Industry News

The compact Additive Engineering stand was this morning buzzing with people. All are interested to dig into the details of the titanium, SWaP-C, biocompatible medical devices that are being delivered ready for surgery for their clients. Additive also develop for its aerospace market-specific carbon-fibre parts for wings, engines, and propellers. I visited the Zeiss stand to rediscover my cinematic roots. Once upon a time Zeiss just made camera lenses and glasses. Now, Zeiss visualises bone parts for thalamic microscopy, they create diagnostic instrumentation, they also have a precise vision division. They do still make lenses for glasses; they mainly do R&D but their aim is to create bionic eye parts for direct implants. A phenomenal range of applications and all I can think of is the surgeon on Blade Runner. Over at Objective3D, I was shown several examples of 3D models brought together from the VRML and OBJ files, which also include colour data for specific opacity in models. With the polyjet technology, they can now generate photorealistic results out of the 3D printer which truly will replicate the best…

A clear sunny morning in Sydney once again. Up on the third floor above the trade show, the accounting firm William Buck was staging a Business Breakfast for manufacturing business owners full of advice I know manufacturers would benefit from, but some things I’m sure some owners don’t want to hear about. “One third of business owners do not have a succession plan,” said Mark Calvetti, Director at William Buck. “There should be more future proofing for businesses, especially manufacturing, because there are so many attached careers to that business. Staff, share-holders and creditors. In fact, 65% of the manufacturers in a recent survey had done no business valuation over the last three years. They had no idea of the value of their business.” Invariably something goes wrong along the way in a lot of business stories. Disputes in family businesses perhaps, in a company without a shareholder agreement. The plea from lawyers speaking this morning, was that manufacturers and owners need to know to do a ‘financial due diligence’ on their nest egg.  Be ready for that unforeseen circumstance before it…

First up this Wednesday morning, the second day of AMW, was an official visit from the NSW State MP. The Hon Stuart Ayres MP is Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, and Minister for Tourism and Sport, and Minister for Western Sydney. Great to have him check out the show floor. The AMRF Make the Future event started today upstairs on the fifth level, well away from the show floor, with an opening by Minister Ayres. Presented by the NSW Government and the Western Parkland City Authority. The brief for this massive facility is exciting on so many levels. Stage One will be the next generation fabrication district in Western Sydney, built in the new Bradfield City. Aiming to be opening in the third quarter of 2023, next year. The full-scale AMRF will incorporate advanced electronics and semiconductor manufacturing to service defence, aerospace and emerging industries I’m sure only the people in this little room have any concept of. The Western Sydney International Airport will be built and active right next door. AMW definitely boasts the most full-on veritable procession of cobots,…

Here we are.  In bright Sydney sunshine, Australian Manufacturing Week has begun down at the ICC at Darling Harbour. Hats off to all the crew who pushed in over the weekend and made the starting day such a success. That is a mighty job. The stands are thumping out great vibes, every last one.  Great waves of visitors buzzed the stands throughout the first day, starting at opening, quieting down just around midday and powering back up again in the afternoon. Gavin New, General Manager of Ronson Gears, showed me through the range of wheels, fitted cogs and spiral screws that the company produced. From the smallest order of spare parts for old machines, in whatever medium, to mass production of assembly line gears. I’ll go back there again. On the ADDE stand, I was taken by Barry Higgins on a very novel trip using VR. Activating cobots, moving pallets of stock around in an automated sensing environment. They appeared out in the aisles as well, among the people. Back in the real world, they also had a display of world’s…

Western Sydney will be at the heart of Australia’s high-tech manufacturing capability with the investment of $260m in a national-first shared-use research facility to be built on the doorstep of the new Western Sydney International Airport. The full-scale Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) will be the focal point of the new Bradfield City Centre, the 115ha urban and employment area next to the airport. Premier Dominic Perrottet said the AMRF will be at the leading edge of Australia’s advanced manufacturing revolution helping to strengthen our economy now and into the future. “We are securing a brighter future of our families and our country, right here in Western Sydney,” Mr Perrottet said. “The NSW Government is building what matters to make Western Sydney an even better place to live, work, learn, play and raise a family. “The AMRF will create new high-paying jobs of the future in Western Sydney by making Bradfield City Centre the national capital of advanced manufacturing bringing industry and universities together.”…

A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approximately 66,000 employees and serves more than 3.6+ million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide’s ambition is to lead its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability. The company’s customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organisation implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitisation, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders. Air Liquide Australia Limited provides innovative, responsive and customer focused services to our product range, which improves the performance…

An Australian baby formula company has sealed a mega deal to send more than a million tins to desperate parents in the United States, with President Joe Biden spruiking the deal on Twitter himself. “I’ve got more good news: 27.5 million bottles of safe infant formula manufactured by Bubs Australia are coming to the United States,” Biden tweet. Bubs Australia manufactures its baby formula product, including goat’s milk formula, at a Dandenong factory in Melbourne’s south-east. Founder and chief executive Kristy Carr started the business in 2006 from her kitchen table in Sydney’s northern beaches. The company has recently secured approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), allowing it to export six of its baby formula products to the US to help fill the country’s dwindling shelves. About 500,000 tins are ready to be sent to the US from Bubs Australia’s Melbourne factory, with another 750,000 being produced for export in the coming months. The FDA recently relaxed some importation rules for infant formula to deal with the shortage.…

