AMT SEPT 2015

sep15 Australian Manufacturing Technology

Your Industry. Your Magazine.

Defence – Tackling offshore rivals PAGE 34 www.lmclaser.com.au

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Volume 15 Number 08 September 2015 ISSN 1832-6080

contents

Defence The right stuff Backing Australian naval shipbuilding Lovitt – taking on the world, with help from DMG MORI Direct digital manufacturing takes flight

34 38 40 42

MATERIAL REMOVAL Research highlights advantages of cellular machining Mazak INTEGREX – multi-application multi-tasking Iscar – Mill with skill

46 47 48

QUALITY & INSPECTION Level measurement with LFP Automated in-line cleaning for machined precision parts Intelligent approach to zero-defect manufacturing Flaw detection for every environment

50 51 52 53

COMPOSITES Optimising hole-making in composite/metal aero frames Graphene drives potential for next-gen fuel-efficient cars Making new materials with micro-explosions

56 58 58

SAFETY Make it safe: good work design Fire safety recommendations for manufacturing facilities On bended knee: Reducing workplace knee injuries Combining control & safety to minimise downtime

59 60 61 62

From the CEO From the Industry From the Union

10 12 14

INDUSTRY NEWS Current news from the industry

16

PRODUCT NEWS Our selection of new and interesting products

28

ONE ON ONE Keith McLean – Director, CSIRO Manufacturing

44

COMPANY FOCUS Carbon Revolution- Wheels of fortune

54

AMTIL FORUM OHS 64 Law 65 Finance 66 Logistics 67 Manufacturing History – A look back in time

68

AMTIL INSIDE The latest news from AMTIL

70

sep15 AustrAliAn MAnufActuring technology

your industry. your Magazine.

Defence – Tackling offshore rivals PAGE 34

.Defence .Material Removal

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.Safety .Quality & Inspection .Composites

34 The right stuff Breaking into global defence industry supply chains is no easy feat. But while speculation over Australia’s submarine-building program continues to generate negative headlines, some savvy Australian advanced manufacturers are shifting focus to new areas of growth and tapping into multinational supply chains, with many becoming significant players in global markets.

44 Keith McLean Keith McLean is Director, CSIRO Manufacturing, which is a diverse business whose focus is on manufacturing – especially for SMEs but also to global multi-national corporations. Its capabilities include molecular engineering, organic chemistry, materials-processing, additive manufacturing and modelling. This skill-set effectively tackles problems for its customers, partners and collaborators.

54

Cover The Federal Government has launched a competitive evaluation process for Australia’s submarine building program. However, the South Australia government has demanded an overseas building program be ruled out and wants a 30-year commitment to build submarines in Australia. Photo: Richard Gale © Commonwealth of Australia.

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AMT September 2015

Carbon Revolution- Wheels of fortune Ford Motor Company announced that the latest model of its iconic Mustang muscle car would feature pioneering one-piece carbon-fibre wheel technology developed and made by Geelong (Vic)-based Carbon Revolution.

The company is confident this is the first of numerous OEM programs on the horizon.

FROM THE

Editor William Poole

Geelong set for lift-off Sometimes everything seems to be heading for one place, and last month that place seemed to be Geelong.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: the city, of course, featured in one of the biggest news stories of recent months, as the destination of a certain fateful helicopter trip. But the now-former Speaker’s travel expenses aside, Geelong has been making headlines of its own, and for much more interesting reasons.

There was the news that Quickstep, the fast-expanding advanced composites manufacturer, will be establishing a global R&D centre on Deakin University’s campus in Waurn Ponds (see page 22). Quickstep’s automotive division is already located at Waurn Ponds, and the new facility will manage development of all its intellectual property, with R&D activity currently performed at its Munich facility to be relocated to the centre. Taking any kind of manufacturing work away from Germany counts as a coup, and that’s doubly the case when it’s the kind of cutting edge work the new Quickstep site will be engaged in.

One of Quickstep’s neighbours at Waurn Ponds is Carbon Revolution, another Australian manufacturer doing ground-breaking work in composites. Carbon Revolution made the news in July when it landed a contract with Ford to supply its pioneering carbon-fibre wheels for the new model of its legendary Mustang muscle car. Having been invited down to Waurn Ponds to see the new Centre for Advanced Design in Engineering Training (CADET) in August, I had been hoping to interview Carbon Revolution while I was there, but they were too busy with other commitments that day.

That proved to be entirely understandable, as it turned out that Prime Minister Tony Abbot and Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane were in Geelong for a number of official functions.

Most significant of these from a manufacturing perspective was their announcement that the Federal Government’s $14m Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre will be based in Geelong, marking another big win for the city.

While I wasn’t able to get in to see Carbon Revolution in person (CEO Jake Dingle instead very kindly made time to talk to AMT on the phone – see page 54), I nonetheless made my way down to Geelong for my tour of the CADET facility, and it did more than enough to justify the trip. Set in a beautiful new purpose-built building, the Centre aims to bridge the gaps between design, engineering and manufacturing. Training and research take place within a bright, open-plan setting equipped with an impressive array of state-of-the-art technologies.

And at the heart of the Centre’s approach is a profound emphasis on interaction and collaboration with industry.

Taking its place alongside the likes of Quickstep, Carbon Revolution and Deakin’s Carbon Nexus composites research facility, CADET further marks out the Waurn Ponds campus as an emerging cluster of innovation in areas such as carbon-fibre, design and high valueadded manufacturing. Along with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, it helps to consolidate Geelong’s continued metamorphosis from a town built on traditional heavy industry into a hub for the latest in advanced manufacturing.

Editor William Poole wpoole@amtil.com.au Contributor Barbara Schulz Sales Manager Anne Samuelsson asamuelsson@amtil.com.au Publications Co-ordinator Gabriele Richter grichter@amtil.com.au Publisher Shane Infanti sinfanti@amtil.com.au Designer Franco Schena fschena@amtil.com.au Prepress & Print Printgraphics Australia AMT Magazine is printed in Australia using FSC® mix of paper from responsible sources FSC® C007821 Contact Details AMT Magazine AMTIL Suite 1, 673 Boronia Rd Wantirna VIC 3152 AUSTRALIA T 03 9800 3666 F 03 9800 3436 E info@amtil.com.au W www.amtil.com.au Copyright © Australian Manufacturing Technology (AMT).

All rights reserved. AMT Magazine may not be copied or reproduced in whole or part thereof without written permission from the publisher.

Contained specifications and claims are those supplied by the manufacturer (contributor)

Disclaimer The opinions expressed within AMT Magazine from editorial staff, contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of AMTIL. The publisher reserves the right to amend the listed editorial features published in the AMT Magazine Media Kit for content or production purposes.

AMT Magazine is dedicated to Australia’s machining, tooling and sheet-metal working industries and is published monthly.

Subscription to AMT Magazine (and other benefits) is available through AMTIL Associate Membership at $165 (inc GST) per annum.

Contact AMTIL on 03 9800 3666 for further information.

We’ll have more news on the CADET facility in coming issues, particularly as its official opening draws near. Looks like Geelong can expect another high-level official visit in the near future – by helicopter or otherwise.

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FROM THE

CEO Shane Infanti – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

We need your input AMTIL is currently having discussions around the development of a Position Statement. The purpose of the Position Statement is for AMTIL to be able to clearly articulate our members’ views on industry issues and what AMTIL aims to do about them. It will assist us to develop clear strategic objectives for AMTIL, help identify how to effectively work with, and support stakeholders and give guidance to Government on how it should work with our industry for best outcomes.

We need more feedback from industry, not just around the issues but more importantly what could be done to address them. I would encourage anybody who has something to get off their chest to drop me an email. Remember though, solutions are what we need, so some thought around that aspect is required.

Some of the interesting feedback on issues is listed below, in no particular order, with some questions that have been raised.

Perception of manufacturing We need to market and brand our industry better. We need to promote the success stories and showcase to the world how good we are. We need to influence the Government on the importance of manufacturing as a contributor to our economy and employment. We need to show leadership and develop high level global positioning strategies.

Supply Chain Development We need to become more “product” oriented rather than “component” oriented. We need to develop products that we export to the world.

We need to grow more first tier suppliers to major international OEMs and develop stronger supply chains underneath these companies. We need to better understand how SMEs can tap into major projects and assist in this process.

Investment We need mechanisms to encourage investment in technology. We need to reduce the average age of equipment so we are globally competitive. We need non-competitive incentives that are structural rather than competitive grant processes. We need better access to finance. We need to raise business confidence and look to the future.

Structural costs of business We need to stop referring to “red tape” and identify specific costs of business that can be reduced. We need Government support to understand programs around knowledge, access and getting relief.

We need to reduce input costs where possible.

Research/IP

Export development

We need to promote and support mechanisms for connection between industry and research providers. We need better success rates at commercialising intellectual property. We need solutions to address funding of commercialisation. We need research to be more industry-driven.

We need to take more advantage of FTAs. We need trade mission activity. We need to develop high-tech, high-value-added products and market them internationally. We need to secure greater work for existing exporters. We need to better promote schemes such as Export Market Development Grants. We need to work better with Austrade. We need more collaboration on trade activity and assistance to “open doors”.

Government procurement We need encouragement from our Government that we are good at making things and that they will buy them. We need to be stronger in our commitment to Government Industry Participation Policies.

We need to better understand what the drivers are for Government decisions that we currently see and don’t understand.

Skills and training We need better management and leadership skills. We need to work out ways to replace the knowledge that will be lost when the baby boomers move on. We need better engagement with training organisations to help them with development of trade teachers. We need better “job readiness” of our younger generation. We need to look at the training requirements for tomorrow, not today.

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AMT September 2015

We need a lot of things! One of the biggest issues I think we have is a need to better co-ordinate the efforts that are being made to address these needs. We could take any of the “needs” above and come up with a whole raft of energy and resources that are being engaged to address them, yet we continue to raise them as issues.

It would appear that despite the best intentions from many stakeholders and individuals, we struggle to resolve many of the important issues that are impacting on Australian manufacturers’ ability to grow their businesses.

I don’t think any of us believe nothing is being done. It is about how we can do things better. So, if you think something can be done better, please email me at sinfanti@amtil.com.au

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FROM THE

Industry Mark Goodsell – Manufacturing Director Australian Industry Group

Finding new directions for sourcing new business It’s hardly surprising that in the face of shifting markets, one of the most profound changes I hear about is in the way companies find new business. Almost every manufacturer I have met in the last two years has changed their sales or business development function in some way.

Some have deepened their business development capability – by simply putting on more sales staff, or increasingly by investing in the capability to dig out customer problems and integrate that intelligence into their design and engineering functions, rather than relying on more traditional stand-alone sales skills. A lot of SMEs have engaged their first sales person ever. Some of them say they never needed a salesman before, because work “just sort of rolled in” – but not anymore. Often the owner did sales, to save a salary, but that model is starting to show its limitations.

I have been struck by the number of companies who say they are finding new business in strange places. That’s probably a good sign, reflecting a capability to ask the right questions and have an open mind about where opportunities might lie.

However, different sectors are a different sell. Industrial supply chains are different to consumer sectors. Defence has its own rules, as do most other government customers. Aerospace and health have their own quality expectations. Most sectors have their differences in how you get in the door, and understanding the ways in are as important to success as the quality of your offering. Companies have even been burnt by differences in business culture and practice between regions within Australia, particularly if they have built their business with one major customer within one region.

In some sectors you have to travel a long way to get business next door. The OECD assessed in 2013 that 70% of world trade was stuff being moved from one stage of value-adding to the next. You may make the world’s best piece of kit, but in many supply chains your direct customer is the next stage of production or a turnkey system maker, even if the final destination is the consumer, company or project down the road. If the customer is now more often offshore, selling requires different skills, the capacity to understand new business cultures and a passport.

Industry stalwarts are disappointed that long relationships with customers don’t always seem to count any more. That’s one of the

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AMT September 2015

sadder truths of a hyper-competitive world, but it is a bit misleading. A long relationship may have got us in the door previously, and is still valuable, but it is what we learn while inside the door that really counts.

Those that seem to have done best tell stories about learning to deeply understand where their customer is going and the challenges they face. None of that is rocket science, but some firms seem surprised when customers change tack or drift away.

And that is particularly the case when their customer is government, who can be frustratingly opaque about their intentions.

Companies are taking these new approaches at the same time as engaging with new technology – additive manufacturing, smart materials and connected manufacturing systems. It seems to be crucial to success to do both, as both technology and markets are changing.

It seems these efforts to seek new business and opportunities are starting to pay off.

The Ai Group’s Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) for July reflected the definite uptick I have felt growing in the spirit of local manufacturing over the past six months. The July result records the first increase in manufacturing sales for over a year, a continuing recovery in exports, and suggests a slight easing in margin pressure. At 50.4 points, the index shows the sector is stable, and the threemonth moving average figure records gentle improvement since the start of the year.

Given the headline pressures from mining

and auto, there must also be some good things going on out there to produce this result. That’s a general observation and not everyone will share the sentiment. Where there is optimism, it coincides a lot with the fall in the dollar, with a feeling of better competitiveness against imports, and a renewed interest in exports, including to the US. There are marked differences between and within regions. Regions that were hit by the coal price fall two years ago are finding it tougher, though that depends on your exposure to mining. Companies who diversified, including out of region, seem to have it easier. The loss and threats to heavy industry supporting local supply chains is felt keenly in a number of regions.

Mining is spending money, but it’s moved from their capital to their operating budget as the equipment installed in the huge wave of investment starts to wear. Miners are also hungry for cost saving ideas for their operations. The housing, food and health/medical equipment supply chains are the strongest. Commercial building and infrastructure are patchy across the states, as is government spending more generally.

There’s a growing interest in prefabrication – for both housing and other buildings.

While the Australian PMI is just one indicator of this shift, behind it are thousands of different stories of manufacturers who are transforming their businesses and carving out new paths to ensure they remain competitive.

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FROM THE

Union Paul Bastian – National Secretary Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

The bigger costs of offshoring If ever you wanted an example of political calculations delivering patchy answers to the challenges our manufacturing sector faces, it was the Government’s announcement on future shipbuilding in Adelaide.

For me, it was a case of mixed emotions over an incomplete national picture – in the first instance it was really welcome that we have an intent to put $39bn into possibly securing over 2,000 jobs and possibly setting us on a path to a continual build of warships. That’s great for South Australia and landmark recognition of the need for a continuous build to ensure the sustainability that our union and maritime industry experts have been hammering both sides of politics on for years.

But the blatant politics surrounding the Coalition’s vulnerability in SA electorates left massive questions hanging over the fate of thousands of other shipbuilding industry jobs in Melbourne, the Hunter and WA. The welcome news for Adelaide comes too late to stop our shipbuilding industry plunging into the “Valley of Death”, whittled down to 1,000 jobs until the future frigates and offshore patrol vessels get underway.

It continues a needless pattern of playing politics with our national security when we need a bipartisan policy on a comprehensive maritime manufacturing strategy. We’re sick of hearing federal politicians blaming one another for past inaction. You can’t turn the clock back, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Government has had ample opportunity to bring forward the patrol boats, frigates, supply ships or non-navy vessels that would have kept yards working and suppliers with contracts.

Shipbuilding viability goes beyond the Navy. It includes our customs fleet and the Australian Antarctic Division, which needs a replacement icebreaker for the Aurora Australis (built by Forgacs in the Hunter).

We’ve had a fiasco from offshoring to two major foreign contractors, of which one (P&O) pulled out in January. That left one foreign bidder in a flawed tender process, which Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says risks leaving us with a “dud”. We’ve seen similar offshoring with two new navy supply ships, given to Spain’s Navantia and South Korea’s Daewoo, with local shipyards excluded.

At the heart of this, the Government is driven by a narrow, flawed version of price value, with Tony Abbott prioritising “value for money” over the need for “maximum Australian build”. The same shortsighted, price-value falsehood has eroded rail manufacturing at state level (Victoria excepted) and federal funding to the auto industry, which saw Holden and Toyota’s exit.

In defence, maximum Australian build is essential for both strategic and economic reasons. What may make business sense in isolation for a company board is nonsense when applied to the broader responsibilities of government. Procurement cannot only be measured in project savings by embracing the lowest-price bidder, but in the macro-economic positive of flow-ons to supplier firms and the opportunity cost of offshoring. This includes lost taxes from local employees put off, the costs of government benefits, the costs of retraining, and most importantly the risk of losing a critical mass of vital skills and specialist knowledge.

This attitude is quietly undermining our defence forces, with deep Budget cuts hitting the ability of civilian support staff at defence establishments to do their jobs researching, testing and maintaining the equipment our military relies upon. This false economy is also evident as shipbuilding enters another of its “Valley of Death” cycles.

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AMT September 2015

There’s enough shipping needed by Australia in coming decades to sustain a $250bn build across Adelaide, the Hunter, Williamstown, WA and Tasmania. Australia has the skills to not only build, but to sustain our entire maritime fleet, as evidenced by the 1990s when we built the Collins Class subs, Anzac frigates and Huon minehunters simultaneously.

That’s why the Adelaide announcement sounded fine in itself, but smacked of expediency because it left high and dry the fates of BAE facilities in Victoria and WA, plus Forgacs shipyards in the Hunter.

Hundreds of workers have been made redundant. These facilities are due to run out of employment by year’s end, when the last blocks for the three Air Warfare Destroyers assembled in Adelaide are completed, as will be the superstructure fit-outs of the two LHD vessels at Williamstown.

Of course, the elephant in the room (or under the water) is the future submarine contract, the crucial technological underpinning for our maritime defence industries. It still means that $50bn of the Government’s ships $89bn budget could be spent offshore. If we are to build on the expertise and capability left by the Collins development, we must build the next fleet of 12 submarines in Adelaide, as the Coalition promised. The local build – involving the handing down of thorough design expertise to Australia – is inseparable from an effective, ongoing maintenance program. It’s also a strategic defence necessity.

The German shipbuilder TKMS is bidding on the basis that an Australian build using local suppliers will cost just $20bn, more economical than doing it in Europe. The French DCNS also favours a local build. The PM has guaranteed at least 500 ongoing jobs if his favoured Japanese Soryu model is part-built here, but that nation has never permitted export of any defence technology and has no experience in partnering with others on major industrial defence projects .

The AMWU has longstanding, historic ties to the ALP which serve to advance the interests of our members and working people generally.

In that context, at the recent ALP National Conference we were able to successfully secure improvements to the Labor platform which would assist Australian manufacturing. That includes a commitment to both a future shipbuilding industry and a modernised automotive industry focused on supplying high-tech components into global supply chains.

In auto, under a future ALP government all existing funds in the Automotive Transformation Scheme will be used to assist those and related firms. We have moved a significant way to securing a ‘commonsense’ procurement policy that explicitly preferences Australian SMEs and ensures the government will take a ‘whole of life’ and ‘real value for money’ approach. This means procurement decisions won’t be based on lowest contract cost, but will explicitly take into account both direct and indirect investment, industry capability and flow-on taxation impacts.

But we need a bipartisan commitment. That is why we were pleased when over 20 Coalition and Independent MPs met our ships’ delegates in Canberra recently, though action must follow talk. The Abbott Government’s upcoming Defence White Paper is a prime opportunity to carry through with its stated intent on a rolling maritime build – including 12 submarines.

industry news

Government reveals new plan for naval shipbuilding The Federal Government announced plans on 4 August to invest more than $89bn in ships and submarines for the Navy over the next 20 years.

The Government will implement a continuous build of surface warships in Australia that will include the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s Future Frigates and Offshore Patrol Vessels. According to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the investment will generate significant economic growth and sustain several thousand Australian jobs over decades.

Designed to transform Australia’s naval shipbuilding industry and put it onto a sustainable long-term path will give the workforce certainty for the future. The new strategy involves: • Bringing forward the Future Frigate programme (SEA 5000) to replace the ANZAC-class frigates. As part of this decision, a continuous onshore build programme will commence in 2020 – three years earlier than scheduled under the previous government. The Future Frigates will be built in South Australia based on a competitive evaluation process (CEP) that will begin in October 2015.

• Bringing forward construction of Offshore Patrol Vessels (SEA 1180) to replace the Armidale-class patrol boats by two years, with a continuous onshore build commencing in 2018 following a CEP. The Government claims that in the short term these two measures will sustain around 1,000 jobs that would otherwise have been lost. Once both programmes ramp up, they are projected to guarantee around 2,500 Australian shipbuilding jobs for decades.

Australia’s future submarine programme forms a third pillar of the plan, the outcome of which will be based on a CEP currently underway.

Overseen by an independent panel of experts, the CEP will consider capability, cost, schedule and key strategic considerations – along with Australian industry involvement.

The Government also announced plans to reform the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) programme, with an additional $1.2bn of investment.

In addition the Government has commissioned a strategic review of ASC’s capacity to support a continuous build programme. The outcomes of the review will be considered in conjunction with future decisions on submarines and surface shipbuilding programmes. The investment in Navy capability will be a centrepiece of the Government’s Defence White Paper to be released later this year.

Industry response to the news was positive. The Australian Made Defence campaign welcomed the announcement (see page 38).

Campaign spokesperson Chris Burns remarked: “The national shipbuilding industry can now start to think about planning for the long-term. Now the Federal Government has shown leadership in

making commitments towards a longer-term plan, rather than single projects, industry is able to start considering investment in skills and technology. However, there is still a serious question surrounding the build of the Future Submarines program.”

Commenting on the news, Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group, said: “The Federal Government’s naval ship building announcement offers longer-term promise to Australia’s defence industry and will enable it to add to its impressive record of the in-country build of the Anzac frigate. It is an announcement that will go some way to offsetting the run-down of our skilled naval shipbuilding workforce overseen principally by previous governments.”

John Pollaers, Chairman of the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Council, said: “Australia’s advanced manufacturing sector – and this country’s future resilience and global competitiveness – will be far stronger with the certainty delivered by this announcement. This is an historic commitment which will ensure continuity of workforce and skills, and help to sustain industrial scale and efficiencies in the sector.

Flagship projects of the magnitude of Australia’s defence acquisitions can fundamentally change Australian industry.”

Kim Gillis named as CASG Deputy Secretary Kim Gillis has been announced as the new Deputy Secretary of the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) within the Department of Defence. Gillis commenced work at CASG on 31 August.

Gillis was previously the Vice-President and Managing Director of Boeing Defence Australia, a role he occupied from June 2011. He had previously served as its Chief Operating Officer, having joined Boeing in September 2010. Prior to Boeing, Gillis was General Manager Systems for the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) where he was responsible for a staff of 6,000 with an annual expenditure budget of $7bn.

The CASG is part of the Department of Defence and exists to meet the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) military equipment and supply requirements as identified by Defence and approved by Government. It replaces the DMO, which was disbanded on 1 July.

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AMT September 2015

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industry news

CSIRO unveils growth masterplan CSIRO has released a masterplan to improve Australia’s record in innovation and help the country respond to global changes and digital disruption. Meanwhile, former Telstra CEO David Thodey has been appointed the new Chair of the CSIRO Board for the next five years.

In its strategy for 2015 to 2020, Australia’s Innovation Catalyst, CSIRO outlines how the organisation will become a global collaboration hub and help boost the country’s innovation performance.

areas. We must also be asking who our customers are and if we’re creating the value that they need.

We work with businesses, industry, governments and communities and we need to find ways to benefit every Australian.”

“Australia currently ranks 81st in the world when it comes to innovation efficiency – the bang for our buck we get when we transform innovation investment into results,” said CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall. “If that was a team sport ranking, we’d be outraged. As a country, we need to work together to improve this result. Australia’s prosperity, health and sustainability is closely bound to our capacity for innovation – and CSIRO has a key role to play here.

Thodey’s appointment was announced on 6 August by Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, who said it was evidence of the Federal Government’s strategy to put science at the centre of industry policy.

The new strategy has been shared with CSIRO staff, and represents a new era for the national science agency. One of the greatest challenges for Australia has been the difficulty of getting inventions and new technology from the idea stage into the hands of the public.

To counter this, CSIRO has launched the CSIRO ON program, an initiative to fast-track CSIRO technology and ideas into the market.

Part of a push for greater collaboration and co-ordination by CSIRO will be increased co-location with universities and other research organisations and a greater emphasis on international connections.

“At the core of the strategy is the need for CSIRO to be a catalyst for change and growth in the innovation system in Australia. Innovation is a team sport,” Dr Marshall said. “We must form new bonds and collaborate across disciplines, sectors, science and business. That is where profound innovation happens – at the intersection of these

David Thodey.

“Mr Thodey is one of Australia’s most well-known and respected businessmen,” Macfarlane said.

“He will bring a wealth of industry acumen to Australia’s peak science agency as it plays an increasingly central role in maximising our economic opportunities and industry growth.”

Thodey was the CEO of Telstra from May 2009 to April 2015. He has been credited with significantly increasing Telstra’s share price and doubling the value of the company. Before joining Telstra, he had a 22-year career with IBM, working in senior marketing and sales positions, including CEO of IBM Australia/New Zealand. He will join the CSIRO board in November.

“I feel privileged and honoured to be asked to contribute to the future of the CSIRO, an outstanding community of researchers and scientists,” said Thodey. “We, as a nation, have an important opportunity to collaborate across the research community and industry to improve Australia’s global competitiveness. This is essential for the future of our country. Consistent with the new CSIRO vision, I hope that the CSIRO can be a catalyst for innovation across key focus industries and the wider community.”

Access to finance an ongoing challenge for Australian exporters The latest Australian International Business Survey (AIBS 2015) continues to highlight the financing constraints faced by Australia’s internationally-active businesses, according to Efic’s Senior Economist, Cassandra Winzenried.

AIBS 2015 reports the views of over 1,200 Australian internationallyactive businesses, drawn from 19 industry sectors and operating across 114 international markets; making it one of the largest and most in-depth surveys of Australian exporters.

“We found the participants are generally more optimistic about the current year than they were about 2014, with the weaker Australian dollar being the main reason for this optimism,” said Winzenried.

“However, the survey also highlighted important financing challenges facing Australia’s internationally-active businesses.”

AIBS 2015 found that 86% of respondents felt retained earnings were an important source of finance for domestic operations that service export sales, which was more than double the percentage that said domestic banks are important. “Around a third of companies that had approached a financial institution in the last three years to expand

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their international business said they didn’t receive the funding they needed, a figure that rises to almost half for small exporters,” said Winzenried. “The most common reason for failed funding attempts, at 45%, were security issues, followed by the application being declined due to inadequate cash flow. We found it interesting that business inexperience and poor credit history were cited as relatively minor factors.”

One of the survey’s key conclusions is that a large minority of smaller exporters could do more international business if sufficient finance was forthcoming.

“These results again highlight how important Efic’s role is in helping SME exporters receive the finance they need, with our range of products helping many bridge the finance gap when their bank is unable to assist,” said Winzenried.

industry news

Indian automotive mission builds links with Australian industry Representatives from India’s car industry were in Australia last month to learn about local automotive technology and research.

The Indian Automotive Technology Mission to Australia visited Sydney and Melbourne from 10 to 14 August, exploring potential collaboration with companies and research institutions. India’s car industry will soon be the world’s fourth-largest by volume, accounting for 7% of India’s GDP and 45% of its industrial output. Austrade’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for South Asia, Nicola Watkinson, said the sector provided significant opportunities for Australian organisations looking to expand operations.

