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Iscar’s best cutting tool recommendations and cutting data can be downloaded anywhere and at any time. The Iscar Tool Advisor (ITA) will automatically calculate the preferred cutting tools for the job. All that the user has to do is enter a few machining parameters. The ITA is an Industry 4.0 standard, consisting of a user-friendly, cyber-based tool selection software package that uses a unique mathematical algorithm. The tool selection process maximises productivity and is based on objective technical data as opposed to an intuitive method of search. For this Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is a optimal tool advisor based on application parameters and available machine power. It works in conjunction with Iscar’s electronic catalogue, from where the tool parameters are accessed and used for continuing machine processing. The ITA also includes sub-applications such as machining power, grades and chipformer selection tools. Iscar’s ITA package reduces tooling scenarios while accounting for cutting conditions, workpiece material, machine power and metal removal rates. The ITA places emphasis on customer profitability while assuring the right method of tool…

With most packing operations still finishing with an operator loading a carton onto a pallet manually, ADDE saw an industry need to find a solution that could automate one of the most physically demanding – and liable to cause back injuries – tasks on the production line. ADDE’s response was to create the Zero Footprint Palletiser (ZFP), which takes no more space than a pallet on the floor and an operator, and allows manufacturers to generate greater efficiency and safety across operations, while also enabling employees to work closely in collaboration with the palletiser. To create the ZFP, ADDE started with a UR10 robot, which can work without safety caging or barriers (subject to a risk assessment), and then added the hardware and software needed to achieve an affordable, minimal footprint and easy-to-deploy solution that can reach an Australian standard pallet. “The intuitive nature of the UR10 provided a great starting point for us to build a flexible, easily programmable solution that takes…

As with many other success stories, C&S Engineering and Toolmaking began in a shed in a backyard. Trading since 2003, Craig and Steven Darvill’s business got started after Steven got tired of commuting from The Oaks to Greenacre, and joined his dad – who repaired trucks – in the family workshop, with Steven’s brother Craig subsequently joining in his off-hours. The brothers invested in an old manual machine, and word got out that if a job needed doing, then Craig and Steven could get it done. Neighbours were early customers, then they told their friends, then those friends told their friends and so on. “Once we got our first CNC machine, it was only a month and Craig had to give up his full-time job,” says Steven. “Very daunting, of course, because we’d never taken a wage out of the company at that stage. And I think a month or two after that, once they knew someone was there all the time, we just got flooded. We purchased two more CNC…

It’s an honour to stand here and talk to a group of people about a business that we’ve owned since 1989, and talk through what we’ve been able to achieve. I’d like to preface something like this to say that this is just what we’ve done, it’s not at all what I’m telling anyone else they should do – it’s just some of the lessons and things that we’ve done over our journey. CME (Composite Materials Engineering) is a family business and until last Thursday was a supplier to the Australian automotive industry. Our main customer was GM Holden, and we supplied everything in the boot of the Commodore except the carpet. This included a spare wheel tub, spare wheel cover, all the assemblies… you open the boot, it…

The one constant is change. Change does not have to be rapid or radical. It can be subtle and seamless. But if you are not constantly changing aspects of your business and personal lives, you are at risk of being left behind. So as I look back over the last year and plan for the next year or two, I am conscious of the minor changes we have made to our business and how we operate. One internal change is our commitment to work/life balance and providing flexible working arrangements for staff. There is certainly a mind shift to the way we employ staff and keep them invigorated, accountable and productive. Our biennial flagship exhibition – Austech - ran in May 2017 and was a great success with over 12,000 visitors and…

Producing Australian sparkling wines is a challenge gladly accepted by boutique wine-maker Peterson House in the Hunter Valley, which has achieved standout success with its sparkling wines. However, being able to track each bottle as it left the winery and travelled along the distribution chain to local or international destinations was a longstanding concern, particularly when it came to feedback on quality. Several years ago Peterson House opted to use a laser system that would make a permanent mark on each glass bottle. The Linx CO2 laser system form Raymax Applications in Sydney was easily integrated into existing operations, providing markings at speeds of some 2,500 bottles per hour. The system offers both accuracy and durability, as the laser process removes, or ablates, a layer of substrate (glass) leaving a traceable permanent mark. As each bottle passes along the line, the bottles are dried, warmed to an ambient temperature of around 20 deg.C, then coded just prior to labelling. For identification and traceability purposes, each bottle…

What comes in a cylinder and is extraordinarily powerful? The answer is hydraulic power, which is a cornerstone of kinetics – the part of physics that is concerned with the relationship between motion and its causes – specifically, forces and torques. This power is seen everywhere in the industrial world, from tipper-trucks and rock-crushers in the civil engineering and mining industries, to extruders and press-brakes in factories and workshops, not forgetting cranes and earthmoving machines. Nordon has been in the hydraulics business since 1974, and has built a solid reputation for its expertise, product quality, and commitment to customer service. Nordon’s customers at home and abroad require hydraulic cylinders from tiny to enormous, and they don’t always want them today – sometimes, they want them yesterday. At its manufacturing base…

