AMT AUG/SEPT 2017

Australian Manufacturing Technology

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Aug Sep

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Contents

Volume 17 Number 04 August/September 2017 ISSN 1832-6080

FEATURES Mining Resources Driving METS sector innovation METS Ignited – Accelerating development Harnessing nature to boost copper recovery Iscar – Oil & gas overcoming crisis Australian mining lacks long-term innovation

44 48 50 52 58

QUALITY & INSPECTION Dealing with microns Holographic measurement technology Saving time and money in quality control Ready for takeoff to Industry 4.0

60 62 63 64

NANO TECHNOLOGY & MICRO MACHINING Big steps forward for nanofabrication Australian solutions to future electronics 3D printing turns nanomachines into life-size workers

66 68 70

WASTE & RECYCLING AWRE 2017 – Focus on manufacturing waste Controlling waste in manufacturing Improving metalcutting’s environmental impact

72 74 76

STATE SPOTLIGHT – VICTORIA Attracting the best and brightest Victorian manufacturers Competitive standing with high-tech investment

81 82

CUTTING TOOLS CO2 – Efficient, environmentally friendly coolant The right PVD treatment can improve productivity Ceramics bring Stellar success Silence please… the secret behind Silent Tools

86 88 90 92

FORMING & FABRICATION Cutting costs & raising productivity with genuine parts

94

MATERIAL REMOVAL DMG: CMX V – Compact, stable, accurate Live Tools: A coolant company ahead of the competition EMO 2017 – Making machine tools safe

96 97 98

WORKHOLDING A quality vise is key Mapal introduces hydraulic chucks for tool grinding

99 99

44 METS: Driving innovation Australian companies in the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector are finding that instead of relying on past successes, the key to success is collaboration with their industry and mining clients, ongoing research and continuous improvement practices.

66 Big steps forward for nanofabrication The Australian National Fabrication Facility’s Victorian Node is an open-access network of nano and micro fabrication capabilities. With the addition of some exciting new tools, the Node has continued to enable research, with highlights including diamond coating of carbon fibre, creating nanometre-thick holograms, and increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic cells.

78

REGULARS From the Editor From the CEO From the Minister From the Industry From the Union

10 12 14 16 18

INDUSTRY NEWS Current news from the industry

22

VOICEBOX Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

32

PRODUCT NEWS Our selection of new and interesting products

38

ONE ON ONE Don Matthews – Industry Capability Network Victoria

78

COMPANY FOCUS JBO Engineering – Evolving with the opportunities

84

AMTIL FORUM Finance Law OHS Quality Management

100 101 102 103

MANUFACTURERS’ PAVILION

104

AMTIL INSIDE The latest news from AMTIL

110

MANUFACTURING HISTORY – A look back in time

118

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

Don Matthews Don Matthews is the Executive Director of the Industry Capability Network (ICN) Victoria. He spoke to AMT, describing the ICN, its objectives, its activities and how manufacturing SMEs can take advantage of its programs- thereby opening up opportunities to bid for contracts.

84 JBO Engineering – Evolving with the opportunities JBO Engineering shifted from a toolmaking to a production environment in order to sustain its growth 18 years ago. The arrival of its first CNC mill during that time set the stage for growth by opening up more and more opportunities; demonstrating its ability to adapt to ever-changing industry conditions.

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From the Editor William Poole

Directing our energies

We’ve made a late change to our lead feature this issue. For some time we had run an annual feature simply on Mining, but a couple of years ago we expanded its scope to Mining & Resources. And now we’ve added Energy.

Why? Simply because mining, resources and energy all seem inextricably linked.

Of course, some might argue the energy industry is very much a distinctly separate entity from the mining and resources sectors. Others might argue that mining activity is not solely confined to the extraction of fossil fuels for energy generation. And some might argue that we can meet our energy needs with resources that are freely available without any need for digging or drilling – resources like sunshine, or wind, for example.

But then if one thing does unite these sectors, it’s controversy. And that controversy has been burning hotter than usual lately.

There was controversy in March over the closure of Hazelwood Power Station in Victoria, with the loss of hundreds of jobs (as well as the elimination of significant emissions).

There was controversy in June around Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel’s Review of the National Electricity Market, particularly its proposal of a clean energy target, and the absence of proposals concerning an emissions intensity scheme. And also in June, there was perhaps the biggest controversy of all, when President Donald Trump announced the US’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.

Controversy continues to circle mining giant Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, to the point that Treasurer Scott Morrison – controversially – brought a lump of coal into the Federal Parliament. And controversy still rages over the causes of last year’s power blackouts in South Australia; an episode which led ultimately to the announcement in July that US tech mogul Elon Musk will install the world’s largest lithium ion battery storage farm in the state, in a move that has – predictably – ignited significant controversy.

Your Industry. Your Magazine.

Australian Manufacturing Technology

Editor William Poole wpoole@amtil.com.au Contributors Carole Goldsmith 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

Amidst all this, Australia’s manufacturers are suffering on two fronts. Australia boasts some of the highest electricity prices in the developed world, with particularly profound implications for our own, energy-intensive industry. At the same time, manufacturers find themselves saddled with enduring uncertainty driven by the political deadlock surrounding our energy future.

Contact Details AMT Magazine AMTIL Suite 1, 673 Boronia Rd Wantirna VIC 3152 AUSTRALIA

The Finkel review was originally intended to provide clarity over the direction of energy policy, yet it seems to have raised more issues than it answers. Wrangling continues over the Adani mine, its environmental implications and its economic viability, posing broader questions over the outlook for Australia’s coal industry. And renewables have been a political football for a decade or more. All this uncertainty leaves major investments stalled, and manufacturers operating in the dark as they struggle to set long-term strategies.

T 03 9800 3666 F 03 9800 3436 E info@amtil.com.au W www.amtil.com.au

Renewable energy is a fast-growing global industry where Australia is extemely well placed to build a competitive advantage. We are uniquely positioned in terms of the natural resources at our disposal, and we enjoy a wealth of innovative capacity among our manufactuters, universities and research bodies.

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

But that’s not all. As David Chuter, CEO of the Innovative Manufacturing CRC, observed during a series of Industry 4.0 workshops run by CSIRO and Festo in July (see page 114), Australia is sitting on an abundance of the rare metals that are essential for that battery storage technology Musk is bringing to South Australia. And with our history as a mining nation, we’re sitting on an abundance of expertise that can exploit that situation.

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.

And there we come back to that point at the start, about how mining, resources and energy are fundamentally intrinsically linked. If the age of fossil fuels may be drawing to a close, so be it. But we’re still going to need to dig things out of the ground, to meet our energy needs, as well as for everything else.

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.

1363AMTaugsep2017

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

I’D BE HAPPY TO RECOMMEND THE HYDRAFEED TO ANY COMPANY.

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Kennewell CNC Machining, a contract machine shop in South Australia manufactures everything from parts for agricultural machinery to motorsport and tattooing equipment. It’s also heavily involved with the production of prototype parts to assist companies bring products to market.

Brett Klose, Leading Hand Kennewell CNC Machining

Owner Brett Kennewell and Leading Hand Brett Klose, recently invested in a servo-driven Hydrafeed Barfeeder to retrofit to an existing CNC lathe and replace the existing pneumatic unit. Taking advantage of its user friendly nature and the set and forget facility, the Hydrafeed has increased productivity and reduced their workload.

Kennewell also benefitted from the one-on-one training that Dimac provided, to ensure the barfeeder was installed correctly and operated at optimum performance.

Dimac Tooling, Australia and New Zealand’s leading supplier of accessories and workholding solutions provides a range of cutting edge equipment designed to assist companies increase their efficiency and productivity.

To find out how we can boost your productivity visit www.dimac.com.au

012

From the CEO Shane Infanti – Chief Executive Officer AMTIL

Government grants to help industry

I have many conversations with companies who are unsure what assistance there is from government to help them in their business - whether it is to encourage investment, improve their operations, hire staff, help develop export markets or invest in research. So here are some current programs that our readers may be interested in.

It is important that we look at government programs as a means to assist business to achieve what they are looking for – simply speaking, growth and improvements to the bottom line.

Advanced Manufacturing Growth Fund www.biturl.io/jyXgo5 This $47.5m program supports capital projects to establish and expand advanced manufacturing activities in Victoria and South Australia. Funding of between $500,000 and $2.5m to cover up to a third of eligible project costs is available. It is part of the 201718 Budget designed to boost innovation, skills and employment in advanced manufacturing in Australia. The program supports capital projects by small and medium enterprises that expand and establish advanced manufacturing using advanced technologies, design and engineering excellence or innovative business processes.

The program aims to improve the overall efficiency and competitiveness of firms by increasing investment in advanced manufacturing activities in Victoria and South Australia and helping transition Australia’s manufacturing sector from traditional, heavy industrial processes to knowledge-based manufacturing of higher value products.

AMTIL provides support to companies who need assistance in developing an application for this program.

Innovation Connections Targeted specifically at SMEs, this program provides access to expert technical advice to address technology and knowledge gaps, and collaborates with the research sector in developing new ideas with commercial potential. This is a free service and provides an expert Innovation Facilitator to work alongside a business to find solutions to their IT needs, identify new technology, knowledge andexpertise and provide pathways to engage with the research sector if required. As stated, this is a free service but if the company decides to go further, then the program also provides support of up to $50,000 in matched funding for any projects identified through the process.

AMTIL is a Partner Organisation with AusIndustry on this program and has three national Innovation Facilitators ready to assist.

Centre for Defence Industry Capability www.biturl.io/jyXIm9 If you are an SME looking for assistance in developing capability into the defence sector, then this is for you. The CDIC delivers advisory and facilitation services to defence sector SMEs across a range of areas including business management, skills development, innovation collaboration, export activities and supply chain facilitation. This free service is delivered through a network of experienced business

advisers and facilitators located around Australia. Services include information sessions and workshops, mentoring and guidance, business analysis, training needs analysis and help with access to domestic and global supply chain opportunities. As mentioned, this is a free service and provides a company with a report that will identify recommendations for improvement. If the company wants to take the next step, then grant funding of between $5,000 and $250,000 is available on a dollar for dollar basis to undertake an improvement plan.

Future Industries Manufacturing Program www.biturl.io/jyXsu2 This program is only available to Victorian operations and offers funding of up to $500,000 (co-contribution is $3 for every $1 granted) to implement new manufacturing technologies and processes.

Consideration will be given to companies that can highlight how the investment will generate sustainable jobs growth, improve productivity and competitiveness and target new opportunities.

Entrepeneurs’ Programme The Entrepreneurs’ Programme uses experienced Advisers and Facilitators, drawn from industry, to ensure businesses get the advice and support needed to improve their competitiveness, productivity and to seek growth opportunities. Practical support for businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs includes: advice from people with relevant private sector experience, co-funded grants to commercialise novel intellectual property in the form of new products, processes and services, funding to take advantage of growth opportunities, and connection and collaboration opportunities.

This is a free service and provides an SME with a tailored Business Evaluation Action Plan and a Business Advisor that will coach and mentor your business for up to 12 months. Further funding of up to $20,000 on a dollar for dollar basis is available for business improvement projects identified through this process.

AMTIL is a Partner Organisation with AusIndustry for the Entrepreneurs’ Programme and can assist in any initial discussions.

These are just a few of the Government programs that we believe will help businesses who want to help themselves. We encourage you to take a further look or give us a call.

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From the ministry The Hon Arthur Sinodinos MP – Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science

Supporting innovation and growth in the METS sector

The mining and resources sector is one of Australia’s strengths as an industry and export earner. As the development of the mining industry has changed over time from construction to production, the sector is looking towards new avenues of growth focused on driving innovation to ensure that we remain a global leader in the sector.

Australia’s $86bn mining equipment, technology and services (METS) industry is already a world leader in mining innovation. It’s also a significant contributor to the Australian economy – the sector exports $13bn in products and services to more than 200 countries and territories.

The great news is the sector has the potential for more growth.

Its future prosperity rests on its ability to increase productivity, remain internationally competitive and seize global opportunities.

The Government is committed to working with the sector to keep this momentum going.

The Mining Equipment Technology and Services Growth Centre, METS Ignited, is a terrific example of this commitment. It’s a part of our $238m Industry Growth Centres initiative, an industry-led approach to industry policy, which will drive innovation, productivity and competitiveness.

Growth Centres are leading cultural change in their sectors by identifying opportunities to reduce the regulatory burden, increasing collaboration and commercialisation, improving capabilities to engage with international markets and global supply chains, and enhancing management and workforce skills. METS Ignited, like the other Growth Centres, is connecting industry to research and technical expertise to solve challenges, uniting business acumen with the intellectual rigor of scientists, researchers and universities.

METS Ignited works with Australian suppliers to the mining industry, global miners, research organisations and capital providers to improve the competitiveness and productivity of the Australian METS sector. It’s also working towards promoting commercialisation of new products for the resources sector, and recently launched an accelerator for METS firms, Igniting METS, in Brisbane. Approximately $3.6m of funding was made available under METS Ignited Project Funds in 2016/17.

Resources and Engineering Skills Alliance (RESA) is one firm to have received funding under METS Ignited Projects round one. The RESA seeks to grow the METS sector by helping companies enter the mining supply chain. It will provide expanded training and skills workshops for current and prospective METS firms.

Round two of METS Ignited project funds was open for applications until 31 July. A collaborative project fund roadshow was held throughout June and July in 14 locations across the country.

The roadshow provided information for businesses interested in applying for funding. This pool of funds will support projects that add value to the sector, and help businesses to pursue new and exciting ideas or technology.

There’s a growing list of Australian businesses who are already seizing the opportunities in this area of manufacturing. These success stories, combined with the Government’s focus on creating opportunities in this expanding area, will pave the way for others to follow suit.

Hedweld Engineering has established itself as a world leader in the design and manufacture of mining equipment. The Hunter Valley-based company designs and manufactures a range of technologically advanced, innovative products specifically for the

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

There’s a growing list of Australian businesses who are already seizing the opportunities in this area of manufacturing.

These success stories, combined with the Government’s focus on creating opportunities in this expanding area, will pave the way for others to follow suit. mining industry. In 2016 Hedweld expanded its operations at Mt Thorley with the help of a $2m Manufacturing Transition Programme grant from the Australian Government. The company used the funds to invest in a new world class manufacturing facility using the world’s most advanced robotic metal processing technology and equipment.

Hedweld is known for its Trilift range of component handling equipment and Safe-Away range of ladder and stair access systems. Both are quality products designed to improve safety and efficiency. The company exports its products to 32 countries including the USA, Canada and South Africa, as well as across South America and Asia Pacific.

Victorian company Safescape’s products developed for the mining industry have also been turning heads globally. Safescape has been developing safe, practical and innovative solutions for the industry since 2010. The company’s flagship product is Safescape Laddertube, an original form of escape ladder designed specifically for underground mines. Safescape produces other unique products for the mining industry, boasts two Australian offices, a North American base and a strong presence in South America.

The Australian Industry Group’s Performance of Manufacturing Index is showing that manufacturing as a whole in Australia is headed in the right direction. As the work being done by Safescape, Hedweld and other Australian businesses illustrates, this positive trajectory also applies to manufacturing for the resources sector.

With the Government continuing to back this exciting and growing sector, companies like these are helping to write a bright new chapter in Australia’s mining and resources story.

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From the industry Innes Willox – Chief Executive Australian Industry Group

Meeting the energy and tax challenges Our workforces and our businesses need to be ready to adjust, often in very substantial ways, to the challenges of global competition and technological change.

This means making our education and training systems fit for purpose; flexible; adaptable; and responsive to changes in the opportunity set. It means equipping students with the foundation skills that will enable them not only to find a job but also to adapt and to upskill as they progress through their careers.

The same goes for business people and managers. They too need to build their capabilities and their business skills, including greater skills in the management of the businesses along their supply chains; greater trade-related capabilities; and greater innovation capabilities.

An important part of the Innovation Agenda is encouraging and removing obstacles to closer collaboration between our research organisations and our businesses. The bottom line is that such collaboration runs much more deeply in other countries and if we bridge this gap, we would provide ourselves with a very substantial boost to our economic prospects. In this regard, it is important that we avoid obstacles and remove barriers – particularly barriers to business investment.

Of course, business investment is not the whole story, but it is a key ingredient in becoming much more successful and better equipped to successfully transition our people, our businesses and the country to a more prosperous future.

There is any number of areas on which I could focus attention, but two are particularly important: energy and taxation.

The whole of Eastern Australia is struggling with rising energy costs, and this situation has enormous consequences for industry.

High energy intensity businesses are fundamentally reconsidering their viability, and we are putting current investment and future opportunities at risk. To respond, we need action on electricity and gas from Federal and State Governments, energy suppliers, and energy-using businesses themselves. And we need to look to both supply and demand.

On gas, there is a lot we can do to develop more resources and to manage demand. We are going to need a patchwork of new supply options, but none are likely to be cheap and most involve unconventional gas extraction. Community concern about unconventional gas is genuine and governments need to earn community confidence with credible regulation that requires good engineering when it comes to safeguarding water resources.

While we can do much better than current gas prices, which are up to double export parity, gas is not going to be cheap again. Helping gas users improve their efficiency or switch fuels is going to help their financial sustainability and take pressure off the gas market.

But this will take time and more investment in a flexible electricity system that can meet new demand from gas substitution.

In electricity, we have a fundamental problem: the lack of long-term energy and climate policy, and intense political instability around these issues, mean there is very little basis for investment. And we desperately need investment, both to alleviate immediate supply risks and to bring costs down.

Federal difficulties have led states to start to fill the policy vacuum, but we remain convinced that NEM (national energy market)-wide mechanisms and policies have the best prospect to meet industry’s needs. We should step carefully in introducing the major changes that most agree are needed. The broad package of reforms recommended by the Finkel Review looks like a strong basis for

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

new investment in both the lowest-cost clean generation, and in the range of security and reliability services that the system needs.

Meanwhile, our failure to improve our tax arrangements after the Henry Review has been tremendously frustrating and this lack of progress nationally has led to aberrations at the state level. Taxation is now an Alice in Wonderland-like story in which we have come to expect the next chapter to rise to new levels of absurdity – a case in point being the recent announcement of a new Bank Levy in the South Australian Budget.

While we recognise the State Government has the right to manage state issues, we should not underestimate that decisions like this will have consequences. One of our larger headquartered South Australian members indicated that its overseas owners viewed this decision as “anti-business”. It will have an impact on investment decisions and will also impact on the gradual improvement in business confidence.

Looking at the decision from afar, the imposition of a state-based tax on the liabilities of national businesses is sadly short-sighted. If you wanted to pull the rug out from under a business sector that is ever-so-gradually rebuilding the confidence to invest, perhaps this is what you would do.

Jean-Baptise Colbert, the French Minister for Finance under Louis XIV, famously remarked that “the art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to procure the largest quantity of feathers with the least possible amount of hissing”.

Reaction to the Bank Levy in this regard would suggest it’s been an outstanding failure. But sadly, the typical business does not react only, or even mainly, by hissing. Rather the business reaction is to redo the sums: to recalibrate probabilities; increase risk premia; and adjust investment plans. If they have opportunities interstate or internationally, they will be more likely to head in those directions.

On Federal Budget night on television, when I was asked about the Commonwealth’s bank levy, I said that if you squinted, it could be justified on the basis that the sector received Commonwealth guarantees and support, such as the maintenance of the Four Pillars policy. But you would have to squint.

And while some may quietly chuckle at the banking sector getting one in the eye, questions inevitably follow as to what sectors will be hit next – together with the realisation that, eventually and inevitably, the costs imposed would be passed on to consumers, including business customers.

It never occurred to me to think that a state would introduce its own levy. There is no real justification and the potential consequences could be enormous in terms of financial support for and costs for local businesses. You would hope that no other state will contemplate going down this road.

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From The Union Paul Bastian – National Secretary Australian Manufacturing Workers Union

Break the energy policy deadlock

In July, Federal Liberal MP Craig Kelly told ABC radio that renewable energy will kill people this winter. Hours later, just to prove this wasn’t a throwaway line by a backbencher in the heat of the moment, Kelly doubled down and repeated his assertion.

Kelly is the Chair of the Government’s own climate change committee. If you ever needed a demonstration of how toxic the debate about renewable energy and climate change has become, you really need look no further.

Kelly’s comments are the culmination of a long line of Government MPs waging a public relations war on the renewable energy industry. Former Treasurer Joe Hockey – now ambassador to the United States – lamented the ugliness of wind turbines. Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg used a freak storm in South Australia to generate a frenzied response about blackouts. Hyperbole in politics is not unusual (though most people probably wish there was less of it), but it can be dangerous.

While the theatrics are playing out in Canberra, manufacturing workers and businesses are hurting.

Record high-energy prices are squeezing our sector. The expense of maintaining old power station facilities, many of which have been privatised by state governments, is pushing up costs for some energy-intensive sectors. Also, the complete policy failure on gas reservation policy has meant that gas prices locally are artificially inflated while the majority of LNG is exported.

The manufacturing sector desperately needs the Government to get their act together to make sure that our industry can remain internationally competitive. Workers in our industry are doing their bit. Over decades now, skills and productivity have been improving among our workforce. It would be tragic if those workers lost their jobs because of a failure of our body politic on energy policy.

We also need to move now on renewables because future jobs rely on it. There are real jobs to be seized in the manufacture of wind and solar technologies.

People often bounce around the phrase ‘just transition’ as a good debating point on both sides of politics. But new jobs don’t magically appear. There is a critical role for Government to play in creating the climate for a renewable energy manufacturing sector to flourish. One way to do that is to give the renewable energy industry certainty around targets and their role in the overall energy mix.

A brief glance at some newspaper headlines over the last six months would tell you that is not happening right now.

In June this year, Chief Scientist Alan Finkel released his review into the Australian energy sector. This was an attempt to break the impasse in Australian politics. Finkel’s report comprises of three main elements.

Firstly, Finkel has recommended the implementation of a clean energy target. This is a market-based mechanism that requires electricity retailers to guarantee that their electricity is being generated below a government-set level of emissions output. This would have the effect of requiring electricity generators to invest in the production of lower emission intensity electricity generation.

It’s worth noting that Finkel was told before the report was even handed down that it could not include modeling or recommendations for an emissions intensity scheme. Thus, we’ve not been able to determine the effectiveness or otherwise of implementing a scheme like that.

Secondly, Finkel has recommended a requirement to give three years notice of any closure of a power station. This is an attempt to avoid short-term gaps in the energy sector like we have seen

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from the closure of the Hazelwood power station in Victoria.

Of course, that’s also good for workers in the coal sector and their communities, who are often devastated by the closure of these plants. This is critical to allow workers to skill up for new parts of the economy and allow governments to plan for transitional arrangements for these communities.

Thirdly, the report recommends obligations on all new generators to maintain voltage and frequency. This is to ensure that renewable generators are appropriately filling the gap left by the transition out of coal.

In June, the Labor Party Energy spokesperson, Mark Butler, indicated a willingness to begin discussions with the Government on the introduction of a clean energy target and other recommendations from the Finkel Review. This is a good sign that there is goodwill to break the impasse. The test for the Prime Minister after the winter recess is whether he can stand up to hyperbolic backbenchers and deliver this much-needed reform.

In the transition to a low-carbon economy, it’s the livelihoods of workers that are most at risk. Despite that, manufacturing workers are ready to take on the challenge of doing their part to tackle climate change. We want to work with employers and government to deliver good jobs in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

We just hope our Government is listening.

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industry news

Abcor announces new multi-million dollar supply contract with Isuzu

AMTIL member Abcor, a component maker for the automotive, truck and defence industries, has announced a new five-year supplier contract with Isuzu to produce high-tech bull bars.

The deal represents the culmination of a long and involved development program with Isuzu Company Limited (ICL) in Japan and IAL (Isuzu Australia Limited) to supply world-class genuine bull bars for Isuzu trucks for the Australian and NZ markets, with the potential to export to other Isuzu markets globally. Announcing the contract, John Kaias, Director of Abcor, said the deal was more than two years in the making and Abcor worked closely with Isuzu – the highest-selling truck manufacturer in Australia with sales representing over 25% of the total market in 2017 - to secure it.

“The partnership approach was important for Isuzu and us,” said Kaias. “Our engineers worked side-by-side, including several meetings in Japan, to ensure the product design, manufacture and performance was outstanding. It was vital to integrate the bull bar performance and styling with the truck and for the final product to be endorsed by Isuzu Japan as a genuine part.”

To fulfil the contract, Abcor invested heavily in new equipment at its multi-milliondollar automated production facility in

delivery of quality components, its worldclass manufacturing facilities and globally competitive pricing were all important factors in its appointment.

Campbellfield, Victoria, and will employ an additional 22 staff. New tooling equipment for the highly specialised manufacturing and assembly line was supplied by a local automotive tool maker, providing work for other Victorian businesses in the struggling automotive industry.

“Bull bars are a highly specialised accessory and must meet stringent design rules,” Kaias added. “The production utilises the latest world-leading manufacturing techniques including robotic welding and polishing to produce these world class bull bars.”

Isuzu Australia Limited Director and COO Phil Taylor said Abcor’s track record in

“Abcor’s commitment to excellence, among other criteria, has been a standout attribute since the start of the process,” said Taylor. “We are delighted with the business partnership and look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Abcor, trading originally as Preston General Engineering, was founded in 1971. With a strong focus on world-leading design, engineering and manufacturing skills, the company now employs more than 200 people across automotive, truck and defence divisions.

“We are an all Australian company and very proud of our world class design, innovation, engineering and manufacturing capabilities,” said Kaias. “We will continue to develop home grown skills and use Australian suppliers where possible, to keep manufacturing in Australia competitive and renowned.”

Report shows jobs rebound for Australian manufacturing

New report shows a rebound in Australian manufacturing, with the sector adding 40,000 new jobs in the last year.

The report, Manufacturing: A Moment of Opportunity, identifies several indicators which suggest that the economic opportunities for domestic manufacturing have improved significantly. Prepared by the Centre for Future Work, part of the Australia Institute thinktank, it outlines the industry’s dogged resilience in difficult times, its importance to the Australian economy, and its more hopeful future prospects.

“Australia’s manufacturing industry faces some daunting domestic and global challenges. But it’s not just surviving, it’s finding a way to grow, adding 40,000 new jobs last year,” said Dr Jim Stanford, Director of the Centre for Future Work.

“That ranks manufacturing as the second biggest source of new jobs in Australia last year.Additionally, manufacturing reinvests 5% of its value added in R&D, the highest of any industry, making it an

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engine room for innovation in the economy.”

The report was launched on 21 June to coincide with the National Manufacturing Summit, held by the two organisations at Parliament House in Canberra. The event featured presentations from a wide range of experts from industry, university, trade unions and the financial sector, as well as four top political spokespersons: Minister for Industry Senator Arthur Sinodinos, Shadow Minister for Industry Senator Kim Carr, Greens Industry spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon, and NXT leader Senator Nick Xenophon.

New polling released as part of the report shows that Australians are very supportive of pro-active, targeted policy measures to sustain and support manufacturing.

Perhaps influenced by the negative tone of much recent commentary, Australians consistently underestimate the size of manufacturing in Australia’s

economy, relative to other industries, but nonetheless recognise the value of maintaining a strong manufacturing sector.

Specifically, there was strong support for targeted policies such as government procurement mandates (81%) and tax incentives tied to investments in domestic facilities (79%); support was strong across all age and voting groups.

Australians opposed measures to attract industry by cutting wages, environmental standards, or across-the-board taxes.

But measures focused on manufacturing, tied to Australian production and jobs, received overwhelming support – by a margin of up to five-to-one.

“Both economically and politically, the smart move would be for legislators to get behind local manufacturing with targeted policies to support Australian jobs, ” Stanford said.

industry news

Global Innovation Index 2017: Australia loses ground

Australia has fallen by four places to 23rd in the the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2017, co-authored by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The Index identified Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, the USA and the UK as the world’s most innovative countries, while a group of nations including India, Kenya, and Vietnam are outperforming their development-level peers. Key findings showed the rise of India as an emerging innovation centre in Asia, high-innovation performance in Sub-Saharan Africa relative to development and an opportunity to improve innovation capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Each year, the GII surveys some 130 economies using dozens of metrics, from patent filings to education spending providing decision makers a high-level look at the innovative activity that increasingly drives economic and social growth. In a new feature for the GII, a special section looks at “invention hotspots” around the globe that show the highest density of

inventors listed in international patent applications. Now in its tenth edition, the GII 2017 notes a continued gap in innovative capacity between developed and developing nations and lacklustre growth rates for research and development (R&D) activities, both at the government and corporate levels.

“Innovation is the engine of economic growth in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy, but more investment is needed to help boost human creativity and economic output,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. “Innovation can help transform the current economic upswing into longer-term growth.”

Switzerland led the 2017 rankings for the seventh consecutive year, with highincome economies taking 24 of the top 25 spots – China was the exception at 22. In 2016, China became the first-ever middle income economy in the top 25.

“Efforts to bridge the innovation divide have to start with helping emerging economies understand their innovation strengths and weaknesses and create appropriate policies and metrics,” said Soumitra Dutta, Dean, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University. “This has been the GII’s purpose for more than ten years now.”

A group of middle- and lower-income economies performed significantly better on innovation than their current level of development would predict: a total of 17 economies comprised these ‘innovation achievers’ this year, a slight increase from 2016. In total, nine come from the SubSaharan Africa region, including Kenya and Rwanda, and three economies come from Eastern Europe.

World-first 3D printer set for Charles Darwin University A world-first commercial 3D printer manufactured by AMTIL member SPEE3D that has the potential to revolutionise manufacturing technology will be based at Charles Darwin University (CDU).

Michael Gunner, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, said the printer, which the NT Government has invested in, would form the centrepiece of a new industrial research hub to be based at CDU’s Casuarina campus in Darwin’s northern suburbs. The hub would pave the way for the creation of jobs into the future for NT residents, as well as generating new economic opportunities in the NT. Gunner joined Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Maddocks to announce a $400,000 NT Government grant for the purchase of the LightSPEE3D printer.

“We want to partner with local enterprises to drive innovation here in the Territory,” Gunner said. “By diversifying the economy through innovation we are opening the door to new economic opportunities for Territorians – both now and into the future.”

The 3D printer was invented in the NT by Steven Camilleri and Byron Kennedy, the co-founders of SPEE3D. It will be used to provide a new industrial transformation research hub for advanced manufacturing

in the Territory, delivering new tools, skills and technologies, and generating highly skilled jobs. The printer would allow for the rapid and low-cost production of metal parts without tools.

Together with CDU, SPEE3D has formed the Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (AMA) based at Casuarina campus.

Professor Maddocks said the AMA also would work to develop applications for the use of the new technology in remote areas – improving supply chains and lowering operating costs. He congratulated the NT Government for its critical role in bringing the project to fruition.

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industry news

Deakin and LeMond Composites join forces on carbon fibre

Deakin University has paved the way to dramatically cut the cost of carbon fibre manufacturing, joining forces with LeMond Composites in a $US44m deal to revolutionise its use across the world.

The partnership, signed on 21 June by Greg LeMond – a threetime Tour de France winner and the founder and CEO of LeMond Composites – and Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane den Hollander AO at the University’s Waurn Ponds Campus, allows LeMond Composites to license technology developed by Deakin’s world-leading carbon fibre research centre, Carbon Nexus.

LeMond Composites will also consider the development of a carbon fibre manufacturing plant in Geelong, which would invest more than $30m in construction and equipment, and create dozens of jobs for Geelong manufacturers to take the carbon fibre of the future to the global market. The specialised carbon fibre production machinery for the plant will be manufactured by Furnace Engineering in Clayton, Victoria.

Professor den Hollander said the new technology, developed by Carbon Nexus PhD Student Maxime Maghe and Carbon Nexus General Manager Steve Atkiss, was a game-changer for the future of manufacturing.

“We know carbon fibre has been in use in aircraft, high-end cars and bikes, among other applications for a long time now, but it remains a niche product that costs a significant amount to produce,” Professor den Hollander said. “This new technology could revolutionise the advanced manufacturing sector locally, across Australia and around the globe, because it will make carbon fibre more affordable to produce, which will make it more accessible for consumers.

“This is a huge global success story and it was incubated right here at Waurn Ponds, by one of our very own future leaders – a PhD student working under the guidance of our gifted leadership in carbon fibre research. And carbon fibre could ultimately be made right here in Geelong, at our Waurn Ponds Campus, where over a decade of government, industry and our own investment has created a map for manufacturing of the future. The opportunities are clear.”

LeMond Composites’ Greg LeMond (fourth from left), Deakin PhD student Maxine Maghe and Deakin VC Professor Jane den Hollander, with members of the Carbon Nexus team.

LeMond in 1986 became the first cyclist to win the Tour de France on a carbon fibre bike. He has been a household name among cyclists for three decades, selling carbon fibre bikes under his own brand around the globe, before last year setting up LeMond Composites to realise his vision of affordable carbon fibre cycles for everyday riders. LeMond said the ability to scale low-cost carbon fibre production had been the biggest hurdle to bring the material to the masses.

“Deakin University’s manufacturing process will make it possible to localise manufacturing and make carbon fibre technology more accessible to a wider range of industries like transportation, renewable energy and infrastructure or any industry that benefits from using lighter, stronger, safer materials,” LeMond said.

The Carbon Nexus centre was established in 2014 as a globallyunique, cutting-edge research facility to conduct basic and industrial-scale research into carbon fibre production methods and composite manufacturing techniques. www.LeMond.cc www.deakin.edu.au

ADDE to equip AstraZeneca expansion AMTIL member Andrew Donald Design Engineering (ADDE) will provide three new specialised production lines for AstraZeneca as the pharmaceuticals giant expands its manufacturing facility in North Ryde, NSW. On 11 July AstraZeneca announced its decision to invest a further $100m in its manufacturing operation in Sydney, which will fund the three specialised production lines for innovative respiratory medicines. The expanded manufacturing capacity will boost international exports from the North Ryde site to over $2.4bn over the next four years, and result in an additional 60 jobs at the facility.

The machinery is a result of AstraZeneca’s strong collaboration with ADDE. The Melbourne-based specialist machine designers will build each new production line from scratch to AstraZeneca’s custom design specification. The machines will take a team of 36 people over 12 months to produce.

Each production line has the capacity to produce over 70 million units per year of Pulmicort Respules, a medicine for patients with asthma. The medicine is produced in Australia for markets such as China, where we help to treat a proportion of China’s estimated 30 million asthma sufferers. Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

of AstraZeneca, said: “AstraZeneca has a 60-year history in Australia of bringing innovative medicines for cancer, diabetes and respiratory disease to patients. Our latest investment is an example of the tremendous opportunities presented by hightech manufacturing and productivity, creating jobs, boosting exports and ultimately making a positive impact on the Australian economy.” Mark Morgan, Manufacturing Director of AstraZeneca Australia added: “Our manufacturing model is based on high-tech production that is difficult to replicate. The machinery is a credit to Australian engineering excellence and its performance can be attributed to our workforce who achieve significant increases in productivity and efficiency out of the machines.”

“Despite the trend for manufacturing businesses to relocate to countries where labour costs are lower, we’re investing and expanding our manufacturing operations in Australia with locally manufactured equipment.”

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Industry news

Macquarie University looks to partner in 3D metal printing Raymax Applications has completed the installation of a new SLM125HL 3D metal printer from SLM Solutions at the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF)’s OptoFab Node at Macquarie University.

The OptoFab Node sits within Macquarie’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, with a focus on laser micromachining. Dr Martin Ams, Research Fellow in Physics, explained: “We are involved in both additive and subtractive processing. The addition of the SLM system allows us to expand our additive facilities using metals such as stainless steel and titanium.”

The launch was attended by an audience of industry representatives and academics, with a presentation by Stefan Ritt from SLM Solutions about the expansion and direction in 3D metal printing worldwide. Ritt emphasised the benefits of a ‘one-stop’ workshop facility to assist manufacturers in developing ‘know-how’ and skills in 3D printing processes. He underlined how university expertise can directly contribute to the growth of Australian manufacturing by providing much-needed research and support in specialist testing facilities – as occurs across Europe.

“SLM Solutions encourages research centres and universities to partner with companies in different industries to explore requirements and to develop usable strategies to support growth,” added Ritt.

“This is how the new 3D Print Facility can be so important to local business.”

Dr Peter Decker working with the new SLM125HL 3D metal printer.

Macquarie has expertise in a number of fields that cross into 3D printing, for example in the production of medical parts and implants.

The use of 3D-printed medical implants is experiencing rapid growth as medical engineers test not only functional designs, but innovative lattice structures that encourage bone growth. Richard Appleyard, Associate Professor in Biomechanical Engineering and Orthopaedics, said: “Healthcare is one of the fastest growing sectors of 3D printing, with a growth rate of 20%-25% forecast over the next few years.”

“One of the key aims of this facility is to grow our already successful industry partnerships with local businesses, and our medical faculty, in the development of 3D metal printed parts,” said Professor Michael Withford, Director of the ANFF OptoFab Node. “Our new facility opens doors for different industries while our expertise puts us in an excellent position to work in a range of partnerships from medical to industrial, to innovate manufacturing processes.

Those interested in making use of our 3D print system for additive manufacturing can contact Dr Peter Dekker, our Facility Manager.”

Located at North Ryde in Sydney, Macquarie has a credible history of partnering with businesses, some of which are located on campus, such as Cochlear.

Quickstep to supply Lockheed Martin LM-100J

Quickstep has been confirmed as a supplier to Lockheed Martin for the new LM-100J commercial freighter, which recently made its global debut at the 2017 Paris Air Show.

The LM-100J is based on the C-130J Super Hercules military tactical airlifter, delivering the versatility and capabilities of its military counterpart to commercial operators. Quickstep will be the supplier of wing flaps for the LM-100J, in addition to the C-130J aircraft. Speaking from the Paris Air Show, Quickstep’s recently appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mark Burgess said: “The introduction of the LM-100J signifies a new chapter in Hercules operations and we are proud to be a part of this new platform that will truly change the commercial freighter marketplace.”

Quickstep is the largest independent aerospace-grade advanced composite manufacturer in Australia, partnering with some of the world’s largest aerospace/defence organisations including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems, as well as Victorian-based Marand Precision Engineering. Quickstep operates from state-of-the-art aerospace manufacturing facilities at Bankstown Airport in Sydney, NSW, with a recently established site for the advanced manufacturing of composite parts and R&D/Process Development Centre in Waurn Ponds, Victoria, and a development and customer support operation in Munich, Germany.

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Burgess joined Quickstep as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director on 8 May: “I am delighted to be on board, and I continue to be impressed by Quickstep’s strong and profitable aerospace manufacturing business, its forward order book and revenue growth. Our business has a strong value proposition and significant growth opportunities in multiple sectors.