Multicam CNC routers have been used in various engineering industries since inception. We are excited to be able to demonstrate how Multicam CNC routers can be a solution for Engineering companies in the plastics, metal and composite products industries at this years’ event. Multicam Heavy Duty CNC Routing machines are proudly made in Australia. Designed for profile cutting sheet product and extrusions including metals, plastics, composite materials, and timber products, they are used in the manufacture of Aluminium boats, Aerospace components, Truck body parts, Caravan & Motor Home components, Kitchens, Furniture or any other flat sheet product. They are used extensively in the ACM and HVAC industries and include many unique design features aimed specifically at making the processing of ACM cladding and ducting and insulation materials easier and more efficient. Other specialist features ensure that Multicam machines are an excellent alternative to Plasma and Laser machines that typically have higher running costs and greater servicing demands. Multicam CNC routers are available in a range of sizes with process areas starting from 2400mm…

In the midst of a pandemic in 2020, the pursuit of continuous improvement and growth didn’t stop for the Aerostructures team at RUAG Australia, with decisive action taken to upgrade manufacturing machinery at its hydraulic centre of excellence in Bayswater, Victoria. RUAG Australia are dedicated to maintaining the quality of all equipment and machinery to continue providing high quality service to customers. The fully integrated automated shot-peen system is one of the largest of its kind used in Australia for Defence and Aerospace applications. The system uses blast media whereby small steel beads impact the target surface to create a compressive stress layer on the surface, leading to improved durability and structural integrity, so the substrate is better able to withstand failure. The typical components to be manufactured using the shot peen machine include air frame components, hydraulic landing gear actuators, undercarriage components and structural components for military aircraft. The RUAG Australia engineering team approached international experts in surface finishing and blasting technology, Rösler International (Rösler) to upgrade their shot peen machine. Rösler worked closely with…

Link Assistive, which supplies sensory, interactive, and assistive devices including world-first eye tracking technology in iPads, will move into a custom-built premises later this year, in a major expansion of its Adelaide operations. Its new headquarters will include space to reconfigure and service a range of assistive technology products for the Australian market, a warehouse to store its growing suite of devices, and a cutting-edge sensory play space where children and their carers can trial and test equipment. Link Assistive Managing Director Bas Tijdhof said the move to Tonsley would allow the company to significantly upscale, with plans to expand its workforce by almost 40% in the next year: “Having a larger space for Adelaide-based clients to go to experience the technology and have access to our highly skilled team who can work with families and carers and show them the highest quality technology, is an exciting new chapter for us. “We have an amazing team, and we want to be able to further attract…

Plasma beamlines, profile cutting machines, robotic welding systems, Eagle Lasers: at Kraftech they do it all. Their automation technology experts have the experience and expertise to tackle even the most challenging automation applications. They can tailor their equipment specifically to customer’s requests yet keeping it standardised for versatility. Kraftech want to create the most effective solutions so that their customers can maximise their productivity. Kraftech offers full support and training for all systems to make sure that customers are not only up and running fast but utilising the equipment to its potential. All Kraftech’s equipment is backed by in-house servicing and supply of cutting consumables and spare parts. The X-calibre robotic plasma coping robot provides you with a single machine that can process all your structural steel profiles. It can process up to 1200 I-beams, 200×200 angle, 380PFC, 400 SHS, with a piercing capacity up to 60mm. The robot cutting path is generated by a specialised offline programming and nesting software that accepts 3D models in DSTV-NC or Step formats to minimise…

Compared to traditional thermal welding processes, laser-based techniques require less heat input due to the beams’ high energy. All welding methods involve melt-pool formation and subsequent rapid solidification, which can alter the properties of the welded metal. The high energy of laser welding, however, not only melts the material but also evaporates it, creating a vapour capillary in the material called a ‘keyhole’. This gives laser welding the advantage of a very high aspect ratio, defined as a high ratio of penetration depth to weld seam width. Compared to thermal welding methods, which generally provide wider and shallower weld seams, laser welding’s high aspect ratio translates into potentially lower part distortion. To meet the demands of modern manufacturing CIVAN has developed a High Power Single Mode Laser with dynamic beam. This innovative product enables different beam shapes, beam steering, and fast movement of the focal point, all electro-optically controlled with no mechanical movement. For example, CIVAN’s unique beam shaping allows uniform penetration in aluminium welding with…

Nominations for the 2022 awards are now open. The Victorian Government has announced the return of the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards to recognise the achievements of exceptional manufacturers across the state, marking the 20th anniversary of the awards. Key dates for your calendars include nominations closing on Tuesday, 31 May 2022 and the announcement of winners will be at the Gala Dinner on Tuesday, 26 July 2022, at the Palladium at Crown. ‘Making it in Victoria’ is the theme for this year’s awards, which highlights the breadth of products, technology and equipment produced in the state and recognises the importance of local manufacturing. Nominations close on Tuesday, 31 May 2022. Companies and individuals can nominate for the awards by visiting the Business Victoria website: see below. Award recipients will be announced at the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Gala Dinner on Tuesday, 26 July 2022 at the Palladium at Crown. Nominations are sought for the following award categories: Individual awards: Honour Roll – Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Young Manufacturer of the Year Woman Manufacturer of the…