Starting out in 2001 with just two employees, New Touch now employs approximately 65 staff across multiple sites in Victoria. The laser cutting and fabrication specialists now operate five machines, 24 hours a day in the Melbourne suburbs of Bayswater and Clayton South. New Touch understands the importance of staying ahead of the game in such a competitive industry. By travelling both overseas and to exhibitions held in Australia, it remains up to date on the latest technology. Another key focus is company culture. Brad Drury, Managing Director, explains: “We are very focused on attracting, training and retaining great staff members. We truly believe that there is little point in having the right equipment and services without the staff to drive them. We believe that happy staff are great staff. “Our unique selling point is that we are an ISO9001-accredited ‘one-stop shop’, capable of offering high-quality finished products at a fair price. We focus on quality, service and delivery – and we…

Improving the design of a part within a system is rarely straightforward. From the simplest enhancement to the most complex, a cycle of iterations can be expected to verify the design during prototyping and implement it in production. During a recent test for a new valve product design, this experience played out for Philmac, a global leader in designing and manufacturing specialist fittings and valves for the transfer, control and application of water. Accustomed to accelerating its design cycle with 3D printing for prototyping, Philmac expanded its use of 3D printing to prototype tooling in order to enable a more complex geometry. Teaming with 3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing experts in Australia, Philmac conducted a successful trial of this new methodology to bring its new concept to life. 3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing delivers the technologies, materials and expertise to support the entire product development lifecycle from fast turn and advanced prototypes to appearance models and low…

As you’d expect, we are incredibly proud of our achievements, and also humble, in reaching the milestone of 100 years – an achievement pretty special for a family business, and also importantly for a manufacturing business in light of the tragedy of the recent automotive closures. Undoubtedly to reach this point it has taken the efforts of countless hardworking, talented and dedicated staff. There are also many other factors that have contributed – not discounting some lucky breaks. I would like to share with you a couple of our insights into what has enabled our company to be here today to share our story. A pivotal point in our recent history happened back in the mid-1990s. We had been fortunate enough to navigate our way through our last official recession. Unfortunately…

The company’s success has been in keeping tight control of every aspect of their operation. By investing wisely in all their vital manufacturing processes, and moving them in-house. Catten offers customers short delivery times for a quality product at a competitive price. Catten’s latest machine acquisition is a Bodor fibre laser sheet cutting system from Industrial Laser. Catten purchased the demonstration machine that was exhibited and demonstrated at the Austech 2017 trade show in Melbourne back in May. “Until the Austech show we were under the misconception these machines were financially cost-prohibitive for our requirements” says Ian Cubitt, Managing Director of Catten. “At the show, we realised the price of this technology had reduced dramatically since last investigating this option – from around $500,000, to $150,000 installed.” Richard Ladley, Technical Director of Industrial Laser, explains why the Bodor machine was the right choice for this particular client: “The price, speed and cut quality over Catten Industries’ range of materials was a perfect match. Offering the right laser system for the application and providing technical…

Axiom Precision Manufacturing is a family-owned company founded by Neville Grose in 1979 in Edwardstown, South Australia. Axiom originally started by manufacturing plastic injection moulds for the automotive industry, working for Ford, Holden and Toyota. They continued to work for Ford and Toyota until their respective shutdowns. It was about 10 years ago when Axiom identified the need to transition away from automotive manufacturing. They were finding it harder to meet the demands of the automakers and remain profitable. At the same time a lot of tooling projects were going to China forcing a serious re-think about the company’s source of work in the future. Axiom specialised in the manufacture of “A”-class injection moulds, lighting, interior and exterior moulds. These were manufactured in hard steels and usually quite complex to machine. The company felt these machining capabilities would give them an advantage in the manufacturing…

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) technology is gaining momentum, but the level of adoption is still quite low compared with traditional subtractive metalworking methods. In 2016, only 957 metal AM machines were sold worldwide, compared with hundreds of thousands of CNC subtractive machine tools. Part of the reason for the low adoption level may be the misconception that metal AM technology can only be used to 3D print new parts, which limits its potential use. This may be due to the fact that the most commonly used metal AM technology, powder bed fusion (PBF), can only 3D print new parts built-up on flat two-dimensional plates. However, metal AM technologies, such as powder-fed directed energy deposition (DED), can not only 3D print new metal parts, but can also add materials to existing components, enabling a broader range of applications such as repair, surface modification, and hybrid manufacturing (which combines…