“I am genuinely excited about Quickstep’s future. We are generating positive cash flow from our aerospace operations and, having concluded a significant capital expenditure program at Bankstown, are successfully supporting very significant increases in Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) production volumes with existing funds that meet our ongoing working capital requirements.”

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Industry News

Australian Made webinar to promote country-of-origin branding The Australian Made Campaign will be hosting a free, webinar about country-of-origin branding on 23 August.

Country-of-origin branding is a powerful marketing tool for Australian manufacturers yet many aren’t aware of it. The ‘Country-of-origin Branding: Get the Australian Advantage’ webinar will provide information about country-of-origin branding and how business can market their products as genuinely Aussie with the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo. Registration details can be found at the foot of this article.

Australian Made on 11 July announced a new partnership with Master Builders Australia aimed at boosting exports and the use of locally made products by the building and construction sectors. The initiative will encourage building and construction firms to source Australianmade goods and assist local businesses in marketing their products and services to export markets.

Recently released research from Roy Morgan found 75% of Australians preference Australian-made building and construction goods, making local content an important selling factor for businesses. Australian Made Campaign Chief Executive, Ian Harrison, said Australian-made often translated to better quality and durability.

“Australia’s extremely stringent quality and safety manufacturing standards have helped establish our reputation for well-made

products, that last,” said Harrison. “Manufacturers and developers promoting goods as genuinely Australian should leverage country-of-origin branding whenever possible.

“Research shows the Australian Made logo is recognised by 99% of Australians, and has been found to increase sales in export markets as well, so it should form an important part of any marketing strategy. As a registered certification trade mark, it defends the authenticity of Australian goods.”

Master Builders Australia Chief Executive, Denita Wawn, said the organisation was proud to be working with the Australian Made Campaign: “Formalising the longstanding relationship between Master Builders Australia and the Australian Made Campaign demonstrates our commitment to local industry. This initiative will greatly benefit Australian manufacturers and the broader building and construction industries.”

The Australian Made logo will be central to the branding of Master Builders Australia trade missions and exhibitions to be carried out in 2017/18.

To register for the ‘Country-of-origin Branding: Get the Australian Advantage’ webinar, go to http://shorturl.at/hGKOV. www.australianmade.com.au

Swinburne, Imagine IM announce conference, graphene research initiative, Swinburne University will hold a conference on 17 August that will give unique, expert insights into how graphenebased materials can help Australian advanced manufacturers thrive in the fast-growing Internet of Things (IoT) marketplace, delivering smart products, accessing global supply chains, and realising higher margins.

According to McKinsey, the IoT will contribute up to US$11 trillion in economic value globally by 2025. The value of the “Factories and Worksites” component alone will be worth almost US$4 trillion.

The Internet of Industrial Materials conference will focus on how Australian manufacturers, researchers and investors can be big winners by focussing on this Factories and Worksites market segment. Advanced materials that use functionalised graphene – a revolutionary carbon allotrope – to capture and communicate useful data will enable differentiated products and processes that will deliver value into global supply chains.

Imagine Intelligent Materials is the lead industry partner with Swinburne in a world-first research initiative: The Graphene Supply Chain CRC-P. This research centre will be officially opened on 17 August in parallel with the conference. The initiative is devoted to determining how to ensure replicability of graphenebased materials, together with the quality assurance necessary for graphene to deliver value in large-scale manufacturing environments.

The Internet of Industrial Materials conference will highlight how Australian companies are already working with global companies

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

and supply chains, as well as what factors need to be understood to give Australian manufacturers, investors, researchers and entrepreneurs an advantage. Attendees will hear how Australia can become a major beneficiary of the IoT megatrend by focussing on a sector of IoT that leverages existing strengths. This has the potential to supercharge Australia’s economy and create the jobs and industries of tomorrow starting today. Participants will include influencers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and companies from resources, infrastructure, and chemicals industries, as well as researchers and investors.

“Swinburne is excited to be partnered with Imagine Intelligent Materials, Austeng, Agilent, Duromer and HRL on the Graphene Supply Chain CRC-P project,” said Professor Bronwyn Fox, Director of the Factory of the Future at Swinburne University. “Our research on understanding structure performance relationships in graphene products will help to create robust supply chains for graphene-enabled products that meet industry and investor goals for manufacturability at scale. The applied research work on smart materials is totally aligned with the Manufacturing Futures Research Institute, Australia’s first Institute to focus on Industry 4.0.” www.imgne.com/event

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Government news

Apply now for AM Sydney launches Growth Fund start-up hub The Government has released the program guidelines for the $47.5m Advanced Manufacturing Growth Fund.

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Fund is a part of the Government’s plan to help Australia’s manufacturing sector transition to globally focused, high-skill, advanced manufacturing.

It is designed to encourage increased investment in advanced manufacturing activities in Victoria and South Australia, where car manufacturing will end later this year. This complements an existing $155m Growth Fund that is already helping the affected regions deal with the impacts of the automotive manufacturing closures.

“Manufacturing continues to be a major part of our economy, but the sector needs to continue its transformation by investing in advanced technologies, design and engineering excellence, and innovative business processes,” said the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Arthur Sinodinos. “The Government wants to see an Australian manufacturing sector that continues to transition from traditional, heavy industrial processes to knowledgebased manufacturing of higher value products, so it can capture new market opportunities.”

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Fund will provide grants to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for up to one-third of eligible project costs, to establish and expand advanced manufacturing activities in Victoria and South Australia. Individual grants will be between $500,000 and $2.5m. To qualify, you must be an SME with up to 199 full-time equivalent employees, be an entity incorporated in Australia, and have an Australian Business Number (ABN).

The program supports capital projects by small and medium enterprises that expand and establish advanced manufacturing using advanced technologies, design and engineering excellence, and innovative business processes, in order to improve the overall efficiency and competitiveness of firms and the broader economy. The program aims to increase investment in advanced manufacturing activities in Victoria and SA, and help transition Australia’s manufacturing sector from traditional, heavy industrial processes to knowledge-based manufacturing of highervalue products. The $47.5m fund for businesses to make new investments in advanced manufacturing and the $20m for CRC Projects into advanced manufacturing research, which opened for applications on 3 July, are two key elements of the Government’s $100m Advanced Manufacturing Fund.

The program is open formally for applications till 14 August.

A new $35m startup hub in Sydney’s CBD will provide a world-class landing pad for regional start-ups to tap into global networks, customers and investment.

Announcing the new Sydney Startup Hub (SSH), Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW and Small Business, John Barilaro, said the Hub would give regional startups a dedicated space to showcase their businesses and ideas.

“The Sydney Startup Hub is Sydney by name only, it is truly a statewide initiative that supports regional entrepreneurs and connects the wider startup community,” said Barilaro. “This hub will accommodate up to 2,500 people and potentially thousands more through the Regional Landing Pad and dedicated community spaces.”

The Hub and the Regional Landing Pad will support the creation of new jobs across NSW while increasing the diversity, size and strength of the NSW startup community.

“The Sydney Startup Hub will be the largest Hub in Australia and the southern hemisphere, and the dedicated Regional Landing Pad will help to connect the entire NSW startup community, regardless of location,” Barilaro added. “Supporting regional startups is a priority for the NSW Government, with regional entrepreneurs essential to the growth of regional communities.”

A minimum of $57m in Jobs for NSW funding is available to help startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in regional NSW succeed and create more local jobs in regional communities across the State.

“We have some fantastic regional entrepreneurs and supporters playing an essential role in the growth of local NSW communities,” said Barilaro. “For instance I recently announced funding for “Upstairs” in Bathurst, a 500sqm community facility with 50 workstations, high-speed internet, 24/7 access, meeting rooms, and a pitch space. Upstairs is already working with two of the cornerstone tenants at the new Sydney Startup Hub - Stone and Chalk and Fishburners - and has a unique opportunity to establish a state-of-the-art incubator to nurture more startups in the Central West region.

“The Sydney Startup Hub will be a world-class facility servicing an ever-growing, connected and collaborative startup network across NSW that will help drive new business and jobs growth well into the future.”

www.business.gov.au/assistance/advanced-manufacturinggrowth-fund

Need staff? Trial a young person before you hire A new Federal Government program aims to make it easier for businesses to find and recruit young people.

Youth Jobs PaTH (Prepare-Trial-Hire) allows businesses to trial an eligible young person aged 17–24 in a work experience placement (called a PaTH internship) for between four and 12 weeks to find out if they are right for the role. The Government provides participating businesses with a payment of $1,000 (GST inclusive) to help with the cost of hosting the internship and covers the young person’s insurance. An additional $6,500 or $10,000 could be paid if the business hires the intern in an

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ongoing position and additional incentives may be available if the intern is offered an apprenticeship or traineeship.

Businesses do not pay the intern during the placement; instead the intern receives an additional $200 per fortnight on top of their income support payment. A jobactive, Disability Employment Services or Transition to Work provider will work with a business to help find a suitable young person to trial in an internship. www.jobactive.gov.au/path

Commonwealth Government Entrepreneurs’ Programme partnering with AMTIL

It’s all about you.

Accelerating Commercialisation

The Entrepreneurs’ Programme (EP) is a Commonwealth Government flagship initiative focused on raising the competitiveness and productivity of eligible companies at an individual level. AMTIL is a partner organisation working with the Department of Industry in the delivery of the EP. The Programme forms a part of the Australian Government’s Economic Action Strategy and will deploy over 100 experienced Advisers and Facilitators, offering support to businesses through three key elements: 1. Business Management 2. Innovation Connections 3. Accelerating Commercialisation Accelerating Commercialisation helps entrepreneurs, businesses and researchers to address the challenges of bringing their products, processes and services to market.

Without the right advice and support this can be a very difficult, frustrating and challenging fraught with many dangers. It gives you access to expert advice, contacts, networks and exposure opportunities to put you on the fast-track to commercial success. Investors, technology entrepreneurs and strategic partners can forge links with high-calibre, high-potential Australian start-up tech companies through the Accelerating Commercialisation Portfolio and Expert Network.

Accelerating Commercialisation offers: • Matched grants of up to $1 million to support entrepreneurs on their commercialisation journey.

• Support and guidance from independent Commercialisation Advisers who will help you become investor and market ready.

• Introductions to influential business contacts and networks including investors, domain experts, entrepreneurs and strategic corporations, through the Expert Network. These connections are crucial to help you develop your business, raise smart capital and get into new markets.

• Opportunities to join an exclusive portfolio of highpotential Australian businesses that are marketed to investors and multinational corporations online, through media exposure and invitations to domestic and international networking events.

• Opportunities for potential investors, domain experts and strategic corporations to make connections with innovative, young tech companies.

Every business has different needs.

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To find out what the Entrepreneurs’ Programme can do for you, call 13 28 46 or visit www.business.gov.au or contact Greg Chalker 03 9800 3666 or email gchalker@amtil.com.au

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voice box Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

How we brought a new product to market So you’ve created a new product, gone through prototype stages and market research, and now settled on the ideal version that you believe is market-ready. But how will you make that product known to the world? By Paul Hughes.

At Integra Systems, we were on a steep learning curve when it came to marketing our WorkSmart Collection of workstation solutions, because in the past the selling of these products had not been part of our business model. We made innovative products but we made them for other people, then they went away and did whatever was required to take to market. You could say we came from behind the eight-ball in bringing our own new products to market, but we learnt – and we learnt fast.

We knew we had identified an unmet market need with our sit-stand desks before we even created them, so we had strength there. Still, we made sure we performed a full SWOT analysis to meticulously (and honestly) chart all our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

What is the market currently doing? What is it tolerating? What are our competitors doing? What does our buyer profile look like? These were all questions we asked ourselves. We realised we could not leave any stone unturned if we wanted our WorkSmart Collection to cut through the noise of the marketplace.

It’s easy to commit so much cash to the actualisation of a product that nothing is left for bringing it to market. So you need to be mindful at each stage of your product creation: where is the money coming from and how much has been spent?

Ours has been a fully self-funded commercialisation, but some product developers may choose to fund the initial development themselves and then seek some form of third-party financial support (government or investor) for the marketing or, indeed, fund the entire process with the money of others. That’s a whole other beast in itself.

Whichever path you choose, make no bones about it – commercialisation is really expensive. By organically funding our product, we found it took a little longer to get to market than if we had a cash injection, but we sacrificed speed to market for total authority over our product.

Once we had developed a mature product, we needed to consider the various ways the market would prefer to purchase it. Given our market is more B2B in nature, we decided our online presence would not be selling for us – instead supporting our sales conversations.

We needed somewhere for businesses and government to gather information about WorkSmart, without actually purchasing online, so our dedicated product website was equipped to handle this responsibility. Don’t get me wrong – the website is e-commerceenabled and we occasional receive online orders for our sitstand desks, but our primary focus is on bulk commercial orders.

Corporates usually have a buying centre for purchases, so they need to all be on the same page, and having good information centralised on a website can help facilitate that scenario.

Integra Systems is known as an integrated solutions provider, where we have strong market position, but it was not going to help us sell our own products. We needed to create a separate brand that

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supported our beliefs but was also broad enough to accommodate the introduction of further products down the track. So we asked ourselves, what are we truly about? Our answer: Innovating for Performance. Around this tagline, Integra TransForm – a subsidiary company/brand to Integra Systems – was born.

Within the Integra Transform branding umbrella and brand values, we were able to segment our collections. For example, the BioSmart desk converter is really the flagship of the WorkSmart Collection, so we had to market that differently to the AeroSmart workstation sit-stand solution. Even though a BioSmart customer may take a look at AeroSmart, their needs are very different – they want an ergonomic solution that is more flexible and works with their current office furniture, whereas the AeroSmart customer is building their workplace from the ground up. The two types of customers have similar needs and profiles from a segmentation perspective, but their decision-making process is different.

In terms of finding market cut-through, there were a few brands dominating the sit-stand desk market, but we knew their products were either too cumbersome or – on the flipside – too flimsy, especially when compared with ours. These products have clearly been built for a price but were not sufficiently meeting the market’s needs.

We could see, with the BioSmart and AeroSmart, the one-touch action, robustness and longevity of use of both products were where our value lay. This is a major value proposition for us, and where we continue to maintain focus. Corporate customers are starting to get behind us and make the investment in a product they can see is going to go the distance for them, motivating and inspiring the user, as well as being moveable and flexible for hotdesking.

The sales effort that has to go behind targeting the right people in the market is a major commitment. You need to resource it. Given that Integra creates products for performance, we know how to make changes on the fly, so our flexibility is what makes us different.

But that flexibility cannot just be on the factory floor. We made a point of ensuring our sales and business development work closely with design team to ensure we are always prepped for action.

Unlike putting a square peg in a round hole and expecting a sales team to just go out and flog a product, we are always prepared to modify the product and ensure market challenges are overcome.

We could say this is our secret weapon, but never forget: coming up with a product and bringing it to market requires synchronicity of many factors and many elements.

Be committed. Be passionate. Be resilient. Persevere. And make sure you have the dollars to back it all up.

Paul Hughes is the CEO of Integra Systems. For more details about the WorkSmart Collection, visit the Integra TransForm website. www.integratransform.com.au

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voice box Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

Chipping away during the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Tools for cutting and grinding aren’t the latest idea, but some current trends show we’re entering a particularly exciting new age. By Grant Anderson.

According to an entry in the Smithsonian, humans had developed crude toolmaking techniques by at least 2.6 million years ago.

Chipping away at rocks made them smaller and sharper, offering various advantages to diet and defence in the lives of early man.

Tools for cutting and grinding aren’t the latest idea, but some current trends show we’re entering a new, particularly exciting age.

The invention of computer numerical control (CNC) is much more recent than the first attempts at toolmaking, and was a serious step to turning things into an exact science. It has allowed for ever-increasing levels of complexity in end products, the removal of guesswork and human error, previously unimaginable tolerance levels, and ever greater output.

Since then, there have been needs from customers that have forced continued innovation by tool grinder manufacturers, including the uptake of new materials and composites, and constantly rising demands from end users for elegance and function in products.

Consider the sleek aluminium backing of a smartphone – one component of a modern work of industrial art – and the manufacture of which is enabled by super-accurate tools.

Putting aside the impressive prowess of machine tool producers, the demands of their customers and their customers’ customers will continue to evolve. Machine manufacturers are rushing to develop solutions for a new age of production. Consistent with the flavour of what’s called ‘Industry 4.0’, VDW (Germany’s Machine Tool Builders’ Association) recently said that digitalisation and networking are predicted to deliver a “quantum leap” in competitiveness, and that it would focus on this at the premier Hannover trade fair.

Overall, market research suggests global sales in machine tools will grow (at a slow rate) in the near term. One researcher on trends in the sector observed last year that the level of technology demanded is clearly increasing, adding anecdotally that “commodity-type machines have fallen out of favour”.

Among the trend towards smarter machines is the unmissable push towards Industry 4.0. Encompassing production trends such as robotics, networked machines and analytics making sense of what’s collected by many sensors, Industry 4.0 is very much on the minds of machine tool makers right now. And for good reasons.

Robotics: Delivering more than just pallets Throughout various types of manufacturing, the uptake of robotics is hard to miss. The Industrial Federation of Robotics expects global unit sales of industrial robots to continue an annual double-digit percentage growth until at least 2019. Factory robot makers are deliberately offering products designed to be more intuitive (Rethink Robotics’ founder regularly compares his products to the iPhone) and flexible compared to previous generations of product.

Recently ANCA has successfully integrated multi-robot production cells for several customers. These have allowed for extra workstations within the one cell; to add capabilities such as washing, metrology and laser etching; and for the production of more complex parts. As robots will become more capable and cheaper, it is likely that they will be integrated with machine tools more frequently, delivering higher levels of automation, productivity and quality.

Production gets smarter with data The demand for connectivity is also apparent among customers.

As is the case in more and more parts of the industrial world, users are wanting to collect and make use of what was once “trapped data”, as well as monitor operations remotely and be alerted if there is an issue.

For some time, ANCA has offered in-process laser measurement and compensation, allowing for software-driven adjustments to maintain accurate tool geometries if there are issues like wheel wear and thermal expansion. More recently, we added a Management Suite of software, delivering tool and wheel management, as well as sophisticated, easy-to-understand machine analytics through our Redax software. The suite allows for easy data sharing between networked machines, as well as analytics to help identify and adopt the best ways of using these machines. Information becomes transparent throughout a team and can accessed remotely by logging on via a smartphone, computer or tablet. It also provides email and text alerts if production is interrupted: essential for confidence while running unmanned production.

It’s been a long journey from chipping away at the earliest stone age tools to where we are now, in an era where we’re past making tools by hand, and machines can talk to each other, talk to computers, and let you know when there’s a problem. Next I see that analytics will predict potential problems with the manufacturing process and self-correct to avoid the issue to keep production moving. The system will learn from the data of previous applications to inform future solutions. Essentially production will self-manage without reducing quality – it is an exciting prospect.

We’re looking forward to chipping away in the current and Fourth Industrial Revolution, and to all the exciting possibilities it offers toolmakers and the works of art that their innovations enable.

Grant Anderson is the Chief Executive Officer of the ANCA Group. www.anca.com

Robots have been involved for some time in basic functions such as loading. It’s reasonable to guess that as they become more usable they will find more and more uses in conjunction with machine tools. This will, among other things, help owners get more use out of their investment. Robots are currently unable to “assume noncore processes” of such machines, according to one expert, but as “the machine tool is increasingly converging with the robot, they no longer stand side by side as separate components”.

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voice box Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

Australian industry making digital gains but needs to skill up

Recent research shows that Australian businesses are taking some postive steps towards digital transformation, but there is much work still to be done, and we face several key areas of weakness. By Rob Stummer.

With the latest IFS Digital Change Survey, released in June, there is cause for optimism in key industries compared with last year. Firstly, the data indicates that Australian organisations are willing to invest in digital transformation. Secondly, we are more likely than our international peers to prioritise investments in enterprise software – a necessary foundation for all digital technologies.

While the survey shows that Australian organisations are making progress with digital transformation, concerns remain that we are not investing aggressively enough. Local organisations also face serious skills shortages in key technical areas including cyber security, artificial intelligence and robotics and the Internet of Things.

Last year, Australian organisations’ digital transformation strategies appeared to be lagging behind the rest of the world. IFS’ 2016 survey found only 50% of local respondents had a clear strategy for digital transformation. This was fewer than anywhere else, including ASEAN, Benelux, Brazil, China, Finland, Poland, Scandinavia and the US. The global figure was 60% and in Scandinavia it was 66%.

Conservative approach to digital investments This year, Australian organisations appear to be catching up.

The criticism remains though, when analysing the new survey findings, that we are more likely to take a conservative approach to digital transformation than seen elsewhere. This year’s IFS Digital Change Survey polled 750 decision makers in 16 countries, with 52 respondents in Australia, to assess the maturity of digital transformation in industry sectors including manufacturing, oil and gas, aviation, construction and contracting, and services.

In Australia, 96% of those firms that were surveyed (compared with 94% globally) said they have adequate, advantageous or excessive funding for digital transformation, indicating a strong willingness to invest and an appetite to evolve their business in order to stay competitive and grow. However, most (61%) of Australian organisations fall into the adequate category, compared with 43% globally. Only 35% of Australian respondents consider their funding advantageous, versus 46.5% globally, and none feel their funding is excessive, whereas 4.5% of global respondents do.

So, how are Australian organisations likely to prioritise their digital investments? The most common investment area over the next three years is big data, chosen by 50% of Australian and 47% of global respondents. Second is enterprise resource planning (ERP), chosen by 46% of Australian and 38% of global respondents. Third is software as a service, chosen by 38% of respondents locally and 29% globally.

Locals more likely to invest in enterprise software The data shows that Australian organisations are significantly more likely to invest in enterprise software for digital transformation than their overseas counterparts. While consistent with a conservative approach, it is a very positive sign. Digital strategies that are not built on a solid enterprise software foundation may fail to deliver enterprise-wide, sustainable benefits. Big data, for example, is fundamental but it is enterprise software that delivers real-time, accurate, actionable intelligence.

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We probably shouldn’t be surprised then that, compared with the global average, the survey found that more Australian enterprises rate their digital maturity highly. When asked about the digital transformation maturity level of their organisations, meaning actual progress, 38% of local respondents said their business is in the two highest levels of maturity on a five-graded scale. Globally, the figure was 31%.

Lack of talent could derail digital plans Despite the digital maturity of local organisations – perhaps even because of it – the survey shows that Australian industry is facing a serious skills shortage. This is particularly alarming in the key technical areas of cyber security, artificial intelligence and robotics, and the Internet of Things.

Some 40% of Australian organisations, versus 34% globally, feel either slightly or totally unprepared to deal with digital transformation due to a skills deficiency. When asked to name the areas that will experience the greatest deficit in talented staff, 38% of Australian survey respondents (against 39% globally) cited cyber security, 33% (compared with 30% globally) said artificial intelligence and, and 31% of local respondents cited the Internet of Things (against 20% globally).

Although new technology is critical to digital transformation, it is clear that change communications and access to the right talent are principal catalysts to succeed. It is alarming that two in five Australian companies are not staffed to manage digital transformation. These organisations need to focus on concrete talent investment plans to make sure that they establish what roles are critical to success in their industries. After that the key is both to find and attract new talent as well as training and re-skilling existing staff.

While it is gratifying to see the progress being made by Australian organisations towards digital transformation, there is still a long way to go. Maintaining the competitiveness of our industry will require not only investment in technology but investment in the people and the skills to apply it.

Rob Stummer is the Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, for global enterprise applications company IFS. www.ifsworld.com/au

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voice box Opinions from across the manufacturing industry

Doing business with multinational companies

Small businesses sometimes find it confronting and daunting trying to sell to large multinationals. It can be a challenge to be a supplier to a large business. As a small business owner, there is no reason to feel intimidated when approaching a large multinational company. Christelle Damiens explains.

Large multinationals are often aware about what they are not doing well and are quite open to suggestions from small businesses.

Not always being able to move quickly enough, large corporations recognise the value of fast-moving, agile small businesses that are experts in their field and can help them achieve their objectives.

Often as a small business owner, the solution you are offering is very niche and your target market is a handful of large multinationals.

In that case, there is often no need for a distributor to act on your behalf. It may even be counter-productive to have one.

On many occasions, I have been mandated to test the interest of large multinationals in a specific technology. In some cases, small businesses have been responsible for developing a breakthrough technology or a new scientific process. Once again, this new technology or process may only be useful for a handful of companies.

Europe is often a great market as it is home to a large number of multinationals who are always looking to improve their productivity and protect their leadership status. If you have what they need, they will listen to what you have to offer.

Approaching multinational companies

Develop your key account strategy

What is the best way for SMEs to approach multinationals? In the past few years, a number of programs have been developed by large European multinationals specifically designed to target start-up companies. These programs are often part of the corporation’s R&D strategy or of their overall innovation program. What often happens is that European expatriates throughout the world are mandated to identify eligible start-ups for these programs. The partnership arrangement the multinational company is offering can be quite broad, encompassing:

If the multinationals you are targeting do not offer these types of programs, then you’re going to have to resort to the traditional sales approach. Once you have validated an initial interest from a multinational, you now need to establish a strategy to enter that account. In many instances, you won’t be able to sell directly to that European multinational. You need to map out their decision-making process and the suppliers they are using for your specific product or solution.

• Co-development of intellectual property.

• Capital investment.

• Involvement in your board of directors.

• Integration of your product offering into their product range.

Before applying for one of these programs, carefully assess what their priorities are in terms of investment. Multinational companies have usually clearly identified a number of key areas where they are looking for solutions in order to solve specific issues (e.g. high energy costs) or to improve their service to their customers. If your solution falls within their list of priorities, you will save yourself time and have a greater chance of success.

If you do decide to get involved in these types of programs, you need to be very clear about what you want to get out of them and ensure that what you are asking for is feasible. Likewise, it is important to find out how it could help you to meet your objectives, both in the short term and over a longer timeframe. Often, these programs look like a great opportunity for a small business, but large multinational companies tend to take their time and then change direction abruptly due to budget cuts.

If you’re in the right place at the right time, leveraging these types of programs can be fantastic. If you’re thinking of selling your business down the track, it is also a great way to give your business exposure to potential buyers. Large multinationals are constantly on the lookout for small businesses to buy.

For example, large European multinationals usually have up to three preferred distributors that they use to source things such as industrial tooling or safety equipment. How can you work with these suppliers/distributors? Your value proposition is important, as you will need to use it when approaching that supplier. Use the interest of this multinational as your trading value with the distributor to get in.

In the context of large supply chains, you will need to partner with companies already supplying to these large multinationals.

Purchasing departments are aiming at keeping the number of their suppliers to a minimum, so it may be difficult for them to justify purchasing your product if you do only supply one component to them. In that case, ask them who their current suppliers are in your category and who is the best contact person. The best example of this situation is within the aeronautics or defence sectors, where small businesses have no other way to approach multinationals other than through partnering with Tier 2 suppliers.

Currently in Australia, large overseas contractors have been awarded large deals on the premises that they would allocate some part of the business to local SMEs. These opportunities are currently being promoted Australia-wide by the Australian government to SMEs. Start to position your business now for these long-term defence contracts for example.

Christelle Damiens is Managing Director of Exportia, which provides expert consultancy services to SMEs who have developed a technology and have made the decision to export it to Europe. www.exportia.com.au

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Tech News

Germany: Every drill bit counts Currently, factories work on a principle of “one size fits all” when it comes to replacing or regrinding tools such as drill bits, milling machines or planes. Accordingly, these tools are often exchanged too early. This issue is being addressed by creating individual tool “service records” and employing a new communication technology that uses RFID tags. A tool’s properties are easy to calculate, but the impact of machine settings has been unquantifiable to date.

As a result, a tool’s service life can vary by around 25%. The key to more tool productivity is to be able to determine each individual tool’s maximum possible service life. This means factoring in a range of parameters. Using the new RFID technology, an individual tool service record is created that details every event in the time a tool has been in service. This data is then fed into a management tool to create a digital twin of the tool, which lets users determine exactly when a tool must be serviced or replaced.

Fraunhofer

layer forms a barrier, preventing interactions with proteins, which are often a precursor to organism attachment and subsequent biofouling. This coating doesn’t pose the risk of environmental contamination or promote the emergence of biocide or antibioticresistant organisms.

University Of Wollongong

Germany: Air-taxi to commence trials A five-year trial to start later this year will see the all-electric Volocopter 2X “air taxi” undertaking test flights in Dubai. The Volocopter ,which made its maiden flight in Germany in 2013, is a vibration-free vertical take-off and landing aircraft that requires no mechanical pitch control of the propellers and is claimed to be safer and simpler than normal helicopters. Designed and built by German company e-volo, it can fly autonomously using 18 individual rotors powered by nine swappable batteries. It has a top speed of 100km/h and maximum flight time of around 30 mins and can carry up to two people. Stalling, pitch adjustment, gliding angle and components that are difficult to master aeronautically are mastered through the operation of a simple joystick.

The Engineer; e-volo

China: China’s first large passenger Jet The C919 is China’s first self-developed passenger jet, designed by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). Its maiden flight in May showed that China’s aviation industry has succeeded in overcoming numerous technical barriers, including the crucial hurdle of mastering the technology to develop its own self-developed control law - a fly-by-wire flight control system, which allows pilots to use computers to manipulate flight. This is China’s domestic civil aviation industry’s first foray into independent control law design and it had to build from scratch.

Each aircraft needs unique control laws to power FBW systems, because each plane’s layout, structure and shape are different.

Honeywell’s China branch produced an integrated FBW system for the C919, with a team at COMAC designing the algorithms.

Caixin Global

Australia: Non-stick coating to counter biofouling Researchers have been investigating self-cleaning, anti-microbial organic coatings for painted sheet steel to prevent the build-up of mould, algae and other bacteria on coated steel products. Current solutions are based on coatings that incorporate biocides to kill target microorganisms. Yet, the effectiveness of biocides is dulled over time and eventually rendered ineffective. Instead of directly targeting microorganisms, the researchers looked at developing a coating that prevented them attaching to a surface in the first place.

Silica nanoparticles were combined with chemical compounds called zwitterions, which naturally bond to water. This water

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UK: Lightweight steel production breakthrough High-strength, lightweight steels can finally be processed on an industrial scale, thanks to a breakthrough in controlling brittle stages.

A new processing route has been discovered which allows low density steel-based alloys to be produced with maximum strength, whilst remaining durable and flexible – largely impossible until now.

Researchers found that at certain high annealing temperatures, these brittle phases can become much more controllable, allowing the steels to retain their ductility. Current processes for strengthening lightweight steels make them less flexible – and therefore less marketable - but thanks to this research, this is set to be a problem of the past.

University of Warwick

Singapore: Floating fields for fine fabrication A new magnetic system could precisely control the movement of levitating objects for many manufacturing applications. The levitating platform contains arrays of permanent magnets floating above several coils of wire. The movement of the platform is controlled by varying the current in the coils and can produce linear and rotational motion in all three dimensions. It is simpler and potentially less energy-intensive than other recent attempts. The contactless nature of Maglev ensures that no contaminating particles are generated from friction between surfaces. It is suggested that Maglev technology could replace conventional conveyor belts in factories.

Unlike traditional conveyors that can only move objects on predefined tracks, Maglev could move several objects simultaneously to different desired locations.

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

Tech Heading News

Australia: 3D metal printing Adelaide-based AML Technologies is in a strong position to develop its Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAM) metal 3D printing process, a technology for disrupting the traditional methods of casting, forging and machining medium to large metal parts. It is suitable for the production of large-scale engineering structures of high integrity at low cost, combining an electric arc as a heat source with wire as feedstock to produce free-form parts. The WAM process is described as a “major disruption to the current methods of metal part manufacturing,” which can be “time-consuming, costly, and produce immense scrap material.” By using the WAM process instead, this wastage of material can purportedly be reduced by up to 80%, with manufacturing times reduced by 75%.

AML was offered $495,000 via a commercialisation grant under the Australian Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme.

3ders.org/AML Technologies

UK: New helicopter wing structure A new “box-wing” structure was showcased at the Paris Air Show

by Airbus Helicopters. Providing enhanced speed and range, each new wing on the “Racer High Speed Helicopter Demonstrator” has been designed with high-performance ecological materials that reduce the weight of the aircraft. The new wings provide additional vertical lift and enable it to fly further and faster than traditional helicopters. Additionally, it has been designed with novel manufacturing processes, allowing the manufacture of these complex parts in high labour-cost countries. The research is expected to set the standard for aerodynamic efficiency in high speed helicopters.

University of Nottingham

USA: The most nimble-fingered robot ever built Grabbing irregularly-shaped items is a slippery task for robots, as robots struggle with knowing where to apply a grip. In a significant step toward overcoming this problem, roboticists have a built a robot - DexNet 2.0 - that can pick up and move unfamiliar, real-world objects with a 99% success rate. This technology has the potential to revolutionise manufacturing and the supply chain. DexNet 2.0 gained its highly accurate dexterity through a process called deep learning. The researchers built a vast database of 3D shapes — 6.7 million data points in total — that a neural network uses to learn grasps that will pick up and move objects with irregular shapes. The neural network was then connected to a 3D sensor and a robotic arm. DexNet 2.0 is also three times faster than its previous version.

University of California - Berkeley

UK: Molten zinc thickness testing New ultrasonic ZIP probe technology has been used to conduct safety-critical testing inside galvanizing kettles equipment while still holding molten zinc at 450°C. Galvanizing kettles need to be checked periodically to monitor rates of corrosion in order to avoid a catastrophic molten zinc spillage. Previous monitoring techniques were either using external probes or galvanizers had to actually drain the zinc from the kettles. In 2014 ultrasonic technology was explored and a new Zinc Immersion Probe (ZIP) was devised and successfully trialled. The new ZIP probe has been used in Africa, Malaysia, Middle East, Scandinavia and Europe. It is estimated that there are around 3,000 galvanizing kettles around the world that can potentially benefit from using this type of inspection probe.

University of Warwick.

Australia: How objects could soon ‘heal’ themselves A new 3D printed gel that can heal like living tissue, and change form in response to environments, has myriad applications from fixing cracked phone screens to adaptive camouflage. After 3D-printing, these objects can heal cracks and regain their original strength.

The polymer-based, gel-like ‘ink’ starts off similar in texture to toothpaste. When pressure is applied it can flow, becoming stable again when the pressure is removed. The process is based on dynamic covalent chemistry, allowing the forming, breaking and reforming of chemical bonds. When this is done in a controlled and triggered manner, the properties of the printed objects can be manipulated.

“If the good Lord brings things together and I’m the right man at the right time, well who knows what can happen?“ Prof. John Goodenough, 94 year old engineering professor at the Uni. of Texas, who co-invented lithium-ion batteries in 1980. This year, at his ripe age, he led the engineering team which produced the first-ever solid-state battery cells. These batteries – which replace liquid electrolyte with glass - hold more power, charge faster, have increased energy density and do not become as hot as current ones. The new batteries don’t have problems like dendrites - which can occur with liquid electrolyte – resulting in short circuits, overcharge and explosion problems. And an electric vehicle would increase its mileage between charges. If this solution proves workable and scalable, it will shake up the electronics world.

University of Melbourne

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product news

Hydra heads towards cast iron

Dormer Pramet has extended its Hydra range of replaceable carbide head drills by introducing a new option specifically for cast iron.

The R970 head has been added to the existing Hydra program, which already includes types for steel (R950) and stainless steel (R960). All three heads are suitable for use on the existing range of High Speed Steel drill bodies.

A key feature of the Dormer branded range is that it offers easy and quick head changes, without the need to remove the body from the machine, minimising interruptions to the production process.

Available in 3xD, 5xD and 8xD lengths, all Hydra drills incorporate coolant holes to improve cutting efficiency and swarf evacuation. The exact fit between head and body maximises tool rigidity for superior hole-accuracy and precise tolerances.

promoting additional protection in abrasive materials like cast iron.

Each head type is made from micrograin carbide, providing an excellent combination of hardness and toughness. Its titanium aluminium nitride-based coating offers high resistance to oxidisation and wear,

A strong corner design increases stability during drilling and reduces the forces encountered when exiting the workpiece.

This improves surface quality and prevents ‘exit burst’, which can occur when drilling

granular materials. The 140-degree split point geometry in the Hydra range provides good centring capabilities and low thrust forces when drilling most materials, resulting in a more efficient operation that requires less machine power. www.dormerpramet.com

Kaeser launches latest-generation activated carbon adsorbers

Kaeser Compressors has announced the launch of its latest-generation ACT series activated carbon adsorbers.

Delivering a continuous supply of premium quality compressed air that is technically oil-free, these energy-saving, reliable and service-friendly adsorbers, ensure dependable protection of sensitive production processes.

The latest generation ACT series activated carbon adsorbers from Kaeser are able to deliver a continuous supply of premium-quality compressed air that is technically oil-free as well as odourand taste-neutral. Installed downstream of compressed air drying and prefiltration components, they attain Class 1 residual oil content as per ISO 85731, to ensure dependable protection of sensitive production processes. This makes the ACT series the ideal choice for applications in the optical, surface technology, electronics, foodstuffs and pharmaceutical sectors.

In order to meet the strictest ISO 85731 Class 1 compressed air purity class requirements, compressed air should have a residual oil content of no higher than 0.01 mg per cubic metre. Class 1 compressed air is therefore significantly cleaner than typical ambient air. For this reason compressed air treatment is essential irrespective of the compression method that is used to produce it.

To achieve this level of purity, more

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is needed than to simply remove the residual oil content via filters. The vapour component also needs to be retained by means of adsorption on activated carbon.

The high-performance ACT series activated carbon adsorbers from Kaeser can achieve residual oil content significantly lower than the threshold value for Class 1 compressed air purity.

Generously dimensioned flow diameters, together with stainless steel flow diffusers, ensure even flow distribution with an exceptionally low pressure loss no higher than 0.1 bar. As a result, the compressor discharge pressure of upstream compressors, as well as the energy costs for compressed air production, can be kept as low as possible.

The ACT series activated carbon adsorbers from Kaeser are designed to be exceptionally reliable. They utilise a highquality and generously sized activated carbon filling. Optimised for gas purification, this special type of activated carbon is finepored and possesses very high retention capacity. Furthermore, specially designed

stainless steel flow diffusers ensure even flow distribution throughout the activated carbon bed. Consequently, exceptional compressed air purity is reliably assured for up to 12,000 full load hours, or a maximum of five years.

Low life-cycle costs are assured with the latest ACT series models. Thanks to significantly longer service intervals, the life-cycle costs of the ACT models can equal those of high-quality activated carbon filters in their third year. In the following years they are by far the more cost-effective alternative. This advantage is further bolstered by better compressed air availability resulting from the lower number of necessary service visits.