The Trade Mission was part of Austrade’s Australian Innovation Showcase, a program of events highlighting Australian expertise to India across a range of industries. The Federal Government has a commitment to expand trade and investment ties with India through an economic partnership agreement aimed for completion by the end of 2015. The Indian Government is also seeking greater international collaboration to help expand manufacturing through its “Make in India” campaign.

“India is becoming a major automotive hub and Indian companies are looking for partners to help build their global competitiveness,” said Watkinson. “Australia has high-quality research institutions, specialist research and problem solving skills and strong capability in future vehicle technologies.”

The Trade Mission was a collaboration between Austrade and the State Governments of Victoria and South Australia, the Australia-India Institute, Automotive Supplier Excellence Australia (ASEA) and the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers (FAPM). It followed the publication of Austrade’s Opportunity Assessment of Automotive R&D Market in India, a report developed in partnership with KPMG and launched during Australian Automotive Week in March.

Left and above: The Trade Mission’s itinerary included Swinburne University’s electric vehicles development facilities and RMIT’s 3D components printing facility.

Thales F90 assault rifle enters ADF service Thales’s F90 rifle is to enter Australian Defence Force (ADF) service.

The Australian Department of Defence has signed a $100m contract with Thales to produce rifles, grenade launchers, spare parts and various ancillaries at Thales’ facility in Lithgow, in regional New South Wales. The F90 is a light, versatile weapon that offers high standards of performance and reliability, and has been well-received by soldiers in various trials.

Kevin Wall, Thales’s Armaments Vice-President in Australia, said: “Our soldiers deserve the best possible equipment, and the F90 delivers on all counts. Enhancing the Austeyr is the most costeffective way to deliver a capability upgrade, and we’ve worked closely with Defence and Army units to design, test and manufacture this worldclass weapon. We’re now looking forward to getting it into troops’ hands as quickly as possible.

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The F90 is born from over 100 years of engineering and manufacturing expertise at Lithgow, and this is the latest chapter in Lithgow Arms’ long contribution to Australian military operations.”

In ADF service, the rifle will be known as the Enhanced F88 (EF88), marking a significant enhancement of the original Austeyr F88. Two versions will be delivered – a standard rifle with a 20-inch barrel, plus a carbine with a 16-inch barrel. Deliveries to the ADF will begin in the next few weeks and phased over six years.

Thales is currently exploring export opportunities for the F90 in various markets around the world, while also developing further enhancements for the rifle, which is fitted for, but not with, electronic architecture including centralised power as a key future-proofing measure.

industry news

Re-Engineering Australia plans STEM world tour The Re-Engineering Australia Foundation is planning an educational world tour designed to encourage young people to take up Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM), with the aim of inspiring our next generation of innovators.

Re-Engineering Australia has drawn on the business relationships it has developed around the world over the past 30 years and asked them to open their doors for 200 lucky young Australians. It aims to guide and mentor students to help them understand what is possible. Re-Engineering Australia wants to excite students by bringing them face to face with the best technology in the world, and the senior executives responsible for running the organisations using this technology.

This will be the 12th time that Re-Engineering Australia has taken a delegation of Australian students overseas but only the second complete round-the-world STEM Education tour. The tour is being planned for the midyear school holidays in 2016 over a threeto-four week period and as Re-Engineering Australia finalises the details it is looking for schools that may be interested in participating.

The trip will take in destinations such as: the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva,

Switzerland; the Hyundai Heavy Industries Shipyard in South Korea; and plant visits to Microsoft and Boeing in Seattle. It will also call in on locations in Japan, Germany, France, Denmark, the UK and the US. ReEngineering Australia will be adding to and removing from this list as it firms up the agenda within the constraints of cost and time.

According to Re-Engineering Australia, the tour has been conceived as the ultimate educational tour combining the broadest range of STEM experiences, designed specifically for those students who want

to become innovators on the world stage.

The cost of the four-week trip has yet to be finalised but Re-Engineering Australia estimates that the all-inclusive cost will be in the order of $8,500-$10,000 per person.

Re Engineering Australia founder Dr Michael Myers does not want this to be something restricted to “the privileged few”. He is working on plans to engage governments at federal, state and local levels to sponsor children to go, as well as asking companies to give so that young people can experience the trip of a lifetime. Details of this sponsorship program will be presented shortly.

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AMT September 2015

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industry news

Australia’s first 3D-printed spine implant RMIT has worked with a medical device company and a neurosurgeon to successfully create a 3D-printed vertebral cage for a patient with severe back pain.

When an abnormal structure of the fifth lumbar vertebra and severe degeneration of the adjacent disc was causing Amanda Gorvin constant lower back pain, she was referred to spine surgery specialist Dr Marc Coughlan, at the North Gosford and Prince of Wales Hospitals. Coughlan’s opinion was that spinal surgery was an option, but because of the unusual shape of Gorvin’s vertebrae a standard, off-the-shelf implant would possibly only give her slight relief.

3D printing is that a custom implant can be made of any shape and complex internal architecture for a reasonable cost.”

He then turned to Melbourne medical device specialists Anatomics, who worked with Professor Milan Brandt and his team at RMIT’s Centre for Additive Manufacturing at the Advanced Manufacturing Precinct to design and develop a custom-made titanium spinal implant using 3D printing (or additive manufacturing).

3D printing is proving to be a game changer for manufacturing in healthcare, as well as in the aviation, aerospace and automotive industries. The ability to create unique and complex titanium implants for specific conditions, such as the abnormal shape of Gorvin’s vertebral cage, indicates that additive technology could be used to provide ongoing support for patients with chronic pain. The Centre for Additive Manufacturing at the Advanced Manufacturing Precinct based at RMIT’s City campus supports research in a range of areas including bioengineering, aerospace and automotive.

“This revolutionary process allows the implant to be built layer by layer, adding successive layers of material under computer control – as opposed to the subtractive manufacturing techniques of casting, fabrication, stamping and machining,” Brandt said. “An advantage of

ARA appoints new CEO The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) has announced the appointment of Danny Broad as Chief Executive Officer.

Broad will take up his new role on 1 October replacing former CEO Bryan Nye OAM, who announced his resignation from the role in April. ARA Interim Chairman Bob Herbert AM said Broad brings to the role an extensive network of knowledge, experience and influence from within the rail industry, having worked in both the rail and construction industries for more than 25 years.

“Danny’s expertise lies in his wide-ranging experience and capability in company management, leadership, stakeholder engagement and business development, which will stand the ARA in good stead as we look towards the future,” said Herbert.

“Throughout his career, Danny has been responsible for the delivery of numerous freight and passenger rollingstock projects for the major Australian rail operators.”

Broad joins the ARA from Ranbury, where he spearheaded the expansion of the company’s rail business in his role of Executive Manager – Rail. He also spent 17 years with Downer Rail, where he held a variety of senior executive roles. In the early 2000s, he oversaw the strategic merger and rebranding of Walkers and Clyde Engineering into Downer.

“Danny also has a long history with the ARA, holding a position on the board for 10 years, representing rail suppliers and manufacturers,” added Herbert. “I look forward to working closely with Danny as he leads the ARA into a new phase and continues to drive prosperity and build value for our members into the future.”

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Bryan Nye OAM

Specialist teams at Anatomics and RMIT used a CT scan of Gorvin’s spine to create the customised implant while a second medical device supplier, LifeHealthcare provided additional parts. It has been three months since the surgery and Gorvin has resumed normal activities without any significant pain.

Quickstep establishes R&D centre at Deakin – Waurn Ponds Advanced manufacturing company Quickstep Holdings has announced the establishment of a global research and development centre at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus, where Quickstep’s automotive division is based.

The new R&D centre will manage ongoing development of all Quickstep technologies and intellectual property, supporting the company’s aerospace and automotive facilities in Australia and Germany. Quickstep and Deakin will continue their close relationship through a long-term Strategic R&D and Education Agreement, and R&D activity currently undertaken at Quickstep’s facility in Munich, Germany, will be relocated to the centre.

The R&D centre will support the fast‐tracking and industrialisation of Quickstep’s patented Qure process for moulding and curing carbonfibre composite parts in niche volumes; and the development of RapidQure, a fully automated high‐volume manufacturing system for the automotive industry.

“Establishment of our global R&D centre is a strategic step which expedites development of Quickstep’s technology and intellectual property in Australia,” said Quickstep’s Managing Director David Marino. “Quickstep will benefit from access to Deakin’s ‘carbon cluster’ with its skilled researchers, laboratories and industry networks, close working relationships with partnered research institutions and potential customers.”

“Deakin University is delighted to be strengthening our collaboration with Quickstep, Australia’s largest independent manufacturer of aerospace‐grade carbon-fibre composites,” said Deakin Vice Chancellor, Professor Jane den Hollander. “The establishment of Quickstep’s Automotive division at our Geelong Waurn Ponds campus further enhances our regional capacity and capability by introducing another carbon‐based technology company into the precinct. This move is a critical boost for job creation, industry engagement and development in the Geelong region.”

Your total HR Solutions

government news

AM Growth Centre set for Geelong The Federal Government announced on 6 August that it will base its $14m Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre in Geelong, Victoria.

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre is part of the Government’s $225m Industry Growth Centres Initiative. Five Industry Growth Centres have been set up, with the aim of ensuring that science is at the centre of industry policy and lifting the levels of collaboration between business, industry and research.

The Advanced Manufacturing Centre will be integrated with a network of centres across the country, including in: Clayton, Victoria; Adelaide, South Australia; Brisbane, Queensland; and Western Sydney, New South Wales. From these facilities, the Growth Centre will develop a sector competitiveness plan to link local businesses with global companies. This Plan will identify jobs and skills needs, provide a pipeline of innovations ready to commercialise, and consider areas for reforming regulation, manufacturing transformation and growth.

• Engaging with businesses in metropolitan and regional areas to develop a deep understanding of their operations, issues and visions for the future to develop and publish case studies.

The Growth Centre will use six programmes to drive the competitiveness and productivity of the sector:

Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre Chair Andrew Stevens.

The Growth Centre aims to boost the competitiveness and productivity of Australia’s advanced manufacturing sector by identifying opportunities to reduce regulatory burden, increasing collaboration and commercialisation, improving capabilities to engage with international markets and global supply chains, and enhancing management and workforce skills. The Growth Centre will put this into action through developing a sector strategy and delivering activities.

1. Connections For Growth: Linking Australian manufacturers with global companies and their digital supply chains.

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre is led by Andrew Stevens. In the first year, initial activities will include:

3. Future Jobs For Growth: Identifying the skills and knowledge required in the sector and developing the demand for and supply of future employment opportunities.

• Developing a 10-year strategic plan for the sector through the Growth Centre’s Sector Competitiveness Plan.

• Working with the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IM CRC) so it can be an innovative research engine for the Growth Centre.

• Establishing hubs to support skills sharing and development for manufacturers (and other members) in the Growth Centre.

• Fostering research and industry engagement by working closely with researchers, universities and businesses to align knowledge priorities and address barriers to commercialisation.

2. Hubs For Growth: Connecting Australian manufacturers with local and global companies to improve access to and use of specialised management and workplace skills.

4. Commercialisation For Growth: Presenting businesses with a pipeline of well-developed innovations which are ready to commercialise.

5. Reforms For Growth: Reforming regulations to encourage investment, transformation and growth by manufacturers.

6. Compete For Growth: Improving the perceptions of manufacturing amongst Australians. www.business.gov.au

$17.6m to drive diversification in auto supply chain The Government has announced investments of more than $17.6m in nine Australian automotive component manufacturers as they move into new industry sectors.

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said that almost $5.7m in Australian Government support will generate a total of $17.6m in investment, to help firms diversify into new markets such as food packaging and aerospace. Nine businesses will receive grants ranging from $109,000 to $1m from Round Two of the Automotive Diversification Programme to complement contributions by each recipient.

• Venture DMG (Keysborough, Victoria) – $498,993 towards a $997,986 project to create new hybrid shopping trolleys which will be made from steel and injection moulded plastic capturing the latest global trend in shopping trolley design and manufacture.

Successful applicants include:

Macfarlane said this Automotive Diversification Programme funding was part of the Australian Government’s $155m Growth Fund.

• Cutler Brands (Kilkenny, South Australia) – $1m towards a $2.1m project to develop a new high-speed production line that integrates multi-colour direct printing and plastic shrink sleeve production, targeting the food, beverage and cosmetics sectors.

“This funding will allow firms to shift their focus and plan for the future, while ensuring skills and jobs in Australian manufacturing are retained,” the Minister said. “This is central to our commitment in ensuring a strong and sustainable manufacturing industry in Australia.”

• Numetric Manufacturing (Wingfield, South Australia) – $265,577 towards a $751,155 project to develop an advanced manufacturing cell with aerospace semi-finishing production capability for Australian-made tail fins for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program.

Applications for Round Three of the Automotive Diversification Programme will close on September 17. More information on ADP Round 2 can be found at www.business.gov.au/ ADPRecipients.

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Government news

SA next-gen manufacturing gets $73.3m boost South Australian businesses will invest in the state’s advanced manufacturing future, with $28.8m of Government investment under the South Australian round of the Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme.

Complementary investment by each successful firm will take the total investment in new manufacturing capability and jobs for South Australia to more than $73.3m. Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane and SA Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation Kyam Maher announced that 15 firms would benefit from the South Australian round of the Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme.

sustainability in South Australia,” Maher said. “The projects to be undertaken by the 15 successful applicants are great examples of new manufacturing opportunities in South Australia, as we move away from car making and other traditional forms of manufacturing.

Our manufacturing sector must innovate and seek new opportunities and markets to underpin a strong state economy for the future.”

SA Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation Kyam Maher.

“This is a show of confidence in the future of Australian industry, and in the future of South Australian manufacturing in particular,” Macfarlane said. “This investment will allow these businesses to undertake capital projects that will help them build in size and scope, and most importantly assist them to focus on high value manufacturing. In turn, this will help attract private sector investment and allow them to move into new and growing markets.

“South Australia has a significant range of manufacturers that have traditionally been associated with the automotive industry supply chain. With the wind-down of production at Holden, the Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme is a targeted and tailored investment to create new opportunities that will make use of the sophisticated skills base in the local manufacturing sector.”

The Federal Government has been working with the South Australian Government and the community to deliver all elements of the $155m Growth Fund for employees and businesses affected by the closure of automotive manufacturing in South Australia and Victoria.

“This investment is an important measure to stimulate economic activity, create jobs and increase business competitiveness and

Macfarlane added that there had been a strong response from eligible businesses to the $60m programme – the largest element of the Government’s $155m Growth Fund for employees and businesses affected by the closure of automotive manufacturing operations in South Australia and Victoria. The 15 businesses will receive grants ranging from over $500,000 to almost $5m. Successful applicants in the Victorian round will be announced soon.

The elements of the Growth Fund are: • A $30m Skills and Training Programme to help automotive workers to find new jobs before they are retrenched.

• A $15m extension and modification to the Automotive Industry Structural Adjustment Programme to help automotive workers to find new jobs when they are retrenched.

• A $20m Automotive Diversification Programme to help automotive supply chain firms capable of diversifying, to enter new markets.

• A $60m Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme to accelerate private sector investment in high value nonautomotive manufacturing sectors in Victoria and South Australia; and • A $30m Regional Infrastructure Programme to support investment in non‑manufacturing opportunities in affected regions.

The Federal Government contributed $101m to the Growth Fund, South Australia and Victoria have each contributed $12m, and Holden and Toyota have contributed $15m each. www.business.gov.au/NextGenRecipients

New CRC launched for rail manufacturers Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Science Karen Andrews on 21 July launched the Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) in Dandenong, Victoria.

The Rail Manufacturing CRC is expected to help Australia’s rail manufacturers expand into overseas markets and global supply chains.

“The launch of this CRC comes at an important time in Australia’s rail history as the prospects for rail and competitive rail manufacturing in this country are enormous,” Andrews said. “Domestic freight rail has doubled over the past 20 years and is expected to grow by 3% each year until 2030. Likewise, passenger rail is starting to return as a favoured mode of transport and cities like Canberra, Gold Coast and Sydney are all investing money in new light rail systems.”

The Government has committed $31m to the new CRC and participants will contribute around $53m in cash and in-kind contributions. “The Rail Manufacturing CRC is an important development for Australia’s rail industry, which through its

fragmented development, had not previously collaborated effectively on manufacturing or technology development,” Andrews added. “The new CRC will create stability within the sector while also enabling Australia’s rail manufacturing firms to expand into overseas markets and global supply chains.”

The Rail Manufacturing CRC will work closely with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre and is expected to boost Australia’s highly skilled workforce by turning out at least eight PhD students.

“The new CRC will help to create jobs, reduce supply chain costs and will also play an important part in making Australian exports more competitive,” Andrews said. “The future for rail and rail manufacturing in Australia is exceptional and I look forward to seeing the great work this new CRC will produce.”

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Tech news

USA: Twin discoveries may lead to manufacturing advances

USA: Foam & carbon sandwich for light, strong materials

The discovery of a previously unknown type of metal deformation – sinuous flow - and a simple method to suppress it could lead to more efficient machining and other manufacturing advances by reducing the force and energy required to process metals. By using high-speed microphotography while cutting ductile metals, the team found that the metal is deformed into folds while it is being cut - contrary to longheld assumptions that metals are sheared uniformly – and also that sinuous flow can be controlled by suppressing this folding behavior.

Findings showed the cutting force can be reduced 50% simply by painting metal with a standard marking ink. Because this painted layer was found to suppress sinuous flow, the implications are that not only can energy consumption be reduced by 50% but also that machining can be achieved faster and more efficiently and with improved surface quality. Applying less force also generates less heat and vibration, reducing tool wear and damage to the part being machined.

Understanding sinuous flow and its suppression and control could lead to new opportunities in a range of manufacturing applications involving metal deformation such as in machining, stamping, forging and sheet-metal processes.

A team of researchers reports success in pioneering tests of a layered material with a lightweight metal matrix syntactic foam core that holds significant potential for autos, trains, ships, and other applications requiring lightweight structural components that retain their strength even when bent or compressed. Their study focused on an aluminum alloy filled with hollow alumina particles sandwiched with carbon fabric face-sheets. The researchers discovered that the resulting layered material reduced weight but also increased stiffness and offered high energy absorption. These qualities make the metal matrix syntactic foam sandwich attractive for automotive floor board panels and other applications in which bending properties are important.

Purdue University

Germany: Cutting costs in aircraft turbine production Turbine blades are mounted on compressor disks, and to make these disks as light as possible, they are milled from a single piece of material. During processing, the blades begin to vibrate. To avoid this, manufacturers don’t mill each blade completely - processing the outer edge of the blade to its finished state before moving on. However the tension on the turbine blades causes their geometry to become slightly warped . Now, a novel clamping system boosts vibration absorption for the blades by more than 400 times, cuts manufacturing costs by as much as 5000 euros and enables tools to be used about two to three times longer. Spring-loaded clamps automatically grasp the blade with equal amounts of tension on both sides. As soon as the elements are in position, they are hydraulically clamped in place and hold the workpiece.

Using the clamping system, manufacturers can roughly mill the blades first, and then perform the precise finishing work because the blades no longer vibrate.

Fraunhofer

Europe: Optimising plastic injection moulding through AI Des-MOLD is an artificial intelligence-based system developed by EUfunded researchers for the plastic injection moulding industry which promises to boost productivity, cut time to market, reduce scrap and lower costs. Traditionally, extensive test production of a new mould is needed. But testing with this ‘trial-and-error’ approach is timeconsuming and costly – especially with more customised designs and smaller batches. One of the key innovations of Des-MOLD is to fuse and correlate information about all the variables in the fabrication process into a comprehensive knowledge-based system using both computational argumentation and case-based reasoning to guide production. It is designed to easily integrate into plastic injection and mould-making firms’ existing production platforms. For SME users in particular, this system will raise productivity, lower set-up times by as much as 25% and reduce scrap.

European Commission, Research & Innovation

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AMT September 2015

New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering.

Australia: Australia’s solar powered sports car The rapid evolution of solar power and energy storage may see a lucrative niche market develop in Australia for the local production of specialty EVs. One contender is Immortus, predicted to be Australia’s first solar sports car. A quarter ton 40kW limited edition composite roadster, it can accelerate from 0-100km/hr in less than 7 seconds and has a combined battery and solar range of over 550km. A project of Melbourne-based EVX, the Immortus is powered by the sun - a world first in this category. EVX identified several innovations which has global commercial potential, including a hybrid retrofit kit concept and regenerative shock absorber technology (recharging batteries from absorbing the bumps on the road)..EVX is supported by the Swinburne University of Technology. The car will be showcased at SEMA in Las Vegas in November.

EVX Ventures

Australia’s first EV highway opens in WA Motoring body RAC has fitted 11 fast charging power stations between Perth and Augusta which will enable drivers of electric vehicles to explore the southern part of WA without fear of running out of power. The fast charging stations will be able to do an 80100% charge in about half an hour, substantially quicker than the 6-8 hrs ordinarily needed to charge a standard EV battery. The chargers deliver a high current charge directly to the electric car’s battery via thick cables and power electronics. .The RAC paid for and installed the stations, with local governments responsible for their operation and maintenance.

Science Network WA

UK: Charging your EV as you drive In a similar scheme already in use in South Korea, a new road surface is being trialled in the UK by Highways England, where the roads charge the car as it is being driven. A select number of cars will be fitted with the requisite wireless charging technology, and a test road will be built to show how smaller sub-stations, AC/AC converters, and power transfer loops can provide inductive charging built into the road itself.

ScienceAlert

VOICE-BOX Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

Chasing the ‘silver sliver’: making sure innovation doesn’t slip through our fingers To remain globally competitive, Australia needs to focus on delivering innovative, high-value goods, but we perform poorly when it comes to capitalising on the advantages we currently enjoy. By Professor Elizabeth Webster and Professor Michael Gilding.

There are several widely-agreed upon facts about the current world economy. One is that value is being sourced to an increasing degree from analytic, inventive and creative ideas. Another is that ideas can be used over and over again without deteriorating. (This means I can use an idea without detracting from your ability to use that idea.)

A third is that production chains are becoming increasingly global. Components trade – meaning the bits and pieces that go into a final consumer product – and the trade in research are two of the fastest forms of international trade. Both these trades are underpinned by sophisticated supply chain management systems and cheap communication platforms.

Australia is set for a period of lower commodity prices, particularly for iron ore and coal; several of our largest multi-national corporations are pulling out (Toyota, GM, Ford and Alcoa); and we are a small market a long distance from the major markets of the world.

Our fate is in our hands. We can dig faster and farm more intensively but there are other more obvious things we can do. We have several advantages: a world-class research sector, the likes of which have invented wi-fi, the bionic ear, a cervical cancer vaccine, the polymer bank note and more; we have a transparent government sector comparatively free from corruption; and we have good physical infrastructure.

But we fare poorly in getting value out of these advantages. Our industries are poorly connected with our research institutes and universities and we are not well integrated into global production chains.

So where is the “low-hanging fruit”? How can a country on the edge of the planet, with 1% of the world’s population, and without membership of any major regional trading blocs, survive? Proposed ad hoc trade agreements will not save us. They do not always treat minor parties in a balanced and welfare-enhancing way (consider the investor state dispute settlement mechanism under the Trans-Pacific Partnership).

Australia does not have a complete manufacturing sector in the way that North

America and Europe do. And as production lines fragment and products are made more and more from components sourced from multiple businesses across many countries, we will become more and more of a bit player.

that expedite business. In an environment of uncertainty where people are doing something that is fundamentally new, it is the relationship that smooths over doubts and carries the day.

This does not mean, however, that we cannot and should not contribute to production in a high-level way. We can contribute to this new world business model by providing the “silver sliver” – or the high-value part of world goods. Australia is the author of a number of notable local successes producing leadingedge parts into global products.

Australia’s successes have triumphed despite laissez-faire attitudes from business associations and government departments of industry. In the US and much of northern Europe, the government sector injects substantial funds into institutions such as cooperative industry-university centres and export programs to help link businesses with relevant collaborators.

Local examples of such a “silver sliver” include a world-leading non-woven moisture-transfer fabric, designed in Melbourne’s Tullamarine

by Textor technologies. Textor is a world leader in fabrics that draw fluids away from the body. This technology is a component in baby nappies, medical products and personal sanitation products.

CSIRO and Boeing have jointly invested more than $110m in aircraft repainting methods, sustainable aviation fuels, aircraft assembly processes, fire retardants and aircraft maintenance management software.

Australian company Orbital is a developer and supplier of remote electrical isolation systems to the resource industry and engine management system technologies for the marine, motorcycle, recreational and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) markets. It crafts and supplies services for world-best fuel/control systems.

So how do these successes come about?

Not in a vacuum. The research, design and development people are connected with people in related businesses, universities and research institutes, both here and overseas.

They work in teams that collaborate with other parties that produce complementary inputs into the inventive process.

They take risks but bring people along with them. Entering international production lines is not for the faint-hearted. There are many ways to do this, but personal connections, trust and relationship are inevitably factors

Sadly, in Australia, this is not the case.

Australian governments spend about onethird of the amount that these countries do (as a percentage of GDP) on programs designed to ensure their ideas are used and rewarded via insinuating themselves into world production chains. The attitude is: “Leave it up to the market!”

The stakes are high. One idea can be applied to 7bn people without any deterioration of the idea. Most products, simple and sophisticated, embody ideas from millions of people. Good ideas on their own do not go far, but good ideas combined with a savvy entrepreneur and the best business model can yield an iPhone, a computer, a carbonfree car or the drug that saves your life.

But will future generations pay for our neglect of our research infrastructure? Why is our translation of scientific ideas into productive use so poor? If Australia wants to remain as a high-income country, we need to keeping ask whether we are doing enough.

Professor Elizabeth Webster is the Director, Centre for Transformative Innovation, at Swinburne University of Technology. Professor Michael Gilding is the Executive Dean, Faculty of Business and Law at Swinburne. This article was originally published in The Conversation. www.theconversation.com www.swinburne.edu.au

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product news

Mears Machine adds second waterjet from Techni US-based machine shop Mears Machine Corporation didn’t need to research many brands when it decided it needed a second waterjet to add to its line-up. Techni Waterjet was the only company that it would consider.

For Bryan Dobbs, General Foreman at Mears Machine, choosing the new waterjet was an easy decision: “We had experienced exceptional, long-term service support from Techni. We knew adding a second Techni Waterjet was the right choice because of their service support, and their superior machine.”

Based in Avon, Indiana, Mears Machine first purchased a Techjet 1500 waterjet cutter in 2002. This time around, it went with a bigger machine, the TJ3000-X3, accompanied by the Quantum NXT 66 Electric Servo Pump.

The company also upgraded to the PAC 60 Five-Axis Cutting Head and added the Garnet Removal System.

“Adding the PAC 60 has changed the way we do business due to its versatility,” said Dobbs. “We have been able to make more precise cuts and even able to cut parts on our new waterjet that we would have previously machined, saving our company time and money.”

The 49-year-old machine shop typically cuts high-temperature alloys such as Inconel Alloy, Hastelloy-X Alloy, and Waspaloy, at thicknesses ranging from 1.3cm-7.6cm. All of these materials are difficult to machine, but they are a piece of cake for a waterjet, especially with the Tech-Sense Abrasive Monitoring System. The Tech-Sense monitors the cutting head and pauses the program prior to any abrasive blockage, making the waterjet a “hands-free” operation.

“The Tech-Sense has decreased our downtime since it monitors the cutting head and the time to diagnose an issue is significantly less,” added Dobbs. “It’s much easier to communicate an issue with the Techni service team, which saves time and money, and decreases the possibility of making unnecessary repairs.”

