Member News

Dimac was recently confirmed as the distributor for Lang Technik’s cutting edge innovative products. As a result, any company that is involved with workpiece milling in Australia or New Zealand now has easy access to Lang Technik’s Makro-Grip technology, which provides a workholding solution to almost any clamping requirement from raw material to the finished workpiece. “We are thrilled to have been appointed Lang Technik’s sole distributor in Australia,” says Dimac Managing Director, Paul Fowler. “This well-known German company is recognised as one of the leading manufacturers of workholding and machine tool automation. Every month thousands of clamping set-ups are delivered to customers all over the world to help them increase their production efficiency.” Makro-Grip stamping technology is a patented form-closure technology which provides the highest holding power for five-face machining worldwide. The stamping technology, also called pre-stamping, involves the workpiece being stamped outside of the machine tool with up to 20 tons of hydraulic pressure, before being clamped in the Makro-Grip five-axis vise. Clamping scenarios that require high holding…

The AM Hub was officially launched on 3 September at the headquarters of Objective 3D in Carrum Downs, in an event attended by Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll and Sonya Kilkenny, the local member for Carrum. The AM Hub will be delivered by AMTIL, and supported by $1.85m from the Victorian Government. Membership of the AM Hub is free for all AMTIL members (but not limited to AMTIL members). “3D printing is a game changer for manufacturing, which is why we’re backing the technology so more local companies can reap the benefits,” said Minister Carroll. “This new Hub will help local manufacturers innovate, become more productive and excel in future industries.” AM is a breakthrough technology for advanced manufacturing, helping businesses design and make new high-value products that are not possible using traditional methods. Capability in this form of high-value manufacturing will help to position local businesses for success in future industries such as defence, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, and transport technologies. The AM Hub will improve…

The Australian PMI has indicated positive conditions (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase) for 23 consecutive months – the longest run of recovery or expansion since 2005. All seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI expanded in August. Six of the seven sub-indexes accelerated, with only inventories decelerating (down 3.6 points to 51.1). New orders grew strongly (up 8.5 points to 59.6) while exports, lower than the other activity sub-indexes over the past year, jumped 8.5 points to 58.4. The input prices sub-index jumped 9.3 points to 77.4, its highest result since March 2011, while wages also continued to rise (up 4.1 points to a record high of 64.7). In response, the selling prices sub-index rose by 5.1 points to 58.1 – the highest result for this sub-index since April 2017. “The Australian PMI rebounded in August on the cusp of two years of uninterrupted expansion,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “The manufacturing sector has…

Smooth Technology can act as the catalyst for the introduction of Industry 4.0. At its core is the ability to gather and analyse data, enabling the factory floor and management suite to make better, faster decisions, improving yield and speeding up production. Crucially, it is entirely scalable. As production increases and new machines or automation equipment are introduced, Smooth Technology can be quickly scaled up to match new requirements. In an Industry 4.0 factory, every aspect of production is connected, monitored and analysed, from production scheduling through to virtual simulation of the component to be cut, energy consumption, tool management and maintenance practices. The goal is to deliver more productivity and better quality products with less machine downtime. Factory floor…

It’s been argued that manufacturing companies are becoming more and more like service companies, and any line between the two is getting harder to draw. There have been many articles recommending that manufacturing companies invest in a high-performing customer service team to better meet their customers’ needs that previously may have been neglected. In many ways I could say I am now tasked with much of the responsibility of selling our machines, a role that traditionally sat with sales and marketing. I say this because the most effective way to build customer loyalty is by providing excellent aftermarket support – by being agile and responding quickly to customer requests. We recently interviewed our customers and after sales support was by far the number one priority. Technology is transforming how a traditional customer service team operates, with remote diagnostics and preventative maintenance quickly becoming…

Frequently asked questions about additive manufacturing (AM): Could 3D-printed parts ever match the characteristics of traditionally manufactured components? Are the parts reliable, or safe? Can’t you only print small components? Isn’t it slow? Aren’t the materials expensive? And can’t people just steal your intellectual property (IP) by copying your designs and printing them? A lot of people are working on answering one of these questions or another. But Aurora Labs aims to tackle them all. Aurora makes 3D printers, but it brands itself as “an industrial technology and innovation company”, and Founder and Managing Director David Budge describes a number of separate divisions to the business, covering distinct elements of manufacturing process. The actual printers are only part of the story, but they’re a good place to start. “When we first looked at 3D printing we realised there were two primary problems: the machines were very slow, and very expensive,” says Budge. “So naturally the parts produced had to be…

