June 13, 2019
Most durable and engineering grade plastics can be printed reliably at moderate sizes, but when scaled, many of these materials become much harder to print without advanced printing systems or technologies. Compromises must be made between print time and resolution, and consideration should be given to the desired printing material. It can be easy Full-size 3D printing with some materials can be fairly straightforward. Polylactide (PLA) can be printed reliably at room temperature and has therefore maintained its reputation as the most popular 3D printing filament. When printing large parts, draughts can certainly cause shrinkage or warping, so a printer with enclosed sides is ideal and a heated bed or printing surface is recommended to maximise bed adhesion. The main consideration when printing PLA at larger scales is minimising print time with larger layer heights/nozzles and ensuring…
June 13, 2019
Headquartered in Bayswater, Victoria, ANCA was struggling to recruit young engineers and trades people to join its team. As a privately-owned global exporter of advanced manufacturing technology, with more than 1,000 people around the world, a turnover of $250m and a dominant position in its sector, searching for skilled people was becoming a major business issue. In response ANCA decided to develop its own talent. In January 2011 the company established an apprenticeship program that has been successfully training highly skilled technicians ever since. Set up by ANCA co-founder Pat McCluskey, the program has been designed to offer participants a range of technical training paths in CNC machining, machine building, machine commissioning, fault finding and analytical skills, and customer service. ANCA currently has 15 apprentices and recently celebrated the graduation of four of these from the program. Commissioning Technician Daniel Shepley graduated from the ANCA Apprentice 2019 program in March and took out the Apprentice of the Year award by the company at the celebration evening. Of participating in the program, Daniel…
June 13, 2019
LAD is an additive material technology which rebuilds damaged metal surfaces. A high-power laser beam creates a melt pool in the surface. Metal particles are injected into the melt pool, and fuse with the surface as it cools and solidifies. Overlapping passes build a 3D deposition structure, which can then be machined to the required shape. LAD is applicable to the repair of high-strength metal components and structures. As part of the LAD technology validation in a real component repair situation, RUAG successfully repaired the high-strength steel arrester hook from an RAAF F/A-18 Hornet. The hook had been previously identified as worn ‘beyond safe limits’, due to operational activities. LAD technology restored the hook and ensured it met operational and design requirements. At the same time, the full repair significantly improved the component’s return-to-service time, compared with the typical replacement options.…
June 6, 2019
In the wash-up of our Austech exhibition there are many people to thank. First and foremost - the 165 exhibitors who put on a fantastic showcase and the 12,991 attendees - from 29 different countries - who came to visit Austech and National Manufacturing Week. In addition to the visitors we also had 3,030 exhibitor personnel and over 200 students attend the show. I would also like to thank our contractors who largely go unnoticed in the overall scheme of putting on such a large event but are an integral part of making it happen. So at the risk of embarrassing some companies and individuals, I write this article to thank them and give our readers some insight into the mechanics of running our show. Thank you to Michael Begg and his team at Harry the Hirer. The four-to-six months…
June 6, 2019
Measuring over 1.8m in diameter, the UAV was manufactured at Titomic’s R&D bureau in Melbourne, where it operates the world’s largest, fastest metal 3D printer. Measuring 9m x 3m x 1.5m, the TKF 9000 incorporates Titomic’s patented 3D printing technology, Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF). Given its superior strength-to-weight ratio, titanium provides the UAV with a strong, lightweight, ruggedised design and ballistics protection, which will provide durability for reliable in-field use by military and law enforcement and is well-suited for deployment in live combat situations. As titanium’s use is often prohibitively expensive and difficult to fabricate using traditional methods, the prototype demonstrates Titomic’s ability to utilise high-performance materials such as titanium, in applications that previously did not overcome a manufacture cost-benefit analysis, forcing manufacturers to use lower-performance materials in design, such as heavier metals or fragile plastics. The technology is widely applicable to the defence industry and can also create parts such as armaments, traditionally created through metal casting, resulting in reduced production time and increased output. Titomic Managing Director Jeff Lang stated: “We’re excited to be working with the global…
June 3, 2019
The Australian PMI has been stable or positive (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase) since August 2016 – a period of 33 consecutive months. Three of the six manufacturing sectors expanded in May (according to trend data), led by food & beverages (up 1.8 points to 63.9 – its fastest rate on record) and building materials, wood & furniture (up 3.8 points to 62.0). Both the metals products (down 0.3 points to 45.2) and machinery & equipment (down 0.9 points to 45.1) sectors contracted further in May, weighed down by slowing economic conditions. “While Australia’s manufacturing sector continued to grow in May, performance was mixed across the range of manufacturing industries and there are signs of further softening in the months ahead,” said Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox. “Manufacturers are hoping that the resolution of political uncertainties associated with the election will provide a base for…
May 30, 2019