Kaeser ACT series activated carbon adsorbers have very long replacement intervals thanks to their generous dimensions and optimal flow dynamics through the highly effective activated carbon. They are also mounted in a protective and exceptionally durable steel base frame. www.kaeser.com.au

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Product news

Rockwell releases Safety Maturity Index for machine builders Few machine builders use safety to differentiate their machines from the competition. However, safety can add greater value to machines by helping end users comply with modern standards and significantly improve productivity. To help machine builders bring best-in-class safety to their machine designs, Rockwell Automation has released its Safety Maturity Index (SMI) for Machine Builders tool.

The SMI tool provides a self-guided assessment for machine builders to measure their performance in the three pillars of industrial safety: culture (behaviour), compliance (procedure) and capital (investment in contemporary technology). Machine builders that achieve peak performance in each of these areas can optimise safety and productivity in their own operations, use that expertise to develop better machine designs, and improve the value of their machines to customers.

“Machines with best-in-class safety deliver performance benefits that help end users cost-justify a higher value machine,” said Paul Costantin, Business Manager, Safety Components at Rockwell Automation. “In turn, machine builders can differentiate their offerings and rise above the competition.

They also can create new revenue streams leveraging their safety expertise, such as risk assessments and training services.”

Using best safety practices also helps machine builders meet the compliance needs of multinational customers that use

the most stringent global safety standards.

This helps machine builders reduce their own product liability risk and future-proof their offerings as regional machine safety standards continue to harmonise toward these global standards.

The SMI for Machine Builders tool measures and reports a machine builder’s performance in each of the three safety pillars on a scale of one to four – SMI 1: minimising costs, SMI 2: legal compliance, SMI 3: operator safety and SMI 4: customer value. The tool also provides insights into which areas need the most improvement.

Machine builders can use the tool to identify inconsistencies between facilities and benchmark themselves against peers.

The SMI tool is applicable to any industry, any company size and any location. It also aligns with the Safety Maturity Index tool designed for end users, which has been widely used by manufacturers since its release in 2013. Information shared in the tool is confidential. Each company’s profile is not associated with its response or results. www.rockwellautomation.com

OMAX introduces new GlobalMAX waterjet line OMAX’s new GlobalMAX waterjet line features easy-to-use software, a space-saving table design, and efficient direct-drive pump technology.

OMAX’s GlobalMAX abrasive waterjet line are reliable and practical machines capable of cutting virtually any material.

The GlobalMAX line takes advantage of two and a half decades of waterjet industry research and development to offer a completely integrated system of pump, table, and advanced motion control system that is easy to use.

The GlobalMAX will be available in a 3.0m by 1.5m cutting bed size. There are also two direct-drive pump sizes available, at 20HP and 30HP. Like all OMAX abrasive waterjets, the GlobalMAX can cut almost any material and a wide variety of material thicknesses without any heat-affected zone (HAZ). The machine does X/Y axis cutting with three degrees of freedom and has a number of compatible accessories, including a terrain follower, a pneumatic drill and a bulk garnet feed hopper. global.

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“The GlobalMAX product line was created to extend our waterjet engineering and manufacturing technology base to more customers,” says Stephen Bruner, Vice-President of Marketing at OMAX Corporation. “The product line features our proven direct drive pump technology, easy-to-use software, and innovative drive technology. We build waterjet systems that

help our customers make money in the short and long term and this product line is no exception. With GlobalMAX, OMAX aims to redefine value-oriented waterjets.”

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product news

Sintratec – Desktop laser sintering 3DP Emona Instruments has been appointed the Australian representatives of Sintratec, a Swiss company that specialises in the development and production of desktop laser sintering 3D printers.

Laser sintering 3D printing technology is the gold standard in additive manufacturing. Laser sintering makes it possible to print complex objects without the need for additional support structures, making it even possible to produce free form movable parts.

Sintratec’s new S1 3D printer represents a remarkable breakthrough in desktop laser sintering technology. Laser sintering 3D printers typically start at around $200,000 and require special on-site installations such as industrial ventilation systems, high-voltage power supply or pressurised air and a dedicated floor space.

Sintratec’s S1 is the first affordably priced SLS printer in a compact, desktop footprint. The S1 weighs only 67kg and simply connects to 230V mains power.

The Sintratec S1 is designed and manufactured in Switzerland.

Sintratec’s R&D team is at the cutting edge of laser sintering research and co-operate with Switzerland’s leading technology institutes to provide ground-breaking progress in laser sintering

technology. The S1 uses a high-precision diode laser providing exceptionally detailed and smooth print results. The print material used is Sintratec’s PA12 high-performance industrialgrade polyamide (nylon) powder. With a melting point of 176 degrees Celsius, PA12 allows you to print strong, temperature-resistent, precise and durable workpieces.

The S1 features a build volume of 130mm by 130mm by 180 mm and a layer height of 100 micrometres. The printed parts can be used for functional prototypes in mechanically demanding applications and end products with a high mechanical load capacity and very high long-term stability. This technology is particularly suitable for prototyping free-form moveable parts and small-scale production runs.

The Sintratec S1 comes with Sintratec Central Software. The intuitive interface allows you to easily import your 3D objects, start your print job and manage your print jobs. www.emona.com.au

MasterMover – All-terrain electric tug

Electric tug specialist MasterMover is powering up its range of all-terrain load moving equipment with the new ATT400+, a powerful electric tug with a high-performance hydraulic coupling.

The ATT400+ allows plant engineers, maintenance staff and handling operators in industrial environments to move heavy loads of up to 5,000kg on castors or 40,000kg on rails. Due to the nature of industrial environments, plant staff are often required to handle heavy products or components across uneven or cluttered floor spaces. This poses a challenge for traditional load handling equipment, with operators often requiring the use of forklifts or cumbersome alternatives that reduce productivity and create safety risks.

The ATT400+ electric tug allows pedestrian operators to effectively and efficiently handle heavy loads on all surfaces, with the tug’s specially designed hydraulic arm transferring the load’s weight onto the wheels. This, in addition to the redesigned body of the tug and puncture-proof tyres, means that staff can handle up to five tonnes in any operating condition.

“Many types of load handling equipment often struggle to get traction in industrial environments,” explains Andy Owen, Managing Director of MasterMover. “This is due to the abundance of dust, dirt and debris created during production. As

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

such, plant managers must consider more than just the load-bearing capacity of their handling equipment.

“To address this, MasterMover has redesigned the body of the tug itself to generate more traction. The main wheel has been moved forward and is now reinforced by a smaller supporting wheel at the back, which provides better balance so that operators can keep loads level on uneven surfaces.

“By making these tugs easier to operate, plant managers can minimise the amount of non-value added time in their plants to improve productivity.

It also means that loads are handled in a much more controlled manner, which prevents the safety hazards associated with high speed obstacle collisions.”

Other products in MasterMover’s all-terrain range of load handling equipment include the MasterPusher and ATP400 electric load pushers. These products are designed to push wheeled loads in rough conditions and are housed in FEA tested steel chasses.

Every product in the range has a number of additional options available, including safety lights and wireless control handsets. www.mastermover.com.au

Product Heading news

Southern Cross expands into LMF high-pressure technology

The recent acquisition of Austrian company LMF Compressors by Kaishan Group means that that state-of-the-art, high-pressure compressor systems for air, natural and process gases can now be sourced directly through Southern Cross Compressors Australia.

Southern Cross Compressors is a leading local compressed air systems company currently supplying and servicing a broad range of air compressors throughout Australia. The recent integration with LMF Compressors has greatly expanded the company’s capabilities in the supply of largescale, high-pressure compressed air systems for Australian industries including oil, gas and mining applications.

LMF is well known as a global leader in custom-designed and offthe-shelf, high-quality, high-pressure compressed air systems up to 8,000hp and discharge pressures up to 700 Bar for air, natural gas and process gases. With over 166 years of experience, LMF has designed, built, installed and serviced systems in largescale industries all over the world. LMF’s unique high-pressure technology brings a highly advanced, custom-designed and -built range of industrial air compressors for applications in petrochemical & refinery, seismic research, gas transportation, storage and power, pipeline evacuation, industrial gases, PET for bottle production, Biomethane and natural gas vehicles.

Fully trained and operational in LMF technologies and capabilities, Southern Cross can now provide advice, custom design,

engineering expertise, supply, testing, startup and full servicing for major Australian industry applications. As one of Australia’s leading suppliers of compressed air systems, Southern Cross has the local market knowledge, man-power and mobile service technicians to impart this unique technology direct to Australian industry. Southern Cross service technicians have been fully trained in the installation and servicing of these largescale, high-pressure systems and with one of Australia’s largest and most qualified mobile service fleets, the company has extended its 24/7 servicing provision to this new venture.

Through Southern Cross, LMF compressed air and gas solution will provide benefits to local customers in greatly increased efficiency, productively and profitability. Australian businesses can now acquire and install systems that are designed and commissioned to fit their exacting application needs through a leading, fully qualified and globally supported local compressed air specialist company. The wide LMF range of compressors are designed and built to industry standards that meet the most demanding expectations. www.southerncrossaircompressors.com.au

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product news

WIA – Professional, auto-darkening welding helmets

WIA (Welding Industries of Australia), one of the country’s leading welding supply companies, has announced the release of two more additions to its range of auto-darkening welding helmets.

Offering protection, comfort and performance, all at an affordable price, WIA’s new BlueFX and ViewFX welding helmets are packed with exceptional features, coupled with excellent reliability, value for money and WIA’s renowned warranty.

The new BlueFX Auto-Darkening helmet has been designed for welders looking for protection, performance, comfort and affordability. Providing the operator with continuous arc sensing capability the BlueFX comes with two arc sensors and has a viewing area of 97mm by 46mm. The BlueFX features a high-quality shell in a slightly metallic, matt-blue colour. Designed with quality in mind the BlueFX comes with a one-year warranty.

The ViewFX is completely new to WIA’s helmet range and has been designed for professional welders wanting extra performance. A step up from the BlueFX helmet range, the ViewFX comes standard with four arc sensors and has an extra wide 97mm by 60mm viewing area, giving operators a greater view of the weld. The ViewFX shell is high-quality and durable, and comes in a metallic matt-grey colour. Reliable and dependable, the ViewFX features a two-year warranty as standard for extra peace of mind.

Both helmets are suitable for all general welding applications, including stick, MIG and TIG welding, plus plasma cutting, and come standard with a grind mode, meaning users only need one helmet for all their welding requirements – including weld preparation and clean-up. Battery-powered with solar assist, these impressive helmets also offer exceptionally long life before charging is required. Delivering up to 1,500 hours of interruption-free welding with MIG, Stick, TIG and Plasma power sources, the helmets are always ready to go. As well as the lithium battery being replaceable,

the helmets also feature gold contacts on the battery terminals, to ensure dependable contact, an auto on/off function and a low battery indicator.

To protect welders’ eyes, the helmets’ lenses automatically switch from light state 4 to adjustable welding shades 9-13 whenever an arc is struck, and extremely quickly.

The lens darkening reaction time is a lightning fast 1/12,000 seconds for the BlueFX and 1/15,000 for the ViewFX. Then after welding, the dark-to-clearstate speed of the lens can be easily adjusted from 0.1 seconds to 1.0 seconds for maximum control when welding. This feature is found to be very useful in eliminating bright rays often present in high amp applications.

The helmets also feature an innovative sensitivity control which makes the lens more responsive to different light levels in various welding processes. Users have found that the midrange or 30%-50% sensitivity setting is their preference for most applications. For extra view of the weld, both helmets also come with a built-in provision for a magnifying lens, if needed.

Designed with operator comfort in mind, the helmets feature highquality, lightweight headgear (510g for the BlueFX and 550g for the ViewFX). In addition, the headgear is fully and easily adjustable providing welders with maximum face and neck protection.

Tested in Australia, the lens and helmet comply with Australian Standards and have a high impact rating; AS/NZS 1338.1 (AutoDarkening) and AS/NZS1337.1 B (High Impact). As with all WIA products, these helmets are manufactured with quality and longevity in mind providing warranty for peace of mind. www.welding.com.au

Olympus opens new calibration centre in Perth Olympus has opened a new, purpose-built calibration centre in Perth to meet increasing demand from industrial customers for local service and support.

“The key focus of the centre is to service the local Western Australia market by reducing the time involved in calibrating equipment,” said Colm Kinsella, Senior Sales Specialist at Olympus. “The turnaround times can be quite tight, but by saving the transit time and associated costs involved with sending equipment to the Melbourne facility, we can better serve the local market.”

Olympus manufactures and distributes product solutions for remote visual inspection (RVI) and non-destructive testing (NDT). The company’s leading testing technologies include RVI, microscopy, ultrasound, phased array, optical metrology, eddy current, eddy current array, portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and diffraction (XRD).

While calibration is required for most testing equipment, it can be disruptive to operations. Consequently, Olympus has made substantial investments in their processes to reduce turnaround

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times. Assisting customers in a broad range of industries, including mining, infrastructure, oil and gas, aviation and defence, the calibration centre in Perth delivers increased capacity and helps to reduce turnaround times.

“We’re investing in infrastructure and staff to support the local market and help our customers get the most out of their Olympus assets,” explained Kinsella.

Olympus instruments combine ground-breaking technologies with advanced features for applications ranging from weld inspection to detecting hidden cracks, voids, porosity, and other internal irregularities in metals, composites, plastics and ceramics. Correct calibration contributes to the quality of products and adds to the safety of infrastructure and facilities. www.olympusaustralia.com.au

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Mining, Resources & Energy

METS: DRIVING

innovation

Australian companies in the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector are finding that the key to successful innovation is collaboration with their industry and mining clients, ongoing research and continuous improvement practices. Carole Goldsmith reports.

This May, the CSIRO released its Mining Equipment, Technology and Services Roadmap, aimed at promoting growth in Australia’s $90bn METS sector. Launching the Roadmap, CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall said: “METS is an important Australian sector and a global leader, but it can’t rely on past successes in a rapidly changing global landscape. The sector must continue to innovate and take advantage of enabling technologies and new business models which are causing disruption across industries.”

Developed in collaboration with the METS Ignited Industry Growth Centre, as well as government, industry and researchers, the Roadmap urges companies to take action to unlock key opportunities in the mining sector. It highlights the vital role that the METS sector will play in the nation’s innovation ecosystem to drive change to meet future global mining challenges and metal supplies.

CSIRO Mineral Resources Director Jonathan Law says the METS Roadmap identified five key growth opportunities to support the continued success of the METS sector. These are: datadriven mining decisions; social and environmental sustainability; exploration under cover; advanced extraction; and mining automation and robotics.

Law explains these sectors: “With data-driven mining decisions and readily available data, mining companies can now run their mines in a much more efficient way than in the past. Those mining companies that can translate the data into new mining strategies or operational efficiencies will do well.

“Around the world, all industries must also be concerned with social and environmental sustainability. New web and appbased technologies are poised to track company performance to enable companies to better manage their triple bottom line

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responsibilities. Social and environmental performance will be a key differentiator of tomorrow’s successful mining companies.

“Regarding exploration under cover, around 70% of Australia’s bedrock surface area is buried under transported sedimentary cover that obscures underlying mineralised areas. There is an entire range of technology and equipment required for exploring through this cover.

“In advanced extraction, mining companies need advanced drilling and cutting technologies, sensors and ore sorting equipment, but of course the real value lies in the effective integration of these technologies. With mining automation and robotics, the future will require a complex network of inter-connected technologies ranging from robotics, artificial intelligence, communication architecture, cutting tools and complex man-machine interfaces. Mining3 (a collaborative research partnership) is currently working to build these technologies in partnership with researchers, miners and METS sector partners who share a common vision.”

According to Law, METS companies need to collaborate with each other and with mining companies to develop products to support these mining industry growth sectors. The CSIRO report unpicks the key technology elements to identify opportunities for the METS sector through exciting new technological developments.

“There has been an explosion of discrete point solution technologies into the mining sector and the industry in battling to bring them all together to deliver valuable benefit,” Law adds.

“Similarly, the METS sector is struggling with the same issue as they seek to engage the miners, who are reluctant to test new technologies in operating mines with expensive infrastructure and operating deadlines.”

Mining, Resources &Heading Energy

Collaboration is key “Collaboration will be key to success, which is why we’re working with METS and mining companies, as well as organisations such as METS Ignited and Austmine to develop and accelerate the commercialisation of new advanced technologies,” says Law. “Innovation is providing METS companies with competitive export opportunities, while delivering benefits to Australia’s mining industry and the nation’s economy.”

Law says that CSIRO is working with several innovative manufacturing companies to support commercialisation. CSIRO Kick-Start is a new initiative that offers dollar-matched funding of up to $50,000 to enable research projects for start-ups and small businesses that are on their way to becoming Australian success stories.

CSIRO Mineral Resources Director Jonathan Law.

Tomcar Australia is one of six businesses to receive the the first funding and is using it to do feasibility research into electrification of its modified off-grid, off-road vehicles with CSIRO’s Manufacturing team. The work will provide an integrated systems solution tailored to Tomcar Australia’s vehicles, and builds on CSIRO’s electric motors expertise. Following the feasibility testing, Tomcar Australia plans to continue collaboration with CSIRO in the development of prototypes and full production of Australia’s first electric vehicle, forecasted for a 2018 launch.

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Mining, Resources & Energy

Continued from previous page

“Our Tomcar Australia team greatly appreciates the CSIRO Kick-Start funding and on-going collaboration that we have with CSIRO in the electric vehicle feasibility research and getting it to market,” says Tomcar Australia co-founder and CEO David Brim. “Working closely with CSIRO’s Director Manufacturing Dr Keith McLean and his researchers, we recently finished the initial feasibility study for our electric vehicles.”

Law offers some possible ways that METS manufacturers could be more innovative. “They can develop integrated products that will minimise disruption when they are deployed in the mining site’s operations. Also, they need to build the right partnerships in the mining, research and METS sectors. This virtuous triad of stakeholders can ensure that the research and service sector deliver the products that mining companies need.

“Mining productivity is increasingly dependent on integrating specialist technologies such as real-time sensors, mineral analysers and complex data, and the METS sector is vital in achieving this vision and shaping mining’s future.”

Tomcar Australia co-founder and CEO David Brim with a Tomcar AV2 petrol powered vehicle.

Tomcar Australia – A winning innovator Last year Tomcar Australia won an AusIndustry Business of the Year Award for Innovation, in recognition of its foresight, resilience and innovative achievements. Brim is every proud of this award, paying tribute to the Tomcar Australia team, as well as the suppliers and clients who have all helped his company succeed. Tomcar Australia’s vehicles are produced for the mining industry by its manufacturing partner MtM, at its factory in Oakleigh, in Melbourne’s south-east.

“All of our vehicles are designed by the Tomcar Australia team and hand-built by MtM staff, to world-class standards and made to order,” explains Brim. “The vehicle was originally designed by Tomcar Australia for the defence industry, and it has been modified for the mining sector. It has the same chassis (base frame) as our defence vehicles, but for mining, the chassis is coated with a noncorrosive titanium and zinc coating. This is designed to reduce corrosion when the vehicle is underground.”

The Mine Spec LV1 diesel-powered mining light vehicle (LV), which was launched in May last year, has several other features that set it apart from the company’s other vehicles. Among these are the different seats and sealed cabins, while all aluminium parts have been replaced with stainless steel components. Brim advises that Tomcar Australia vehicles are the only standard car in the world with the certified Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS).

Tomcar Australia has quickly developed a reputation in the defence sector as a designer and manufacturer of high-quality military LVs. It has also been producing LVs for the agricultural sector in recent years.

“We were approached by the mining industry a couple of years ago, to design a mining LV,” Brim explains. “These have been designed as diesel fuel-powered vehicles and trialled at several mining sites around the country.”

Plans are underway for an electric LV, due for launch in 2018.

Tomcar Australia will be designing these electric mining LVs to last an entire shift on one charge. Brim says that the proposed EV-zero

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One of Tomcar Australia’s production team installing the flat underbelly of a Tomcar Australia.

emissions feature will cut diesel discharges and pollutants from mines and save thousands of dollars each month through cheaper capital costs and fuel charges.

Tomcar Australia is currently producing 100 LVs annually, with plans for 5,000 LVs per year in the future. With the last of the big car companies ceasing manufacturing operations in Australia by the end of 2017, Tomcar Australia will soon hold the status of Australia’s last remaining car maker.

“Automotive manufacturing has been operating in Australia for almost 100 years and we still do not have an Australian brand. I want to change this with Tomcar Australia,” says Brim. “Australia needs a burgeoning car industry, just like the UK reinvented itself.

The UK is now a specialist manufacturer of F1 motor sports vehicles. This country needs niche auto manufacturers, like Tomcar Australia, where the IP stays in Australia.”

Donhad – A culture of continuous improvement Donhad manufactures high-quality technically advanced grinding media and forged products, servicing the global mining industry.

Mining, Resources & Energy

Donhad’s grinding media comes in a range of forms, including balls ranging from 27mm to 140mm.

In business for just over 50 years, the company operates three manufacturing operations, strategically located in Perth, Newcastle and Townsville.

“To remain a successful manufacturer in Australia, it is vital to have a continuous improvement culture,” says Noor Crookshanks, Donhad’s Sales Marketing and Innovation Director. “We are a fervent supporter of Lean manufacturing which we practice at all our sites.”

Lean manufacturing aims to produce zero waste, with a focus on providing value and excellent service for the customer via key systems and smooth processes that are continuously improved.

According to Crookshanks, Donhad works on both sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation initiatives. In sustaining innovation, incremental improvements are made that sustain and improve an existing product or process. Disruptive innovation represents a step change that helps to create new business models, markets, products and customer bases.

Donhad has invested in manufacturing automation and robotics to improve product quality

minerals, which then increases the kinetics of its extraction in the concentration step within the mineral-processing plant.

“In Perth, where we started in 1965, the company was involved in forging products for the mining sector,” Crookshanks continues.

“Then Donhad started producing grinding media and this created a lot of demand for our grinding balls. The company eventually moved into automation and a continuous roll forming line. The mining sector customers told us that they needed product in New South Wales and Queensland to supply the mines there. All of our three facilities are located near our markets and close to ports for exporting our products.”

Donhad provides world-class technical service and support to its mining customers and maintains an in-house R&D and testing laboratory that is NATA and SGS-quality accredited. The company has recently developed HiCarb, a range of branded grinding media that represents the latest technical development from its continuous improvement initiatives.

“In sustaining innovation, we are doing incremental changes in the business,” Crookshanks explains. “As one example, we are becoming more efficient in reducing waste in our manufacturing plants. We have employee suggestion schemes and other systems to help cut the waste. Also, we are operating our plants using the Kaizen production system.”

“The HiCarb product has been produced to provide a higher wear resistance, improved operational life and help reduce milling costs through improved throughput on a cost/tonne basis,” says Crookshanks. “We have patented HiCarb technology in Australia and across our key global markets and we have had a very good response from clients to this latest innovation.

Targeting disruptive innovation, Crookshanks says that Donhad is collaborating with external partners including customers and other stakeholders in the mining value chain: “We are asking customers if they have problems that we can help resolve together to add further value to our respective businesses. Lean manufacturing with continuous improvement systems has been imbedded in the Donhad business for over seven years.”

“Donhad is building on the HiCarb success with further product and process development initiatives with a range of collaboration partners including customers and industry stakeholders,” Crookshanks says. “Our focus is on technology to provide big data modelling of key mill process metrics. This capability would enable operators to optimise the comminution process and achieve a step change in power usage, processing rates and grinding efficiency.”

Donhad was founded in 1965 in Bassendean, Western Australia, where its head office is still located. Today the company is part of the US-listed Valmont Industries and employs 137 people. Donhad manufactures semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) and roll-forged ball grinding media, engineering forgings and a range of specialised forged critical fasteners for use in the mining, mineral processing and engineering industries. Donhad primarily serves the Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific markets, and over the past 50 years has exported products to customers in Africa, Europe, North and South America, and the Middle East.

www.csiro.au www.tomcar.com.au www.donhad.com.au

Crookshanks explains that grinding media comes in a range of forms, such as balls and rods (sizes from 27mm to 140mm balls), and is made of steel alloy or carbon steel. Grinding media is instrumental in the comminution process (reducing material such as mineral ore to minute particles or fragments) as it aids in size reduction, which further allows the viable minerals to be economically extracted. This uses a mechanism that increases the reactive surface area of the

Donhad’s in-house R&D capability has resulted in product and process improvements.

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Mining, Resources & Energy

METS Ignited – Supporting opportunities, accelerating development METS Ignited is the Industry Growth Centre for Mining Equipment, Technology & Services (METS) sector. Carole Goldsmith spoke to its CEO, Ric Gros.

AMT: Tell us a little bit about how METS Ignited was founded and and what you do.

Ric Gros: The Australian Government, as part of its Industry Development and Innovation Policy Framework, has established Industry Growth Centres in six sectors that are considered strategically important to the Australian Economy. The METS sector was chosen as one of these segments because of its composition of agile, entrepreneurial SMEs, global competitiveness and growth potential based on Australia’s recognised research capabilities and scale, and its leading-edge mining sector.

Australia’s METS sector is globally connected and financially robust.

Contributing $86bn gross value to the Australian economy and supporting half a million jobs, the METS sector plays a significant role in the nation’s prosperity.

Over 55% of Australian METS companies are exporters and many are world leaders in their markets. Further, the emerging Industry 4.0 will provide a new wave of opportunities for the METS sector.

It is the role of METS Ignited to work closely with industry to increase collaboration, implement initiatives that will accelerate the commercialisation of innovation, and leverage industry initiatives to grow exports.

METS Ignited has representatives based across the country, with headquarters at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane.

AMT: Describe some specific projects you’re working on at present.

RG: In this age of innovation through collaboration, the Australian METS sector has an opportunity to explore and develop “blue sky” projects that will create new global markets. METS Ignited, through its collaborative Project Funds, looks to support the most commercially attractive opportunities where industry working together can accelerate economic development.

The collaborative Project Fund is a $15.6m initiative funded by the Government through METS Ignited to accelerate the commercialisation of innovation that will be of benefit to the METS and mining sectors. It encourages METS companies to collaborate with an end-user, such as a mining company, system integrator or OEM, to develop innovative solutions to industry challenges. In June and July, METS Ignited

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spoke to hundreds of METS companies nationally, including manufacturers, about the opportunities to progress innovation through the Project Fund.

AMT: What impact is Industry 4.0 and digital technology having on Australia’s mining industry?

RG: Australia underwent an enormous construction cycle between 2013 and 2015, the end of which coincided with a commodity price crash, forcing organisational restructures to manage profit and loss and balance sheets impacting innovation cycles. Since then there is much evidence to suggest that Australian miners are actively seeking to leverage Industry 4.0 and there is ample opportunity to do so. However, Industry 4.0 is moving rapidly. There is a need for the mining and METS sectors – as well as other sectors in Australia – to embrace the innovation disruption that it will bring and the opportunities that it provides, to consolidate our global leading position and leap the competition where we lag.

While digitisation, robotics and automation will ultimately cost jobs on the production side, it can expect to do so with the benefit of increasing leverage of assets and diminishing resources. In fact, it assists with our global sustainability challenges. On the other side of the ledger, the servicing, maintenance, and development of these automation systems will be delivered by a growing METS sector that has an opportunity to service the Australian mining industry.

There is a call to action, and the challenge is to bring all the elements of the innovation cycle, research, METS companies and miners to leverage what Industry 4.0 can deliver.

AMT: How can Australia keep pace with the rest of the world in this area?

RG: The miners have the capacity to engage and are doing so. However, the opportunity is greater than just keeping up with the rest of the world. The opportunity is for Australian METS companies, working in close collaboration with miners and research bodies, to position themselves as an agile conduit to innovation, leveraging all that Industry 4.0 can deliver.

AMT: With specific regard to Australian manufacturers in the METS sector, how are they keeping up with digitisation to compete with global METS companies?

RG: The top end of Australia’s manufacturers, which includes the innovative METS manufacturers, are very competitive internationally, but the remainder are behind in their adoption of digital technologies. This is due, in part, to the small market size, which may not provide the financial robustness to invest.

But as mentioned earlier, the challenge is not just METS, but Australian industry: no matter how fast a company may think it is moving, there is a need to see if more can be done and to seek collaborations across the value chain and through various segments.

In a decade where we expect to see more innovation in the next five years than we have seen in the last 30, collaboration is essential. Without collaboration you will linger and fall behind.

New business models of clustering and collaboration are being adopted by agile SMEs in Europe and North America.

Australia needs to adopt these models if our SMEs are to become internationally competitive.

AMT: How can Australia improve its performance regarding collaboration?

RG: Australia can improve the mining innovation ecosystem by increasing collaboration between research bodies/ universities, METS companies – particularly SMEs – and customers (miners, system integrators or OEMs). We need to find better ways to manage IP in a world where speed to market is everything; we must improve in knowledge-sharing in a manner that equitably rewards all parties. We need to focus on integrated solutions that create sufficient value to miners to overcome the inherent barriers to innovation.

There are opportunities for all segments of the ecosystem to increase their absorptive capacity, through initiatives like mentoring programs and skilling researchers and SMEs on effective engagement together.

Clustering initiatives can provide strong collaboration frameworks.

AMT: What activities is METS Ignited engaged in to enhance this collaboration?

RG: In June and July, METS Ignited hosted 14 information sessions around Australia about accessing the METS Ignited collaborative Project Fund. This was an excellent opportunity to meet hundreds of METS companies, miners, researchers and other decision-makers across Australia.

Mining, Resources & Energy

It reinforced my knowledge that the Australian METS sector is world-class in its application of leading edge technology to produce outstanding products and services to the mining sector.

During these sessions we also released a report into the key challenges facing Australia’s mining industry. This report synthesises interviews and discussions with the mining sector on the problems faced in the mining sector and outlines opportunities for collaboration between the METS, mining and research sectors to provide solutions.

Earlier this year Innovation and Science Australia released a report indicating Australia was good at creating knowledge but was not good enough in transferring and applying it. The METS Ignited Project Fund was established to assist the METS sector to work collaboratively to commercialise innovation for the benefit of the sector. To date, METS Ignited has completed two rounds of funding. A further round will be announced in the coming months.

METS Ignited and the Queensland Government are running the only dedicated METS accelerator in AsiaPacific for later-stage start-ups and SMEs. It is an Australian-first joint initiative that seeks to bring late-stage startups and SMEs together with leading resources sector corporates focussed on innovative solutions, to drive greater industry collaboration and commercialisation outcomes across exploration, planning, production, environmental and social innovations.

AMT: How is METS Ignited helping to build the export market?

RG: The growth of exports is one of the four pillars required of the Industry Growth Centres. There are a range of initiatives identified in our Sector Competitiveness Plan and METS Ignited is working closely with industry to leverage opportunities.

METS Ignited is seeking to collaborate with the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade and Austrade to promote industry capabilities, attracting capital to support the innovation agenda and leveraging and promoting possible company-to-company collaborations.

Opportunities also exist to facilitate longterm export development opportunities based on the platforms of governmentto-government engagements for the

developing resources economies, which will promote Australian mining and METS capabilities. METS Ignited will continue to work on understanding and identifying global opportunities for Australian METS companies and the various barriers to entry. This work will facilitate development of effective future METS export growth initiatives.

AMT: Tell us about some METS projects that Australia should be proud of.

RG: Australia leads the world in the development and export of environmental performance, and in the quantification of social licence and the techniques to positively influence this – largely as a

result of working with our indigenous communities around resources projects.

Companies such as Russell Mineral lead the world in mill-relining systems; Immersive Technologies is a dominant player in mining equipment simulation; Imdex leads the world in real-time sub-surface intelligence solutions.

Gekko’s gold-processing technology, advanced manufacturing and modular capabilities allow them to deploy their processing technology effectively in the most remote locations, and Orica leads the world in blasting capabilities. There are many other examples. www.metsignited.org

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Harnessing nature to boost copper recovery For the first time a new technique will attempt to extract low-grade copper in an affordable and sustainable way to extend the life of some of the world’s largest and oldest mines.

The research, funded by a new three-year $785,000 Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant, will be led by Flinders University with industry partner BHP Billiton. The project will focus on exploiting a normal ore body process known as supergene enrichment, says Flinders University Professor of Chemical Minerology Dr Allan Pring.

“This groundwater process happens naturally in the top parts of many copper deposits and converts primary copper sulfide minerals, which are expensive to mine and treat, into copper metal,” says Professor Pring. “This means low-grade ore is naturally upgraded into high-grade deposits.”

This process has been seen at the historically important copper deposits in South Australia, including Burra, Kapunda and Moonta which helped to establish the State’s economy in the 19th century.

“Before we can adopt that process in a large or commercial way, we have to understand the chemistry of these reactions,” adds Professor Pring. “And this can only be done by extensive laboratory experiments using special flow-through equipment my research group has developed at Flinders.”

Professor Allan Pring and Associate Professor Sarah Harmer with copper samples at Flinders Chemical and Physical Sciences.

Professor Robert Saint, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Flinders, says the latest ARC Linkage research builds on exciting fundamental and applied scientific research underway at the University.

“Researchers at Flinders are capitalising on emerging and traditional technologies to find new and more environmentally friendly ways to benefit a range of industries,” says Professor Saint. “For example, several Chemical and Physical Sciences projects are making great inroads using the latest in microscopy and synchrotron X-ray spectromicroscopy to create future solutions for mining and other sectors.”

The Flinders researchers, including Associate Professor Sarah Harmer, Dr Christopher Gibson and postgraduate students, will collaborate with leading minerology reseachers Professor Joel Brugger (Monash University) and Dr Benjamin Grguric (South Australian Museum), along with BHP Billiton principal geometallurgist Dr Kathy Ehrig.

“We are not setting out to improve the recovery of copper by a few percentage points,” says Associate Professor Harmer. “We are aiming to provide a new and innovative approach to the problem.”

Associate Professor Harmer is an ARC Future Fellow Associate, and is studying the interaction between bacteria and mineral surfaces using advanced synchrotron spectromicroscopy techniques. She says the new ARC project is strategic but with a definite applied outcome in mind.

Supergene zones occur at the top of ore deposits and just below the water table.

“Mild oxidazing reactions take place causing the primary ore minerals, such as chalcopyrite, to be replaced by more copper-rich, less refractory minerals,” says Associate Professor Harmer. “These processes are driven by coupled dissolution-reprecipitation (CDR)

Flinders researchers and collaborators will conduct extensive experiments to understand supergene enrichment in copper.

reactions and in many CDR reactions, the reaction mechanism, rather than intensive properties such as pressure and temperature, control the nature of the products and the overall reaction process.

“This project will explore the mechanism and controls on these reactions to see if they can be utilised in the mining industry to economically extract copper from low grade ores.”

This not only would extend the life of jobs and infrastructure at remote mine sites but reduce spending on the development of new mine sites. The Australian Government has provided $485,000 in funding for the project through the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects scheme. Matching cash and in-kind contributions are provided by the industry partner. Flinders University researchers are also involved in the 2016-2020 ARC Research Hub for Australian Copper-Uranium project. www.flinders.edu.au

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Mining, Resources & Energy

LaserBond ships first laser to China Sydney-based surface engineering company LaserBond has been using thermal coating techniques to produce hard-wearing components and products for the mining, power generation, manufacturing and agriculture industries since 1992. It shipped its first customised laser cladding system to China in a $1.4m deal.

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The firm has its R&D department in Adelaide, overseen by company founder Greg Hooper. The 1.6m x 5.5m China-bound laser is a “junior version” of LaserBonds’ 16kW laser cell developed in Adelaide. The sale will also attract ongoing royalties and licence fees and is the company’s first step in expanding its business.

LaserBond Chairman Allan Morton said the 16kW machine included a number of unique components and would be the most powerful laser of its kind in the world: “The company in China approached us about two years ago and wanted to license our technology.

This ‘junior version’ is about one-fourth the power of the Adelaide model. It will be used to make better performing products that last much longer.”

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Many of the major components, assemblies and technologies are developed and manufactured for heavy industry and protected with patents (and applications). Products are typically made from steel and then applied with materials such as nickel alloys, tungsten, titanium carbides and ceramics. Manufactured items include mining picks, furnace doors and ‘down the hole’ hammers.

Executive Director Wayne Hooper said cladding large mining industry components was different to other laser applications: “Our niche is focused at the heavy end. Maintaining close operational control of the laser head and workpiece, over a long reach with heavy loads and sustained high temperatures, called for a rethink in design of the multi-axis workpiece manipulator and its associated control system. Many surface-engineered products for our resources sector customers require extended running times at high power levels. Some of these projects run 16 hours at full power.”

To accommodate these challenges, LaserBond engineers developed a number of innovations including a powder injection nozzle to better manage intense heat accumulating in the laser head in long runs. The heavy-duty workpiece manipulator provides more stable support of heavy, hot, large and complex components and the design of the control software offers more accuracy and an easier, more intuitive user interface.

LaserBond predominantly manufactures for the mining industry and exports about 80% of its products to countries including Chile, Mongolia and South Africa. System design and integration for this export package was carried out within LaserBond’s own inhouse facilities. LaserBond’s technology division was established in response to a number of international enquiries to license its technology.

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It is also collaborating with the University of South Australia’s Future Industries Institute to develop six-axis robots and a position system with capacity up to 20 tons for the large laser cell in Adelaide.

The company recently received a $2.6m research grant from the South Australian Government in support of its partnerships with Boart Longyear and the Future Industries Institute. Early next year LaserBond aims to open a new centre of excellence in Adelaide to help resource, infrastructure, defence and agricultural industries become more productive.

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Iscar – Oil & gas overcoming crisis

Following a long period of elevated activity that was driven by high prices, the global oil & gas industry has experienced a time of extreme change over recent years. At the end of 2015, the world’s commodities and markets reacted to the prevailing conditions by valuing the all-important oil barrel price at less than US$40, a dramatic drop when compared with previous achieved revenues.

Machining solutions for oil country tubular goods

At this time, the cumulative effects of the slowdown of economic growth throughout the industrialised world and the decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at the end of 2014, not to reduce production to protect prices, were further intensified by the remarkable growth of oil production and slowing global demand.

This ‘perfect storm’ inevitably led to a major drop of crude oil price.

The effects on oil & gas producers have been dramatic; many previously embarked upon projects that began to make little or no economic sense. To help maintain their profitability or to assist in curtailing their losses, throughout this slowdown, countless companies reduced their expenditure. Many major projects were cancelled or postponed, and proposed mergers and acquisitions in the oil & gas industry collapsed, as sellers and buyers were unable to settle on a fundamental agreement.

