January 2, 2019
Global robotics and logistics automation technology leader Swisslog has found that as automation accelerates, a common concern is that if a machine goes offline, the entire system suffers. But this is becoming less and less of a problem through synchronised automation, which is a natural evolution of islands of automation, explains Martin Kohl, Senior Consultant at Swisslog. Kohl has more than 18 years experience in global logistics automation. He says that the megatrends driving digitalisation and industry 4.0 – such as urbanisation, an ageing society, increased health focus, e-commerce, increasingly digital lives and regulations – mean that better technology utilisation is needed to optimise supply chains and achieve tangible benefits. From islands of automation to synchronised automation “The concept of islands of automation means users can have several automated processes working in isolation, which can be linked up with Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), with end-to-end integration,” says Kohl. “Swisslog takes this one step further with its synchronised automation systems. The technologies are still separate,…
December 13, 2018
The Bystronic Automation Day was an opportunity for the company to catch up with its existing customers as well as to connect with potential new clients, while presenting some of the highlights from its product range. Already world-renowned as a leader in the fields of sheet metal cutting and fabrication systems, the event was also an opportunity for Bystronic to showcase its latest innovations in automation technology. Automation represents a key area of focus for Bystronic worldwide, and 2018 saw the Swiss-headquartered company taking a number of significant strides in this area. In March it completed the takeover of TTM Laser, Italian specialists in laser-based tube and profile processing, enhancing Bystronic’s existing technology offerings along the cutting, bending, and automation process chain. This was followed in June with the acquisition of a majority interest in Antil, a highly innovative company specialising in automation solutions for sheet metal processing, headquartered in Milan, Italy. Both TTM and ANTIL had their own dedicated exhibits at the Bystronic…
October 18, 2018
It’s easy to spot XLam’s new manufacturing facility long before you get anywhere near the actual building. As you come off the Hume Highway just west of Wodonga, the factory looms into view, occupying an impressive 12,000sqm in a landscape otherwise largely dominated by green fields. The opening of the factory has been something of a coup for the local community in Wodonga, and it might seem puzzling that XLam chose such a comparatively remote location, out on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, for such a significant investment. But there are several compelling reasons behind the decision. Firstly, Wodonga sits at roughly the mid-point between XLam’s two key markets, Melbourne and Sydney (with Canberra closer still). In fact, the location will allow XLam to service 80% of the country in an overnight shipment, from all along the eastern seaboard right through to Adelaide. Moreover, the factory is a mere 150km from the Tumbarumba Mill in New South Wales, owned by its parent company…
June 8, 2018
These variables are anything but inconsequential to the flavour, colour and body of the wine, and can be fascinating to learn about. Yet short of walking through a vineyard with surveying poles and kneeling to rub earth between your fingers, it can be challenging to get a comprehensive picture of terroir to fully appreciate the nuances at play in your glass. This was a problem for Ten Minutes by Tractor, a winery on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, that wanted to give its patrons a deeper understanding of its wines. Ten Minutes by Tractor is made up of three vineyards located ten minutes apart, with widely different environmental characteristics that deliver vastly distinctive wines. The winery’s goal is to add value to its wine tour experience wherever possible by sharing its knowledge of wine making with its visitors. Yet verbally explaining the…
June 8, 2018
The Seed Terminator can be retrofitted to new and used John Deere, CASE IH and New Holland Class 7, 8, 9 and 10 harvesters and retails for about $115,000. It uses a multi-stage hammer mill to pulverise weed seeds, spreading the sawdust-like debris behind the header. The “one-pass solution” pulverises seeds with a multi-stage hammer mill and spreads the nutrient-rich debris 10-12m behind the harvester to act as a fine mulch for soil improvement. It also eliminates the need for herbicides and labour-intensive and potentially dangerous burn-offs to keep weeds at bay after harvest. Testing has been focussed on rye grass seeds because of their miniscule size and the fact they are notoriously difficult to kill. Nine prototypes were initially were built and tested across nine different geographies in South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, with different crop types, soil types and moisture contents during the 2016-17 harvest. A further 23 machines were rolled out for the 2017-18 harvest, mainly…
May 23, 2018
Kennewell CNC Machining Based in Murray Bridge, 76kms east of Adelaide, Kennewell CNC Machining is a precision engineering company that has successfully launched a project supported by the Government of South Australia’s Regional Development Fund, integrating a Fanuc Robot with an Okuma Genos M560V vertical machining centre, and also purchasing an Okuma LB3000EX-II-MYWx800 multi-axis CNC lathe with OSP-P300L Control. Established in 1995, Kennewell had already been an important Okuma customer for many years. The company’s Managing Director Brett Kennewell had served his apprenticeship on Okuma machines more than 25 years ago. “The Okuma machines are robustly built for stability and precision - as an example our 11 year-old machine, is still operating and is as accurate today as it was on installation,” says Brett. “Okuma personnel do everything they can to assist us with technical advice and support which is readily available locally and remotely. The ongoing training is a key factor in the relationship with this partner as we strive…
May 23, 2018
