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As part of a commitment to Industry 4.0 transformation, the kiosks feature Integra’s own software, developed in-house, and integrated with the organisation’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, computer-aided design (CAD) and live machine monitoring data to deliver a wide range of efficiencies – from smarter ways of working to ensuring quality. The development of the kiosks and associated software has been so successful that Integra has now commercialised the technology as a customised product and service – the DigiSMART Collection – which it can now deliver to fellow manufacturers as well as industry sectors such as retail, logistics, defence and so on. Integra’s Managing Director and Co-Founder Paul Hughes describes the platform created by Integra’s computer scientists for the kiosks as nothing less than the framework to his business. The touchscreen system accumulates a range of data which, in turn, provides valuable analytics for engineers, designers and customers. “We create a virtual job bag in the…

IMS Gear manufactures gears, assemblies and components primarily for the automotive sector at three German sites and plants in China, Mexico and the US, with some 3,400 employees worldwide. Gears and drives from IMS Gear are in operation in almost every car on the road, providing steering assistance, electric seat adjustment, lumbar support, electronic parking brakes, automatic tailgate opening and more. Reinhold Gnädinger, Manufacturing Manager at IMS Gear, says: “The core competence of our business unit is the production of precise, long-lasting transmission components from 2,000 to 3,000 metal and plastic elements. By overmoulding the metallic hubs and shafts with purpose-developed plastic materials, use of the specific material properties can be optimised so that high torques can be transferred reliably and quietly. Noise is an issue.” When you must produce half a million drill holes cost-effectively, optimisation is key. For the production specialists at IMS Gear, the goal was to significantly improve process reliability and reduce noise levels in the…

Both aerospace and defence have been early adopters of additive manufacturing, mainly because complex geometries can be achieved that would be difficult to create using traditional manufacturing. Organic shapes, non-uniform sections and hollow areas become possible - leading to a part optimised for function and cost using metal 3D printing. RAM3D’s services include metal 3D printing in stainless steel 15-5ph and 316L, titanium 64, Inconel 718 and aluminium (AISi10Mg), as well as consultation on design for additive manufacturing. Last year, RAM3D printed more than 3,500 parts for spacecraft, while closer to earth it has been working with companies like Oceania Defence and Aeromotors. Oceania Defence – A partnership going from strength to strength It’s no secret that RAM3D has been working in collaboration with Oceania Defence, a world leader in firearms suppressors since 2012. Oceania Defence relocated its business to RAM3D’s bespoke factory in Tauranga in July 2019, and the business relationship continues to move from…

The fund will be managed and administered by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), in collaboration with the five other Industry Growth Centres: AustCyber, Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL), MTPConnect, METS Ignited and National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), and the CSIRO. Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the Commercialisation Fund will foster projects that bring industry and researchers together to commercialise new manufacturing products and processes. “Making science and technology work for industry is one of the central pillars of our Government’s $1.5bn Modern Manufacturing Strategy and this fund is just one of the ways we’re delivering on that,” said Andrews. “The Morrison Government is positioning Australia’s manufacturing industry at the cutting edge of innovation and this fund will help bring together the best of research and manufacturing capability to generate commercial outcomes. “We know that by making our manufacturers more competitive and helping them to take on the world, we will create jobs for Australians – both for the COVID-19 recovery and for…

Today, metalworking manufacturers have the luxury of options when it comes to selecting a suitable plasma cutting system for their operations. However, with globalisation and a competitive business environment, manufacturers have to grapple with demands for high-quality products delivered within a short period of time, while balancing upfront investments and long-term operation costs. With all these challenges to juggle, it may seem like an easy choice for companies to opt for low-cost cutting systems. However, to ensure their products are of high quality and that they remain competitively priced, manufacturers must consider the type and volume of cutting that needs to be done, and determine specifications that can impact the cutting applications, productivity, and accuracy requirements. So, the question is: how can one determine if a plasma cutting system can meet your production needs while keeping costs low? Here are three important considerations that manufacturers should factor into their decision. #1 – Is the system a proven solution? In general,…

Based in Melrose Park, New South Wales, McNeall Plastics services customers across the broadest range of industries, including mining, energy, pharmaceutical, transport, automotive, packaging, building and construction, bulk handling, foundries and many more. The company continues to looking to the future to expand on its reputation as a leading supplier of high quality engineered plastics. Its latest acquisition is the recently commissioned Okuma Genos L3000-eMYx1000 CNC lathe, along with an OSP-P300LA controller and accessories. The new machine is already enhancing volumes and size capabilities in precision components and will allow the company to produce tooling for casting moulds in-house. “The selection of the Okuma machine was an easy one for us as the name is known throughout the industry as one of the highest precision machine brands available,” says Josh Budd, Managing Director at McNeall Plastics. “And the technical support and training from Okuma is just outstanding.” McNeall Plastics has the only major nylon…

