Technology News

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) recently released a report outlining a significant conundrum facing the manufacturing sector. On the one hand, Australian manufacturing is entering a strong period of growth, on the other that growth is being undermined by labour and supply chain constraints not seen in decades. Chief Economist at ACCI, Dr Ross Lambie said in the report that, “Manufacturers [are] continuing to expand their workforce, and expectations for future employment remain positive. However, employers are having increasing difficulties finding experienced workers because of domestic and international border closures – these labour constraints are at levels not seen since September 2007.” Like other sectors, Australian manufacturing is finding it difficult to find staff to fill positions, which is not only impacting their ability to meet their own orders but is having knock-on effects in the broader economy as supply chain shortages create production bottlenecks elsewhere. And for those thinking this is purely a COVID-related affair as national borders have closed and shipping almost ground to a halt, there are broader and longer-term issues at play.…

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 My Show Planner online tool has everything you need to make the most of your time on the show floor. You can connect with exhibitors, and plan your time so you don’t miss anything. There is exclusive content available on the AMW App to users, revealing details about exhibitors and their products. Listings include Featured Exhibitors, Sessions and bios of speakers at the Future Solutions Speaker Sessions, product and exhibitor category listings as well as exclusive exhibitor collateral. After picking all your must-see content at your online portal, you can then log in and access them all using the AMW2023 App while out on the show floor. Registrations are now open for Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW2023), held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9-12 May 2023. Organised and run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2023 will occupy more than 10,780 square metres of exhibition space at the MCEC, with 345 organisations taking stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. Don’t miss out!  Register online…

Plants and factories from automotive to apparel closed up in the globalisation age, and the narrative ever since has been of an industry that's long since fled to the third world in search of cheaper prices, never to return. But some local players are bucking the trends, and just one is the Sevaan Group, a Sydney-based metal machining company that's going from strength to strength. Established in 1997 as Proline Technologies, owners and proprietors Jim and Artemis Tzakos built the business up strategically, surrounding themselves with a small team of manufacturing experts and acquiring a company in 2011, re-christening itself The Sevaan Group. Supplying Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), The Sevaan Group produces metal components for a range of industries including defence, mining, agriculture and gaming to aerospace, robotics, electronics and transit. Today the company has around 50 people and is in the throes of planning an advanced new facility to open late in 2023. But as CEO David Green explains, it’s still a family-owned…

Australian government Minister Chris Bowen and Minister Ed Husic have welcomed the transformational announcement by GFG Alliance’s Liberty Steel into low-carbon steel making in South Australia. After a decade of policy chaos, the passage of the Government’s Safeguard Mechanism reforms provides critical industries like steelmaking with the certainty needed for major investments in decarbonisation, helping to future-proof thousands of onshore jobs and ensuring a future made in Australia Today’s announcement by Liberty Steel will deliver a new electric arc furnace and progress plans for a Direct Reduction Plant, which is expected to transition to green hydrogen produced from GFG’s own renewable energy projects. GFG estimates this investment will deliver a significant reduction in direct CO2 emissions from steelmaking in Whyalla by 2025. The Australian steel industry generates $29bn in annual revenue, employs almost 140,000 people across the country and will be absolutely critical to delivering the infrastructure Australia needs to become a renewable energy superpower. The passage of the Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill last week provides further economic benefits for Australian industry to decarbonise and thrive as the world moves towards a net zero…

The Open IIoT group – a cohort of Australia’s most prominent automation brands – has been hard at work since their last showing at Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW) Melbourne in 2019. Most notably they have launched the ‘Industry 4.0 and Beyond’ Podcast, featuring the group’s signature style of ‘cutting through the jargon’ as they discuss the latest trends in IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and advanced manufacturing. The podcast releases episodes monthly and features Jozef Ceh of SMC Corporation ANZ and Wade Leslie of KUKA Robot Automation as hosts. Representatives from Open IIoT member companies (Beckhoff Automation, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS, Balluff, and ZI-Argus) appear as member guests. To ensure a diverse range of perspectives and expert industry insights, the members are regularly joined by partners and industry experts from a multitude of manufacturing sectors, as they discuss new technologies and the unique challenges and benefits of Industry 4.0 implementation. Episodes to date approach a diverse range of topics, including how Industry 4.0 can help Australia get back on track to meet its recycling goals; the role of IIoT in creating ‘smart’…

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…

At full capacity, the large-scale lithium-ion battery cell production facility in Geelong, Victoria, will generate up to 30GWh of storage capacity per year for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage markets. Construction will begin in the second half of 2023, with the goal of producing batteries equal to 2GWh annually in the second half of 2024 and 6GWh by 2026. As operations expand to full capacity, the factory will employ an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 workers directly. Recharge Industries and Accenture are now moving the project into the detailed engineering phase, which will lay the foundation for the facility’s construction. During this period, Accenture will advise on the facility layout, including utility planning and set-up of the production lines. The company will assist in procuring and shipping the required equipment, conduct final tests of all line equipment, and provide ongoing process and product engineering support to improve battery production. Production equipment for the first 2 GWh production line has already been secured with…

A new Hydraulink hydraulic hose, fitting and service franchise in Malaga is led by a mechanical engineer with qualifications and experience to save time and ensure optimum standards of safety and compliance for major industries there. Hydraulink Malaga, led by franchise operator Jignesh Patel in northern Perth, is centred on a major industrial area serving industries such as mining, earthmoving, construction, materials handling, manufacturing, waste management, plant hire, agriculture, road and rail, transport, and marine. “This region in the City of Swan, designated a strategic industrial area for Western Australia, will be ideally served by a franchise operator with the local and international experience of Jignesh Patel,” says Hydraulink National Franchise Manager Wayne Abbott. Jignesh Patel is a heavy-duty diesel mechanic with a diploma in mechanical engineering and more than 20 years’ experience in India, the Middle East, Africa and Perth, where he moved to in 2008 to work for a global leader in heavy machinery with operations throughout Australia. “Jignesh’s experience in power plant and heavy machinery has been at the top world standards level of service, compliance and safety,”…