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Tool presetters provide three key features in the one machine: measuring, presetting, and inspecting tools. They save on set-up time, improve accuracy and produce better quality parts, while minimising scrap. A state-of-the-art image processing system measures the cutting edges of tools in seconds, then saves and documents the measurement results. As a result, the time-consuming process of making fine adjustments are a thing of the past. Adjustable boring bars can be easily set with micron precision in less than a minute, which in turn eradicates frustrating “trial and error” cutting. Tool run-out can also be checked and cutting inserts inspected using the on-board inspection camera. “Presetting and measuring allows for shorter fitting times and greater productivity – while your machine works you can get the next tool ready,” explains Paul Fowler, Managing Director of Dimac Tooling. “Thanks to correctly preset tools, the very first part will be of the highest quality. You can also be confident the tool will…

Various parts for the M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier were replaced with metal parts manufactured on site during Exercise Koolendong, an annual bilateral military exercise between the Australian Army and the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. Parts were identified, 3D printed, certified and then subsequently installed on vehicles The Australian Army is rapidly developing its metal manufacturing capability with SPEE3D’s award-winning metal 3D printing technology. The company’s WarpSPEE3D Tactical Printer uses patented cold-spray technology that enables significantly faster and more cost-effective metal part production than any other process. It can print large metal parts up to 40kg at a record rate of 100g per minute. SPEE3D has been working closely with the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy to bring this capability to the Australian Defence Force with world-first field trials designed to test the feasibility of deploying metal 3D printing as a capability, both in barracks and in the field. A number of field trials in 2020 resulted in more than 50 case studies of printable parts and…

Laserline laser systems is well known worldwide, with many installations in a range of industries including on the production line of various Audi models for welding tailgates, doors and roof joints. The systems are favoured due to the high-quality finished product and their use in conjunction with a robot for automated process controls. Welding of aluminium often requires a filler material but can be used on visible surfaces without further processing – a result that has been tested and used by Audi in Germany. In Australia Laserline lasers are used extensively for cladding, repair and refurbishment of worn or damaged parts. A 3D process is also possible to print new parts or add functionality. Recently Laserline has focused on developing a system suitable for welding copper, a key component in many modern technological devices. Copper is one of the most important raw materials for electrical power and signal transmission, and with the growing use of small devices, the demand for good quality welding that provides suitable…

After graduating as a materials engineer in the early 2000s and spending a decade working with newer production technologies such as 3D printing in the manufacturing industry, David Forrestal sought a career change and headed back to university for a PhD in tissue engineering. He graduated with a doctorate in 2019, developing new systems and methods for seeding living cells in 3D-printed bioresorbable polymer scaffolds – culturing cells and keeping them alive so a patient’s body can use them to restore tissue. Nowadays, Forrestal is an Advanced Biomedical Engineer at Herston Biofabrication Institute, a multidisciplinary institute at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) which officially opened in February. It focuses on 3D scanning, 3D modelling and 3D printing of medical devices, bone, cartilage and human tissue. It has programs based around orthopaedics; burns, skin & wounds; vascular & endovascular surgery; urology; cancer care; craniofacial; and anaesthesia & intensive care. “We’re an institute, but we’re directly in…

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) is tasked with enforcing compliance with the FW Act, including ensuring employees receive their lawful entitlements. The FWO can investigate employers if a complaint has been made regarding a failure to comply with workplace laws, including wage underpayments. If a breach has been identified, the FWO has a range of compliance powers, including issuing a compliance notice requiring that the breach is rectified within a certain period of time, entering into an Enforceable Undertaking and/or issuing prosecution proceedings against the employer and persons knowingly involved in the alleged breach, including directors. Sapphire Freighters: a case study The consequences of not paying the correct wages to employees and failing to rectify the issue were demonstrated recently in a Federal Circuit Court case against Sapphire Freighters Pty Ltd, a long-haul trucking business based in Melbourne. The FWO successfully secured a…

SPARTAN is Hypersonix’ fifth-generation scramjet. It is a fixed-geometry self-igniting hydrogen-powered scramjet capable of accelerating from Mach 5 to Mach 12. SPARTAN’s fixed geometry means it has no moving parts, so the design lends itself to 3D printing (3DP). This reduces both the cost and time to produce the scramjet, while potentially adding to reliability and performance. Additive manufacturing allows the creation of parts that have a complex design, and is perfect for light-weighting, which is essential for the space industry. SPARTAN uses green hydrogen for fuel, so creates no CO2 emissions. The hydrogen fuel also allows Hypersonix to utilise regenerative cooling on the combustor, in turn allowing the use of readily available high-temperature alloys in place of more expensive and complex high-temperature composites. David Waterhouse, Managing Director and co-founder of Hypersonix said: “The use of additive engineering to manufacture a scramjet engine will fundamentally disrupt the cost structure of scramjets and an important step in providing more affordable access to hypersonic flight. We are very proud of Australia’s world…