Austin is a leading designer and manufacturer of customised dump truck bodies, buckets and ancillary products used in the mining industry. With more than 30 years’ experience in the mining and manufacturing industry, the company is an expert at solving engineering challenges. As a complete service provider, it offers on and off-site repair and maintenance and heavy equipment lifting services to customers including miners, mining contractors and original equipment manufacturers. With a presence in some of the world’s principal mining regions, Austin provides high-quality, cost-effective solutions, delivered on-time and backed by through-life product support. With a significant amount of welding carried out every day and anywhere between 80-120 G-size cylinders used each week, Austin was keen to work with BOC to improve safety of its workers and reduce costs by upgrading its gas…
May 23, 2018
As an enabler of high-performance Industry 4.0 concepts, IO-Link has become indispensable in tool machine engineering and in production facilities. In addition, however, hydro power plants can be wired quickly and efficiently using IO-Link: at the Mount Coffee dam in Liberia an intelligent IO-Link installation connects dozens of sensors and actuators over long distances simply while saving time and cost. The power plant operator had already come to appreciate the typical IO-Link benefits when it came to diagnostics and maintenance. By December 2016 the time had finally come: after more than 20 years of interruption the first turbine was started up, and now all four turbines are feeding 22MW each into the power grid. The integrated wiring solution developed by project partners Balluff and Andritz Hydro has the potential to be utilised in future power plant projects as well. The origins of the Mount Coffee dam, which lies 30km north-east of the Liberian capital Monrovia, go far back: the former dam was finished in 1966, but was almost totally destroyed during the…
May 23, 2018
The irony is that one of the most productive of these solutions is far from new—in fact, it’s been a champion in the war on machine tool downtime for nearly three decades. It’s called KM Quick Change Tooling from Kennametal. Now, Kennametal has now launched an entirely new KM product line: Turret-Adapted Clamping Units. In addition, the company has partnered with global lathe tool specialist, EWS Tool Technologies, to manufacture and support this series of KM adapters. Together, the two companies plan to redefine how shops will tool up the turrets on their DMG MORI, Okuma, Mazak, Haas, Doosan, Nakamura, Hwacheon, and Hyundai lathes, with more to come. Embracing change Some companies have looked at quick-change tooling and decided not to invest, on the grounds that it is too expensive or not worth the hassle that comes with implementing any new technology. That might be why many…
May 23, 2018
To this end, more fabricators are replacing basic software with more advanced applications provided by the specialists. Glenn Durham, Vice-President of Engineering at SigmaTEK, explains what the industry can expect from CAM software providers moving forward. AMT: Scrap-reduction and accelerated cutting cycles are a few obvious benefits of nesting programs. Where else do they make a difference? Glenn Durham: Nesting isn’t only about scrap-reduction. It’s also about part-placement for manufacturability. A main goal for fabricators – beyond simply cutting and processing materials, is to efficiently manage inventory. While companies like SigmaTEK want to help manufacturers reduce scrap, we also provide tools that make it easier and more efficient to track and reuse drops. To elaborate, there are many situations in which the location of a part on the material must be optimised before we can even consider material utilisation. For example, vacuum table routers have the strongest…
May 18, 2018
Compact smart vending Big bulky machines have their place, but they will never be fully point-of-use or provide the smart manufacturing cell with its own autonomy. Some suppliers offer bench-top units that are compact in size but pack a punch well above their weight when it comes to features. They typically offer a full software suite and provide 100% control and accountability per bin or per individual item. This makes them ideal for the modern shopfloor, where the machining process and selection of cutting tools cannot be compromised. Mobility Mobility has been one of the catch words of the last decade or so. Today we take it for granted that our office, social activities and more sit in our pocket. Users expect to…
May 11, 2018
Ellex is a global leader in medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease. It has about 10 core products across five areas: glaucoma; diabetic eye diseases; secondary cataracts; age-related macular degeneration; and vitreous opacities (commonly known as eye floaters). The company officially opened new headquarters in the northern Adelaide suburb of Mawson Lakes in December. The new 2.18-hectare facility allows Ellex’s machine shop, clean rooms and administration to be co-located for the first time. A major feature is the Controlled Environment Room (CER), a state-of-the-art, dust-free space where the lasers are built, eliminating contamination risk. Early indications have shown measurable reductions in costs and manufacturing time per unit, without any risk of compromising the quality and reliability of products. Ellex sells its laser and ultrasound systems in more than 100 countries and has offices in the US, France, Germany and Japan. Executive Director Dr Meera Verma said Ellex almost doubled the laser and ultrasound side of the business between 2013 and 2017 and was experiencing remarkable growth –…
May 11, 2018
While the industry is developing electric vehicles and enjoying a global upsurge in demand for cars, it is also faced with the urgent need to refine combustion engines to reduce consumption. Lightweight yet high-performance drive systems are the order of the day. This presents the machining industry with a challenge, since some of the new materials used to achieve this are difficult to machine. Added to this is the increasing pressure to improve the efficiency of the production process. Rarely throughout its history has the automotive industry been under such intense pressure to implement change: within the next two decades, the combustion engine is set to give way to the electric drive. National governments and the EU administration in Brussels have started to introduce tax incentives to promote electric vehicles over vehicles with combustion engines. And that is just the beginning. Car manufacturers face penalties if they fail to comply with the political requirements for reducing CO2 emissions. At the same time, private transport is becoming ever more popular, and with this rise in popularity inevitably…