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Kyocera releases new MFH cutter range Kyocera has launched its new MFH line, a highly versatile range of cutters that offer high levels of efficiency as well as high feed rates.

In the time since Mears Machine purchased its first waterjet and pump, technology has significantly changed. Before, Mears Machine was running the waterjet from an old intensifier pump. Now, with the Quantum NXT pump, downtime has drastically been reduced.

“The main difference we see between the two pumps is the time to change the seals,” stated Dobbs. “Before, with the hydraulic intensifier pump, it would take at least four hours to change the seals. Now it only takes about 20 minutes! Another added benefit is the significant noise reduction.”

The Quantum NXT is the quietest pump on the market. With almost silent operation at less than 68 dBA, the Quantum NXT is 800% quieter than Mears Machine’s outdated hydraulic intensifier, which runs at 72dBA. Ultimately, what prompted Mears Machine to return to Techni for its second waterjet was the level of service the company offered.

“The Techni Service team is exceptional,” explained Dobbs. “One time, Techni Service rerouted their service technician to address our issues. We were back up and running within 24 hours. That’s important to us.” www.mearsmachine.com www.techniwaterjet.com

The MFH Mini is a double-sided fouredge cutter with a range from 16mm to 32mm in diameter. The MFH Harrier is a single-sided cutter, that offers a range from 25mm to 160mm in diameter.

Harrier cutters are applicable to various applications, with three different types of inserts available.

The MFH range multi-functional cutters that are suitable for a wide variety of applications, such as ramping, helical milling, facing, pocketing. The range is highly resistant to chatter due to its 3D convex cutting edge. The MFH range features a low cutting force design that allows high-efficiency machining with small machining centres. www.ddbarry.com.au

Product news

Renishaw Primo smashes price barrier for probes Dimac Tooling is the agent for Renishaw’s new Primo machine tool probe system.

Over the last few decades, Renishaw has been at the forefront of precision measurement systems, and its machine tool probes have established a reputation for enabling CNC operators to reduce costs, increase efficiency and raise output. Renishaw recently conducted its own market research and found that smaller CNC operators had concerns about introducing machine tool probes into their operations.

This was due to three key objections: firstly, existing machine tool probes were expensive; secondly, they were perceived to be fragile; and thirdly, they were difficult to program and use.

To tackle and alleviate these three concerns, Renishaw has introduced the Primo system, an entry-level machine tool probe system that puts precision manufacturing within reach of every CNC operator, large or small. Primo is affordable by virtue of the industry’s first ‘pay-asyou-go’ scheme, powered by the Primo Credit Token system coupled with a minimal upfront investment cost. Users can simply purchase tokens when they need them. The operator is also protected against accidental damage with Primo Total Protect – if the unit is damaged in any way, it will be replaced completely free of charge Primo is easy to use and comes with a self-study training manual and new simplified GoProbe software. The Primo is supplied with a touchtrigger spindle probe that contacts the workpiece so that its position can be determined prior to cutting. A table-mounted touch-trigger probe for setting the length and diameter of tools for accurate cutting is also supplied. A hardwired radio interface enables communication between the Primo system and the machine tool controller.

“With the introduction of the Primo system, there’s now no excuse for every CNC operator to invest in a machine tool probe,” said Dimac Managing Director Paul Fowler. “The Primo system offers a ‘pay-asyou-go’ entry-level machine tool probe system, with minimal upfront costs coupled with complete peace of mind.

“Suitable for both workpiece setting and toolsetting, it represents a genuine breakthrough business model, making it easy for manufacturers to take their first steps towards higher value manufacturing by automating their operations and achieving repeatable processes.”

Dimac has more than 30 years’ experience in CNC machine tool accessories and is the agent for many highly respected brands such as Kitagawa, Cooljet, Reven and Eron. The company also manufactures soft and hard jaws in its own CNC-equipped machine shop.

“Like all the products we sell, the Primo system is supported by the full back-up and support of Dimac technical personnel to ensure the product operates at optimum performance,” Fowler concluded. www.dimac.com.au

Complete Machine Tools Pty Ltd

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AMT September 2015

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13/06/2014 1:08:31 PM

product news

ANCA launches ToolDraft for 2D tool drawings The first ToolDraft software package for creating 2D CAD cutting tool drawings will be launched by ANCA at EMO 2015 in Milan.

Quick and easy 2D tool drawings will now be able to be created straight from CIM3D or ToolRoom software, ready to meet the user’s requirements, or those of the user’s customers. An independent product to ToolRoom and CIM3D, ToolDraft now produces 2D drawings simply by clicking on the ToolDraft icon in CIM3D (V8.1 onwards). It removes the requirement to export the 3D tool image to an external and non-tool dedicated CAD package.

Once the tool is imported, different tool views can be added to the page. Some of these views include side, endface, shank and isometric. First and third angle projection views can also be added with side and endface views linked. Other features include the ability to add core, cutting and blank profiles to the drawing.

Options include the addition of cross section and detail views. These views can be positioned anywhere on the page. All tool views can be scaled by page scale or individually. Leader lines, surface finish annotations and centre marks can be added to tool views. Users can also change the default text and line style properties, and save templates with company title block to suit company requirements.

When the user has positioned the tool views that are required, a range of dimensions can be added. Snappable points appear on tool views for easy dimensioning and accuracy. Dimensions can have a prefix, suffix and can be overridden. Unilateral, bilateral and named

tolerances can also be added to the dimensions. A library of drafting symbols is available to add to drawings to add to their clarity.

When the tool drawing has been developed it can then be printed or exported to pdf or dxf. Users are then able to document their tool grinding processes, ensure quality control conformance and provide accurate information to the operator and customer. www.anca.com

Kaeser SAM 2 – optimum compressed air efficiency Kaeser Compressors launches its second-generation master compressed air management system.

The new Sigma Air Manager (SAM 2) is the second-generation version of Kaeser’s highly successful master controller, even more powerful than its predecessor. SAM 2 maximises the efficiency of all components within the compressed air station. For the user this translates into reduced energy costs, improved efficiency and sophisticated energy management as per ISO 50001.

A PC-based master compressed air management system, the SAM 2 allows the compressed air user to manage all of their compressed air production and treatment components from one single unit. For optimum energy efficiency, the SAM 2 uses Kaeser’s advanced 3D Control to analyse the relationship between three key factors: switching losses (start/stop); control losses (idling and frequency conversion); and pressure flexibility (average increase above required pressure). Based on this information and the specific pressure required by the user, the SAM 2 then predictively calculates the optimum achievable configuration and adjusts the connected components accordingly.

Operating status, pressure history, free air delivery, power consumption, as well as maintenance and any error messages can all be easily displayed and analysed on the SAM 2 in both real-time and retrospectively from the user-friendly 30cm colour touchscreen. It is also possible to see at a glance whether the

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compressed air system is operating in the “green zone” from an energy management perspective. Alternatively data can be accessed remotely using a PC and network connection.

Maintenance and error messages can be immediately sent via email to a pre-set personal address. The remote diagnostics option also allows for preventative maintenance and service requirements to be based on actual use. Both of these features increase compressed air availability and reliability and also help keep lifecycle costs to an absolute minimum.

The SAM 2 has been designed to accommodate potential future expansion of a compressed air system. A simple software upgrade is all that is required to meet these new requirements. No additional hardware investment is necessary.

The benefits of the SAM 2 are expanded when combined with the Sigma Network. Created by Kaeser, Sigma Network is a highly secure, closed Ethernet network that has been specifically developed to support optimal monitoring and co-ordinated control of compressed air stations. Users of the Sigma Network are able to enjoy significant cost savings and maximum service convenience as a result of rapid data availability and evaluation. www.kaeser.com.au

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product news

KAW Engineering –“Minimal fuss” with Omax 80X Originally named Karratha Aluminium Welding, KAW Engineering has seen surprising growth since 2010, when Jared Fitzclarence acquired the Pilbara business.

On taking over, Fitzclarence decided to pay homage to the company’s beginnings by combining the initials of the original name. The rebranding as KAW now represents the broader range of services that the firm can offer. Since Jared took over the company, he says he has seen it grow not just in employees but in the services that KAW is able to provide.

“KAW Engineering started in 1986 and then I bought the business in 2010,” says Fitzclarence. “Since then, we have grown from two employees to about 40 at our peak. We now service the mining, marine, oil and gas and construction industries, offering welding, maintenance, model optimisation, plate processing and more.”

Recently investing in the Omax 80X jetmachining centre from Headland Machinery, KAW Engineering is seeing the benefits of increased efficiency and accuracy as a result of the waterjet.

“The Omax 80X has allowed us to be quicker in producing fabrication plates and the accuracy and responsiveness of the machine has improved efficiency,” says Fitzclarence. “What we try to achieve is to deliver services with minimal fuss. We take basic instructions from our customers and interpret and visualise what they want. We try to produce parts in hours or days, rather than having customers wait weeks or months.”

The Omax 80X features high-precision linear drive technology and its robust and reliable system minimises machine time while maximising

Brushless DC motor with high-resolution encoder maxon motor has released a new internal rotor brushless flat motor fitted with a 20,000 quad count high-resolution encoder.

The first of its kind delivered in Australia, the brushless DC flat motor is perfect for position control, making it well suited to applications in robotics, process control or manufacturing equipment. Also fitted with a 42mm ceramic planetary gearhead in ratios up to 936:1, this gives a raw positioning resolution of 0.00001923 degrees. This is well below the tolerances of most power transmissions, mechanical drivetrains or position controller capabilities.

The brushless DC motor, gearhead and encoder combination is only 42mm in diameter and can deliver 15Nm continuously and 22.5Nm on an intermittent basis. The combination offers position-holding capabilities and accurate control for low-speed operation. The motor is robustly constructed with welded stainless steel flanges and housing. www.maxonmotor.com.au

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profit margins. The Omax 80X is ideal for cutting on larger or multiplepart projects. Headland and KAW Engineering have been working together for over a year, and overall Jared has been happy with the service he has received from Matt Weaver, Headland’s Omax Application Engineer. www.kawengineering.com.au www.headland.com.au

Walter optimises web usability More than 50 % of today’s online-access is done via mobile devices like tablets or smartphones, and Walter is one of the first in line to respond to this growing trend.

The Walter web platform is now utilising “Responsive Web Design” (RWD). By automatically adjusting the content of any given web page to the display size of the device, RWD preserves the functionality and adapts any detailed content from the original site, such as drawings.

Even the user interface, like mouse or touch screen, can be adapted

by RWD to suit the type of device.

The benefit for the user is that handling becomes more comfortable and more familiar. Walter customers can now access web-based content in a variety of formats, equally well on their smartphones or tablets as on their personal computers. Regardless of whether the user would like to share files or to search and order products on Walter’s integrated TOOLSHOP, it is now just a few clicks or swipes away. www.walter-tools.com

Product news

World’s biggest telehandler now in Australia At a massive 45 tons, the Magni HTH 45.14 is the world’s biggest telehandler, and now available in Australia.

The monstrous machine is being distributed locally by Magni Telehandlers Australia (MTA), which is bringing a range of the specialist machines to the domestic market. MTA Product Manager Greg Sealey says the Magni HTH line offers the broadest range of high capacity fixed boom telehandlers in the market.

“There are nine models, from 10-ton capacity and 9.7-metre lift height, to 45-ton capacity and 14-metre lift height,” says Sealey. “The HTH telehandlers feature their own range of high-capacity attachments designed for heavy-duty applications.”

Among those options are three different fork carriages, one of which is extendible and comes fitted with a fork positioner. Other attachments include tyre clamps, a wheel hub handler, universal cylinder handlers, strut handlers, rear-hub handlers and a conveyor belt handler with 25ton capacity.

HTH models up to 20-tons are powered by the JCB Ecomax engine, with larger models powered by Daimler Mercedes Benz Euro 3 engines. MTA also distributes the RTH range of slewing telehandlers, with options ranging from four to six tons capacity and 18 to 35m lift height.

“The Magni RTH machines use a JCB Ecomax engine that delivers fuel savings of up to 10% over competitors, and matches this to an electronically controlled Bosch Rexroth transmission,” Sealey adds.

The models can work with a wide range of attachments including forks, winches, crane hooks, baskets, platforms, jibs, brick clamps, concrete kibbles and pipe reels.

“Through their ability to operate with a wide range of attachments, Magni RTH and HTH telehandlers can do the work of several specialist machines like forklifts, cranes and access platforms,” says Sealey.

Magni has a patented safe quick-attach for changing attachments, and each attachment has an RFID code that allows the telehandler’s load management system to identify the attachment and apply the correct load chart automatically.

Magni Telehandlers Australia offers a national support network to ensure hire and rental customers and direct users will enjoy the combination of a world-leading product together with an experienced Australian professional support network.

“Magni is known throughout the world for its advanced technology, strength and versatility,” Sealey says. “The intuitive operation, quality, presentation and performance of the range has ensured they’re the product of choice for leading operations worldwide; and we’re already seeing strong interest in Australia.” www.magni-australia.com.au

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Defence

Doom and gloom is the dominant media narrative when it comes to Australian manufacturing. Despite growing numbers of Australian manufacturers transitioning positively in terms of production technologies, corporate structures, specialist expertise and highervalue activities, we hear mostly of the failures. Successful companies are shifting focus to new areas of growth and tapping into multinational supply chains, with many becoming significant players in global markets.

In the area of aerospace and defence, those significant players include BAE Systems, Thales, Raytheon, as well as established manufacturers such as Broens (last year acquired by Forgacs), Levett, Lovitt or Marand. For the latter, for instance, the completion of the final finishes phase for the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF) known as AF-73 is an important production milestone, demonstrating the significant industrial benefits the F-35 program brings to Australia’s aerospace industry.

The work on the F-35 vertical tails is contracted to Marand by BAE Systems. This is one of the largest manufacturing projects for the Australian F-35 program, with 722 ship sets planned. Earlier this year, two of Marand’s Australian-made vertical tails were installed on AF-73

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at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Fort Worth, Texas. On 17 July the aircraft made its first flight. Marand Chief Executive Officer Rohan Stocker said the flight marked a monumental achievement for Marand and its dedicated employees.

“It has been an incredible journey from the point where we initially bid for this work with BAE Systems, to witnessing the reality of our vertical tails being an integral part of the F-35,” Stocker said. “This is a great moment, and we look forward to continuing to build our future as a global supplier to the F-35 program as well as to other advanced manufacturing opportunities in Australia.”

Air Vice-Marshal Chris Deeble, Program Manager – JSF Division within the Department of Defence, believes Marand’s success is proof that Australian companies are adding value to the JSF capability and are competitive in the global arena.

“One of the key roles of Defence’s JSF Industry Team is to work with Australian companies to help position them to access and grow opportunities in the global JSF market,” said Deeble. “Close collaboration between Australian industry and Defence will be essential to the delivery of a first-class sustainable and affordable JSF capability for the Australian Defence Force.”

Defence

Breaking into global defence industry supply chains is no easy feat. But while speculation over Australia’s submarinebuilding program continues to generate negative headlines, some savvy Australian advanced manufacturers are popping the champagne corks as opportunities abound.

By Barbara Schulz.

Australian industry has so far won US$482m worth of production and development work from the JSF Program. But Marand’s success story doesn’t stop there. The company recently won a global award at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)’s Supply Management Awards in London, involving its engine removal and installation trailers for the F135 Pratt & Whitney engine fitted to the JSF. These trailers will be distributed to all JSF operators worldwide.

Marand is a good example of how Australian SMEs with established links in non-aerospace sectors have been able to diversify into the manufacture of aircraft components as a result of the JSF Program.

The company knows that precision products demand a culture of manufacturing excellence. Attention to all aspects of quality is therefore critical to success.

Ron Weinzierl, Business Director at Melbourne-based Australian Precision Technologies (APT) agrees.

“As an ISO9001 quality certified company (developing AS9100 certification) our high quality standard has allowed us to achieve preferred supplier status to industries globally,” Says Weinzierl, adding that it all comes back to advanced manufacturing. “You need to have

the correct technology and you need quality certification that monitors that technology. When people think of going into defence they have to be aware of the fact that it is all IP-controlled manufacturing and the paperwork is very detailed - you can’t just have a machine and the smarts to run the machine. You have to have a quality-controlled process.”

A good time for business APT has 15 years of experience in the defence sector, and while Weinzierl says it has been an up and down over the last five years, it is a good time for business.

“The first-tier suppliers are coming out of the design into the production phase, which means that there is a bright future for second tier suppliers like us and our third tier suppliers,” he says. “There is really a lot of growth in production over the next 3-5 years for defence.”

According to Weinzierl, this growth comes from two different areas. One is the global requirement for defence supplies; the other is Australian companies that have developed world-leading technologies, which they are now supplying to the global market. Weinzierl believes there is a lot of dollar value in the defence industry, worth up to $5bn.

Contined next page

Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF) features vertical tails manufactured

by Australian engineering company Marand.

AMT September 2015

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Defence

Continued form previous page

His advice for companies looking to tap into the defence industry?

“They should go in confidently. As long as they are there for the right reasons they will succeed. The end-user, the defence customer, has the skills and infrastructure to develop companies if they see value in them, that is not something people should worry about. But it takes time and money. If you don’t have one or the other, it’s not an industry you want to go into.”

With more than 30 years experience in the defence industry, Bob Bale from NSW-based Bale Engineering and Bale Defence Industries confirms that time is critical to establish your company in this industry.

Continued growth and expansion over the years sees the company now employing a highly trained and skilled workforce, delivering a range of products and services to defence facilities and associated industries throughout Australia and the South Pacific.

“It takes years and years to get quality systems up in place, and contacts in the industry,” says Bale. “It is fairly difficult and takes a long time to tap into the industry. But it’s a good time for business!”

Bale Engineering doesn’t require a sales team to pitch the company’s manufacturing capabilities, including five-axis machining technology sourced through John Hart among others. The company is known as a reliable supplier, who delivers high quality parts on time.

“We do one-offs, we can adapt,” Bale says. “Whatever comes in next week we can do it.”

Government support For companies looking to tap into defence and other industries, there is support. The government has 500 different grants available, says Weinzierl.

“We have been successful in securing a $1m grant to develop our advanced manufacturing capabilities into defence and aerospace,” he adds. Before applying, though, companies should talk to government grant consultants, give them a business review business plan, then see which one might be the right one to apply for. You need a consultant.”

Weinzierl believes that the aerospace & defence supply chain is bigger than what the automotive one ever was, though he adds that companies that haven’t already diversified into the sector won’t be successful. “Those that have will take advantage of the new production phase in defence.”

One of those companies that have recently successfully transitioned is Axiom Precision Manufacturing, formerly known as Diemould

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Bale Engineering and Bale Defence Industries deliver a range of products and services to defence facilities throughout Australia and the South Pacific.

Tooling Services, based in Adelaide. Established in 1979, Diemould was a specialist in the design and manufacture of high-quality plastic injection moulds and precision-machined components. It used to serve automotive companies around the world, but about five years ago realised that it was time to stop putting all eggs in one basket.

Today the company has some very exciting projects on the go and in the system. Aerospace and Defence Manager Fred Hull says: “We have successfully transitioned into aerospace and defence and have just been recommended for AS 9100C aerospace accreditation.”

But how did the company with a clear focus on automotive manage to establish itself as a renowned supplier to the Australian or global defence industry?

“It’s been a long road,” Hull says. “Firstly we became a member of the local defence industry group the Defence Teaming Centre (DTC), which gave us exposure to the industry and opportunities to meet with companies involved in defence work.”

In 2008, Hull completed the Defence and Industry Study Course {DISC} to better understand defence requirements – for example, understanding what through-life support really means.

“You also have to understand the tender process, which can be very long-winded,” he explains. “Once you have secured and finalised your first project you can keep the ball rolling. With a good portfolio under your belt you are most certain to secure other project.”

According to the Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN), many of its members experienced a reduction in defence work last year and

Defence

Axiom Precision Manufacturing’s workshop in Adelaide.

Some of the wide variety of components manufactured by Axiom Precision Manufacturing.

there is ongoing speculation resulting from the First Principles Review and the submarines question. Despite the pessimistic outlook, there have been a number of positive events and initiatives, such as the commissioning of the first Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) in Australia, the arrival of the Landing Craft for the LHDs to Sydney, and a current government commitment to a real 2% defence budget increase. While overall defence revenues have remained static, or depressed, some defence industry sectors, such as service providers, have experienced better-than-average revenue flows.

The submarines question Australia’s submarine-building program has been heavily discussed in the media lately. The Federal Government has launched a competitive evaluation process for the contract, with Japan, France and Germany in the running ahead of an announcement in early 2016. However, the South Australia (SA) government has demanded an overseas building program be ruled out and wants a 30-year commitment to build submarines in Australia.

SA Premier Jay Weatherill has claimed that a three-decade commitment is needed to ensure a strong manufacturing sector and economy, saying: “A strong manufacturing sector in South Australia and indeed the nation requires this nation to commit itself to a strong, local capacity to defend our nation with our own indigenous sovereign defence capability in the manufacturing sector.”

While South Australian defence minister Martin Hamilton-Smith rejected a program combining local and overseas submarine construction, many say that government has long decided for a contract with Japan, which wants to build all subs overseas; but the pressure on Canberra is on. If the Defence white paper confirms that there is a future to build both surface ships and submarines locally, it will lock in tens of thousands of jobs.

Axiom has been fortunate in winning work serving Australia’s submarine fleet, manufacturing parts for its existing Collins-Class vessels including engine bearings and assemblies. However, without collaboration and networking with industry professionals both locally and overseas, the company wouldn’t have won many of its current projects. According to Hull, Axiom has travelled to the US to get a feeling for the industry over there.

Getting organised In 2013 the US accounted for 35% of the US$1.7 trillion global defence spend, significantly higher than the next five biggest markets combined. As a result, the Victorian State Government, in conjunction with the Department of Defence, is undertaking Team Defence Australia (TDA) defence and aerospace missions to the US to provide Australian companies access to a great range of target organisations.

In SA, the Defence Teaming Centre has established the Australian Aerospace Alliance (AAA) to provide Australian aerospace companies with the opportunity to partner with other smart, innovative companies to develop the tools for industry that can drive and expand into overseas markets. In NSW, there is the Australian Business Defence Industry (ABDI), whose members – including major companies such as Boeing, Airbus or BAE Systems – benefit from education, networking, products and services necessary to develop business opportunities and grow effectively within the defence markets, both domestically and abroad, the ABDI says.

Advanced manufacturers are also teaming up. Ron Weinzierl is president of the Australian Precision Manufacturing Group, which aims to build a forum of likeminded, knowledgeable and experienced members of the precision manufacturing industry from the ground up.

Members including Barrow Engineering, Anca, Okuma, Iscar, Benett, Lovitt, Levitt and many more combine their knowledge in industrial design, technology, engineering and business practice. According to Weinzierl, the 27 advanced manufacturing companies combined generate $2bn in sales, with more than 2,000 employees and 50 apprentices.

“We want to make sure that we are developing advanced manufacturing opportunities,” Weinzierl says. “Collaborating as a group we will be able to identify opportunities and help each other out.” www.defence.gov.au www.marand.com.au www.dtc.org.au www.aptengineering.com www.baledefence.com www.axiompm.com.au www.apmgroup.org.au www.aidn.org.au www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/abdefence AMT September 2015

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Defence

Backing Australian naval shipbuilding Government plans announced last month to invest over $89bn in ships and submarines for the Navy over the next 20 years are welcome news. However, we need a consistent, long-term strategy for defence shipbuilding to ensure the country reaps lasting benefits. By Chris Burns.

Collins Class Submarine HMAS Dechaineux visits Fleet Base East, Sydney.

‘Valleys of Death’ unless it can stop considering projects in isolation.

Australia’s requirements must be managed in the context of an integrated national plan.

When presented with a long-term plan and commitment from government, industry can invest in technology and innovation upfront to ensure it complies with and exceeds the requirements of performance-based contracts it would likely be presented with.

In recent decades, Australian industry has invested in and developed a significant ship and submarine-building industry, with capabilities to build, rebuild and maintain the country’s fleet. Despite significant political interference, the sector delivered ten Anzac frigates and six Huon minehunters, on time and on budget.

To continue to deliver success, industry needs to continuously invest in innovation and skills for the future, but to do so it needs a supportive landscape that can only be achieved through clear policy decisions from government. It is unfathomable that a Federal Government would consider compromising a highly capable indigenous shipbuilding industry that promotes national security and sovereignty, to benefit another nation’s economy.

In the meantime, industry needs to continue to make its strong case to promote Australia’s economy and capabilities, after all this about much more than submarines. It’s about the skills of the future.

Chris Burns is the Chief Executive of the Defence Teaming Centre and national spokesperson for the Australian Made Defence campaign. www.dtc.org.au www.australianmadedefence.com.au

Picture: ABIS Sarah Williams. © Commonwealth of Australia.

The recent Federal Government announcements that Australia’s Future Frigates and Offshore Patrol Vessels will be consolidated on a continuous basis in South Australia represent a positive change.

The Australian shipbuilding industry and its national supply chain now have a level of confidence they had not been afforded in almost a decade.

There is a major opportunity for Government to stimulate the economy through a long-term, continuous, indigenous national ship and submarine-building strategy that best utilises Australia’s supply chain capabilities. By doing so, industry and taxpayers will reap the benefits of the tens of billions of dollars invested in the acquisition of naval and non-naval maritime assets over the coming decades.

As an isolated island nation, it is critical to preserve Australia’s sovereignty and security by maintaining a national shipbuilding and sustainment capability. History shows Australia cannot afford to be reliant on other nations to assure its maritime security.

Australia’s Oberon fleet class of submarines was disabled due to an inability to secure spare parts from the overseas supplier in a time of conflict overseas. This significantly compromised Australia’s national security and it was this example that gave the government of the day the motivation it needed to commit to building Australia’s next submarines locally – the Collins class.

To ensure Australia does not repeat the hard-learned lessons of the past, it needs to commit to a long-term continuous national shipbuilding and sustainment strategy. This strategy must be developed on a holistic basis, in close collaboration with all stakeholders including the Opposition, crossbenchers, states, industry and unions.

Peer shipbuilding nations all have long-term strategic shipbuilding plans – Australia has never had such a plan. As a nation Australia cannot overcome the peaks and troughs that lead to the shipbuilding

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Looking for the right support? HotSpots can help.

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HotSpots is a service designed to connect AMTIL members with opportunities to help their businesses grow. That piece of work that you need done might be just the sort of opportunity they’re looking for. And by featuring that opportunity as a HotSpot, you gain access to a wealth of Australian manufacturing capability and expertise.

Our regular AMTIL HotSpots email goes out to over 1,000 people every month, making HotSpots an incredibly powerful way to reach large numbers of key decision-makers from across the manufacturing sector.

Provided your opportunity meets our criteria for listing, inclusion in AMTIL HotSpots is free. If you have something you feel will meet our criteria, please forward it to AMTIL for assessment by emailing info@amtil.com.au with the subject line HOTSPOT. www.amtil.com.au/Membership/Hotspots

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Defence

Lovitt – taking on the world, with help from DMG MORI Planes might fly for a few hundred to several thousand hours each year. To ensure optimum performance and provide maximum safety for aircrew, it is essential that all components on an aircraft meet the highest quality standards and engineering tolerances.

One family-owned Australian engineering company that has been producing components for the aerospace sector for more than 20 years is Lovitt Technologies Australia (LTA). The firm provides high-technology precision engineering and ancillary services to the aerospace, defence and general commercial sectors.

