November 2, 2022
Facteon has spent the past four decades crafting factory automation and proprietary welding solutions and has grown to become an international specialist in factory solutions, smart manufacturing, and IIoT technologies. The company’s welding solutions focus on developing technologies that deliver weld strength, alignment, and a superior cosmetic finish, as Warren Collenette, Senior Design Engineer from Facteon explains. “We are focused on customer confidence; we want our customers to be confident in each and every solution that we supply.” Facteon provides robust welding solutions to some of the world’s largest appliance manufacturers and their welding technology can be used to process aluminum, mild steel, and multiple grades of stainless steel. “Irrespective of the industry, consistency, and repeatability are key,” Collenette says. Naturally, finding the right automation partner is central to the success of any manufacturer and Collenette says that Facteon looks to SMC Corporation Australia New Zealand for many of its unique automation requirements. “We started working with SMC more than 25 years. The initial relationship was between Fisher and Paykel, who at the time owned Facteon, and SMC,” he says. “We have a great…
November 2, 2022
Conflux Technology has released its first product - an ultra-high-performing Water Charge Air Cooler (WCAC). Conflux Technology has used its rich and extensive knowledge in additive manufactured (AM) heat exchangers to deliver a premium WCAC product that rivals and out-performs other leading WCACs, applicable to motorsport and high-end automotive markets. As AM technology advances, industry leaders are recognising the complementary power of digital inventory and mass customisation. “The Conflux WCAC embodies how we deliver what motorsport and elite automakers ask for – a definitive performance advantage. A product is rapidly configured to our customer’s prioritisation of performance, size, and packaging requirements. AM lets us supply the WCAC with low lead time and competitively priced.” says Dan Woodford, Chief Product Officer at Conflux. This technologically advanced product has already made an impact in European motorsport circles as the superior WCAC; consistently eliciting demonstrable enthusiasm from leaders in the field over its fine features, incredible geometry, and highly competitive pricing. Conflux Products deliver industry-leading performance; are scalable and configurable to unique boundary conditions, performance, and packaging requirements. "I am really excited about the product roadmap for…
October 31, 2022
Leading materials handling manufacturer Enmin is manufacturing electromagnetic drives in Australia. These drives offer a unique handling method for controlling the flow of food products, ingredients, and bulk material. Products can be screened, sized, or accurately metered to ensure a smooth, uniform, and fully variable flow. With minimal moving parts, next to no ongoing maintenance, and low energy consumption it’s a reliable, low-cost method of product handling. The drives are designed and constructed to meet the rigorous requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industries such as maximum hygiene, ease of cleaning, and continuous 24/7 operation. The cyclic operation is controlled by a range of electronic controllers that will vary the feeding rate in a manner to suit the specific application enabling high-speed filling coupled with pinpoint accuracy. The controllers are available in different enclosures or as standalone for incorporation into central panels. As production lines evolve and other components are updated to achieve higher throughput, older and less efficient drives cannot match the required capacity increase. “Fitting one of our new generation drives will ensure that a higher conveying speed can be achieved to…
October 28, 2022
With the increasing demand for high technology equipment (e.g., catalytic converters) and a transition to green energy economies, battery metals (e.g., cobalt, nickel, and lithium), and rare earth elements (e.g., cerium and lanthanum) are critical. In recent years, significant commitments have been made by the Australian and Indian governments, consistent with transitioning to a net zero economy by 2050. The projected demand for these critical minerals in India presents a unique opportunity to increase cooperation with Australia which has abundant resources and world-class expertise. InnovEco Australia has developed and patented two technologies - resin in pulp (RIP), and resin in moist mix (RIMM) with a high target metal extraction performance from fine particles in an eco-friendly manner. “Our company has been developing a novel metal recovery technology since 2012 when we first identified a key issue in the heap leaching process – the processing of fine fractions in copper ore,” said Gennadiy Sukhinin, Managing Director at InnovEco Australia. Particularly, the technology has been successful in copper recovery resulting in 96 – 98 wt.% yields compared to 70 wt.% for conventional heap leaching technology.…
October 26, 2022
Australian manufacturers will now gain access to a ground-breaking new composite 3D printer at the Swinburne University of Technology, from global market leader Markforged. The Markforged FX20 printer is primarily designed for high-strength end-use parts in the aerospace, defense, automotive and energy industries. The FX20 prints nearly five times larger builds and is up to eight times faster than Markforged's existing line of composite printers. The FX20 printer at Swinburne’s Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) will be the first and only FX20 printer openly accessible to industry in Australia for use in research and development, helping promote new aerospace development and support the continued growth of the sector locally. It also features a heated build chamber capable of maintaining a temperature of up to 200°C to print flame-retardant, high-performance thermoplastic material. Shai Terem, President and CEO of Markforged, hosted the Australian launch of the FX20 3D printer at Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus as part of a three-city launch tour in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. “With this combination of hardware and software, users can create end-use, mission-critical parts and build resilient and sustainable supply chains that extend directly…
