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FROM THE CEO Australian Manufacturing Week replaces Austech and National Manufacturing Week as the premier Manufacturing Technology and Machine Tool show in the country. Being held from 7-10 June in Sydney at Darling Harbour, the event showcases six Technology Zones, including Machine Tools & Ancillary Equipment, Welding and Air Technology, Additive Manufacturing, Robotics & Automation, Manufacturing Solutions and the Australian Manufacturers Pavilion. The last time the show was held, in Melbourne in 2019, we had visitors from 45 countries around the world – highlighting the international recognition the show has built up over the last 20 years. We are very pleased to return to the International Convention Centre at Darling Harbour for the first time since the Centre was rebuilt in 2016. During the rebuild, Austech and National Manufacturing Week relocated to Homebush for the 2010 and 2012 shows. Whilst these years were still successful events for us, a move back to the city venue was always considered the obvious choice. AMW 2022 takes place during…

Applied Machinery will again be showcasing a diverse range of machines at Austech. Taking centre stage on the Applied stand will be a 9-Axis Yawei CNC pressbrake. Yawei pressbrakes offer manufacturers access to affordable, precision CNC bending. With a range available from 35 ton up to 3000 ton there are virtually no limits to what can be bent. The Yawei pressbrake on display is a PBH Series with a 160-ton bending capacity. It features a Delem DA-69T Controller, 6-axis CNC backgauge and a servo driven hydraulic system. An automatic tool clamping system, CNC bending help and robotic integration are amongst the additional options that are available. Over the past decade Yawei has built a loyal following; establishing an enviable reputation for quality, performance and outstanding value for money. In addition to pressbrakes, Yawei has an extensive range of fiber lasers, turret punch presses, guillotines, and smart-factory automation solutions. Also on the stand will be a Weber grinding and deburring machine. Weber is a German-based company with an impressive 100 years’ experience in grinding…

The outstanding contribution SPEE3D’s technology has made to furthering the manufacturing capability of Defense was recognised by the US Defense Strategies Institute (DSI) at their 6th Military Additive Manufacturing Summit, which took place in Tampa, Florida. At the summit, SPEE3D was announced as the inaugural winner of the Defense Strategies Institute’s Award for Expeditionary & Tactical 3D Printing Excellence. The Defense Strategies Institute (DSI) is a non-partisan Institute designed to assist in advancing the mission critical goals of the United States' Military and Government. They are also the organisers of the Annual Military Additive Manufacturing Summit event which enables thought leaders and key policymakers across military services, Defense agencies, and civilian organisations to come together for actionable discussions and debate. The 2022 Military Additive Manufacturing Summit focused on advancements made in the 3D printing space, as well as how the DoD is working to quickly integrate AM technologies in order to supply durable, affordable equipment and parts to the Warfighter in the battlespace. “We had an incredible number of entries…

The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will be an unmissable part of AMW 2022. The boom in interest in 3D printing continues to gain momentum, and AMW visitors will get a chance to see the latest innovations in this area first-hand. The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will feature demonstrations of the latest 3D printers and services from a range of companies and organisations that lead the field of additive manufacturing. One highlight of the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will be RAM3D. Based in Tauranga, New Zealand, RAM3D has been leading the way in metal 3D printing in the Southern Hemisphere for more than 10 years. From its high-tech manufacturing facility it creates parts for a variety of world-wide industries; from titanium knives used by the Team NZ Americas Cup crew, to customised handlebar extensions for the New Zealand Olympics Cycling team. It produces inconel and titanium parts for aerospace and defence customers, and can also print in Stainless Steel 15-5ph and 316L, Titanium 64, Inconel 718 (high temperature alloy) and Aluminium (AlSi10Mg). “Advances in 3D printing…

The Federal Government on 3rd March announced $20m in grant funding support for Fleet Space’s Australian Space Manufacturing Hub – to be located at the recently announced Australian Space Park at Adelaide Airport – under the Collaboration Stream of the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative . The South Australian Government is also contributing $20m towards the $66m project, which is expected to create 221 local jobs, as well as more than 1,000 others indirectly. Fleet Space is Australia’s leading space company. The company has designed, built and launched the country’s only commercial satellites and has six satellites already in orbit as it works towards a mission towards building a constellation of 140 small satellites in Low Earth Orbit. Fleet Space plans to build a satellite Hyper Factory in Australian Space Park in Adelaide, and develop new 3D printed small satellites. The Federal and State funding will supplement industry investment into the Australian Space Park by Fleet Space Technologies, AT Space, Alauda and Q-CTRL. The purpose-built facility…

The Federal Government has announced support for a project led by Australian Plant Proteins (APP) under the Collaboration Stream of the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative to transform local production of pulse protein ingredients and help meet the growing global demand. APP owns Australia’s only commercial-scale pulse protein extraction facility. This project will quadruple production in South Australia, to produce 25,000 tonnes of pulse protein yearly. Partnering together with one of Australia’s largest family-owned food producers, Thomas Foods International and the Australian Milling Group, more than $378m will be invested in the construction of three plant protein manufacturing facilities supplying domestic and international markets. South Australia produces over a quarter of all Australian pulses and this project gives Australia the opportunity to value-add by up to eight times the value of the product. That value will be captured here in Australia for Australians benefit. Locally based plant…