One way that LTA meets the challenging demands of its customers is to use the best equipment available to manufacture the parts.

For many years now, DMG MORI – a world-leading machine tool manufacturer – has supplied the company with a range of CNC machining centres. According to Michael Ramsay, Chairman of Directors at LTA, his company now has more than 30 CNC machines operating three shifts every day of the week. This equipment provides LTA with the flexibility and resourcefulness that allows it to respond quickly to the unique requirements of individual customers and deliver maximum value.

With solutions suited to a wide range of Australian manufacturing applications, DMG MORI designs and supplies innovative precision machine tools for all market segments from entry-level jobbing shops through to high-level aerospace manufacturers.

“Our machines cover 95% of all metal cutting applications,” says Paul McDermott, National Sales Manager for DMG MORI Australia. “We are very active in all markets from small parts like the dental industry through to the larger heavy industry.”

LTA was founded in 1954 and its original market was the manufacture of cutting tools and components for the automotive industry. At one time, the company produced ball bearing races for SKF and was also Australia’s principal broaching manufacturer. Today, while aerospace and defence are a significant focus for LTA, it also operates in sectors including aftermarket high-performance engineering, automotive and medical manufacturing.

“When Senator Button lifted tariffs on automobiles, I saw that as the beginning of the end for our automotive work, so we looked for other markets,” says Ramsay.

Being a specialist aerospace manufacturer, LTA has the capabilities and operational procedures designed to suit the specification, quality and quantity requirements of the industry. This has enabled the company to compete in the highly competitive global aerospace market and supply cost-effective Australian-manufactured components and assemblies to the rest of the world. As customer demands and markets have changed, LTA has embraced contemporary precision engineering technologies to offer enhanced capabilities to existing as well as new markets.

“We currently produce components for more than a dozen aircraft types,” Ramsay adds. “If it is an awkward or difficult design that no one else wants, we will take on the challenge; that’s our strength.”

Over a period of more than 10 years, LTA has successfully achieved all the qualifications and certifications to produce aircraft components and parts. The company started out doing small quantity jobs for the Defence arm of Boeing Corporation, and now has an ongoing contract to supply multiple parts.

The management of LTA concedes that it has not been an easy journey for the company, but it has been worth the investment in training the staff, purchasing the equipment and developing relationships with the major aircraft manufacturers around the world. According to Ramsay, it has taken a long time to develop the business relationships with the other manufacturers, especially those in the US.

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The DMC 80 U duoBLOCK from DMG MORI

“Initially we received infrequent orders for components, but as they realised that we could deliver the parts both on time and on budget, the size, complexity and frequency of requirements increased,” he adds.

Investing in technology LTA’s most recent acquisition was a DMC 80 U duoBLOCK universal machining centre by DMG MORI, which will enhance the company’s advanced aerospace machining work. The five-axis machine achieves increased precision, performance and efficiency due to the extremely stable duoBLOCK design.

“DMG MORI makes some of the best machines in the world,” says Ramsay. “The DMC 80 U duoBLOCK was one of the first bought in Australia and we had it operating and milling components within five days.”

Machining centres and lathes are major investments so DMG MORI ensures that what it delivers meets the needs of its customers.

McDermott explains: “Our sales engineers can often spend weeks discussing with customers how a machine will be used to ensure that they fully understand the requirements and that the correct device is supplied.”

“Purchasing five new machines in the past year is testament to our belief in our staff, technology and customers,” said Ramsay. “The value to our customers is in shortening their supply chain and reducing associated logistical responsibilities.”

Proudly Australian made “Manufacturing in Australia is still possible if companies are willing to take on the challenge,” Ramsay states. “Lovitt Technologies is proof of what can be achieved.”

Ramsay started with the company at the age of 23 in the Quality Assurance Department. While he has worked his way through the ranks, the company has had several owners. Eventually, he and a business partner purchased the company themselves.

“We risked our own homes to buy the firm but I remember when we finally took it over, we raised the Australian flag out the front and it is

Defence

To help achieve this, LTA acquired Electromold, the only company in Australia that can prepare and coat components to aerospace specifications. Electromold provides turnkey surface finishing solutions to customers that include: hard and thin-film, clear and colour anodising; chemical film alodining for aluminium and titanium components; two patented nickel-plating processes; non-destructive testing; priming and painting of structures, including fuel tank coatings: and stainless steel passivation.

Michael Ramsay, Chairman of Directors at LTA, and Paul McDermott, National Sales Manager for DMG MORI Australia.

still there today,” says Ramsay, whose two sons also work at LTA: Bruce is Director of Engineering and is responsible for supervising the design compliance, programming and supply chain logistics, while his brother Marcus is the Managing Director responsible for business development.

Ramsay is proud of the fact that his Australian-owned and run company is almost totally digital, with very few blueprints and drawings needed in any of the departments. Four staff members write the control programmes for all the CNC machine centres operated

by LTA. Design information is received from a customer and the machines are programmed. Prototypes of parts are produced, which are then placed in one of two co-ordinate measuring machines to ensure that the part meets the design tolerances.

LTA imports aluminium, titanium and steel, then machines these in a series of steps to produce the required component. In many respects, this is the opposite of what usually happens where Australian raw materials are sold overseas and processed goods and manufactured products are imported back into the country. LTA even exports components to Chinese aerospace companies.

Each of the machining centres can hold dozens of tools fitted in special mounting holders, which are then installed into designated locations in a carousel or belt within the machine. The computer control program can change the required tool in the machining head within five seconds as the mounting table positions the part being formed. Some machines may have more than 50 tools available and each tool and holder can cost up to $1,000. Tools include drill bits for holes, router blades to shape the block, and dyes to cut threads to mount other parts.

In addition to machining of components, LTA also offers mechanical assembly, surface treatment and testing services to deliver manufactured components completed to the highest level of quality and compliance. For the aerospace and defence industries, it provides processes and finishes to customer specifications through certified and approved sub-contract organisations.

Operating a purpose-built processing and surface coating facility, Electromold has performed some of the largest processing and surface coating work in the Southern Hemisphere. The knowledge and experience gained over more than 25 years has established the company as the leader within the Australian surface coating and processing sector.

LTA employs more than 100 staff over the two companies, with the larger workforce at Lovitt Technologies itself.

“We have a loyal, local workforce operating some of the most sophisticated equipment in the world,” Ramsay adds. “They are highly skilled and experienced people who are dedicated to their roles and the company.”

All machines supplied in Australia are unified under the DMG MORI brand. “The next generation of designs will feature an extended window to increase accessibility and visibility without compromising safety,” McDermott states. Another priority is to improve energy efficiency for customers, both through design and retrofitting of existing machines with energy-saving devices.

LTA also strives to have minimal environmental impact and ensures that all liquid waste materials are managed and disposed of in accordance with government regulations. The company operates a comprehensive recycling programme, with waste paper and cardboard boxes shredded to provide packaging materials. Scrap metal – particularly steel, titanium and aluminium – is collected and reprocessed.

“Australian manufacturing is not dead or dying,” Ramsay concludes.

“With determination and commitment a small Australian company can take on the rest of the world. And more importantly: win.”

“We want our customers to know we are a supplier that is here to support the local market,” McDermott stated. “We know that manufacturing is changing. Companies like Lovitt are adapting their products and technologies to develop new designs and applications.” www.lovittech.com.au www.dmgmori.com

Components manufactured by LTA.

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Defence

Direct digital manufacturing takes flight The adoption of direct digital manufacturing via fused deposition modelling (FDM) in defence training facilities has saved the US government over US$800,000 and three years development time over a four-year period.

Based at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, the Trainer Development Flight (TDF) is a facility that designs, develops, and manufactures trainers and training aids for the US Air Force and all branches of the US Department of Defense (DoD) as required.

These items are used in numerous training environments, including avionics, weapons and fuel systems, medical readiness, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) and telecommunications systems.

The trainers and training aids may be either original products or replicas of existing ones, depending on the training need. Some devices are not required to be working units, so it usually isn’t cost-efficient to purchase the actual item. For most training applications, it’s more economical to train students on replicas, instead of on actual equipment that is often extremely expensive.

The TDF uses direct digital manufacturing to fabricate a wide majority of its training products. To do so, it employs four FDM additive fabrication machines in a centralised location, with AFSO 21 (Lean) processes incorporated into the overall process.

Before adding direct digital manufacturing to its processes, the TDF used conventional manufacturing methods to make its products.

Conventional manufacturing typically requires longer lead times because there is often multiple steps, such as machining, lathe work, welding, sheet metal bending and cutting. A similar difficulty occurs when producing tooling to mold a part.

over $12,000. The savings go beyond time, though. For the antenna, it would have taken an outsourced machine shop up to 20 days to produce the part, where it took only two days using FDM — and only 15 to 20 minutes of labour. For the entire UAV project there was a total time saved of more than three years in some areas. This project, along with other trainer savings has been very impressive, with an $800,000 cost avoidance over the last four years.

Mitchell Weatherly, Chief of the TDF. “Only about 10% of our work is for prototyping, and 90% is production.”

Before settling on FDM, the TDF considered “a multitude” of the other additive processes, according to Weatherly.

“With FDM, the investment is up-front, not ongoing,” he says. “The parts are durable, and they have the high level of detail we require. In addition, the process is environmentally safe and 100% ‘green’ with zero waste.”

The TDF is responsible for designing and manufacturing an exact replica of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or “drone” for training repair technicians. It has built a variety of internal and external components using its FDM machines. The components included most of the body components as well as several cowlings, propellers, and antennas. They also purchased a number of real UAV components from the OEM. Just for producing the UAV’s large antenna alone, using the FDM machines did the job in about one-tenth the time it would normally have taken with conventional methods, and it delivered a return on investment (RoI) of

“Because most of our projects are either oneof-a-kind or very low volume, conventional methods become very expensive,” says

“Major advantages to the FDM system include its speed over other processes or alternative build methods, the versatility of FDM versus injection moulding, and the ability to run multiple parts simultaneously through the system,” says Weatherly. “Additional capabilities include the ability to design based on function needs instead of manufacturing constraints, and the ability to implement design changes immediately and at minimal costs. The versatility to manufacture any item coupled with zero hazardous waste is one of the greatest advantages to the Air Force.

The FDM-based machines have been used for a number of trainer projects which have tight budgets. We have also utilised the FDM process for research & development for our airmen and soldiers to be able to train like we fight.”

Other benefits include ease of maintenance, as well as the availability to use multiple materials for a variety of purposes.

“For our first FDM machine purchase, we projected RoI in four years, but it took only 18 months,” Weatherly says. “For our second FDM machine purchase we saw RoI in only nine months. You will never get away from conventional methods and highly skilled technicians, but you can give them the proper tools and new technology that can make their job easier and competitive. I believe FDM is one of the most technologically advanced premier manufacturing methods available.

Since 2004, when we purchased our first of four machines, the FDM process has saved the government over $3.8m to date with an expected 10-to-15-year savings of over $15m.” www.tasman3dprinters.com.au

The bigger picture in a smaller package Market your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

AMT & AMTIL Digital Media Kit 2015

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AMT September 2015

Your Industry. Your Magazine.

1227AMTIL

Call Anne Samuelsson at AMTIL on 03 9800 3666, mobile on 0400 115 525 or email asamuelsson@amtil.com.au

Australia’s defence industry CAN build the next generation fleet of submarines to secure Australia’s interests.

The Federal Government must commit to an Australian build of our submarine fleet, as part of a long term national shipbuilding strategy to sustain our industry, ensure our national security and boost our economy.

Sign up to make your voice heard: www.australianmadedefence.com.au

Authorised by Chris Burns, Defence Teaming Centre, Innovation House East, First Avenue, Technology Park, Mawson Lakes SA 5095

One on one

Dr Keith McLean is the Director of CSIRO Manufacturing, formerly the CSIRO’s Manufacturing Flagship. He spoke to William Poole.

AMT: Tell us about CSIRO Manufacturing and the sorts of activities it’s engaged in.

Keith McLean: We’re a business of about 430 staff with a range of skills and backgrounds. We have a really diverse capability that stretches from molecular engineering through to organic chemistry, to materials-processing to additive manufacturing to modelling.

It’s a diverse skill-set that we bring together as a mission-directed organisation, to tackle problems for our customers, partners and collaborators.

Our focus here is on manufacturing, but of course manufacturing is a huge and diverse industry. We have a major program in biomedical manufacturing, from small molecule drug development, to materials for implantable devices and for growing stem cells. We have a program on Industrial Innovation, doing prototyping for a range of industries including for energy, rail and defence, a key potential growth area for the country.

The chemicals and fibre manufacturing group are developing chemical and fibre processing capabilities for industrial, environmental, agricultural and energy applications. In the carbon-fibre space we are working closely with Deakin University and industry partners, using our skills in polymer synthesis and fibre processing.

We also have a program in High-Performance Metal Industries, where our metals processing and additive manufacturing work is done.

We’re working with companies to develop processes for taking ores and making them into titanium or titanium alloys, and using them as feedstock for additive manufacturing – going “from ore to more” as our buzz-phrase puts it. We have just opened a new facility here a few weeks ago called Lab 22, which is an additive manufacturing capability that’s got about $6m worth of new infrastructure. We’re working with many local companies to help them understand how this technology might help their business. We also want to help build skills, because as manufacturing changes, one of the great issues is having the skills needed to do high-tech manufacturing in high value-added areas. We’re very much about high-tech manufacture in areas where we have expertise and can add value.

We also supply capabilities into other parts of the CSIRO. We are taking our materials capability here and applying it in our Minerals Business Unit or in our Agriculture Unit where we are working on materials to improve water retention in soils, or degradable materials for use in, for example, water retention.

AMT: CSIRO recently announced its masterplan to promote growth through innovation. What does that entail?

KM: The key point of the strategy is for CSIRO to act as a key catalyst in accelerating innovation in the country. One key point of the strategy is “customer first” and for us to understand the needs of our customers and to help their business. Scientists, in general, have a track record of saying “Look at this fantastic technology”, and those on the outside saying “Yes it’s great, but we don’t need that”. This is not just to blame scientists, there’s been a lack of co-ordination and communication from both sides; some industries don’t understand science and where it can help them. As a country we need to work better between business and research.

So in our business unit there’s much more focus on how we work with industry and particularly SMEs. We’ve been sending some of our people out into local technology-intensive SMEs and looking at their problems, and having them come back and do a reciprocal visit here where we try and match them up with skills they might need. It’s not a quick process, but has started to generate projects for us working with

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local companies. And we’re very keen to do that, because from my point of view, the key thing for CSIRO to do is help companies create opportunities and to create the new industries that will foster growth and high-tech jobs.

AMT: AMTIL recently enjoyed a tour of Lab 22 and I was struck by the emphasis on creating industry access, and making this technology available for companies. How important is that?

KM: It’s very important, as another key message in CSIRO’s new strategy is to act as a connector. We want to use facilities such as Lab 22 as a connection point, as places where we hold events and can connect with companies. They may not actually use the additive manufacturing capabilities in Lab 22, but when you bring them in and show them what we’ve got, at least they’ve started to understand what CSIRO might do for them and they have a connection. Then if they have a requirement at some point they might think “Maybe those guys at CSIRO can help us”, at least they’ve seen inside and have some idea what’s available.

We also help them through our SME engagement office to get access to grants and so on. I think it’s really important that we do that. Another facet of our engagement is that we have strategic relationships with global multi-national corporations. For example, we have a 25-year record of working with Boeing. We’ve won awards from within Boeing for how we’ve worked with them. I guess between us we’ve spent $130m in that relationship. We’ve got jointly developed technology that’s now incorporated in Boeing aircraft. Having links with the Boeings or the GEs of this world, we can then potentially put our smaller company connections here in touch with global supply chains.

That’s something we’re increasingly mindful of. We want to see ourselves as a connector. Our scientists want to do work that makes a difference to Australian businesses. That to me is the main reason we’re here. It could be helping a company with a small problem or a large problem, it could be that we develop our own technology and spin it out. In this part of the organisation over the last 15-20 years, we have spun out and licensed a number of technologies .

And we’ve got to make opportunities for the people coming up behind us. Australia has an almost unique problem in that in Europe or the US, something like 70% of people with PhDs go into industry; only a small percentage goes into academic or research institutions. It’s the opposite here. We need to help generate future jobs and actually get young scientists and engineers working in companies and creating that wealth for the future.

Our new CEO Dr Larry Marshall is a venture capitalist who spent 25 years in Silicon Valley, so he has a real passion and drive to make CSIRO different. Australia is around tenth in the world for investment in R&D, but 81st for efficiency of translating that into outputs, and he wants to see Australia moved up that table. As a country, we’ve got to do things smarter.

AMT: And how is that being put into practice?

KM: Certainly from the research side of things, I see a change in the conversations we have with universities. It’s much more open.

We’re speaking about working together, about approaching industry together. How do we engage better with industry? How do we be more entrepreneurial? How do we help businesses, and not just from a technical and scientific/engineering point of view? What business models can we use to make life easier for them?

We’ve done a number of deals recently where we’ve costed a project and it’s a young company with not much in the way of cash, so we’ve

been innovative and taken equity instead for the work we’ve done with them. The deals have been structured to maximise their R&D tax concession, so while they may ultimately have to pay us, they get a fair proportion back. Those kind of things are important – you’ve got to work out ways to help companies grow.

And we’ve got a lot of infrastructure that they may need. In the materials space we’ve got a high-throughput robotic facility that can make libraries of material overnight, rather than one person slaving away doing a synthesis that may take a week. We’re building a new suite of clean rooms with equipment for making materials and devices for the biomedical industry – about 16 companies committed to help us do that, the same sort of model as Lab 22. Those are the kinds of things we want to make available. How do you build a scientific infrastructure that customers want and do that in partnership with them, and then do projects that are actually meaningful to them?

AMT: What can you tell us about CSIRO’s involvement in the Additive Manufacturing Growth Centre the Innovative Manufacturing CRC? KM: With the Growth Centre, the Federal Government expects CSIRO to have a major role in moving it forward. We’re well into discussions with its chairman Andrew Stevens – he’s visited us, I’ve interacted with him a lot in terms of what CSIRO can bring. We’ve seen the model that Andrew wants to use, he wants it very much driven by industry, and CSIRO is absolutely 100% behind that. Really we just want to make what we have here available in the best possible way for Growth Centre members. And from a manufacturing point of view, CSIRO has some involvement in all five Industry Growth Centres. This business unit has capability that could be applied to them all as well. We want to make them work.

biomedical materials area in CSIRO. I ran that until last year, when I got kicked up to this job.

It’s been an interesting ride, and it demonstrates that science now is not just about being locked in one specialty for life. I now say to people I don’t remember much about my original training, but I know enough surface chemistry, enough polymer chemistry, enough bio-medical materials chemistry to be dangerous. It’s great to have that breadth.

It’s interesting to get to a point where your Mum says “How come you work for something called ‘Manufacturing’ when you did things with bacteria?”

AMT: What might a typical day involve?

KM: My job is about making connections and making sure CSIRO is connected, making sure we can add value. A lot is about being out and interfacing with our customers, and with bodies we interact with – I sit on a number of boards and advisory committees. It’s also about trying to generate income for CSIRO, making sure we have the external revenue we need – this year we’ve got to raise about $35m.

There’s a lot of internal stuff, managing budgets, trying to grow our people. It’s about making sure we deliver to our political masters as well – they’re our biggest customer really. And it’s about making sure we’re scientifically relevant, training young people, growing the new capabilities that we’ll need.

I’ve got a tremendously multifaceted job, I have to say. I’ve been in CSIRO for 26 years and I wear my commitment to this organisation on my sleeve. While the organisation has its critics, it does, in my opinion, a terrific job. www.csiro.au/manufacturing

We’re also involved with the IM CRC, in a couple of the programs. One will be mainly driven from our Digital Productivity business unit, around automation and robotics. And we have some involvement in the 3D printing area. There are meetings going on as to exactly how that’s going to look, and there has to be a connection between that CRC and the Growth Centre. It’s still a work in progress.

We think they’re both important. Again, it’s about what you’re delivering for your customers in those entities. How can we best help? That’s our attitude.

AMT: What’s your background and how did you find your way to CSIRO? KM: I’m originally a micro-biologist, would you believe? I worked on problems in the oil industry caused by bacteria. Certain organisms can grow in oil reservoirs, causing souring of oil, and on pipeline walls, causing fouling and corrosion. After my PhD I joined a consultancy in Aberdeen (Scotland) and worked in the oil industry for a while.

I then decided to get back into research, so I did a couple of post-doc research jobs around that problem of microbial corrosion: in Aberdeen for the oil business, and then in New Zealand in a geo-thermal power station.

I came to CSIRO in 1989 and worked in industrial biotech for a while.

In the mid-90s there was an internal call from a project in the biomedical space looking for a scientist to join their team developing materials for implanting in the body and they needed properties that allowed them to modulate biological responses to those materials.

While it wasn’t exactly my expertise I knew enough. I volunteered, and basically changed my scientific direction completely, working in surface chemistry, modification of materials – initially mainly for implanting in the eye. After that I started to jump my way up till I was leading the

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Material Removal

Research highlights advantages of cellular machining Recent research has shown that cellular machining utilising general-purpose CNC machine tools offers significant advantages over high-end, special purpose machines, with no loss of part accuracy or quality.

An independent study on Lean machining at the Technische Universität (TU) Darmstadt in Germany found that the use of several, modestly priced CNC machine tools arranged in a cellular configuration can offer significant benefits over the use of more expensive special-purpose machines configured for ‘done-in-one’ operations. The cell-configuration studied at the university features two Super Mini Mill 2 CNC machining centres and a SL-10 CNC lathe from Haas Automation.

The findings are a welcome revelation for Haas, which has argued for a long time that customers who invest in multiple, affordable CNC machine tools vs high-end, special purpose machines benefit from greater flexibility, lower investment and running costs and, ultimately, lower cost per part.

The TU Darmstadt report, entitled ‘Cellular Manufacturing to enable Lean Machining’, was prepared by Stefan Seifermann, Jörg Böllhoff, Eberhard Abele and Joachim Metternich at the university’s Institute of Production Management, Technology and Machine Tools (PTW). Dr. Sven Bechtloff, who has since left the university, was also a key member of the study team.

The idea for the research was based on a perceived absence of the principles of Lean manufacturing applied in widespread machining operations in manufacturing companies of all sizes. Although deployed widely in assembly and process engineering environments (typically in the volume automobile manufacturing sector), the principles of flow as a central element of Lean manufacturing have not often been transferred successfully to machining operations, and are rarely to be found at all in Europe.

In essence, cellular manufacturing is the grouping of heterogeneous equipment (in this case, CNC machine tools) to manufacture a family or group of similar parts. Typically, the concept involves the arrangement of machines in a U-shape to aid flow and balance work-in-progress with ‘takt’ time (the average unit production time needed to meet customer demand).

To demonstrate the potential advantages, a com reference production line has been established at the PTW’s Process Learning Factory (CiP). The ‘done-in-one’ line features two, high-specification machine tools: a fouraxis CNC horizontal machining centre with tombstone fixture, and a CNC multi-axis automatic turning centre. The competing line,

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The research team at the Technische Universität (TU) Darmstadt.

a machining cell, features two Haas Super Mini Mill 2 three-axis machining centres and a Haas SL-10 two-axis CNC lathe, as well as two, general purpose CNC machining centres and a CNC lathe supplied by another machine tool manufacturer. The report notes that the investment for the two machines in the ‘done-in-one’ line totalled €780,000, while that for the six CNC machine tools in the cell configuration was just €340,000.

An economic comparison between the two machining line configurations (based on 2,000 parts per week, and one worker on each line) drew startling results. The ‘donein-one’ line required 15 shifts to complete the 2,000 parts. The lead-time was 35 minutes, while the unit cost of each part (without material) was calculated at €3.95. Using a cellular machining configuration, however, it took just 12.6 shifts to finish the 2,000 components to an identical specification, lead-time was reduced to 10 minutes, and unit cost to just €2.55.

As an alternative scenario, if two workers are deployed in the machining cell the unit price climbs slightly to €3.10 as a result of the additional labour cost (but still far cheaper than the €3.95 unit cost of the ‘done-in-one’ line), 12.6 shifts are reduced to 9.8, and lead-time is cut from 10 minutes to just 7.

Using a capacity comparison based on 15 shifts, the ‘done-in-one’ line will complete 2,000 parts; the cell with one worker will finish 2,377 components (a 19% increase); and the cell with two workers will complete 3,064 parts (a 29% increase).

In all cases, the study ensured part accuracy and quality standards were maintained and that the less expensive, general purpose machines were able to produce to a similarly high standard as the special-purpose machines.

Future costs could also be taken into consideration when comparing the different approaches. In the case that the production line needs to be expanded, introducing a new machine to the cell will be considerably cheaper than introducing a machine to the ‘done-in-one’ line due to the large disparity in their individual purchase prices. www.haas-australia.com

Material Removal

Mazak INTEGREX – multi-application multi-tasking Perfect for defence and aerospace applications as well as for construction/mining equipment manufacturers and general engineering, the Mazak INTEGREX e-1250V/8 multi-tasking machine combines full five-axis milling, powerful turning and pallet changing to productively process parts up to 1,450mm in diameter and 1,600mm high in single set-ups.

The machine employs a 10,000rpm, 37kW milling spindle with a B-axis tilt of -30/+120 degrees for accurate five-axis operations, while a 500rpm, 40kw direct-drive C-axis turning table with roller gear cam technology eliminates backlash for smoother, high precision rotation in heavy duty cutting operations. High-speed and high-torque milling spindle specifications are also available so the machine can successfully meet a broad range of application requirements involving materials such as titanium, Inconel, aluminium and steel.

Mazak situated the machine’s automatic tool changer (available in tool storage capacities of 42, 84, 120 or 162 tools) near the CNC, so operators can perform quick visual tooling checks. Such positioning also puts the cutting tools closer to the spindle for faster changeouts. Furthermore, this high-speed, rack-type tool magazine is readily expandable in the field.

Axis travels on the INTEGREX e-1250V/8 measure 1875 in X, 1250 in Y and 1345 in Z. The axes incorporate Mazak’s MX Hybrid Roller Guide System to achieve high levels of durability and reliability that result in long-term accuracy. The innovative way system increases vibration dampening, extends tool life, handles higher load capacities and eliminates tramp oil in the coolant via a greener grease-based lubrication system.

The machine features Mazak’s all-new MAZATROL SmoothX CNC, which offers the industry’s fastest processing capabilities. As a key component of the company’s new Smooth Technology process performance platform, the SmoothX CNC offers several productivity advantages that reduce machining cycle times, especially in fine increment programs for simultaneous five-axis operations and freeform die/mold machining.

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•Max capacity 215x230mm •Manual cycle •Mitre cut up to 60° •Infinitely variable feed control

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Tel: 07 32194000 •Fax: 07 32194063 Email: sales@whitelawmachinery.com.au

Whitelaw whitelawmachinery.com.au ENGINEERING MACHINERY

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Material Removal

Iscar – Mill with skill Over the last century and a half, gradual technical improvements have ensured that milling machines have continually evolved, while innovations such as computer numerical control (CNC) technologies have provided revolutionary leaps forward in the capabilities of milling machines.

Modern five-axis machining allows extremely efficient milling of complex shapes. Machine tool developments explain only half of the remarkable progress made within the field of milling. The feeds and speeds available from today’s machines could not be exploited without the advanced capabilities provided by modern milling cutters. Although the sheer size of machine tools enables their developments to be readily observed and appreciated, the sub-micron, nano and molecular scale of many of the advancements made in the area of milling cutters means that their improvements are less obvious.

