October 17, 2022
Vehicles used in mining and remote area transport are subjected to some of the harshest conditions and usage imaginable. They need to be built extra tough, have improved ground clearance, improved gross vehicle mass (GVM), and be super reliable to meet the extraordinary off-road demands of remote and difficult terrain travel. Based in Carrum Downs Victoria, EnduroCo provides 4x4 conversions for the Toyota Hiace and Toyota Coaster buses and vans. These vehicles offer the perfect 4x4 minibus or van transport solution for mining sites with the ability to traverse all harsh and difficult-to-navigate terrain in absolute safety and confidence. From the outback to sand and beach environments, whether it be for passenger transport, tourism, off-road ambulance, disaster recovery, search and rescue or even law enforcement vehicles, the EnduroCo 4x4 conversions provide the build quality, reliability, comfort and affordability which has been tried, tested and manufactured to withstand the harshest Australian conditions. EnduroCo’s impressive customer list includes mining operators such as BHP, BMA, Golding, Harmony Gold PNG, Glencore and Thiess. All the components for the EnduroCo 4x4 conversions have been designed locally by EnduroCo…
October 13, 2022
Australian industry will soon have access to an innovative cutting tool manufacturing platform, thanks to a research collaboration between leading tool manufacturer ANCA and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO. The nine-month project costing just under $1m, which is supported by the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), is developing a new additive manufacturing (3D printing) process for tungsten-carbide tools. The additive manufacturing technology will enable affordable, high-performance tools to be manufactured using one platform, replacing the current production process of mould pressing, sintering, brazing, and grinding. Now in the advanced phase, the research is focused on refining the additive manufacturing technology ahead of ANCA taking the hybrid manufacturing platform to market. Dean McBain, Research & Technology Manager at ANCA, said the project had the potential to transform the way tungsten-carbide brazed insert tools were made in Australia and across the world. “ANCA’s collaboration with IMCRC and CSIRO has accelerated the development of an innovative additive manufacturing technology which we believe has the potential to disrupt the $2.2bn global cutting tool market,” he said. “Successful completion of this project will allow ANCA to…
October 10, 2022
Established in 1966, Plucks Engineering Ltd (Plucks) is a second-generation family business that differentiates itself as a flexible, customer-centric agricultural manufacturing and repair engineering company. Ideally located in Rakaia between Christchurch and Ashburton in New Zealand, Plucks is perfectly poised to deliver overnight – if not the same day – and their workshop designs and develops fast, flexible farm and heavy machinery. “We are firmly rooted in agriculture and specialise in the manufacture and repair of a vast range of agricultural machinery - ranging from cultivation, drilling, heavy water ballast land rollers, square bale feeders and general repairs of most agricultural machinery,” Neil Pluck, Managing Director for Plucks explains. “We produce a large range of dairy effluent products, ranging from concrete enviro saucers, pumps and rafts, effluent main lines, travelling effluent irrigators, pond stirrers, and dairy effluent screening equipment. Around 60 – 70% of what we do is focused on effluent.” Pluck says that the company looks for expertise, knowledge, and skill when searching for the ideal supplier. “We rely heavily on our suppliers to complete our product offering.” Pluck underpins the importance of suppliers’…
October 7, 2022
A specialist supplier of steel tube and pipe, Austube Mills, part of the InfraBuild Group, is benefitting from a low-maintenance, time-saving, and safe hydraulic clamping solution for its steel slitters at its Acacia Ridge plant in Queensland. Austube Mills Acacia Ridge, which has been manufacturing and producing steel solutions since 1984, installed Technofast EziTite clamp nuts, which provide reliable and precisely repeatable force, on its steel slitters to allow the rotating slitter blades to cut through kilometres of black steel. Once the steel is cut to width, it is shaped into rectangular, square or round tubes on tube rolling mills, which are subsequently used in a huge range of applications in industries such as construction, manufacturing, mining, transport, and agriculture. “The Technofast solution is not just more reliable – it’s safer, too,” says Austube Mills Manufacturing Superintendent, Michael Thomasson, who has been working with the company for more than 30 years, starting as a fitter, and holding roles such as maintenance planner, maintenance superintendent and manufacturing superintendent. He has a Mechanical Engineering Diploma and Graduate Diploma in Maintenance Management. “I remember the…
October 6, 2022
