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Welding has long been the go-to method for repairs and restoration of metal parts. Although it’s a well-established and great method for joining metals, when it comes to repair, welding may not always be the most suitable solution. Unfortunately, with limited alternatives available, it has often been the common or default choice. However, a new technology is now emerging that promises to revolutionise the repair process and offer a more versatile and efficient solution: low-pressure cold spray technology. Cold spray – also known as supersonic particle deposition - is a groundbreaking technology for repairing geometries and applying functional coatings. Unlike welding, which involves high temperatures and can result in distortion, residual stress, and damage to surrounding materials, cold spray operates without the need for extreme heat. Instead, it propels metal particles at supersonic speeds onto metal surfaces. As they collide, the kinetic energy of the particles causes them to deform and interlock with the metal surface, creating a strong, metallurgically bonded coating.  When it comes to repair and maintenance, the advantages of low-pressure cold spray over conventional welding…

Australia’s premier manufacturing technology trade show, AMW Sydney 2024, is promising to be a dynamic and innovative event that brings together professionals, companies and experts from many industries related to manufacturing, engineering and technology. It is AMTIL’s aim for Australian Manufacturing Week to be more than just an exhibition. This is the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of manufacturing in Australia today. “On the back of the overwhelming success of AMW 2022 in Sydney, we have returned to the ICC at Darling Harbour for April 2024 and are excited to be delivering another strong show,” said Shane Infanti CEO of AMTIL, organisers of Australian Manufacturing Week. “We are very pleased to have the support of the NSW Government as the Major Sponsor for AMW. Government support is important in delivering the message to our industry that manufacturing is important and that the support mechanisms are there to assist.” Australian Manufacturing Week will take place at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The stats from our Melbourne show at the MCEC showed conclusively the appetite for…

International logistics and shipping leader Maersk is strengthening its omnichannel-fulfilment capabilities in Australia, with the opening of seven new facilities across the country. As the integrated container and logistics company celebrates its 30th anniversary in Australia, plans are in place to grow its already extensive operations and land-side capabilities.   The seven new facilities are being delivered over the 12 months to Q1 2024 as part of Maersk’s global integrator strategy with clear opportunities identified to expand the regional logistics landscape. This will bring the company’s total number of sites in Australia to eight in total, serviced by 550 full-time employees. Four sites opened earlier this year and three more are coming online between now and Q1 2024. Two of these facilities were integrated into the Maersk network as part of its acquisition of LF Logistics.  Maersk invited AMT magazine to the new Derrimut warehouse in Melbourne to meet with staff and view the complex matrix system on the occasion of the company's 30th anniversary in Australia. The huge network space was rolling with robots, pickers,…

Australia’s premier manufacturing technology trade show, AMW2024 is promising to be a dynamic and innovative event in Sydney that brings together professionals, companies and experts from many industries related to manufacturing, engineering and technology. It is AMTIL’s aim for Australian Manufacturing Week to be more than just an exhibition. This is the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of manufacturing in Australia today. “On the back of the overwhelming success of AMW2022 in Sydney, we have returned to the ICC at Darling Harbour for April 2024 and are excited to be delivering another strong show,” said Shane Infanti CEO of AMTIL, organisers of Australian Manufacturing Week. “We are very pleased to have the support of the NSW Government as the Major Sponsor for AMW. Government support is important in delivering the message to our industry that manufacturing is important and that the support mechanisms are there to assist.” Australian Manufacturing Week will take place at the International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The stats from our Melbourne show at the MCEC showed conclusively the appetite for large-scale manufacturing exhibitions is healthy for…

Recently the Australian engineering business has turned this skill inward, investing in not just one, but two Agile Flex 35D robotic loading systems for CNC machine tools. The two Agile Flex 35D systems at MASPRO are 4-drawer models with the top pallet option, both tending DMG NLX 2500/700 dual spindle turning centers. One of the systems was installed at MASPRO’s Condobolin manufacturing facility and the other at their Wetherill Park facility, in New South Wales, Australia. The Agile Flex 35D systems are being used in the manufacture of hydraulic cylinder pistons but will ultimately handle a wide variety of machined parts for the mining equipment sector. The Agile Flex 35D robotic loading systems have allowed MASPRO’s machinists to focus on more complex roles such as programming rather than the time-consuming and difficult manual loading and unloading of parts. Removing the need for manual handling has also eliminated the risk of repetitive stress injury. Established in Condobolin in 2006, MASPRO is a family-owned and operated mining technology business with a history spanning…

AMTIL had a stand in the International Association pavilion alongside 26 other national associations from around the world, forming an excellent network of global machine tool and manufacturing technology bodies. One of our activities each year is a half day ‘General Managers’ meeting where all countries discuss a particular topic given to us. This year the subject was – Impact of New and Enabling Technologies. Below is a summary of these discussions. The conversation went from traditional manufacturing to new and finally emerging technologies. We live in a world of acronyms so I will explain some of them for the uneducated! Traditional manufacturing covered off CNC machining, robotics and automation, controls, lean manufacturing, six sigma, lights out machining, etc, etc. The focus was on fast spindle speeds, quick changeover time, high productivity and sustainability. I won’t delve too deeply into this area as the majority of our readers are in this space and know it better…

Researchers at The University of Queensland are harnessing the latest sequencing technology developed by UK-based biotech Oxford Nanopore Technologies to analyse mRNA vaccines and therapies. This approach promises to simplify and better ensure the quality of manufactured mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics worldwide. The BASE team at UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) is already recognised as the biggest supplier of research-use mRNA in Australia, having built more than 200 mRNA vaccines and therapies for academic, clinical and industry use. Building upon this work, under the new research partnership with Oxford Nanopore, BASE researchers will use the latest and improved nanopore-based sequencing technology to optimise performance and reduce the time needed to measure mRNA vaccine quality attributes. “Currently, mRNA vaccines and therapies are analysed using a range of different methods that are time-consuming, complicated, and costly, and often outdated,” said BASE mRNA technologies researcher Dr. Helen Gunter. BASE researchers showed how nanopore sequencing can analyse the quality of mRNA vaccines and therapies, in a study published today in Nature Communications. “By using Oxford…