October 26, 2022
Hybrid Systems Australia has unveiled its new rapidly deployable stand-alone power system (RD-SPS) at the All-Energy Expo in Melbourne. The award-winning SPS experts have delivered a new skid-mounted system comprising the latest solar PV technology, batteries and backup diesel generator that can provide energy to customers in under an hour from delivery. The modular design, manufactured and engineered in Western Australia, uses the same platform that has been successfully installed at more than 110 sites across Western Australia and can be combined with rapidly deployable PV arrays, existing PV installations or temporary ground-mount arrays of up to 36 kW peak. The system also incorporates the company’s new Hybrid Integrated Power System (HIPSTM), an outdoor-rated enclosure that contains the battery inverters, solar charge controller, battery and control system, which has been designed with 24/7 remote operation in mind. Mike Hall, Executive Director for Hybrid Systems Australia, said the company is pleased to introduce an innovative SPS solution to the market that can be operated remotely, transported, and installed very quickly, and that is proven to operate effectively in some of Australia’s harshest conditions. “It’s a…
October 20, 2022
Boeing has opened its new Skills Development Centre at its aircraft components manufacturing site in Fishermans Bend. The $1.6m centre will train current and new employees on advanced manufacturing technologies and processes. The centre is training its first class consisting of five members of the Boeing Aerostructures Australia (BAA) Female Apprenticeship Program. That program teaches apprentices the skills they need to assemble and install aircraft components, prepare and use aircraft support equipment, and inspect, maintain, and repair aircraft components and systems. Apprentices will graduate with a Certificate IV in Aeroskills (Structures) from Aviation Australia. “Between the centre opening and the start of our Female Apprenticeship Program, we are making a serious commitment to growing advanced manufacturing in Victoria with the best, brightest and most diverse workforce we can find and train,” said Mick Sorrenson, managing director of BAA. “The training centre’s focus on safety and quality will help ensure that we provide our team with the resources they need to produce complex airplane parts for Boeing.” Boeing Aerostructures Australia makes wing components and flight control surfaces for 737, 777 and 787 commercial aircraft for Australian…
October 19, 2022
Technofast Founder and CEO John Bucknell began innovating with farming technology, before applying similar principles to create Technofast’s hydraulic tensioning technology now used globally by mining, sugar, cement, food processing, quarrying and other applications. Another Australian farmer is following in the footsteps of the inventors of the stump-jump plough by achieving international renown for his ingenuity for down-to-earth solutions for problems encountered by producers globally. Queensland farmer John Bucknell’s hydraulic bolts are now used around the world in applications such as nuclear reactors, boilers, turbines and mining and energy equipment where speed, accuracy and even, precise fastening of multiple sets of bolts is required. The idea originally stemmed from his desire to find a quicker and more secure way to fasten bolts used to tighten gang bolts on large disc ploughs on his family’s property near Nindigully, Queensland (about 500km west of Brisbane). Just like brothers Richard and Clarence Smith of Yorke Peninsula who invented the stump jump plough in 1876 to allow farmers to cultivate land without removing rocks and stumps, John used his disc plough to break in new country, ready for…
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
The full Oxford Economics report has so much detail in it, I found it hard to know where to start in giving you some information that may be of interest. So what I have done is focus on areas that may give some context to the overall report and highlight some high level activity that is apparently on the global stage. The most recent survey data points to weaker manufacturing activity in the quarter from July-September 2022. The lower right quadrant of the Global Supply Chain Barometer shows a manufacturing sector still expanding, but in most cases surveys have weakened significantly over the last three months. The lower left corner is consistent both with shrinking manufacturing output and worsening over the last three months. Of the major economies shown in this graph, only India and Indonesia are still seeing an expansion which appears to be strengthening. Interestingly, the Australian PMI dropped 3.2 points to 49.3 points in August 2022, indicating a…
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,…
October 3, 2022
For more than two decades, National Group has supplied heavy-earthmoving equipment and end-to-end mining services to the world’s largest resource companies. Their machinery is used at flagship Australian mines to dig up iron ore, coal, gold, nickel and other commodities. Led by founder Mark Ackroyd, National Group owns one of this country’s largest and most advanced fleets of mining equipment. “National Group continues to grow and diversify its NSW operations,” says Ackroyd. “We have significant long-term contracts in coal and gold, and a strong pipeline of opportunities for sustained growth in NSW. National Group has created well over 100 regional jobs in NSW in the past two years. We intend to create plenty more.” By his own account, Mark Ackroyd was born and bred into this industry. He learned all about the machinery by working on roadworks at a very, very young age. “Like eight to 10 years old, I was going to work,” he says. Ackroyd was clearly not scared of a risk, or playing the long game. He worked his way up from owning one bulldozer, into…