The MMFI is an interdisciplinary research hub delivering tangible solutions to emerging global problems by studying, building, and transforming the future of materials innovation and advanced manufacturing. Through the MMFI, Australian manufacturers have access to state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing research and problem-solving skills coupled with the technology to address the barriers and opportunities in material sciences and advanced manufacturing, with diverse applications in printed electronics, transport, energy, information technology, and health. Professor Sean Li, the Institute’s director, said: “MMFI has the research expertise and infrastructure to support local industry. It also has access to other skills within UNSW such as science, chemistry, electrical engineering, and medical science, providing an even broader skillset that can be tapped. Not only can MMFI come up with a theory, we can use the in-house resources to test it, make changes, and in a short timeframe, produce a practical, real-world solution.” Matthew Hunter, Innovation Product Marketing Manager at Konica…

Presented at this year’s Cooperative Research Australia (CRA) Collaborate | Innovate 2021 conference, the award recognises outstanding examples of research collaboration that address industry-specific problems for the benefit of Australian industry and the economy. With funding from IMCRC, in 2017, Brisbane-based design and manufacturing company Urban Art Projects (UAP) embarked on an $8m design robotics research project in partnership with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and RMIT University (RMIT). By investing in robotic vision systems and developing smart user-interfaces, UAP streamlined its ability to manufacture bespoke artwork and architecture pieces here in Australia. As part of the project, UAP also opened its factory doors to local manufacturing SMEs to share research outcomes and education on how robots and other emerging technologies can assist in manufacturing high-value products. This ‘open innovation’ approach led to the formation of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub in Brisbane. QUT Associate Professor Jared Donovan, who accepted the award on behalf of the Design Robotics team, thanked all participants for their…

TCL Hofmann joined the Stratasys channel network since 2019 and has supplied leading-edge 3D printing technologies to manufacturing companies and organisations to help them upscale their businesses and optimise results. With strong teams in Melbourne and Sydney, and sister company TCL Hunt in New Zealand’s major cities, TCL Hofmann’s success has developed from the broad supply of quality products to a range of industries through to the highest levels of service and advisory, pre- and post-sale support, and servicing. COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the manufacturing industry, testing the resilience and flexibility of manufacturers across the globe as they deal with high levels of uncertainty in production scheduling, raw material sourcing and workforce dependency. TCL Hofmann has demonstrated its ability in delivering a strong customer service experience, and its appointment as a Stratasys Platinum Partner comes at a time when more and more Australian enterprises are embracing 3D printing. Organisations such as Cobalt Design, the Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) motor-racing team and Bendigo Tech…

Nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees in south-western France is the small town of Lavelanet. The town is home to Mecaprec, a precision machining company with clients that include some of the world’s biggest aeronautics businesses. It’s also the hometown of the company’s CEO Jean-Marc Gomez. “I acquired the company in 2008,” Gomez says. “At the time, it employed 12 people and had annual sales of some €780,000. I was very keen to invest in my hometown and provide employment for local people, so it was a natural fit. Around that time, I also met Christian Gil. He told me that if I took the company over, he’d come in as my workshop manager, and he’s been there ever since. He’s passionate about machine tooling, too, and together we have built an amazing team of people – we love what we do!” Mecaprec was a company with genuine expertise in terms of…

HC-ATM prides itself on manufacturing high-quality truck, trailer and tooling aftermarket parts for the heavy transport industry. Trading under the name of Australian Truck & Trailer Parts, it is regarded as an essential supplier to Australian distributors and major transport brands, and has experienced an increase in demand for its products during COVID lockdowns. Directors Peter Henderson and Greg Hudson first acquired the business’ assets in 2010 from a Brisbane manufacturer that was closing. Both Henderson and Hudson had worked together in IT, before creating Australian Tool Manufacturers, as the business was known then. Henderson and Hudson are still the majority investors in the business, and together with Murray Curti running daily operations, they form a team that has been able to implement advanced manufacturing concepts with their key staff. The wide range of products made in their factory can compete with imports both on price and quality. Henderson says that when Curti came onboard, it was to help them develop and streamline…

Adarsh is a private family business founded in 1995 and is part of a group of companies employing more than 80 personnel. The group offers CNC machining, casting and forging, fabrication, wire cutting and plastics manufacturing. Adarsh enjoys longstanding recognition in Western Australia for its production of high-quality components. Its sales are nationwide with a significant percentage of components going to export via the end clients. Today the company services a diverse range of industries such as mining, defence, sub-sea projects, automotive and agriculture. It is expanding further into the health sector, having been involved in the production of high-quality face shields for WA’s frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, working with biomedical engineers from East Metropolitan Health Services Centre for Implant Technology and Retrieval Analysis. With reshoring of competitive component manufacturing to Australia, Adarsh is playing its part with the training of apprentices. Two are currently in training, and Adarsh has a close working relationship with the local TAFE training colleges. Adarsh has a longstanding relationship…