Industry News

Australia’s manufacturing industry is on the rise again after a tough period in which many businesses ceased operating or moved offshore. Traditionally a competitive and innovative industry, Australian manufacturing is embracing additive manufacturing techniques as a way to increase competitive advantage in the face of cheaper overseas competitors. Manufacturers are reimagining the industry with the help of this emerging technology. Additive manufacturing technology and 3D printing have been prominent for some time, letting manufacturers make custom products quickly and to a high standard. This ability to custom-make products onshore and deliver them to customers faster can help local manufacturers compete with offshore companies that must ship products to Australia, which takes time, as well as with those manufacturers clinging to traditional methods, which are costly and just as time consuming. Since 3D printing doesn’t require expensive moulds and complex equipment setups, it lets manufacturers be more agile in responding to customer demands. Short-run and customised products are now not just economically viable…

Piezoelectric materials are materials that can convert applied mechanical force or strain into electrical energy. Such materials form the basis of sound and pressure sensors, embedded devices that are powered by vibration or bending, and even the simple ‘piezo’ lighter used for gas BBQs and stovetops. Piezoelectric materials can also take advantage of the small voltages generated by tiny mechanical displacement, vibration, bending or stretching to power miniaturised devices. Until now, no 2D piezoelectric material has been manufactured in large sheets, making it impossible to integrate into silicon chips or use in large-scale surface manufacturing. This limitation meant that piezo accelerometer devices – such as vehicle air bag triggers or the devices that recognise orientation changes in mobile phones – have required separate, expensive components to be embedded onto silicon substrates, adding significant manufacturing costs. However, FLEET researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne have now demonstrated…

It’s easy to spot XLam’s new manufacturing facility long before you get anywhere near the actual building. As you come off the Hume Highway just west of Wodonga, the factory looms into view, occupying an impressive 12,000sqm in a landscape otherwise largely dominated by green fields. The opening of the factory has been something of a coup for the local community in Wodonga, and it might seem puzzling that XLam chose such a comparatively remote location, out on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, for such a significant investment. But there are several compelling reasons behind the decision. Firstly, Wodonga sits at roughly the mid-point between XLam’s two key markets, Melbourne and Sydney (with Canberra closer still). In fact, the location will allow XLam to service 80% of the country in an overnight shipment, from all along the eastern seaboard right through to Adelaide. Moreover, the factory is a mere 150km from the Tumbarumba Mill in New South Wales, owned by its parent company…

As product design complexity increases and high-performance materials become a necessity, manufacturability generally decreases. These fabrication realities are evident in high-performance components such as turbine discs, blades and vanes made from difficult-to-machine titanium and nickel alloys for the defence and aerospace sectors. Fabrication of these components results in low productivity, and therefore high final component costs. Custom cutting tools are often required over standard mass-manufactured tooling as the latter may not be capable of performing the task, or the current rate of production is limiting profitability. However, the costs and long lead times associated with custom tooling fabrication often acts as a strain on production and a barrier to their wider adoption. Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies expand the horizon of manufacturable designs as they have fewer constraints compared with conventional manufacturing methods due to the layer-by-layer manufacturing process. Recently, the knowledge base has matured, to the point where…

The concrete samples were manufactured at Talga’s German process test facility and the Betotech (Heidelberg Cement Q&C) laboratory in Germany, using industry-standard cement with additions of Talga’s pristine graphene, graphite and silica-rich by-product of ore processing. The optimised formulation targeted high electrical percolation at low material concentrations and with potentially lower cost factors. Graphene is a layer of crystalline carbon a single atom thick, with properties of strength, conductivity and transparency that stem from its unique 2D structure. The samples were tested in-house by a European industrial partner and further measurements were undertaken by Professor Ian Kinloch’s group at the University of Manchester (UoM) in the UK. In the UoM study, the conductivity of samples was measured using electrical impedance spectroscopy in both through-plane and in-plane directions over a range of frequencies. For reference, a standard mortar (without Talga additives or…

Things are changing fast in our increasingly digitised world and manufacturing is no exception. The hot topic of the last few years, Industry 4.0, is a collection of no fewer than nine technologies revolutionising the way things are made. Nine revolutions, all at once. Every sector and every supply chain is being shaken up. The electrification of cars, for example, will see parts per vehicle shrink from over 2,000 to less than 20. For those making these parts, or the tools that make these parts, there are big implications. According to research by the International Federation of Robotics, in 2015 the number of industrial robots increased 15%, and growth will continue by double-digit percentages through to 2019. At ANCA, we supply the automotive, electronic, medical, aerospace and many other manufacturing verticals, and it’s our business to meet their fast-changing needs. We keep a close watch on market trends, and our salesmen and application engineers are constantly visiting customers’ factories. In…

