Industry News

Manufacturers need to work with supply chain partners that are ethical, reliable, and stable. Choosing the right partners requires significant due diligence. In an age where consumers vote with their feet and increasingly prefer to purchase from companies that demonstrate concern for environmental and ethical practices, manufacturers can’t afford to find out that their supply chain partners don’t measure up to their high standards. More than half of consumers have declared themselves willing to pay a premium for products from companies promoting social responsibility. A company that promotes this virtue and is then found out to purchase materials from supply chain partners that employ slave labour or child labour, for example, could experience significant reputational damage. By contrast, a company that can prove beyond doubt that each member of its supply chain is ethical and trustworthy, can use this fact…

Kennametal accomplished this recently with the introduction of its KBH10, a new breed of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) hard turning insert designed specifically for the challenges of today’s demanding market place. Helmut Gremer, Senior Engineer for global machining technology, says the new insert complements Kennametal’s existing PcBN grades KBH20 and KB5630 by providing the extreme wear resistance needed to successfully turn hardened metals up to 65Rc, especially where very fine surface finishes are required. “We’ve seen that many manufacturers are decreasing the allowable tolerances on bearing journals, rings and pistons, gear hubs, and so on,” says Gremer. “For example, dimensional tolerances of 4μm or less are increasingly common, as are surface requirements better than Ra < 0.4μm. This new grade closes the gap for these and other…

Metal manufacturing business Global Manufacturing Group (GMG) has a reasonably well-defined patch, but the reality is that its work ends up all over Australia. “We don’t really do much in Brisbane – we leave those guys to look out for themselves,” explains Phil Dowling, Director and one of three owners at GMG. “Anything above Noosa to Rockhampton and west is our catchment. Though we deal with some national clients and some of the things we do for them could end up anywhere, west Australia or Victoria, or New South Wales, we’re not always quite sure where our stuff is going at the time. A truck turns up and takes it away, you know?” As with the location of its customers, the sector these belong to is subject to revision. What started in rail now takes in oil & gas, mining, medical, defence, and more. “We draw a pretty long bow,” Dowling says of the industries the company currently serves. “We’re a fully turnkey operation. So if you come…

The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) recently announced the establishment of two automotive Innovation Labs based in Victoria and South Australia. Co-funded by Federal and Victorian Government industry development grants, the operation of these new Innovation Labs will be led by the AAAA, providing Australian automotive product designers, manufacturers and start-ups with the the tools, technology, vehicles, expertise and collaborative environment required to innovate, design, test and manufacture for local and export markets. Advanced manufacturing services will be provided, including 3D scanning and printing, measuring sessions, technology transfer, CAD and prototyping. Advanced product development and testing facilities will significantly reduce the time and cost in developing innovative new products. According to AAAA Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Charity, the establishment of these Innovation Labs will grow an industry that is already punching well above its weight on the global stage. “Australian automotive aftermarket industry manufacturers are currently producing parts, components and technology worth more than $5bn each year,” said Charity. “Our companies are world…

More than 20 AMTIL members and associates attended the get-together at the 2KW Bar and Restaurant, with AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti and Business Development Manager Derek Gancar on hand to keep the drinks and refreshments flowing. Also in attendance were representatives from AMTIL’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme team, as well as the Association’s Corporate Partners, AGL and William Buck Chartered Accountants & Advisors. The Adelaide gathering was the first in a series of upcoming holiday celebrations that AMTIL will be holding across Australia over the coming weeks to see out 2018 and celebrate Christmas and the coming New Year. Tickets are still available for all of the events, but places are filling up fast, so don’t delay in booking. Details of AMTIL’s Christmas events are as follows: Perth AMTIL 2018 WA Christmas Dinner Function Friday 30 November, 7.30pm – 10.30pm Bathers Beach House, 47 Mews Road, Freemantle Melbourne AMTIL 2018 VIC Christmas Dinner Function Wednesday 5 December, 7.00pm – 11.00pm Carlton Brewhouse, Cnr Thompson & Nelson Streets, Abbotsford Sydney AMTIL 2018 NSW Christmas…

Oji Fibre Solutions is part of the pulp and paper division of Oji Holdings Corporation – the fifth-largest pulp and paper company in the world. From fresh fruit and produce, meat, poultry, seafood and beverages to reseller and industrial manufacturing – the wide range of industries in Australia and New Zealand that Oji has been supplying innovative corrugated cardboard packaging solutions is immense. As part of the company’s expansion to its packaging business in Australasia, Oji recently invested into the development of a new 5.8-hectare greenfield site in Yatala. Complementing the company’s existing manufacturing plants in Melbourne and Sydney, the Yatala site houses a newly constructed 2.4-hectare green-star rated manufacturing facility. From here Oji manufactures and supplies innovative corrugated cardboard packaging solutions to its customers throughout Queensland, northern New South Wales and the Northern Territory. As part of Oji’s commitment to delivering innovative and environmentally sustainable products, the new facility operates to a green-star rating system. From…