Tasmanian manufacturer Sea Forest is ready to take the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of cars off the road and help the red meat industry meet its net zero goals through support from the AMGC and a unique Australian species of seaweed. The seaweed asparagopsis armata has been known to have giant methane-busting potential when added in tiny quantities as a supplement for ruminant animals. Thanks to a collaborative project led by Sea Forest and aided by $675,000 in co-investment from AMGC, the company now boasts a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at its Triabunna headquarters. “This is a great Australian idea that has now been turned into a successful commercial business via manufacturing. Through the commercialisation process, Sea Forest has developed a local product with global potential, while generating jobs and supporting global moves to reduce emissions,” said Dr. Jens Goennemann, Managing Director, AMGC. The $3.2m project took just over 18 months to complete and has created nine full-time roles and upskilled a further eight staff at Sea Forest, which has been growing seaweed at Triabunna, Tasmania since 2019. Over the coming…

These grants will help Australian manufacturers work together on nine large projects worth $1.87bn. Successful businesses receive funding for up to a third of their project costs. Successful projects include establishing an Australian vanadium battery industry, building a facility to turn landfill waste into energy, and making Australia a regional hub for cancer drugs and health analytics. These projects will help build Australia’s manufacturing sector and supply chains. Eight grant proposals were originally approved for funding under this stream. These aren’t proceeding because they no longer meet the conditions of the program. The Collaboration stream is the largest grant program under the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI). Grants between $20m and $200m and up to one-third of eligible project costs, are awarded to large projects that feature or will create an environment that fosters collaboration. Successful projects will help transform the manufacturing industry by increasing collaboration and building economies of scale in the six National Manufacturing Priority areas. The following projects are announced: Gilmour Space Technologies will receive a grant worth over $51.4m; SAAB Australia…

In today's increasingly globalised world, the strength and resilience of a nation depends on its ability to nurture and grow strategic industries. As demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries that can rely on domestic manufacturing capabilities are better positioned to withstand external shocks and rely on a resilient supply chain. For Australia, investing in advanced manufacturing, and the new technologies that bolster the sector is essential not only for economic growth but also for fostering sovereign resilience. At ANCA we define technological progress, or what some call innovation, as achieving more output with less input. More productivity in manufacturing means our customers have more output with fewer dollars invested, more output with less human workforce required, and less energy consumed. And that means Australia can have a competitive manufacturing sector for the domestic and export market. Checklist of action ANCA is calling on governments - at all levels, and of all persuasions - to move their focus to crafting consistent policies to ensure manufacturing capability stays onshore and local businesses can thrive. The…

Unmanned vehicles are in something of a renaissance. UAVs have been patrolling the skies of militarily sensitive regions for more than a decade, and regulatory frameworks – to say nothing of the technology – are being hashed out between governments and manufacturers of autonomous road vehicles as we speak, including in Australia. Self-driving fleets of transport and public services vehicles have been mooted in the name of safety and efficiency, and unmanned mining and agriculture vehicles are already in use. One area we don't hear much about however is in unmanned sailing. After an estimated 11 billion tons of goods were shipped by sea in 2021 alone, it's an area you'd think was ripe for development, especially as the ocean is still so little understood when it comes to its influence on global climates and ecosystems. Saildrone is aiming to change that. The Alameda, California-based company builds, designs and operates uncrewed/unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for a range of applications in scientific and commercial activities, sailing into the…

The ‘Australia’s Generative AI Opportunity’ report is a collaboration between Microsoft and the Tech Council of Australia. It’s contents says Australia’s manufacturing sector could unlock billions of dollars in value by 2030 if it accelerates the responsible adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GAI). The report shows that GAI could contribute between $45bn and $115bn a year to Australia’s economy by 2030 through two major channels: improving existing industries and enabling the creation of new products and services. Manufacturing has been identified as one of the four key sectors of the Australian economy poised to benefit from GAI. The report demonstrates that the technology could contribute between $2bn and $5bn annually to the manufacturing sector by 2030. TCA’s CEO says the report underscores the enormous economic potential of GAI for the manufacturing sector. However, Kate Pounder warned that the sector risks falling behind other industries in the adoption of this technology if it fails to accelerate its digital transformation. “Generative AI has the potential to redefine the industry, playing to Australia’s strengths of producing high-quality and highly technical products. But the sector needs…

Since then, advanced, third-generation laser technology has led the expansion of cutting processes for a wide range of materials such as sheet metal, wood, plastic, glass, ceramics, textiles, semiconductors and paper. With the recent development of high-power, fibre laser cutting machines, processers are able to reduce costs through faster cutting times and reduced gas usage. This greatly improved cutting process has replaced traditional cutting methods, particularly in the sheet metal industry. One of the thermal cutting methods, used in the laser cutting industry is a focused, high power, and high-density laser beam to irradiate the workpiece so that the material at the irradiated place will melt, vaporise or blow away. The main factors affecting the metal laser cutting thickness and cutting efficiency are the power of the laser cutting machine, the type of auxiliary gas, the pressure, and the flow rate of the auxiliary gas. Laser-cutting machines now require high-energy lasers and auxiliary gases to complete the cutting process. The most common auxiliary gases used for laser cutting are oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and compressed air. Compressed air is easier to obtain and…