the Pilbara since 2000. The company was initially opened to service the Oil & Gas, Mining and Marine industries in the Pilbara region. The business has undergone many transitions, with a change of directors in 2023. The vision of the business follows Henry Ford’s saying, “Quality means doing the right thing when no one is looking”. This mindset allowed Bez Engineering to be a leader in manufacturing quality products for…

A second-generation family business based in Narangba, Queensland, Steelrod Pty Ltd is a leading specialist engineering supplier to rail authorities and mining companies throughout Australasia and selected export regions. Founded in 1974 by Doug Veneris and celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, the company continues to expand and is now run by sons Damian and Shawn Veneris as joint Managing Directors. Damian is a qualified boiler maker, and Shawn specialises in the commercial side of the business. Today, the company employs a highly skilled team of more than 55 experienced personnel. Based on the strongest foundations built on quality engineering excellence and delivery performance across a diverse range of engineering capabilities and complex industrial projects, Steelrod has continued to invest in modern state-of-the-art high-end machining centres and has kept abreast of cutting-edge technological developments. In 2008, Steelrod commissioned its first Okuma Double Column machining centre, replacing an older alternate machine. In June this year, it commissioned a second Okuma Double Column machining centre, MCR-A5CII 20x40 with OSP P300MA Control, based on the earlier machine's performance and reliability,…

In the pipe welding industry, advancements in automation continue to provide solutions to the labour gap caused by an acute shortage of skilled welders. Novarc Technologies Inc., a full-stack robotics company specialising in designing and manufacturing cobots and computer vision AI for automated welding applications, has been a pioneer in welding automation since 2013, providing a solution to the welding labour shortage. Weld Australia predicts a shortage of nearly 70,000 skilled welding operators in Australia by 2030. With an aging welder workforce and a need for uptake of the welder trade, there are no simple solutions to the welder demographic. According to Geoff Crittenden (CEO, Weld Australia), a member survey conducted in 2023 found that “labour shortages, and the rising cost of materials, energy and labour remain high on the agenda for the welding industry. Without funding and support from governments at all levels, these challenges will make it nearly impossible for industry to deliver the necessary manufacturing capability required for the Federal Government’s ambitious renewable energy revolution.” Novarc Technologies Inc.'s flagship product is the Spool…

Many manufacturing projects involve artificial intelligence (AI), and AMTIL collaborated with Monash Innovation Labs once again recently. They invited AMTIL members to tour the facilities and network with the best minds in the business. Prof. Adrian Neild, Director of the Monash Innovation Labs, presented on industry partnership opportunities. There were guided tours of the Makerspace, the Monash Deep Neuron display, Monash Automation, and Monash Smart Manufacturing with the digital twin systems, as demonstrated by Dr Keenan Granland. To bookend the tours, there was a panel on the critical theme of the evening, ‘AI in Manufacturing, ’ moderated by Monash’s Michelle Willis, with Dr Yunlong Tang from Monash University, Dr Juxi Leitner of LYRO Robotics and Dr Ziejue Chen from CSIRO. Up for discussion were the current developments in AI that are most impactful to the Australian manufacturing sector. Dr Ziejue Chen from CSIRO addressed the security concerns about the data being collected for the AI engine. “The collection can be from just one camera and collected on just one PC, which doesn’t have to be connected to…

Plant managers often have a deep understanding of all the critical operational challenges facing their facility and a broad knowledge of the instrumentation that can help solve them. However, they might only sometimes be aware of the latest innovations that can make their lives easier. For instance, multifunctional monitoring instrumentation simplifies all plant measurement and control processes. Ian Loudon is an international sales and marketing manager at Omniflex, a remote monitoring specialist. Streamlining technology is one of the most effective ways to innovate. In almost every industry, a business will likely opt for a single solution with multiple functionalities over a selection of specialised products—provided it doesn’t compromise on quality. Signal conditioning is no different. Signal conditioning converts physical qualities into readable data that computer systems can process. Often, applications are complex, with multiple specialised components configured to measure an individual physical property, such as line linearisation in tanks. This method quickly becomes impractical across all industries with signal conditioning applications because multiple physical processes require 24/7 monitoring. In an industrial plant environment, physical processes…

According to one of the country's leading geologists and immersive technology experts, a virtual and robotic revolution in Australia’s mining industry could end fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers within decades. Virtual and augmented reality, along with automation, are transforming the mining sector, says UniSA Professor Tom Raimondo, allowing more work to be done remotely, saving time, money and removing many of the risks and travel for workers. Professor Raimondo, Dean of Programs for Information Technology and Mathematics at the University of South Australia, is developing VR and AR platforms to enhance core logging with machine learning, create fully digital reconstructions of mining operations, and even simulate the drilling process. MinEx CRC, the world’s largest mineral exploration collaboration, has facilitated this innovative work. It includes projects such as the RoXplorer digital twin, an ultra-realistic simulation of the drill site of the future, and the Exploration Metaverse, a collection of immersive AR and VR platforms for collaboratively viewing and analysing complex mining data with colleagues and experts from across the world in real time. “Globally, it is becoming more difficult and more…

The Federal and South Australian governments have selected CIMIC Group CPB Contractors to deliver the Tram Grade Separation Projects in an Alliance with McConnell Dowell, Mott MacDonald, ARUP, and Aurecon. Designed to improve transport safety, efficiency, and reliability, the Tram Grade Separation Projects will also enhance amenity, connectivity, and liveability along the existing tram line from Adelaide’s CBD to Glenelg. Modifications to the existing overpass at South Road are key to this project and are required to facilitate the construction of the highly anticipated River Torrens to Darlington Project. CIMIC said in a news release that the Tram Grade Separation Project will generate revenue of approximately $212.8m for CPB Contractors. “These upgrades will be critical to supporting economic growth in South Australia and reducing travel times for motorists, buses, freight, and airport traffic while promoting sustainable urban growth and low-emission, healthy transport choices for commuters,” said CIMIC Group Chairman Juan Santamaria. “On completion, these works will foster a stronger sense of community between the suburbs of Adelaide, providing better, safer, and more accessible tram stops with improved…