According to the Australian Index Group, the next two-year forecast for the manufacturing industry is predicting growth. On the back of this forecast, businesses that have seen a downturn in results should look to seize this opportunity to turn their business around. The Government is making headway to allow manufacturing to flourish and evolve in Australia through grants and the Research & Development (R&D) Incentive. Furthermore, to promote innovation, the introduction of Safe Harbour Legislation creates a safety net for entrepreneurs to fail – if they act in good faith – and removes the historical stigma attached to insolvency. Prior to the introduction of Safe Harbour, entrepreneurs facing risk of insolvency only had the option of a Voluntary Administration (VA). Safe Harbour acts as an alternative to VA; parking the risk of personal liability by providing an insurance policy for directors…

The new 25,000sqm facility provides space for around 500 employees, with SLM aiming to reach a production capacity of some 500 machines per year. The company invested approximately €25m into the new headquarters, confirming its intention to remain in Lübeck and to grow its already-strong market footing in metal 3D printing. The new facilities allow SLM to develop improved processes and to streamline production workflow of its current product range: the SLM125, SLM280 2.0, SLM500 and the latest SLM800 system. Spaces have been allocated for customer consultation and training on dedicated machines, as the company shifts from being purely a machine manufacturer to a solutions provider. By forming partnerships with clients it will provide support and advise on uptake of an SLM laser systems into ‘real’ business operations. Research & development are not being neglected, with a proposed 12-laser SLM Cube system on track to be launched in 2019. The development of the Cube…

“Seco has always been committed to providing our customers with the best products and services available,” said Ben Alexander, Business Manager Online Services at Seco Tools. “Partnering with MachineMetrics will allow us to not only continue to help our customers learn about themselves but will transform our ability to help them improve their machine tool utilisation and production capacity.” Seco plans to use the MachineMetrics Industrial IoT platform and its manufacturing analytics applications as a cornerstone in its expansion into new technology services. With data provided by MachineMetrics, Seco can apply its extensive experience and engineering capabilities to the continuous improvement of its customers by helping them make data-driven decisions to improve their efficiency and bottom line. Leveraging Seco’s experience in tooling with MachineMetrics’ data collection capabilities will help both Seco and MachineMetrics customers gain a deeper understanding of what’s happening with their tools in real-time. These insights…

ManuFutures was built by Vaughan Constructions under a Design and Construct contract. Vaughan has been operational for more than six decades and is one of the most reputable and trusted builders nationwide. The company’s portfolio includes some of the largest and most complex structures in the Southern Hemisphere. Recently, Vaughan completed work on Australia’s largest water-based coatings manufacturing facility for Dulux, in Merrifield, north of Melbourne. The project presented significant delivery challenges for Vaughan, requiring adherence to a tight project programme and subcontractor co-ordination processes while working on a 325-hectare campus with a population of around 7,312 students. However, strict staging and meticulous project management ensured that the project was constructed without disruption to its surroundings and delivered to the highest standard for which Deakin University is known. ManuFutures is unique…

The Foundation is the charitable arm of the Vernier Society and was established with the aim of encouraging young people into careers in engineering and manufacturing. At the Forum, the audience, largely comprising young people from Year 7 to Year 11 along with Vernier Society members, enjoyed presentations by four speakers, each offering perspectives on the challenges and opportunities created by the future paradigms of work. The first speaker was Shona McPherson from the Foundation of Young Australians (FYA), a non-profit organisation with the express aim of “backing the next generation of young people who are going to rethink the world and create a better future”. McPherson began by asking “What do you want to be when you grow up?” She also expanded on the changing nature of work, explained that the FYA’s latest research showed that future workers will change jobs and careers much more frequently than past generations and will therefore need to relearn new capabilities.…

Australia’s life-sciences sector is booming, with investment in the industry at an all-time high. Business and employment growth are highly positive and Australia is recognised globally for its innovation, quality and expertise in life-sciences. This was revealed in the eighth annual Biotechnology Industry Survey, released this July. AusBiotech, supported by Grant Thornton, conducts this valuable industry survey every year. The research responses this year show that the biotech sector is thriving, with 87% of businesses surveyed expecting to grow in 2018. A massive $1.073bn was raised by Australian biotech companies last year to 31 December 2017, the second-largest amount this decade. Australia is regarded as one of the world’s leading countries for life-sciences innovation, quality and expertise. Investment and interest in life-sciences is growing, with around 140 ASX-listed life-sciences businesses, holding a market capitalisation of more than $50bn. The life-sciences sector employs 232,200 people across 1,654 organisations, or 1.86% of the nation’s labour force, with the industry employing 69,000 people in 850 companies. These figures compare favourably with the mining sector, which accounts for…

I don’t need to convince you of the game-changing benefits of the additive manufacturing (AM), do I? If I do, then you need to sign up to the AM Hub so you can see for yourself the great work that is being done right here in Australia. So what will this AM Hub funding go towards? Firstly, the AM Hub will have a dedicated person, working exclusively on the AM Hub; this will give the program some much needed energy and effort. Second, the AM Hub will have its own website, much like the AMTIL website, but focused on additive manufacturing (and not purple, but orange!). With a comprehensive capability directory, the latest news and events, case studies and information. The new website will be the first port of call for anyone seeking information about additive manufacturing technology. Lastly, the AM Hub will also deliver the ‘Build It Better’ grant, a…