Industry News

The OptiMAX is OMAX’s most advanced waterjet ever. The culmination of three decades of OMAX engineering expertise and real-world operator experience, it is designed for manufacturers in need of a versatile, easy-to-use cutting system. It offers OMAX’s intuitive software for optimised cutting capability and power, along with improved automation to maximise uptime. Companies can complete a greater range of work, more efficiently, and deliver finished products faster. New and improved features include: IntelliMAX premium software, designed for incredible ease of use and operation quickly following installation. Incorporating decades of proprietary waterjet cutting models, no other system can consistently produce parts as rapidly or capably. IntelliVISOR console with key metrics to optimise operations and complete system monitoring to avoid unplanned downtime. EnduroMAX pump that automatically sets the correct pressure and minimises fluctuations to improve component life, while offering the most efficient waterjet pump technology in the market. IntelliTRAX drive system with advanced motion control for further increased system robustness and reliability. Requires virtually no maintenance compared to more conventional ball screw…

Designed to set a new standard for the complete machining of rotationally symmetric solid carbide tools, the new VGrind 360S offers an impressive solution for manufacturing cutting tools for aerospace, medical, automotive and general subcontract manufacturing sectors. This new five-axis CNC grinding machine can be used productively to machine carbide tools with a diameter up to 25.4mm. Depending on the machine kinematics and the equipping of the grinding wheel packages, it can even be used for tools up to 150mm diameter. The VGrind 360S incorporates wear-free linear induction motors on the X, Y and Z-axes to lower maintenance costs for the machine while demonstrating higher surface quality for the tool and improved precision. The tried-and-tested vertical double-spindle concept from Vollmer now features an oriented spindle-stop for the first time. Also known as spindle indexing, this always stops the spindle at a specific position; the result is a reduction of axial run-out errors and concentricity issues, while offsetting wear in the HSK holding system. Another new…

Brisbane-based Ellume has developed COVID-19 rapid tests that are used in laboratories, doctors' offices and by consumers themselves. To meet the huge global demand, the diagnostics company, with the help of Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions (BAMS), has been relying on automated production lines with 16 KR AGILUS from KUKA since 2020. Now Ellume is expanding its production capacity – with 144 more KUKA robots. Bosch's Australian division is expanding large-scale production for COVID-19 rapid tests at Ellume – following the already successful collaboration in 2020. The goal is 27 state-of-the-art automated assembly lines to increase production capacity. The 144 KUKA robots ordered for this purpose are from the KR AGILUS series and are designed for maximum operating speeds – crucial for the Ellume project, which has a capacity of nine parts per second. Three lines for the Brisbane plant have already been successfully installed and full production has begun. In addition, another completely new…

The new materials were designed by Scientia Professor Mat Santamouris, Anita Lawrence Chair in High Performance Architecture at the School of Built Environment, UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture. He says the new materials could be used worldwide in buildings to help better protect them from the elements. “This is a smart, intelligent building material that understands the urban temperature, and it is modulated according to the weather conditions,” Professor Santamouris says. “So it is ideal for cities that have issues with overheating in summer, but also have heating requirements during winter.” Professor Santamouris specialises in developing heat mitigation technologies and strategies that decrease urban temperatures in cities worldwide. Extreme urban heat is the most documented climate change phenomenon, affecting more than 450 cities worldwide. Higher urban temperatures significantly increase energy consumption needs and adverse impacts on health, including heat-related…

However it is not just their remarkably low CO2 footprint that gives the new refrigerant dryers the edge; they also offer economic advantages. The smart control perfectly adjusts to the actual demand and reduces power consumption at a constant pressure dew point. Other components also ensure efficient operation. Economical in every detail, BOGE’s new DS-2 refrigerant compressed air dryers feature a smart control that automatically switches off the cooling compressor at partial load as soon as the required dew point has been reached. The cooling temperature is stored in the heat exchanger. This cold reserve cools the incoming compressed air until the dew point rises again. The cooling compressor only starts up again to maintain the required temperature level, and thus only begins consuming energy at this point. This principle allows energy savings of up to 79% compared to a dryer in continuous operation. The new frequency-controlled fan ensures a stable condensation pressure and reduces energy consumption by up…

Laser systems offer two general processes for material removal. One widely used process occurs during manufacturing for the production of new products that require micromachining. The other refers to a removal of surface congestion or contamination in a large industrial environment. For either process, the team at Raymax are able to provide expert advice, installation and on-going support. Precision material removal in the production of medical products can be carried out with an excimer laser produced by the OPTEC/LASEA Group, a Belgium-based company that works with some of the largest medical manufacturers in Europe. OPTEC excimer lasers are used to manufacture components for electrophysiology (EP) because they can strip or ablate wire as thin as a human hair. Nitinol wire, an amalgam of nickel and titanium that is highly elastic with excellent shape memory, is initially manufactured with a transparent plastic coating. A suitable laser is used in the micro-machining process to cut away the insulative coverage without damaging the nitinol wire. In procedures for…

The Federal Government on 3rd March announced $20m in grant funding support for Fleet Space’s Australian Space Manufacturing Hub – to be located at the recently announced Australian Space Park at Adelaide Airport – under the Collaboration Stream of the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative . The South Australian Government is also contributing $20m towards the $66m project, which is expected to create 221 local jobs, as well as more than 1,000 others indirectly. Fleet Space is Australia’s leading space company. The company has designed, built and launched the country’s only commercial satellites and has six satellites already in orbit as it works towards a mission towards building a constellation of 140 small satellites in Low Earth Orbit. Fleet Space plans to build a satellite Hyper Factory in Australian Space Park in Adelaide, and develop new 3D printed small satellites. The Federal and State funding will supplement industry investment into the Australian Space Park by Fleet Space Technologies, AT Space, Alauda and Q-CTRL. The purpose-built facility…

