Industry News

“However, there are signs the Australian manufacturing industry could be set for a comeback with manufacturing jobs increasing by 40,000 in the last 12 months,” says Greg O’Loan, Regional Vice President, ANZ for Epicor Software. “This suggests Australian manufacturers have found new ways to compete and prove their relevance.” The most successful manufacturers tend to concentrate their efforts in three key areas: Production planning and scheduling Manufacturers must first plan what products need to be produced to satisfy existing orders, then when these products can be made. There are four ways manufacturers can maximise production: Define existing capability for production: A realistic assessment of production capacity includes factors such as the availability of machine time, the flexibility of the various types of machines for different tasks, and the availability of skilled labour within the organisation. Improve accuracy of production scheduling: Organisations must continuously refine both manufacturing processes and…

AMT: Tell us about the TMA and its history. Gary Northover: The TMA is the industry association that represents importers, local manufacturers, dealers and distributors of agricultural tractors and machinery in Australia. We are the only national body that does this and we’ve been doing so for over 70 years now. The Association’s foundations have essentially been the large importers – the brand names you’d be familiar with – John Deere, Case New Holland and the like. As time’s gone on we’ve expanded to include some of the newer brands on the market, and people like Kubota that have entered into agricultural products in a fairly large way; they’re now a key member. We also represent local manufacturers and the dealers of all of that product who are spread right across the country.   AMT: What’s the make-up of your member base? GN: The member base is essentially comprised of the large OEMs or importers, and all of their dealers. So right now there’s a number in the hundreds in terms of dealer representation.…

Cutting tools are by their nature consumable; they wear until they are no longer effective. A traditional approach to metalcutting tool management employs wear analysis alone, focused on manipulating tool materials, geometries and application parameters to improve part output and tool life in a selected operation. Maximising the efficiency of a facility’s manufacturing process, however, involves consideration of a broad range of factors in addition to tool wear. It is essential to examine tool wear – or more broadly, tool deterioration – in light of the overall or “global” manufacturing process. Global Tool Deterioration Analysis (GTDA) goes beyond basic measurement of tool wear to include tooling-related considerations such as time spent in tool manipulation, problems other than wear, production economics, shop organisation, personnel attitudes and assumptions, value stream management, and total manufacturing costs. GTDA is based on regular evaluation of a…

The program offers co-funding opportunities of up to $50,000 for businesses planning manufacturing-related projects directed to: entering new export markets; launching new products in Australia and overseas; or improving internal business processes and systems. Eligible businesses can apply for co-funding to cover project related costs where they utilise the services of one of the Victorian Government’s registered service providers. For example, a business that is looking for advice on intellectual property (IP) issues relating to a new export project could apply for co-funding for strategic IP advice on protecting their IP overseas and maximising commercialisation prospects for their project. The first Boost Your Business application round took place earlier this year and resulted in 111 businesses securing combined total co-funding grants of over $3m. Is your business eligible? Applications in the Boost Your Business Advanced Manufacturing stream are open to businesses that meet the following criteria: Currently engaged in manufacturing, or able to demonstrate a genuine commercial connection to the manufacturing supply chain. Have a substantial operating presence in Victoria (ideally one that…

Jon Norman is a professional engineer with nearly 20 years experience in the power industry, environmental sector, management consulting and government. His company, Hydrostor, is leading the sector in compressed air energy storage (CAES), with the world’s first adiabatic CAES facility operating in Toronto, and the development of a new CAES demonstration project at the Terramin Australia Angas Zinc Mine in South Australia. According to Norman, Hydrostor’s CAES is different from traditional CAES as it doesn’t need to burn gas to put heat into the process when generating electricity, and it doesn’t require existing underground storage cavities, making the selection of sites more flexible. “In our system, we actually take heat from our compression process, and we store it in a thermal management system, we then reinject that heat back into our turbine when we’re generating electricity,” says Norman. “So we don’t require any natural gas, it’s called an adiabatic process. “What we do is quite different…

In addition, extremely high output torques, cost-effectiveness and quiet running are further key prerequisites for companies operating within these environments. When looking for an industrial gear drive to best match a heavy-duty application, it’s imperative that companies turn to trusted brands who truly understand the environment and the exact application, to avoid any costly downtime. In operation for more than half a century, Nord Drivesystems offers trusted gear units for various industries and applications, and the Nord Maxxdrive is no exception. This industrial gear unit provides high output torques from 15,000Nm to 250,000Nm, and is ideal for applications such as agitators, conveyor belt drives, mixers, mills, drums or crushers. Martin Broglia, Managing Director of Nord Drivesystems, elaborates on his company’s industrial gear units, saying: “Downtime in heavy-duty industries is extremely costly. Over the years, Nord Drivesystems has continuously seen success with its industrial gear units – available as helical gear units or bevel gear…

The application of data-driven technologies (and things like shifting appetites for energy sources) mean mining is changing rapidly. Exactly what the next decade will deliver is a guessing game, but the country’s number-one export industry, and the METS sector supporting it, will remain important to national prosperity well into the future. Some parts of METS have been on the wane since the peak of resources investment in 2012, such as heavy machinery. IBISWorld estimates mining and construction machinery has shrunk by around 11% annually in the last five years. However, manufacturing makes up more than four-tenths of the METS sector, and there are manufacturers who are thriving. According to consultancy VCI, local METS businesses enjoy various natural advantages: operating in the world’s biggest, most sophisticated mining sector; proximity to Asia; and a talented workforce. With mining, as with all of manufacturing, the future belongs to those manufacturers who can work smarter and adapt. According to extensive industry consultation in 2016 by METS Ignited, one of…