Not so long ago, the use of polycrystalline diamond (PCD), cubic boron nitride (CBN) and whisker-reinforced ceramics as materials for milling cutters was regarded as revolutionary; now these materials and methods are commonplace. However, cemented carbide, especially with wear-resistant protective coatings, remains the main material for use in solid carbide endmills and for indexable milling cutter, replaceable inserts.

In recent times, extraordinary progress in powder metallurgy has led to a significant reduction in the sizes of carbide grains. Today, the majority of solid carbide endmills and replaceable inserts are made from submicron carbide substrates featuring minute 0.80.3μm grains. These small grains enable the production of extremely sharp, yet very tough cutting edges. Moreover, reductions in grain size, combined with the introduction of advanced pressing technologies, allows the production of inserts with complex shapes that have considerable differences in the height of the inserts’ corners. These innovative new shapes provide optimal cutting geometries, which guarantee, smooth and stable milling, and increased accuracy of the machined surface.

Practical achievements in the field of nanotechnology have resulted in a new class of wear-resistant coatings created by physical vapour deposition (PVD). These radical coatings, a combination of layers with thicknesses of up to 50 nanometres, deliver significant increases in the strength of the coating, when compared to conventional methods. Also, the latest post-coating treatment of replaceable inserts eliminates defects in the upper coating layer and provides additional durability. For example, carbide grades for milling inserts – Iscar’s IC808 and IC830 – are based on the above principles. They feature nanolayer PVD TiAlN coating and further post-coating treatment in accordance with Iscar’s original SumoTec technology.

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Due to the need to remove large amounts of stock in milling operations, roughing procedures are usually extremely timeconsuming, so process time reductions enable users to achieve higher profitability.

There are several methods of productive rough milling that allows this goal to be reached, though they make specific demands for the milling cutters.

When milling with high feed per tooth (HFM) or at fast feeds (FF), the depth of cut is small, and the feed is significant. For example, in HFM of steel workpieces, the feed per tooth is calculated in millimetres and often exceeds the depth of cut. A high-feed milling tool has specially shaped cutting edges that enable the cutting force to act along the tool axis, i.e. in the direction of maximal rigidity of the milling machine and when the bending load on the tool is low. The main advantage of HFM is a very high metal removal rate (MRR) at relatively low power consumption.

There are various designs of cutting tools intended for HFM, both indexable and solid.

Their distinct feature is the form of their cutting edges; normally the cutting edge resembles a section of a circular arc that results in a tool cutting edge angle of approximately 10-17 degrees.

The rake face of the replaceable double-sided insert Iscar HeliDo UpFeed H600 family of indexable milling cutters has a combination of convex and concave surfaces. This complex shape considerably improves chip formation and chip evacuation from the cutting zone.

The insert geometry consists of alternating facets, inclined in opposite directions and results in an economic advantage – six indexable cutting edges on each insert (three on each side). (Figure 1)

For slower-speed but high-power machines, moderate-feed milling cutters (MF) with cutting edge angles of 30 degrees are available. MF working feed per tooth is less than in HFM, but more than common values, hence the term ‘moderate’. Conversely, the depth of cut is greater compared with typical HFM tools. Accordingly, high-productivity rough milling is achieved, but with increased power consumption.

If it is necessary to efficiently remove a substantial volume of material with a considerable depth of cut (deep cavity, wide edge, deep shoulder, etc.), indexable extended flute (or long-edge) cutters are the first choice milling tool. With cutting accomplished by a set of replaceable inserts, extended flute cutters with tangentially clamped inserts (such as Iscar HeliTang T490) deliver maximum performance, as the tangential clamping design principle ensures ultimate strength and rigidity of the cutter body.

The desire to reduce power consumption and improve the dynamic behaviour of extended flute cutters led to the use of inserts with a chip splitting action. The cutting edges of these advanced inserts feature specially designed chip splitting grooves. Further developments in this area have resulted in the introduction of inserts with chip crushing ability, that literally chop chips into small segments. Further developments in powder metallurgy allow the production of tough, sintered chip crushing inserts with highstrength shredded cutting edges, such as Iscar’s indexable MillShred, that are able to withstand heavy loads throughout rough milling routines. (Figure 2) Fig 2

Fig 1

Rough milling with a mirror finish Originally HFM was intended for the roughing and machining of complex surfaces, such as dies and molds, though it is now widely used as a highly productive roughing method for the milling of plane faces, particularly on large workpieces. However, not every machine tool has high-velocity feed drive necessary for HFM.

Advanced new tool materials and progressive machining techniques such as high-speed milling have enabled major advancements in process engineering and planning. In many cases it is now possible not only to significantly reduce finish abrasive machining (grinding, etc.) of hard materials, but to replace it with milling. This method significantly reduces the number of operations during

Material Removal

Fig 5

manufacturing and sometimes means just a single production set-up – a dream for every technologist.

As with other areas of milling improvements, the limit of material hardness continues to rise. Today solid carbide endmills can successfully machine hard steel quenched to HRC 63 and more. Nevertheless, the indexable milling cutters continue to fulfil the majority of roughing operations.

To reduce the costs of further finishing, cutting tool designers are constantly searching for ways of providing high-grade surface roughness as early as possible in rough milling. This objective prompted Iscar’s R&D staff to create DoveIQMill – a family of indexable face mills with a cutting edge angle of 50 degrees. This pioneering design of face mill features cost-effective double-sided replaceable inserts with positive inclination of cutting edge, providing a smooth, stable cut.

In addition, the advanced geometry of the inserts, and their rigid and clamping in the mill pockets, results in a mirror surface when milling workpieces with rough cutting data as opposed to finish machining. (Figure 3) Fig 3

Emphasis on versatility In the late 1990s Iscar introduced ChamMill – a new family of indexable milling cutters. The prefix ‘Cham’ referenced the word chameleon to highlight the main feature of the advanced new tools. The pocket of the cutters was able to carry one-sided inserts of different shapes – two types of square inserts (for mills with cutting edge angles of 90 degrees or 45 degrees), and round or octagonal inserts. Since the principle of versatility was realised – similar designs can now be found in in a number of ranges belonging to various cutting tool manufacturers. (Figure 4)

with eight cutting edges, and octagonal with 16 cutting edges. The resulting face mills with 45-degree cutting edge angles demonstrate impressive performance. Also available are one-sided round and octagonal inserts.

Reducing set-up time The Multi-Master – a modular tool system with interchangeable solid carbide cutting heads, introduced by Iscar in 2001 – features a range of shanks (bodies) and heads resulting in endless tool design configurations and possibilities. The flexible properties of the system provide a means not only of lowering tool stocks, but also of reducing the need to sourcing expensive, tailor-made mills, drills and countersinks. A cost-effective feature of the system, when compared with expensive solid carbide tools of similar dimensions, is that, when worn only the small cutting head needs to be replaced.

The Multi-Master features a close dimensional tolerance for the overhang of a head with respect to the contact face of a shank.

Consequently, a worn head can be replaced directly on a machine tool while the shank remains clamped in the machine spindle, without loss of time required for measuring and set-up. (Figure 5)

As the cost of modern advanced machine tools is extremely high, it is very important to cut downtime and to ensure smooth operation. Hence, reducing set-up time connected with replacing worn tools is an important factor in decreasing production expenses. Highly precise, this modular system guarantees high accuracy and repeatability; it reduces manufacturing cycle times and translates into improved machine tool utilisation and cost savings.

The significant advances made within the area of milling cutters are just as important as the progress made within machine tool technology. Milling cutters are the vital cutting agent located between the machine tool spindle and the workpiece, though they have the potential to be the weakest link in the milling process and to be a barrier to increasing productivity. Conversely, the choice of the correct milling cutter provides the ability to significantly reduce machining times, remove additional operations, improve surface finish, enhance accuracy levels and – last but not least – improve manufacturers’ profitability. www.iscar.com.au

Fig 4

From the point of view of mainly small and medium customers, the versatility of indexable milling cutters provides increased efficiency through higher utilisation rates and reductions in tool stock. Levels of versatility were introduced further into Iscar products, specifically the SOF45 indexable mills of the HeliDo 800 family, which are suitable for mounting double-sided inserts that are square

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Quality & Inspection

Level measurement with LFP Cubic and LFP Inox Measuring levels is a key task in process control that is carried out in a wide variety of areas. It requires operators to consider both the substance to be measured and the measurement environment.

Moreover, these are not the only factors to be considered: the installation situation and container size can also have an impact.

However, this is easy for anyone who can rely on a diverse technology portfolio and expert knowledge in integrating sensors into entire plant systems. With its LFP Cubic and LFP Inox TDR level sensors, SICK offers suitable solutions for any application, in any environment.

Precise, reliable, and as efficient as possible: the same principles apply to level measurement processes as they do to other subprocesses in production. Selection of suitable technology at as early a stage as possible helps to keep inefficient processes and wasted resources to a minimum.

The benefits of TDR: “guided microwaves” When measuring liquids, the results can be affected by the various levels of the medium’s conductivity, density, and viscosity.

Furthermore, operators have to be aware of the build-up of deposits, chemical stability, and any moving parts in the tank (such as mixers or stirring units) that may affect the results. The LFP Cubic and LFP Inox level sensors from SICK apply the “guided microwave” measurement principle (TDR: time domain reflectometry).

The sensor’s electronics system generates an electromagnetic impulse (reference pulse). This pulse is guided along the probe, normally a metal rod or steel wire, from the entrance to the tank (signal) to the surface of the medium to be tested. Part of the impulse is reflected off the surface and sent back along the probe into the sensor’s electronics system. The difference in the time from the signal being transmitted and then received again is used to calculate the level, taking into the account the dielectric constant for the medium in question.

Depending on the operator’s requirements, the sensor can either emit the calculated level as an analogue value (“continuous measurement”) or as several switch signals (“point-level measurement”). One of the other major benefits of this technology is that factors like pressure, temperature, vacuum, dust, and in particular foaming do not have a significant impact on the measurement result.

In the past, TDR technology was often seen as a complicated, costly process. However, it has recently established itself as more costeffective and attractive for less complex measuring applications.

With the LFP Cubic, SICK offers a flexible, low-cost solution ideal for use in machine tool applications, metal containers and tanks in the water industry, mechanical engineering, plant construction, and building technology. The LFP Cubic also offers customers a great deal of flexibility thanks to its modular probe concept, which enables it to be used with either a rigid probe, coaxial tube, flexible probe, or as a compact variant without a probe.

A clean solution Like the LFP Cubic, the LFP Inox delivers continuous or point-level measurement according to requirements in a single system, cutting costs significantly. The LFP Inox is ideal for use in hygiene- related processes as the sensor is certified under both EHEDG and 3-A, while the materials used comply with requirements issued by the FDA. Its temperature stability and pressure resistance also mean that there is nothing preventing the sensor from being used in CIP and SIP processes, in areas such as the food and beverages industries.

The housing and design have also been carefully thought out. With IP 67 and IP 69K enclosure ratings, the sensor can even withstand more intensive cleaning processes using high-pressure cleaners.

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On request, LFP Cubic and LFP Inox sensors can also be PWIScleaned and then packed up safely for delivery. Special plasma cleaning processes are used for this purpose. Since the electronics are remote, the probe can also easily be sterilised in an autoclave – a typical requirement in the pharmaceuticals industry.

The remote amplifier versions of both the LFP Inox and the LFP Cubic have a number of other benefits: increasing flexibility and saving space for installation. This offers huge advantages for use in high tanks in particular. Since the electronics can be installed separately from the probe (at eye level, for example), both status and measurement result are always easy to read. Changes can also be made to sensor settings and parameters with ease. This solution also protects the electronics unit from heat generated from use, enabling the probe to be used at high temperatures.

Sensors that are easy to commission, maintenance-free, and almost entirely independent of the properties of the medium to be measured pave the way for significant savings in terms of both time and money.

In doing so, they also make an important contribution to another objective: increasing process efficiency. The reliability and strength of the measurement result play a vital role here, while also taking industry-specific requirements into account.

Some applications also require devices to receive legal approval, which cannot be issued until the level sensors have been tested and certified. Legal directives such as the German Federal Water Act (WHG) or corresponding EU directives govern the treatment of substances that could be harmful to water. Companies that operate facilities to store, fill, or empty such substances are required to prove that their equipment is protected against overflowing. www.sick.com.au

Quality & Inspection

Automated in-line cleaning for machined precision parts Whether it’s rotationally-symmetrical workpieces such as shafts, pistons, bearings, toothed parts, or medical devices such as implants, if strict tolerances have to be met, each product must be carefully checked by optical measurement during the production process. To do this, component surfaces have to be clean.

Successful in serial production

To ensure product quality and costefficiency, machined precision parts are often optically measured. The closer the measurement system can be moved to the machining centre, the better the results that are obtained. However, contaminants left on the parts’ surfaces, such as processing media residues, chips and flaky burrs, can be a problem. They may cause measurement errors and result in parts being rejected unnecessarily.

The quattroClean system is used by automotive parts manufacturer Mahle to clean the lateral surfaces of engine pistons in an inline process prior to their optical measurement. Parts are handled by a robot, which places the pistons both in the cleaning cell and later in the measuring system. To do this, the robot is fitted with two grippers – one for contaminated parts and one for cleaned parts. To avoid measurement errors, parts are re-tempered after cleaning. The quattroClean system operates in the onepiece flow of the production line and is capable of cleaning 11 square centimetres per second.

To avoid this, it makes sense to integrate a needs-oriented cleaning step directly between the machining process and the measurement step, and this can be achieved using quattroClean, an innovative modular cleaning solution from ACI. The system can be integrated into a fully automated production line in the smallest of spaces or used as a standalone device. Components can be advanced into the machine using any common automation system.

Standardised interfaces allow for easy integration of the serial system controller into a master computer. All relevant process parameters are recorded and stored automatically, or sent to the master computer as required.

Integrated CO2 snow-jet cleaning Available in three different sizes, the new cleaning cell carries out a dry, selective cleaning step on the surface to be measured, either in the one-piece flow of the production line or in a rotary indexing table. Tailored to specific application requirements, the cell is fitted with a CO2 snow-jet system from acp, a company belonging to the ACI Group. The environmentally neutral cleaning technology uses liquid carbon dioxide as a medium, which is generated as a by-product from chemical processes and from generating energy with biomass.

The easy-to-focus snow jet makes use of four different mechanisms to remove particulate and filmy contamination from almost any material.

The quattroClean system can be integrated into production lines to perform automated cleaning processes.

Liquid carbon dioxide is guided through the patented two-component ring nozzle of the acp system where it expands on exiting to form fine snow crystals. These are then bundled by a jacketed jet and accelerated to supersonic speed. A combination of thermal, mechanical, sublimation and solvent mechanisms take place as the easy-to-focus jet impacts at minus 78.5 degrees Celsius on the surface to be cleaned.

These four mechanisms enable the QuattroClean system to reliably remove film-like contaminants, such as residues of cooling lubricants, processing oils and polishing paste, or particulate contaminants, such as chips, flaky burrs and dust. At the same time, the low degree of hardness of the snow crystals makes sure that even sensitive and finely-structured surfaces are cleaned gently.

Thanks to the aerodynamic power of the compressed air jet, the detached contaminants are instantly carried away from the component surface. Together with the gaseous sublimated carbon dioxide, the contaminants are then removed from the cleaning cell by an integrated suction unit.

On completion of the cleaning process, parts are completely dry and can be measured immediately.

To determine the exact process parameters required for each application, material property and type of contamination (for example volume flow of compressed air and carbon dioxide as well as blasting time), cleaning tests are performed. This enables the quattroClean system to be adapted for use in coating, assembly and packaging lines as well as in conjunction with other processes where clean surfaces are required.

Depending on the task at hand, ACI also designs cleaning cells for cleanroom use.

In order to perform cleaning tests under cleanroom conditions, ACI has its own application centre with an ISO Class 7 cleanroom (which can be adapted to ISO Class 6 if required). Equipment is also available for determining cleanliness levels before and after cleaning. www.aci.ag

Process parameters, such as the volume flow of compressed air and carbon dioxide as well as blasting time, are optimally adapted for each individual application.

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Quality & Inspection

Intelligent approach to zero-defect manufacturing EU-funded researchers are developing advanced technology for the manufacturing industry aimed at achieving zero-defect production of everything from aircraft parts to machine tools.

Working on the IFACOM project, supported by the European Commission, the researchers are developing an advanced realtime process control system focused especially on high-precision, high-value and high-performance parts as well as custom-designed components. Combining artificial intelligence and innovative sensors, the system seeks to overcome the long-standing issue of production defects, which cost manufacturers millions of euros a year in waste, production reruns and part redesigns.

“Manufacturing defects are a huge issue for the industry,” explains Odd Myklebust, the IFACOM co-ordinator at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. “In some cases, 50% of production can end up as scrap because of defects, while in some complex manufacturing lines the rate of scrap can be as high as 90%.”

Even slight variances in materials, components or production processes can cause an entire production run to be defective. It does not affect the quality of the parts reaching end users, as strict quality checks are conducted on all batches after production. However, thousands of parts can be produced at considerable expense before a defect is detected.

The solution developed by IFACOM is to check quality continuously during production, not only afterwards. To achieve that, the consortium of 15 academic and industrial partners from five EU countries is using advanced sensor and monitoring technology combined with state-ofthe-art artificial intelligence to detect and correct defects in real time, as they occur.

The system is designed to automatically monitor the entire factoryfloor manufacturing process, from the quality of raw materials entering the production line, to variances in tools and processes during each

production run. As a closed-loop system, controllers are immediately alerted to any defects, and changes can be made on the fly to eliminate the source of the problem. The approach has the potential to dramatically reduce scrap by detecting errors instantly, eliminating the propagation of defects along the process stages.

“The system also incorporates knowledge-based loops, providing information and feedback to other levels of the manufacturing chain, such as design and product development, in order to help minimise all failures by continuous optimisation of the production process and the manufacturing system,” Myklebust says.

To test the system, the researchers have developed industrial demonstrators for five end-user partners. For example, with GKN Aerospace, the IFACOM system is being used to monitor the robotic assembly of blades on jet engines. With Italian machine tool manufacturer Alesamonti, the IFACOM technology has been implemented to detect faults in the production of parts for highprecision boring and milling machines.

“Though the demonstrators focus on the aerospace and machine tool sectors, the system can be used in any manufacturing process,” Myklebust notes. “There is therefore a very large market for this, and high demand.”

The IFACOM team is focusing its dissemination and commercialisation efforts on small and medium-sized manufacturers, who stand to gain a competitive edge from implementing zero-defect manufacturing processes. They are planning to work with other, complementary EUfunded projects to further develop the technology in the future, while some of the partners have also informally discussed launching a spinoff company to lead commercialisation of the system. www.ifacom.org

Perceptron launches next-gen portable laser scanner In a productivity breakthrough for the reverse engineering and modelling sectors, the Perceptron Smart 3D system features an integrated rotary table that allows automatic 360-degree scanning plus intuitive easy-to-use ScanWorks Studio Software with automatic 3D STL model creation.

The generous scanning volume of 200mm by 225mm by 225mm is compatible with the volume of most 3D printers. A simple teachand-repeat process allows scanning of repetitive parts using the Auto Rescan feature. The accuracy of the acquired dataset is significantly enhanced over equivalent data from manually operated scanning systems. Smart 3D automatically provides 3D polygonised models for reverse engineering and 3D printing, and can also be used for the verification of production parts against nominal part geometry data.

Smart 3D incorporates Perceptron’s patented Helix Smart Scanning Sensor technology, used extensively throughout the global automotive industry for inprocess laser scanning of car bodies. Helix incorporates MEMS technology, offering the world’s first programmable laser scanner whereby the laser line quantity, density and scanning volume are fully user-configurable,

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eliminating the need to physically move the laser scanner over the part. All scanning motion is contained within the Helix smart scanning sensor itself, dramatically improving quality of scanned data while maintaining a volumetric accuracy down to 50 microns.

Combining the unique features of programmable scan volume, line count and density, scanning of specific regions of interest on highly complex parts can be highly optimised.

The coherent laser light source within Helix provides a larger dynamic range, allowing scanning of multiple colours and finishes. From arrival at a scanning location, the portable Smart 3D system is fully operational in less than 15 minutes with no need to apply targets or perform best fit part alignment. The Perceptron Smart 3D system is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Met Optix. www.metoptix.com.au

Quality & Inspection

Flaw detection for every environment Combining industry-leading conventional flaw detection capabilities with the efficiency of a highly portable, intuitive device - the latest instrument in the Epoch range from Olympus extends the capabilities of cost-effective non-destructive testing (NDT) technology available to companies in a wide variety of industry sectors.

The Epoch 650 Digital Ultrasonic Flaw Detector allows operators to take advantage of the highest quality flaw detection platform offering exceptional ease of use through a blend of efficient menus and direct access keys.

According to Graham Maxwell, Regional Key Account and Technical Manager with Olympus, careful design considerations of ergonomics and field operations have resulted in a device that is both durable and easy to use for both experienced and novice ultrasonic inspectors.

The latest handheld flaw detector is an enhancement to the highly successful Epoch 600 model and has been designed to meet the needs of manufacturing companies, field service providers and inspection companies.

“The Epoch 650 can be used in any inspection environment, from bench top testing in a laboratory to extreme outdoor and hazardous conditions,” says Maxwell.

Non-destructive testing of manufactured materials is a crucial tool in many industries. The new model’s large, full VGA transflective display, combined with a patented digital high dynamic range receiver provides a clear image on the screen in any lighting condition. The Epoch 650 is designed to meet the requirements of EN12668-1 and supports a wide range of standard and optional flaw detection features.

Being fully compatible with the Olympus GageView Pro interface software, operators can download inspection data, review measurements on a PC, export measurements and calibration data to common spreadsheet programs, back up calibration and inspection data from the instrument, and perform basic operations such as instrument firmware upgrades and screen captures. www.olympus-ims.com

“This enhancement also includes encoded B-scan and optional corrosion thickness gauging,” Maxwell adds.

The device is designed to achieve IP66 rating for the unit with knob and button controls or IP67 in the navigation pad configurations. IP ratings refer to the control of ingress of dust and moisture from the operating environment. Also tested to meet very high environmental and reliability standards, the Epoch 650 gives operators confidence in both the performance and durability of the instrument.

“An Epoch 650 is a very reliable and extremely robust instrument,” says Maxwell. “I would have every confidence in it still working even dropping it from head height.”

According to Olympus, the Epoch 650 is the most affordable ultrasonic analyser it has produced to date. Maxwell says: “The model was developed for those customers who require the speed, reliability and ease of operation expected from Olympus.”

The Epoch 650 simplifies high-quality data collection and reporting using multiple onboard reporting tools and a comprehensive data filing system. The unit supports multiple methods of storing, archiving and reporting inspection and calibration data. Reports can be generated in a variety of standard formats which can be saved to a removable microSD memory card or exported. A second 2GB microSD memory card is used for all onboard data storage and is securely mounted to the PC board inside the instrument. In the event the instrument is damaged beyond repair, this memory card can be removed at an authorised service centre to recover critical data. An in-built video recording feature can capture up to eight minutes of the live A-scan inspection data at 60 frames per second.

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www.delahenty.com.au

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company focus

Carbon Revolution –Wheels of fortune Australian automotive manufacturing has seen some gloomy headlines in recent years, but we enjoyed some good news in July, when Ford Motor Company announced that the latest model of its iconic Mustang muscle car would feature pioneering wheel technology developed and made here by Carbon Revolution. By William Poole.

The news that the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R would run on Carbon Revolution’s one-piece carbon-fibre wheels represents the culmination of a sustained period of effort from the Geelong-based company. CEO Jake Dingle is quietly confident the announcement will be the first of many.

“It’s enormous news for us, and for the industry globally,” says Dingle.

“Ford is generally not seen as a big risk-taker; they’re as careful as any OEM, and for good reason. You don’t introduce new technology in a safety-critical area of a car without a robust validation and qualification process. Hopefully the Ford program is the first of numerous OEM programs you’ll be reading about over the coming years.”

Carbon Revolution’s wheels offer substantial benefits in terms of the car’s handling, acceleration, braking, ride quality and overall performance. Much of this is down to the weight savings that accompany carbon-fibre – each wheel weighs around 8kg, compared with around 15kg for aluminium equivalents.

“Wheels have a premium in terms of weight because they rotate and they sit below the suspension,” says Dingle. “Any weight you can take out of wheels is worth a lot more than it is on the static mass of the vehicle.

Ford has established that the GT350R is right on par with the GT3 Porsche on the track.

A lot of that is due to the superior vehicle dynamics they’ve managed to generate through light-weighting.”

Carbon Revolution released an aftermarket product a few years ago aimed at highend sports cars, but the Ford deal marks the first return on a deliberate strategy to target the big auto manufacturers, with several other OEMs also in the company’s sights. While mindful of the confidentiality concerns of potential customers, Dingle does

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disclose that at least a dozen OEMs have already tested the wheels.

“We never intended to just create a supercar technology that was appropriate for someone building 20 cars a year,” he explains. “We got into this to develop a high-volume disruptive technology – the next variant of wheel technology after stone, wood, steel, aluminium… and now composites. The business has been set up to supply OEMs. There are a number of other programs in different stages at the moment, but nothing I can announce.”

Intellectual property is another area where Dingle is understandably guarded – when asked what he can reveal about the technologies and processes that Carbon Revolution has developed, his answer is lighthearted but unhesitating: “Absolutely nothing!” Carbon Revolution’s IP has been developed from scratch, and the company defends it with a robust mix of patent protection and trade secret mechanisms – cameras are barred from its production line. However, Dingle stresses that, in getting its wheels on the road, the manufacturing process has been as crucial as the product.

“Essentially one of our challenges has been to take a material that people typically associate with manual manufacturing processes, and to automate how we use it,” he explains. “You have to start with manual processes in order figure out how to mechanise them – to develop machines with far less manual interaction. Once mechanised, the step to automation is often actually simpler. Stepping through this process has been the biggest challenge.”

The result is a production system that arguably epitomises modern advanced manufacturing. Every wheel or piece of tooling carries a unique RFID identifier so that the entire process can be scanned and

company focus monitored, allowing high levels of traceability and control. According to Dingle, Carbon Revolution’s processes have provoked envy in other automotive component manufacturers, and serve as a selling point to intended customers.

“We’ve had multiple OEMs conduct quality audits on our processes and they’re all very impressed how we’ve managed to deploy standard quality control approaches to a material not associated with high volume and repeatability. They recognise that we’ve gone further – we’ve incorporated some very high-tech aerospace technologies to our manufacturing. From day one we wanted that, we wanted to deploy aerospace rigour to the way we produce components.”

A revolutionary formula Carbon Revolution’s story began at Deakin University in the mid2000s, where engineering students, staff and industry mentors began developing carbon-fibre wheels for teams entering the Formula SAE student motorsports competition. In 2007, a group of them decided to try to commercialise their work, and with a small federal grant the company was formally established. Dingle came on-board a few months later.

“From around the beginning of 2010 things got going in earnest,” he recounts. “That’s when we had prototypes built and tested on vehicles, and got into Europe and the major OEMs there with these prototypes, and North America soon afterwards. Over the following four years we dealt progressively with the questions, the scepticism, the interest and the direction provided by talking to customers, then working away back in Australia to solve the issues and develop a variant of the technology that met their requirements and was as manufacturable as possible.”