As a consequence of reduced activity in this important sector, global cutting tool manufacturers experienced a significant drop in business. In keeping with company’s reduced revenues, buyers were instructed to utilise existing inventories and to purchase cutting tools only when necessary, without keeping back-up stock.

Despite the global recession in the oil & gas market, there remained several important sectors that continued to run at full capacity. To aid the efficiency of these busy consumables sectors, cutting tool producers have faced – and continue to face – requests for help in reducing machined part costs, to further optimise manufacturing processes and to reduce cycle times. These demands have been satisfied by the launch of a new generation of advanced cutting tools.

These tools may appear more expensive, but importantly they deliver significant savings. Although cutting tools represent only 2%-4% of total production costs, they have a massive effect on the overall efficiency of a process. The use of today’s innovative tools makes undoubted economic sense – while they are minimally more expensive, they deliver longer life, ensure faster cycle times and guarantee the continued quality of machined parts,.

The application of increased cutting speeds, in addition to the use of custom solutions (combination tools) that enable multiple steps to be combined into one, result in significantly reduced cycle times. The shares of machine, labour and administrative costs are decreased, delivering a total cost savings as well as the benefit of improved lead times. The result is added capacity and improved productivity.

Iscar offers a range of innovative tooling solutions that are designed to simplify production, reduce costs and maximise productivity. Solutions with leading Sumotecgrade products provide improved tool life and enhanced reliability across a range of different materials. In addition to a comprehensive collection of cutting tools, Iscar also provides superior technical support to all users.

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Tubing, Casing, Coupling, Line Pipes, Drill Pipes and Rotary Drill Bits. The aggressive conditions encountered in the oil & gas industries necessitate the use of the most appropriate high-quality materials. As a result these challenging materials require the use of the best available cutting tools. Innovative system solutions by Iscar include tools for pipeend machining, seamlessly hot-rolled or welded steel pipes, for turning, peeling the cone, seal seat machining and thread connections. The Sumotecgrade technology offers a new level of toughness and wear resistance for a wide range of applications and greater performance.

• Parting Tubes and Rings. Iscar offers tailor-made tooling combined with the revolutionary Tang-Grip system, an extremely rigid clamping arrangement that ensures the highest levels of stability along with excellent chip control in most of materials, enables machining at high feed rates and provides excellent straightness and surface finish characteristics. This includes a wide range of engineered holders and blades for parting tubes.

• Turning and Threading. External and internal rough turning operations require a high quality surface and consistent results. High feed turning with DoveIQ Turn and HeliTurn TG turning inserts is a heavy-duty Iscar range that is ideal for rough turning operations and provides the benefits of a high depth of cut and high feed rates. Multifunction tools for turning and threading operations are accurate indexing tools for a wide range of tubing and casing applications, and thus reduce cycle time and increase productivity. This product range provides tool solutions for high-performance thread cutting machines for API and premium threaded tubing and casing connections.

• Multi-Tooth Threading Inserts and Chasers. Multi-tooth inserts are specially designed for high-volume production.

Less passes are needed to cut the required thread and the cycle time is substantially decreased. Iscar offers a wide range of threading inserts and chasers for the oil & gas industry, suited to the most common API standard threads and premium profiles.

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External and Internal Skiving of Welded Seam. Iscar’s scarfing solutions consist of both external and internal tools, in addition to the comprehensive range of indexable scarfing inserts for finishing operations of the welded joint.

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Rock Drill Bits. Drill bits are cutting tools used to remove material through a cutting action provided by cones which have either steel teeth or tungsten

Mining, Resources & Energy

carbide bit inserts. The SumoCham Chamdrill Line comprises a revolutionary clamping system that delivers improvements in productivity, while enabling more insert indexes. Iscar offers tailor-made inserts with the appropriate point angle, corner radius and accuracy.

Machining solutions for wellheads, valves and frac pumps Complex and highly engineered materials have become a standard demand for wellhead and subsea components. Moreover, valves, pumps and connectors are fundamental components in pressure control systems, operating under aggressive conditions on both surface and subsea operations.

The high strength of stainless steels, duplex and super duplex alloys with their high mechanical strength, and other exotic materials have long been a focus for Iscar. In order to meet the current and foreseeable challenges, Iscar offers a range of advanced tooling solutions, suitable for machining exotic materials that can withstand deep-water hostile environments. This new generation of tools is an essential solution for productivity improvement in today’s oil & gas industry.

• Holemaking. Iscar’s all-embracing holemaking range provides all of the tools and technology needed for oil & gas component manufacturing. In this area, the key is to achieve the correct balance between the cutting edge, grade and geometry and the material being machined. Iscar offers a complete package of hole making solutions for various machining challenges with a wide range of drilling tools including solid carbide drills and indexable inserts that meet all of the demands of accuracy and performance. The ChamIQDrill features a unique design, utilising the flexibility of carbide for self-locking; eliminating the need for clamping accessories. The robust structure of the drill with its concave cutting edge design enables drilling at high feed rates, providing very accurate adherence to tolerance. The SumoGun is the only gundrill in the market with an indexable

drilling head. It features two effective cutting edges, enabling the drilling of deep holes at much higher feed rates, when compared to most other gundrills. For large diameter drilling applications, the CombiCham drilling system is the ideal solutions to boost productivity and efficiency regarding oil & gas deep drilling applications.

• Milling. Innovation has always been an essential part of Iscar’s milling range. Cutters for face milling, helical interpolation, slotting, shouldering, plunge milling, high-speed machining and many more solutions are available, along with the advice needed for their successful application.

• Thread Milling. Solid thread milling cutters are available in addition to thread milling indexable inserts for different thread profiles, providing a flexible and capable approach for highquality threaded holes. This approach enables the production of precision threads, eliminates the problem of broken taps, reduces cutting forces and delivers shorter cycle times and increases productivity.

• Solid carbide end mills – ChatterFree. The most advanced machining technology is Iscar’s “all-in-one” solid EFP carbide cutter with its high-tech design providing a great advantage when cavity milling. A winning combination of Iscar’s three most innovative endmills; unique cutting edge geometry, high stability performance during cutting and the delivery of higher feed rates, even with long tooling overhang. These unique features enable high metal removal rates when machining pockets and cavities in high-temperature alloys. As a result, the cutter delivers a significant reduction in cycle time, increasing productivity.

• Customised Tooling. Iscar designed its extensive standard product range to cover all of the most common applications.

In addition, Iscar is able to use its extensive knowledge to develop and produce the best solutions for customers’ processes not covered by standard products.

The oil & gas market faces many challenges to overcome the present situation, and Iscar believes that effective collaboration with cutting tool manufactures play an important role in helping the industry meet these challenges. In addition to the latest technologies, the industry is focused on searching for creative methods and efficient processes. As a leading cutting tools manufacturer, Iscar’s approach is to work closely with customers and provide them with innovating solutions by ‘thinking outside the box’ to address these requirements and take productivity to the next level. www.iscar.com.au

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Friction: The key to safe and competent haul road operations

When the lifeblood of a mine is an ever-changing and potentially hazardous network of unsealed haul roads, how do you provide a safe working environment and maintain an efficient and prosperous haul road circuit operation? Eric Tomicek, Sale Manager at Australian Diversified Engineering, offers some thoughts on why friction is important to a mining operation from safety and operating cost perspectives.

A mine’s network of haul roads can either be its greatest asset or its greatest liability. The path to safe and efficient haul road operations begins with understanding what friction is, being able to measure it and knowing how to manage it. A haul road that is dusty when it is dry can become extremely slippery and dangerous due to rain or when sprayed with water to suppress the fugitive dust.

Two independent friction concepts are required to effectively manage haul road safety and maintain competent haul road operations: • Friction Supply is the available friction where vehicle tyres meet the haul road surface. Typically, when water is applied to haul roads (rain or by water cart to suppress fugitive dust) the friction supply value will decrease by varying amounts. Quality coarse haul road sheeting material, such as basalt, will exhibit a high friction supply value when dry and wet. In contrast, a haul road with considerable clay content will have high friction supply when dry, but have hazardously low friction when wet.

• Friction Demand is the required friction to operate the vehicle for a given circumstance on mine haul roads. Broadly speaking, this is a sum of how the vehicle is driven (braking, acceleration and steering) combined with the specific geometry of the haul road design. Critical locations where friction demand needs to be considered include ramps, particularly those at the upper range of gradient specifications, vehicle conflict points such as intersections and geometrically demanding road layouts such as those with curves.

If the friction demand at a section of haul road is higher than the friction supply, the vehicle operator will be unable to safely negotiate that specific geometry of haul road. The outcome will most likely be an uncontrolled/unplanned movement causing damage, injury or in the worst instance, death. By managing the haul road’s friction supply to be always in excess of the friction demand, a safety margin is maintained.

Friction supply and demand is measured using an instrumented portable accelerometer attached to a light vehicle with an antilock braking system. An easy-to-use plug and play haul road friction measurement tool that is simply mounted to the window of a vehicle, in combination with a proven methodology, is now available for mine operators to measure and manage their haul road conditions. A driver can easily perform friction demand and friction supply testing for which the tool will output a simple friction number.

The friction measurement process and methodology can be used for the following applications: • To provide a friction supply measuring procedure and risk management model for the road network by friction profiling of a selection of haul road surfaces for friction analysis and comparison under a consistent water application rate process.

• To provide commentary and recommendations on mine road design, watering and maintenance practices.

• To assess surface friction after rain to inform decisions to return to work.

• Operational road watering audit for proactive vehicle safety management practice.

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• Road surface material evaluation for measuring before and after road sheeting friction benefit.

• Friction-related vehicle incident investigation for friction supply/ demand safety margin analysis.

Understanding friction is important to a mining operation from safety and operating cost perspectives, especially with the unpredictability of uncontrolled movements occurring on mine haul roads. Water trucks, which allow for a quantitative level water output, used in conjunction with road profiling technology, should be implemented across mining operations to advise a safe level of water to apply to a haul road to maintain an adequate level of friction.

At Australian Diversified Engineering, we are at the forefront of bespoke product design aimed at providing solutions to commonly faced challenges by the mining and construction industries. We pioneered the development of the next generation water truck control system that manages both dust and safety, giving mining and earthmoving companies confidence that their vehicle operators are driving on safe haul roads. We will continue to grow our line of innovative products to ensure mining and construction companies can operate safely and efficiently. www.ade.net.au

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Australia can’t lose in global race for cheaper, cleaner energy

Despite our national debate about our energy future, Australia is well positioned to benefit from innovative low emission technologies. No matter which avenue we take to cleaner energy, our energy-rich resources means there are opportunities for Australian businesses – and cheaper energy for Australian consumers. By Paul Graham.

That’s the conclusion reached by CSIRO in our Low Emissions Technology Roadmap, which outlines potential pathways for the energy sector to contribute to Australia’s emissions reduction target.

Our target under the Paris climate agreement calls for a 26%-28% reduction of emissions by 2030 from 2005 levels. Our analysis also considers how the energy sector could meet the more ambitious aspiration of avoiding 1.5-2 degrees Celsius global warming.

Looking past the political wrangling Perhaps one of the reasons the energy debate in Australia is so vehement is that, with the exception of oil, we are rich in energy resources. While we cannot wait indefinitely, the lack of resource constraints means we can monitor and test what options emerge as the most cost-effective. Technology neutrality is often called upon as a key policy design principle.

Another reason for caution is that technological change is inherently unpredictable. For example, at the start of this century, few would have expected solar photovoltaics to be one of the lowest-cost sources of electricity. Current expectations of sourcing cost-effective bulk electricity storage would have seemed even less likely at the time. However, there are two key choices that will determine how we reduce greenhouse gases, and the shape of our energy future.

First, we must decide how much weight we give to improving energy productivity, versus decarbonising our energy supply. This is essentially a policy decision: should we use our existing energy more intelligently and efficiently in our buildings, industries and transport, or aggressively pursue new technology?

Whatever strategy we pick, we also need to choose what technology we emphasise: dispatchable power, from flexible and responsive energy generation; or variable renewable energy (from sources like solar, wind and wave), supported with storage. From these choices four pathways are derived: Energy Productivity Plus; Variable Renewable Energy; Dispatchable Power; and Unconstrained.

commercial and market risk, social licence risk, and stakeholder coordination risk.

• Energy Productivity Plus combines mature existing lowemissions technology with gas, so there’s no significant market risk. However there is a social license risk, as many will protest a stronger reliance on expanding gas supplies.

Gas-fired generation is high in this scenario. If improved energy productivity reduces emissions elsewhere, the electricity sector will have less pressure to phase out highly polluting generators.

This scenario would also require a high degree of co-operation between government, companies and customers. We would need to co-ordinate, to make sure incentives and programs work together to bring down household and business energy use.

• Variable Renewable Energy invites more technical and commercial risk, as our electricity grid will need to be transformed to accept a high level of energy from fluctuating sources like wind. There’s also considerable community concern around the reliability of variable renewables. While the evolution towards a secure system with very high variable renewable generation has been modelled in detail for the Roadmap, its final costs will remain uncertain until demonstrated at scale. Whether stakeholders will have the appetite to demonstrate such a system (with some risk to supply security and electricity prices) represents a co-ordination risk for this pathway.

• Dispatchable Power is perhaps the most risky option. Solar thermal, geothermal, carbon capture and storage and nuclear power are all relatively new to Australia (though other countries have explored them further). Developing them here will mean taking some technological and commercial gambles. Carbon capture and storage and nuclear power are also deeply unpopular, and there’s a risk of dividing community consensus even further. While solar thermal – and potentially nuclear power – could be deployed as small modules, in general the technologies in this category require high up-front capital investment. These projects may need strong government guarantees to achieve financing.

• Unconstrained would mean both improving energy productivity and investing in a wide range of generation options: solar, efficient fossil fuels, and carbon capture and storage.

Unfortunately there is no objective way of weighing the risks of one pathway against another. However, we can narrow risks over time through research, development and demonstration.

Our electricity market modelling found the different pathways lead to comparable household electricity bills. High energy productivity scenarios tend to delay generation investment and reduce energy use, leading to slightly lower bills in 2030 (including the cost of highefficiency equipment).

Weighing risk The main attribute that separates the pathways is the mix of risks they face. We’ve grouped risks into three categories: technology,

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

Between now and 2030 we are likely to rely on a narrow set of mature technologies to reduce greenhouse gases: solar photovoltaics, wind, natural gas and storage. As the world, and Australia’s, greenhouse gas reduction targets ramp up after 2030, we’ll be well positioned to adapt, with the capacity to incorporate a broader range of options.

Paul Graham is Chief Economist for CSIRO Energy. This article was originally published by The Conversation. www.theconversation.com www.csiro.au

Mining, Resources & Energy

Australian exploration tool into global market An Australian technology that provides new knowledge on ore bodies and associated alteration patterns rapidly and cost-effectively could soon benefit the global mining industry, thanks to a commercialisation deal that will open doors to international markets.

CSIRO’s advanced mineral analysis and logging technology – HyLogger – has been licensed to Australian mining, equipment, technology and services (METS) company Corescan, which operates a network of hyperspectral mineralogy labs across Australia, South East Asia, Canada, USA, Mexico, Peru, Chile and Argentina.

HyLogger uses the spectra of reflected light from mineral surfaces to interpret the mineralogy of the material. It is far more reliable for systematic mineral identification than visual techniques used in most drilling programs.

It also provides near-real-time analysis so that costs and delays associated with laboratory analysis are greatly reduced.

CSIRO Research Director, Dr Rob Hough, said commercialising the technology with Corescan opened the way for the industry to truly take advantage of hyperspectral analysis of drill materials for exploration and mining and further reinforces Australia’s place as a global leader in the provision of mineral exploration and mining technology.

“Through our partnership with the Australian state geological surveys, the National Virtual Core Library and AuScope, hyperspectral data is now routinely acquired at government core repositories and is generating new knowledge on mineral systems,” Dr Hough said. “Transferring the technology and ongoing development to

Corescan, an Australian SME, will enable CSIRO to focus on the application and integration of hyperspectral information with other data sets to support mineral exploration through cover and for rapid resource characterisation in deposits.”

Corescan Managing Director, Neil Goodey, said his company plans to integrate HyLogger into its existing suite of advanced hyperspectral imaging equipment, giving the company a broader range of solutions to accommodate different commodities and better meet customer requirements at different stages of the exploration and mining cycle.

“Corescan will also be offering support services to the existing HyLogger community and will leverage its global reach to bring the technology to new international markets,” Goodey said. “Corescan will be working closely with the Australian geological surveys and the National Virtual Core Library to continue on the great work that CSIRO has done in this area over the last decade.”

The Australian exploration industry spends close to $600m per year drilling holes to locate economic mineral resources. Detailed knowledge of the mineralogy and alteration patterns associated with prospective mineral regions is crucial to guide exploration success and attract further international investment into Australia. www.corescan.com.au www.csiro.au

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Mining, Resources & Energy

Australian mining sector lacks long-term innovation plan

Australian mining houses are at risk of falling behind global players when it comes to digitisation and technology, according to the world’s largest international mining report, released on 20 June by global consulting firm VCI in partnership with the University of Western Australia (UWA) and METS Ignited.

VCI’s State of Play report surveyed over 800 leaders from 321 companies in the global mining industry and uncovered that while the majority (66%) of Australian mining executives say their companies are prepared for digitisation, only 26% are focussing on innovation plans that extend beyond just three years. Despite nearly all (98%) Australian mining company leaders indicating innovation is ‘important’ or ‘critical’ to their long-term business strategy, when it came to their company’s focus on a long-term strategy, Australia ranked last in the globe – trailing other major mining regions including South Africa (63%), India (38%) and North America (32%).

Surprisingly, since the survey began in 2013, the timeframe for longterm innovation focus in Australian companies has actually dropped by more than half from 2013 (59%) to 2017 (26%).

So, why is an industry that contributes nearly $100bn to the Australian economy each year lagging the rest of the world when it comes to planning for the digital age and tech disruption?

According to the findings it’s not a result that’s been fuelled by a lack of understanding. In fact, when asked which global trend will have the greatest impact on the industry in the next 15 years, Australia’s mining executives ranked ‘technological change and digital disruption’ higher than any other region (25%), followed closely by ‘environmental pressures’ (22%) and a ‘technically aware generation entering the workforce’ (12%).

State of Play founder Graeme Stanway says that, though Australian mining leaders have an overall understanding of the impact digitisation will have on their business, for many the ability to define a long-term plan has remained elusive.

“To a degree Australia’s local industry is gridlocked when it comes to the mechanics of preparing for digitisation and tech disruption,” said Stanway. “While there’s an intuitive understanding amongst mining leaders that the time to prepare for the digital revolution is now, companies aren’t always equipped to wade through the plethora of tech options, such as AI or data analytics. These technologies are a significant departure from what the industry is used to and more often than not result in a project-by-project approach that stifles change at scale or pace.”

Stanway said while the report highlighted a gap that needs to be addressed, it also revealed more positive findings in relation to Australia’s short-term level of innovation compared to the rest of the world’s mining centres.

“Although we’re lacking in long lead planning, when it comes to the success of current innovation programs, Australia is leading the charge against all other regions, with the majority (68%) of Australian companies indicating they are ‘meeting’ or ‘exceeding’ expectations when it comes to performance of innovation programs.”

METS Ignited CEO Ric Gros said this can be partly attributed to Australia’s mining, equipment, technology and service industry (METS) that is taking advantage of the global shift to digitisation and technology.

“The overarching way for Australia’s mining ecosystem to expand its competitiveness is to recognise, and build on, the role of its METS companies as leading edge solution providers,” said Gros.

“Digital disruption is forcing major companies to utilise the specialist skills of smaller service providers.”

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Australia’s largest iron ore miner, Rio Tinto is a leading example of long-term innovation performance, deriving enormous value from its automation and remote operation programmes.

“In some ways, Australia is still grappling with its attitude towards technology,” said Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s CEO, Chris Salisbury.

“Whenever I travel through Asia, for example, there is always a lot of interest in our longer-term technology plans. Much more so than in Australia. As a nation and an industry, I believe we need to be more outward-looking and longer-term in our perspective.

There is a responsibility on all of us – whether we are in business or government or wherever – to tell our innovation stories and describe the journey that is happening, including what this translates to for our community and what it means for broader society.

“In our business, innovation and technology are not standalone items, they are embedded in all of our thinking and our planning.

We have a clear and focused strategy, with the deployment of technology and innovation central to it. One of the challenges in this regard is the rate of change of technology and the continual assessment of how business value may be added as a result. At all times, innovation needs to be linked back to the strategy.

“One of the biggest issues we are facing now is making use of the considerable data we collect – from all sorts of data points across the operational supply chain, for example from an individual haul truck, to the mining system as a whole. How is this best interpreted and used? Do we have the right data analytics skills in-house and, if not, how do we develop them?”

Mark Stickells, Director of Business Development and Innovation at UWA, stressed the need for collaboration, particularly when it comes to research and the need for social and environmental innovation.

“When looking to the next decade and beyond the crucial role of research in the mining industry cannot be underplayed,” he said.

“Mining companies may in the future be considered more than just producers of commodities and rather as service providers for the monetisation of the community’s national resources both directly and in-terms of sustainable economic development. In this scenario, core value is in the privileged access to tier one resources – a failure to comprehend this leaves companies ripe for disruption.

“The industry needs to work with government and the country’s best and brightest minds to ensure Australia’s largest export doesn’t fall behind the rest of the globe.” www.innovationstateofplay.com

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Co-ordinate measurement technology – Dealing with microns

Quality is not monitored, it is produced. Suppliers to the automotive sector need to deliver their parts to large car manufacturers ‘just in time’, and the parts must also be near fault-free. Quality control is no longer just for finished products – measurement technologies now actively control the entire manufacturing process. If product quality isn’t up to standard, business can be lost.

The importance of precision measurement is now a recognised reality in today’s manufacturing world. As technology has improved, so have the tools available to manufacturers – both in their function and in their accuracy.

A broad range of tactile and optical measurement technologies are now available. The most common – and basic – of these tactile, or touch, technologies is a group of devices collectively known as hand tools. This family includes such classics as micrometers and calipers.

They are some of the most frequently used hand measuring instruments, but they are not without fault. Because they rely on the user to take the measurement properly and correctly interpret the result, measurements can vary greatly depending on the operator.

Furthermore, hand tools do not easily provide the measurement documentation demanded by today’s customers.

Optical, or non-contact, measurement technology has been greatly improved in recent years. Though they often work reliably, offer the advantage of being contact-free, and are increasingly easy to use, many of these devices do not provide the high level of accuracy of tactile methods. Those optical devices that do yield relatively accurate results can only take measurements in two dimensions.

When industry and market demands require three-dimensional measurements in the micron range, tactile methods remain the best option.

Though traditional in their use and common in manufacturing, lower-cost tactile technologies like hand tools are not enough by themselves to ensure long-term manufacturing quality. Traditional hand tools and improving optical methods can be used to support other measurement processes, but to achieve the measurement accuracies demanded today, they often cannot be viewed as standalone full solutions.

Complex manufacturing processes It is not just about accuracy. Parts and components are becoming increasingly complex as a result of faster, more accurate processing techniques. Measurement technologies need to keep pace with this reality. If users want to safeguard complex

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manufacturing processes, they must make use of improved co-ordinate measurement technologies.

In modern manufacturing, a wide variety of products are produced in a single process. This is an additional challenge for measurement engineers as control must be maintained over manufacturing processes at all times. Such control is currently only possible with flexible co-ordinate measurement technologies.

Design engineers also play an important part as their work is yet another area where companies use co-ordinate measurement technologies. While designing new or improved parts on their computer, they generally do not worry about how easy or difficult it will be to inspect it later on.

Often, such measurement problems can only be handled using a co-ordinate measuring device. Fabrication methods that take measurement technologies into consideration could help alleviate this problem.

Skeptical quality managers claim that manufacturing methods have become more complicated since the introduction of CAD systems. In reality, their level of freedom has increased which has only made the quality engineer’s job more difficult. Co-ordinate measurement technologies help resolve this dilemma.

Traceability A decisive advantage of co-ordinate measurement technologies is their traceability. Conformity to national and international standards is extremely relevant, as it is the only way to validate measurement results. It enables users to verify that their parts are in tolerance with a high level of confidence. Companies integrated into the global value-added chains rely heavily on traceability.

Co-ordinate measuring machine design Co-ordinate measurement technology is often deemed as the ultimate authority in the metrology sector – and with good reason.

Co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs) have experienced an extremely rapid level of development since their introduction in the 1950s.

CMMs collect detailed dimensional data by moving a ball tip sensing device called a probe along the surface of the part being measured. Basically, all CMMs determine the co-ordinates of a point in space. Linear encoders built into each axis allow them to track their movement relative to the probe with very high precision. High-end devices used properly and under ideal conditions can give results that deviate from the true value by as little as 0.1 microns.

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3D Printing High Strength Composite Carbon Fibre

Some CMMs are manually operated while others are computer controlled for automated inspections. When first introduced, all CMMs required a specialised operator to manually move the probe from point to point to take measurements.

These devices were not computerised and still required the operator to record and calculate measurement data and results.

Today’s manufacturers increasingly rely on the precision provided by CMMs. This fact is due to the accuracy and traceability they provide to an ever demanding market.

Functionality The parts to be measured by CMMs are usually digitised point-by-point. Touch probes trigger when contact is made with the surface, automatically recording the resulting position. To ensure the effectiveness of the process, encoders and sensors must be routinely calibrated.

The measurement values are processed using a host computer and the captured points are used to calculate basic geometry.

These include deformities, curves, and freeform shapes. The computer is also responsible for controlling the measurement machine itself. Results can be easily graphed – optimising the reporting process.

Measurement technology as a service The recommendation, or demand, to use CMMs is often made by a company’s engineering or quality department. The measurement technology manufacturer must work with the prospect’s engineers in order to ensure the technology provided fulfills the customer’s requirements. CMM software must be flexible and adaptable to various needs to ensure that the quality of the parts and part components being manufactured is not compromised.

Often, measurement technology manufacturers offer various solutions for a company’s entire product portfolio and

the unique problems each presents, giving those looking for improved measurement and manufacturing processes more control of their measurement strategy.

A better solution Today’s CMMs are offered in different performance classes and can be customised to match individual requirements. Regardless of company size, CMMs are an integral part of the quality control process. Large, small, and even medium-sized companies all can have similar applications and even more similar goals: to manufacture the best possible product using the best possible process.

Though CMMs have been improved from their early days in the 1950s, they still operate using the same principles as when they were invented. Accuracy has been improved as well as functionality, but what has become known as traditional, or fixed, CMMs still have their own flaws. The most obvious of those is their need to remain in a fixed position.

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To effectively monitor manufacturing processes, dimensions must be checked quickly and accurately right on the production line.

A suitable alternative to fixed CMMs is the portable CMM. They take the accuracy and consistency of traditional machines right to the manufacturing floor where they can be moved around and used at will. This minimises or eliminates the down time created by having to take parts to a CMM room.

Traditional CMMs still carry relative high price tags and complexity. Portables have not only broken the inspection room barrier, they are far less expensive and relatively easier to use than their traditional cousins.

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Holographic measurement technology at production speed

Fault tolerance in automobile production is continually diminishing. Until recently, this presented suppliers with a problem: There were no sufficient methods for detecting micro defects during production. Visual inspection was the solution of choice, but this is not suitable for in-line measurements in the production process. By developing digital holography to become suitable for production, researchers at Fraunhofer IPM have resolved this dilemma. Digital holography makes it possible to fully inspect all parts – in a matter of seconds.

Sometimes every thousandth of a millimetre counts – such as with components for the automotive or aviation industry. In order to determine whether the individual component is fault-free and dimensionally stable, digital holography would be the method of choice. However, this method has so far been slow and sensitive to vibrations. It was therefore not suitable for production environments, and only samples could be tested.

Fast, solid results Three researchers from the Fraunhofer IPM – Dr Markus Fratz, Dr Alexander Bertz and Dr Tobias Beckmann – have now brought the process of digital holography out of the laboratory and into the production hall.

“We have been able to eliminate all the disadvantages and have therefore, for the first time, developed a system that allows 100% inspection in production,” says Beckmann, who heads the project together with Fratz. “Our system can measure centimetre-sized rough objects in fractions of a second with micrometre accuracy, thereby compensating for disturbances, such as vibrations.”

This allows for in-line measurements during the production process for the first time. Instead of taking samples, as before, each individual part can therefore be checked for dimensional accuracy and, at the same time, for the smallest defects. The challenge the three researchers faced was anything but easy to solve.

With the development of their holographic measurement technology, Dr Markus Fratz, Dr Alexander Bertz and Dr Tobias Beckmann (from the left) made it possible to fully inspect all parts in the production cycle in a matter of seconds. © Photo Piotr Banczerowski / Fraunhofer

“The search for defects is like trying to measure the shape of a 25m-high football stadium from a height of 300 metres so accurately that you can find the footprint of a baby in the grass,” Fratz explains.

“And in fractions of a second, even if the stadium is shaken by a light earthquake.”

Laser wavelengths and intelligent algorithms But how did the researchers manage to succeed? Instead of interferometrically measuring the object with laser light only at a single wavelength, they illuminate it successively with laser beams of different wavelengths and assess the resulting images in relation to one another.

Another highlight is the evaluation algorithms. The researchers have parallelised them so as to take full advantage of the performance of a high-end graphics card. As a result, the system is so fast that it can precisely measure objects to the micrometre within fractions of a second.

“For highly accurate three-dimensional measurements, our system is the fastest available on the market worldwide,” says Bertz, Group Manager at the Fraunhofer IPM. This speed, in turn, makes the system robust and comparatively insensitive to interferences such as vibrations. This is comparable to taking a photograph: the shorter the exposure time, the less the image blurs.

Production without risk For Werner Giessler – a medium-sized company that manufactures components for diesel injection systems – the process was a kind of salvation. Its customer Bosch had commissioned the company to start delivering 10 million components per year instead of the

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The holographic measurement system can measure centimetre-sized rough objects in fractions of a second with micrometre accuracy – even under disturbances, such as vibrations. © Photo Fraunhofer

previous 6.5 million, and all without a single defective part. With visual inspection, this would have been impossible. With the help of digital holography, however, the medium-sized company was able to accept the contract.

“I’m not enough of a risk taker to do without this technology,” says Managing Director Thomas Giessler. “Companies that have not learned to inspect the quality of their parts will soon disappear.”

The system is already integrated into the production process.

Fratz, Bertz and Beckmann have received the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for the development of production-ready digital holography. The jury justifies the award by mentioning, among other things, “the outstanding scientific work and the first-time presentation of the industrial suitability of the process”. www.ipm.fraunhofer.de

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Saving time and money in quality control Co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are expensive instruments, costing both time and money. Therefore, it is strategic to dedicate only the most important, delicate inspections to the CMM. All remaining controls should be performed on alternative equipment. By Guillaume Bull, Technical Product Manager at Creaform.

CMMs are complex metrology instruments and must be handled by experienced operators. Acquiring the necessary technical expertise takes significant time, and advanced technicians in quality control and inspection are in high demand. Programming often requires extra time for changes and adjustments, particularly when the program is made for a one-off inspection, such as dye stamping. Moreover, rigid measurement set-ups are essential to get accurate measurements on CMMs. Parts must be carefully fixed and positioned to enable operators to make measurements and ensure quality.

CMMs are the no.1 choice for measuring complex parts. Any measurement of complex parts also requires a lot of time to measure all of the features, control the different angles, and inspect the complete shape. In the automotive and aerospace industries quality control regularly involves large parts. Inspecting those parts means several trips back and forth from the production floor to the laboratory, which requires time and may cause delays.

Acquiring a CMM is a major capital investment – purchase costs can vary from $50,000 to $200,000 depending on the measurement volume and the required functionalities. Installation represents the major part of the total acquisition cost. A CMM must be installed in an air-conditioned room, be positioned on a vibration slab, and have access to compressed air. All these building properties must be carefully planned, which can easily increase the invoice to $1m.

To ensure the CMM remains fully functional, a maintenance budget must be created for calibration, hardware upgrades, and replacement parts. Annual maintenance costs can represent 15%20% of the original purchase cost. In contrast to portable metrology tools, CMMs are fixed laboratory equipment of huge dimensions that cannot be stored. They will permanently occupy many square feet in a room that must be controlled for temperature, humidity, and vibration. Up-to-date software must also be maintained to take full advantage of all the functions available. Software upgrades are regularly available, and an annual fee might be required to access new features, reports, and functionalities.

CMMs require highly skilled operators. They key is to optimise this know-how and assign these operators only to critical tasks. Those with less experience could then use other metrology tools like portable CMMs that require a lower level of expertise.

Metrology performed at intermediate steps on the production floor, with portable, less expensive equipment by less skilled operators can reduce the burden on the CMM. By choosing which quality controls to perform on CMMs, and redirecting other inspections to alternative solutions, quality managers will save time and money. www.creaform3d.com

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Ready for takeoff to Industry 4.0

Tool coding using radio-frequency identification (RFID) has been used successfully since long before Industry 4.0.

Premium AEROTEC, one of the world’s leading Tier 1 suppliers for aircraft structures, has been using this key technology for decades for quality and process assurance.

Used today over the entire range of metal-cutting production, the Tool-ID system from Balluff represents the prerequisite for intelligent networking. It also offeres the potential for further optimising tool utilisation and ultimately for continually improving processes and product quality.

The BIS V processor units communicate at various frequencies and offer a wide variety of interfaces for all common global bus systems.

Machining of aircraft structure components is one of the premium sectors of the industry – not least because it uses the most modern and often difficult to machine materials. In addition to sophisticated aluminium alloys, materials such as titanium or carbon-fibre reinforced composites (CFRP) place high demands on the machining process.

In addition, these are preferably thin-wall components, since weight reduction is the top priority in aerospace, that must still achieve the greatest strength and stiffness of the components. Structural components made of light alloys often have complex freeform surfaces and some extremely difficult undercuts.

“So-called ‘HPC’, or high performance cutting, is highly demanding in terms of precision and process reliability,’ explains Daniel Weishaupt, Head of Tool Reconditioning and Commissioning at Premium AEROTEC’s plant in Augsburg, Germany.

This means above all reliable maintaining of tight component tolerances, and thereby touches on the main motivation for using a tool identification system. As Weishaupt adds: “The basic prerequisite, however, is that the tool parameters are loaded exactly and error-free into the machining centre.”

The general advantage of such systems as Tool-ID from Balluff is the transmission of tool-relevant data between a data carrier fixed to the tool and a read/write unit using a high-frequency electromagnetic alternating field. RFID ensures certain association of the tool. Using RFID read/write heads tool data, on the tool presetter for example, can be written to the data carrier on the tool and read out in the machine tool. In addition, relevant data such as cutting time can be written back to the data carrier, for example after the tool has been used. Automatic processing of the data ensures that all the information is correct and current.

For this reason Premium AEROTEC has equipped the tool presetters and measuring devices from Zoller as well as around 30 machining centres with Tool-ID read/write heads and processor units from Balluff.

“We were able to integrate the system into all the controllers on our various machines with no difficulty,” notes Weishaupt.

Integration was carried out among companies by Erhardt+Leimer Automatisierungstechnik from Augsburg. This company specialises in system solutions and automation technology in ongoing production, and required just 12 weeks for completion.

The BIS M read/write heads are available in a variety of form factors and dimensions – such as round or bar antenna – so that all the various requirements in the different machining centres at Premium AEROTEC could be The cutting tools are prepared in Zoller met. presetters, where all the relevant tool data are written to the BIS M data carrier in the toolholder using Tool-ID read/write heads.

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Playing no small part in the rapid integration of Tool-ID into the ongoing production at Premium AEROTEC were the BIS V processor units, which can communicate at various frequencies. In other words, these controllers can operate using low-frequency system components (70-455kHz), which are especially rugged and reliable in metal surroundings, and high-frequency components (13.56MHz) at the same time.

However, at Premium AEROTEC, it was the variety of available interfaces these processor units offer that was the deciding factor for integrating into the various machines. All the common bus systems used in industry around the world are available, such as Profibus, Profinet, EtherCAT, CC-Link and Ethernet/IP variations. There is also a web server for Ethernet-based interfaces. Function blocks for many common controller OEMs also make set-up fast.

The existing tools and tool holders were fitted on their sides with so-called tags. Premium AEROTEC chose BIS M type data carriers, which operate at a frequency of 13.56MHz and are rated for an unlimited number of read/write cycles.

“We decided on the BIS M version because these tags meet the RFID standards ISO 15693 and ISO 14443A and are available from different manufacturers,” adds Weishaupt, who sees this as a security factor for his production. Around 30,000 tools are currently managed using this system.

Also important according to Weishaupt is the high transmission speed – even at high data quantities – that can be achieved with the BIS M RFID system.

“This contributes to the fact that today the read process is faster by 30%,“, notes Weishaupt.

The first requirement for RFID tool identification, namely automating and securing the handling of tool-specific data, has already been met for years. Accurately conveyed tool dimensions and usage parameters as well as recorded service and life and remaining life times ensure reliable processes.

“Recording cutting time of tools is hugely important,” explains Weishaupt. “Wear results in increasing cutting forces and causes geometric deviations in the workpiece. Especially critical is the resulting so-called surface spalling as a consequence of thermal and mechanical cyclic loading, which can lead to unrepairable damage to the component.”

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At Premium AEROTEC around 30 machining centres are equipped with Tool-ID read/write heads and BIS V processor units.

Surface spalling in cutting tools occurs after longer periods of use – however, during this time no wear is actually measurable. It becomes evident in the form of cracks that propagate. Structural changes and fatigue can result in disassociation of particles, which in turn can damage the component. Tool wear from abrasion, for example, leads to increased cutting forces. The tool edge can no longer withstand the higher cutting forces. The result is tool breakage, which itself can also damage the workpiece.

The cost of aerospace components, often in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, makes the problem clear. For this reason the data carrier on each toolholder transmits a maximum tool life datum to the tag on the tool itself, which is based on experiential values.

Premium AEROTEC has equipped around 30,000 tools with BIS M data carriers from Balluff in the tool holders.

Beyond the determination of tool use times, the BIS M data carriers with their unique ID number make it possible to create what Weishaupt calls a lifetime document for the tools. The unique ID on this data carrier is read-only and cannot be changed. It makes it possible to ensure traceability for the parts in the sense of quality assurance and to document the history of each tool. Central storage and processing of the tool data in a tool management system will open up countless new approaches to further optimising tool use.

Tool-ID from Balluff is therefore a key component of the intelligently networked production at Premium AEROTEC, who are now ready for takeoff for Industry 4.0. www.premium-aerotec.com www.balluff.com

The BIS M data carriers from Balluff in the toolholders meet the open RFID standards ISO 15693 and ISO 14443A.