Spare Parts 3D (SP3D), with offices in Paris (HQ) and Singapore, has been helping companies adopt Additive Manufacturing (AM) in their supply chains as part of the solutions to address spare parts problems: spare parts obsolescence, long lead time, high cost of inventory, MOQ etc. AM adoption brings up multiple obstacles that can be overwhelming: incomplete part data (lack of dimensions, materials, drawings), lack of in-house AM knowledge, picking which part to print, estimating how much savings can be achieved, dealing with limited manpower, etc. Spare Parts 3D has developed DigiPART, a powerful AI-based software solution to facilitate the creation of Digital Inventory and enable the adoption of AM in industries. DigiPART identifies the parts that are technically 3D printable and those that make business sense, thus getting tangible results faster and creating value for your company and supply chain. It sifts through very large inventories, does not require drawings, and has been designed to operate with partial data set. Results are fully transparent and traceable. In last two years,…
September 26, 2022
Leading international welding equipment manufacturer, Kemppi, has released its new MIG/MAG MasterMig welding machine models 353 and 355. Designed in conjunction with professional welders, the new MasterMig range delivers a range of features to help enhance industrial welding productivity and quality. The 358 model is scheduled for release later this year. The new, compact and powerful Kemppi MasterMig range comes with Weld Assist as standard. This feature lets users set-up welding parameters quickly and easily to save time and improve productivity levels. By simply selecting the joint type, welding position, and material thickness, users are ready to weld. Equipped with memory channels, the MasterMig range also lets users save chosen parameters for fast retrieval. The ability to save customised settings means welders do not have to go through an initial setup for every job. At the turn of a knob, they can highlight the desired setting and proceed to weld. Highly convenient, this feature saves precious time, while helping to increase productivity. For greater welding productivity and control, the MasterMig 355 and 358 models can switch on the new MAX arc performance…
September 9, 2022
An international leader in home intelligence and real-time smart electricity monitoring, Sense is setting up operations in Australia to help the country achieve Net Zero emissions sooner. Michael Jary, the International Managing Director for Sense, announced the establishment of a local operation in Australia within a year, where the company sees strong potential for its AI technology to be embedded with the next generation of smart energy meters. Sense will establish local electricity retailing and manufacturing partners for its AI technology that uses machine-learning algorithms to analyse high-resolution electricity data, providing a breakdown of individual domestic electricity consumption to an appliance level in real-time. “Whilst first generation smart meters have made huge strides in digitising the energy sector, they have not fulfilled their true potential. With an excessive focus on the unit cost of the meter alone, these first wave devices could have done much more,” says Jary. “But second wave meters can and must do so much more. They will be affixed to walls until 2040 so they need to be future-proofed.” Sense technology, which can be embedded into…
September 5, 2022
The Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL) is releasing more information about Australian Manufacturing Week 2023, to be held in Melbourne next May. Proudly owned and operated by AMTIL, Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) is Australia’s premier manufacturing solutions event. AMTIL’s longstanding advanced manufacturing expo, AMW2023 will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9 to 12 May 2023. The Additive Manufacturing Zone will spotlight the latest advances in 3D printing. It includes Additive Manufacturing users, suppliers, and supporters. The process of 3D printing was first patented by Charles Hull in 1986, as stereolithography, and the additive manufacturing industry began as a ‘rapid prototyping process’. The innovations brought about by this technology have been ground-breaking. Today the precision, repeatability, and material range of 3D printing has extended its use into boat and building construction, through to nanotech. The Australian Manufacturers Pavilion is sponsored by Sutton Tools, and showcases the capabilities of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry. The Australian Manufacturers Pavilion is where AMW celebrates the very best in Australian manufacturing, providing a showcase for some…
August 26, 2022