Today Carbon Revolution occupies a new facility that it has built on Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus, housing a workforce of almost 100 that supplements many of those original students with people brought in from backgrounds in high-volume manufacturing at companies such as Bosch, Futuris and Boeing. The production workforce has more than doubled since the beginning of 2015, with many personnel coming in from Ford, Alcoa and other traditional industries in the region. Further job creation is projected as ambitious growth plans gather pace.

“The new facility is designed to be able to produce up to 50,000 parts per year,” says Dingle. “We’ll fill that over the next two to three years hopefully with the programs we’re in the process of signing up. Beyond that we have an agreement with Deakin to double the size of the facility, but we’ll probably take capacity up by five times through automation and process improvements. For 50,000 parts a year we’ve estimated 150 people; for 250,000 probably more like 350 people.”

Despite these bullish expansion plans, we’re still some way from seeing carbon-fibre wheels on every car in the showroom. Dingle acknowledges that 50,000 wheels is tiny in global terms – one of the company’s major strategic partners, Ronal, produces 20m aluminium wheels a year. But Carbon Revolution is planning for the long term.

“Even aluminium is not on every car,” says Dingle. “Aluminium started upsetting the steel apple-cart in the very early 70s. I think now it’s around 50-50 on a global scale. Getting to 250,000 is our next phase, but that requires a lot of additional automation and improved cycle times. All of which we’ve got in the plan.

We’ve got a technology pathway for product and process that stretches out over the next five-plus years, as well as raw materials cost reduction initiatives with partners like CSIRO, Carbon Nexus and Deakin University.”

outfits have had some success with two-piece wheels, with a carbonfibre barrel coupled to a metal hub and spokes, but these have seen problems with tolerancing and durability.

“We’re the only company in the world that focuses solely on this,” Dingle says. “We’ve set the company up to commercialise one-piece carbon-fibre wheels and everybody comes in and works exceptionally hard all day working out better ways for doing this. We’d be naïve to think we won’t be competing at some stage, but by relentlessly driving the technology as hard as we can, we have a great opportunity to maintain the global leadership position we’ve established.”

Fibres of the future With Carbon Revolution sharing campus space with partners such as CSIRO and the Carbon Nexus research facility, Geelong is fast emerging as a key hub composites research and development. Dingle believes advanced materials such as carbon-fibre could be an area with significant potential for Australian manufacturing.

“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be. We’ve got some very smart, practical people here. It needs investment and risk-taking, and some strategic thinking; it’s not going to happen automatically, just by saying it has to happen. There need to be people who are willing to put time and energy and capital at risk to try and do these things.”

Dingle is adamant that Australia needs to maintain a manufacturing base, and that with the traditional labour-intensive sector in decline, the future lies in more advanced, high value-add areas. And while he’s confident Australia has the people and capabilities to achieve that, it will need commitment and effort.

“I’d hate anyone to these recent announcements mean we’ve made it and it’s all done. There’s still a massive amount of work involved in driving our product and process technologies further and ultimately creating a large-scale industrial position. And you need a strong, cohesive team of talented, tenacious people to do it, which fortunately we have. I’d hate anyone to think it was easy!”

Nonetheless, Carbon Revolution appears committed to remain an Australian manufacturer.

“I don’t have any doubt we can maintain a manufacturing base here in the long term,” says Dingle. “Some manufacturing is going to need to be in markets, but a decent volume of manufacturing for the automotive industry as well as all of our R&D will always stay here, and there’s no reason aerospace and industrial components can’t be manufactured competitively here for global markets.”

Meanwhile, diversification plans are taking shape. Sectors such as aerospace, defence, public transport and haulage represent areas of great potential, where the light-weighting benefits of Carbon Revolution’s technology would be highly advantageous.

“We’re close to signing an agreement with a big offshore partner in the aerospace sector, where this technology has an even more logical place than in the automotive industry,” says Dingle. “It’s an absolute no-brainer, taking 40%-50% of the weight out of aircraft wheels: there’s huge benefits. That’s the next horizon of our strategy really, but we had to get the Carbon automotive part bedded down properly before Revolution the distractions of trying to diversify.”

CEO Jake Dingle.

One thing that’s not on the agenda is any move away from the wheel itself.

“There are thousands of things we could diversify into, and many of the things we’ve developed to make these wheels are applicable to other products,” says Dingle. “But with 60m-70m cars built every year, and then trucking and aircraft, it’s a long time before we start running into demand shortages for this sort of technology.” www.carbonrev.com

For now, Carbon Revolution enjoys first-mover advantage, with few direct competitors. Some AMT September 2015

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Composites

Optimising hole-making in composite/metal aero frames with vibration-assisted drilling The challenge of drilling the composite/metallic stacked materials used increasingly in aircraft frames is well documented. With this in mind, Sandvik Coromant and its technical partner, Mitis, have teamed up to develop vibration-assisted drilling, a combination of machine and tooling that is demonstrating remarkable performance levels when drilling these advanced materials.

For the design engineer, the use of composite stacks in aircraft frames is ideal for meeting the required strength at significantly lower weight, thereby boosting fuel economy. For the production engineer, however, the specification of inherently different materials in a stack makes devising a process to drill and countersink the necessary fixing holes, extremely demanding.

The potential The use of composites in aircraft production is projected to show a potential increase of 50% within five years. While standard CFRP (carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic) represents around 50% of that increase by material volume potential, it is anticipated that a 30% share will be commanded by CFRP stacked with aluminium (CFRP/Al), 15%

by CFRP stacked with titanium (CFRP/Ti), and 5% by CFRP stacked with both aluminium and titanium (Al/CFRP/Ti). Of the potential by application, drilling is set to represent 55% of operations on these innovative aero frame materials.

Using existing hole-making technologies to drill stack materials presents a long list of well-known issues. Due to the vast differences in the properties of the individual materials in a composite stack, chief among the problems are poor chip control, extended friction contact, elevated temperature (of both the chip and the drill), and long cycle times. The upshot is poor reliability and quality, as well as greatly compromised tool life.

The problem Studies show that the root cause of most issues can be traced back to a lack of metallic chip control within the composite stack. Indeed, it was this fundamental problem that led to the development of vibrationassisted drilling, the main principle of which is to fractionate the chips.

In simple terms, fractionating is facilitated by creating an oscillating movement of the drilling A veined process between the trajectory of the tool and PCD drill the surface of the bottom of the hole. The difference between maximum and minimum amplitude is sufficient to break the chips in a controlled manner, an outcome that cannot be achieved using conventional drilling.

Using the Mitis system, low-frequency axial oscillations (typically at a rate of 1.5 oscillations per rotation) can be adjusted in amplitude according to the application conditions and material using simple mechanical ring adjustment.

The solution To optimise the process, the Mitis principle is used with a tool developed purposely for these challenging materials, a veined PCD drill from Sandvik Coromant. The veined PCD drill features a patented drill point geometry that is designed to reduce thrust and boost hole quality, while the drill body is manufactured for precision hole tolerance demands and optimum chip flow. These innovative drills also feature a PCD countersink insert with radius and an internal coolant channel for minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) if required.

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The combination of vibration-assisted drilling and PCD veined drill results is a process offering greatly enhanced chip breaking when drilling composite stack materials. Furthermore, cycle times are reduced as there is no pecking, and the process can also be performed with no or greatly reduced lubricant.

Additional benefits are also realised, particularly those aligned to physical effects. For instance, when using conventional technologies to produce holes in stacked CFRP/metallic materials, power, thrust (axial force) and temperature all climb as the process progresses.

However, because of improved chipbreaking using the Mitis function and the Sandvik Coromant PCD veined drill, all of these effects are reduced by around 20%.

The trials To help demonstrate the benefits on offer, trials were performed on a composite stack comprising 10mm thick CFRP M21E backed with 5mm of 7000 series aluminium. Using a CNC machining centre fitted with axial force and power sensors, and using Witis signal processing and analysis software from Mitis, the object was to produce 7.94 diameter holes with countersinks (MQL was deployed). In terms of tolerance, the holes had to be within IT 40Âľm.

With regard to the test protocol, there were three possible ways of proceeding with the operation: one-shot drilling; the introduction of pecking cycles in the aluminium portion of the stack; and one-shot drilling using the Mitis function. To prove successful, each process would have to meet aerospace industry requirements for productivity, reliability and quality. As a result, the considered criteria for the trial included cycle time, axial force, power consumption, chip morphology and diameter precision.

The results Using the conventional one-shot process, the drilling and countersinking of CFRP was conducted at a cutting speed of 120 metres per minute and a feed rate of 0.05mm per revolution. As the drill progressed into the aluminium section of the stack, speed was slowed to 80 metres/min with feed increased slightly to 0.075 mm/rev. Although all of the holes produced by the one-shot process were within tolerance, there was some dispersion evident, with a gap between the exit and entrance diameter in the aluminium part of the stack. Furthermore, the countersinking operation was realised with a long aluminium chip wrapped around the tool. Based on an index of 100, the cycle time for the one-shot process was recorded as 100, with 100 mean axial force requirement (aluminium) and 100 power consumption (aluminium).

Using the same lubrication, tool and cutting parameters, the process was repeated – this time introducing a peck drilling cycle in the aluminium section of the stack in an attempt to solve the chip-breaking issue. The results proved successful in that lower dispersion was witnessed in terms of diameter along with an enhanced countersinking process.

Composites

A vein PCD drill and countersink from Sandvik Coromant

The conclusion CRFP/aluminium stack material

Although one-shot drilling demonstrates the required productivity and precision, it lacks chip control and therefore reliability and quality are compromised. Although the introduction of pecking cycles solves the issue of chip control, a degree of productivity is sacrificed. Therefore, the trials demonstrated that vibration-assisted drilling can meet the specification requested by aerospace OEMs in terms of productivity, surface finish, diameter, exit burr and process capability (CP/CPK).

The system, which features spindle speeds up to 9,000rpm, offers standard mounting shanks such as Capto, HSK and ISO, and is adaptable to all machines without modification. www.sandvik.coromant.com

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However, the introduction of pecking meant cycle time climbed to 160, thus compromising productivity. The mean axial force requirement remained the same at 100, while power consumption reduced slightly to 90.

Finally, the process was repeated once more, again using the same lubrication, tool and cutting parameters, but this time using the Mitis vibration-assisted function. The results proved impressive. Not only did the process produce lower dispersion (far closer to the median) with a smaller gap between entrance and exit diameters, but the operation was both quick, showing a cycle time of 100, and demonstrated good chip control. The mean axial force requirement remained the same at 100, but power consumption reduced to a favourable 70.

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AMT September 2015

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Composites

Graphene drives potential for next-gen fuel-efficient cars Harvesting heat produced by a car’s engine and using it to recharge the car’s batteries or power the air-conditioning system could be a significant feature in the next generation of hybrid cars.

The average car currently loses around 70% of energy generated through fuel consumption to heat. Utilising that lost energy requires a thermoelectric material that can generate an electrical current from the application of heat. Thermoelectric materials convert heat to electricity or viceversa, such as with refrigerators.

The challenge with these devices is to use a material that is a good electricity conductor but also dissipates heat well. Materials that exhibit these properties are often toxic and operate at very high temperatures – higher than that produced by car engines. By adding graphene, a new generation of composite materials could reduce carbon emissions from car use.

Scientists from the University of Manchester in the UK, working with European Thermodynamics, have increased the potential for low-cost thermoelectric materials to be used more widely in the automotive industry. The team, led by Prof Ian Kinloch, Prof Robert Freer and Yue Lin, added a small amount of graphene to strontium titanium oxide.

The resulting composite could convert heat otherwise lost into an electric current over a broad temperature range, going down to room temperature.

Professor Ian Kinloch

“Current oxide thermoelectric materials are limited by their operating temperatures which can be around 700 degrees Celsius,” said Freer. “This has hampered efforts to improve efficiency by utilising heat energy waste for some time. Our findings show that introducing a small amount of graphene to the base material can reduce the thermal operating window to room temperature which offers a huge range of potential for applications.

“The new material will convert 3%-5% of the heat into electricity. That is not much but, given that the average vehicle loses roughly 70% of the energy supplied by its fuel to waste heat and friction, recovering even a small percentage of this with thermoelectric technology would be worthwhile.”

Graphene’s range of superlative properties and small size causes heat transfer through the material to slow, leading to the desired lower operating temperatures. Improving fuel efficiency while retaining performance has long been a driving force for car manufacturers.

Graphene could also aid fuel economy and safety when used as a composite material in the chassis or bodywork to reduce weight compared with traditional materials. www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk

Making new materials with micro-explosions Scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) have made exotic new materials by creating laserinduced micro-explosions in silicon.

The new technique could lead to the simple creation and manufacture of superconductors or high-efficiency solar cells and light sensors, said research leader Professor Andrei Rode.

“We’ve created two entirely new crystal arrangements, or phases, in silicon and seen indications of potentially four more,” said Rode, a laser physicist at the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering (RSPE). “Theory predicts these materials could have very interesting electronic properties, such as an altered band gap, and possibly superconductivity if properly doped.”

By focusing lasers onto silicon buried under a clear layer of silicon dioxide, the group have perfected a way to reliably blast tiny cavities in the solid silicon. This creates extremely high pressure around the explosion site and forms the new phases. The phases have complex structures, which took the team of physicists from ANU and University College London a year to understand.

Using a combination of electron diffraction patterns and structure predictions, the team discovered the new materials have crystal structures that repeat every 12, 16 or 32 atoms respectively, said Professor Jim Williams, from the Electronic Material Engineering group at RSPE. “The micro-explosions change silicon’s simplicity to much more complex structures, which opens up the possibility for unusual and unexpected properties,” said Williams.

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These complex phases are often unstable, but the small size of the structures means the materials cool very quickly and solidify before they can decay, said Professor Eugene Gamaly, also from the RSPE. The new crystal structures have survived for more than a year now.

“These new discoveries are not an accident, they are guided by a deep understanding of how lasers interact with matter,” Gamaly said.

Conventional methods for creating materials with high pressure use tiny diamond anvils to poke or squeeze materials. However, the ultrashort laser micro-explosions create pressures many times higher than the strength of diamond crystal can produce. The team’s new method promises a much cheaper and industrially-friendly method for largescale manufacturing of these exotic materials, says Dr Jodie Bradby, also from the RSPE. “We reliably create thousands of micron-size modified zones in normal silicon within a second,” Bradby added. “The semiconductor industry is a multi-billion dollar operation - even a small change in the position of a few silicon atoms has the potential to have a major impact.” www.anu.edu.au

Professor Jim Williams, Professor Andrei Rode and Dr Jodie Bradby with the electron diffraction pattern of one of their new silicon phases.

Image: Stuart Hay, ANU.

safety

Make it safe: Good work design Between 2007 and 2012, 113 manufacturing workers died from injuries received at work in Australia.

Michelle Baxter, Chief Executive Officer of Safe Work Australia, would like to see these preventable deaths and injuries stop.

The manufacturing sector accounts for 16% of all serious workers’ compensation claims in Australia. According to Baxter, the way machinery, plant and work processes are designed is a critical factor in work-related deaths and injuries. Research by Safe Work Australia, the agency leading the development of policy to improve work health and safety across Australia, demonstrates that eliminating and minimising hazards before they even enter the workplace is the most effective way of preventing such harm.

Michelle Baxter, Chief Executive Officer of Safe Work Australia.

The agency recently published Principles of Good Work Design, a handbook that provides businesses with detail on how to design the places we work in, the things we use at work and the way we carry out work to improve health and safety outcomes. Baxter spoke to AMT about how good work design principles can be applied in a manufacturing context, and the business benefits of doing so.

AMT: Why should AMT readers look at Principles of Good Work Design?

Baxter: It’s a practical guide on how to design ‘good work’. Good work is healthy and safe work – work that optimises human performance and job satisfaction while eliminating or minimising hazards and risks to health and safety.

Good work design can deliver tangible cost savings and benefits to manufacturing businesses. When workers are hurt, there will inevitably be production delays and disruption to work processes – to say nothing of the pain and trauma experienced by the worker. Every day, around 60 workers are hurt so badly they need one or more weeks off work – this imposes a tremendous cost on manufacturing businesses. Much of this can be blamed on poor work design.

Principles of Good Work Design shows businesses how to go about designing out hazards before a worker gets injured.

Good work design streamlines work processes, reducing wastage from duplication. This in turn brings about a reduction in the training and supervisory costs required to manage poorly designed systems.

So, businesses that pay attention to good work design improve their productivity. Eliminating hazards at a point where work, work structures, plant and machinery are being designed is generally cheaper than making changes after someone has been injured, and it’s definitely cheaper than retrofitting. And, of course, all businesses have a legal obligation to protect workers from being harmed at work.

AMT: What should be considered by those designing work?

Baxter: Good work design addresses physical, biomechanical, cognitive and psychosocial characteristics of work, together with the needs and capabilities of the people involved. To do this, businesses should examine the business objectives, its organisational structure and culture, human resource systems, operating procedures and policies, its supply chain, and its information systems. Businesses also need to look at: their work environment, layout, plant and structures; the methods and techniques used to complete the require tasks; the physical and mental demands of a job; the time a worker spends doing a task; and the physical and cognitive demands of the work.

AMT: How is good work design achieved?

Baxter: The handbook has 10 principles that demonstrate why it is important to design good work, what needs to be considered when designing work, and how to go about it. The principles describe how good work design is most effective when there is visible support and endorsement from business leaders and owners. Equally important is the need to actively involve the people who do the work, including those in supply chains that support the business. Talking with workers is essential – they’re the ones who know best how their work is done,

the risks, and the training or support systems they need to do their job well.

Timing is everything: it’s not good enough to wait until someone has been injured, physically or mentally, before you think about how your business’ work is designed. Setting up a new business, relocating or refurbishing an existing workplace, and when introducing new engineering systems, tasks or outputs are ideal times to practice good work design.

AMT: Is good work design just about plant and machinery?

Baxter: The safe design of plant and machinery is part of designing good work. But there is already a great deal of information available on the Safe Work Australia and the regulators’ websites about designing structures, plant and machinery. This handbook fills a knowledge gap about designing good work processes and systems of work.

Good work design also acknowledges that the Australian workforce is changing. It is typically older and more inclusive of people with disabilities, more socially and ethnically diverse. Applying the good work design principles creates jobs and tasks that can adjust to the abilities and vulnerabilities of a wide range of workers. It will also help a business become an employer of choice, able to attract and retain an experienced workforce.

AMT: Who is this handbook for?

Baxter: People who design work – business owners and managers; businesses that design plant, substances and structures; people in human resources or management who design organisational structures, staffing rosters and work systems; those who design computer or information systems; and the professionals who advise organisations on work health and safety matters. Experts who provide advice on the design of work will also find the handbook useful: engineers, architects, ergonomists, information and computer technology professionals, occupational hygienists, organisational psychologists, human resource professionals, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

In October, Safe Work Australia will run a series of online seminars on designing work better to keep workers safe and make businesses more productive. To watch the seminars, visit the Safe Work Australia website throughout October. Leone Leyshon, Assistant Director: Australian Strategy at Safe Work Australia will be presenting on good work design at Safety In Action Melbourne on 16 September. www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au www.safetyinaction.net.au/melbourne AMT September 2015

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Safety

Fire safety recommendations for manufacturing facilities As more manufacturers undertake rationalisation programs and centralise procurement services, the conversation around fire protection for the manufacturing sector is changing.

“Manufacturers want to minimise inconsistencies across sites and capitalise on the economies of scale associated with using one national fire protection provider,” said Bill Adamopoulos from fire protection specialist Wormald. “As part of a centralised approach, the management of fire safety processes and systems is shifting. Category managers are overseeing the appointment and management of a fire protection provider, while plant managers are responsible for the day-to-day supervision of fire safety procedures on site. Fire protection is a shared responsibility and it is vital that all those involved in fire safety at manufacturing plants understand and invest in adequate fire protection solutions.”

The impact and cost of fire in a manufacturing facility should not be underestimated. A fire incident can result in staff injuries or fatalities, and significant, costly damage that may mean the end of a business. Machines are typically custom-built to produce very specific products. If damaged or destroyed in a fire, they may take months or even years to rebuild, resulting in significant downtime and lost revenues.

Wormald offers the following fire safety recommendations:

1. Establish responsibility for fire safety.

Generally, under Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation, officers must ensure that the business meets its WHS obligations and can be held personally liable for failing to do so. It is important that clear systems are established for the management of fire safety, including exercising due diligence to ensure appropriate policies, procedures, safety practices and resources are in place.

If responsibility is shared, the parameters for each manager should be clearly communicated and defined.

2. Understand legislative and regulatory requirements Fire safety is heavily regulated and it is the responsibility of every manufacturer to comply with appropriate state and territory legislation governing the maintenance of fire protection systems. Typically, these documents stipulate that the person in control of a workplace, business or undertaking is responsible for ensuring that fire and explosion risks are minimised, that appropriate fire protection is available, and that regular maintenance is conducted.

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3. Conduct a thorough risk assessment

6. Regularly revisit training and emergency response processes

A detailed understanding of fire risks and hazards can help to minimise fire and explosion risks and identify a suitable fire protection solution. The most common fire risks in manufacturing are machinery, stock or parts stored on site or in warehouses, and the manufacturing process (for example, the use of heat or hazardous gases).

A confident team that is able to respond appropriately in the event of a fire is an invaluable investment and can substantially reduce the impact of a crisis. Emergency evacuation procedures should be regularly reviewed, and everyone working in a manufacturing facility should be trained on how to respond appropriately to a fire incident and use fire protection equipment correctly.

This includes briefing new employees and regularly conducting refresher training for existing staff.

4. Install an adequate fire protection solution A range of fire protection solutions are available for manufacturing sites, including basic fire extinguishers, water spray deluge systems, gas systems and foam systems.

It is important to install a solution that meets the specific requirements of the site.

When deciding on a solution, some key considerations include the materials being used, the size of the site, the number of staff, and any legislative, regulatory or insurance requirements that apply to the manufacturer’s particular circumstances.

5. Regularly audit, inspect and maintain fire protection equipment A high level of reliability is essential when it comes to fire protection. All systems and equipment should perform to the standard to which they were originally designed and installed. Regular testing can validate the functionality of the systems and equipment and help to uncover any faults or issues that may cause malfunction. Australian Standard AS1851 (Maintenance Of Fire Protection Systems And Equipment) recommends that fire protection systems be regularly tested, serviced and maintained.

7. Choose a fire protection provider carefully Time is the biggest challenge facing manufacturers when it comes to fire safety.

It can be difficult to find time to focus on fire protection, and as a result, it can often be overlooked. Outsourcing fire protection to a reputable provider can help to ensure compliance requirements are met and changes in legislation are closely monitored.

It is important to choose a fire protection provider carefully. The Fire Protection Association of Australia’s Providers of Choice are reputable suppliers who are required to comply with strict codes of practice and insurance requirements. It is also important to ensure that a provider can offer adequate and convenient support, both online and face-to-face, to reduce administrative frustrations and facilitate regular and thorough communication. Wormald Connect allows customers to access their inspection and reporting data 24/7 for instant and easy visibility. www.wormald.com.au

Safety

On bended knee: Reducing the impact of workplace knee injuries At the end of 2013, BAE Systems Maritime identified that the largest component of expenditure at its Williamstown site for injury management and lost time from worker’s compensation claims and rehabilitation costs was associated with knee injuries.

A review of injuries found that knee injuries were largely sustained in the hull fabrication shops, which manufacture large sections of complex ship hull assemblies, primarily from workers in the welding and boilermaker roles (90% of injuries) and in specific work areas that required crouching, stair usage, kneeling and accessing awkward spaces.

A consultative approach was used through a Zero-Harm workgroup to investigate the main factors causing these injuries, in a bid to develop interventions and best practice strategies aimed at reducing injury rates.

The Zero-Harm philosophy is driven by the belief that all injuries are preventable and, when undertaken through the engagement of workers, can be both efficient and effective at reducing risk. The Zero-Harm concept and its many variations (including Safety First, Zero-Risk) has received criticism, but as a concept it is effective in helping build highreliability organisation with complex dynamic working environments.

At BAE Systems the Zero-Harm message is driven by senior management but developed through collaboration with workers, embedding systematic processes developed with the shop-floor to reduce harm and develop a safer culture.

The program The workgroup involved with the project included members from Production and Maintenance (managers, supervisors and shop-floor), safety advisers, a physiotherapist and a rehabilitation specialist. Inclusion of a diverse workgroup ensured a high level of consultation and buy-in of the program as well as providing a solutions-focused approach to the issue.

Initial focus was on the identified “lowhanging fruit” causations as key target areas, including the conditioning of workers, use of dangerous postures, the time taken to perform tasks, and the carrying of heavy loads. Interventions included: task and posture analysis; reconditioning of the knees through warm-up and strengthening exercises; education; encouraging job rotation; task assessment; work practice modification; and increased promotion of early-intervention strategies.

An increase in communication and focus on knees included the workplace physiotherapist roaming through the yard (one hour a week), and knee-specific injury talks by the physio

and a supervisor at toolbox meetings, covering areas such as static postures, knee injuries and the compounding effects of late reporting. This had a profound effect on workers’ understanding and awareness of the risks and the control/mitigation measures that can be undertaken, as well as an increase in early intervention treatment.

Workforce strengthening was also conducted in parallel, including a kneestrengthening program in the form of a squat challenge and the inclusion of warm-up and stretching routines delivered to workforce before activities for the day began. This was combined with health and wellbeing programs and education sessions on the importance of exercise. However this intervention had a mixed reaction and takeup within the workforce and supervisor ranks.

In conjunction with the strengthening and awareness programs, a revision of physical controls and systems of work was undertaken. This included a review of preemployment medical criteria, a suitable duties register for vulnerable or restricted workers, an increased focus on identified hazards during work area inspections, and auditing of job rotation occurrence. Physical controls included the use of stools and supports to reduce kneeling-type work, the employment of new gel knee pads, and increased use of mats. Increasing the vigilance surrounding the physical aspects increased the supervisors’ accountability for the work area and planning of activities.

Since the initial program, BAE Systems has had an ongoing focus for reducing musculoskeletal injuries. One of the key

aspects has been to reframe manual handling training to focus on a “Think Risk” approach, built upon the premise that manual handing is often a dynamic and unplanned activity. This training was developed primarily to upskill supervisors in biomechanics and posture assessment, as well as coaching workers to identify manual handling tasks. Sessions for workers are role-specific and emphasise breaking down common activities to mitigate dangerous manual handling environments with a focus on controls.

A number of organisational metrics have demonstrated the success of the interventions, with a dramatic fall in lost-time injuries, and a stabilising of injuries that require medical treatment. First Aid treatments have also stabilised, though these are mostly indicators of the ongoing early intervention program. This has culminated in a dramatic reduction in rehabilitation and workers’ compensation costs, and a significant reduction in the rehabilitation premium.

BAE Systems understands that Zero-Harm does not equate to “zero risk”, but while this aspiration is potentially unachievable, the alternative – of accepting harm as part of normal business – is unsupportable.

Although knee injuries have not been reduced to “zero”, the result and approach to the program overall has contributed significantly, through worker consultation and a multipronged, practitioner-based approach to injury reduction, to reducing their significance both to the worker and for the organisation. www.baesystems.com

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Safety

Combining control and safety to minimise downtime Rockwell Automation helped New Zealand-based firm Nelson Pine Industries integrate control and safety with minimal production downtime.