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Nanotechnology & Micro-Machining

Big steps forward for nanofabrication It’s been a busy year for the Australian National Fabrication Facility’s Victorian Node (ANFF-VIC). The open-access network of nano- and micro-fabrication capabilities has seen the appointment of a new Director, a new General Manager, and the addition of some exciting new tools across the state. The node has also continued to enable research, with highlights including diamond coating of carbon fibre, creating nanometre-thick holograms, and increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic cells.

The Victorian Node is one of eight nodes in the national ANFF network. ANFF-VIC has tools and experts available at the CSIRO, Deakin University, La Trobe University, the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN), Monash University, RMIT, Swinburne University of Technology, and the University of Melbourne. Both ANFFVIC and ANFF National are headquartered at MCN, home to one of the largest openaccess cleanrooms in the world.

In February, Professor Nicolas Voelcker was appointed as Director of ANFF-VIC and Scientific Director of the MCN. With more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters to his name, he is a leader in his field of biomaterials engineering.

Professor Voelcker’s aim is to increase the interaction between academics and industry drivers within the region, given Victoria’s pedigree for research. With MCN located within a stone’s throw of Monash University, the Australian Synchrotron and the array of tech businesses spread across the Clayton area, it’s ideally positioned to act as a melting pot for commercialisation of ground-breaking technologies.

ANFF-VIC and MCN also have a new General Manager, Dr Sean Langelier, who had been a senior process engineer at MCN for a number of years. In addition to the general handling of the Centre’s activities, Dr Langelier’s role is to help Professor Voelcker to drive industry engagement.

ANFF-VIC has been adding to its facilities’ collection of capabilities. Notably, MCN recently became the first owner of SwissLitho’s NanoFrazor in Australia.

The system uses Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography to produce micro- or nano-scale structures and patterns with nanometre accuracy. The process involves heating a scanning probe to around 1,000 degrees Celsius to rapidly evaporate a specialised polymer material. By varying the force applied by the scanning the probe as it writes, intricate 3D structures can be created.

This allows for the fabrication of optical devices, such as aspherical microlenses and tapered waveguides, which can be harnessed for a host of potential end applications including plasmonics, nanoelectronics, biochemical patterning and storage devices.

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The Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication. Credit: ANFF-VIC.

La Trobe’s Centre for Materials and Surface Science (CMSS) is also part of the ANFFVIC Node and has recently installed a new sample mounting system for its XPS and ToF-SIMS surface analysis instruments.

The new system allows for far more efficient and flexible analyses, batched submission of samples, and transfer of samples between XPS and ToF-SIMS without remounting.

Tools like these, combined with experienced staff, continue to allow ANFFVIC users to conduct their ground-breaking research in a state-of-the-art collaborative environment. Here’s a collection of a few of the recent highlights.

Diamond coating carbon fibre Carbon fibre is now wearing some flashy new jewellery, thanks to a team of Victorian scientists. They’ve coated carbon fibre with diamond, enhancing the material’s usability in medical and sensor applications where the composite material offers huge potential advantages.

Microelectrodes are important in bioelectronic medicine for the treatment of a variety of debilitating conditions. They can often eliminate the need for drugs and spare patients unwanted side effects. Treatable

conditions include epilepsy, auto-immune and Parkinson’s disease, and migraines.

Unfortunately, the materials currently used for fabrication of microelectrodes, often noble metals or silicon, have a much higher density than human tissue and are thought to produce scarring which reduces their long-term efficiency.

A team of researchers from CSIRO Manufacturing, Deakin University, Melbourne University and the MCN, hope to solve this problem by combining two exceptional materials – carbon fibre and diamond – that, used together, may possess the desired properties.

Carbon fibre has been exciting medical circles due to its small diameter (less than 10 microns) and ability to act as a lightweight, conductive filament. However, in practice it typically has to be insulated in bulky glass capillaries in order to be useful.

The team began attempting to coat the fibres with microcrystalline diamond to form a thin, insulating and biocompatible sheath.

The difficulty is that growing diamond requires harsh conditions that can easily damage the carbon fibres. Through careful tuning of the diamond seeding – an earlystage process in which nanodiamond

Nanotechnology & Micro-Machining Heading Diamond coated fibres are suitable bioelectrodes – they’re strong, conductive and biocompatible.

Credit: Dr Kallista Sears.

Ultrathin holograms open doors to 3D displays

Researchers are improving the efficiency of solar cells by creating backcontacted perovskite devices.

Credit: Dr Ashkat Jumabekov.

“seeds” are ultrasonically embedded in the fibre surface – and deposition conditions while working with MCN, the team has managed to achieve uniform diamond coatings that leave the carbon fibre intact.

“This has been an extremely rewarding project and these new micro-electrodes have real potential to improve neuroscience research and people’s lives with debilitating neurological conditions,” says Dr Kallista Sears, who led the team.

The next step is to further optimise the process and benchmark the diamondcoated carbon fibres for their performance as microelectrodes.

“This will require further involvement with ANFF-VIC staff and use of their world-class diamond coating facilities,” adds Dr Julius Orwa, a Deakin University researcher on the project.

Creating back-contacted solar cells Solar cells are one of the most promising and accessible mechanisms by which Australia can reduce its carbon footprint.

However, inefficiencies remain a barrier to widespread usage. By combining the benefits of back-contacted solar cells with perovskite materials, researchers have achieved a much sought-after pathway to more efficient photovoltaic devices.

Solar cells work by using a photovoltaic material to produce an electric current between an anode and cathode when illuminated by the sun. The way a cell is structured and the materials it’s built from have a dramatic effect on its ultimate performance.

Currently two leading methods are backcontacted silicon cells and perovskitebased devices. While each have their own efficiency advantages, but also limitations.

Perovskite is a material that is incredibly good at taking in light and converting it to electrical energy. However, perovskite

solar cells (PSCs) are currently built using a “sandwich structure”, which requires a conductive and opaque electrode above and below the photosensitive perovskite material, limiting the directions in which they can receive light, which reduces the overall device efficiency.

Back-contacted solar cells are the widely preferred method for collecting the electricity created by photovoltaic material.

Building the electrodes into an underlying structure of the light-sensitive material reduces transmission losses associated with top-side electrodes and allows it to be illuminated from all sides. Back-contacted silicon photovoltaic cells have already been manufactured and are commercially available, but silicon isn’t as good as perovskite at converting light to electricity.

Adaptation of a back-contacted design to the perovskite solar cell is incredibly difficult as the interdigitated array of electrodes must be delicately structured, which provides a number of major fabrication challenges.

However, the latest research from a team of CSIRO and Monash University researchers, working out of the MCN, has combined the benefits of both device types using a series of photolithography and vacuum deposition processes. The technique enabled an alternative design in which the interlocking array of anodes and cathodes were no longer on the same plane, but remained on only one side of the perovskite absorber layer. This has, for the first time, demonstrated the possibility of constructing a back-contacted PSC. Now, the team are working to develop the processes used to make these cells in order to make them suitable for mass production.

Once found, scalable, affordable fabrication techniques will bring back-contacted perovskite solar cells into the light, along with all the advantages they offer.

A team led by Professor Min Gu from RMIT University and Beijing Institute of Technology have fabricated the world’s thinnest hologram – and it could revolutionise the way we interact with everyday technologies.

The team’s research, published in Nature Communications, takes a step closer to three-dimensional (3D) displays for smart devices by reducing physical dimensions of a hologram to the nanometer scale.

Holograms are the result of shining light on an interference pattern to recreate a seemingly 3D object within a film. Even the parallax effect is captured, meaning when the viewer moves, the image appears to move too.

An interference pattern is produced by splitting a light beam into two with each beam travelling different paths of varying length. The additional time causes a phase difference in the light, resulting in peaks and troughs of intensity when the beams are recombined. Holograms have to be thick enough to allow enough time for the phase difference to become noticeable.

Since the 1960s it’s been common practice to use computer-generated patterns – a process called computer-generated holography (CGH). CGH can in principle be applied to smart technologies, but the physical size of holograms – currently ranging between micrometres to millimetres – makes this currently impractical.

The paper’s lead author, Dr Zengji Yue, explained that to reduce the depth, the team began working with antimony telluride that had been laser etched to feature the desired interference pattern. The new film acts as a resonance cavity – light is bounced between the surfaces, amplifying the phase difference. Antimony telluride is rare in the respect that its refractive index at the surface is far lower than within the body of the material which helps to retain the light.

The team used MCN’s atomic layer deposition (ALD) capabilities as the basis to fabricate the antimony telluride hologram film. The Centre’s ellipsometry equipment was used to compare the sample’s refractive index to theoretical models. The result is a 60nm thick film that produces the holographic images. Considering most of the processes are scalable, the new holograms could be produced on a large scale.

The team now aims to create smaller pixels to increase the resolution of the images, and to investigate dynamic displays. www.nanomelbourne.com

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Materials one atom thick and nano-transistors – Australian solutions to future electronics Atomically thin materials and nano-transistor fabrication are being used by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET), a new Australian research collaboration developing ultra-low energy electronics for an impending computing energy crunch.

FLEET’s research is at the very boundaries of what is possible in modern condensed matter physics and nanotechnology. At the nano scale and smaller, synthesis of atomically thin materials and nanofabrication of functioning devices will be key to the centre’s mission success.

Atomically thin, or two-dimensional (2D), materials are the material of choice at FLEET, a collaboration of researchers from seven Australian universities developing novel electronics and electronic devices that will operate at ultra-low energies. These would replace the silicon of traditional CMOS (complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor) devices in a new generation of electronics in which electrical current can flow with zero, or near-zero, resistance.

The driving force behind FLEET is the significant and increasing amount of energy being used in information technology, computing and communication, which already represents 5% of global electricity use, and is doubling every decade. As electrical current traverses the material of normal, silicon computer chips, electrons scatter and consume energy. It’s only a tiny amount of energy per ‘switch’, but with billions of switches per chip, switching billions of times per second, in millions of processors in data centres around the world, it adds up.

To head off this looming power crunch, FLEET will use two systems in which electricity can be carried with very, very low dissipation of energy: • First is the relatively new science of topological materials, which are insulators in the centre of the material, but can carry current on their edges or surfaces, potentially with near-zero resistance. This is the science that was recognised by the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics.

• The second system is exciton superfluids, in which pairs of bound, oppositely-charged particles can be made to ‘flow’ in a superfluid with zero electrical resistance. Exciton transistors will switch off and on just like conventional transistors, but without dissipating energy.

FLEET also uses light-transformed materials, which can be temporarily forced into either a topological or superfluid state.

Each of these systems for ultra-low energy

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The Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) is home to one of the largest open-access cleanrooms in the world.

electrical conduction depend heavily on atomically thin, 2D materials. For example, in order for topological insulators to carry current with near-zero resistance, they must be extremely thin, such that their conducting edges are one-dimensional wires in which current can only go forwards or backwards. To achieve large bandgaps in topological insulators sufficient for operation at room temperature, the materials must be atomically thin. Similarly, exciton condensation, which requires a large binding energy between charged particles, is limited in any 3D material by the relatively large (tens of nanometres) distances between the oppositely-charged particles. In atomically thin semiconductors, this distance can be reduced to less than one nanometre.

Synthesis of atomically thin materials FLEET’s work depends heavily on the recent revolution in atomically thin (2D) materials.

To provide the required materials for future electronics, FLEET draws on extensive expertise in materials synthesis in Australia and internationally, from bulk crystals to thin films to atomically thin layers.

The most well-known atomically-thin material is graphene, which was first isolated in the lab in 2008 (winning its discoverers the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics). Graphene is a single, 2D sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal ‘honeycomb’ lattice. It is an extraordinarily good electrical conductor, with electron speeds more than a hundred times faster than in silicon.

FLEET’s main research uses other atomically thin materials, with researchers seeking materials possessing the necessary properties for topological and exciton superfluid states, and that can be temporarily forced into those states.

For example, for topological function, materials must form two-dimensional structures, be electrically insulating in the centre of the material, and have a large inverted bandgap (i.e. be topological). The inverted bandgap results from spin-orbit coupling, which is a relativistic quantum mechanical effect that is much stronger in heavy atoms. Hence large bandgap topological insulators will require heavy elements such as lead or bismuth.

To manufacture such materials, FLEET synthesises materials with robust twodimensional quantum spin Hall effect systems, with large bandgaps. Magnetic topological insulators can offer even better protection from resistance, and FLEET is studying doping with magnetic impurities to introduce magnetic ordering into these systems.

FLEET researchers Lan Wang (RMIT University) and Xiaolin Wang (University of Wollongong’s Australian Institute for Innovative Materials) use semiconductor fabrication facilities at those institutions to synthesise several materials that are predicted to have electrically-tunable large-gap quantum spin Hall systems, using mechanical and chemical exfoliation techniques to obtain single-layer and multiple-layer 2D flakes.

Nanotechnology & Micro-Machining Heading

FLEET researcher Lan Wang of RMIT University.

At Monash University, Michael Fuhrer and Mark Edmonds are growing atomically thin layers of bismuth-containing materials by molecular beam epitaxy onto atomically flat substrates.

Meanwhile at UNSW, Nagarajan Valanoor and Jan Seidel are taking a different approach, assembling a 2D topological insulator at the interface of two different complex oxide materials, which can be deposited by pulsed laser deposition.

Deposition at the junction eliminates the issue of the atomically-fine material dissipating on contact with air.

FLEET researcher Qiaoliang Bao

in which a superfluid current can be switched on and off. Topological transistors and exciton transistors will form the backbone of future electronics, replacing the relatively high-energy silicon transistors of our current systems.

FLEET nanofabrication researchers use the expertise and facilities of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) at RMIT University in Melbourne (the Micro Nano Research Facility), the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN), and at the Australian National Fabrication Facility – New South Wales (ANFF-NSW).

A functioning transistor must also be switchable, and so other, novel substrate materials with the correct electric and magnetic ordering are needed to provide control of the properties of atomically thin substrate.

The MCN is an open-access research and development facility that allows users such as FLEET researcher Qiaoliang Bao to fabricate structures on the nanometre scale using techniques like electron-beam lithography.

Nanofabrication of electrical devices

Nearby at Monash University’s Faculty of Engineering labs, Bao’s team grows atomically thin materials on copper foil using chemical vapour deposition, and uses scanning tunneling microscopy and other imaging methods to confirm the resulting structures are atomically thin.

For the new technology to compete with silicon, it will be necessary that these 2D and other new materials be incorporated into nano-scale devices. As well as developing theoretical electronic systems, FLEET is charged with developing functioning electronic devices in which that ultra-low resistance electrical current can be controlled – switched off and on, as in the switches and transistors that comprise traditional, silicon-based systems.

The Centre will develop practical, functioning electronic devices based on the new technology. FLEET will use a range of advanced fabrication techniques to incorporate the atomically thin materials developed into novel device structures with suitable performance. Atomically thin topological insulators will be integrated with electrical control gates to create topological transistors. And atomically thin semiconductors will be integrated with optical cavities to create exciton transistors

Elsewhere in FLEET, Oleh Klochan, Alex Hamilton, and Oleg Sushkov at ANFF-NSW are using patterning at the nano-scale to turn a conventional 2D semiconductor layer into a topological insulator.

Why do it? The energy costs of computing FLEET addresses a grand challenge: reducing the energy used in information and communication technology (ICT), which already accounts for at least 5% of global electricity use, and is doubling every ten years.

And it’s going to get worse. The current silicon-based technology will stop becoming more efficient in the next decade as ‘Moore’s Law’ comes to an end. Moore’s

law is an unofficial phenomenon, first cited

by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in the 1960s, whereby the number of chips per unit area doubled every 18 months. As transistors got smaller, they also generally got more efficient in terms of energy use.

But Moore’s Law is slowing and expected to come to an end in the next decade, with transistors no longer getting smaller or more efficient.

The so-called ‘Internet of Things’ would drive this energy demand even higher.

However, within a decade, the financial and environmental cost of electricity use will limit the growth of computing.

FLEET is a collaboration of researchers from seven Australian universities and 13 Australian and international partner organisations.

The centre received funding in the September 2016 Australian Research Council funding round. FLEET’s participating organisations are: Monash University, the University of New South Wales, Australian National University, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Queensland and University of Wollongong.

FLEET’s national and international partners include Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO); the Australian Synchrotron; California Institute of Technology (Caltech); Columbia University, New York; Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz; University of Maryland Joint Quantum Institute & National Institute of Standards and Technology; Max Plank Institute of Quantum Optics; the National University of Singapore; the University of Colorado, Boulder; University of Maryland Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials; the University of Texas, Austin; Tsinghua University, Beijing; and the University of Wurzburg. www.fleet.org.au

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3D printing turns nanomachines into life-size workers

Nanomachines are tiny molecules – more than 10,000 lined up side by side would be narrower than the diameter of a human hair – that can move when they receive an external stimulus. They can already deliver medication within a body and serve as computer memories at the microscopic level. But as machines go, they haven’t been able to do much physical work – until now. By Chenfeng Ke. My lab has used nano-sized building blocks to design a smart material that can perform work at a macroscopic scale, visible to the eye. A 3D-printed lattice cube made out of polymer can lift 15 times its own weight – the equivalent of a human being lifting a car.

The design of our new material is based on Nobel Prize-winning research that turned mechanically interlocked molecules into workperforming machines at nanoscale – things like molecular elevators and nanocars.

Rotaxanes are one of the most widely investigated of these molecules. These dumbbell-shaped molecules are capable of converting input energy – in the forms of light, heat or altered pH – into molecular movements. That’s how these kinds of molecular structures got the nickname “nanomachines.” For example, in a molecule called [2]rotaxane, composed of one ring on an axle, the ring can move along the axle to perform shuttling motions.

So far, harnessing the mechanical work of rotaxanes has been very challenging. When billions of these tiny machines are randomly oriented, the ring motions will cancel each other out, producing no useful work at a macroscale. In order to harness these molecular motions, scientists have to think about controlling their threedimensional arrangement as well as synchronizing their motions.

Molecular beads on a string Our design is based on a well-investigated family of molecules called polyrotaxanes. These have multiple rings on a molecular axle. In our new material, the ring is a cyclic sugar and the axle is a polymer.

If we provide an external stimulus – like adding water – these rings randomly shuttling back and forth can instead stick to each other and form a tubular array. When that happens, it changes the stiffness of the molecule. It’s like when beads are threaded onto a string; many beads slid together make the string much stronger, like a rod.

Our approach is to build a polymer system where billions of these molecules become stronger with added water. The strength of the whole architecture is increased and the structure can perform useful work.

In this way, we were able to get around the original problem of the random orientation of many nanomachines together. The addition of water locks them into a stationary state, therefore strengthening the whole three-dimensional architecture and allowing the united molecules to perform work together.

3-D printing the material Our research is the first to add 3D printability to mechanically interlocked molecules. It was integrating the 3D printing technique that allowed us to transform the random shuttling motions of nanosized rings into smart materials that perform work at macroscopic scale. Getting the molecules all lined up in the right orientation is a way to amplify their motions. When we add water, the rings of the polyrotaxanes stick together via hydrogen bonds. The tubular arrays then stack together in a more ordered manner.

It’s much easier to get the molecules co-ordinated while they’re in this configuration as opposed to when the rings are all freely moving

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along the axle. We were able to successfully print lattice-like 3D structures with the rings locked into position in this way. Now the molecules aren’t just randomly positioned within the material.

After 3D-printing out the polymer, we used a photo-curing process – similar to the UV lamp that hardens nail polish at a salon – to cure it. We were left with a material that had good 3D structural integrity and mechanical stability. Now it was ready to do some work.

Shape changing back and forth The three-dimensional geometry of the polymer is crucial for its shape changing. A hollow structure is easier to deform than a solid one. So we designed a lattice cube structure to maximise its shapedeformation ability and, in turn, its ability to do work as it switched back and forth from one state to the other.

The next important step was being able to control the work our polymer could do. It turns out the complex 3D architecture of these structures can be reversibly deformed and reformed. We were able to use a solvent to switch the threaded ring structure between random shuttling and stationary states at the molecular level.

Exchanging the solvent let us easily repeat this shape-changing and recovery behavior many times.

This is how we converted chemical energy into mechanical work.

Just like moving beads to strengthen or weaken a string, this shapechanging is critical because it allows the amplification of molecular motion into macroscopic motion.

A 3D-printed lattice cube made of this smart material lifted a small coin 1.6mm. The numbers may sound small for our day-to-day world, but this is a big step forward in the effort to get nanomachines doing macro work.

We hope this advance will enable scientists to further develop smart materials and devices. For example, by adding contraction and twisting to the rising motion, molecular machines could be used as soft robots performing complicated tasks similar to what a human hand can do.

Chenfeng Ke is Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, US. This article was originally published by The Conversation. www.dartmouth.edu www.theconversation.com

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AWRE 2017 – Focus on manufacturing waste Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 23-24 August, the Australian Waste & Recycling Expo (AWRE) is a leading expo dedicated to the waste, recycling and resource recovery industry, including a strong line-up of technology and solutions for the manufacturing industry.

The two-day event will bring the sustainability and waste management industry together to discover the latest waste and recycling trends, showcase new innovations, attend high-quality practical seminars and network with key waste and recycling decision makers from both industry and government.

First held in 2010, AWRE attracts more than 1,500 attendees from across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the UK and North America who are looking for innovative ways to collect, sort and process waste from the municipal, commercial and construction sectors. AWRE also features more than 120 industry exhibitors who are available to offer hands-on experience with the latest product releases and deliver on-stand demonstrations.

“Showcasing innovation is a key focus of AWRE,” says Andrew Lawson, AWRE Event Manager. “In previous years we have had a range of exhibitors unveiling products and services that address waste and recycling.

“We have certainly noticed a change in recycling trends, with smart businesses adapting to be able to survive and thrive on the global stage. Many are now also broadening their scope, diversifying into new streams like e-waste.” While AWRE encompasses the entire spectrum of waste management, it includes an impressive lineup of exhibitors specialising in the area of waste and recycling in the manufacturing sector.

Applied Machinery Australia Applied Machinery Australia is one of Australia’s largest and most respected dealers of new and used machinery for the sheet

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metal, engineering and plastics industries. At AWRE 2017, Applied Machinery will be showcasing its range of Genox Vision series of single-shaft shredders (see box). Applied Machinery also supplies the Polystar range of repelletising lines, for the recycling and reuse of industrial film waste. While the Polystar machines are too large to be physically on display at AWRE, the Applied Machinery team will have plenty of useful resources to share with visitors.

Telford Smith For over 70 years Telford Smith has bought and sold a huge range of new and used machinery and equipment for the recycling, extrusion and moulding industries worldwide. Two new, innovative products the company will be exhibiting at AWRE include Orwak TOM 1040 and Orwak Connect Plus.

Holding up to seven times more waste than a conventional waste bin, the TOM 1040 compacts the waste before the bag is full and needs to be changed. Thanks to a built-in sensor, it can tell when there’s a low traffic period (30 minutes or more without anyone approaching). During that time, the TOM 1040 compresses the trash and keeps it compacted. This allows the trash to begin breaking down and increases the overall amount of waste the bin can hold. A modem-based communication system enables the TOM 1040 to send you an SMS text or email when the bin is full or the TOM-units need maintenance.

Designed for Orwak’s baler range, Orwak Connect is a modem-based communication service enabling the baler to send a message for full bale

Waste & Recyling

or if the machine requires maintenance. The built-in-scale is based on four load cells connected to a display, which shows the current bale weight (the load in the chamber). The data is transferred to the portal where the user can view the weight of every single bale produced by the baler in a specific period of time.

SKALA Australia SKALA Australia will be exhibiting an extensive range of solutions at AWRE 2017. In 2016, SKALA unveiled the All Metal Separator (AMS), which is manufactured by UK recycling specialist BlueMac. The AMS can either complement stationary recycling plants or be used as a standalone unit for onsite separation at facilities such as organics processing or demolition sites.

The AMS is designed to separate ferrous and non-ferrous metals from diverse feed materials – including municipal and commercial organics streams. The AMS consists of a vibratory pan feeder discharging onto a rare earth magnetic drum separator. The ferrous material moves around the drum and is deposited onto a conveyor for discharge. The remaining feed material continues along a belt to an eddy current separator. Any non-ferrous material is propelled over a barrier onto a second conveyor and again discharged at the side of the machine. The machine is designed to create two dividends – a non-ferrous and ferrous resource stream, as well as a high-quality end product free of contaminants. www.awre.com.au

Genox – Towards zero landfill

Applied Machinery Australia is the sole Australian distributor for the extensive range of Genox granulators, shredders, wash plants and complete recycling lines (including e-waste, tyres and cable).

Genox is a combination of the words “Generating Oxygen”, which serves as the cornerstone of the company’s efforts toward creating a better environment through new and innovative technology. Over the past few years Genox has introduced an extensive range of technically advanced machinery for Australian companies looking to achieve zero landfill. To date over 150 Australian companies have selected the Genox brand for a reliable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for their waste reduction needs.

Waste reduction and associated recycling has become a crucial part of the Australian landscape over the past few years and plays a key role in minimising landfill by using recycled material in the manufacture of new products.

Waste materials processing can be categorised into three specific areas: plastics, including rigid or hard bottles, plastic film and general plastics; e-waste, including printers, toner cartridges, cables, computers and hard discs; and scrap metal.

For plastics processing, the Genox range is made up of single shaft shredders, twin shaft shredders, granulators, washing tanks and dewatering centrifuges. When it comes to e-waste, copper cable and the like, the range includes shear shredders, heavy-duty granulators, vertical crushers (densifiers), eddy current separators, and various types of air separation systems.

“We pride ourselves on the quality of the Genox range of shredders, granulators, wash plants and complete recycling lines,” said David Macdonald, Managing Director of Applied Machinery. “They have proven to be a reliable and cost effective solution, and go a long way to assisting our customers to achieve their environmental goals and KPIs. They have emerged as Australia’s favorite solution for all kinds of waste and materials reduction applications.”

Genox has become a worldwide leader in the waste and material reduction category. The company invests heavily in research and development to ensure that it remains at the forefront of waste reduction equipment. The increasing need for material reduction machines and the crucial role they play in the recycling process is evidenced by the diversity of the applications in which Applied Machinery customers have put the varied machines to use.

Applied also provides customers with the option of adding separators to their line in order to minimise waste and maximise return.

When shredding cable for example, this allows for separation of the valuable metal components, which can be on-sold to metal recyclers, while the plastic can be transferred to a recycling facility for a new life as a recycled product.

“One of the major benefits of Genox equipment is that it can be customised to offer bespoke solutions tailored to suit the requirements of each and every customer,” added Macdonald. “Another big advantage of purchasing from Applied is that we always keep an extensive range of Genox machines in stock, which in most cases means same-day purchase and delivery. This ensures our customers can take delivery quickly and put the machines to work immediately.”

Applied holds an extensive inventory of parts and accessories for quick routine maintenance, service and machine upgrades and add-ons so customers are never kept waiting.

“We don’t just sell machinery,” explains Macdonald. “We have specialist service engineers who install the machinery and most critically, train our customers and their staff to use it efficiently and safely. Then we provide regular servicing and follow up. That’s Applied Thinking.” www.appliedmachinery.com.au

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Practical approaches to controlling waste in manufacturing

Manufacturers continually seek ways to maximise productivity and efficiency. Today, those efforts frequently involve high-level programs that employ buzzwords such as cloud computing, data-driven manufacturing, cyber-physical systems and Industry4.0. These initiatives are excellent concepts and can produce impressive results. However, manufacturing realities often interfere with the implementation of such ambitious plans, and a critical reality is the presence of uncontrolled waste in the manufacturing process.

Before discussing digitisation and optimisation, it is necessary for a manufacturer to examine its operations, determine where waste occurs, and develop methods to reduce or eliminate it. Controlling waste is the first step in preparing a manufacturing company for the adoption of sophisticated smart manufacturing strategies.

Basics of production economics

Figure 1. This 3D illustration shows the collection of all cutting condition combinations that can be used within the constraints coming from the cutting environment.

Manufacturing consists of a series of transformation processes. A shop forms raw material into finished or semi-finished workpieces through a series of individual transformation operations such as forging, welding or machining. A number of individual elements comprise each operation. The basic elements of machining, for example, include the cutting tool, machine tool, fixtures and coolant supply. Together these elements form a machining system that gets support from related equipment and components in a production system.

Planning, programming and economic management functions surround the production system to form a production environment.

The key element of a production environment is people. Although manufacturing today widely utilises computers, robots and other advanced technology, people make the decisions that control the environment overall.

The machining process is based on technical application details regarding tool selection, cutting conditions, programming and workpiece material and fixturing. Other key details include production volume requirements and the specified quality of finished workpieces.

Linking technical application details with economic concerns is called production economics. The goal of the science of production economics is to balance all the factors involved. While technical elements produce desired results in terms of workpiece quality, quantity and timeliness, the operations must be carried out at a cost that enables a business to thrive.

Achieving the balance of output and cost in machining progresses through three phases. The first phase is establishing a reliable machining process. It is essential to minimise unexpected occurrences such as broken tools, uncontrolled chips and resulting destroyed workpieces. A workshop establishes operational reliability by choosing tools with load capacity that meets or exceeds the mechanical, thermal, chemical and tribological loads generated in the machining process.

Phase two in achieving balanced production economics involves choosing cutting conditions that reflect the constraints put on the machining process by real-world circumstances. The theoretical capabilities of a cutting tool are broad. But specific workshop realities constrain the range of effective application parameters.

For example, the capabilities and performance of a tool vary according to the amount of power possessed by the machine tool that is applying it; the machining characteristics of the workpiece material; or the configuration of a part that may be prone to vibration or distortion. Although there is a vast selection of cutting conditions that will work in theory, unfortunately constraints posed by reality will narrow the range of trouble-free choices.

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Figure 1 illustrates a large selection or volume of cutting speeds, depths of cut and feeds that has been carved into a smaller selection and reduced volume in recognition of various realities of a specific cutting application.

Applying cutting conditions outside the application constraints of the specific situation will have negative economic consequences, including higher costs and lower productivity. Perhaps 90% of the problems experienced during machining result from a lack of respect for the constraints that workshop realities place on the cutting process.

When cutting conditions do not exceed the constraints imposed by workshop realities, the operation is safe from a technical perspective. However, not every technically safe combination of cutting conditions will produce the same economic result.

Changing cutting conditions changes the cost of the machining process. Moving to more aggressive but still technically safe cutting conditions will increase the output of finished workpieces, but after a certain point however, productivity will decline because the aggressive cutting parameters also will result in shorter tool life. The output of parts over time then will decline as well, because more time will be spent changing worn tools.

Somewhere there is a combination of cutting conditions that result in a balance of productive output and manufacturing cost. Figure 2 shows the relationship between cutting conditions, productivity and tool and machine costs. More aggressive conditions are at the right of the axes and higher productivity at the top. The pale blue band at the middle of the graph indicates where cutting conditions produce a balanced blend of productivity (highest output) and economy (lowest cost). (This figure shows a simplified model, not taking into account waste factors, and concentrating only on elements that vary as cutting conditions change – material, overhead and administration and engineering costs are not included.)

Waste & Recyling Heading Figure 2. The relationship between cutting conditions, productivy and machining costs.

Accordingly, the third phase of achieving balanced production economics involves determining the optimal combination of cutting conditions for a given situation. It is essential to take into account all the factors in the machining operation to establish a working domain where cutting parameters provide the desired levels of productivity and economy.

The effect of waste on production economics Unfortunately, the elegant scientific methods of balanced production economics operate at the mercy of waste in the manufacturing system. Waste destroys the balance and occurs in many ways. For example, it is a waste of energy and power when a 60kW machine tool is used in an ongoing application that requires only 15kW. In another situation, when finished workpieces do not meet required levels of quality, the time, money and resources invested in the process are wasted in pursuit of an unacceptable result. Similarly, manufacturing workpieces that needlessly exceed required levels of quality is wasteful, because achieving increased quality increases cost.

A less obvious and less understood occasion of waste is the underuse or misuse of intellectual resources. Certain personnel in a company may possess knowledge or skills that will help the company achieve its goals, but for reasons ranging from poor communication to intra-company politics, the knowledge and skills are not shared and therefore go to waste.

Waste reduction tools After waste is identified and categorised, a shop should create a plan to reduce or eliminate it. There exists a wide range of tools that enable a manufacturer to pinpoint, quantify, and minimise wasteful practices. For example, analysis of tool usage, manipulation and deterioration will point out trouble areas.

Such analyses have shown that in some cases as much as 20% to 30% of the tools that personnel defined as worn out were in fact still viable – the remaining tool life was wasted. Establishing clear tool wear criteria and communicating the standards to shop personnel will significantly reduce wasted tool life.

Similarly, machine downtime analyses quantify the time spent in activities such as setup, programming and tool changing. These

analyses often indicate that as much as 50% to 60% of machine downtime is avoidable through a better understanding, execution and co-ordination of these necessary but time-consuming activities.

The use of interviews, surveys and training programs can uncover a lot of useful information when dealing with personnel issues that lead to waste of intellectual resources as well as unrealised knowledge and skills. As a result, employees perform their jobs better and build capabilities that maximise personnel productivity.

Value-adding, value-enabling, and unneeded activities At the start of the 20th century, the US industrial engineer Fredrick Taylor studied workshop operations and proposed that productivity improvement be driven by eliminating any activities in a process that do not add value to the final product. Modern “Lean� manufacturing guidelines follow this same line of thinking.

In machining operations, the only true value-adding activity occurs when the tool is actually cutting metal and making chips. Other actions such as part loading and fixturing, termed value-enabling activities, do not directly add value to the manufactured product but are required to allow the value-adding activity to occur.

A third group of activities in the machining system are those that are unneeded. These activities neither create value nor enable creation of value, but rather consume resources with no benefit. They are purely occasions of waste. Problem solving is an example of unneeded activity. If a process is properly designed and controlled in the first place, there will be no problems and no time wasted solving them.

Conclusion For much of the past, unneeded activities were accepted as part of the manufacturing process and not recognised as significant disruptors of the achievement of balanced production economics.

Presently, attention is turning to the elimination or minimisation of unneeded activity. The focus of productivity or capacity planning is on eliminating unneeded activities, minimising value enabling activities and optimising value adding activities. www.secotools.com

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Improving metalcutting’s environmental impact

The metalcutting industry is continually developing new products that can help to reduce the environmentally unfriendly outcomes associated with manufacturing operations. Dimac Tooling offers a range of products that can remove unwanted and harmful by-products that are created during the machining process.

Coolant management is an important part of efficient CNC machine tool operations, and it is generally well known that degraded coolant can result in premature machine tool wear, causing decreased performance. Removing coolant from a sump using a Freddy vacuum provides multiple benefits; not only is coolant vacuumed up quickly at an impressive rate of 230 litres per minute, but any sludge and residue that has built up at the bottom of a machine sump is also removed. The sump can then be thoroughly cleaned if necessary.

renowned Mark I filtration machines, originally complementing the de la Pena Oil brand. Since then the company has designed and manufactured the entire Freddy family of industrial vacuums and coolant filtration machines.

By doing this with a Freddy vacuum, it also removes the need to come into contact with the coolant, thus removing the likelihood of a worker contracting a skin condition through prolonged contact or having an allergic reaction. However a Freddy does more than just vacuuming out the coolant. The in-built filter removes fines, swarf, and any particulates larger than the filter rating of the filter bag. A variety of filter bag sizes between one and 1000 microns are offered, which ensures a significant amount of microscopic particles are removed from the coolant.

Tramp Oil’s worst nightmare

The coolant can then either be disposed of or reused. If it is disposed of, the Freddy has a return hose that can pump out the coolant. And just as quickly as it can vacuum up, it can pump it out. The filter bag full of the removed swarf and particulates can then easily be lifted out, disposed of or kept for reclamation. If the coolant is to be reused it is a simple matter of pumping the filtered coolant back into the machine sump, ready to be reused.

“The Tramp Oil Separator is easily manoeuvrable so it can be used throughout a factory, and it runs continuously so as not to interfere with production,” says Fowler. “The tramp oil is siphoned into the supplied collection bottle allowing the cleaned coolant to be returned.”

“The cost savings of refiltering coolant are enormous,” says Dimac Managing Director, Paul Fowler. “Regular filtering means that the coolant degrades much slower, therefore lasting longer and requiring less to be bought. And because it remains uncontaminated, the associated WHS risks lessen, and your machine tools live longer.”

A Freddy coolant vacuum also comes with a toolkit that allows it to be utilised in other areas, whether that be using the floor tool to vacuum up spills and swarf or using the crevice tool for getting into the machine beds and guards.

Freddy is a well known and respected UK based company established in 1962, which supplies international markets with the

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“Freddy has always led the way in coolant recycling and the company’s expertise and innovation in this area is unquestioned,” says Fowler. “Quite simply, Freddy can extend the life of your coolant, lower your operating costs and extend the life of your equipment whilst at the same time protecting your employees.”

Tramp oil can cause a variety of problems including odour, smoke generation and unpleasant conditions for the operator, as well as affecting the finished product. It is also detrimental to coolant life and will quickly undermine all efforts to keep a clean workshop and maintain an optimum working environment. The Freddy Tramp Oil Separator has been designed to combat the problems associated with tramp oil contaminates in machine tool coolant systems.

The machine can remove tramp oils from coolants in a variety of applications. An extensive range of filters and floats are available.

The unit has a standard 70-litre tank capacity and for maximum durability is finished in oil and acid resistant powder coated paint.

Both electric and air-operated models are available, with the airpowered models running at approximately 10psi. It comes standard with a full set of tools and hoses, whilst an optional UV Coolant decontaminator which prohibits bacterial growth can be specified.

“The Tramp Oil Separator is another example of Freddy’s expertise and innovation in this area,” adds Fowler.

Waste & Recyling

Slashing coolant disposal costs

Clearing the air and saving energy

For smaller manufacturing companies the cost and hassle of disposing of coolant is an expensive exercise. Unlike larger companies they frequently lack the space, capital or technical personnel to utilise the exotic recycling or treatment capabilities.

Oil mist separators do a great job of removing the coolant mist from the working area of CNC machine tools. However, they often run at full capacity, regardless of the current requirements., resulting in high consumption of both energy and coolants. Reven, a wellknown manufacturer of industrial air cleaning systems, now offers a solution to this problem with its new digital power controller, the XSC (X-Cyclone Speed Control).

However, the Water Eater from EMC provides an innovative and effective solution to the issue. Designed on the principle that only a tiny proportion of the waste product is actual coolant, the Water Eater uses evaporation to remove the water component from the coolant, thereby drastically reducing the amount of waste product that needs to be disposed of.

“Typically used coolants are normally 95% water, meaning that all you are left with is a mere 3 to 5% of the original volume,” remarks Fowler. “Efficient, environmentally friendly and compact, the Water Eater is an ideal solution for smaller manufacturing companies.”

