Industry News

Eclipx Commercial recently commissioned independent research house East & Partners to delve into asset finance in Australia. Who uses it? Why do they use it? And ultimately, does asset finance offer any tangible benefits to businesses selling equipment or businesses buying equipment? We started by looking at small and medium businesses’ overall access to the funds they need to grow, both in terms of the availability of funds as well as the time it took for approval, and moved on to the specific pros and cons of asset finance. Some of the results, which can be accessed at Eclipx Commercial’s website, were surprising.…

Demand for the parts is expanding as lifespans lengthen and aging results in arthritis and osteoporosis. Worldwide trends towards higher body weight and obesity put additional strain on skeletal joints. Changing lifestyles, from a lack physical activity for some to increased sports participation for others, further fuel demand for renewed body parts. Growth of emerging economies is giving greater numbers of people the resources to afford orthopedic devices. The Global Market Insights consulting group predicts that the global orthopaedic devices market will grow to €50bn by 2024. Competition prompts tooling development Orthopaedic devices include hip and knee replacement components, artificial elbow and ankle joints, trauma repair instruments, spinal bone plates and various repair pins, rods and fasteners. Joint reconstruction makes up over 40% of the market, with the majority of that in hip and knee…

Industry 4.0 is the latest phase in digitisation for the manufacturing sector. With increased productivity through intelligent, networked production systems, an Industry 4.0 marketplace means that machines offer their services and exchange information with products in real-time. Using internet or cloud-based platforms for businesses to connect to their machinery enables manufacturers to digitally connect to their own production line, machinery and supply chain. Access to the production control system via tablet or smartphone allows mobile productions planning. Cloud technology provides workers with an insight into the status of productions orders and the machines along with ease when adjusting information such as job orders or production quantities. Industry 4.0 has been driven by four disruptors: a rise in data volumes; increased computational power and connectivity; the emergence of analytics and business intelligence capabilities (for example, new forms of human-machine interaction such as touch interfaces and augmented-reality systems); and improvements in transferring digital…

Autocare 2018 is an event focused on education, information and industry development, designed to address the latest developments, trends and issues facing the automotive aftermarket parts and service supply chain sector. Organised by the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA), the national body representing the $14bn Australian automotive aftermarket industry, the event leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that anyone involved in the automotive parts manufacturing, distribution, wholesale and retail sectors will benefit from taking part. Rod Sims, Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), will provide the opening keynote address, in which he will outline the major findings and recommendations arising from the watchdog’s market study into the new car retailing industry and its implications for the Australian automotive aftermarket industry. Sims will also outline what the ACCC intends to do to ensure that the independent aftermarket can have confidence in the future. Other highlights of the speaker program include Saul Eslake, one of Australia’s best known and…

“Many customers get fixated with the capital cost of an air compressor, and whilst those that want to save energy costs will look a little deeper and review service costs, very few understand the long-term total operating cost of compressed air,” said Southern Cross CEO, Mark Ferguson. “The largest cost related to producing compressed air is in energy, and this typically represents the highest energy usage in the plant. With continuously rising energy costs, it’s an area in which businesses can readily address to achieve substantial potential savings. Two-stage compressors really are low-hanging fruit.” A single-stage compressor typically used in industry is limited by the overall compression ratio across a single airend. This compression ratio in most industrial applications is around 9:1 according to Ferguson. High compression ratios, particularly as pressures increase, results in significant internal slippage which leads to loss of capacity and a reduction in efficiency. A high compression ratio also means higher bearing loads as the elevated internal pressures and…

The laser cutting and fabrication specialists service a diverse range of industries, including automotive, transport, aerospace and shop fitting, among others. With a strong focus on company culture, Laser 3D place high importance on attracting and retaining great staff, with an aim to build upon their knowledge and training where possible. Laser 3D’s CEO Bruce Thomas says that there are three main factors that contribute to the company’s success: technology, customer relationships, and dependable suppliers. Ten years ago, Laser 3D used four different machines from four different suppliers. The company now uses one supplier, Headland, and Trumpf machinery only. Consequently its processes are fully streamlined where possible as all staff members can operate all the machinery in the factory. Technology is critical to automating processes and ensuring quick turnaround times for customers. “We use technology wherever and whenever we can in order to streamline processes,” says Thomas. “We make sure that we fully understand each and every customer’s individual needs. We place high value in our customer relationships…

In manufacturing, we see an industry under pressure. An industry trying to do more with less. A more proactive approach is needed now to break out of this cycle of simply fulfilling demand. While it may seem unlikely to some, your quality manager or quality director is in the perfect position to guide this strategy. Reason one – A focus that is principled and positive Quality leaders are focused on … quality. By this I mean customer satisfaction and reputation building are inherent in their goals. ‘Quality’ often means meeting the customer requirements or meeting safety objectives. They are high-integrity individuals who make analytical decisions based on fact and with no hidden motive. It is this type of input that is needed when difficult choices have to be taken. HepcoMotion, a manufacturer of linear motion systems and automation components, is an example of a company who…

