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Australian manufacturing is enjoying its most positive outlook in years. The Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index has shown a trend of almost consistent growth since the last Austech two years ago, while signs of optimism abound throughout the industry. And this renewed confidence has been clear to see as preparations for Austech 2017 have advanced. The early interest from exhibitors, as well as the enthusiasm expressed by people planning to visit the show, have provided a vivid illustration of an energy and eagerness across the industry to invest and build for the future. “We’ve definitely seen a big surge in confidence this time round,” says AMTIL Event Manager and Austech organiser Kim Banks. “Bookings have been coming in a lot earlier than usual, to the point where we’re well on our way to filling the venue way ahead of schedule. What’s also very exciting is the number of exhibitors who are coming back to the show after not participating for the last few years. It’s…

To gain a better understanding and appreciation of the opportunities involved, each of these ideas is explored below. The value of weight properties Today, the metal of choice in the 3D printing of parts is titanium. Its particular lightweight properties are important to the aviation and space industry. In a recent report by the US Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office it was demonstrated that a 7% reduction could be achieved in overall aircraft weight simply by installing titanium parts produced using 3D processes. A 7% weight reduction is a highly significant figure; where most weight efficiencies only achieve one or two percentage points, a 7% saving will have a substantial impact on fuel costs, thereby reducing overall operational costs. The ability to…

The Robot Bike Co. story started in the late 1990s when Ed Haythornwaite, now the company’s CEO, met two other bike-mad students, Ben Farmer and Ben Arnold, at Bath University in the UK. “We spent far too much time riding bikes,” says Haythornwaite. “When we weren’t riding bikes, we were talking about bikes and how they could be made better than anything then on the market.” In 2012, Farmer had the ‘lightbulb’ moment, when he came up with the basis for the novel design that Robot Bike Co. is now producing. He took ideas from his background in the composites industry and from the world of additive manufacturing, and came up with the concept of using the two technologies to make the ‘ultimate’ bike that the friends had talked about when they were students. The new design uses a series of carbon fibre-reinforced tubes for the frames, which are joined by titanium lugs. This approach takes full advantage…

Significant future improvements in metal-cutting productivity, quality and reliability will come from a data-driven fourth revolution in manufacturing technology – the latest stage of a lengthy evolution. The first manufacturing revolution involved the move from home-based crafting activities to production in factories with centralised energy sources powering manufacturing machinery. Mechanical shafts and belts distributed power from water wheels or steam. The more convenient, efficient use of electrical energy followed. The first factories turned out products one by one. In the second revolution, output expanded to mass production. The development of integrated systems such as assembly and transfer lines and automation expedited high-volume production of identical parts. The third revolution in manufacturing technology came with the introduction of numerical machine control, and later computer-based control and automation, increasing accuracy…

Since the late 1700s, industry and the activities integral to industry have undergone significant changes, driven broadly by the desire to increase efficiency and output value, while reducing capital invested and effort required per output. This desire has seen numerous transitions towards more innovative processes and technologies, taking place over many years. For expediency, we group these transitions into stages, or revolutions. The first industrial revolution (Industry 1.0) saw the introduction of mechanisation, replacing man (or animal) power with machinery driven by water or steam. The second revolution (Industry 2.0) leveraged the division of labour, along with the benefits of electricity, to facilitate mass production (assembly lines). Industry 3.0 harnessed electronics and technology to automate production. The key drivers and advances pertinent to each revolution were crucial for disrupting the market status quo of the day. It is important to acknowledge that each revolution was driven by the preceding one, with key advances driving each revolution forward,…

Combined products and strategies address specific machining situations to provide the highest productivity. Current progress in rough milling operations, for instance, clearly illustrates the benefits of applying advanced metalworking technologies in an integrated way. Elements of the process The machine tool is the foundation of the milling process. To rough mill effectively, a machine must possess enough rigidity to resist cutting forces, as well as the capability to accelerate and decelerate axes at rates that maximise metal removal and minimise wasted time between cutting passes. Also, a powerful spindle facilitates high cutting speeds and aggressive application parameters. And finally, a machine’s CNC system must have computing power to sufficiently look ahead and meet rapidly changing demands for machining power and movement of linear and rotary axes. CAM software determines what those demands will be. In generating milling toolpaths, software developers must consider milling processes ranging from simple…