The Nelson-Marlborough region is one of New Zealand’s major forestry areas, with 16% of the productive land area planted in production forests. Nelson Pine has the capacity to process one million cubic metres per annum, or 40% of the region’s annual harvest. The company produces GoldenEdge MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) and NelsonPine LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) from radiata pine grown in the plantation forests of Nelson, New Zealand.

Nelson Pine has grown to be one of the largest single-site producers of MDF in the world, while NelsonPine LVL has gained a niche offering in the construction sector in New Zealand and in offshore markets.

It has a reputation for product consistency and quality, sustainable timber resource management, low environmental impact practices and market-led research into product and production development.

Forest product processing technologies have recently undergone extraordinary advances, with improvements achieved in quality, recovery rates and safety. Nelson Pine is committed to maintaining compliance with evolving safety standards and utilising the latest control and safety technologies. As safety standards continued to advance, it was clear that an upgrade was required at the plant.

Nelson Pine called on Rockwell Automation to develop a solution that integrated control and safety while minimising production downtime.

Safety first In a plant that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, control and safety are of paramount importance. According to Ian Craw, Automation Engineer at Nelson Pine, “The plant is aging. To upgrade the chip mill we decided to start at the whole backbone of control to take advantage of advancing technologies and meet current safety standards.”

The chip mill is a large part of the site, where logs are unloaded from trucks for processing. Two pivot cranes and a drum debarker handle 300 tons of logs per hour. Control and safety are critically important in the chip mill so the first stage of the upgrade involved replacing the existing PLC-5 hardware platform with a GuardLogix Integrated Safety System.

According to Sean Doherty, Account Manager at Rockwell Automation, “The GuardLogix provides the benefits of the standard ControlLogix systems but also includes safety features that support Category 4/ PLe safety applications. The GuardLogix also offers integrated safety, discrete motion, drive and process control.

“Nelson Pine has been particularly innovative in their approach. We often see safety systems bolted on to the control systems that may meet safety requirements but impact other business objectives, such as production rates and downtime. This type of solution was discounted early in discussions with Nelson Pine.” To allow for zone control, the chip mill building was split into two geographical safety zones, using some of the latest safety guard locking switches with RFID technology for controlling and monitoring zones.

The first safety zone incorporates a large drum debarker, which rotates the logs, removing bark before entering the chipper. Outdated variable speed drives were replaced with eight 90kW PowerFlex 753 drives in a master/slave configuration. They receive their speed/torque reference via a device level ring (DLR) and achieve a Stop Category 0 (via safe torque off) to Cat3/PLd. “The integrated safety provided by zone control allows the plant to shut down one zone while the other is still operating as usual, delivering improved production rates,” said Doherty. “The goal is zero harm but we also wanted to minimise impact to production schedules so we suggested a solution that helps achieve this.”

The second safety zone incorporates safe speed monitoring of the main 1.8MW chipper motor and safe position monitoring of the 11kV motor breaker, to confirm lockout/tagout (LOTO) has been performed, before access is granted into the hazard zone.

“When upgrading equipment it was a priority to meet current safety standards,” said Craw. “We are well on the way to complying with the Machine Safety Standard, EN ISO 13849, with the goal to achieve PLd across most of the site in the coming years.”

Connectivity and visibility

PowerFlex 753 and 525 drives with safe torque off and device level ring ethernet connectivity to aid commissioning and fault finding.

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As there are many hundreds of metres between different parts of the site, an EtherNet/IP network was used to reduce both the amount of cabling required and the installation times, with fibre running the longest legs. Utilising DLRs achieved complete integration of the control and safety system, while the ring topology provides high availability of the safety network with high resiliency. Various DLRs were run to different

Safety

Reduce manual handling injuries with Mitsubishi One in three injuries to Australian workers is caused by manual handling. These are not limited to lifting or carrying heavy loads; a person can be injured when handling objects in a variety of ways, including pulling, pushing, holding or restraining.

parts of the site connecting with field safety devices, bringing the information back to one centralised safety processor that monitors the various processes.

“One of the huge benefits of the solution is being able to have visibility remotely,” said Craw. “We use PanelView Plus as the operator interface for fault finding and monitoring equipment out in the field. In our previous system we had to use multiple software systems to try to diagnose an issue, but now both the control and safety code are easily accessed and visible through ControlLogix.”

In addition to the PowerFlex 753 drives, which are used on site, Nelson Pine is also using the PowerFlex 525 drives with safe torque off and ethernet capabilities, reducing commissioning time and fault finding time.

Plug and play “The advantage of using GuardLogix is that you can edit and modify code on the run,” said Craw. “Trying to reduce production downtime during commissioning was a key outcome from my point of view because there are several aspects of the plant that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week almost every day of the year.”

“Machinery in the chip mill operates 24 hours a day, so once we had GuardLogix up and running, we were able to add hardware and edit safety code on the fly which gave us significant production advantages.”

Nelson Pine also used the Safety Automation Builder tool to facilitate the planning of safety systems to achieve the required safety performance level. This tool leverages an extensive offering of safety products, utilising widely accepted best practices to help companies build a complete safety solution.

“For years everyone has been saying that system control and integration is going to become more plug and play but now ControlLogix is really bringing it to that level,” said Craw. Nelson Pine has adopted production processes that are both safe and environmentally sound.

As a result of the success of the new control and safety solution in the chip mill, the company is planning to roll out the solution across the entire plant.

According to Australian compensation statistics, the most common of these injuries are sprains and strains, accounting for 43% of all serious claims. Between 2000 and 2012, 20% of these claims were a direct result of back strains and injuries, while 21% of all weeks lost from work were due to back injuries. Safe Work Australia suggests that back injuries are most common in the transport and storage, and manufacturing industries.

An effective way to reduce back injury rates is to minimise or stop the use of manual hand pallet jacks when moving heavy loads. Manual pallet jacks can make significant physical demands on operators in confined areas, particularly when heavy loads must be moved using muscle power alone.

The effort involved in starting and stopping a load results in most back injuries. According to Mitsubishi, the maximum figure for safely starting or stopping a load is an effort of 20kg for men and 15 kg for women. Testing of hand pallet jacks shows that starting a 500kg load from stationary takes an effort of 23.3kg. Increase the load to 2,000kg, and the force required is 49.6kg, much greater than official guidelines recommend.

While initially more costly than hand pallet jacks, electric pallet movers are much safer and more cost-effective in the long run. With the right equipment and operator training, electric pallet movers will significantly diminish the risk of operator injury, reduce fatigue, improve operator performance, and increase the efficiency of the operation.

Mitsubishi’s Premia power pallet movers offer a comprehensive solution for safe horizontal movement of heavy loads, while minimising the risk of back injury. Distributed in Australia by MLA Holdings, the Premia pallet mover makes light work of transporting loads in a safe and easy manner, and helps your business avoid contributing to workplace injury statistics.

Acceleration, top speed and braking characteristics are fully programmable to suit each individual’s needs. When the control handle is pulled all the way down or up, the truck automatically stops.

Furthermore, when the emergency button is activated the truck immediately stops. For tight turning in confined spaces the Mitsubishi Premia power pallet movers have a unique “handle-up” operation feature making them ideal for use in containers and the back of trucks. www.mlaholdings.com.au.

“Ultimately I have used other safety hardware previously and because they only focus on safety it makes it difficult when you are looking at the bigger picture,” said Craw. “Our plant involves a multitude of safety inputs/outputs, and a lot of other systems aren’t built to that type of scale.

“Rockwell Automation have really partnered with us in providing valuable support and application knowledge that has enabled us to retrofit safety into the working plant. We have not only achieved a suitable performance level relatively easily, but also minimised production downtime, which is of paramount importance to our plant.” www.nelsonpine.co.nz www.rockwellautomation.com AMT September 2015

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forum – OHS

Employers urged to ratchet up workplace health and safety training Training both workers and senior managers, including board members, in best-practice approaches to workplace health and safety (WHS) must remain a priority if manufacturing is to further reduce its high fatality rate, as explained by Brendan Torazzi.

The industry has the highest average incidence and frequency rate of serious workers’ compensation claims for the five-year period from 2004–05 to 2008–09 compared to other industries, latest Safe Work Australia (SWA) figures reveal (Work Health and Safety Perceptions: Manufacturing Industry, February 2015).

In 2011-12 (provisional national workers’ compensation data), the incidence rate of serious workers’ compensation claims for manufacturing was 18.4 per 1000 workers, which was 1.6 times the rate of all industries (11.4 per 1000 workers).

Positive signs Despite these seemingly gloomy figures, manufacturing’s performance in regard to injuries and fatalities has improved in recent times.

More than 80% of manufacturing employers reported that they provide health and safety training, have a work health and safety policy, have procedures for reporting work-related injuries and ill health and procedures for controlling hazards.

Areas for improvement A few areas for improvement for control measures for specific hazards were identified in a separate SWA’s survey, National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance (NHEWS).

A considerable proportion (14%) of workers who reported exposure to airborne hazards and 14% of workers who were exposed to vibration reported that no control measures were provided for these hazards.

From a peak of 2.83 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2008, the fatality incidence rate fell dramatically to 1.87 (2012) and 1.07 (2013) – with the 2013 figure lower than the historically “safer” sector of administrative and support services.

However, despite its high rate of work-related injury and illness, the industry appears to be doing well in terms of general work health and safety activities, SWA reports. The vast majority of workers reported undertaking work health and safety activities such as using PPE provided and making work practices safe.

Whether that trend is repeated in the next set of SWA’s Work Related Traumatic Fatalities Australia figures, due out in two months, remains to be seen.

The largest discrepancy was for discussing health and safety concerns in the workplace. Almost all (99%) employers reported this compared to 73% of workers SWA’s WHS Perceptions Survey.

Regardless, for an industry with a long history of serous claims, training workers, line managers and senior management in best practice approaches to WHS must remain a key priority for employers if the industry is to continue to improve its performance, AlertForce believes.

Training on the up

Machinery incidents remain a concern Of the four industries with the highest number of fatalities in the 10 years between 2003 and 2013 – transport, postal and warehousing (664), agriculture, forestry and fishing (629), construction (402) and manufacturing (244), manufacturing is the only one where the proportion of fatalities due to a vehicle collision in the manufacturing industry is relatively low (23% compared with 41% nationally).

However, manufacturing has higher proportions of hit by falling object (16%), trapped by objects (which includes being trapped between stationary and moving objects and being trapped by moving machinery or equipment [19%]), and being hit by moving objects (16%) than in the other industries profiled.

These mechanisms account for between 8% and 12% of worker fatalities nationally.

Key findings The most common self-reported exposures in the manufacturing industry were exposure to airborne hazards, noise and vibration, SWA’s Work Related Traumatic Fatalities Australia 2013 figures reveal.

Most workers with exposure to noise were provided with some type of control.

However, about one in seven workers with exposure to airborne hazards and vibration were not provided with any control measure for these hazards.

According to the majority of workers and employers in manufacturing, work health and safety activities such as using personal protective equipment, identifying health and safety risks and removing hazards are undertaken ‘most of the time’ or ‘always’.

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In terms of health and safety training, the manufacturing industry is doing well, SWA reports. SWA’s 2012 WHS Perceptions Survey of Employers showed that a large majority of employers in manufacturing (87%) provided health and safety training to their workers in the last 12 months. The proportion is 71% among employers in other priority industries.

SWA’s Regulatory Burden Survey 2013 also showed the high rate of internal and external staff training among manufacturing businesses.

However, both surveys indicated that small businesses were less likely to provide health and safety training compared to medium and large businesses.

Other areas that could be targeted for improvement in health and safety activities include inclusion of contractors in health and safety induction training if required and addressing bullying and fatigue.

In general, manufacturing employers and workers believed that they have the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and others at work. Both groups also had positive perceptions about management actions to improve health and safety and safety communication in the workplace. There was an expectation by employers that workers will follow safety rules in their workplace and most workers reported following organisational rules on work health and safety.

However, at least one in five workers and employers accepted risk taking if there is time pressure. More research is needed to better understand risk-taking behaviours in this industry, SWA says.

Further information can be found at Safe Work Australia Further information can be found at Safe Work Australia Brendan Torazzi is chief executive officer of AlertForce, a registered training organisation. AlertForce specialises in compliance training for workplace health and safety by offering quality online, face-to- face and/or blended training approaches to create fast, flexible and competitive WHS training and compliance solutions. Ph: 1800 900 222 www.alertforce.com.au

forum – Law

Don’t become your customer’s banker Jason Ashton explains how, as lawyers, M+K sees many potentially great businesses fail because their cash flow is damaged by slow-paying customers.

Manufacturing business owners know running a business requires development and fine-tuning of every process from acquiring infrastructure and materials to finding the right staff to produce high quality products at a competitive price with a decent margin. There are hundreds of innovative businesses that do just this, but many fail because their cash flow is damaged by slow-paying customers.

There are a number of steps which can be taken to minimise substantial loses to bad debtors and liquidator’s claims.

Before commencing trade It is easy to become caught in the euphoria of getting that new customer or large order. Often the temptation is to go straight into planning and production mode, requiring the company to spend money on plant and equipment, materials and staff. This is the time when we would recommend you pause. Before committing, do some due diligence!

When dealing with the new customers we would recommend the following steps: • Do a search on the company and directors. This can tell you how long the company has existed, what other companies the directors have been involved in and if the directors have been involved in any failed companies.

• Do credit checks. Organisations such as Dunn & Bradstreet and Veda Advantage offer services where they would rate the company’s credit worthiness.

• Have good terms which are tailored for your business, production times, cash flow requirements, and type of customer.

7. Make sure the line of communication with employees is clear and each person understands their role in limiting risk associated with supplying stock on credit.

Supply process Once the relationship has started, it is critical to train accounts receivable staff. It is easy to say that businesses should be disciplined about debt recovery but it is not always easy to implement. Often the sales team develop strong personal relationships with customers and typically want to help the customer and avoid conflict. Customers who are slow-paying use these relationships and the promise of more orders to placate an accounts manager or persuade them to extend terms. Owners should err on the side of caution. If in doubt don’t tolerate late payments and stop supply well before substantial debt builds up. Whilst these conversations are often hard and may risk losing large orders, being disciplined reduces your exposure and tends to weed out customers who are using you as their banker.

Leniency and double whammy You have probably heard customers say “I’m waiting on payment from my customer, I’ll pay next week” and “can I pay you off by instalments”? If your business acquiesces to these pleas, you open yourself up for a double whammy. If your accounts manager continues to supply, agrees to payment terms or does not enforce retention of title provisions in the hope that the customer will make good, your business is on a slippery slope.

1. Obtain personal guarantees.

Inevitably as payment terms continue to stretch, accounts managers will send more urgent emails demanding payment sparking more pleading emails that divulge more information about the customer’s financial woes. Far too often customers then go silent, they stop responding to calls or any attempts at debt recovery. Before long you receive a letter from a liquidator not only asking you to prove your debt but also demand that you repay the last six months’ worth of payments on the basis that you have received an unfair preference.

The liquidator will use all of the pleas for leniency, responses and your knowledge against you. The liquidator will say that you were aware the company was or likely to be insolvent. Often, the more lenient and understanding you are, the worse your chance of successfully defending unfair preference claim becomes.

2. Consider an initial cash on delivery for new clients or larger orders.

Owners often express the wish that they had spent time and money insuring that:

3. Make sure your terms allow you to register security interests on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) and train your staff .

1. Their terms were clear, concise and tailored for their business.

If there is any doubt about the new customer’s credibility, ask yourself: 1. Do you really want the work; is it worth the risk?

2. What conditions can you add to your terms to minimise the risk?

3. If the worse case occurs, can your business afford to lose the money if the customer doesn’t pay?

Terms and Conditions A higher risk customer warrants spending time negotiating more advantageous terms. Below are some points which can be built into terms to limit risk:

4. Consider terms which require deposits before committing to large orders.

5. Make sure your terms are well drafted to allow you to suspend or cease supply when payment is late.

6. Make sure that every relevant employee from sales to dispatch understands how the terms work and any special conditions for a customer.

2. They trained staff to know when and how to use the PPSR. 3. They had stopped supply earlier before the debt was significant.

4. Staff didn’t dispatch that last delivery when he or she should have known that the customer was on stop-supply.

5. They adequately trained staff to conducted checks well before the customer was offered a line of credit.

Conclusion It makes good commercial sense to invest in correct documentation and the right people to use them. To discuss how M+K can help your business, please contact us on (03) 9794 2600. www.mk.com.au

AMT September 2015

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forum – finance

The importance of business planning for success More than a third of organisations fail to complete business plans, putting their long-term viability at risk.

According to RSM Bird Cameron’s 2015 thinkBIG study, businesses with a plan consistently outperform those without a plan, as explained by Andrew Graham.

Findings from the thinkBIG study show that two-thirds (66%) of SMEs develop a business plan at some point, with 47% creating an annual plan, 6% doing it every two years and 5% every three years. One-third (34%) of businesses do not complete a business plan at all.

For business owners trying to compete with offshore manufacturers, failing to plan means they are unlikely to succeed. Companies that simply react to market demands, taking a short-term approach to problem-solving, are unlikely to succeed in the long term.

Effective strategic planning is vital for manufacturing companies to counter increasing competition and rising overheads.

The thinkBIG study revealed that, of those companies that completed a business plan, 56% achieved growth and just 13% experienced a decline in revenue. Companies that did not complete a business plan were less likely to succeed, with only 36% reporting growth and 24% reporting a decline in revenue.

This reinforces the need to complete a realistic business plan, since careful planning has been proven to be closely aligned with revenue growth. Therefore, business owners who complete a plan are more likely to achieve growth. Moreover, a solid and detailed business plan is essential when it comes to obtaining finance, particularly given the banks’ tighter approach to lending. Some financial institutions may require particular reporting covenants or planning elements to be in place before lending.

SME owners are placing more emphasis on all aspects of business planning in 2015 compared with 2014. The most commonly-included planning element in 2014 was a financial plan with 78% of SMEs completing one. By contrast, 82% completed a financial plan in 2015.

80% of SMEs focused on business goals in 2015 compared with 64% in 2014, and 73% included an action plan in 2015 compared with 57% in 2014.

Financial plans and business goals continue to be the top two areas focused on by SME owners who undertake formal planning. This highlights the trend of SMEs questioning their current business model and the markets in which they operate. However, there is a relatively even focus spread out across all elements of planning including action plans, marketing, operating and management plans. This indicates that SMEs develop plans according to their needs, including and excluding elements accordingly. Given the increasingly competitive environment there is now much more of a need for business owners to include sales planning as part of their overall business strategy.

There is no single format or rigid template for a business plan: what is important is that SMEs give thought to their direction and focus and that they do it on a regular basis.

Business plans can be concise documents that set the strategic goals of the business and how to get there. Rather than seeing planning as a chore, business owners should see it as updating an essential roadmap that sets the direction of the business.

The time spent on planning will help

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business owners clarify their own vision for the company, addressing questions around capacity, capability and how to close the gaps.

A business plan should be a living document that is referred to regularly and updated accordingly. It can be useful to work with a business advisor to ensure the plan includes all the relevant elements and serves its purpose adequately.

Key business plan elements can include: 1. Executive summary Include a company background, marketing opportunity, mission statement, competitive advantage and a summary of financial projections. It is a good idea to write the executive summary last despite it being the first section of your business plan.

2. Company overview Provide more information about the company, including when and how it was formed, its business model and its strategy and direction.

3. Business offering Outline why the company is in business, its competitive advantage and also what products or services it sells. The business offering should also provide information on suppliers, distributors and inventory.

Include any new product or service planned to be introduced in the future.

4. Marketing plan and analysis Detail the marketing and sales plan, customer service, advertising, and public relations. Many companies use this section to outline why the company will be successful and back this statement up with market-based research.

5. Strategy and implementation Provide strategy and implementation information, as this is important for potential investors. It includes all the in-depth details including dates and deadlines. It can also include the company’s sales forecasts.

6. Financial projection Include projected profit and loss statements, balance sheet and cash flow statements. Financial projections are about showing the quantities involved in the entire business plan.

RSM Bird Cameron’s annual thinkBIG study has measured the pulse of the Australian SME since 2005. It benchmarks business growth and profitability, business planning, exit planning, superannuation and the impact and uptake of technology. 446 business owners participated in the 2015 study, providing insights into how Australian SMEs feel about their business.

Andrew Graham is the national head of business solutions for RSM Bird Cameron. With more than 20 years’ experience, Andrew has a proven record of strategy development and managing growth to deliver substantial improvements to business. Andrew works closely with his clients to deliver results and outcomes that make a real difference to their business and personal goals. Tel: 07 3221 7888) www.rsmi.com.au

forum – Logistics

Getting the most out of your supply chain partners and service providers Lawrence Christoffelsz offers some valuable information on the importance of strong procedural frameworks for those companies involved in importing and/or exporting. This is critical in regard to ongoing account management development for all parties involved.

Many Australian companies are involved in either importing, exporting, or both. As such, they’re constantly seeking new ways to reduce costs and increase efficiencies across their supply chains.

Unfortunately, in order to achieve improvements, the companies themselves are heavily dependent upon external stakeholders and service providers to co-operate effectively. This can often prove to be difficult and is even more complicated when dealing with different countries and cultures.

The number one COMMUNICATION.

key

in

improving

any

supply

chain

is

With clear and concise communication comes transparency. With transparency comes valuable information which then provides the ability to adapt and be pro-active (instead of only reactive) to the multitude of variables that commonly occur in transacting business globally.

Blow outs in inventory holdings, production and transport lead times or customer delivery milestones are mostly caused by poor communication channels (either internally, externally – or both).

The seemingly simple step of ‘aligning stakeholders and service providers’ requires a commitment and dedication from all organisations involved, and critically, the ability to develop clear procedures and key performance indicators. This not only keeps all parties accountable, but also provides measurable tools which can be used for continual improvement.

My personal experience in working with both large and small organisations alike, is that information, procedures and requirements are commonly ‘locked away’ in the heads of a few people at each stakeholder’s organisation. This is obviously represents a huge risk.

If, for whatever reason, the key people are not available, then chaos usually follows – which generally costs money and upsets customers.

Examples of common stakeholders are; • • • • • •

Raw material suppliers Manufacturers Freight forwarders Customs Agents Transport companies Banks / Finance partners

In my opinion, some key instruments (formally written) that a company must develop are; • Supply Chain Milestone Map • Milestone Lead Time Framework • Detailed SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for key business functions • Visual Process Flow Maps • Service Level Agreements with key service providers & stakeholders • KPIs • Communication Matrix (who speaks to how, for what) • Business Improvement Frameworks (review periods) • Performance Incentive Scheme (if applicable)

As a return on investment, it also provides a strong foundation for commercial negotiations with suppliers and service providers, based on performance criteria. This is an extremely effective way to drive down costs and improve efficiencies – simultaneously.

Global business transactions can be overwhelming, but when we truly break it down, the key to success is to keep things simple, measurable and consistent.

Leveraging modern IT platforms (ERP, WMS, CRM, etc.) are also invaluable tools in which to monitor and improve supply chains. There are a large variety of systems used across stakeholders, but most, if not all, are able to be interfaced to automatically capture relevant data on a regular, scheduled basis.

If a company has a ‘standard’ set of service level agreements (SLAs), key performance indicators (KPIs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs), these can be modified and used for a variety of internal and external benefits; • Internal staff training & induction • Internal reviews & improvements • New supplier/service provider training & on-boarding • Existing supplier/service provider conformance & improvement No matter how small or large the company, if you are involved in importing and/or exporting, the investment in developing strong procedural frameworks pays for itself in no-time. It mitigates risk to all parties as well as keeping improvement negotiations to a factual (instead of emotional) and professional discussion.

Unfortunately, many companies focus mainly on commercial details when selecting supply chain partners and/or service providers.

Simply negotiating prices or rates is only the starting point of any business relationship. The ongoing account management and continual improvement or development is where true value is achieved – for both parties involved.

The focus on customers (acquisition and retention), as we all know, is critical for the viability and success of any business, however the same level of focus and attention must be given to all of the supply chain stakeholders in order to deliver true customer benefits and satisfaction.

Lawrence Christoffelsz is International Trade & Supply Chain Advisor. He is also Managing Director of Logistics Results Pty Ltd - an Australian-owned and operated company. This team of supply chain, logistics and international trade experts will increase your efficiencies and reduce the costs to your organisation. Logistics Results has developed a proven track record for high-quality and continuity in outsourced Supply Chain Optimisation around the world . Capabilities in organisational analytic design have helped to reinforce innovative methods, thus transforming all current operational models into innovative 21st Century mega platforms.

Ph: 1300 13 17 18 www.logisticsresults.com.au www.exportresults.com.au Lawrence Christoffelsz is also Director and Board Member of the Australian Chamber of International Trade - www.acit.org.au

Once an overall (and well documented) process framework has been developed, it is far easier to align all stakeholders to the goals and requirements of the organisation.

AMT September 2015

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manufacturing history

Big wheels & little wheels – the story of Sir Laurence John Hartnett (1898 – 1986)

Part 8

Buicks for the sultans

UK-born Sir Laurence Hartnett arrived in Australia in 1934. He was known as Australia’s ‘Father of the Holden’, but he was much more than that as he tirelessly devoted himself to the country he loved via his visionary “Made in Australia” campaign. Apart from commencing the remarkable revitalisation of GM-Holden in 1934, his other contributions to Australia included being appointed Director of Ordnance Production in World War II, setting up the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and numerous other ventures. In this instalment, young Laurence arrives in Singapore to take up a position as an engineer at Guthrie & Co. How does a young non-conformist tackle the traditions of a 150-year-old UK company in the Far East? Laurence’s opportunities and solutions in this outpost of British empire are stepping stones to his eventual achievements in Australia. The year is 1923.

I

arrive in Singapore to work for Guthrie’s & Co. – the first British trading company in Southeast Asia. It is 1923 and I am 25 years old.

Guthrie’s ran to a system devised over a hundred and fifty years of bringing young men out from England, training them, and watching them take over positions of authority in the firm and the Colony until they retired and went back to England after twenty or thirty years. The firm was an institution. They had everything under control. They would tell you what to do and what not to do in a few casually spoken words. Soon you found yourself in the groove, conforming to the system, just like your fellows. At first I went to work in the engineering department, selling machinery and electriclighting plants to the rubber estates and tin-mining companies. But the experience I had gained in my car business at Wallington (UK) had awakened me to the great business potential that motor trading offered, so, naturally, I took a professional interest in the fortunes of Guthrie’s with regard to cars. They held the Daimler franchise for Singapore and Malaya, and had built up spasmodic but profitable business selling this aristocratic English car to wealthy Englishmen and Chinese. I believed Guthrie’s could increase their profits if they sold American cars, too, particularly the Buick. The Buick was a wellbuilt, powerful car, big and luxurious enough to appeal to the wealthy merchants and planters. I suggested to Guthrie’s that they should arrange with General Motors to handle the distribution of Buicks in Singapore, Malaya and North Borneo, and backed my suggestion with facts about the Buick and how it should be marketed. To my delight, Guthrie’s accepted the suggestion and soon arranged the distributorship for the area. What’s more, they appointed me manager of the new motor department. At twenty-five I was the youngest manager Guthrie’s had ever had.

