Technology News

Australian craft brewing software specialist helps Oregon brewery capitalise on the demand for new products and co-packing contracts by focusing on data to streamline packaging operations Australian manufacturing performance software company, OFS, has signed a deal with Oregon-based craft brewer Ninkasi Brewing Company, removing manual processes for its manufacturing team and helping it to increase on-time-in-full (OTIF) orders from 40% to 94% as the brewery expands its product portfolio. Founded in 2005 and famous for its Total Domination IPA, Ninkasi makes approximately 150,000 barrels (almost 50 million schooners) of beer every year. The craft brewery has also recently expanded its operations to contract out its production lines to budding brewers and producers of canned cocktails, hard seltzers, and other popular drink lines. The new production model led Ninkasi to rethink its approach to data capture and efficiency improvement initiatives and seek a provider that could help it reduce downtime, speed up product changeovers, and improve its production scheduling. “When we were small, it was easier to keep up with production demand, but we reached a point of growth and diversity…

Based in Bendigo, Victoria, The Edge Equine is an Australian manufacturer of equine dental products, primarily rasps for manual horse dentistry. The company also provides commercial industrial sharpening services for the central Victorian region – specialising in high-precision sharpening such as broach drills, annular cutters, saw blades, and router bits for local commercial cabinet makers, sawmills, and food processors. The company’s focus on manufacturing equine dental products stemmed from a local horse dentist’s request to sharpen his equine dental blades. Today, it is a point of differentiation as The Edge Equine has concentrated on a more traditional product while other manufacturers have moved to the electronics industry. The Edge Equine prides itself on providing prompt service, made possible with on-site manufacturing capabilities that enable them to ship products within 48 hours. The company sells directly to over 40 countries, with distributors in the US, UK, New Zealand, and South Africa. The company’s relationship with ANCA started in 2005 when they purchased a second-hand TG4. “Over the years we grew to have three TG4s on the floor,” explains Managing…

Run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2023 will occupy more than 10,000 square metres of exhibition space at the MCEC, with more than 270 organisations so far taking stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ZONE With the likes of Bilby 3D, CSIRO Manufacturing, SLM Solutions, GoProTo (ANZ), Objective 3D, FormLab Inc., Titomic, Additive Australia, Thinglab, Metal Tech, and RMIT University, the range of exhibitors includes Additive Manufacturing users, suppliers, and supporters. The Additive Manufacturing Zone will spotlight the latest advances in the technologies within this sector. Techniques within Additive Manufacturing include Stereolithography, Selective Laser Sintering, Material Extrusion, Sheet lamination, Binder jetting, Cold Spray processing, Material jetting, directed energy deposition, powder bed fusion, VAT photo polymerisation and wire arc manufacturing (WAAM). Many of these will be represented within the Additive Manufacturing Zone. “I was very happy to have viewed all the technologies on display. The whole organisation of the show was exceptional. Looking forward to attending the Melbourne 2023 version which I know will be a…

The new SPEE3D Phaser nozzle uses compressed air or nitrogen to deposit material four times faster than the speed of sound at much higher energy. This process achieves high particle velocity to enable more deformation of particles during the deposition process. As a result, harder materials can be made including stainless steel, titanium, high-strength aluminium and nickel-based carbides. These materials are in addition to our existing various copper, aluminium bronze and aluminium materials. “The SPEE3D PHASER nozzle is revolutionary because anyone can print what’s considered ‘hardier’ materials, and without having to rely on helium to cold spray these materials like other nozzles,” said CTO Steven Camilleri. “With supply chain issues continuing to delay parts for industries such as space, defense, auto racing and maritime, the Phaser nozzle can create these parts in just minutes to withstand severe conditions, high stress, immense shock loads and abrasive environments.” SPEE3D’s cold spray metal 3D printers are the world’s fastest, most robust, deployable additive solution to manufacture full-density, solid metal parts in just…

Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge 2022 aims to bring together industry partners and creative innovators to co-develop sustainable solutions in key areas such as sustainable materials, packaging, zero-waste, and many more. The fourth edition of the Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge, launched by Enterprise Singapore, aims to bring together industry partners and creative innovators to co-develop sustainable solutions. Solutions should be implemented locally and regionally before pushing them out on a global scale. For this challenge, each of our industry partners bring a unique challenge statement addressing key themes of Green Buildings, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Food Source, Zero-waste, Sustainable Materials and Packaging. Winning innovators will access a unique opportunity for co-innovation with corporates, benefiting from their extensive expertise, mentorship, and resources. Other prize rewards include potential grant support from Enterprise Singapore, A$76,000 from Hexagon Group, alongside potential funding and test-bedding opportunities from the industry partners themselves. The time is now to make a tangible difference to your business and the sustainable goals of our planet. The cooperation between the Australian manufacturing industry and that of Singapore (and others), ensures investment…

When it comes to manufacturing industrial equipment – be it scientific instruments, factory equipment or power tools, to name just a few – a multitude of different intricate parts are needed to ensure the product functions as intended. For industrial manufacturers of such equipment, there is a clear and common need for parts, however complex they may be, to deliver the robustness, consistency, accuracy, and repeatability to uphold the performance expectations and functionality of the product faithfully. Failure to ensure this could result in malfunction, which in turn could lead to extra costs and damage to the brand’s image. But the challenge for industrial machinery manufacturers doesn’t end there; the need for such parts to also be produced both timely and cost-effectively will always be an equally inherent objective. With traditional manufacturing techniques, there is an immediate and accepted recognition that long lead times and high costs will typically be part and parcel of the process. Therefore, traditional manufacturing options often hinder industrial equipment manufacturers’ quest to streamline efficiencies across their production operations. The Stratasys’ industrial-grade SAF technology is a…

The three-pronged principle of the Multi-Master family was based on the face contact between a carbide head and tool, centring the head by use of a short taper, and securing the head in the tool body by use of a threaded connection. It was the last of these three elements that benchmarked the connection of carbide heads in assembled tools. The successful design of the thread, made of hard brittle carbide, enabled fast and simple head replacements and created the easy-to-use tool that features ISCAR's no setup time phenomenon. The threaded connection quickly found its way into various tool assembly systems with exchangeable carbide heads, now an industry standard. At first, the Multi-Master line was intended specifically for milling in the Die and Mold industry. Soon after, the automotive, aerospace, and general machinery industries adopted ISCAR's Multi-Master in their production processes. Milling remains the focus of the Multi-Master line, which now lends itself to drilling applications as well. The Multi-Master line has greatly expanded, and now covers a broad…

In an important milestone for securing access to mRNA vaccines and enhancing medical research and development in Australia, global biotech Moderna has commenced construction of its new manufacturing facility at Monash University’s Clayton campus in Melbourne’s southeast. Construction work comes less than four months after Monash was selected as the site for the new facility that was first announced in March as part of a ten-year strategic partnership between Moderna and the Federal and Victorian governments. It will be Moderna’s first manufacturing site to be built in the Southern Hemisphere and the first to be built on a university campus. The facility is expected to open in 2024, subject to regulatory approvals, and will produce up to 100 million vaccine doses each year, including vaccines for COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Located within the Monash Technology Precinct, at the corner of Blackburn and Wellington Roads, the facility will join a host of world-leading research and technology facilities already established in the precinct, including CSIRO, Australian Synchrotron, Victorian Heart Hospital, and Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication. Monash University President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret…

Taking its industry-leading turning technology to a new level, Nakamura-Tome has now introduced the new JX-200 multi-tasking mill/turn centre. The JX-200 incorporates Nakamura’s new NT Smart Cube - the world’s shortest tool spindle in its class. This provides a compact footprint with a spacious work area and unrivalled kinematics that drastically improve machining performance. Nakamura has recognised the increased need of industry to manufacture smaller batch sizes with higher flexibility. With customers wanting ‘more flexible machining’ and ‘higher part production’ rates with a single machine, the JX-200 is the solution. This new machine can accommodate a larger number of tools and this delivers unrivalled flexibility for handling multiple types of low-quantity production. The impressive new JX-220 is a twin-spindle machine with an upper tool spindle that swivels +/-95 degrees to provide exceptional flexibility. This unit has an impressive 15/11kW power output and a 12,000rpm spindle with an 18,000rpm spindle as an option. The upper tool spindle has an 80-position tool carousel as standard with 40 or 120 tools as optional extras. On the lower tooling turret as standard is milling capability and also Y-axis machining.…