Now the Managing Director and co-owner of Andrew Donald Design Engineering (ADDE), Hendy recalls: “After that job, Andrew and I went our own separate ways. I worked for several companies globally, among which were Kodak and ANCA, in business development and marketing. Andrew started ADDE 20 years ago and built up the business to what it is today.” Headquartered in Bayswater, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, ADDE designs and builds turnkey industrial automation solutions. The company’s team of engineers, industrial designers and robotics experts work on projects for clients across a wide range of industries, ranging from pharmaceuticals, food, aviation, defence, automotive to general manufacturing. It has 30 employees, including 15 engineers covering mechanical, electrical, control system, robot and programmable logic controller (PLC) programming. “When Andrew wanted to retire around six…

Additive manufacturing has moved beyond prototyping. The current state of 3D printing systems, materials and parts-on-demand providers makes 3D printing jigs and fixtures and other manufacturing applications practical and accessible to manufacturers. Mainstream manufacturers are wise to seize on the economic and efficiency advantages offered by this technology, as well as the new possibilities it opens. New possibilities are born of new capabilities. The ability to dramatically lower production times and costs on complex, low-volume components, often while increasing functionality, is a game changer. What’s at stake for manufacturers are the prospects to improve current operational efficiencies and reduce costs, as well as capitalise on new product and market opportunities. Ultimately, 3D printing may enable strategic initiatives that change manufacturing and business models, and provide disruptive competitive advantages. Underlying the operational value of 3D printing are new ways to mitigate risks inherent in traditional manufacturing: Product and production risk due to imperfectly designed parts. Missed opportunities to supply new products to customers due to delays using traditional processes. Missed opportunities to innovate parts and Products using new design…

This July saw a surge in wholesale electricity prices in South Australia, rising to an average of $321 per megawatt hour, compared with $80/MWh for July 2015. The price spikes drew extensive media coverage, with some commentators claiming SA’s extensive adoption of renewable power had left it exposed in a month of unusually low winds. The Minerals Council of Australia claimed that SA’s decision to “disproportionally rely on intermittent wind and solar power” raised the risk of “higher prices, supply instability and greater reliance on imported power”. These claims were met with equally vocal counter-arguments. The Climate Council published a report suggesting that electricity price spikes in SA had actually fallen as renewable electricity had risen. Professor Hugh Saddler of the Australian National University (ANU) argued that the problem lay with broader flaws in the SA wholesale electricity market, and that wind power in fact helped to smooth out more frequent price spikes. The SA episode demonstrates that renewable energy remains the focus…

Case studies are emerging that provide compelling evidence that the surgeons embracing this technology over standard implants or traditionally manufactured implants are consistently delivering better and more predictable outcomes in terms of patient safety and satisfaction, and hospital efficiencies and economies. Hospitals in the UK, in their quest for better quality and efficiency, have used 3D-printed anatomical models, guides and implants to improve the predictability, accuracy, safety and speed of operations. Meanwhile, a hospital in Spain has proved that the technology can also be used across international borders in a classic example of global technology transfer with UK experts. Neurosurgeon Bartolomé Oliver, MD, PhD, practises at the Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona, Spain, and has trained internationally, including in Canada, the USA and Sweden. A 68-year-old female patient presented to his department with a benign growth from the left side of her cranium, caused by a meningioma, a tumour that arises from the meninges – the…

In a metal cutting operation, a tool deforms workpiece material and causes it to shear away in the form of chips. The deformation process requires a significant amount of force, and the tool endures a variety of mechanical, thermal, chemical and tribological loads. Over a period of time, these loads eventually cause the tool to wear to the point that it must be replaced. Accordingly, for more than a century, scientists and engineers have created and tested mathematical models that factor in the forces upon a tool to provide estimates of expected tool life. Many of these models focus on a specific tool’s performance in a certain material and operation, and simple formulas and repetitive testing produce valid tool wear projections. However, generalised models that can be applied across a wide range of workpiece materials and tools are more useful in industrial applications. Because these models take into account a variety…

In times of increasingly complex and individualised components, additive manufacturing processes with their high degree of geometrical freedom regarding component design are an effective way of escaping the complexity trap. However, the technology is slow, inaccurate and expensive which, up to now, has made it difficult to make inroads, particularly in the field of metal processing. Against this background, the combination of laser deposition welding by means of a powder nozzle with chip removal opens up fully new perspectives. As a pioneer and trendsetter, DMG MORI is already offering two groundbreaking hybrid machines. We spoke to Friedemann Lell, Sales Manager of SAUER, who is responsible for additive laser technology in the DMG MORI Group, about the advantages and areas of application of the combi-machines. AMT: What is the difference between the LASERTEC 3D machines and other additive metal processing systems? Friedemann Lell: In the field of additive manufacturing, we are focusing on powder deposition welding using lasers, a technique which has…