AMT: Let’s start with Brand Tasmania. When was it established and what are its aims and objectives? Michael Grainger: The Brand Tasmania Council was formed in the early 1990s. It was established by a group of like-minded individuals who were exporting and promoting Tasmanian product all over the world. It became affiliated with the State Government not long after that and has grown over the years to represent Tasmania in many different aspects – for example, food & beverages, tourism, manufacturing, education and the arts are all pillars of our organisation. We share a fairly broad and equal range of promotion. AMT: What sort of activities does it engage in to achieve its objectives? MG: We engage really with the Tasmanian companies that are represented by Brand Tasmania to promote what they do, encourage and stimulate growth in the economy, create employment and just promote all things that are Tasmanian. We attend trade shows, we have our eFriends mailing list, a very big subscription for our Tasmanian…

One way to anticipate the future is to look to the past. British economist Angus Maddison has estimated that in the year 0, the population of Western Europe was 24.7m. A millennium later it was 25.4m, an increase of just 700,000. Total global population increased by only 37.3m in 1,000 years. Had we continued at this pace, in 2015 there would have been 312m people on Earth. Gross domestic product fared even worse. Between the year 0 and 1,000 - GDP per capita was stagnant or fell across all of Maddison’s seven global zones. Over the next 800 years, the pace quickened a little. World population quadrupled to crack the billion for the first time. By 1819, the Eastern European population of 91.2m generated some $60.9bn worth of stuff (1990 International $) or $665 per person. Then in 1820 everything changed, sort of. Fuelled by a potent mix of technology, ideas, appropriated resources, and a distressing number of…

How does a manufacturer, once considered too small to be regarded as a competitor by larger businesses, become the only major cutting tool manufacturer in Australia, competing globally with the world’s best? The pursuit of excellence has paid off for Sutton Tools, a multi-award winning Australian manufacturing icon that now exports 50% of its Australian manufactured products globally and is the preferred brand for the IPH Group, France’s largest distributor of industrial tools. The company also supplies Rolls Royce in Romania, Triumph Motorcycles in Thailand, Moog Aerospace in the Philippines, and Foxconn in China. Sutton Tools is typical of successful Australian companies that understand the challenges faced when market demand or conditions change, or when opportunities are presented and decisive action is needed. The business is a textbook case for study by any manufacturing business that wants to stay ahead of the competition, while developing a…

The three companies announced the groundbreaking collaboration, bringing together some of the world’s foremost experts in electrical and propulsion technologies, at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London. The E-Fan X hybrid-electric technology demonstrator is anticipated to fly in 2020 following a comprehensive ground test campaign, provisionally on a BAe 146 flying testbed, with one of the aircraft’s four gas turbine engines replaced by a two megawatt electric motor. Provisions will be made to replace a second gas turbine with an electric motor once system maturity has been proven. “The E-Fan X is an important next step in our goal of making electric flight a reality in the foreseeable future,” said Paul Eremenko, Chief Technology Officer at Airbus. “The lessons we learned from a long history of electric flight demonstrators, starting with the Cri-Cri, including the e-Genius, E-Star, and culminating most recently with the E-Fan 1.2, as well as the fruits of the E-Aircraft Systems House collaboration with Siemens, will pave the way to a hybrid single-aisle…

AM refers to methods that generate three-dimensional structures layer by layer. Each AM technology is compatible with the specific form of the raw input material, which may be in liquid, powder and sheet form. AM processes are not subject to the constraints associated with traditional manufacturing methods and provide significant opportunities for the design of novel geometries and complex structures, such as cellular structures in particular. Cellular structures possess a number of properties compared to solid structures. For example, the design freedom offered by AM may be used to enhance the strength-to-weight ratio of structural components by transforming solid geometry into a cellular structure or space-filling hollow sections of the model with a cellular structure. The cellular structure within the model may be useful in distributing the loads evenly compared to a hollow model while conforming to the geometric boundaries of the object. This article discusses some of the basic concepts behind the metallic lattice structures manufactured using selective laser melting (SLM)…

Doxa has selected 12 business-minded young achievers from a diverse range of backgrounds for Cadetship. These individuals are motivated, talented, tenacious and have overcome enormous barriers in their pursuit to stay engaged in education. 44% of applicants this year are studying a STEM subject. This CSR-aligned social investment opportunity offers Program Partners a talented STEM undergraduate as part of their team; skilled volunteering opportunities for existing staff; and a chance to change the life of a high-achieving young Australian from a disadvantaged background. Doxa supports Cadetship Program Partners by providing a shortlist of talented applicants relevant to their sector; building a learning and development framework; providing mentoring; and recruitment support as well as on-boarding advice. “We have a diverse range of Cadets, all in great need,” says Doxa CEO, Steve Clifford. “51% live off a family income of below $30,000 per annum, 24% are refugees/newly arrived migrants, 18% come from rural/regional areas. These young people are experiencing significant disadvantage. They don’t have the social capital, financial support or professional networks that you and I…