The unit is available in both gas- and electric-heated models with evaporation rates ranging from 19 to 208 litres per hour. An optional Auto Fill system automates the process and allows for 24 hour operation.

The evaporation of the waste fluid is achieved via heating elements in the floor of the unit. In addition, a power exhaust system continuously draws air across the surface of the heated liquid to speed up evaporation. The system releases the moisture safely into the, air leaving only a small amount of residue for disposal. Any residue can be easily scraped from the obstruction-free bottom on a periodic basis. To minimise clean-out time, a fully removable cover is provided that allows for complete access to the entire tank.

The majority of Water Eater models have a low top frame height, which allows easy accessibility without the need for footstools or stands. To keep energy costs as low as possible the Water Eater features a large heat transfer area of the burner tube or heat exchanger. The large 165mm diameter burner tubes on the gas models provide as much as 200% more heat transfer surface than competitive systems, thereby minimising heat-up time and decreasing energy costs.

Sensor technology measures the machining environment of the machine tool, while the intelligent control unit adjusts the suction power continuously via ventilation valves and an optional frequency converter with a micro computer and algorithms.

Power consumption can be halved, while thanks to a patented Venturi ventilation and condensation system, the separation efficiency can be increased up to 50%. Furthermore the XSC system extends the maintenance intervals for filter cleaning and also the filter service life.

A pressure and flow sensor also detects the door state of the machine. If the door is opened, the suction power rises and ensures a stable vacuum in the work area of the machine tool. This prevents coolants particles from leaving the machine.

The XSC control can be retrofitted with all encapsulated machine tools. Controllers and sensors are installed within a few hours, and thanks to the modern frequency inverter, the operating condition of the oil mist separator can be transferred online to an existing building control system.

“Anything that can be done to reduce costs for CNC machine tool operators is welcome news,” explains Fowler. “The new XSC digital power controller will help lower energy consumption and reduce coolant usage whilst providing a cleaner workplace.”

The Reven XSC is also Industry 4.0-compliant, adhering to the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. This allows the unit to provide for real-time updates, feedback and if required process control modification.

German based Reven was founded in 1905. From as early as the company’s foundation phase it took up the construction of extraction apparatus and systems for production facilities and workshops. Reven has now been specialising in industrial air cleaning for decades and the company’s knowledge in the field of air cleaning has grown continuously. This expertise is reflected in numerous internationally protected patents, design protection rights and unique technologies.

All Water Eaters are designed to operate simply and efficiently. They are constructed of high-quality materials and components to ensure trouble-free operation and long service life. The tanks are made of heavy-duty MIG-welded 12-gauge steel to ensure outstanding longevity, and are fully insulated to reduce heat loss.

“The massive reduction in the volume of liquids requiring disposal not only slashes disposal costs, but also means reduced storage requirements whilst minimising labour time for handling the waste product,” says Fowler.

Designed, constructed and manufactured in Germany, all Reven oil mist separators feature a stainless steel enclosure that is 100% rustproof, providing a considerably longer service life. A lifetime guarantee is offered on the corrosion resistance of the enclosure.

“Like all the products we sell, the Reven XSC has the full back up and support of Dimac technical personnel to ensure the product is installed correctly and operates at optimum performance,” Fowler adds. www.dimac.com.au

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one-on-one

Don Matthews is the Executive Director at Industry Capability Network (ICN) Victoria.

He spoke to William Poole.

AMT: What is the Industry Capability Network actually and what are its objectives?

Don Matthews: ICN Victoria has been operating since 1984 and is best described as a business network which links Victorian and Australian manufacturers – specifically small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – into projects. So in many ways we sit between a buyer on the one hand and a supplier on the other hand, and we look to connect them based on capability and project requirements.

Effectively, our whole aim is to increase the number of manufacturers in Victoria that are participating in those projects so that the work does not go offshore.

Our primary reason for being is to facilitate the Victorian Industry Participation Policy (VIPP) on behalf of the State Government and as such, we are a not-for-profit body. All states and territories – bar Tasmania and New Zealand – have an ICN, and there is a coordinating group out of Canberra called ICN Limited (ICNL).

AMT: Tell us a bit more about the activities you’re engaged in.

DM: Our VIPP team assesses all major projects – and we define a major project as one that is worth over $50m, which the Government classifies as a strategic project – to provide a recommendation for local content requirements. Once that number is agreed, the tender is released to the marketplace, and all of the bidders on those projects must provide a Local Industry Development Plan (LIDP). The VIPP team will then undertake a risk evaluation on each of these LIDPs, and provide that report to the agency which forms part of the basis for award.

During that bid phase, in another arm of the ICN our Industry Advisors work with those bidders to identify local suppliers in the supply chain who have the necessary capability to participate in that project, and that forms part of their LIDP, part of their local content number. And post-award we will continue to work with the awarded contractor to identify local companies in the supply chain they may need to engage.

AMT: And for an ordinary manufacturing SME that wants to take advantage of this, how would they go about that?

DM: The most effective way for SMEs to engage in the process is through the ICN Gateway, an IT portal where projects – including government strategic projects – are registered on a database of around 16,000 suppliers. Those suppliers identify which sectoral areas they’re interested in, and when those projects and work packages go up on ICN Gateway, they are notified by email. They can then submit an expression of interest (EOI) through the Gateway portal, which goes directly to the contractor or the bidder.

Our ICN Industry Advisors are out and about in the marketplace working directly with SMEs. And that’s another connection point, through that direct communication with the SME and the bidder.

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Our advisers are experienced individuals who have worked in private industry, who have come from different sectoral areas, and who have a well-rounded knowledge of industry.

We also run events on behalf of either the bidders or the awarded contractor. These events are part of the introduction to the bidder, so that the SMEs understand what’s required as part of the project, and it’s a way of networking with those prospective contractors.

And that’s a pretty important part of what we offer. Our events are very well supported, with often more than 200 or even as many as 500 attendees.

AMT: ICN Victoria is also the organiser of the annual Victorian Manufacturing Showcase. What your plants for this year’s event?

DM: This is the fourth year we have run the event, in partnership with the Victorian Government through the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR). We are pleased to say that there have been over 300 attendees at each of the previous three Showcases.

This year the theme is ‘Creating New Opportunities’. And the whole objective is to provide opportunities for Victorian manufacturers to gain invaluable insights into successful Victorian businesses – so we showcase those businesses effectively – and to network with other manufacturers and representatives from the Victorian State Government.

It’s part inspiration, part education, and part networking. I think given the context of how the manufacturing sector is transitioning to a new sort of world, where we’ve seen the closure of automotive, we’ve seen the closure of Hazelwood, how do you create new opportunities amid that changing landscape?

AMT: More generally, what are the major challenges and opportunities for manufacturers in Victoria today?

DM: I think some of the opportunities lie in finding new niche valueadded markets and growth areas, given the investment that’s going into those sectoral areas. That can be medical, pharmaceutical, new energy, food and fibre, transport, defence, construction and so on. Advanced manufacturing is another opportunity. And that’s all in the context of not just providing domestic capability, but also, ultimately getting into global supply chains. That’s pretty important.

In terms of the challenges, I think that one is the speed in which you can transition from what you’ve been doing previously in the sector you’ve been working in, into a new sectoral area. That is a challenge – it’s not easy to do. I think the fact that we don’t have big multi-national companies in Victoria, or at least a limited number of big companies here, then the whole issue is where you find those opportunities in the marketplace, without those companies being here.

Victoria Heading

AMT: In last year’s Victorian Manufacturing Showcase, you had quite a few companies who have transitioned away from being largely dependent on one sector, such as automotive, into servicing more diverse markets.

DM: Those companies were a shining example of creating new opportunities. This year we’ll again have a number of similar types of companies that have made the transition, talking about how they’ve gone about it. The Showcase is all about the stories of those companies. We’re not looking for a standard corporate presentation, it’s really: ‘Our story. This is how we did it’. It’s personal and inspiring.

AMT: Where do you see Victorian manufacturing in five or ten years time?

AMT: Tell us a little bit about your professional background and how you came to your role at ICN Victoria.

DM: I have a background in manufacturing at large corporate companies. I was Chief Operating Officer at Amcor Australia, running the Australasian Amcor business. Prior to that I was President of SCA Australasia, which is a manufacturer of tissue products. Taking on this role at ICN was about giving something back to the manufacturing sector because in many ways it’s been very good to me in my career. And I think that the work ICN does is a pretty noble cause in terms of assisting manufacturers to win work. I like the philosophy and principle and that attracted me to this work. icn.org.au/vic_home gateway.icn.org.au

DM: I think Victorian manufacturing will be dominated by quite advanced, niche, small or medium-sized players who have created unique products or services to not just service our domestic requirements, but also global markets. I think we will see a lot more collaboration between manufacturing companies with complementary skills and capabilities, working together to secure work with big global companies. That’s how I see manufacturing developing.

AMT: How might an ordinary day in the job look for you?

DM: It could be working with organisations at a senior level around opportunities, looking at how we can assist them with the project they’re working on. It can be working with my staff – we have 22 in number – and identifying opportunities and resolving issues that we may have in the work we do. It’s working with government agencies around priorities and opportunities. And there’s some administrative work obviously.

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State Spotlight Victoria

APT hosts ministerial visit for grant announcment Australian Precision Technologies (APT) in Berwick received a visit from Victoria Minister for Industry and Employment Wade Noonan and Member for Narre Warren South Judith Graley on 30 May for the annoucement of more than $500,000 in grants under the Automotive Supply Chain Transition Program (ASCTP).

The Labor Government led by Premier Daniel Andrews is helping Victorian companies impacted by the closure of automotive manufacturing to transform the way they do business and open up new opportunities. The ASCTP helps auto businesses plan for the future, identify new markets and create a transition plan.

APT produces customised and high-precision components for the automotive, aeronautics and defence industries. The company was established in 1992 by Richard Weinzierl, initially producing stove components for a local client. Richard’s brother Ron bought into the company in 1998, and the company has subsequently evolved considerably, initially via the car industry, before diversifying to across various advanced manufacturing sectors such as defence and aerospace.

APT will use its grant to develop a workforce strategy. The company is one of 12 businesses sharing in $504,000 in funding from ASCTP. Other recipients of ASCTP funding include: • Decor Engineering (Seaford) • Ceramet (Delacombe) • Mackay Consolidated Industries (Moorabbin East) • Entegro Group (Brooklyn) • Woodbridge Australia Group (Laverton North) • Futec (Brighton East) • A Bending Company (Dandenong South) • ABC Specialty Metals (Hallam) • Excellent Plating Works (Moorabbin) • TI Automotive Australia (Dandenong South) • Diversitile (Thomastown)

“As automotive manufacturing winds down, local supply chain businesses need to plan for change,” said Noonan. “These grants help companies identify future markets, plan for transition and ensure their workforce is sustainable.”

“Melbourne’s southeast is home to many proud automotive supply chains,” added Graley. “And we’ll continue to get behind them to create and protect jobs and help them secure new business opportunities.”

Supply chain companies can apply for up to $16,000 to develop a transition plan, and further funding of up to $55,000 to implement changes. To date, ASCTP has provided $1.5m worth of assistance, supporting 40 companies and 56 projects. The State Government has launched more than $50m in initiatives to support workers, businesses and communities impacted by the closure of automotive manufacturing.

Automotive supply chain companies interested in the ASCTP can visit www.business.vic.gov.au/asctp or call Business Victoria on 13 22 15. www.aptengineering.com

Auto workers steer a new fleet of emergency vehicles

Former automotive workers help to manufacture some of Victoria’s lifesaving fire and emergency response vehicles.

State Minister for Industry and Employment Wade Noonan and Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman visited R A Bell & Company in Sunshine North to meet the workers bringing these vehicles to life. RA Bell has received a $1m grant from the State Government’s Local Industry Fund for Transition (LIFT) to create 51 new jobs, including 39 opportunities for ex-auto workers.

“RA Bell & Company is a vital part of the local economy,” said Natalie Suleyman, member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for St Albans. “It’s a third-generation family business that now employs more than a hundred people, while also providing opportunities for ex-auto workers. It’s great to see the continued success of this proud local company in our community.”

Among their latest recruits is Peter Langdon, a former Ford worker with almost 40 years’ experience. Since the closure of Ford Australia’s manufacturing operations last year, he has traded the production line in for a job building some of our most recognised emergency vehicles.

The Victorian State Government has launched a raft of measures to help workers and communities affected by the closure of automotive manufacturing. Grants of up to $2m are available to businesses to create new jobs and expand their operations.

RA Bell currently fits out vehicles for organisations including the Country Fire Authority, State Emergency Service, Victoria Police and Metropolitan Fire Brigade. It’s also constructing a new manufacturing facility and investing in equipment to boost productivity. The company is a leader in the design and manufacture of large drain cleaning, hydro-excavation vehicles and engineering services used in the water industry.

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“From the production line of our major car manufacturers to building the next fleet of emergency vehicles, we’re creating exciting new pathways for auto workers,” said Minister Noonan. “These grants are helping companies innovate, invest and employ local people in communities hardest hit by the end of local vehicle manufacturing.”

For more information about LIFT, visit business.vic.gov.au/lift. www.bellenvironmental.com.au

Victoria Heading

Attracting the best and brightest Victorian manufacturers.

The Victorian Manufacturing Showcase 2017 will be held on 24 October at Victoria University’s Sunshine Campus, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

The Victorian Manufacturing Showcase is an annual event hosted by a partnership of the Industry Capability Network (ICN) Victoria and the State Government’s Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR). The objective of the event is to provide opportunities for Victorian manufacturers to gain invaluable insights into successful Victorian businesses while networking with other manufacturers and the Victorian Government.

sectors, looking for new insights into innovation and collaboration, gearing up for investment in new business or technologies, and keen to build expertise, network and create new partnerships. The event will feature a line-up of leading industry keynote speakers, giving case study presentations or participating in panel discussions. There will also be plenty of networking opportunities, with morning tea and lunch over the course of the day.

This year is the fourth year this successful event will be held. Last year’s Showcase was held in Ballarat, and drew a turnout of more than 350 manufacturers from across Victoria. The theme for the 2017 event will be ‘Creating New Opportunities’. Amid a manufacturing sector landscape that is rapidly changing in the wake of developments such as the closure of the automotive industry and the Hazelwood Power station businesses are leveraging off their capability to create new opportunities. This involves measures such as:

The Victorian Manufacturing Showcase 2017 will take place between 8.30am and 2.30pm at Victoria University’s Sunshine Campus. For more information, email vms2017@icnvic.org.au.

To register visit: http://bit.ly/VMS2017interest

• Finding new, niche, value-add markets and growth sectors i.e. medical and pharmaceuticals, new energy, food and fibre, transport, defence, construction.

Integral part of your business

• Mass component to advanced manufacturing, research and development.

• Expansion into global supply chains.

• Creating new products.

• Increasing use of technologies and innovation into traditional manufacturing processes.

• Reskilling the workforce to secure and create jobs.

These opportunities are helping to provide new investment, market growth and employment. The identified priority sectors could drive up to $70bn in additional economic output and 400,000 new jobs by 2025.

“The whole objective is to provide opportunities for Victorian manufacturers to gain invaluable insights into successful Victorian businesses,” says Don Matthews, Executive Director at ICN Victoria.

“So we showcase those businesses effectively, and to network with other manufacturers and the Victorian government. So that’s effectively what it’s about. It’s part inspiration, it’s part education, and it’s part networking. I think given the context of how the manufacturing sector is transitioning to a new sort of world, where we’ve seen the closure of automotive, we’ve seen the closure of Hazelwood, how do you create new opportunities amid that changing landscape?”

The Victorian Manufacturing Showcase is expected to be attended by representatives of more than 300 firms from a diverse range of industry

Quality Transport Solutions

17 Freight Road, Tullamarine,VIC 3043 AusTRAlIA. Tel: 03 8676 5693 • www.eif.co.nz

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State Spotlight victoria

Victorian manufacturers strengthen competitive standing with high-tech investment Investment in precision CNC machinery and technology has been a key factor for three Victorian manufacturers in adjusting to changing market conditions and ensuring they remain internationally competitive.

Hargo Engineering Since 1976 Hargo Engineering has been providing specialist precision and repetitive engineering services to its customers across a broad industry customer base.

Based in Croydon, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, the company specialises in CNC turning, milling and machining delivering precision engineering components to industries such as oil & gas, aerospace, defence, electronics and medical. Since its inception, this now-second-generation family business has invested in its people and the latest technologies.

Hargo was founded in 1976 by Heinz Gogol in response to a need for precision engineering of small and very small components. And with 16 years’ experience in German engineering supplying the watch industry, Heinz soon built up a reputation for high quality and competitively priced components. Today the company is led

by Heinz’s son Frank Gogol who, with his management team, continues to service customers to the high standards set by his father.

Frank has also followed Heinz’s lead by continuing to make shrewd investments in technology. Two of the latest acquisitions have been a high-end Okuma LT2000EX2T-2MY CNC lathe with an OSP-P300L control, and an Okuma MA400HA horizontal machining centre with OSP P200M control.

“The level of technical support we have received from Okuma has been excellent, even when we purchased a second-hand machine,” says Frank. “The knowledge and service from the company’s service engineers provided a clear reason to purchase a new machine.

“Over the last eight or nine years Okuma has always kept our machines going and they are willing to provide training whenever we require it. Our skilled operators are always excited to use the new Okuma machines due to the ease of programming and capabilities.”

Products produced by Hargo on the Okuma machines include aerospace connectors, mining components and highend automotive parts, going out to the international market. With export sales for the company running at almost 50% and growing, the machines are making the

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Dean Morris, Customer Account Manager at Hargo Engineering.

company internationally competitive in the advanced precision engineering market.

“The company is fully accredited to AS9100 Quality Standard and has positive growth plans with an emphasis on export markets,” adds Frank. “The increased capacity on the new larger machines continues to make us more internationally competitive, and this coupled with the recent acquisition of F & J Bushings, a specialist in the aerospace market, plus new representatives in the USA will assist in this growth.”

Total Tooling Proudly designing and manufacturing precision metal stamping tooling to support its large metal stamping capability and fabricated components, Total Tooling is also a specialist in precision components, headquartered not far from Hargo in Croydon South. With its extensive range of high-speed Okuma machines it produces everything from small items to larger components on its 4m, five-face machining centre. The multiple three-axis and fiveaxis CNC machines, combined with a seven-axis multi-tasking machine, enable the company to process any machining requirement.

Total Tooling’s Managing Director Slavko Habjan explains that his company is a precision engineering company with more than 30 years’ experience and a workforce of more than 70 skilled staff. The company has had a long-term relationship with Okuma and believes that it is one of the top machine suppliers, with excellent service and back-up providing the ultimate support for his business.

“Okuma’s machines provide us with increased capacity, enabling multiple highend precision components on the same set-up, making us highly competitive,” says Habjan. “Our skilled staff respect the Okuma brand with its user-friendly controls and ease of programming.”

Total Tooling customers are located throughout Victoria and South Australia and are serviced from the Croydon South plant, with components delivered nationwide and deliveries made to local customers for indirect export. With extensive toolmaking and 3D design modelling expertise, Total Tooling offers technical solutions directly, involving customers in all stages of design and development. The TS16949 Quality-certified company can offer rapid prototyping, facilitating assembly and

Victoria

Total Tooling is a specialist in precision components.

Total Tooling undertakes larger machining work on its 4m, five-face double-column machining centre from Okuma.

testing into the development of prototypes.

It also has capabilities in areas such as soft tooling, laser cutting and press brake work.

The company has long been and continues to remain a major supplier to the automotive sector in Australia. However, as the last remaining Australian car plants head towards closure, Total Tooling maintains a positive view, looking forward as it diversifies into new areas of precision engineering with the latest in high-end machines and technology.

“We are already producing a wide range of precision components for industries such as X-ray machines, heat shields and packaging machines,” says Habjan. “And having worked within the demanding Toyota production system, we are well ahead of many companies, with systems and disciplines in quality on-time production.

“We are optimistic about the manufacturing future beyond the automotive manufacturing closures,” adds Habjan.

“And with our order book filling, we will be expanding our team of skilled machinists and programmers as we diversify.”

McMillan Engineering Based in Port Melbourne, McMillan Engineering Group was formed to incorporate Industrial Hydraulic Services (IHS) and CP Engineering, bringing together more than 40 years of experience in large-scale hydraulic cylinder/system design and manufacture, with more than 20 years of experience in sheet metal and component fabrication. Utilising the combined skills of both companies and a skilled workforce of more than 50 staff, the group is now successfully embarking on large-scale, complex projects offering turn-key hydraulic solutions, both within Australia and overseas.

Components manufactured by Hargo Engineering.

The company has upgraded its capabilities beyond low-level CNC machining with the purchase of the latest Okuma Multus U4000-2SWx1500 high-level CNC lathe, with an OSP-P300S Control. And it has taken full advantage of the extended training offered by the supplier.

“The decision to run with Okuma has simply been the best we have experienced bringing in process efficiencies, product design changes and product enhancements,” says Managing Director, Justin McMillan.

“At the same time the new machine has brought about a cultural change within the company ,with our skilled staff wanting to operate the machine to further extend their skills. We are taking current processes and looking at ways to use the new machine to improve productivity.”

Looking to the future, the company is aiming to relocate within the next two years to meet its expansion plans. It has appointed agents in Asia, the UAE, Ireland and the UK with an emphasis on export sales in hydraulic cylinders used in the construction industry in particular.

With export sales currently running at approximately 40% of overall sales, it provides a solid base to build on. The move to high-end machines is already making the company more competitive through the reduction in machining time, the need for fewer tool changes, and improved quality of the finished products.

According to Justin, there is a cautious but optimistic air of confidence in the Victorian economy, with customers’ orders improving – and a busy year ahead for his company. He adds that he anticipated that some of those manufacturing companies who have not invested in the future may not continue to be as competitive, opening up opportunities for advanced manufacturing. www.hargo.com.au www.totaltooling.com.au www.mcmillaneng.com.au www.okumaaustralia.com.au

Components being produced on the Okuma machine include hydraulic cylinder barrels or pistons, rods, and numerous turned and milled components.

“We always considered the Okuma machines to be the best,” remarks General Manager David Slatter. “And following our first machine we are now looking at further investment in the brand due to the experience and service levels we have experienced.”

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Company Focus

JBO Engineering – Evolving with the opportunities After demonstrating the ability to adapt to ever-changing industry conditions throughout more than two decades in business, Victorian manufacturing company JBO Engineering is now setting its sights on sustained growth.

Jeffrey Owen founded JBO Engineering in 1994. Jeff had previously been a toolmaker, and his business initially specialised in that area.

The company was making a lot of rubber moulds in the early years and ended up buying a CNC mill to help with production. However, it soon became clear that there was a lot more work in production machining than in toolmaking.

“We decided it was time to perhaps change our outlook a bit, and we shifted from a toolmaking environment to a production environment,” says Jeff, today JBO’s Managing Director. “That was about 18 years ago now. We still make press tools, rubber moulds and plastic injection dies – we just don’t make many of them any more. Nowadays we focus on production machining and manufacturing other peoples’ products.”

That ability to shift focus has also encompassed the markets in which JBO operates. Like many Victorian manufacturing businesses, it initially found a lot of work for the car industry, making production press tools and rubber moulds for three or four companies servicing the automotive sector. Even back in the 1990s, however, it was clear that the cyclical nature of the automotive industry meant it couldn’t be relied upon as a permanent mainstay of the business.

“We decided back then, that wasn’t for us,” recalls Jeff. “Being worked to death for a couple of years and then left alone for three or four did not suit us. And some of my original customers, while they were tied up to the auto industry, also had other sectors: domestic products, white goods manufacture and so on. We realised there was a much bigger toolmaking world out there, other than the automotive industry, and we decided back then we had to move away from that.”

Instead JBO began seeking work in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and telecommunications. While it was still making rubber moulds and production tooling for domestic products manufacturers, the arrival of that first CNC mill opened up more and more opportunities.

“People would come and ask could we make 10 of these, 15 of these, 100 of this,” adds Jeff. “And we realised there was quite a vast market of work there that was more consistent than the toolmaking work. Within 18 months we bought a second machine and we were progressing along quite well.”

Today JBO employs five full-time staff at its Kilsyth plant in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, with a bank of casuals that come and go as required. The company specialises in CNC milling and

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turning, producing components for clients from across the entire gamut of Australian manufacturing. It hasn’t actively pursued export markets as yet – aside from one customer in The Philippines – though its diverse customer base means a significant percentage of its product does finally end up overseas. It still machines a lot of components for the domestic products, telecommunications and pharmaceutical sectors. It also makes parts for motorsport and the audio sector.

“We do a lot of mining components for one customer; he’s like a middleman to the mines. I don’t deal with the mining companies directly, I deal with him and he services them. We do a bit of defence work through the same gentleman. We’re not tied to one specific sector.”

Delivering for the customer Jeff believes that the key to success in Australian manufacturing these days is the ability to turn jobs around quickly. “There’s not a lot of lead time in any job anymore. You’ve got to be able to respond quickly. To respond quickly you’ve got to have good people, and reliable equipment. If you haven’t got reliable equipment and people, you can’t do anything.”

Having a diversified set of customers is another factor, ensuring that the company is not left vulnerable to market variations in specific sectors.

Victoria Heading

“With the Australian dollar being down, like it is now, it has opened up the world to us again. Back when it got up to near-parity, that’s not maintainable for Australian manufacturing. With the dollar down, I see good opportunities, not just in Australia but outside Australia.”

“We try and maintain a good balance of customers in different environments,” Jeff says. “And good relationships with the people you work with, both customers and suppliers. We have very good relationships with our suppliers so we can get material quickly.

They’re vital.”

JBO takes an active approach to building new business relationships and pursuing new opportunities for exposure. This year the company participated in the Austech 2017 exhibition in Melbourne, where it had a stand within the Manufacturers’ Pavilion section.

According to Jeff, it was an interesting, very rewarding experience.

“As a small company, obviously it’s a big commitment of time to be there for the four days,” he explains. “But I thought it was a very good experience. We’ve had a couple of positive leads from the show. In fact we’ve already delivered one job from the show, and we’ve got the next job for them lined up ready to go. So it’s been a good outcome – really good.

“It was good to see so many other small companies, there. I got to meet a lot of similar-sized businesses, some bigger, some smaller ones, and having discussions with them, we all seem to face similar sorts of problems. The ability to network and meet other people was great.”

With regard to where the industry will be in five or 10 years’ time, Jeff is cautiously optimistic: “Hopefully it’s booming! But I think it will have shrunk. There’s no hiding from that. There’s still a lot of uncertainty based on what’s going to happen with the automotive closures. But a lot of businesses have already moved out of those markets anyway. I think the industry will be smaller than it is now, but it will be stronger. There’s a lot of opportunity for export, and with the growing population there has to be further infrastructure projects and flow-on effects for manufacturing.”

Meanwhile, JBO’s current plans are focused on building on those strategies that have been working successfully. While the company has never shied away from taking on new markets, Jeff isn’t focused on further diversification unless there is sound a case for it.

“I don’t think we can afford to be too diversified, because I don’t think you can service any one area properly,” he explains. “We’re certainly looking to expand the customer base, but in areas where we do well. Our focus in the next 12 months will be getting ISO accreditation to help open up other markets which at the present are not available. And we’re looking at the implementation of another machine. We have the space so we’re discussing what that will be – another turning centre or another milling centre - maybe both!

“We’d like to expand further this year. We’ve grown 15% over the last financial year and we’d like to see at least that again this year.” www.jboengineering.com.au

That emphasis on forging new relationships is not just about winning new customers, but also about seeking out opportunities for collaboration. Finding ways to co-operate and pool resources to achieved shared benefits is crucial according to Jeff, both for his business and the industry as a whole.

“It’s become vital in Australia,” he says. “You have to rely on other people who have a certain expertise. You do what you do well and they do what they do well. Work together rather than try and cover everything in one shop. Collaboration between companies is the way forward for Australia.

“We have a network of people we work with already. We have done for years. There’s certain types of work that does not suit us any more, that we outsource to trusted colleagues. You can’t cover every base any more. It’s hard to get the right skilled people, so we use the expertise of others that we work closly with.”

Prospects on the horizon Jeff acknowledges that Australian manufacturing has been through a run of hard years, but he believes the conditions for the industry are looking more optimistic than they have in some time. Moreover, those companies that have survived the downturn, such as JBO, are well placed to grow now.

“Our whole manufacturing sector has shrunk. There’s no two ways about that, but I think those that are left have learnt to be adaptive and to try different methods and techniques to remain competitive.

The companies that have survived have survived for good reason.

And that’s because they’re always trying to improve their process.

For companies that are prepared to invest in better technologies and better processes and think outside the box, there’s always a market.

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Cutting Tools

Carbon dioxide – Efficient, environmentally friendly coolant

“Carbon dioxide is a serious alternative to coolant for machining difficult-to-machine materials,” says Thomas Schaarschmidt, Director of Business & Application Development at Walter. And he can offer some good reasons to be confident about this.

“During the development of cryogenic cooling with CO2, a large number of tests were carried out using various materials and under real production conditions,” says Schaarschmidt. “Our findings not only proved the general process suitability of CO2 cooling, but that it also increases the metal removal rate by up to 70% without increasing the tool wear rate. If the metal removal rate remains constant, the tool life increases accordingly.”

The evidence provided by the experts at Walter is supported by various machine manufacturers and research institutes, including the Institute for Production Technology (IfP) at the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences of Zwickau (WHZ); the Fraunhofer IPT and WZL at RWTH Aachen University; and the Fraunhofer IWU at the Chemnitz University of Technology. For example, when milling high-alloy steels containing nickel – a 70% longer tool life was achieved for these materials, which are typically used in the manufacture of turbine blades and turbine housings. Similar productivity gains were demonstrated in the machining of turbocharger materials for the automotive industry, as well as of stainless steel casting and titanium alloys for the aviation industry.

Titanium aluminide – lightweight, resistant, difficult to machine Cooling with carbon dioxide is ideal for working with titanium structural components made from TiAl6V4, which are used in the aerospace industry. Here, the experts at Walter have managed to prove up to 35% longer tool life accompanied by a 50% increase in the metal removal rate.

Materials such as gamma titanium aluminide are increasingly being used in the manufacture of turbine blades, in the aviation and aerospace industry in particular. The reason is simple: the intermetallic compounds of titanium and aluminium are considerably lighter than the nickel-based alloys commonly used previously – with a density of 3.8 grams per cubic metre, compared to 8.5 grams per cubic metre. However, titanium aluminide can still withstand the high temperatures found in the engines and is creep-resistant.

It goes without saying that the weight of the engines is extremely important in the production of aircraft or spacecraft. On

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Walter F2334R copy mill for turbine blade machining with cryogenic cooling.

the one hand, the increase in centrifugal force relative to weight is quadratic, which is to say that if the weight is halved, the centrifugal forces will be reduced to a quarter of their starting value. On the other hand, a lighter aircraft consumes less fuel, flies better, and is more environmentally friendly.

The downside is that titanium aluminide is extremely difficult to machine. The result is extremely high tool wear and a tool life of just minutes. High temperatures mitigate the machining problem, as the material starts to soften a little above 750 degrees Celsius, making it a little easier to machine. However, it is precisely this that causes maximum stress on the tools used and shortens their tool life. The solution is to cool the cutting edge as directly as possible.

Golden future for CO2 This is another reason why Schaarschmidt is convinced that cooling with CO2 has a golden future – in both senses of the word.

“We have now developed a new generation of cutting tool materials: Walter Tigertec Gold – a completely new technological platform based on titanium aluminium nitride,” he says. “In the future this will enable the use of completely new types of coating-substrate combinations. Tigertec Gold impresses partly due to its extremely high hot hardness, which makes it ideal for milling difficult materials with high cutting speeds. This also ensures reduced formation of hairline cracks in the indexable

insert, which primarily occur with interrupted cutts and thermal stress variations, known as thermal shocks for short.”

This makes Tigertec Gold an ideal cutting tool material for use with cryogenic cooling.

In terms of process reliability it is crucial that the coolant is applied as precisely as possible to the cutting edge and at the desired temperature. To do this, Walter has worked with Starrag and various technology partners to develop a twochannel supply system – via the machine, spindle, toolholder and tool to the cutting edge. One channel delivers the CO2 and the other delivers the lubricant, compressed air or emulsion directly to the cutting edge – without a drop in pressure and at room temperature. Cooling to a maximum of -78.5 degrees Celsius (theoretically) first occurs at the nozzle when the CO2, which has been in liquid form until that point, expands. Unlike external supply systems, this barely cools the workpiece, which makes it relatively easy to machine. The separate supply system also ensures a very efficient lubricating effect.

At Walter’s facility in Tübingen, Germany, an ‘Aerosol Master 4000cryolub’ system from Rother Technologie is used for supplying the CO2 and cooling lubricant. It combines the aerosol dry lubrication technology (ATS) developed by Rother with cryogenic cooling. Depending on requirements, it can be used to adjust the supply of liquid CO2 or aerosol as required, meaning that the supply can be adapted according to the component and material.

Cutting Tools

Ready for cost-effective series production Thomas Schaarschmidt spoke further about Walter’s ongoing work in the field of cryogenic machining and cooling.

AMT: What is the current status at Walter with regard to cutting tool materials development for cryogenic machining?

Thomas Schaarschmidt, Director of Business & Application Development at Walter AG.

“Controlling the amount of cooling lubricant supplied allows us to very precisely control the degree of cooling,” explains Schaarschmidt. “However, we are also developing machining solutions for onechannel solutions. To do this, we have converted a machining centre in our Technology Center in Waukesha (USA).”

Thomas Schaarschmidt: We have now carried out a large number of test runs – with well-known customers from the automotive, energy and aviation industries – always with similarly good results. Based on these findings, we can tell our customers who want to work with CO2 cooling exactly which cutting tool materials are ideal and which is the best machining strategy. In short: from our point of view, this technology is ready to be used in large-scale production for the first time.

Tried and tested tools for cryogenic machining

AMT: What are the main challenges still currently facing cryogenic machining?

Until now, Walter has been offering the tools required for cryogenic machining strategies as customer-specific special solutions.

Walter customers can order all our tried and tested tooling systems with inserts, such as Walter BLAXX milling cutters, for cooling with CO2.

TS: The first is to find a technology partner who is willing to implement this technology in their production processes together with us and other partners.

The second – which is linked to the first – is the lack of safety provisions to date. There have so far been no recommendations for action specifying the activities required by the user for the safe operation of a machine tool with CO2 cooling. Over the course of the year, we have successfully solved the issues associated with this. Together with other tool manufacturers and system partners, the Research and Transfer Centre at the University of Applied Sciences of Zwickau started a working group on the topic of safety at work when using CO2 as a cooling medium. We were able to publish recommendations for the safe operation of a machine tool with CO2 cooling.

The 38-page document contains all the essential legal framework conditions and explanations of the necessary safety measures when operating machine tools with CO2.

“This is still a semi-standard option,” says Schaarschmidt. “But we will develop it to become standard.”

The tool solutions in the area of solid carbide milling with two coolant channels for the separate supply of CO2 and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) are new. The necessary tool adaptors were developed in cooperation with Haimer. According to Schaarschmidt, in addition to an efficient and reliable cooling and lubrication system, the correct machining strategy is also important.

“We have acquired a great deal of experience in this area over the past few years,” he says. “For example, long cuts are significantly more effective than interrupted cuts, so the machining strategy should be adapted to incorporate long, continuous cuts as far as possible.”

What’s more, the two-channel supply system can be retrofitted without any problems, provided that the spindle and/ or rotary feed-through used in the machine tool allows this.

“In the indexable insert area, we can currently introduce a second channel up to a diameter of 63 mm,” says Schaarschmidt.

“A maximum diameter of 25mm applies in the solid carbide area.”

AMT: Do you carry out development work together with cooling lubricant manufacturers as technology partners?

Which ones? What synergy effects can be derived from this?

TS: We are part of a working group with a large number of high-calibre partners in which a cooling lubricant manufacturer is also represented. Synergy effects include the fact that we use and test new cooling lubricants –to determine whether,

under certain conditions, these are more suitable than compressed air, MQL or even CO2. In the end, it is about offering the best solution for the customer.

AMT: In your opinion, when will milling using CO2 as a cooling medium be established in the industry? What is the demand at present? Which applications have Walter customers been using these tools for until now?

TS: Interest within the aerospace industry along with other areas is very high. We receive a great many inquiries about how CO2 cooling can be profitable under certain conditions. We have proven the potential savings associated with using CO2 in a large number of projects carried out together with end customers from various industries.

There are currently at least three projects being undertaken at universities where end customers are working with us to test the potential of CO2 cooling. This is in addition to projects from machine manufacturers which are raising similar issues. The extent to which CO2 will be established as a cooling medium depends on its suitability for use in series production. This must be tested together with the end customer in the next step. In light of this, the next question is “when?”.

AMT: Are there development approaches other than fitting tried and tested standard tools with the option for cryogenic cooling?

TS: We know what the tool design needs to look like and how the interfaces and machining strategies need to be structured. In short, we have all the knowledge and the technology to start series production of our tools and assembly parts immediately. And we are, of course, open to any reasonable further development. As it currently stands, I can therefore say the following with confidence: on the tool side, we are ready. Cooling with CO2 works extremely well in defined application cases and is economically feasible but has not yet been tested in series production.

One important starting point for further development is the standardisation of the interface between the coolant transfer in the tool adaptor and the rotary feed-through in the machine tool.

www.walter-tools.com

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Cutting Tools

The right PVD treatment can improve productivity Increased material removal rates, extended tool life, fewer production line tool changes, reduced downtime, less wastage and improved precision and quality are common goals for manufacturers and engineering businesses.

Physical vapour deposition (PVD) coatings applied to production tools often provide an appropriate productivity solution.

PVD is a vacuum deposition process that is carried out under vacuum in temperatures ranging from 450 to 600 degrees Celsius, where it produces a very hard thin film on the tool’s surface. For cutting tool applications, metals or alloys are either evaporated by heat or bombarded with ions (sputtered). A reactive gas is added which forms a compound with the metal vapour which is deposited on the tools as a thin, highly adherent ceramic coating. PVD methods include cathodic arc, electron beam, evaporative deposition, pulsed laser deposition and sputter deposition.

this coating provides protection up to 1,100 degrees Celsius and offers the benefits of improved tool performance when machining low alloy, high tensile and hardened steels up to 54 HRC. • Steam Oxide (Ox). Ox is an environmentally friendly steam treatment of ferrous metals, forming a thin, well-adhered, blue-black oxide film called magnetite. The oxide layer is porous, enabling the retention of oil which lowers friction in ferrous applications. This avoids the problems of pick-up, cold welding on taps and ‘built-up edge’ on cutting edges and increased corrosion resistance.

