July 25, 2019
An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is an integral part of operations, but your requirements of this system would be different whether you are operating a tin can factory in Toronto or manufacturing stereo equipment in Sydney. This means that a one-size-fits-all approach won’t take into consideration the industry nuances at play, nor embrace the individuality of your business that ultimately enables your competitive edge. The reality is the choices you make right now will affect your competitive advantage and your ability to remain relevant in a rapidly changing business environment. The aspect of choice should be extended to the selection of elements that make-up the solution whilst also addressing your immediate business priorities as well as offer the potential to extend…
July 17, 2019
RAM3D is a metal 3D printing facility and high-tech manufacturing company producing parts for a diverse array of industries world-wide. The technology has greatly advanced over the past five years and RAM3D has seen a shift from prototyping to include full production work. This is possibly a result of the early adopters of the technology starting to move their projects increasingly through the project stage. The two key drivers to this transition are: Designers have recognised that the technology opens different design avenues. They can look at the areas of function and load and only place material where it is needed. This design freedom results in a highly optimised part in both functionality and cost. The cost of production by 3D printing has reduced. RAM3D operates four machines; they have been able to cover their overheads and apply the lessons they have learned over time to refine the process and ultimately bring benefits to companies having parts made. Throughout most of the world, two of the early…
July 17, 2019
Established in 1962, the Opie Manufacturing Group – an Australian fabricated metal manufacturer, offering a wide range of products and services – has been part of that transformation, and is fully embracing the Internet of Things. Covering over 7,000sqm under roof, Opie Group’s expansive state-of-the-art manufacturing and metal processing facility in Emu Plains, NSW, is one of the largest in the industry. ((subhead)) The problem Prior to November 2018, Opie Group’s machines were operating independently not only of each other, necessitating manual intervention in the production process, but also of the customer care process, leading to a lack of visibility when it came to understanding what stage of the production process a project was at. “Previously, we had no data available to determine where our inefficiencies were throughout the production process and where…
July 17, 2019
Manufacturers seeking to overcome these challenges must study all elements of their machining systems and apply techniques and tools that assure success. Among the key elements are machine stability, tool-holding, workpiece clamping and cutting tool geometry. In general, solid fixturing, rigid tooling and careful tool application make up the basic foundation for accurate, productive boring and long-reach turning processes. Producers of oil & gas, power generation and aerospace components are prime candidates for updated tooling and techniques because they regularly deal with large, complex parts with features that require the use of extended-length tools. Many parts are made from tough alloys that are difficult to machine and thereby produce high, vibration-generating cutting forces. In general, nearly any manufacturer can benefit from improving productivity…
July 17, 2019
AMT: What are the different tap designs? Johan Bodin: There are several tap designs, of which the most commonly used is the straight flute. This design is suitable for blind or though-hole thread production in most materials, especially steel and cast iron. Spiral point taps are recommended for threading through holes as they feature a straight, shallow flute with a point designed to drive the swarf forward. Finally, spiral flute taps transport swarf back out of the hole, away from the workpiece material, and therefore are primarily used for threading blind holes. A less common but still important part of our threading program are fluteless taps and thread milling cutters. AMT: What…
July 10, 2019
There are many machinability issues with stainless steel (ISO M) and HRSA and titanium (ISO S) materials. With regard to ISO M materials, machinability often decreases with a higher alloy content. And while chip control is fair in ferritic/martensitic materials, it becomes more complex in austenitic and duplex types. Perhaps most troublesome of all is that machining these materials creates high cutting forces in combination with built-up edge and work-hardened surfaces. The combination of these factors serves to compromise tool life. In terms of ISO S materials, the physical properties and machining behaviour of each varies considerably, due…
July 10, 2019
When we think of robots, we often think of either clunky metal frames that complete menial tasks, or something so human it is almost indistinguishable to the person standing next to you. Both appearances have their uses though, whether it’s for picking, packing and palletising in a manufacturing plant, or entertaining guests at an amusement park. Traditionally, robots have been large and noisy pieces of equipment, often posing potential safety risks to the workforce. A new breed of collaborative robots has changed this though, allowing machines to work side-by-side with human employees. This type of robot is now becoming increasingly commonplace on the plant floor, revolutionising the…
July 10, 2019