Guthrie’s ideas of how to operate in the motor business differed greatly from mine. Much of the customers’ selection was made from catalogues and photographs. In due course, the magnificent mechanical carriage would arrive by steamer from England. Selling Buicks in volume was quite another proposition, and I had a tough time convincing Guthrie’s

Laurence as Manager of Guthrie’s Motor Dept. and a 7-seater Buick from GM, Canada.

of this. We’d have to lay in stocks of cars, spare parts, offer a repair service and appoint dealers covering all major parts of the territory.

Serious differences arose between the directors of Guthrie’s and myself. It reached the point where I began looking for a return steamer to England. But finally came a cable from Sir John Anderson (head of Guthrie), in London, to let me have my head. The directors gave in and said I could set up my distributorship according to my own plans. They built a new warehouse, including showroom, office and service station, on some land they owned in Grange Road, in those days well out of Singapore proper, and gave me the new setup as my own department. As soon as the first shipment of Buicks arrived, I enrolled as mixed a group of Asians as you’d find anywhere: Chinese carpenters, Tamil labourers, Malay mechanics, a handsome Sikh jaga. I was the only European. As the weeks went by, I developed a great sympathy and liking for all the Asian people who worked with me. My language lessons began to payoff quickly. I spoke Malay all the time, returning to English only when speaking to other Europeans.

Of course, we had a few tricks up our sleeve at Grange Road.

Whenever one of the Malay sultans would visit Singapore, I’d pull every string I could to have the sultan and his retinue visit the showrooms of Messrs. Guthrie and Co. to inspect the latest range of Buick cars. Somehow I managed to get nearly all the sultans into the Grange Road showrooms. I would speak to them in Malay, and my prestige would rise because they appreciated an Englishman who had taken the trouble to learn their tongue. It was very much due to the fact that I spoke High Malay that the young Sultan of Perak, after a tour around the showroom with me, said, “Thank you, Mr. Hartnett.

I would like five of these cars please. When can I take delivery?”

Five Buicks in one order!

This is an extract from ‘Big Wheels & Little Wheels’, by Sir Laurence Hartnett as told to John Veitch, 1964. © Deirdre Barnett.

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AMT September 2015

To be continued…

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Supported by: Machinery Forum (NSW) Pty Ltd 43 Brodie Street, Rydalmere NSW Pty Ltd Phone: +61 2 9638 9600 e-mail: machinery@mafosyd.com.au

Shane Infanti – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

AMTIL thanks our members for input into event activities Industry should by now be aware of our decision to move our major trade exhibition – Austech - to a biennial cycle.

Austech will not run in Sydney next year and is next scheduled to run from 9-12 May 2017 in Melbourne. This has had a big impact on our ability to promote our members’ capabilities, so we have been working behind the scenes to revamp a calendar of events that will not only provide marketing and promotion support, but also educate and inform our members and provide good networking opportunities.

We have just completed a survey of our members covering a number of questions relating to topics of interest, types of activity they like to attend, level of information they would like to get, technical topics, timing and frequency of activities. I would like to thank our members for their feedback. As a result, we have moved forward with our activity plans on the basis of a larger number of smaller events. This seems to be the general consensus. Our calendar of events is available at www.amtil.com.au To summarise, the different types of activities we have planned are:

Plant visits We feel it is important to highlight the success stories from our industry and to be able to take our members into businesses that have developed niche markets and are exporting their products. So we have visits to Rode Microphones, Sutton Toools, ANCA and Austal planned over the coming months, which is sure to generate interest amongst the manufacturing and engineering sector. We also recently conducted a site visit to CSIRO’s Lab 22, which included an outline of five key technologies, and an up-close look at the machines (Arcam EBM, Concept Laser Curing, Optomec LENS, Voxeljet VX100 3D Sand Printer, and Cold Spray equipment).

Networking functions Networking functions have always been a part of AMTIL’s event portfolio and will continue to be into the future. The format of these has been over breakfast or dinner in recent years and we are still working through what works best for our members in each state. Having a combination of manufacturing technology suppliers and their customers together in the one room provides an excellent opportunity to network with your peers.

Social activities All work and no play is not good for anybody, so we like to ensure we have at least a few social networking activities during the year, headlined by our annual golf day (which I remind people I have never won) which will be held at Riversdale Golf Course on Friday 4 December this year. We also have a number of Christmas functions in various states and some social activities planned for the New Year.

Educational forums Networking and socialising are important facets of getting people together but we also need to make sure that our activities are educational and informative, so key speakers presenting on relevant topics is something we are extremely focused on.

Focus sessions We have had a number of Focus sessions over the past few months that have allowed members to engage in a specific topic and provide feedback to the AMTIL Board and management. This has been exceptionally valuable, particularly the sessions on Industry Issues and what can be done to address them. See page 10 for more information and discussion around this activity.

In addition to the activities listed above, we are also working with a number of other groups to support their activities that we believe will be of benefit to our members. One in particular is our support for Vernier functions that occur on the second Thursday of each month at the Kooyong Tennis Centre in Melbourne.

All AMTIL events and activities have member rates and non-members rates and we encourage as many non-members to attend as possible. For more information on events go to www.amtil.com.au or email Kim Warren at kwarren@amtil.com.au

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Intellectual Property – Protect your assets Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) fail to appreciate the value of their intellectual property (IP). Mal Clark offers some advice on protecting your business’ assets.

Much has been written about disruptive technologies – how new industries are reshaping the world – and all business owners and managers should be reviewing their processes for new opportunities.

This may seem great if the company is starting out, but what about established businesses? How does the business owner embrace these concepts while continuing to manage their business amid challenges from these new competitors?

Established businesses have one major advantage over start-ups: intangible assets, most easily described as intellectual property. Many business owners simply consider IP as relating to patents, and many SMEs do not consider their activities as patentable – if they do, they regard patents as the only way to manage their IP. A good place to start is the Government website IP Australia (www. ipaustralia.gov.au), which provides an outline of the various types of IP protection available for individuals and businesses. Within the website is a search ability to research the various types of registered IP. What this website does not do is help businesses develop their IP management strategy. Various strategies are available, depending on the businesses, business model, industry sector, and products & services. An effective IP management strategy will allow a business to improve its balance sheet by placing a value against intangible assets.

These intangible assets are specifically targeted to have the customer consider factors other than price when making purchasing decisions.

When the customer considers these additional factors, a business has the opportunity to increase profitability and cash flow.

Let’s look at Coca Cola as an example. First, there are the trademarks (or tradenames): Coca Cola, Coke and a variety of words and symbols including its distinctive bottle shape. Have you considered registering all the variations of your trademarks in all the jurisdictions you plan to operate in? Registering your trademark creates the opportunity to claim the business name and URL should these be needed.

Next is the brand. Coca Cola has the trademark, but what does this mean to the consumer? Coca Cola consistently reinforces what the trademark means: “fun and happiness”. Consumers purchase Coca Cola for the experience. As a business owner, have you surveyed customers, potential customers or ex-customers, to see what your business name means to them? Surveys should also include the whole supply chain, right through to the end-user. The outcome of such surveys should translate into a branding strategy, promoting the positives and negating the negatives.

Patents are a well-understood concept, but they have a lifespan.

If Coca Cola had patented its ideas and concepts, they would now be in the public domain and free to use. As a business owner you need to consider whether a patent is your best strategy.

Design registration is less well known than patents, but is an extremely powerful IP protection methodology. The Coca Cola bottle is a registered design, which Coca Cola uses to its advantage. In your business, how often have you been asked by a customer to “design something to fix a problem”? Or you think of a better way and offer this to your customer. Many SME owners give away IP without a thought about its value.

Of course you may not want to register any intangible assets and these are classed as trade secrets. While not offering formal protection, trade secrets can offer an unlimited time for exploitation. Coca Cola’s secret formulation is perhaps one of the more well-known trade secrets. How businesses complete their business transactions – such as set-up, scheduling, etc. – can be considered part of a trade secret portfolio.

However if a business is going down the trade secret path, careful consideration must be given to managing this IP, as there is no redress should this knowledge “leak” into the public domain.

Lastly, anything that comes from the human mind and is put into a permanent form is covered under copyright. You do not have to register copyright as it is a right assigned to an individual for their effort.

Individuals frequently assign their copyrights across to their employers as part of their employment contract. Little-known copyright material includes customer and supplier contact lists, or production processes – all data of great value to competitors. While not formally registerable, it is appropriate to have a mechanism to date all copyright material and a strategy to prevent leakage.

Of course, you may decide the best strategy for your business is to do nothing, but in my opinion, this is a strategy for limited growth and reduced long-term returns. However, if you are proceeding down the path of improving your business’ intangible assets, you need a management strategy: which IP you will proceed with; how you will manage it; and what you should do if a competitor infringes on your IP. Mal Clark is a Business Adviser with the Commonwealth Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme (EP). AMTIL is a partner organisation working with the Department of Industry in the delivery of the EP. www.business.gov.au/EP

At your service.

AMTIL supports its members through its select range of AMTIL Service Partners.

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AMT September 2015

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AMTILinside

Trading insolvent – A director’s obligations In the current economic climate, an estimated 10% of Australian manufacturing companies are making losses or trading insolvent. This has several implications and company directors can be personally liable if they continue to operate and incur debts when insolvent, writes Damian Sutherland.

Firstly, and most importantly, making losses does not necessarily mean that your business is trading insolvent. Insolvency is the inability of a corporation to pay debts as and when they fall due for payment.

There is a common misconception that, as a director of a company, you are not personally liable for the company’s debts. However, S558G of the Corporations Act imposes liability on company directors who allow the company to incur a debt at a time when the company is insolvent, assuming they were aware of reasonable grounds to suspect insolvency.

Penalties and consequences for directors for trading insolvent include: • Civil penalties against directors, including pecuniary penalties of up to $200,000.

• A claim can be made for compensation by creditors for losses resulting from insolvent trading. Compensation payments are potentially unlimited and may result in the bankruptcy of the directors.

• If a director is found to be dishonest and intentionally or recklessly trading whilst insolvent, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) can prosecute for criminal charges, resulting in fines up to $220,000 and/or imprisonment up to five years, as well as disqualification from acting as a director.

One of the main issues faced by directors is being able to identify when a company is insolvent. Ensuring that a company’s balance sheet has a surplus of assets over liabilities is a positive indicator of solvency. However, if the assets are not liquid or include stock and debtors associated with working capital requirements of the business, the company may not have the cash flow to pay debts as they fall due.

This has particular resonance with manufacturing businesses. Typically manufacturing businesses carry accounts receivable, stock and work in progress and also have to fund plant and equipment necessary for their business needs.

The carrying values of these assets in a balance sheet require significant equity and debt funding. Quite often, manufacturing businesses have a significant portion of their plant and equipment subsidised by hire purchase facilities or commercial bills. In addition they may use debt factoring to help finance their accounts receivable book.

This funding requirement can result in inconsistent and ‘lumpy’ cash flow. Knowing whether these are timing issues that will “smooth” out across a full trading year or whether it is a profit issue is something that is critical to be aware of on a regular basis.

As a director, you need to ensure you are properly informed about the current financial position of the company. During difficult trading periods, it is not uncommon to neglect the accounting and financial reporting. However, it is at this time that you should be regularly informed of the company’s current trading status.

Signs that indicate the company is at risk of insolvency include ongoing losses, poor cash flow, increasing debt and creditors unpaid outside usual terms, including overdue taxes and superannuation liabilities, problems obtaining finance, regularly defaulting on loans or overdraft

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AMT September 2015

limits, and a belief that the company will turn around when you get the next big job, sale or contract.

When a company first starts to have cash flow difficulties, the first liabilities that are usually overlooked are ATO liabilities and Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) requirements. A director penalty notice may be issued when a company fails to meet a PAYG withholding or SGC liability in full by the due date, which automatically becomes personally liable for a penalty equal to the unpaid amount for all directors of the business.

Entering a payment arrangement with the ATO may help with the shortterm cash flow of a company, though careful consideration needs to be taken before entering any such ATO payment arrangement. Directors may be liable if the ATO needs to refund monies to a liquidator under the unfair preference provisions in section 588FGA of the Corporations Act. Directors are personally liable to the ATO for payments originally made by a company to the ATO under a payment arrangement in the previous 12 months before the liquidator was appointed. That is, if a liquidator forces the ATO to return the money to the company, the directors become liable to the ATO for that amount, as well as any costs the ATO is ordered to pay to the liquidator.

Directors may be liable to compensate a company for a loss if the director causes the company to enter while insolvent into a directorrelated transaction that resulted in an ‘unreasonable’ benefit. A transaction is ‘unreasonable’ if a reasonable person in the same circumstances would not have entered into the transaction after considering any benefits or disadvantages to the company or any related parties to the transaction. A liquidator can make a demand upon a director to compensate the liquidator for the amount of the unreasonable transaction.

Directors of companies who want to reduce their risk of becoming personally liable and reduce their likelihood of wrongful trading while insolvent should ensure they always have adequate and timely financial information, be alert to danger signs such as pressure from creditors, hold regular board meetings to discuss/review the company’s situation, ensure they consider the interests of creditors, as well as comply with their statutory directors’ duties and consider stopping trading and starting appropriate insolvency proceedings before creditors do.

If your company is under financial distress, it is critical that you seek specialist, professional advice to address solvency issues as early as possible to ensure that you are fully informed of the facts.

Damian Sutherland is a director of William Buck (Vic) Pty Ltd Chartered Accountants. AMTIL has a service partnership with William Buck as an exclusive benefit to our members. For more information, contact AMTIL’s Corporate Services Manager Greg Chalker by calling 03 9800 3666 or emailing gchalker@amtil.com. au. Damian Sutherland can be contacted on 03 9824 8555. www.williambuck.com

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Manufacturelink is your directory for all things Manufacturing. processes. services. technology.

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We’ve got the link to make it happen.

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AMTILinside

Book now for AMTIL AGM AMTIL’s annual general meeting (AGM) will be held at the Riversdale Golf Club in south-east Melbourne on Thursday 22 October.

AMTIL’s AGM is the event where you can hear about AMTIL’s latest plans and initiatives plus reports on the previous year’s activities. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to learn about what’s in store for AMTIL members in 2016 and have their say on the new initiatives.

In addition, there will be the chance to network with other AMTIL members over finger food and drinks, and find out how to get the most from your AMTIL membership. Special presentations for the event will shortly be confirmed.

The AGM is free for AMTIL members, with a fee of $70 for non-members. Bookings are now open, so visit the AMTIL website to secure your place.

AMTIL Annual General Meeting Date:

Thursday 22 October 2015

Time:

5.00pm – 7.30pm

Parking: Free parking is available

at the venue.

Dress: Neat casual or

business attire. www.amtil.com.au/Events

Lab 22 visit for AMTIL team AMTIL staff enjoyed a break from the usual routine in late July, with a trip to visit CSIRO’s new Lab 22 facility in Clayton, south-east Melbourne.

Launched by CSIRO in May, Lab 22 is a $6m facility established to provide Australian companies with affordable access to specialist additive manufacturing equipment and expertise in the field of 3D printing with metal. By lowering their capital investment risk and allowing companies to ‘try before they buy’, Lab 22 overcomes one of the major barriers facing smaller businesses in adopting 3D printing with metal.

Led by Chad Henry of CSIRO, the tour featured an outline of the five technologies in which Lab 22 specialises and an up-close look at the extensive range of cutting-edge equipment that the facility has to offer. The AMTIL team also had the chance to find out more about how the facility aims to help Australian manufacturers seeking to find out more about additive manufacturing and its potential for their business. www.amtil.com.au/Files/Lab-22.aspx

AMTIL FOOTY TIPPIng 2015 tigers roar!!

Is Richmond finally going to deliver in September?

It’s been twenty years since the famous ‘Yellow and Black’ have been genuine contenders and the thrashing of a pathetic Collingwood outfit gives them significant momentum leading into the finals. WestCoast Eagles are finally convincing the football public they too deserve to be treated with respect as they zero in on a top two spot and a home final. A number of teams are challenging for the coverted ‘double chance’ fourth spot should Sydney slip so they’ll need to be on their game to hold them off. Tip wise, SECO has taken the lead since our last issue with a few ready to pounce and collect the chocolates – the pressure to lead into the final rounds might seek braver selections to increase the gap, yet could kick down the door of opportunity for the others to pass by. Good luck to the tipsters still in contention as when we return we would have already crowned our 2015 AMTIL Footy Tipping Champion. Til next time, Sanchez.

Round 21 1 Seco 134 (751) 2 Brendan Smith 133 (726) 3 Conrad Willis B’shaw 133 (781) 4 Damian 132 (742) 5 Jeff Hedger 129 (768) 6 John Macdonald 129 (1,025) 7 Dawks 128 (697) 8 GTJUNIOR 127 (726) 9 Raff - (Parish Eng) 127 (810) 10 Aust Mobile Tools 126 (728)

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AMT September 2015

Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited

Keeping it Simple.

One Membership, Many Benefits.

connect.inform.grow.

MeMbershIp pAckAges AvAILAbLe AMTIL membership for companies, individuals and supporters within the precision engineering and advanced manufacturing sector.

For more information visit www.amtil.com.au or contact corporate services Manager greg chalker on 03 9800 3666 or gchalker@amtil.com.au

1220AMTIL

www.amtil.com.au

industry calendar

Please Note: It is recommended to contact the exhibition organiser to confirm before attending event

INTERNATIONAL Aluminium India India, Bombay 7-9 September 2015 Caters to the entire aluminium industry. Includes raw materials, processing machinery, surface/ heat treatment, extrusion. www.aluminium-india.com CIMIE China, Beijing 8-10 September 2015 International Metallurgy Industry Expo is one of the world’s four largest metallurgy events.

Concurrent events: China International Heat Treatment Exhibition; International Forging Industry Exhibition. www.bcime.com/en Vietnam Manufacturing Expo Vietnam, Hanoi 10-12 September 2015 Manufacturing machinery and technologies for supporting industries (machine tools for mould and die making and injection technologies for plastics manufacturing).. www.vietnammanufacturingexpo.com IMEX India, Bombay 13-15 September 2015 International machine tools and allied products expo, Co-located with: World of Metal; CWE (International Exhibition on Cutting and Welding Equipment); TechIndia (engineering and manufacturing industry exhibition);.UMEX (intl. exhibition of used machines); Hand Tools & Fasteners Expo. www.imexonline.com International Engineering Fair Czech Republic. Brno Exhibition Centre 14-18 September 2015 Claimed to be the leading industrial trade fair in Central Europe. Includes metalworking and forming machines, tools, welding, surface technology, plastics, automation, metrology. www.bvv.cz/en/msv WESTEC USA, Los Angeles 15-17 September 2015 Expo for the advanced manufacturing industry. Includes cutting-edge manufacturing equipment, advanced technologies, new products and applications. www.westeconline.com Tube Southeast Asia Thailand, Bangkok 16-18 September 2015 Tube and pipe industries event in the SE Asia. www.tube-southeastasia.com/index.php/en Metalform China, Shanghai 16- 19 September 2015 Focusing on the metal forming industry.

Co-located with four shows: ChinaForge;, SheetMetal China; MetalFab China and MetalComp China. www.chinaforge.com.cn/en Jordan International Industries & Machinery Exhibition Jordan, Amman 19-22 September 2015

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AMT September 2015

Only international machinery show in the Levant region. Includes metal working and plasticsprocessing machinery. www.jordanmachineryshow.com Euromold Germany, Dusseldorf 22-25 September 2015 Includes new trends in design, engineering, moulding and toolmaking, production and additive manufacturing /3D printing. From design to prototyping to series production process chain. http://euromold2015.com AmCon USA New York 23-24 September 2015 Texas 6-7 October 2015 Utah 27-28 October Michigan 10-11 November 2015 Design & contract manufacture expo. from prototypes to production parts. Includes printing; forming/fab; machining; engineering; prototyping; assembly. www.amconshows.com Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show Canada, Mississauga 28 September – 1 October 2015 Includes latest advances in machine tool, tooling, metal forming and fabricating, advanced manufacturing including 3D printing/ additive manufacturing, automation. Includes Technology Zones. http://cmts.ca Sweissen Austria, Linz 29 September – 1 October 2015 Latest developments in joining, cutting and surface treatment. Practical solutions for business success, whether they build prototypes, limited series, serial mass production items, or industrial plants. www.schweissen.at/en Toolex Poland 29 September – 1 October 2015 Trade fair for machine tools, tools and processing technology. www.exposilesia.pl/toolex/uk Manufacturing Solutions Expo Singapore 30 September - 2 October 2015 The only exhibition in Singapore that aims to showcase the industry’s best ideas, innovative technologies and cost effective manufacturing solutions to meet the growing needs of manufacturing companies. Includes Singapore Pavilion. www.smfederation.org.sg/index.php/ calendar (click on September 30) Motek Germany, Stuttgart 5-8 October 2015 Trade fair for automation in production and assembly. Includes mechanical engineering, assembly automation, feed technology and industrial handling for entire process chain. www.motek-messe.de/en/motek

EMO Italy, Milan 5-10 October 2015 Metal forming/cutting machine tools, welding, automation, software, accessories, metrology, quality control, OHS. www.emo-milano.com Weldex Russia, Moscow 6-9 October 2015 International exhibition for welding materials, equipment and technologies www.weldex.ru/en-GB Industrial & Tool show USA Texas: 7-8 October 2015 Springfield: 28-29 October 2015 Oklahoma: 4-5 May 2016 West Texas: 8-9 June 2016 Showcase of industrial products and services www.expoindustrialshows.com M-Tech Japan 7-9 October 2015 Mechanical components and material technology. Includes mechanical parts such as bearings, fasteners, mechanical springs and metal and plastic processing technology. www.mtech-kansai.jp/en Metalex Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh 8-10 October 2015 Machine tools and metalworking solutions, welding, automation, materials handling, mould & die. Co-located with Vietnam Electronics Assembly 2015. Sheet Metalworking. www.metalexvietnam.com Deburring Expo Germany, Karlsruhe 13-15 October 2015 Trade fair for deburring and polishing technology www.fairxperts.de/en/deburringexpo IMTES (Stankoexpo) Russia, Moscow 13-16 October 2015 Metalworking equiment, tools, robotics, welding, lasers, software,, measurement, consulting. www.stankoexpo.com/eng

2016 IMTS USA, Chicago 12-17 September 2016 The International Manufacturing Technology Show is one of the world’s largest industrial trade shows, featuring more than 2,000 exhibiting companies and 114,147 registrants.

Co-located shows: Industrial Automation North America; Motion Drive & Automation North America; Surface North America; ComVac North America; Industrial Supply North America. www.imts.com

industry calendar local Australia-Germany Business Conference Melbourne 10 September 2015 Hosted by the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Theme is: “Innovation & Collaboration – Drivers for Future Growth in a challenging Australian business environment. Includes top-level speakers discussing opportunities within the Industry 4.0 framework and the advanced manufacturing sector. Another highlight will be the German perspective on Australia’s submarine project www.australia-germany.com prefabAUS Conference Melbourne 14-16 September 2015 Showcases Australia’s rapidly changing prefabricated building manufacturing Industry. www.prefabaus.org.au/conference Safety in Action Melbourne Exhibition Centre 15-17 September 2015 www.safetyinaction.net.au/melbourne Amada: Techtember 17-18 September : Melb Technical Centre 22-23 September : Syd Solution Centre Amada will be holding Techtember, a special customer event. Techtember features the latest solutions and production processes and will include representatives from Amada, BOC Limited and other industryleaders, www.amada.com.au/techtember Australian Sustainability in Business Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 7-8 October 2015 Will look at the core fundamentals for a company’s sustainable future and how sustainable innovation improve their profitability and social responsibility while reducing their

impact on the environment. www.australiansustainability.com.au Australian Construction Equipment Expo Melbourne Showgrounds 12-14 November 2015 Includes the latest equipment, products and innovations in the construction industry.

Includes exhibitors from civil engineering and construction, public works, Government, earthmoving and demolition. http://aceexpo.com.au Motorclassica 2015 Melbourne 23-25 October 2015 Australia’s premier event for rare and exotic, historic, vintage veteran classic and collectible cars & motorcycles. Celebration marques include 50 years for the Supercar, Dino, Shelby and Mustang; 70 years of MV Agusta and 50 years of the Bugatti Club Australia. www.motorclassica.com.au Queensland Gas Conference & Exhibition Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 24-25 November 2015 Dedicated to the latest developments and issues surrounding Coal Seam Gas (CSG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in Queensland.

Rises in LNG exports of 8% pa for the last five years, predicted revenue for the CSG industry to grow 148% in 2015 and Qld holding over 92% of Australia’s CSG reserves, provide a perfect basis for personnel from the gas sector learn and share better production strategies. www.queenslandgasconference.com.au AusRAIL Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 24-26 November 2015 Largest rail event in Australasia. Features a larger biennial ‘AusRAIL PLUS’ event. The

Hardman Brothers 8 Advertiser Index Hare & Forbes OBC ADFOAM 10 Industrial Laser Impact Card 51-52 Alfex CNC 15 ISCAR 2-3 Amada Oceana 78-79 LMC Laser FRONT COVER AMTIL AMT 31 Machinery Forum 69 AMTIL Membership 75 MTI Qualos 33 AMTIL Hotspots 39 OKUMA 7 AMTIL Manufacturelink 73 OSG Asia Pty Ltd 4-5 Applied Machinery 17 Recruit Australia 23 Australian Made Defence 43 Renishaw 9 Barden Fabrication 38 Sandvik 13 Complete Machine Tools 29 Tasman 3D Printers 21 Compressed Air Australia 19 Walter AG Singapore 11 Delahenty Machinery- 53 Whitelaw Engineering Machinery 47 Flecknoe Pty Ltd 57

AusRAIL

‘PLUS’ year features a larger exhibition, bigger conference and more social functions. www.ausrail.com Materials Innovations in Surface Engineering Brisbane, Queensland University of Technology 24 - 26 November 2015 Surface engineering includes the application of organic and inorganic coatings, surface modification by heat/chemical treatment or alloying, plating, weld overlays, thermal or cold spraying. The conference goal is to achieve high quality academic and industrial papers, providing delegates an insight into the innovative developments in the industry. www.mise2015.com.au Motorworld Melbourne Melbourne 25-29 November 2015 Comprehensive automotive festival presening the Australian automotive industry to buyers throughout Australia and Asia. Includes the latest release motor vehicles and motor bikes in motion. Features 23 dedicated feature zones www.motorworldmelbourne.com

oct15 Australian Manufacturing Technology

Your Industry. Your Magazine.

NEXT ISSUE…

MEDICAL

Would you like to advertise in Australia’s No. 1 precision and manufacturing magazine?

Call Anne Samuelsson of AMTIL on 03 9800 3666 or email asameulsson@amtil.com.au

AMT takes a look at how some of the latest innovations in precision manufacturing are revolutionising the medical world.

COMPRESSORS & AIR TECHNOLOGY CUTTING TOOLS FORMING & FABRICATION ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION

AMT September 2015

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Electrically driven ram High speed, high quality Reduced energy costs Space save design Automation ready 4 Auto index stations 45 station turret 58 station available (option) Single pallet auto load/unload

High Speed CO2 Laser 3.5kW oscillator Combined drive speed of 170m/min Reduced power consumption New standard for laser cutters Latest height sensor Automation capable

Hybrid drive system lowering power consumption Newly developed 3i controller (intelligent, interactive, integrated) When size matters - larger crowning capabilities matters - more bends at When speed ma reduced times Lightening fast multi axis backgauge Positioning accuracy of 0.001mm

High prescision servoelectric press Tactile sensors ďŹ tted to backgauge Automatic departures from backgauge detected.

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Specifications & Prices are subject to change without notification. All prices excludes GST