Industry News

It’s been argued that manufacturing companies are becoming more and more like service companies, and any line between the two is getting harder to draw. There have been many articles recommending that manufacturing companies invest in a high-performing customer service team to better meet their customers’ needs that previously may have been neglected. In many ways I could say I am now tasked with much of the responsibility of selling our machines, a role that traditionally sat with sales and marketing. I say this because the most effective way to build customer loyalty is by providing excellent aftermarket support – by being agile and responding quickly to customer requests. We recently interviewed our customers and after sales support was by far the number one priority. Technology is transforming how a traditional customer service team operates, with remote diagnostics and preventative maintenance quickly becoming…

Using technology developed following extensive scientific research at UNSW’s Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT Centre), the e-waste microfactory has the potential to reduce the rapidly growing problem of vast amounts of electronic waste causing environmental harm and going into landfill. According to SMaRT Centre Director, Professor Veena Sahajwalla, the e-waste microfactory will be the first of a series of microfactories under development and in testing at UNSW that can also turn many types of consumer waste streams such as glass, plastic and timber into commercial materials and products. For instance, from e-waste, computer circuit boards can be transformed into valuable metal alloys such as copper and tin, while glass and plastic from e-devices can be converted into micromaterials used in industrial grade ceramics and plastic filaments for 3D printing. “Our e-waste microfactory and another under development for other consumer waste types offer a cost-effective solution to one of the greatest environmental challenges…

Frequently asked questions about additive manufacturing (AM): Could 3D-printed parts ever match the characteristics of traditionally manufactured components? Are the parts reliable, or safe? Can’t you only print small components? Isn’t it slow? Aren’t the materials expensive? And can’t people just steal your intellectual property (IP) by copying your designs and printing them? A lot of people are working on answering one of these questions or another. But Aurora Labs aims to tackle them all. Aurora makes 3D printers, but it brands itself as “an industrial technology and innovation company”, and Founder and Managing Director David Budge describes a number of separate divisions to the business, covering distinct elements of manufacturing process. The actual printers are only part of the story, but they’re a good place to start. “When we first looked at 3D printing we realised there were two primary problems: the machines were very slow, and very expensive,” says Budge. “So naturally the parts produced had to be…

There’s a lot of talk these days about Industry 4.0 and Smart Factories. However, many manufacturers with a large burden of legacy systems – and especially smaller-sized organisations – see the vision of the Smart Factory as too complicated, and therefore unachievable in the short-to-medium term. In April 2017 our Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce entered into a co-operative agreement for information-sharing with Germany, including the development of global Industry 4.0 standards – with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) co-ordinating work in Australia. Germany’s Platform Industrie 4.0 is an admirable initiative, but many German companies are relatively large – both in terms of revenues and people – and therefore have the turnover and the economies of scale to justify complex new digital manufacturing strategies, at least on new process lines. As an Australian manufacturing company – albeit with a global customer base – we at Sutton Tools see many of the customers with whom we work running smaller operations. This reflects OECD data that…

To check the condition of aircraft engine turbines or the inner workings of a sports car usually means dismantling the components. According to Sean Fogarty, Senior Sales Specialist at Olympus, the ability to see inside an engine or other confined space without having to take it apart can save both time and money. “Regularly inspecting the inside of an aircraft engine means that it only has to be opened up when a flaw or defect is observed,” says Fogarty. Remote visual inspection (RVI) is one of many non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies manufactured and supported by Olympus. Fogarty says his company has been at the forefront of advances in RVI design and production for decades. A videoscope is an inspection instrument that consists of a small camera mounted on a length of cable. The camera can be controlled remotely by an operator while it is inserted in the cavity to be inspected. Modern videoscopes incorporate light sources…

Manufacturing in Australia is in the midst of a global paradigm shift. Industry 4.0. The Internet of Things. Automation. Artificial intelligence. Virtual reality. New disrupters keep emerging, forcing the industry to rethink how it is going to evolve and remain competitive. The world is not as it was… and marketing and advertising is not as it was. As a marketing practitioner to the manufacturing space for the past 25 years I have gone through as much change with regard to communication as manufacturers have with 3D printing muscling in on CNC machining. Today, people in business are increasingly distracted and have less and less time to focus on new messaging. The business landscape is unpredictable and moving rapidly, which requires the majority of businesspeople’s mental capacity. Whereas I once wrote articles of 500 words, I am now having to say everything in a few sentences. Booklets have become flyers. How do you effectively connect with your marketplace? If you are going to place…

