Product News

Situated in Box Hill, Maton Guitars is where some of the finest quality guitars in the world come to life, each with a unique character and tone. Bill May pioneered the use of many Australian wood species in guitar construction and is regarded by many Australian luthiers as the founding father of their industry. The Blackwood series still sound as good as they did when they were released. Star guitarists like Neil Finn, Tommy Emanuel, Paul Kelly and Colin Hay count Maton Guitars as key to their great sounds. “The main role AMTIL has played throughout the term of our membership has been one of great collaboration,” Managing Director David Steedman said. “In particular, Greg Chalker is a resource who knows this business and our industrial needs intimately. AMTIL contributes to this business in the identification of government programs or initiatives that are of interest to us whereby we can look to applying for federal or state government funding for various project works.” “This role materialises in not only tangible wins and resultant…

Super-thin chips made from lithium niobate are set to overtake silicon chips in light-based technologies, according to world-leading scientists in the field, with potential applications ranging from remote ripening-fruit detection on Earth to navigation on the Moon. They say the artificial crystal offers the platform of choice for these technologies due to its superior performance and recent advances in manufacturing capabilities. RMIT University’s Distinguished Professor Arnan Mitchell and University of Adelaide’s Dr Andy Boes led this team of global experts to review lithium niobate’s capabilities and potential applications in the journal Science. The international team, including scientists from Peking University in China and Harvard University in the United States, is working with industry to make navigation systems that are planned to help rovers drive on the Moon later this decade. As it is impossible to use GPS technology on the Moon, navigation systems in lunar rovers will need to use an alternative system, which is where the team’s innovation comes in. By detecting tiny changes in laser light, the lithium-niobate chip can be used to measure movement without needing external signals, according to Mitchell. “This…

The next time you wander across the shopfloor, take notice of the machine vision cameras installed, and you may notice that many of these are often offline or turned off, allowing all products good and bad, to pass through the system. If you ask the questions, apart from rude comments, the reason provided will be that they are too sensitive and constantly reject good parts! Vision systems are often selected after a static on-bench demonstration, where the product is hand-oriented. This usually produces good results but does not represent what happens in production when the product is often moving. Most conveyors have guide rails to contain the product, which often acts as visual obstacles, and the cameras cannot be installed as demonstrated. One good example is detecting a feature on a bottle. The demonstrator can orientate the product to suit the camera on the bench, but when the bottle is on a conveyor, the whole scenario changes. We have an unstable product on a moving platform. The camera has to deal with a product that can wobble and…

The original theoretical project between the Norwegian company NEO and the European Space Agency (ESA), examined the concept of hyperspectral imaging for small satellites, (HISS).  Several years on and with a good deal of research under their belt, the company is now closing the loop. The CEO of Norsk Elektro Optikk, (NEO) Trond Løke explains that HySpex is now launching into space with two partners, the European Space Agency and the Norwegian Space Agency. So why is hyperspectral image gathering so important for use in satellites? Hyperspectral images produce a spectrum of several hundred colours, (represented as numbers) for each pixel in an image. Coloured images captured by a camera can discriminate between, for example a rock, a cow and trees in a landscape. However, hyperspectral images can discriminate between the different types of rocks, cows and trees. This is because hyperspectral imaging, ‘analyses a wide spectrum of light’ instead of just assigning primary colours such as red, green, blue, to each pixel captured. The light striking each pixel is broken down into many different spectral bands providing a great…

US metal and carbon fibre 3D printing company Markforged will showcase its newest production printer, the FX20, at Australian Manufacturing Week, 9-12 May in Melbourne. In recent years, Australian manufacturing factories have been embracing this technology and integrating it into their existing manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Since launching the FX20 in Australia, Markforged has seen Australian manufacturers adopt its technology into their existing workflows on shop floors. Six months after launching the FX20, Markforged has shipped and established a two-digit network of FX20s in Australia and New Zealand. The FX20 utilised Markforged’s Digital Forge, which uses the Eiger and Simulation software to develop parts quickly and easily. One of the main advantages of additive manufacturing is its ability to produce highly customised parts and components. With traditional manufacturing methods, producing custom parts can be time-consuming and costly, requiring expensive tooling and specialised equipment. With 3D printing, however, the process is much simpler and more efficient. Manufacturers can simply design the part using computer-aided design (CAD) software and then print it on a 3D printer. Many manufacturers around Australia have already recognised…

As a step towards turning the decarbonised society into reality, Okuma has defined the “Green-Smart Machine” as intelligent machine tools that contribute to resolving environmental issues, by autonomously achieving both stable dimensional accuracy and reduced energy usage, and the company offers a full product lineup. Okuma has been using automation and process integration as a part of its effort to reduce energy usage while still achieving high-productivity, high-accuracy machining for becoming carbon neutral at three Japan plants which are its main production bases. In addition to these measures, Okuma started using green energy in October 2022, and its three plants in Japan will become carbon-neutral plants ahead of schedule (Scope 1 and 2). In its wide lineup of products, which ranges from small 2-axis CNC lathes to multitasking machines, 5-axis machining centres, and large double-column machining centres, Okuma has incorporated Intelligent Technology to achieve high-accuracy and high-efficiency machining and enhanced the technology to contribute to high-quality and stable-accuracy production. Okuma has issued a declaration that its "Green-Smart Machine" is an eco-friendly smart…