The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will be an unmissable part of AMW 2022. The boom in interest in 3D printing continues to gain momentum, and AMW visitors will get a chance to see the latest innovations in this area first-hand. The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will feature demonstrations of the latest 3D printers and services from a range of companies and organisations that lead the field of additive manufacturing. One highlight of the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will be RAM3D. Based in Tauranga, New Zealand, RAM3D has been leading the way in metal 3D printing in the Southern Hemisphere for more than 10 years. From its high-tech manufacturing facility it creates parts for a variety of world-wide industries; from titanium knives used by the Team NZ Americas Cup crew, to customised handlebar extensions for the New Zealand Olympics Cycling team. It produces inconel and titanium parts for aerospace and defence customers, and can also print in Stainless Steel 15-5ph and 316L, Titanium 64, Inconel 718 (high temperature alloy) and Aluminium (AlSi10Mg). “Advances in 3D…

The compact, easy-to-use, flexible and affordable Agile Flex has established a solid foothold in the US market, offering local manufacturers and machine shops a truly agile machine tool-loading solution as well as an antidote for staff shortages and sick leave absences. Success in North America includes a few successful installations in Canada. Now the company is entering the UK market through a recent appointment of a local distributor, also with an eye on the greater European market. While many workshops across the globe are realising the productivity benefits of installing an Agile Flex on their CNC machine tools, the Agile Flex is also developing significant attention in the Australian market due to its reputation for best-in-class software and maximum productivity out-of-the-box at a market-leading price. To get an Australian perspective, we interviewed Derek Hyde, one of the owners of Melbourne-based Jodek, to find out more about his company’s choice to invest in not just one but two Agile Flex 12D systems.   AMT: What…

The initial release of the WCE platform features WCE4, a four-flute geometry which combines advanced, high-performance features with a brand new, versatile grade offered at a highly competitive price. “With its new design, the WCE4 delivers the next generation of versatile end mills to help our customers be more productive and efficient,” said Tamir Sherif, Solid End Milling Global Portfolio Manager at WIDIA. “The WCE4 is an attractively priced tool for small-to-medium shop floors where reliability and consistent tool life are high priorities.” Two key features of the tool are its asymmetrical index and variable helix. The combination of the two reduce vibrations and enable heavy cuts, while the new grade, WU20PE, enables versatility on steel, stainless steel and cast-iron applications. These design features, coupled with the four-flute geometry, deliver an end mill with reliable performance and application versatility – even in demanding operations such as full slots and heavy cuts. The WCE platform includes four-flute, square-end and ball nose end mills with both straight and Weldon shanks and is available…

If you’d sat behind the desks of the CEOs of Australia’s leading industrial fabrication, transport and marine businesses in March 2020 as the first wave of COVID-19 restrictions rolled out, you’d never have predicted the turn events these industries would experience over the coming 24 months. Many were forecasting reduced demand, industry downturns, staff reductions and operational stand-downs. Fast forward two years and as an industry we are riding a collective wave of strong demand. Local manufacturers are benefiting from the reduced presence of imported aluminium products, spurring increased demand for locally fabricated aluminium products. The strong growth in demand has created a different type of challenge for local businesses that use aluminium, who are now faced with supply challenges due to material shortages and supplier capacity, while subject to unprecedented aluminium pricing pressures. In fact, capacity to supply aluminium products within Australia has never been pushed so hard, with pricing impacts and supply shortages affecting everything from beer cans…

Building on $70m of investment by Thales Australia in the Lithgow facility that has included new equipment and product development over the past decade, Phase 1 of this new industrial plan will establish a modern manufacturing and integration hub for the design, development and precision manufacture of next generation weapons systems for the Australian Defence Force, industrial partners and export customers. The ceremony was attended by leaders from local, state and federal governments including: Paul Toole MP, Deputy Premier of NSW and Member for Bathurst. Toole said: “This is a momentous occasion for both Thales and Lithgow today. The $6.5m investment by Thales in a new facility here in Lithgow shows that Thales is going to be in Lithgow for a long, long time. Today marks the future, and a new era that not only secures existing advanced manufacturing jobs…

A regional development package has been revealed as well, targeting a bunch of regional centres includes massive investment into infrastructure projects in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and the Pilbara area of WA.  These sectors cover telecommunications, road, rail and regional health. The commitments total more than $21bn over the medium term. Simon Birmingham, the Liberal government finance minister, described the government’s budget management was allowing for the delivery of a dividend back to taxpayers.  But, he said, “it seeks to apply those dividends in a careful, cautious, responsible way to set Australia up for the future.” The deficit for 2021-22 is expected to be $79.8bn, with total deficits across the four-year forward estimates totalling $224.7bn.…