RMIT University engineers collaborated with Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) to reveal a bitumen blend that is both UV-resistant and withstands traffic loads, with the potential to save governments millions on road maintenance annually. Unlike much outdoor infrastructure – such as playground equipment and outdoor furniture – roads are not designed with any sun protection, making them prone to cracking and potentially unsafe to drive on. Australian states and territories spent nearly $2.9bn on road maintenance in 2019–2020, according to the National Transport Commission. The invention also provides a promising sustainable solution to Australia’s used-tyre crisis. Used tyres in Australia have been subject to an export ban since December 2020, which means new methods for recycling and reprocessing them locally is increasingly important. While research efforts have focused on improving the durability of roads in terms of traffic load, thermal ageing and weather-related events, sun damage has received little attention – until now. The new study led by Associate Professor Filippo Giustozzi at RMIT University provides a sustainable solution to UV…
August 23, 2022
SS Engineering Services Pty Ltd first opened its doors in 2009. It is located in Kensington, Bundaberg and has steadily developed over the years. The treasured family business has just commissioned its third Okuma machine a GENOS M660 Vertical Machining centre with OSP300MA Control. Okuma was the machine of choice with reliability and accuracy the principle factors. Owner, Scott Svensson had worked on Okuma machines during his apprenticeship and knew how reliable and accurate they were and this has become more important given the clients the company has established over the past thirteen years. Providing clients with engineering services including CNC Turning and CNC Milling, fabrication, product development, prototype design and reverse engineering plus general engineering services, the company today services a diverse range of clients. These include mining, agriculture, aviation, horticulture, earthmoving, automotive, medical, also the renewable energy sector plus general engineering. Svensson and his team also take full advantage of the 12 months’ unlimited training offered by Okuma and the Queensland Okuma team provide fast and reliable service from their Brisbane base. “My engineers know the Okuma machines well…
August 18, 2022
Centor Global Services is a Brisbane-based private company with a global reach. They manufacture high-end doors, screening systems and door hardware for the housing market world-wide. They manufacture their products at factories around the world, but when it comes to the technical components, they create them quickly on the Markforged 3D printers at a press of a button. Set among industrial roads, railways and overpasses, Centor’s office is an oasis in a lot of respects. Maybe it was quieter 70years ago when the Centor office opened, but there is a respectable calm about the place when AMT visited just after the Sydney AMW show in June. Dave Chappell, Group Manager, Product and Engineering for Centor Global Services showed us through the facilities. Centor's in-house Product Design Centre is responsible for the design and testing of products available around the world. Centor was the first to come up with designs to make folding doors weather-proof and strong enough for external openings. “That was the mid-90s,” explains Chappell. “Ten years ago we set up distribution in…
August 15, 2022
When it comes to serious quality and reliability, Pilot Air has built a reputation that sees large operators turn to them for all their compressed air needs. The team at Sydney’s Luna Park ride development did just that when two of the big-ticket rides needed the supply, installation and commissioning of air compressor systems and pipework. Tendering began in February 2021 for a number of ride upgrades, and Pilot Air was engaged to create an air compressor system and air pipework solutions for two of the park’s most iconic and popular ride attractions. The team conducted a comprehensive site visit, undertaking a diagnostic discovery of the park’s Boomerang ride. As a feature ride with dynamic size to weight ratios and high-velocity execution, the complex air compressor system and air pipework needed to be intrinsically accurate with a robust system that would successfully perform under the stresses and demands of the ride’s platform. “Luna Park Sydney has a long and very successful relationship with Pilot Air. We have full faith in the air compressor systems supplied by Pilot Air,…
August 11, 2022
US automotive supplier H-P Products was experiencing high-stress readings due to a major job with tight bending radii of up to 1xD, short cycle times and compatibility with existing tools. The German tube bending machine manufacturer Schwarze-Robitec responded to the complex issue with a powerful CNC 160 E TB MR. The commissioning took place in the middle of the pandemic despite strict regulations. Thanks to short distances between the customer in Ohio and the Schwarze-Robitec branch in Michigan, the job was a success. Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Louisville, Ohio, H-P Products, Inc. manufactures a wide range of tubular products for large diesel engine, fire truck, construction equipment and agricultural equipment industries from air intake systems to exhaust and cooling components to structural components. To bend large tubes in particularly tight radii, the company now relies on a machine from Schwarze-Robitec. With the fully electric CNC 160 E TB MR, H-P Products is replacing another model from the German manufacturer after more than 20 years of continuous service. Schwarze-Robitec designed the CNC 160 E TB MR for two different tool sets, each…