With a year on year increase of 2.6%, the railway industry is enjoying sustainable growth and is expected to be worth more than $280bn by 2020. An increasing demand for passenger and freight rail services is seeing a rapid growth in infrastructure investment around the world. Metalworking provides an invaluable role in the maintenance, repair and manufacture of numerous railway applications, including track, wheels and wagon parts. Rail switches and profiles An important element in any rail infrastructure is the machining of rail switches and crossings – the moveable sections that guide trains from one track to another. They have an especially limited lifespan, which can vary depending on numerous conditions, such as the level of usage and the surrounding environment. A railroad switch, for example, created from new material has a standard guarantee of five years. If the switch is made from an…

Held at Leonda by the Yarra, the one-day conference brought together around 150 delegates from across Australian manufacturing. Over the course of the day they got the opportunity to learn ways in which they can build resilience in their businesses and in their professional and personal lives. The Conference offered a program of expert speakers from across manufacturing and beyond, examining everything from automation for small manufacturers, to developing effective leadership skills, and much, much more. The day’s presentations got underway with a keynote address from Michael Grogan, Director for Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales for the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC). Grogan discussed recent research by the AMGC, which found that Australia has one of the most volatile manufacturing industries in the world. He cited companies such as ANCA, Marand Precision Engineering, Lovitt Technologies Australia and Sutton Tools as examples of Australian manufacturers that exhibit the three attributes of resilient manufacturers: superiority, diversity, and flexibility. “The good news is that when you focus on resilience, you can also become more competitive,”…

In October 1981, the first Okuma DCMC for the Australian and New Zealand markets was completed and installed. That first machine, an MCV-A model delivered to a customer in Christchurch, New Zealand 37 years ago, is still in active use to this day. Okuma DCMCs are defined by their basic construction. Often referred to as bridge construction, Okuma prefers the DCMC description. The machines have fixed columns either side of a table that moves underneath an elevating cross rail (W Axis). The table is connected to the two columns, along which the Y-axis/main-spindle headstock travels. This is actually similar to the MB-V/Genos M Vertical Machining Centre (VMC) range, another market-leading product line for Okuma. The key for the DCMC is its five-face machining ability using a choice of angular, extended or high-speed attachments. For…

The oil & gas industry has suffered considerably over the past years, due to the global economic crisis that left the major manufacturing players – in both the upstream and downstream sectors – having to meet low market requirements for new reserves, while making severe cuts to their workforce, machinery output and further development. A positive shift in 2017 set new demands from well-known offshore deep-water oil & gas exploration companies for rig components such as pressure heads and valves, Xmas-tree and wellhead valves, and manifolds. Components of these kinds are all made from or with nickel base exotic materials that can resist extreme conditions such as high-low temperatures, high pressure, and most if not all abrasion and corrosion side-effects. Parting off Jet-Cut technology The Jet-Cut line provides advanced cut-off machining technology…

Recent research in the Harvard Business Review confirmed that, when it comes to consumers, more choice isn’t necessarily a good thing – for them or you. It seems that the more information buyers are presented with, the more questions they have – and the more difficult it becomes for them to understand and compare alternatives with any sense of confidence. The feelings of confusion continue even after settling on a product, as the consumer second-guesses themselves, worrying they haven’t made the right choice. The internet gives us more choice and information than ever – and yet, only a tiny 2.6% of B2B buyers said they would rather buy wholly online than deal with a seller. This shows that salespeople still play an important role in customer choice and satisfaction. But it is important to note that, as a seller, the later you engage…

The first AWTC will be established at the Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council (TMEC) Centre of Excellence in South Burnie. The newly refurbished centre will feature an advanced augmented reality lab equipped with five Soldamatic welding simulators, as well as advanced technical training to help upskill TasTAFE trainers. The training delivered at the AWCT will quickly qualify welders to the standard required by ISO 9606-1 Qualification testing of welders – Fusion welding. ISO 9606 is the only standard in the world that is accepted in both Europe and America. It is a simple test that assesses welding competency according to a specific weld procedure, based on a practical acceptance criteria. According to Geoff Crittenden, Chief Executive Officer of Weld Australia: “The combination of a curriculum based on global best practice delivered via advanced training technology will help ensure a strong supply of capable welders, both now and well into the future. “Without a doubt, the successful implementation of this innovative training initiative will revolutionise welder training…

Drive north from Melbourne CBD for about an hour, and you could until recently have been forgiven for not noticing Merrifield at all. It won’t show up in a search on Google Maps; switch to satellite view and for the most part it’s just empty, green fields. It doesn’t have a Wikipedia page. Or a pub. But all that is set to change. The area is currently undergoing an ambitious development program, with plans to build homes for up to 7,000 residents, retail and leisure facilities, and a business park projected to create 20,000 jobs. And in addition, Merrifield is now home to one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities of its kind, rated among the top factories in the world implementing the principles of Industry 4.0. DuluxGroup’s new Merrifield site is the biggest water-based paint plant in the Southern Hemisphere, occupying a footprint of 22,000sqm – larger than the playing area of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). When it reaches full production, the $165m facility will produce around…