Member News

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…

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…

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…

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…

Established in 1999, AMTIL (the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited) is the peak national body representing the advanced manufacturing sector in Australia. The anniversary event was celebrated with an exclusive cocktail reception at the AMTIL stand within the Austech exhibition, attended by AMTIL members and staff, along with several key industry figures. AMTIL’s CEO Shane Infanti was on hand to cut the cake, in what was something of a dual celebration in the middle of a highly successful Austech exhibition. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years,” said Infanti. “We’ve loved every minute of it, and we’re looking forward to continuing to support Australian manufacturing for many more years to come. And it’s great that we’ve been able to hold this celebration with Austech 2019 on track to be one of the most successful shows we’ve ever run.” Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), Austech is Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition. Austech 2019 got underway on 14 May at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, and the exhibition…

The ability of government, at both federal and state levels, to impact change has been demonstrated by two recent developments. The first was the release of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry final report. The second was the recent announcement by the WA State Government to launch a Future Battery Industry Strategy, designed to aid the state’s growth as a battery minerals exporter. Putting on our manufacturing helmets (for occupational health & safety) to reflect on the Royal Commission’s report, a couple of obvious questions arise: How will this affect the manufacturing industry? And what, potentially, could be the repercussions? William Buck’s small-to-medium enterprise (SME) clients are experiencing a tightening of available lending as the most immediate effect of the Royal Commission. These effects were reflected in the January edition of the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index, which surveys 200 industrial companies to measure the performance of the manufacturing industry. January’s…

The team at NTi have always found high-tech manufacturer Trumpf supplies them with the best systems to suit its needs. Trumpf’s machines deliver impressive performance that allow NTi to achieve a superior level of service. However, these systems are full of intricate features that require extensive training to operate at an optimal level. NTi is committed to the growth and development of its staff, maximising its productivity and constructing an environment for its team to thrive. The company offers various in-house and external training opportunities, one of which included collaborating with Trumpf. NTi sent a number of its staff from Australia to Trumpf’s headquarters in Germany to learn the complexities of these state-of-the-art machines, from the creators themselves. Machines and systems Based in Bayswater, Victoria, NTi provides high-quality laser cutting, bending/folding, welding and fabrication services. As a company that offers an all-in-one service, it’s vital that its production pipeline…

Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), Austech is Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition. Official figures for the first day of the event show that Austech and NMW attracted a combined total of 2,550 visitors – a very high attendance for first day. That strong turnout was in evidence on the expo floor, with many exhibitors reporting brisk traffic on their stands, leading to high numbers of promising leads and potential sales. “We’re absolutely thrilled with the number of visitors we got today,” said Kim Banks, AMTIL’s Events Manager and Austech organiser. “It’s been one of our biggest ever first days, and an increase of around 50% on the same day at Austech 2017.” Austech 2019 had already been breaking records well before its doors opened. With more than 150 organisations exhibiting, and many of them taking significantly larger stands than in previous years, the exhibition floor space covers more than 6,000sqm – a footprint unprecedented in Austech’s twenty-year history. Austech 2019 was also the fastest…

Co-located with National Manufacturing Week (NMW), Austech is Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing and machine tool exhibition. In total, more than 150 organisations will be putting their products and services on display within Austech this year. Moreover, with a high number of exhibitors opting to book substantially larger stands than in previous years, the exhibition floor space will occupy more than 6,000sqm – a footprint unprecedented in two decades of Austech expos. “We’ve been quite blown away by the bookings this time round,” says Kim Banks, AMTIL’s Events Manager and Austech organiser. “The fact that exhibitors have been booking early and taking larger stands suggests people in the industry are anticipating significant sales activity at this year’s show. We’re also well ahead in terms of advanced registrations from people booking in to visit the show. This year’s Austech is going to be packed.” The high take-up for this year’s event builds on the momentum established with Austech 2017, which was…

Iscar fully understands the importance of parting and grooving operations in the turning process, and recognises that multiple factors need to be considered for every application, including machine tool selection, the type of material being parted/grooved, required depth of cut, and feed and speed rates. Iscar has responded to these complex needs by developing a comprehensive range of highly effective parting and grooving solutions that include an extensive choice of insert geometries, chip breakers, and carbide grades – and the range continues to expand. With Industry 4.0 demands and standards fuelling industry development at extraordinary rates, Iscar has introduced new parting and grooving technologies capable of integrating seamlessly with the new wave of machining centers that work with incredibly high feeds. TANG-F-GRIP has been designed to answer these needs and to achieve high productivity and lower costs. A…

Centor develops custom-integrated doors for residential and commercial buildings. Each unique design requires a proof of concept. Three in-house machinists used to spend all their time fabricating components in low volumes, with additional components being outsourced. This approach led to inconsistent quality, lengthy production times, and excess costs. Seeking an alternative, David Chappell, Group Manager of Product & Engineering at Centor, took a chance on a Markforged Mark Two rapid prototyping machine. He was immediately impressed. “It’s the first time I’ve ever actually seen a 3D printer do what it promised in a real-life design studio factory like ours,” said Chappell. “It just runs.” While his team of experienced manufacturers intially expressed doubt about integrating 3D printing in their workflow, they now run the printer almost 24/7. It enabled them to redirect machining bandwidth, iterate on designs, learn quickly…

Innovators currently have two options for protecting inventions in Australia – the standard patent system and the innovation patent system. The innovation patent is Australia’s second-tier patent system and requires that inventions have an innovative step, which is a lower threshold than an inventive step that applies to standard patents. Also, the term of protection for an innovation patent is eight years rather than 20 years under standard patent protection. The innovation patent system was introduced in 2001 with the aim of incentivising innovation by Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by offering a rapid and affordable system designed for the protection of, for example, incremental innovation, that is unlikely to satisfy the patentability threshold set for standard patents. Significantly, and consistently over the years, Australian SMEs have been the predominant users of the innovation patent system. Killing off the innovation patent system In 2019, the Australian Government plans to abolish the innovation patent system. This controversial measure came about…