The Federal Government has announced support for a project led by Australian Plant Proteins (APP) under the Collaboration Stream of the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative to transform local production of pulse protein ingredients and help meet the growing global demand. APP owns Australia’s only commercial-scale pulse protein extraction facility. This project will quadruple production in South Australia, to produce 25,000 tonnes of pulse protein yearly. Partnering together with one of Australia’s largest family-owned food producers, Thomas Foods International and the Australian Milling Group, more than $378m will be invested in the construction of three plant protein manufacturing facilities supplying domestic and international markets. South Australia produces over a quarter of all Australian pulses and this project gives Australia the opportunity to value-add by up to eight times the value of the product. That value will be captured here in Australia for Australians benefit. Locally based plant…

The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will be an unmissable part of AMW 2022. The boom in interest in 3D printing continues to gain momentum, and AMW visitors will get a chance to see the latest innovations in this area first-hand. The Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will feature demonstrations of the latest 3D printers and services from a range of companies and organisations that lead the field of additive manufacturing. One highlight of the Additive Manufacturing Pavilion will be RAM3D. Based in Tauranga, New Zealand, RAM3D has been leading the way in metal 3D printing in the Southern Hemisphere for more than 10 years. From its high-tech manufacturing facility it creates parts for a variety of world-wide industries; from titanium knives used by the Team NZ Americas Cup crew, to customised handlebar extensions for the New Zealand Olympics Cycling team. It produces inconel and titanium parts for aerospace and defence customers, and can also print in Stainless Steel 15-5ph and 316L, Titanium 64, Inconel 718 (high temperature alloy) and Aluminium (AlSi10Mg). “Advances in 3D…

During the 10-month IMCRC research collaboration, the project team will use new steel forming and joining solutions to further enhance Speedpanel’s production technology, with a focus on reducing waste and optimising and strengthening panel design. This research will also support Speedpanel’s high-volume production output and enable the business to have a more refined platform for continued expansion locally and abroad. Commenting on the project, Lindsay Evans, Speedpanel’s Sales and Operations Manager, said the IMCRC activate funding would assist Speedpanel to further revolutionise the way it manufactures its fire-rated and acoustic systems. “By streamlining manufacturing processes with innovative joining solutions and advanced techniques for material monitoring and process control, we’ll be able to evolve our product offering and bring a more environmentally friendly and sustainable panel system to market,” said Evans. “Tapping into Deakin’s expertise in material analysis and forming process control will enable us to assess and monitor material properties and key production parameters throughout the process to enhance process efficiency, enabling better quality…

Biax represents a clever rethinking of the waffle pod, replacing unsightly, hard-to-manage, environmentally-damaging polystyrene blocks with a compact, lightweight and sustainably produced product. Broad adoption of Biax could help the construction industry eliminate 25,000 tonnes of styrene from the building market each year. While other brands have attempted to completely redesign the waffle pod to achieve better environmental outcomes, Biax retains the best elements of the waffle pod design, but replaces the bulky styrene blocks with compact, recycled plastic pods. The Biax brand was last year acquired by Holloway Group, an Australian business that produces and distributes a number of innovative and sustainable products, in addition to offering custom moulding through its A Plus Plastics business. Prior says Holloway Group was the perfect acquisition partner for Biax. “Holloway Group was already manufacturing the product,” he explains. “Through this acquisition we have been able to remove one of the layers between manufacturer and purchaser, which will…

The compact, easy-to-use, flexible and affordable Agile Flex has established a solid foothold in the US market, offering local manufacturers and machine shops a truly agile machine tool-loading solution as well as an antidote for staff shortages and sick leave absences. Success in North America includes a few successful installations in Canada. Now the company is entering the UK market through a recent appointment of a local distributor, also with an eye on the greater European market. While many workshops across the globe are realising the productivity benefits of installing an Agile Flex on their CNC machine tools, the Agile Flex is also developing significant attention in the Australian market due to its reputation for best-in-class software and maximum productivity out-of-the-box at a market-leading price. To get an Australian perspective, we interviewed Derek Hyde, one of the owners of Melbourne-based Jodek, to find out more about his company’s choice to invest in not just one but two Agile Flex 12D systems.   AMT: What…

The initial release of the WCE platform features WCE4, a four-flute geometry which combines advanced, high-performance features with a brand new, versatile grade offered at a highly competitive price. “With its new design, the WCE4 delivers the next generation of versatile end mills to help our customers be more productive and efficient,” said Tamir Sherif, Solid End Milling Global Portfolio Manager at WIDIA. “The WCE4 is an attractively priced tool for small-to-medium shop floors where reliability and consistent tool life are high priorities.” Two key features of the tool are its asymmetrical index and variable helix. The combination of the two reduce vibrations and enable heavy cuts, while the new grade, WU20PE, enables versatility on steel, stainless steel and cast-iron applications. These design features, coupled with the four-flute geometry, deliver an end mill with reliable performance and application versatility – even in demanding operations such as full slots and heavy cuts. The WCE platform includes four-flute, square-end and ball nose end mills with both straight and Weldon shanks and is available…