Not just for cutting tools PVD may be applied to improve the wear performance of components, dental or surgical instruments or scientific tools and devices. According to Natalie Schembri of Surface Technology Coatings (STC), part of Sutton Tools, materials that can be coated include carbides, high speed steels, certain copper alloys, stainless steels and nitridable alloy steels.

“As well as PVD hard film coatings, Surface Technology Coatings offers high pressure quench vacuum heat treatment and plasma nitriding,” says Schembri. “This ensures work is carried out within a short turnaround time, while quality is assured through an ISO 90001:2008 Quality Assurance registration which ensures traceability of products through the entire process cycle.”

The different surface treatments include: • Titanium Nitride (TiN). This generalpurpose coating protects parts and tools from wear, extending tool life by three to eight times. It’s ideal for machining of iron based materials, die casting and plastic mould tooling. TiN treatment can improve performance of plastic moulds and moulding machine parts, slitting knives, wear parts, medical and dental instruments and forming tools.

• Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN).

This process provides improved wear resistance over TiN. It is recommended for components and manufacturing applications such as punching and forming tools, and cutting tools for highly abrasive or gummy materials like cast iron, brass and some cast aluminium alloys. TiCN coating improves abrasion resistance to moulds and extrusion tools for plastics that contain more than thirty percent glass fillers.

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TiN-coated drills ready for unloading from the Balzer Oerlikon.

• Chromium Nitride (CrN). This coating was developed to solve wear problems in special application areas where titanium based coatings were not optimal. CrN is recommended for its ability to provide resistance to wear, corrosion and oxidation in applications such as machining aluminium and copper and high temperature die casting. Benefits include enhanced thermal stability and excellent adhesion under high loads.

• Titanium Aluminium Nitride (Futura Nano – TiAIN). Used as a versatile coating for both HSS and carbide tools where there is a high thermal load, TiAIN has a nanolayered structure engineered for an optimum balance between hardness and internal stress. This process helps to reduce the propagation of cracks through a coating that delays the onset of failure. Typical treatments include tools for machining cast iron, heat treated steel and difficult to machine materials such as stainless steel, while benefits are higher speed and feed machining and reducing or eliminating the need for coolants.

• Aluminium Chromium Nitride (Alcrona – AICrN). A process for HSS and carbide tooling for forming, punching, blanking and hot forging operations, providing high wear resistance at lower speeds and under high mechanical loads. At higher speed processes,

• Aluminium Titananium Nitride (X.Ceed - AlTiN). X.Ceed (AlTiN) represents the pinnacle of titanium-based PVD coatings. AlTiN is a high-performance coating suitable only for carbide tools, due to its high deposition temperature, which gives improved adhesion in severe applications. For a titaniumbased coating it has high hardness, excellent oxidation resistance and high service temperature. Good results have been obtained with this coating on tools used for machining Ti alloys, Inconel and other difficult to machine materials. AlTiN is also applicable in high-speed cutting and hard machining (> 52HRC).

“It is recommended that each new application should be evaluated jointly between the tool user and the coating centre specialist,”adds Schembri. www.suttontools.com www.surftech.com.au

TiAIn-coated drills after treatment in the Balzer Oerlikon chamber.

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Cutting Tools

Ceramics bring Stellar success

Solid ceramic endmills from Kennametal have helped one aerospace job shop in the US meet a critical delivery date.

Most shops evaluate new cutting tools in an effort to reduce machining time, increase tool life, or improve part quality – and sometimes all three. Stellar Precision Components, a Tier II aerospace supplier in Jeanette, Pennsylvania, did it for an entirely different reason.

“We’d just taken an order for some Inconel parts,” says Production Manager Edward Frieze. “None of us were really worried at that point about tool life or making a profit on the job – our only concern then was how the heck could we get them shipped in eight weeks.”

Opening doors Four decades earlier, Mike Vucish Sr. was working for a manufacturer of naval nuclear components when he saw an opportunity to go into business for himself. He bought some equipment, invited a few students from the technical school where he taught shop class at night, and opened the doors of Stellar in 1978. He continued to work at his day job until his fledgling company was firmly established, but in the meantime brought some family members on board to help out.

“We started out doing a lot of overload work from other larger shops in the area, but that evolved into direct support of several nuclear programs because of my father’s experience in this area,” says Lori Albright, Vucish’s daughter and now owner and President of Stellar. “We’ve since become a key supplier to a number of prime aerospace and defense contractors including Boeing, Lockheed, and Raytheon,

as well as various nuclear and medical customers, and have over 70 employees and sales revenues of nearly US$10m.”

Stellar prides itself on continual updates to its equipment list, and has an eclectic mix of CNC machine tools from Haas Automation and Okuma. Key equipment includes an Okuma LB-45 lathe able to turn 91mm diameter parts up to 305cm long, and a Haas VF-11 five-axis machining centre with 305cm of X-axis travel and a table load capacity 1814kg. Stellar also has several wire electrical discharge machine (EDMs), a dozen or so three, four, and five-axis machining centres and mill-turn lathes, and offers value-added services such as nondestructive testing, welding, heat treating, and Teflon coating.

No job too tough Stellar is used to meeting demanding requirements. Recent projects include components for RAM Block II anti-ship missiles, the CCtCap crew transport vehicle, the 155mm Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) advanced gun system, rocket motor cases for the Atlas Five launch vehicle, and others. Its newest project, however, would be one to test the mettle of machinists and management alike.

Frieze explains that Stellar had just received a purchase order for a handful of Inconel 625 prototypes. The raw material blanks for the job measured 457mm square and 76mm thick, and weighed nearly 134kg. The project team suffered little indigestion over the tough material’s poor

machinability; Stellar routinely cuts Inconel and other nickel-based superalloys, as well as tungsten, maraging steels, 60 Rc 4340 (300M), and tool steel.

Nor was tolerance an issue. Frieze points to one recent titanium part that called for a 0.127mm profile tolerance over its 304mm length, the equivalent of holding “a couple tenths” in parts that cost more than US$5,000 apiece before machining.

Meeting the relatively wide open tolerances on the Inconel part was not a concern. The problem was one of raw material removal: when finished, the Inconel plates weighed in at a svelte 13.6 kg, 90% lighter than their starting weight. Frieze knew there weren’t enough hours in the day to remove that much material using conventional carbide tooling – not if he were to meet the deadline.

He needed a better solution.

Earlier that year, Frieze and several of his co-workers had attended a learning event sponsored by a local chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA), and hosted at the Kennametal technical centre in the nearby town of Latrobe. There he met Product Manager Matthieu Guillon, who introduced him to a cutting tool that Frieze was initially skeptical of.

“It looked and felt like a plastic toy endmill,” he laughs.

That tool was Kennametal’s series of fourand six-flute high-performance full ceramic endmills. Constructed from SiAlON KYS40grade ceramic and designed specifically for roughing in nickel-based high-temperature alloys, these endmills often out-produce carbide by up to 20 times.

Kennametal’s full ceramic endmills operate at spindle speeds up to ten times faster than carbide and provide far greater tool life.

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Cutting Heading Tools

The mix of machine tools on Stellar’s shop floor is one of continuous improvement and adoption of new technology.

Guillon explains: “We recommend a starting speed of 250 to 1000 metres per minute and feed rates starting at around 0.03mm per tooth depending on the tool diameter and other conditions. Despite the far higher cutting speeds, we have some customers who have reported two to three times greater tool life than carbide.”

This solid ceramic endmill might feel like plastic in your hand, but its cutting performance in nickel-based alloys is often 20 times that of carbide tools.

Stellar didn’t have any immediate use for the ceramic tools, but after making some quick feed and speed calculations, Frieze knew they would be an effective solution given the right application. Several months later, that application arrived with the Inconel plates. He called Guillon to say he might have a good use for those ceramic cutters they were talking about, and wondered how soon he could get some.

Sceptical to the last Frieze remained sceptical. He’d tried indexable ceramic cutting tools on both milling and turning jobs in the past and had mediocre results. In this case, however, he was willing to try anything if it meant meeting the customer’s deadline. When Guillon arrived a few days later with the ceramic endmills, Frieze followed Kennametal’s feed and speed recommendations to the letter, crossed his fingers, and pushed cycle start.

“We weren’t certain what would happen so started out with a block of test material,” he says. “You don’t use cutting fluid with ceramic – only an air blast – and everyone in the shop was crowded around the machine saying ‘Wow, look at that!’ There was fire shooting everywhere. It was something we’d never seen before. But within the first hour, we knew it was going to work.

“The tools aren’t inexpensive,” he adds.

“At one point, Lori [Albright] had around

$20,000 worth of endmills sitting in her office and we were starting to question the investment. But once you calculated in the machine costs and reduced cycle time, we figured it was three to four times more cost-effective to go this route. Each endmill gave us one half hour of cut time, at which time we replaced it whether it was worn or not. The process was so predictable we were able to run lights out. It was a drastic saving.”

Best of all, Stellar delivered the parts on time with zero scrap, and is now quoting a second, even larger order. Albright is pleased with the outcome.

“This type of situation is the nature of our business,” she says. “We have to react to our customers’ needs and employ the best technology available to do so. That’s one of the reasons why Kennametal is so welcome here. We work together as a team to solve challenges.”

Looking forward, Albright anticipates continued growth. Having expanded Stellar’s existing facility six times, she figures it might be time to put up an entirely new building on nearby property. She also looks forward to bringing additional young people to the machining trade.

“We have apprenticeship programs with several of the area schools, one of which my father used to teach at,” she says. “I find that it’s often our younger people that drive our innovation. It’s too easy to keep doing things the old way and not invest in tooling and equipment, or pursue new technology.

The days of high volume, round-the-clock fender clip manufacturing are gone, and it’s only by continually improving their manufacturing processes that companies can succeed and grow. For us, Kennametal is part of that success.” www.kennametal.com

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Cutting Tools

Silence please… the secret behind Silent Tools

Everything the Silent Tools R&D team in Norway does is based on customer demands. Add to this a sense of curiosity and a desire to learn and you’ll have the recipe for why the team is so good at innovation.

The view is marvelous: black wintry water cutting through snowcovered mountains surrounding a fjord. This is Trondheim, Norway, and it’s where you’ll find the brains behind the next generation of connected Silent Tools+ boring bars.

Industry 4.0 and the constant demand for new innovations can be stressful for companies, but in Norway, Sandvik Coromant has created an environment for bright ideas to flourish. It’s no coincidence that competitors are still struggling to produce vibration-free boring bar at lengths above ten times the hole diameter, while the team in Trondheim is testing bars that can handle double that, now with connectivity and software that save valuable time and money for the customers. What’s the secret?

“It’s a combination of many things,” says R&D manager Anders Digernes. “We have the full value chain from ideas to complete manufactured products under the same roof, which gives us access to a lot of different competences. Our flat organisational structure makes us flexible and agile in our response to new opportunities, often identified through R&D’s direct contact with customers.”

Tormod Jensen, a PhD engineer on the R&D team and one of the brains behind several patents of the Silent Tools dampening system and sensor technology, points to another reason: “We are part of the large Smart Tools project founded by the Research Council of Norway, and this has been a key factor in our success.”

The SilentTools+ boring bars are part of the CoroPlus platform, comprising connected tools and software. Dan Östling, another PhD engineer on the Trondheim team, has been driving the development of the sensor and signal technology, which opens up a world of new opportunities for customers, from pre- to post-machining. R&D engineer Mathias Tjomsland demonstrates the interface while one of the operators attaches a long, heavy boring bar to the machine.

The icon for centre height displays 0.0 degrees.

“Wow, you got it exactly right on the first try,” Tjomsland tells the operator. Without connectivity, operators spend a lot of time measuring, listening, feeling and watching – before, during and after machining. Components of the size that this bar can machine are extremely expensive, so process stability is key. During a visit to several aerospace manufacturers in Canada, the R&D team realised another challenge – lack of visibility.

“When turning inside long components, it’s extremely difficult to know what is going on,” Tjomsland says. “In modern machining centres, you may not even know if the insert is actually in cut, as they are very sound-isolated. Every minute the machine is cutting air is very expensive.”

When the 18xD sensor-based boring bar was first displayed at IMTS 2016 in Chicago, the aerospace customers that the team had previously met in Canada visited the booth.

“Everything we do is based on customer demands, but the Canadians were really impressed that we had listened to their problems and actually solved them,” says Marketing Manager Nils Aksel Ruud. Tjomsland gently puts his hand on the bar, and the icon for deflection immediately reacts on the screen. The interface is amazingly visual and easy to understand. Tjomsland’s passion for design and user experience has been truly valuable in the development of the software.

Another person who is passionate about his job is R&D engineer Einar Leo Ottesen, who is exploring additive manufacturing opportunities: “We always have our eyes open for new material and new ways of manufacturing our tools to make them stronger, lighter, smarter and more cost-efficient,” he says.

The new connected Silent Tools+ boring bar is being launched in September. www.sandvik.coromant.com

High-feed face mill speeds up productivity Sandvik Coromant has unveiled a new high-feed version of the CoroMill 745 face milling cutter, featuring a 25-degree entering angle for additional productivity gains when milling steel and cast iron workpieces.

The new high-feed version facilitates even higher metal removal rates (MRR) in applications with cut depths up to 2.8mm. The new cutter is set to benefit sectors such as die & mould, pump & valve, oil & gas, automotive, power generation and general engineering. The high-feed CoroMill 745 with 25-degree entering angle complements CoroMill 745 with 42-degree entering angle.

Despite the elevated MRR and productivity, there is no compromise to surface finish when using the new high-feed CoroMill 745.

A light cutting action from the innovative insert positioning provides excellent chip formation, a smooth, soft sound and low power consumption. “An important benefit of the new cutter is low cost per edge from its double-sided 14-edge insert design,” says Matts Westin, Product Manager at Sandvik Coromant. “In fact, purchasing departments will be pleased to learn that tool inventory costs are reduced because the CoroMill 745 with 25-degree entering angle uses the same inserts as its counterpart cutter with 42-degree entering angle.”

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The high-feed CoroMill 745 is aimed at roughing to semifinishing face milling operations on machining centres and multi-task machines. With its multiedge concept, the tool is particularly suitable for large-batch production, flexible transfer lines and when maximum tool utilisation is important. Advantages will be provided when milling components such as valves, engine blocks, hubs, main frames, pump components and moulds – in fact, any type of general engineering component made from ISO P or ISO K materials. The presence of a short (0.6 mm) parallel land ensures a good surface finish. The large screw ensures easy handling, while the insert position and the heptagonal insert shape make clamping exceptionally secure for reliable face milling operations. Internal coolant is available on all cutters, which range from 63-160mm.

Providing an example of the potential gains on offer, a customer trial application showed impressive benefits when face milling a machine bed component made from cast CMC ST52 (165 HB) on an ISO-50 gantry mill. A 125 mm CoroMill 745 with 25-degree entering angle reduced cycle time per component by 40% in comparison with a competitor tool.

Forming & Fabrication Heading

Opie reaps benefits from TruLaser Tube 7000 Opie Manufacturing Group produces a range of complex parts for the construction and automotive industries.

Tristan Opie is the third-generation CEO of the family-owned company, based in Emu Plains, New South Wales. In 2010, following a quiet few months of business, Tristan invested in a TRUMPF TruLaser Tube 7000 cutting machine, in a move that he described as “a very risky step at that time”.

The TRUMPF TruLaser Tube 7000 cutting machine.

“Just a very few customers realised the possibilities opened up by using the laser to work tubes,” he explains. “But I was sure there was a market for this service. The laser has major advantages as it replaces several steps in the workflow process. In addition, our TruLaser Tube 7000 is so fast that we can achieve considerably lower costs per item.”

Opie Group admits that it was a while before the machine turned a profit, but the company’s perseverance was rewarded. Today, no other machine on the shopfloor can compete with the TRUMPF TruLaser Tube 7000 in terms of its utilisation rates.

Two TruLaser Tube 7000s and a TruMatic 6000 punch laser machine augment the equipment at the factory, where automation is key. A TRUMPF LiftMaster loading and unloading unit is used to deliver sheet metal continuously to a TruLaser 5040 laser cutting machine, while a TRUMPF BendMaster oversees handling of materials at a TruBend 5170 bending machine. With this wide range of equipment, the job shop can make up a wide variety of aluminium, stainless steel and mild steel parts in just two ten-hour shifts.

Tristan Opie, CEO of Opie Manufacturing Group, in his Emu Plains workshop.

“In Australia, there are many small sheet metal processors with one or two machines,” Tristan explains. “They can produce simple parts at very favourable prices. To set ourselves apart, we have adopted a different path, using high-tech machinery and combining various processes. In this way we can offer even very complex parts from a single source.”

Opie Group invests a lot of effort in ensuring that it can provide the best customer service possible.

Opie’s dedicated team of 52 employees are divided between operating machines on the shop floor and working in the office to ensure seamless production flow. The team of engineers simulate almost every part in advance using 3D software.

“For a company of our size, we have a relatively large sales department,” says Tristan. “But in a country as large as Australia, the customers aren’t all in one spot. We travel to them and convince them in a personal conference.”

“We work very efficiently; we can deliver the right part to the customer without having to build a physical prototype beforehand,” Tristan adds.

Opie Group’s commitment is paying off – the job shop supplies customers across the continent. www.headland.com.au/opie www.opiegroup.com.au

The PRIMES Cube – Simple accurate fibre laser measurement Available from Industrial Laser, the PRIMES Cube is designed for power measurements of fibre lasers.

In the processing zone, laser power is one of the key parameters for a good cut, weld or cladding result. Measuring the beam power close to the focal point enables the whole optical beam path to be measured. Encompassing optics such as collimators, lenses and protective windows allows for quick sensible realistic fault-finding and condition verification. This is important as most fibre lasers only indicate the power going out of the laser into the feed fibre, thus missing the inefficiencies of the feed fiber and the processing head itself.

The Cube, as a mobile and compact power probe, enables the determination of laser power directly beneath the processing head in the processing zone. Using the Bluetooth connection with the PRIMES Cube, a convenient

monitoring of the laser power with a mobile device like tablet or smartphone for Android is possible. Aside from the graphic display and back-up of the measured values stored in the Cube, it is possible to define presets for measurement series and transfer them to the Cube using the Bluetooth connection.

The readings laser power, pulse duration and energy per pulse can be displayed graphically on the mobile device. In addition, a standard deviation evaluation of the measured values is possible with the PRIMES Cube App. The PRIMES Cube App is available in the Google Play Store as a free download. More advanced in-depth monitoring is available from PRIMES and its Australian distributor Industrial Laser. www.industriallaser.com.au

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Forming & Fabrication

Cutting costs and raising productivity with genuine consumables Today’s state-of-the-art cutting technologies such as plasma cutters can produce cut parts quickly and to a very high standard. However, a critical aspect of the system’s performance is the consumable parts uilised within the machine, and the use of counterfeit consumables can prove to be a false economy in terms of productivity.

In this day and age where global competition is rife, productivity and cost-effectiveness are often the key differentiators that can allow companies in the manufacturing sector to stand out among their business rivals. Over the years, manufacturing processes have progressed steadily with the advent of technology, and one of the key aspects of production where metalworking plays an important role lies in the quality of the machinery that is employed.

For many equipment manufacturers, sheet metal cutting is a common procedure in their factory. India-based Bharat Foils Limited is one such company. Established in 1975, the familyowned business has a long history in equipment manufacturing, and currently specialises in the production of equipment used in the grain milling industry, spanning the entire process from cleaning to drying, milling processing, and packing. With a strong presence across every state in India with machinery installed in more than 1000 mills, the company has established itself as a reputable machinery supplier in the country.

In Bharat Foils’s daily operations, plasma cutting systems play a pivotal role, with the company cutting 10 to 12 tons of sheet metal per day on average. Modern cutting technologies, such as plasma systems, are capable of producing high-quality cut parts at very high speeds, requiring little or no post-production processes. That said, the performance of a plasma system is also highly dependent on the consumable parts that are used with the torch. Even the latest advances in technology and torch designs are not exempted from this rule – a high-performance plasma system can be rendered mediocre when inferior consumables are used.

Instead of purchasing consumables directly from the cutting system provider or authorised retailers, manufacturers may often seek out cheaper alternatives from other suppliers in an attempt to reduce the overall operating costs. This can lead to an increased risk of purchasing counterfeit products unknowingly, since counterfeits are usually close copies of the genuine product that look similar in appearances, but are sold at relatively lower prices.

Despite being cheaper and delivering some degree of functional performance, the usage of counterfeit consumables can be more counterproductive than beneficial. This was experienced first-hand by the team at Bharat Foils.

Counterfeits uncovered A satisfied customer of Hypertherm for several years, Bharat Foils currently uses six Powermax85 plasma systems in its factory. As part of its service standards, Hypertherm routinely checks in with its customers even after a purchase has been made. It was during one such occasion that a channel partner discovered that Bharat Foils had been purchasing consumables from another source in the open market. The channel partner had noticed from their records that Bharat Foils had not been purchasing consumables from them despite owning six plasma systems.

The matter soon came to Hypertherm’s attention, and after further investigations, it was revealed the consumables that Bharat Foils had been purchasing were, in fact, counterfeit products. Bharat Foils had not been aware of this, as the counterfeit products looked virtually identical to the genuine consumables.

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Results of the trial showed that the original consumable performed three or four times better in terms of cut length and number of pierces.

“Our purchase department was instructed to source from the open market, to see if we could get the consumables at a better price than what was offered by the channel partner,” explains Sunil Gupta, Managing Director of Bharat Foils. “We found a product which looked like Hypertherm’s to me, and so we started to purchase from that source.”

Upon understanding the situation, Hypertherm immediately contacted Bharat Foils to explain the consequences of using counterfeit parts, and the benefits associated with using genuine consumables. During a discussion with the operators at Bharat Foils, Hypertherm also found out that the company had had to reduce the cutting speed in order to maintain acceptable cut quality, which resulted in a variety of cutting issues, including dross that required secondary work. The consumables’ performance was also found to be inconsistent and had to be changed frequently.

Trials, tests and results The high consumption of consumables ultimately resulted in higher expenses in cutting operations for Bharat Foils, in addition to reduced cut quality and decreased productivity. To illustrate the difference in performance between the genuine and counterfeit consumables, Hypertherm proposed the idea of conducting some trials in the factory.

“We were initially reluctant to do the trials but Hypertherm continued to follow up with us closely,” Gupta explains. “Eventually, we were won over by their sincerity and agreed to give it a try.”

Two separate trials – one with Hypertherm Cu+ consumables and the other with Bharat Foils’ existing consumables – were conducted simultaneously for three days under similar conditions, on mild steel plates of varying thickness (8mm, 10mm, and 12mm). As the trials progressed, the differences in performance became apparent to Gupta. For the same amount of cutting, Bharat Foils had to use three sets of counterfeit consumables compared to just one set of genuine consumables.

The team also observed a significant increase in cutting speed (around 68% on average) with the use of the genuine consumables.

During the trial, it was also noted that the counterfeit consumables had inconsistent lifespans, with the first set getting damaged after just 9m of cutting.

Forming & Fabrication

Bharat Foils and Hypertherm conducted a series of trials to examine the difference in performance between the genuine and counterfeit consumables.

Quality-wise, the machine fitted with genuine consumables also delivered parts with better hole and slot cut quality. Upon assessing the results, Gupta became convinced of the benefits brought by the use of genuine consumables, and immediately made the decision to switch to Hypertherm’s consumables.

Satisfaction all-round Since switching to genuine consumables, Bharat Foils has experienced smoother operations, reduced downtime, and better levels of customer service. These benefits have led to a significant overall improvement in their manufacturing process, notably in the areas of productivity, cost-effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.

“With Hypertherm’s consumables, our consumption level has gone down by 40% while the quality of our cutting has improved greatly,” says Gupta. “Our customers have also started to notice the differences in our products. Now, the company is growing rapidly because our productivity has increased, and I am able to offer a high-quality product that is on par with my competitors.”

To Bharat Foils, the relationship with Hypertherm is one that they are keen on maintaining in the long run. Moving forward, Gupta intends to adopt other cutting solutions to enhance Bharat Foils’ operations, with high-definition plasma cutting systems being next on his list.

More than just a manufacturer and supplier of cutting solutions, Hypertherm endeavours to offer close support to its customers, allowing them to fulfil their business goals. This level of dedication was keenly felt by Bharat Foils through this episode.

“Hypertherm is not merely providing me a machine,” Gupta concludes. “They are giving me technical support and aftersales service. They’re here to improve my company’s productivity, and we appreciate this partnership with them.”

Notable improvements in hole and slot cut quality were observed in the part cut with genuine Cu+ consumables.

www.bansalsgroup.org www.hypertherm.com/en

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MAterial Removal

CMX V – Compact, stable, accurate

The CMX V series from DMG MORI presents a comprehensive range of equipment that is compact, competitive, and customised to maximise performance in vertical milling.

In the past, the basic specifications of a machine used to be the key issues for an investment decision, but now the overall performance, ease of use, and flexibility of a machining solution is more important for the most successful companies of today. This applies worldwide and independent of the class of a machine or the industry segment.

For this reason, the newest machines from DMG MORI present a portfolio of solutions – with a broad range of technology, software solutions, and applications. The CMX V series of vertical machines represent leading-edge technology at attractive prices.

State-of-the-art CNC machine tools must be productive, flexible and easy to operate. DMG MORI designed the CMX V series to exceed these requirements. The modular design of the machines enables fast, flexible configuration according to individual requirements, coupled with hundreds of options and technological solutions designed to create value.

DMG MORI has developed the CMX V machine series with the intention to deliver sturdy vertical machining centres that will grow with your organisation. Thanks to their high versatility, CMX 600 V, CMX 800 V and CMX 1100 V can machine a number of workpieces for various fields of application. The range of machines in this series enables workpiece weights of up to 1,000kg and provides travel paths of 26.6 x 22 x 20.2 in. for the smallest model, as well as up to 110 x 56 x 51cm for the largest. Rapid traverses are 30m/min in all axes, with Fanuc control even at 36m/min in X- and Y-axes. The standard 12,000rpm high-performance spindle (15,000 as option on CMX 1100 V) is designed for a broad-application, continuousoperation durability and achieves high-quality manufacturing results.

The roller guides used in the CMX V series ensure maximum stability as well as precision and provide a high level of rigidity and durability.

Thanks to extensive finite element analysis (FEM), the models of the CMX V series are characterised by a sophisticated, compact and

rigid machine structure, based on a grey iron casting C-frame for highest rigidity and vibration behaviour. The clever cabin design of the CMX V series delivers vastly improved operator ergonomics, designed in such a way that accessibility to the table and workpiece is possible by crane. Additional functions for easier operation are integrated in the entire machine. The central lubrication and other peripheral devices requiring regular maintenance are set up in an easily accessible location, to facilitate maintenance and inspection.

The large choice of controls in the CMX V series comprises a 48cm DMG MORI SLIMline multi-touch control and Operate 4.7 on SIEMENS as well as a 38cm DMG MORI SLIMline optionally with Heidenhain TNC 620 or MAPPS IV on Fanuc, providing choice and flexibility for any manufacturing operation. www.dmgmori.com

Top 5 advantages of guided broaches Guided broaches can eliminate problems associated with conventional broaching or slotting technologies.

Martin Forrer of Elmass (Australia) Pty Ltd says guided broaching tools are easy to use, quickly assembled and designed for on any conventional machine that makes a linear movement such as a pedestal drill, slotter or lathe, or on purpose-designed CNC broaching machines.

“The main advantage of the guided broaches is that the cutter is supported at the point of action and is forced to be perpendicular to the bore and cannot deflect,” says Forrer. “This makes them a very attractive and versatile tool for general engineering.

“Because toolbars used on slotters will deflect over the length of the keyway, the resulting product might not meet the specified tolerances. Deflection becomes worse the longer the bore is.

Clients with long stainless steel parts often struggle to machine up to 700mm long internal keyways on their conventional machines.”

Forrer cites five advantages of using the guided broaches in precision keyways and splines: • Avoiding deflection and vibration: the eccentric guide bushes are self aligning and support the cutter rigidly through the entire process.

• Flexibility: Guide bushes, toolbars and cutters of different shapes can be mixed and matched to broach internal keyways, splines, hexagons and other shapes.

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• Versatility: The simple to use tools can be used on most manual machines as well as on the purpose-designed Elmass broaching machines.

• Maintenance: The cutters can be re-sharpened on a surface grinder without loosing their shape or tolerance.

• Customised design: To meet customer requirements, tools and machines are often custom-made to meet their specifications.

Forrer says the most unusual use of the guided broaching tool he has seen was for a repair on a Collins Class Submarine: “The tool was used to cut a keyway into the locking mechanism of its hatch.

To do this the tool was mounted on a modified pedestal drill that was temporarily welded on to the hatch.” www.elmass.com.au

Material Removal

A coolant company ahead of the competition Imagine a machine shop free from dangerous chemicals and harsh odors, along with increased productivity and worker safety.

US-based company Hangsterfer’s is celebrating its 80th year as a manufacturer of lubricants for the metalworking industry.

Since 1937 it has committed to producing high-performance metalworking lubricants that are environmentally friendly and operator-safe. Hangsterfer’s has worked on ensuring its coolants are safe, securing certification that they are fully compliant with REACH, RoHS, VOC and GHS standards, and thereby gaining approval for use in industries as medical, defence and aerospace.

GHS (Global Harmonisation System) has regulations requiring that products are accompanied by the appropriate safety data sheets and pictograms for all hazardous materials. Given that Hangsterfer’s coolants are free of hazardous ingredients, there is no need for pictograms depicting any potentially harmful substance.

“The manufacturing industry has increasingly come under scrutiny by regulatory agencies around the world for the use of hazardous chemicals,” explains Edward Jones, Chief Operating Officer at Hangsterfer’s. “Strict bans and regulations are growing and many raw materials – including boric acid formaldehyde condensates, secondary amines, and hazardous forms of chlorine – may be made redundant.

The company has been making aerospace-style fittings for the motorsport industry for more than 25 years in Australia and prides itself on the high-quality finish of its components. The highend motorsport industry demand exceptional product quality and Speedflow has always been conscious about its customers’ attention to detail.

The company started back in 1983 using high-speed steel tooling, with neat cutting oil as its metalworking fluid. The company has moved on since the days of high-speed steel, but it has been a challenge to replace neat cutting oil in its production processes.

Parting off, boring, drilling and turning to a shoulder in aluminium proved too demanding for most coolants on the market due to their lack of lubricity. Swarf scuffing would render components useless for anodisation, and the scrap rate would not allow for water-soluble coolants to be used.

“We had been looking for a water-soluble coolant since the early 2000s to replace neat cutting oil in our production,” says David Clark, Production Manager at Speedflow. “The problem was neat cutting oil offered superior lubricity for the required surface finishes, and especially surface protection of components.”

“Many metalworking fluids using such chemicals will eventually face drastic formula changes if not total elimination. Formulation changes in specialty coolants may render them redundant in certain applications that require such approvals as aerospace industry.”

With the help of Hangsterfer’s, Speedflow successfully trialled HE2, a high-lubricity water-soluble oil coolant that was previously developed for an automotive application with the same problem of swarf scuffing.

The lack of harsh chemicals in Hangsterfer’s coolants does not mean that they compromise on performance. The coolants are proven to increase productivity, extend tool life, and improve surface finish.

Coolants can eliminate common machining problems such as foam and staining, resulting in higher levels of efficiency and costeffectiveness over time. The use of coolants ensures long sump life and the capability to machine in multi-metal applications.

Hangsterfer’s offers a wide rage specialty coolants for many applications and materials such as aluminium, composites, nickel, stainless steel, titanium, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, tungsten, zirconium and their alloys. Its Australian line-up is stocked

by Hangsterfer’s local distributor Livetools Pty Ltd, and also includes aerospace and medical-approved coolants. With the need for highperformance lubricants in modem machines shops, the balance of operator safety and reduction of hash or hazardous chemicals, and unparalleled green technology, Hangsterfer’s has found itself a significant niche.

Here in Australia, Hangsterfer’s coolants have already proven the concept that exceptional results can be achieved without the use of dangerous chemicals in metalworking lubricants. Speedflow, an aftermarket automotive manufacturer based in Taree, New South Wales, can attest to the success.

www.hangsterfers.com www.livetools.com.au

www.speedflow.com.au

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EMO 2017 – Making machine tools safe At the Safety Day for Machine Tools at EMO Hannover 2017, experts will present insights on the requirements and challenges concerning machine tool safety, mapping out solutions and examining what remains to be done in the future.

The safety of machine tools is a major issue. Complex machinery, high speeds, and high power levels can be a dangerous mixture for the operator. Nevertheless, machine tools are very safe products.

Machine tool manufacturers, operators, health & safety experts, policy-makers and international standardisation groups have been collaborating for a long time to reach the current safety level.

“For many decades, our companies have proven that they can handle the risks that come with the operation of machine tools”, explains Heinrich Mödden, a machinery safety expert at the EMO organizer VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association).

Certainly there is a lot of work still needed, but as Mödden adds: “It pays off, as the number of accidents is continuously declining.”

This shows that a high level of safety has already been achieved with traditional design practices. In Europe A major contributor to this trend has been European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (MD), which was issued in 1993 and aimed at levelling the safety standards for machinery across the European Union.

“The EU Machinery Directive has been a success story, making working environments significantly safer and reducing hazards”, says Felicia Stoica, policy officer for the Machinery Directive at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Growth. “The involvement of all stakeholders in the machinery sector, especially manufacturers and their equipment suppliers, has ensured that the actions taken are practicable and beneficial.”

The Directive means that manufacturers of machine tools have to conduct risk assessments for their designs. Since the first version of the Machinery Directive was established, there have been considerable alterations in the standardisation environment that it covers and in particular to risk assessment. As a result, the safety requirements are still the subject of animated discussion – for example around the reliability of mechatronics in safety functions.

Such rules for safety measures are formulated by expert panels in standardisation processes. For machine tools, this work is being performed on a global ISO level. Consequently, many of the international market players are negotiating about the state of the art.

“Machine safety evokes strong involvement of companies or authorities. It can be a tough job to find a consensus,” states Christian Neumeister, secretary of the ISO working group for safety of milling machines. “But in the end, we usually find compromises to satisfy the demands of health & safety authorities and keep the effort involved for the industrial sector to an acceptable level.”

Functional safety: the next big thing Functional safety means that safety has to be proven via quantification of failure probabilities. For machine tools, this is quite difficult, as hazards can be high, even though they occur very rarely.

In a scientific study that the VDW organised on behalf of its member bodies, Nika Nowizki from the University of Stuttgart analysed the running times of 578 multi-spindle automatic lathes, with a total of 3,951 spindles using mostly standard PLC controllers. These produced not a single safety-related accident in over 93,333,000 machine hours of operation evaluated since 1992.

“We were happy to see that our gut feeling was scientifically reconfirmed,” says Eberhard Beck, Head of Machine Control Design at the lathe manufacturer Index in Esslingen, Germany. “It shows that our high safety level is attributable not only to single components, but to our long-term empirical design principles according to product safety standards, which are proven in use.”

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Still, many safety subjects need further insights. For example, the recent development of turning operations on milling centres is causing uncertainty among manufacturers and their customers as to whether the proven-in-use argument for machine tools remains valid for the future. An intermediate conclusion is that this is only possible when the suppliers of clamping devices are involved.

Another subject is market surveillance. Machine tools are complex products, usually custom-built, and too large and expensive for lab testing. This means it is difficult to determine on-site if the design is compliant with safety regulations. In particular, market surveillance authorities lack qualified personnel and time to investigate.

One concept to help market surveillance authorities in doing their job is the CE Guides on Machine Tool Safety published by Cecimo, the European Machine Tool Association. In simple words, with instructive illustrations, they spotlight the important aspects involved.

“If we want to have a level playing field with all market participants, we need to assist market surveillance authorities in doing their job better,” points out Maitane Olabarria of Cecimo.

After sawing and EDM machines, the recently finished safety standard for milling machines, ISO 16090, triggered the publication of a new guide to be presented at EMO Hannover.

“The proximity to the EMO exhibition makes it possible to see how the design concepts of modern machine tools have been enhanced once again,” concludes Mödden.

As a consequence, discussions will focus not only on the machine manufacturers, but also the vital connection to the equipment suppliers, as well as the reflections of occupational safety executives arising from their field experience. The expected conclusion of the EMO Safety Day is also an appeal to all worldwide manufacturers to ensure that machine tools are designed in accordance to the relevant product safety standards, operated in accordance with their intended use, and can be considered safe. www.emo-hannover.de/conferences

Workholding

A quality vise is key to getting the most from your machine tool

The old adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ is true for many things in life and applies equally to CNC workholding solutions and machine tool accessories.

“A machine tool is only as good as the workholding capability that you are using,” says Paul Fowler, Managing Director of Dimac. “If you can’t hold a part rigidly or squarely, you will not be able to realise the full potential of your machine tool.”

Dimac has over 30 years experience in CNC machine tool accessories and is the agent for many highly respected brands such as Cooljet, Reven and Royal. The company also manufactures soft and hard jaws in their own CNC equipped machine shop.

in Japan while also specialising in machine tool workholding equipment.

Kitagawa Iron Works Ltd is a Japanese mixed engineering group founded some 75 years ago and listed on the Tokyo stock exchange. Its products cover machine tool accessories, building materials, a foundry and construction equipment.

“All too often we see companies investing heavily in high quality machining centres, only to compromise the performance by using a sub-standard vise, generally a cheaper imitation of the original Japanese quality,” adds Fowler.

“When looking for a new vise, it is crucial that it features the highest dynamic and parallelism accuracy,” notes Fowler. “Every Eron and Kitagawa vise has this required accuracy with ultrafine tolerances that ensures that multiple vises can be mounted in one set-up whilst providing the user with confidence every time the vise is fitted.”

Dimac is the sole distributor for both Nabeya Eron and Kitagawa machine vises with a range that covers every possible need in machine shops.

The extensive Eron range includes five-axis, hydraulic intensive, manual and modular units. The Kitagawa range includes compact, lowest floor type, multi-type and mechanical intensive models.

“Both these Japanese brands are built to an uncompromising standard with cutting edge design and superior materials that make them a very logical choice for increasing productivity and quality,” says Fowler.

“Ultimately it’s a mistake to compromise on vise quality,” says Fowler. “A Japanese vise will ensure you maximise cutting speeds and feeds and provide you with excellent surface finishes and squareness.