Fleet Space, Australia’s only commercial small satellite manufacturer, has partnered with Konica Minolta to implement 3D printers from 3D Systems to support Fleet Space’s groundbreaking innovation, which aims to bring manufacturing for the space, strategic, and mineral exploration industries back onshore. The 3D printer will also scale up Fleet Space’s manufacturing of small satellites for low Earth orbit to connect billions of devices. Fleet Space is leading the way in innovative manufacturing for the space, strategic, and mineral exploration industries. With production in Australia co-funded by the South Australian Government, Fleet Space focuses on using cutting edge communications and space technologies to enable the next giant leap in human civilisation. The small satellites from Fleet Space incorporate the world’s first 3D-printed, all-metal patch antenna, which delivers 10 times more throughput per kilogram of spacecraft. The 3D printing of these antennae was outsourced to an offshore provider; however, significant scale-up efficiencies can be found in bringing production to Australia. Fleet Space has been contracted to scale its operations significantly in 2022 and 2023 and needed a more efficient way…

Australian Manufacturing Week (AMW2023) will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 9-12 May 2023. Run by the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), AMW2023 will occupy more than 10,000 square metres of exhibition space at the MCEC, with more than 274 organisations taking stands to showcase the latest manufacturing technologies, processes, and support services. AUSTECH MACHINE TOOLS ZONE AUSTECH has been the cornerstone of AMTIL’s success for over 20 years. This iconic Machine Tools Zone now forms an integral part of AMW 2023. AUSTECH is specifically targeted at the metalworking, machine tool, and ancillary market in Australia. AUSTECH covers advanced manufacturing products and processes including: CNC Machinery, Lathes, Mills Contract Manufacturing/Precision Machining Cutting Tools, Tooling & Tool Holding Forming & Fabricating Machines Plasma, Laser, Waterjet & Ultrasonic Machines Ancillary equipment suppliers Sponsored by ISCAR ISCAR Australia is a high-profile producer in the Australian metal-working sector. As well as sponsoring the AUSTECH MACHINE TOOLS ZONE, ISCAR is a producer of innovative cutting tools for metalworking, including turning, grooving, milling, hole-making,…

You've landed back home after visiting your offshore oil rig when you realise you need to set up a meeting with that drilling rig assessor. Her email address is written on a Post-It Note and stuck to the PC monitor... back on the rig. Wouldn't it be handy to call up a remote view, virtually walking right up to your desk to read the Post-It Note just like you’re walking through a videogame environment? That's exactly what Perth company RemSense can deliver. After starting in 2012 as a drone operator for Western Australian resources clients, a decade of technical experience has opened the door to opportunities with a range of clients across industries from mining to airports and everything in between. That's why founder and CEO Steve Brown describes RemSense as a technology development company more than just an imaging business (more below). But giving customers the best possible access to remote facilities is still a cornerstone of what he and his team do. Using magnetospheric or multispectral readings, LIDAR (light detection and ranging –…

The supply and labour constraints afflicting the Australian economy continue to create challenges for the manufacturing sector. According to the Australian Industry Group (AIG), the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) dropped by 1.5 points to 52.5 in July. With production and employment both falling, it’s clear that manufacturers are struggling with the impact of chronic labour shortages and supply chain interruptions, leading many to reevaluate their processes to drive efficiency. An ongoing challenge While many might have hoped for a more positive year, 2022 continues to challenge manufacturers. In fact, business groups across Australia have raised concerns about a shortfall of skilled workers across a number of critical industries such as health, trades, manufacturing and tech, amid historically low unemployment rates. In August the NSW skills minister, Alister Henskens, went as far as describing the critical workforce shortages as a “handbrake” on the state’s economy. Against this backdrop, a growing number of manufacturers are considering implementing specialist technology, not only to minimise downtime but to also prevent their…