The theme for this year’s AMTIL National Conference will be ‘Strategies for Manufacturing Resilience and Growth’. The one-day event will take participants on a learning journey that will help them build resilience in their business, look outside their traditional avenues for opportunities for growth, and inspire them to think outside the square. AMTIL has already secured an impressive line-up of speakers. The opening keynote will be given by Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), while later in the day Claire Madden, founder and director of Hello Clarity, will offer her insights on ‘Creating an Engaging Culture’. For the closing address, iconic athlete Deanna Blegg will be discussing ‘Personal Resilience’, and the incredible adversity she has dealt with and triumphed over in her life so far. Expert speakers Among the other highlights of the speaker program, Gary Bertwhistle will open up proceedings after lunch with the question ‘Who Stole My Mojo?’ Gary is a pioneer in creative and innovative…

A common technique used in this application is ‘hot tapping’, which facilitates the creation of connections within existing pressurised vessels, pipelines and networks without the need to empty any of these pressurised systems. In-service welding is also commonly used during pipe maintenance procedures, including installing sleeves to repair damaged sections within pipelines. A thorough understanding of the factors that affect welding onto in-service pipelines helps avoid pipeline shutdowns and interruptions of service, thereby bolstering both economic and environmental benefits for operators and welders alike. Moreover, repairs can be undertaken efficiently, effectively and with full confidence. According to Alistair Forbes, Weld Australia Technology Operations Manager, “The advantages of in-service welding are significant and wide-reaching, particularly in the gas & oil industries, where the process can be used to avoid costly shutdowns and service interruptions and maintain continuity of supply to customers. “In comparison, in situations where in-service welding is impossible, sections of the pipeline undergoing repair or replacement must be sealed and degassed before welding can commence, and must then be repurged once welding is complete. This complicated…

Automation-intensive sectors such as the automotive industry are not the only ones to rely on robots. In more and more agricultural settings, automation systems are superseding strenuous manual labour. In Germany, cucumbers destined for pickle jars are harvested using “cucumber flyers” – farm vehicles with wing-like attachments. Seasonal workers lie on their stomachs on the wings and pluck the ripe cucumbers. This labour-intensive, energy-sapping type of manual harvesting is becoming increasingly uneconomical, especially since Germany introduced a minimum wage. Many of the country’s agricultural regions consequently face an uncertain future; cucumber farming has already begun relocating to Eastern Europe and India. There is thus an urgent need for improved harvesting technologies to maintain the economic viability of cucumber farming in Germany. Experts from Fraunhofer IPK in Berlin are studying the potential for automating cucumber harvests in the scope of the EU’s CATCH (Cucumber Gathering – Green Field Experiments) project. Project partners are the Leibniz Institute…

ACS is a premier provider of industrial automation, control systems and services in Australia. The company provides industry-leading value-add engineering services with expertise in power control, electrical installation, safety, network studies, packaging and power conditioning that meets critical measures for operational excellence, application knowledge and customer satisfaction. ACS has a well-established competency in motor control and software to help customers understand and implement these intelligent capabilities in a way to help generate value for their organisations. The MCC is destined for an explosives manufacturing plant in Eastern Europe and features the complete Rockwell Automation Connected Components range, including E300 Electronic Overloads and PowerFlex 525 and 753 drives all on an Ethernet backbone. “Customers’ requirements are changing and they are looking for motor control solutions that can integrate with their existing systems and provide advanced diagnostic capabilities,” explained Andrew Taylor, Engineering & Operations Manager at ACS. “The Centerline 2500 meets these requirements and provides an efficient and effective solution.”…

This is the view of Dr Michael Myers OAM, and I agree with him. There are very few real STEM activities available to schools today which can deliver long-term and lasting STEM educational outcomes. Dr Myers established Re-Engineering Australia (or REA as it is more commonly referred to) 20 years ago because, as an engineer himself, he saw the education system wasn’t delivering enough students with the appropriate skills to become engineers. Last year, the Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel AO, warned that: “The enemy of our future prosperity is complacency. Past investments in skills development have underpinned our strong economy and enviable lifestyle, which in turn have diminished our sense of urgency. While our school system remains above average among…

These variables are anything but inconsequential to the flavour, colour and body of the wine, and can be fascinating to learn about. Yet short of walking through a vineyard with surveying poles and kneeling to rub earth between your fingers, it can be challenging to get a comprehensive picture of terroir to fully appreciate the nuances at play in your glass. This was a problem for Ten Minutes by Tractor, a winery on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, that wanted to give its patrons a deeper understanding of its wines. Ten Minutes by Tractor is made up of three vineyards located ten minutes apart, with widely different environmental characteristics that deliver vastly distinctive wines. The winery’s goal is to add value to its wine tour experience wherever possible by sharing its knowledge of wine making with its visitors. Yet verbally explaining the…