Digital solutions are required by the international shipbuilding and offshore industry for efficient planning of resources and processes. To support that, the high-tech machine manufacturer transfluid combines its bending technologies for large diameter tubes with online networking aimed at practical applications. This is the case with its ‘t project’ software which enables users to calculate the exact orientation of the flanges in advance when bending straight tubes with welded flanges. Mobile measuring tools acquire data on-site, in order to measure template tubes accurately for example. In addition to that, transfluid offers the option of tube end-forming processes with the UMR ‘t form’ rotary tube-forming machine. For instance, it is possible to introduce flared flanges economically and subsequently bend the tube. “Saving time and money are aspects that we make possible for this industry, when it comes to tube processing”, says Stefanie Flaeper, Director at transfluid. “Our ‘t bend’ CNC bending machine has replaced the need to weld bends onto large tubes a long time ago, as it lowers the production…

Established in 2000, Larsen Engineering is a diversified manufacturer of complex sheet metal componentry, primarily servicing customers in and around Albury & Wodonga, on the border between Victoria and New South Wales. With approximately 50 staff, the company operates from three manufacturing plants totalling around 5,000sqm, located in Baranduda in south-east Wodonga, and in Lavington in north Albury. Larsen provides specialised engineering solutions to a highly diverse client base, with infrastructure, agriculture and defence representing key markets. Still very much a family company, General Manager Ben Larsen is the third generation of Larsens leading manufacturing in the region, with his father Tim overseeing operations as Director. “We are a supply chain manufacturer supporting local industries,” says Ben. “We don’t necessarily focus on our own proprietary products, but we supply to all walks of life between Canberra and Wangaratta, with some other work in Melbourne and Sydney every now and again. Our main…

“Our clients approach us to bring their ideas to life, and to solve problems in ways they hadn’t considered possible,” Samwell explains. “Prototyping is essential to our business, as it proves to clients that our designs are viable. However, when producing these prototypes with traditional methods, we were not only constrained by time and cost, but also increasingly felt the prototypes often lacked the realism our clients demanded.” Bluefrog needed the freedom to escape traditional design constraints at every stage of product development. It needed to produce fully functional, advanced prototypes with industry-recognised, engineering-grade materials. In a quest to find a solution, the team turned to additive manufacturing. Bluefrog’s versatility is best exemplified by its ability to solve seemingly insurmountable challenges. The team was recently approached by a young man suffering from paraesthesia, a condition that causes inexplicable burning, tingling or prickling across the skin. The only way to ease his pain was to ensure that his clothes touched…

The kit to diagnose leishmaniasis began trials in July by the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) in Addis Ababa, as part of a program to revolutionise the way diseases are tested and treated. Working with Austin-based infectious disease virtual incubator PandemicTech and the New Venture Institute (NVI) at Flinders University in Adelaide, Dr Endalamaw Gadisa has been able to quickly iterate his knowledge of a better way to test for leishmaniasis into a practical, cost-effective design. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread through sandfly bites. The World Health Organization estimates up to 1m new cases and 30,000 deaths occur annually, usually among malnourished people living in poverty or unsanitary conditions. Although it can lead to ulcers and death, leishmaniasis is curable if diagnosed and treated early. Gadisa identified several difficulties in testing for the disease in Ethopia, leading to the need for more effective, practical diagnostic equipment. The difficulties with the current system include the cost of a liquid medium (reagent) for testing, the fragile test tubes…

The awards showcase craftsmanship and excellence in the commercial building sector. Vaughan secured the Master Builder of the Year Award, as well as the award for Excellence in Construction of Industrial Buildings, for its work on the $165m Dulux Merrifield Coatings Plant. Managing Director Andrew Noble said Vaughan was absolutely thrilled to take out such a prestigious award. “We are very proud to accept an award, which puts us at the top in our industry in ultimately recognising the years of hard work and commitment from our highly experienced and highly skilled team, our attention to detail, and our superior ECI project methodology which works with the client to achieve the best possible outcome, ” said Noble. “The award also reflects the contribution of our consultants, suppliers and subcontractors for their hard work, dedication and loyalty to Vaughan over the years, which is greatly appreciated in helping us to deliver outstanding results.” Vaughan was engaged under an ECI (Early Contractor Involvement) agreement to complete the base build of Dulux…

Machining specialist Walter decided to tackle the topic area of digitalisation some years ago and, under the Walter Nexxt product line, is offering digital products and Industry 4.0 solutions that are tailored for use in medium-sized companies. It does not have to be, and above all cannot be, the one and only Industry 4.0 solution. Instead, Walter is dealing with a wide range of different levels of the planning and production process. For example, the Comara iCut software for optimising cutting data and the Comara appCom platform for monitoring production processes. Adaptive feed control: Cutting data optimisation via live data Automation, digitalisation and networked processes have been everyday aspects in many areas of industrial production for a long time now. New opportunities for further optimising processes have been created by…

Manufacturing is critical to the Queensland economy. It is the state’s sixth-largest employing industry with more than 170,000 people in the year to June 2018, and is the third-largest employer of full-time workers. Strategy is fundamental to the success and longevity of industry, which is why the Queensland Government has committed significant resources to ensuring manufacturing continues to be a key driver of the state’s economic and jobs growth. The Queensland Advanced Manufacturing 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan, the State Government’s strategic vision for the sector, is supporting manufacturers as they transition to advanced manufacturing, increase productivity, improve international competitiveness and access emerging opportunities. Since the launch of the plan in December 2016, the State Government has provided advice and support to hundreds of Queensland manufacturing businesses, helping them make the transition to high-value, knowledge-based advanced manufacturing. Utilising industry expertise – The…