Businesses with a track record of reliability, performance and quality are best placed to serve our national defence procurement needs. One such company is Elexon Electronics. This Australian-owned, Brisbane-based company prides itself on delivering innovative solutions to customers from ‘niche’ markets, with an unmatched ability to offer turnkey solutions of electronics products using local suppliers and Australian resources. “Throughout the last 16 years, we have successfully developed a wide range of unique products serving the medical science, mining and automotive industries,” says Frank Faller, CEO of Elexon. “Now we are offering our extensive intellectual property (IP), ability to quickly innovate, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to defence suppliers.” Elexon’s growth and development over the past two decades means their customers now include many renowned national and international companies such as Rio Tinto, Newcrest, Volvo, Aurizon, Aim Lab, Agilent and…

Manufacturing economics determines a company’s profitability. With metal cutting, production economics should focus on ensuring these processes and environments are secure and predictable. There should be two ultimate goals: firstly, maintaining the highest production output; and secondly, the lowest production cost. These goals present challenges in steel turning operations, with bottlenecks, production slow-downs, or restrictions in the number of components produced per run. Now, there are the wider industry challenges posed by COVID-19. Manufacturers, particularly in mass production, are especially conscious of cost-per-part when managing steel turning operations. The basic principle of cost-per-part is calculated by the total fixed costs plus total variable costs, divided by the total units produced. The parameters of steel turning also depend very much on market demand, with a view to either reducing production costs or increasing output. Companies that manufacture automotive components, for instance, could face either high or low demand scenarios going forward. Low…

AC Australia CAD CAM Solutions is the authorised reseller of ALPAHCAM in Australia. AC Australia is dedicated not only to supplying software, but to delivering solutions that optimise the production of Australian manufacturers. Lead by Brand Manager, Blake McCrossen, the AC Australia team aims to work closely alongside all of its customers to ensure that manufacturing is enhanced as a result of their investment. Describing the benefits of ALPHACAM, McCrossen explains: “ALPHACAM is a customisable system that can be configured to generate and produce files for all CNC machines. We customise and integrate the software to suit each individual business’ needs. This allows AC Australia to provide a customised approach to improving manufacturing processes and ensures our customers gain the most out of their software investment.” CAD Translator functionality is at the core of ALPHACAM’s CAM (computer-aided machining) capability, as it can import and analyse almost any CAD (computer-aided design) file while applying tooling operations…

Robots are such an integral part of industry these days it is hard to imagine production facilities without them. However, their use requires strict safety measures, especially when they come into contact with people. A new generation of robots drastically minimises the risk of injury and offers other advantages: these new robots are made of a flexible material, such as silicone. The movement of the robot is created by a specific filling and emptying of cavities (often using compressed air or vacuum). An example of a soft robot already used in industry is the so-called pneumatic gripper. These actuators are characterised in particular by their high flexibility in gripping shapes and the non-destructive handling of fragile objects. However, the production of these flexible grippers is a challenge. The complex geometries and the many cavities make injection molding very complex or, in some cases, impossible. This can be remedied…

The emergence of cleaner energy options, and more ‘energy producers’ in the market, has increased the competition for your green dollar. There is already a clean alternative to fossil fuels that does not emit greenhouse gases and unlike solar and wind energy, can be produced at any time of the day or night, whatever the weather. Green hydrogen is made using clean electricity from renewable energy to electrolyse water (H2O), separating the hydrogen from the oxygen. Aside from the sustainability factor, one of the benefits of hydrogen is that it can be used immediately or be stored and transported for later use, making it a mobile energy source. It can also be used as a clean fuel for transport, for providing additional electricity to the grid,…

Six of the seven activity indices in the Australian PMI expanded in February (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with higher results indicating a faster rate of expansion). Only the stocks (inventories) index contracted (down 5.6 points to 48.0), perhaps because of buoyant sales in the month (up 15.7 points to 62.2). Production, sales, employment and new orders all improved from the December and January period, with the new orders index (up 5.3 points to 59.9) indicating further strong production in the coming months. “Australia’s manufacturers lifted production and employment in February as sales recovered a large share of the ground lost in 2020,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “Growth was distributed broadly across manufacturing with particular strength among producers of machinery & equipment and chemical products.” Five of the six manufacturing sectors in the Australian PMI expanded in February, with only the metal products sector reporting mildly negative conditions (down 0.8 points to 48.7).…

At Interlease, we believe that manufacturing will be firmly in the driver’s seat in leading the Australian economy to not just recover but grow and thrive in the post-COVID world. To do so, it is imperative that all businesses have the tools available to them to help them succeed. In June 2020, the Government announced it would be increasing the Instant Asset Write-Off threshold from $30,000 to $150,000. On 6 October it went one step further and removed the threshold altogether, meaning any asset, new or used, could be immediately depreciated up until 30 June 2022. The scheme is available to all businesses that have an aggregated annual turnover of less than $50m. Small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less that $10m can also deduct the balance of their simplified depreciation pool at the end of the income year. As an…