One customer is Anthony Machine, based in San Antonio, Texas. Since 1946, the job shop has served a variety of industries, including oil & gas, mining, transportation and power generation. With all that precision machining experience, there’s little that Anthony Machine can’t handle. However, after the company purchased a pair of NLX 3000 1250 universal turning centres from DMG MORI – the shop’s first Y-axis, live-tool lathes – Anthony Machine’s manufacturing team was challenged with making the most of that new investment. Kennametal Senior Sales Engineer Mark Davis was there to help. He explained to the team at Anthony Machine that the best way to reduce set-up times and maximise the new machines’ potential would be to equip them with Turret Adapted Clamping Units (TACUs) and KM quick-change toolholders. “The TACU system supports everything from KM32 up to KM63,” says Davis. “We offer blocks for both static and driven tools,…
July 10, 2019
Hadjar comes to the company with a wealth of international experience in product management, additive manufacturing and engineering, having spent more than 20 years in key leadership roles at US-company General Electric, with experience in the business units of GE Aviation, GE Oil & Gas, GE Power and GE Energy Management. SLM Solutions’ Supervisory Board strongly believes that Hadjar is ideally suited to lead the company as CEO, due to his breadth and depth of experience. With qualifications in the aerospace industry, Hadjar is keen to build on his experience in GE Aviation promoting the uptake of SLM Solutions systems in this sector. His background enables him to identify the limitations of traditional manufacturing in aerospace and aviation and the opportunities 3D metal printing presents. In a recent interview with 3D Printing Media Network, Hadjar discussed how the aerospace and aviation industries have been early adopters of the technology. Hadjar sees the role of SLM Solutions as building on the opportunities and advantages of additive manufacturing to this sector;…
July 4, 2019
For more than 35 years Austin has designed and engineered unique production and maintenance equipment including dump truck bodies, excavator buckets, water tanks and tyre handlers. Austin-designed equipment has given its customers significantly improved productivity and increased output through designs that have enhanced the operational efficiency and availability of site production equipment. The new dual-cell robotic welding system, as well as offering the obvious advantages of modern robotic welding technology, includes features to improve overall efficiency and product capabilities. A mobile gantry carrying two six-axis articulated arm robots, each interfaced with a digital pulse welding module, dominates the system. Mounted on rails, the double gantry provides 14m of longitudinal travel and 10m of lateral travel to service the two new side-by-side production cells. Vertical travel is 2m. The system includes both online and offline programming capabilities. Whereas the previous robot could only be programmed once the component was loaded into the cell, all necessary programming can…
July 4, 2019
As well as providing an array of personal protective gear and onsite materials, Bunzl also offers a selection of technical services that extends the business’s safety offering to deliver a complete, whole-of-site safety solution. It offers a range of options for businesses to confirm the safety of their sites, including equipment testing and servicing, site safety assessments and hands-on education courses to ensure that all staff are proficient in on-site safety. Bunzl Safety was acquired from Jeminex and had three separate companies which provided workwear, safety equipment, lifting and rigging products. All these three businesses were independent users of Pronto Xi business management solutions – leaving Bunzl Safety with the arduous task of running three distinct systems. This, combined with differing business rules and processes across the three divisions, created inefficiency,…
July 1, 2019
The mild contraction in the Australian PMI in June (down 3.3 points to 49.4) brings to an end 33 consecutive months of stable or positive results (50 points or higher, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the decrease) since August 2016. Of the seven activity indexes in the Australian PMI, only production (up 0.7 points to 51.9) and exports (up 2.8 points to 53.1) remained in expansion in June. The employment (down 5.5 points to 50.1), new orders (down 2.5 points to 49.8) and sales (down 0.8 points to 50.8) indices were broadly stable, while supplier deliveries (down 6.5 points to 47.1) and finished stocks (down 6.8 points to 44.0) contracted – possibly due to end-of-financial-year stock clearances. “Australia’s manufacturers reported the weakest conditions in almost three years in June,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “While the pace of growth has eased over the past year, the combination of the housing construction downturn, a slowing in…
June 27, 2019
Opportunity is dead. After being expected to survive for around 90 days, the Opportunity rover transmitted its last signal an incredible 14 years after it touched down on the Martian surface (a few weeks after its partner and identical twin, Spirit). Last contact with the iconic, 180kg vehicle was on 10 June 2018, before a global-level dust storm cut off its energy source (solar power) and telecommunications. On 13 February, John Callas, Manager of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in a press release that after over 1000 attempts to re-establish contact, it wasn’t feasible to continue. Opportunity now rests in state, having given us more scientific insight and inspirational images than we could hope for – not to mention the record for driving the farthest distance in a single day on another planet. Now, the quest for signs of life in the Solar System continues, and because Mars is only in our backyard in astronomical terms, we…