Guill announces the introduction of a new version of its popular 800 series, known as 800 Series Hybrid. In some extrusion applications that utilize crossheads and inlines, layers of the exact same material are applied multiple times, using a single die. This method is used to reduce the propensity for errors caused by gels breaking through a thin wall, weld lines, inconsistent wall thickness, plus material and process variations. Additional errors include difficult-to-process materials and demanding applications where there is zero fault tolerance. Seeking to design the next-generation multi-layer die to overcome these challenges, the engineers at Guill looked for a way to incorporate this technology into an updated version of the 800 Series. This led to the creation of the 800 Series Hybrid. The inherent benefits of the 800 Series are retained, including compact design, low residence time and a common deflector bore that eliminates tolerance stack up. The challenge was to create a hybrid design that incorporates the benefits of layer overlapping, while reducing unnecessary complexity and making the technology more cost-affordable for customers. This was achieved by overlapping layers in each semi-deflector,…

With the steady growth in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, the expectations of the users and owners on their machinery and products have also grown exponentially. This is very true as far as sheet metal forging and manufacturing units and industries are concerned. That being said, CNC press brakes form a major constituent of the sheet metal sector. Here are the important features that you should know about your hybrid servo CNC press brake system, to help you correlate their benefits better. Over the course of time, the simple CNC press brake system which started out as a torsion bar CNC set up has now evolved into the popular hydraulic CNC systems which are now in use in most renowned industries. The hybrid servo CNC press brake variant is the latest one in line, and we will discuss further press brakes in this article, taking this hybrid variety as the standard machine. The hybrid servo CNC…

The Australian Häuslein Tiny House manufacturing company began after the business partners saw the boom happening in the US. Riding on the phenomenal momentum of the ‘recreational vehicle’ (RV) universe, where people were downsizing through either necessity or searching for freedom from a mortgage, they knew this was a wave worth catching. The small Australian team was so impressed, they got together and the company was born. At Häuslein, all the Tiny Houses and other forms of ‘hauler trailers’ are designed and manufactured entirely in Port Macquarie, NSW. Sam Verlaan, Co-Founder and Director of Technical Services talks of the uptick in interest the group found from people wanting to take up the lifestyle. The practical problem for the team was to source the right steel framing, sheeting, wood panelling, as well as finding the best-skilled fitters and joiners and construction people with the same passion to join them on the journey. “There has definitely been an uptick in interest in tiny houses since we started nearly five years ago,” says Verlaan. The global lifestyle changes ignited in the pandemic sparked a huge leap in orders. “We were inundated…

Without bracing, you don’t have a building. It’s a ubiquitous part of the construction industry, and yet many traditional bracing systems require difficult logistics and time-consuming installation. Tension-only rod bracing offers an alternative – ultimately saving time, effort, and costs across the board. You may know the basics of tension bracing – but how does it actually function? And is it really worth transitioning away from bracing methods that have been used for years? In this article, we’ve taken an in-depth look at how different bracing systems work – both for the building and for the people creating it. Traditional bracing systems for lightweight steel frame structures involve planning and calculations from structural engineers, complex logistics management, and precise installation on site. DonoBrace is the tension-only rod bracing system from Donovan Group that offers a different perspective. How does bracing work? Fundamentally, a bracing system uses compression and/or tension to hold a structure’s portal legs in place and support the weight of the building. For example, two of the most common systems are equal-angle bracing…

VSD compressors have been designed to produce air as needed. The speed automatically adjusts so production of air matches real-time demand – perfect for those whose need for air fluctuates throughout the shift. This is where the ‘potential’ energy savings come in.  Unlike a Fixed Speed Compressor which runs at a constant speed until turned off, the VSD will decrease in power when not in use. Which should save you on power costs, in theory. However, there are so many variables, you may not see any savings at all. VSD compressors are most efficient when running between 40 and 80% load. Outside this, the air-end is running beyond its optimum. VSDs are also sensitive to adverse atmospheric conditions. The quality of power supply, voltage and frequency also needs to be considered. So, unless you are running at optimal load, working in a cool and clean environment with a clean and uninterrupted power supply, then a VSD is probably not for you. When VSD compressors fail,…

BAE Systems Australia has teamed with local industry to present Australia’s first domestically designed, manufactured and armed VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) Uncrewed Air System (UAS). STRIXTM is being developed by BAE Systems Australia and Perth-based Innovaero and launched today at the 2023 Avalon Airshow in Geelong, Australia. The collaboration brings together BAE Systems’ global expertise in autonomous platforms and its vehicle management system (VMS) technology with Innovaero’s knowledge of aeronautical product design and manufacture in the Australian market. A hybrid, tandem wing, multi-domain and multi-role UAS capability, STRIX could be used for a variety of missions including an air-to-ground strike against hostile targets and persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). It could also act as a ‘loyal wingman’ for military helicopters. Designed to carry up to a 160kg payload over 800km, STRIX will be capable of operating in high-risk environments. With a collapsed footprint of 2.6m x 4.5m, it could be easily transported in standard shipping. Its VTOL capability means STRIX could be used without relying on an airfield. It could also be operated from a helicopter to expand the mission set and protect…

Suhner Australia, a leader in metal finishing solutions, has released its next-generation of variable speed, 125mm Angle grinders – the Suhner UWG 11R and the UWK 11R. Both models provide unrivalled speed stability regardless of whether they are operating at 2,800rpm or 10,500rpm, to help deliver a variety of quality finishes. Specifically designed to keep vibration at bay, both grinders provide the correct speed and stability under torque, allowing the user to operate them for an extended period of time. This ensures a consistent, quality finish on stainless steel, aluminium, brass, other alloys and ferrous metals. Moreover, the Suhner UWG 11R and UWK 11R can be combined with a variety of abrasive, cutting or hook and loop discs as well as a range of non-woven and fine finish products, so that users can attain a wide variety of finishes. Made in Germany and built to last, both the UWG 11R and UWK 11R grinders are quality tools suitable for working on a range of applications including structural fabrication, balustrades, vehicle components, medical products, aircraft parts, and many other light or heavy manufacturing applications. The Suhner…