Future Engineering commenced operations in 1991, with just principal Alex Ardizzone onboard manufacturing components for the medical industry. Operating out of a small workshop of just 400sqm, using a few manual lathes, Ardizzone created precise surgical instruments for advanced surgery. From those small beginnings, the family business now has a skilled staff of 22 personnel specialising in advanced CNC machinery. In 2017 the company moved to a larger facility in Welshpool, purchasing two new Okuma lathes and introducing a nightshift to meet increased business, achieve shorter delivery times and provide the highest levels of customer service.Today the company has some of the most advanced precision CNC machines, with 13 state-of-the-art machines operating, and plans to expand further in the future. Future Engineering’s Okuma Multus U4000-2SCx1500 with OSP-P300S control was the first one commissioned in Australia. Meanwhile the most recent addition is a Okuma CNC Vertical Machining Centre Model MU-8000V-L with OSP-P300SA-H control. “This Okuma five-axis machine has changed the way we approach our…
May 30, 2019
When setting a strategy, the first 100 days are critical to success. While tax relief may be at the top of the agenda, we asked our experts their thoughts on what Scott Morrison needs to have in his 100-day action plan, what their clients are saying in response to the election results. Here’s the top three things that should be in Scott Morrisons 100-day action plan. 1) Build on the pro-business mandate In the last twelve months, political uncertainty has been negatively impacting business sentiment and investment. Tony Hood, Director of Corporate Advisory, says the Coalition ‘pro-business’ policies are what Australians wanted, and this needs to remain in their focus. “Above all else, our clients were looking for a mandate to remove the uncertainty that has plagued the business environment,” says Hood. “While many are surprised that the Liberal Party has emerged with the mandate, the pro-business mandate is…
May 30, 2019
Fundamentally, soft robots are exactly what they sound like, robots that are compliant in places where it’s most useful. And it’s this softness that makes the new soft robots more successful, interacting with everything from a strawberry to a human.There is no one definition, but all definitions include a category of robots that are not only made from compliant material but have biomimetic capabilities, qualities which make them more readily adaptable to working alongside humans and interacting with “soft” objects, such as food produce, the human body, and even manufacturing materials. The growth of soft robotics is opening up myriad opportunities and adding tremendous value due to their increased application. Constructing a robot from compliant materials, such as elastomers or stretchy plastics, gives them a far greater ability to interact with objects less rigid than they are. Scientists speak of “compliance matching” or the idea that “materials that come into contact with each other should share similar mechanical rigidity…
May 23, 2019
Owned and operated by AMTIL, Austech is Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition. Co-located as always with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), Austech 2019 took place from 14 to 17 May at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. Martin Pakula, the Victorian State Minister for Jobs, Innovation & Trade, opened the show with a speech at the Industry 4.0 Theatre, in the middle of the exhibition floor. As soon as the exhibition opened, the aisles were quickly bustling with visitors and the exhibitor stands were visibly busy, and that strong early attendance continued throughout the duration of the show. By the end of the week, a total of 12,991 people had visited Austech and NMW – the highest overall turnout since 2007, and up by 20% on two years before. “We’re completely blown away with the visitor numbers for this year’s show,” said Kim Banks, AMTIL’s Events Manager and Austech organiser. “We were already on track for our largest ever exhibition, so it was…
May 23, 2019
Sponsored by SYSPRO Australasia and the Additive Manufacturing Hub, UNLIMIT3D took an in-depth look at the industrialisation of AM, featuring presentations from people who have had deep involvement in implementing the technology for real-world production applications. Before a sold-out audience, a series of expert speakers shared their insights into the benefits of applying AM in a modern manufacturing setting, discussing the challenges that can arise, and importantly, how they were addressed. Getting proceedings underway with the opening keynote address was Bruce McLean of The Barnes Group Advisors, an international AM consultancy based in Pittsburgh, US. With a global reputation as a technology and industrialisation specialist in electron beam melting, and a long track record in the aerospace sector, McLean had plenty of insights to share on what it takes to make a commercially viable business from AM. “Many people buy a machine and just think they’re going to grow a viable business in additive manufacturing,” he…
May 23, 2019
The aviation industry is booming. With revenues of around €40bn, the German sector of this industry reached an all-time high in 2017 – 6% growth compared to 2016. German aircraft manufacturers invested 10% of their turnover in research & development, according to the German Aerospace Industries Association. To keep pace, tool manufacturer Walter maintains strong partnerships with research institutes such as the Institute of Production Management and Technology (IPMT) at Hamburg University of Technology. This co-operation resulted in the development of the BLAXX M3255 porcupine milling cutter for titanium-aluminium alloys. Other new additions to the range are the M2131/M2331 ramping milling cutter, which allows users to machine aluminium alloys reliably, precisely and efficiently. “Until recently, many industry experts were still predicting that carbonfibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP materials) would be increasingly important in aircraft manufacturing,” explains Dirk Masur, Aerospace Component Manager at Walter. “The advantages of these materials are obvious – they are lightweight but still incredibly rigid. This makes them ideal…