There’s a lot of talk these days about Industry 4.0 and Smart Factories. However, many manufacturers with a large burden of legacy systems – and especially smaller-sized organisations – see the vision of the Smart Factory as too complicated, and therefore unachievable in the short-to-medium term. In April 2017 our Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce entered into a co-operative agreement for information-sharing with Germany, including the development of global Industry 4.0 standards – with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) co-ordinating work in Australia. Germany’s Platform Industrie 4.0 is an admirable initiative, but many German companies are relatively large – both in terms of revenues and people – and therefore have the turnover and the economies of scale to justify complex new digital manufacturing strategies, at least on new process lines. As an Australian manufacturing company – albeit with a global customer base – we at Sutton Tools see many of the customers with whom we work running smaller operations. This reflects OECD data that…

Held at Leonda by the Yarra, the one-day conference brought together around 150 delegates from across Australian manufacturing. Over the course of the day they got the opportunity to learn ways in which they can build resilience in their businesses and in their professional and personal lives. The Conference offered a program of expert speakers from across manufacturing and beyond, examining everything from automation for small manufacturers, to developing effective leadership skills, and much, much more. The day’s presentations got underway with a keynote address from Michael Grogan, Director for Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales for the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC). Grogan discussed recent research by the AMGC, which found that Australia has one of the most volatile manufacturing industries in the world. He cited companies such as ANCA, Marand Precision Engineering, Lovitt Technologies Australia and Sutton Tools as examples of Australian manufacturers that exhibit the three attributes of resilient manufacturers: superiority, diversity, and flexibility. “The good news is that when you focus on resilience, you can also become more competitive,”…

In October 1981, the first Okuma DCMC for the Australian and New Zealand markets was completed and installed. That first machine, an MCV-A model delivered to a customer in Christchurch, New Zealand 37 years ago, is still in active use to this day. Okuma DCMCs are defined by their basic construction. Often referred to as bridge construction, Okuma prefers the DCMC description. The machines have fixed columns either side of a table that moves underneath an elevating cross rail (W Axis). The table is connected to the two columns, along which the Y-axis/main-spindle headstock travels. This is actually similar to the MB-V/Genos M Vertical Machining Centre (VMC) range, another market-leading product line for Okuma. The key for the DCMC is its five-face machining ability using a choice of angular, extended or high-speed attachments. For…

The oil & gas industry has suffered considerably over the past years, due to the global economic crisis that left the major manufacturing players – in both the upstream and downstream sectors – having to meet low market requirements for new reserves, while making severe cuts to their workforce, machinery output and further development. A positive shift in 2017 set new demands from well-known offshore deep-water oil & gas exploration companies for rig components such as pressure heads and valves, Xmas-tree and wellhead valves, and manifolds. Components of these kinds are all made from or with nickel base exotic materials that can resist extreme conditions such as high-low temperatures, high pressure, and most if not all abrasion and corrosion side-effects. Parting off Jet-Cut technology The Jet-Cut line provides advanced cut-off machining technology…

Drive north from Melbourne CBD for about an hour, and you could until recently have been forgiven for not noticing Merrifield at all. It won’t show up in a search on Google Maps; switch to satellite view and for the most part it’s just empty, green fields. It doesn’t have a Wikipedia page. Or a pub. But all that is set to change. The area is currently undergoing an ambitious development program, with plans to build homes for up to 7,000 residents, retail and leisure facilities, and a business park projected to create 20,000 jobs. And in addition, Merrifield is now home to one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities of its kind, rated among the top factories in the world implementing the principles of Industry 4.0. DuluxGroup’s new Merrifield site is the biggest water-based paint plant in the Southern Hemisphere, occupying a footprint of 22,000sqm – larger than the playing area of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). When it reaches full production, the $165m facility will produce around…

Construction & demolition (C&D) in Australia produces 19 million tons of waste every year, accounting for approximately 40% of the country’s total waste generation. It isn’t surprising then that the C&D waste management industry is an upcoming one in the country, with immense scope for business growth and employment generation. Presently, there are more than 500 active businesses in the C&D waste management industry in the country, making it a strong supplier of jobs and resources to the economy. As the name suggests, C&D waste is what gets generated from demolition activities at construction sites – either residential or commercial. Such waste typically comprises timber, concrete, wood, metals, plastics, cardboard and mixed site debris such as soil and rocks. Since C&D waste incurs heavy landfill levy costs, recycling it is a more cost-effective approach. As a result, most C&D waste in Australia gets recycled. In most Australian states, recovery rates are at…

Dr Foley is a world-renowned physicist and science leader most noted for her work developing superconducting devices and systems which have assisted in unearthing over $6bn in minerals worldwide. Dr Foley will start in the role at the end of September. She said her priority will be promoting science, STEM and women in science. “Australia’s future prosperity will be fuelled by science,” Dr Foley said. “Science which creates new industries, new jobs and shapes the minds and aspirations of our future leaders. We can’t keep thinking about science as something which is locked away in a lab. It connects and drives everything we touch and do. I’m looking forward to not just spreading the word, but helping shape the science agenda and raising the profile of the role of women in STEM.” Dr Foley is currently the Deputy Director and Science Director of CSIRO’s manufacturing business unit. She has been an advocate for women in science, for the communication of science and…