Very few companies in the world today can boast such a rich engineering history as Nabeya Eron. The company was formed in 1560 and were famous for such products as temple bells, Samurai swords and cooking utensils. Today they are still a major foundry

“Like all the products we sell, Nabeya Eron and Kitagawa machine vises have the full backup and support of Dimac technical personnel to ensure the product operates at optimum performance.” www.dimac.com.au

Mapal introduces hydraulic chucks for tool grinding Mapal has now developed its first line of hydraulic chucks specifically for tool grinding machines. The new HydroChuck Grind-A and the HydroChuck Grind-M have been launched to provide users of grinding machines the advantages of Mapal’s hydraulic expansion technology.

The new hydraulic chucks are designed to ensure high-precision clamping and repeatability during grinding. The line of hydraulic chucks are manufactured for the shank tolerance h6 band. They exhibit exceptionally low wear characteristics that makes the HydroChuck Grind-A and the HydroChuck Grind-M extremely costeffective for end users.

In addition to the high radial run-out accuracy, the automatic workpiece clamping of the HydroChuck Grind-A is characterised in particular by its energy-efficient function.

The workpiece is clamped by means of an innovative cup spring pack. This ensures the hydraulics of the machine are only required for releasing the workpiece. The hydraulic chuck can be rapidly set and adjusted in just a few minutes to micron precision using two dial gauges.

Any ‘wobble’ can be compensated and this results in maximum workpiece precision. In addition, a uniform material removal and high surface finish quality is guaranteed. In designing this new

HydroChuck line, Mapal has paid particular attention to minimising access restrictions to the tool and achieving the best possible grinding wheel run-out. The new chuck significantly reduces the wear upon the grinding wheel while delivering a constant quality and form/dimensional accuracy of the workpiece.

In addition to the HydroChuck Grind-A, Mapal also offers the new HydroChuck Grind-M for manual workpiece clamping. With the HydroChuck Grind-M, the tool to be ground is clamped manually using a hexagonal head screw. This chuck also allows the benefits of the hydraulic expansion technology to now be used for tool grinding.

The HydroChuck Grind-A is available for the clamping of tool shank diameters of 20mm, whereas the HydroChuck Grind-M has been developed for 12mm, 20mm and 32mm tool diameters. To make the HydroChuck Grind-A and the HydroChuck Grind-M completely flexible, reducing sleeves are available to accommodate common tool shank sizes. www.mapal.com.au

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Valuing manufacturing inventory for taxation purposes – not a simple matter Damian Sutherland explains the importance of a simple methodology for the valuation of Inventory for tax purposes.

One of the more common questions we receive from clients revolves around stock (inventory) valuation for tax purposes when completing the year end tax return. Firstly and importantly, business owners and managers need to be aware that it is possible to use a different valuation method for the tax return compared to the valuation methodology used for accounting purposes. This often confuses people and some manufacturing businesses will actually have a dual inventory valuation for accounting and tax, resulting in two different net profit results. Ideally we encourage businesses to adopt the one valuation methodology for both purposes to try and keep their (and our) life simple.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) does have a clear set of rules and guidelines around how inventory is valued for tax purposes and what figure is included at the 30th of June each year.The definition of trading stock includes anything produced, manufactured or acquired that is held for purposes of manufacture, sale or exchange in the ordinary course of a business.

The cost of acquiring trading stock is an allowable deduction in the year in which the outgoing is incurred if an item becomes part of your trading stock before or during that income year. Otherwise the outgoing is deductible in the first income year during which the item becomes your trading stock or for which an amount is included in your assessable income in connection with the disposal of the item.

The later part of this summary may be relevant for example when an item may move from the showroom into actual trading stock, changing the categorisation of this item.

Each item of trading stock is required to be valued at the end of an income year. The taxpayer has the ability to choose between the following valuation methods: cost; market selling value; or replacement value. The law does not require the same valuation method to be used for all items of trading stock held at the end of the income year.

From an accounting perspective, accounting standards require stock to be valued using “conservative” principles ensuring that the value of the asset is not over-stated in the balance sheet. As such, inventory is required to be valued at the lower of cost or net realisable value or replacement value.The valuation methods can be changed from year-to-year for the same items of trading stock.

The tax office advises that the following costs will be relevant when valuing the cost of trading stock for retailers and wholesalers: • the purchase price; • import duties and taxes; • inwards transport and handling charges; • insurance on the stock whilst in transit; • adjustments and assembly costs in preparing the stock for sale; • costs incurred operating a purchasing department; • administrative costs associates with receiving and inspecting the stock; and • distribution centre and off-site storage costs.

The ATO states that, to use replacement value, the items must be available in the market and be substantially identical to the replaced items.

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The law allows for an item of trading stock to be valued below the other available options (ie below the lesser of cost, market selling value and replacement value) if it is warranted because of obsolescence or any other special circumstances relating to the item.

The ATO provides the following guidance on obsolescence of trading stock: • trading stock is becoming obsolete if it is going out of use, going out of date, becoming unfashionable or becoming outmoded; and • trading stock is obsolete if it is out of use, out of date, unfashionable or outmoded.

The taxpayer must be able to show that there is no reasonable prospect of future sales of the stock in order to treat it as being obsolete. If stock is obsolete at the end of the income year, it can be valued at ‘scrap value’. The ATO accepts that a scrap value of nil is acceptable if the stock must be dumped or destroyed within a reasonable time after the end of the income year (generally six months).

The value of the taxpayer’s trading stock at the end of the income year (closing stock) is compared against the value of the trading stock at the start of the income year (opening stock): In most cases, taxpayers will seek to value their closing stock as low as possible in order to minimise the taxable income for the income year. However, in some limited cases, it may be advantageous to value stock upwards (eg. by using market selling value rather than cost).

For many small to medium enterprises, the final stock figure to be included in the year end tax return will often be agreed after a discussion with their external accountant around the rules and potential impact (positively or negatively) to the net profit.

But company directors and business owners should be aware that a clear set of rules sits behind the basis of this calculation and that it is incumbent on them to work within the tax office rules on determining this final number.

Damian Sutherland is a director of William Buck (Vic) Pty Ltd Chartered Accountants. He has over 20 years of experience assisting businesses with accounting, financial and taxation advice. Damian is on several company boards and works closely with clients to provide business solutions.

03 9824 8555. www.williambuck.com.au

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Heading

Law

How to protect your business assets and family wealth from insolvency risk

Demian Walton shares with us some protective measures to stay prosperous and manage risks before insolvency occurs.

Business people are hardwired for optimism – it drives the start-up of new businesses, and is reinforced when a business becomes established and performs strongly.

When optimism reigns, the possibility of a business failing is usually the last thing on anyone’s mind. Yet this is when steps should be taken to protect key business assets and family wealth from insolvency risk.

Once a company becomes insolvent – meaning the company is unable to pay its debts as and when they fall due – the duty of the directors to act in the best interests of the company becomes owed to the company’s creditors, not just its shareholders.

Causing an insolvent company to enter into transactions which prejudice the interests of creditors is therefore a breach of directors’ duties. It may also expose company advisers who recommend such transactions to accessorial liability.

Additionally, insolvency triggers the personal liability of directors for debts incurred by the company if it continues trading, as well as triggering the voidable transactions provisions in the Corporations Act that enable liquidators to bring court proceedings against company directors and related parties to claw back unfair preferences and uncommercial transactions.

Asset protection checklist Here is our checklist for assessing how exposed your assets are to insolvency risk, together with some protective measures to manage that risk before an insolvency event occurs: 1. Have you documented, secured and registered on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) all relatedparty funding provided to the business?

The significance of related-party debit loan account balances on a company’s balance sheet, and the manner in which they expose family wealth to the fall-out of a liquidation, is often only fully appreciated when a liquidator is appointed.

The liquidator will demand repayment of such balances and, if payment is not forthcoming, bring proceedings against the family members or related entities who owe the balances.

Debit loan balances on a company’s balance sheet should therefore be closely monitored and managed. Unchecked they will rapidly accumulate over time if, for short term tax reasons, a company is in the practice of lending its profits instead of declaring dividends.

Loans that are advanced should be documented on Division 7A terms, not just to comply with Division 7A, but so they are not repayable on demand if a liquidator is appointed.

Loans to related entities or family members who own substantial assets should be avoided altogether.

3. Are your critical business assets owned in a separate structure from your operating entity?

Ownership of critical business assets in a separate structure can quarantine them from the insolvency-related risks that arise out of the conduct of the business.

The asset-owning entity should enter into a formal licence agreement with the operating entity on commercial terms, including payment of a fee or royalty, with a right of termination by the licensor in the event of the insolvency of the licensee.

Securing related-party lending is a powerful yet inexpensive asset protection tool.

This is most effective when the critical business assets for operating the business are comprehensively identified. Such assets typically include intellectual property rights such as copyright, trade secrets, know-how and branding.

If insolvency strikes, a related-party creditor holding a valid security over the company’s assets:

4. Do you regularly review your structure to make sure it continues to provide strong asset protection?

1. enjoys priority for the payment of its debt ahead of the company’s unsecured creditors

Keeping up-to-date (and meaningful) financial accounts is essential for maintaining the effectiveness of the asset protection provided by your structure.

2. has a good defence to any unfair preference claims a liquidator may otherwise bring; and 3. has the power to take possession of, or appoint a receiver over, the business’ assets.

Loans should be documented on commercial terms, including a commercial interest rate, and with provision for further advances in the discretion of the lender, ensuring all future funding is picked up without the need for new agreements. Security should be put in place before, or at the same time, funds are advanced, followed by registration on the PPSR within the applicable time periods. There is a six-month waiting period from the date of registration on the PPSR before a security interest given by a company to a related party will be effective to secure existing indebtedness.

2. Do your financial statements disclose problematic relatedparty debit loan accounts?

Accurate and timely financial information will enable any weaknesses in the balance sheet, such as any problematic debit loan balances, to be quickly identified and remedied or managed.

Indeed where a company does not have up-to-date accurate accounts, it will be presumed to be insolvent under the Corporations Act. Demian Walton is the Insolvency & Reconstruction Partner at Rigby Cooke Lawyers. Demian provides in-depth advice to clients affected by corporate or personal insolvency. This includes formulating and carefully implementing a strategy to preserve and restructure viable business activities, limit any flow-on impact on family wealth, and resolve creditor claims on a final basis, to put his client in the best position to rebuild and regain their financial security. Phone: 03 9321 7846 DWalton@rigbycooke.com.au www.rigbycooke.com.au

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Forum OHS

The GHS is underway

The Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is a United Nations effort to standardise chemical classification, labelling and safety data sheets (SDS) internationally in the workplace. The GHS was adopted across most states and territories in Australia on 1 January 2017. In this editorial Jo Kitney provides an update on GHS, implications for business and actions to take to ensure compliance.

After being adopted in Australia’s harmonised Work Health & Safety Regulations (WHS) legislation on 1 January 2012, the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) was implemented in most states and territories in Australia on 1 January 2017. The GHS is a global system used to classify and communicate internationally consistent terms and information on chemicals through a common set of pictograms, signal words, hazard and precautionary warnings.

Benefits of GHS include improving the understanding of physical, health and environmental hazards, reducing duplicate testing of chemicals and time and costs in meeting multiple labelling requirements and allowing participating countries to facilitate trade by removing regulatory barriers. Countries adopting GHS or in various stages of transition include Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand, the EU, Canada and the USA. Australia had a five year transition period starting in 2012 till 31 December 2016. Hazardous chemicals manufactured or imported from 1 January 2017 must have SDS and labels which are GHS compliant and all workplace chemicals must be classified according to the new system.

GHS requirements From 1 January 2017, the following GHS requirements applied: • Workplace chemical classification, labels and SDS under the Third Edition GHS. • Code of Practice for the Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals.

• Code of Practice for the Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals.

• Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail.

Manufacturers, importers, suppliers and end users of hazardous chemicals in the workplace must comply with the GHS labelling requirements set out in Chapter 7 and Schedule 9 of the harmonised WHS Regulations. Policy and legislative changes for GHS labelling implementation were agreed at a national level under the harmonised WHS legislation and for Agricultural and Veterinary (AgVet) chemicals. These include: • Hazardous chemicals manufactured or imported and labelled prior to 1 January 2017 are exempt from GHS labelling requirements provided these are correctly labelled in accordance with the previous National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) and/or ADG Code.

Products already in the supply chain do not need to be relabelled if they are labelled in accordance with these Codes.

• All hazardous chemical products manufactured or imported from 1 January 2017 MUST be labelled in accordance with GHS requirements before being supplied.

These changes extend to suppliers of hazardous chemicals for their responsibilities on labelling.

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Agricultural and veterinary chemicals (AgVets) AgVet labels do not require signal words or hazard pictograms. For AgVets to be GHS compliant, they will require a SDS based on GHS classification and a label which incorporates GHS hazard and precautionary statements based on GHS classification which are not already incorporated in the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) approved label (refer to www. safeworkaustralia.gov.au for additional information). There are other national transition arrangements, which those with responsibilities for AgVets should seek further information on.

Suppliers with non-GHS labelled stock Suppliers must ensure that all hazardous chemicals are labelled according to section 335 and Schedule 9, Part 3 of the WHS Regulation, unless it’s an exempt hazardous chemical. A limited class exemption has been granted for non-GHS labelled stock in the supply chain. This exemption applies to hazardous chemicals manufactured or imported before 1 January 2017 and labelled according to the NOHSC or ADG Code.

To ensure suppliers with stock in the supply chain were not disadvantaged, stock in the supply chain with a currently compliant label (NOHSC or ADG Code) can be supplied if it was manufactured or imported before 1 January 2017. Suppliers must ensure the correct SDS is supplied with the hazardous chemical.

Under section 341 of the WHS Regulation, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure all hazardous chemicals are labelled according to section 335 and Schedule 9, Part 3, unless it’s an exempt chemical. End users of hazardous chemicals in a workplace, for example farmers or cleaners, have an exemption and can continue to use, store or handle non-GHS labelled stock that is manufactured or imported before 1 January 2017 and labelled according to the NOHSC or ADG Code.

Queensland suppliers and end-users should know the above exemption does not apply in Queensland and should not accept non-GHS labelled stock manufactured on or after 1 January, 2017.

End users (PCBUs and employers) must: • Have the current SDS and make it accessible to workers using, handling or storing a hazardous chemical and to any emergency service worker, or anyone else, who may be exposed to chemical at the workplace • Train and inform workers about the new GHS labels and changes to the SDS • Have safe systems of work to manage risks associated with hazardous chemicals at work For more information on GHS, visit the relevant WHS Regulator for information on state or territory requirements.

Jo Kitney is the Managing Director and Principle Consultant with Kitney Occupational Health and Safety. Kitney is a Brisbane based consultancy practice specializing in due diligence, governance, strategy, management systems, audits and risk management. www.kitney.com

Forum

Heading

Quality management

Non-conforming building products: Queensland spearheads reform The use of non-conforming building products (NCBPs) is a serious nation-wide issue, as recent media testifies.

In response, the Queensland State Government is tackling this growing problem with some vital new reforms.

Queensland will deliver the most comprehensive building product safety laws in the country with the Queensland State Government introducing chain of responsibility legislation for non-conforming building products. Minister for Housing and Public Works Mick de Brenni said the laws would apply to all in the building product supply chain, with designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and installers required to ensure building products are safe and fit for their intended purpose. This will be achieved under sweeping changes to Queensland’s non-conforming building products laws.

“The proliferation of cheap, imported, substandard products entering our country is a risk to the health and safety of all Queenslanders.

Under our new laws everyone in the building product supply chain will be accountable rather than just the tradie at the end of the line. These laws will close the doors to importers dumping dodgy products onto Queensland Building sites. These dodgy products are a risk to Queenslanders when they gather for events at public places, when they go to work in a modern office tower, when they visit major shopping centres and even when they return home at the end of the day. It’s about making sure everyone knows the building products they use are safe and fit for their intended purpose.”

Minister de Brenni said the new laws would also allow Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) officers to inspect buildings, take samples for testing and direct rectifications.

“Presently, the QBCC can inspect only active building sites – these changes will substantially expand the powers the QBCC has. The changes will also allow the State Government to recall products that are non-conforming, and issue warnings about them.”

Minister de Brenni said non-conforming building products posed a significant risk to the health and safety of Queenslanders. “The use of non-conforming products threatens the integrity of a building, putting at risk people on building sites as well as all future users of the building,” he said. “That’s not to mention the massive costs in rectifying the use of dodgy products that fail to meet building standards. Under these laws parties responsible in the supply chain can be directed to replace a product or fix the problem.”

Minister de Brenni said building product non-conformity and noncompliance had been the focus of the national inaugural Building Ministers’ Forum which was held in July. At this Forum, construction heavyweights and government officials from across Australia joined forces to tackle the growing problem. “I have been talking to my state and territory ministerial colleagues about ways to better coordinate our approach and the foundation of the Building Regulators Forum is an important step to sharing information and intelligence” added Minister de Brenni.

“Queensland has spearheaded reform across the country.

The Commonwealth has failed to build a regime that protects Queenslanders from these harmful products, despite ongoing pressure, so our state has no choice but to take this significant action.

“The issue was highlighted nationally in 2014 by the Melbourne Lacrosse Tower fire, and earlier by insulation failures in Infinity electrical cables which resulted in a nation-wide recall,” he said.

Minister de Brenni said amendments to the Bill were expected to be in place before the end of the year.

The reforms will represent the most comprehensive building product safety laws in Australia.

Some key amendments will include:

1. Introduction of a chain of responsibility in the supply of building products Supply Chain Participants will have a positive obligation to, so far as reasonably practicable, ensure building products are safe and fit for their intended purpose. The accountability mechanism will allow the QBCC to address a point of failure in the supply chain, and the parties that are responsible for a non-conforming building product (NCBP) can be directed to replace it, fix the problem, or may be liable for offences.

2. Increased powers of the regulator Presently, the QBCC is only empowered to inspect active building sites. The Amendments will extend this to enable the QBCC to: • audit and inspect buildings that are not active building sites; • enter a site to collect samples of products for testing; • require Supply Chain Participants to produce information about alleged NCBPs; • direct rectifications of unsafe buildings and sites; • declare a building or site unsafe; • prosecute offences related to supplying or installing a NCBP; and • recall NCBPs and issue public warnings about them.

The Commissioner will also be empowered to share information with other relevant agencies.

3. Establishment of an advisory committee The Amendments formalise the existing building product committee that was established by the QBCC in 2015. The Committee will be renamed the Building Products Advisory Committee. It is comprised of members across government including Queensland Fire & Emergency Services, Office of Industrial Relations and Office of Fair Trading. The Committee will co-ordinate responses to potential NCBPs and will provide advice to the Minister, QBCC Commissioner and QBC Board where required.

4. New offences related to NCBPs With the increased powers of the regulator, the Amendments introduce offences for contravening the obligations placed on supply chain participants. The proposed maximum penalty for breaching a duty in relation to NCBPs is currently $121,600, which is higher than any other penalties currently imposed by the QBCC Act. For more information, please visit the Queensland Government website. http://statements.qld.gov.au or the Queensland Building & Construction Commission www.qbcc.qld.gov.au (enter “non-conforming building products” in the search bar)

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104 Manufacturing matters in Australia.

Our manufacturers lead the world in numerous products and industries.

Australia’s manufacturing industry is a major contributor to our economy each year, and our manufacturers employ large numbers of people, offering them challenging, rewarding work, and providing the basis for stable, diverse communities.

Welcome to the Manufacturers’ Pavilion, the section of AMT Magazine dedicated to celebrating some of the best, most dynamic, most innovative manufacturing companies working in Australia today.

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

The Manufacturers’ Pavilion highlights the capabilities of Australia’s precision engineering and advanced manufacturing industry. Over the following pages, we will look at companies delivering products and services across a variety of industrial sectors, and employing a diverse array of processes.

It builds on the successful Manufacturers’ Pavilion exhibition area within the Austech trade show and is sure to enhance the profile of the leading edge manufacturers in our sector.

If you feel your company should be featured in a future edition of the Manufacturers’ Pavilion, please contact AMTIL Sales Manager Anne Samuelsson, on 03 9800 3666, or by emailing asamuelsson@amtil.com.au

Manufacturers Heading Pavilion

New end-of-line palletising solution Seeing the need for a simple, small footprint end-of-line palletising solution, Andrew Donald Design Engineering (ADDE) has developed an exciting new collaborative palletiser using a Universal Robots UR10.

It is common across manufacturing operations in Australia to see a person at the end of a packing line hand-palletising cartons onto a pallet. ADDE has been building custom automation solutions for Australian manufacturers for over 20 years and while it has built many large, centralised and high rate palletisers, there has never been an effective palletising solution for smaller operations and lower rates – until now.

The ADDE Zero Footprint Palletiser (ZFP) is an innovative and exciting new end-ofline palletiser that can be quickly, easily and economically applied in a wide range of operations. By utilising a UR10 collaborative robot, the system does not need guarding, meaning the whole palletiser has a footprint no larger than the current space of an infeed conveyor, an operator and a pallet on the floor.

When ADDE first started working with Universal Robots the potential for palletising was obvious. The UR10 arm

has a payload rating of 10kg and can pick at rates over six cartons per minute. Now with this innovative design from ADDE, the robot is mounted on a vertical lift column so it can reach the full volume of an Australian standard (Chep/Loscam) pallet.

The system has been developed as both a single-pallet system for the smallest footprint or in a two-pallet configuration to allow production to keep flowing while the pallets are changed. It can even be moved from line to line with a standard pallet trolley to be deployed as needed. The system features an easy to use touchscreen interface to select the pallet pattern required and set the system going. No robot programming skills are needed and the system can be running within minutes of being plugged in.

ADDE 6B 841 Mountain Highway Bayswater, Victoria 3153 T: 03 9760 9600 F: 03 9359 3166 W: www.adde.com.au E: info@adde.com.au Barry Hendy Managing Director T: 03 9760 9605 E: barry@adde.com.au Andrew Donald Design Engineering (ADDE) serves the local manufacturing industry with innovative, custom automation solutions from concept to completion. ADDE designs and builds turn-key systems to your unique needs, from simple end-of-line packing using collaborative robots to complete manufacturing, inspecting, packaging or palletising systems.

The first customer installation at Baxter Laboratories in Melbourne has been so successful the customer has ordered another four units to cover all its production lines.

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Manufacturers Pavilion

High-quality supplier and re-grinder of machine knives and precision grinding services Davis & Jenkins offers a unique ability to handle large workpieces – including grinding – with extreme precision and at precise bevel angles on any kind of steel, plus a reputable refurbishment service for companies Australia-wide.

Recently, Davis & Jenkins acquired a new precision surface grinding machine, which substantially increased the company’s capacity. With that new machine, it is possible to handle work pieces with dimensions as large as 3,000mm x 1,000mm x 1,040mm, and weighing as much as 3,000kg. The ability to process such large workpieces, with a height up to 1,040mm, is rare in Australia. It allows the grinding of large workpieces including machine beds, bases, fixtures, jigs and large steel plates, with extreme precision. Davis & Jenkins has four more machines with a swivellable magnetic chuck capacity, which is also very large at 5,500mm x 300mm x 250mm, enabling the grinding of precise bevel angles on any kind of steel to a length of 5,500mm. This machine has also been utilised to provide a refurbishment service for press brake tooling, in particular, MultiVee Block Dies, helping other companies to save much money by not needing a new replacement tool. Various industries use machine knives in varying qualities in

paper or metal cutting guillotines, paper or metal slitters, newspaper presses and wood chippers, just to name a few. Davis & Jenkins is a manufacturer, supplier, and re-grinder of industrial machine knives for the printing, paper, wood, plastics, and metal industries.

A core service provided by the company is precision surface grinding with very largecapacity magnetic tables. Davis & Jenkins also supplies spare parts, accessories, and consumables for the printing industry.

The company originated as engineering arm of Alex Cowan & Sons (later known as Spicers Paper) in the late 1800s. Cowan sold that arm to Messers Davis & Jenkins in 1927, who remained a partnership until being incorporated in 1955. Currently, the company has eight employees in Melbourne providing supply and grinding services for companies throughout Australia. As the Australian agent for the German TKM Group (formerly IKS Klingelnberg), Davis & Jenkins has achieved an excellent reputation as a high-quality supplier and re-grinder of machine knives and for precision grinding services.

Davis & Jenkins Pty Ltd 198 Christmas Street Fairfield Victoria 3078 T: 03 9499 2858 F: 03 9497 1992 W: davisandjenkins.com.au E: info@davisandjenkins.com.au Patrick Vlahos Production Manager T: 03 9499 2858 E: info@davisandjenkins.com.au Currently, Davis & Jenkins has eight employees in Melbourne providing supply and grinding services for companies throughout Australia. Being the Australian agent for the German TKM Group (formerly IKS Klingelnberg), Davis & Jenkins has achieved an excellent reputation as a high quality supplier and re-grinder of machine knives and precision grinding services.

Quality+precision = reputation.

Davis & Jenkins – high quality supplier anD re-grinDer of machine knives anD precision grinDing services.

• Workpieces up to 3000 x 1000 x 1040mm, with a weight of 3000kg • Swivel-able magnetic chuck capacity is 5500 x 300 x 250mm, enabling precise bevel angles on any kind of steel to a length of 5500mm.

davisandjenkins.com.au 198 Christmas Street • Fairfield VICTORIA 3078 • Tel: 03 9499 2858 • Fax: 03 9497 1992 AMT AUG/SEP 2017

Manufacturers Heading Pavilion

Innovative industrial design and engineering Overcoming complex design challenges through unique and innovative industrial product design and engineering has provided Integra Systems’ clients with improved productivity and sales both locally and globally.

Since 1991, Integra Systems has worked with hundreds of Australian businesses and helped them enjoy prosperity in both local and export markets with product designs that blow their competition out of contention. Integra Systems is proud to be a 100% Australian-owned family business, supporting customers globally.

With innovation as the cornerstone of Integra’s culture, Integra empowers clients in key areas of industrial design, product design engineering and mechanical engineering through highly efficient in-house advanced manufacturing systems and project management expertise.

The company focuses on working collaboratively with clients so they may secure new market opportunities and overcome complex design challenges in a highly diverse range of industries. Offering a unique design process – no matter what the industry – is what distinguishes Integra, and provides you with the ultimate solution.

Empowering you to ‘Make Your Vision Real’ is what drives Integra Systems.

Breakthrough product and engineering design, followed by world-class execution, is the method. Industry recognition for this is supported by the many awards Integra has received.

Integra TransForm – Innovating for Performance Integra Systems has created a new division – Integra TransForm – which specialises in product design and manufacturing of proprietary products owned and commercialised by Integra, right here in Australia. Global research and usercentric design inform the innovation of Integra TransForm products that have been conceived with the primary purpose of improving business, productivity, sales, service and personal performance.

Integra Systems 197 Northcorp Blvd Broadmeadows, Vic, 3047 T: 03 9359 3133 F: 03 9359 3166 W: www.integrasystems.com.au E: enquiries@integrasystems.com.au Paul Hughes Managing Director T: 03 9359 3133 E: paul@integrasystems.com.au For over 25 years, Integra has empowered clients to achieve their aspirations through integrated solutions – innovative, creative and break-through product design engineering and advanced manufacturing from ideation to delivery.

Ultimately, Integra’s business relationships are centred around its ability to ‘Make your Vision Real’.

Boost your workplace performance with beautiful sit–stand solutions that deliver health and productivity improvement results.

The strong and sturdy WorkSmart Collection uses world–class electronic technology and user–centric designs to deliver elegant sit–stand solutions to the highest quality, right here in Australia.

Your workplace will directly benefit from Integra’s drive to provide elegant ergonomics that deliver results.

THE WORKSMART COLLECTION AeroSMART & BioSMART

Enquire about our BioSMART 30 day free trial *conditions apply BioSMART cleverly converts your office furniture to sit–stand Delivers one–touch electronic simplicity Elegant design, built for strength A quality investment that will last All Australian made

A division of Integra Systems Pty Ltd Telephone +61 3 9359 3133 Facsimile +61 3 9359 3166 Email sales@integratransform.com.au www.integratransform.com.au

Integra BioSMART

Integra AeroSMART

Integra is proudly a multi-award winning enterprise

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Manufacturers Pavilion

Ultimate Laser – What can they cut for you?

What can we

LASER WATERJET CUTthree for commenced operations Approximately years you? ago, with the

With eight laser machines and two waterjet machines, Ultimate Laser can cut most materials up to 150mm thick, to a maximum bed size of 9m x 4m.

or

Ultimate Laser in March 2004, in one factory with one advent of a new waterjet machine, Ultimate Ultimate Laser run 8 Laser machines & Ultimate Cutting Services run laser machine and three employees. acquired another factory in Dandenong, 2 Waterjet machines.

Most materials can be cut up to 150mm thick, Experiencing rapid growth, it now runs dedicated to waterjet cutting, creating a new maximum cutting size 9000mm x 4000mm. three factories in Dandenong, employs company called Ultimate Cutting Services. approximately 45 staff and operates seven inCurrently employing3seven Ultimate Approximately years people, ago, with the addition Ultimate Laser commenced operations of aServices new waterjet machine to our operations, March 2004.

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Ultimate dripping slag Cutting Services currently employing 7 made Bystronic laser machines and one canItalian laser cut mild steel up to 20mm thick, or amalgamation.

Ultimate Cutting Services people. Ultimate Cutting Services has also made Adige Lasertube machine. bisalloy up to 20mm, aluminium up to now achieved runs two Water Jet Sweden machines: ISO accreditation.

Our largest laser is a 6kw machine with a 12mm, and high-tensile steel upWe to 20mm, 6.3m x machine 3m cutting size; while awith a The awaterjet cuts material 4000mm x 2000mm bed size. can laser cutone has as well galvanised steel,thick, zinc, Stainless annealed Steelrecently cold commissioned cutting processsecond without machine the effects of Mildas Steel up to 20mm hardening, warping, up to 16mm thick, Bisalloy up to 20mm thick,has aheat, or alume steel to all available thicknesses. hugewhich cuttingprevents size of 9m x 4m. Both dripping slag or amalgamation.

Aluminium up to 12mm thick, High Tensile Flat bars, pipes, RHS and angles can also can cut most materials up to 150mm Steel up to 20mm thick, Galvanised Steel Ultimate Cutting now run 2 Water be all processed.

For pipe, theZinc maximum including steel, Services aluminium, titanium, available thicknesses, / Annealedthick,Jet Sweden machines, one has a 6300mm diameter is 120mm, 100mm x stainless steel, copper, brass, rubber, foam, / Alume Steel all SHS available thicknesses, x 3000mm cutting size, and our recently Flat Bars, Pipes,pipe RHS & Angles can alsoceramics, 100mm, minimum diameter 12mm, wood and 2nd muchmachine more. has a huge commissioned be processed. For pipe, the maximum pipe cutting size of 9000mm x 4000mm, both with SHSdiameter 15mm xis15mm.

120mm, SHS 100mm x 100mm,No jobs are too large or too small. Ultimate the ability to cut most materials up to 150mm

pipe diameter 12mm, SHS 15mm xquotes To minimum complement its modern machines, accurate lead times and will Titanium, be thick, including Steel, Aluminium, 15mm. uses advanced CAD/CAM Ultimate pleased to provide you Copper, with a no Brass, obligation Stainless Steel, Rubber, Foam, Ceramics, Wood andwithin much more.

To complement thedrawings modern machines, we usequote software to generate or develop normally responding one advanced CAD/CAM software to generate No jobs customer files for cutting. The programming working day. are too large or too small. We quote drawings or develop customer supplied accurate lead times and will be pleased system simplifies preparatory work as well files for cutting. The programming system to provide you with a no obligation quote we use and simplifies workpart as well as nesting, enablespreparatory simple, flexible normally responding within one working day. as nesting Ultimate and enables flexible development. has simple, achieved ISO part development. Ultimate Laser has achieved accreditation.

ISO accreditation.

WATERJET CUTTING

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

For laser cutting

For LASER Ultimate Laser Cutting!

36-40 Micro Circuit Dandenong Vic 3175 T: 03 9799 8788 F: 03 8768 7965 36-40 Micro Circuit W: ultimatelaser.com.au Dandenong Vic 3175 E: sales@ultimatelaser.com.au

P 03 9799 8788 F 03 8768 7965 E sales@ultimatelaser.com.au ultimatelaser.com.au

For water cutting

ForCutting WATERJET Ultimate Services Cutting!

138-140 Williams Road Dandenong Vic 3175 T: 03 9238 9400 F: 03 9238 9488 W: waterjetcuttingmelbourne.com.au E: sales@ultimatecuttingservices.com.au

138-140 Williams Road Dandenong Vic 3175 P 03 9238 9400 F 03 9238 9488 E sales@ultimatecuttingservices.com.au waterjetcuttingmelbourne.com.au

LASERTUBE

LASER

CUTTING

CUTTING

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Amtil Inside

View from the Summit

After a few years of downsizing and pessimism, there are encouraging signs that the manufacturing industry in Australia may be turning a corner. Employment and new orders have grown. Business optimism is improving. And Australians still firmly believe that a healthy manufacturing sector is crucial to national prosperity.

The Centre for Future Work and The Australia Institute recently hosted the National Manufacturing Summit, a one-day gathering at Parliament House, and I went along for the journey.

I felt the Summit was pretty good and that the delegate numbers, around 120, did not match the quality of the speaker program. Whilst the numbers were good, there were a lot of people who missed out on a well-run event. The keynote presentations and panel discussions were pointed, informed, and enlightening, opening new ground in the policy dialogue over how to sustain and nurture this vital segment of our economy. It was pleasing to hear positive contributions from four leading industry spokespersons from across the political spectrum, who made time to participate despite a very busy day in Parliament – including Minister for Industry Arthur Sinodinos, Shadow Minister Kim Carr, and Senators Nick Xenophon and Lee Rhiannon.

The Summit included some panel discussions on topics such as Collaboration, Procurement and Export with three or four high profile speakers in each panel.

Overall, it was an interesting day and one missed by too many who should have been there.

I also attended a series of Industry 4.0 events run by Festo, in conjunction with the CSIRO and supported by ourselves. These events had presentations from Nico Adams from CSIRO and David Chuter from the Innovative Manufacturing CRC explaining what Industry 4.0 means. I must say, of all the people that I have seen present on this topic, these two guys did it the best.

Aleksander Subic from the Prime Minister’s Industry 4.0 Taskforce explained what their charter was and highlighted that an MOU was recently signed between Australia and Germany which would lead to further collaboration on Industry 4.0 between the two countries.

The event also had leading technologists from Festo Germany & Festo Singapore talking about the implementation of Industry 4.0 into factory situations and how they are using their technology to transform our education and training systems into the new age.

All in all, a number of good events over the past month and well worth the time out of the office to educate myself. More people should be taking up these opportunities in my opinion.

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Amtil Heading Inside

Rigby Cooke – Workforces of the future In an industry undergoing significant change and with an increasing focus on technological advancements, it is important to consider the implications of this change for your most important asset: your people.

AMTIL service partner Rigby Cooke Lawyers recently appointed Accredited Workplace Relations Specialist Simone Caylock to the firm’s partnership. Simone has worked closely with companies within the manufacturing industry for over 10 years, including at the Australian Industry Group. We sat down with Simone to look to the future of workplace relations in manufacturing.

AMT: What are the key challenges manufacturers face in managing their workforce and how can they overcome them?

Simone Caylock: Attracting and retaining skilled employees, including engaging the next generation of workers, are key challenges. Businesses that are successful in doing so are being proactive, including by: building relationships with schools, training organisations and local councils; identifying career paths for employees (including in overseas operations); and using social media and other tools to promote their business as an attractive workplace and culture by telling their good news story.

Many manufacturers are also experiencing challenges associated with an ageing workforce, including concerns around fitness for work, ensuring they have the right skill mix for the future, and that knowledge is transferred before retirement. Understanding and balancing your obligations under OH&S and anti-discrimination laws is critical, as is avoiding ‘stereotyping’ and not making assumptions about capacity and willingness to adapt to change. Employers who meet these challenges well have a medium and longer-term workforce strategy, take a systematic and consistent approach, and communicate openly and regularly with their workforce about where the business is at and where it needs to be.

AMT: Due to advancements in process and technology, companies often need staff to upskill and work across multiple processes. What legal obligations should employers consider during this process?

SC: Employers may lawfully require employees to undertake training and perform new or additional duties within the level of their skills and competence. When doing so, you must ensure OH&S obligations are met and consider the potential impact on an employee’s classification and pay rate under any relevant award or agreement. Employers are required to consult with employees (and if applicable their representatives) about major changes that are likely

to have significant effects on them and changes to their regular rosters or hours of work, before the change is introduced. This includes: major changes in the operation or size of the workforce or skills required; need for retraining or transfer to other work/locations; and redundancies.

Ensuring that any proposed changes are consistent with any applicable award, enterprise agreement and employment contract is also essential.

Companies I have seen successfully manage change (regardless of size) are open about their challenges and future plans and continue to engage with employees throughout the process – including recognising that shopfloor employees are often best placed to identify areas for improvement.

AMT: Efficiency is integral to success within the manufacturing industry – what steps can companies take to structure their workforce to increase productivity and profitability?

SC: Companies must be flexible and adapt to changes in the industry if they wish to remain competitive. One way they can achieve this is by reviewing existing employment arrangements, shift patterns and practices (including overtime) to ensure they meet the current and future anticipated needs of the business and are as cost-effective as possible. Companies with enterprise agreements containing restrictive legacy provisions can take steps to negotiate these out of the agreement or, if necessary, apply to have the agreement terminated after its nominal expiry date.

Ensuring you have the right skills (including at supervisor and managerial level), effective management of performance and absenteeism, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement, recognition and reward is also important.

Ultimately, to remain competitive, manufacturers must look at their business through a new lens and be prepared to modify their employment strategy to keep up with innovation within the industry.

AMTIL has an exclusive service partnership with Rigby Cooke Lawyers, helping our members with a wide array of legal services. For more information contact Veronica Grossman, Business Development & Marketing Manager at Rigby Cooke Lawyers.

VGrossman@rigbycooke.com.au www.rigbycooke.com.au

At your service.

AMTIL supports its members through its select range of AMTIL Service Partners.

1271AMTIL

www.amtil.com.au/Membership/Service-Partners

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Amtil Inside

Go behind the scenes at ANSTO

AMTIL will be running a tour and networking event on 22 August at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)’s campus in Lucas Heights, southern Sydney.

Formed in 1987, ANSTO is Australia’s national nuclear organisation and the centre of Australian nuclear expertise. With more than 350 scientists and engineers, ANSTO’s Lucas Heights facility is home to some of Australia’s most critical scientific infrastructure including the nation’s only research reactor, a suite of neutron beam instruments, particle accelerators and cyclotrons. ANSTO’s Open Pool Australian Lightwater (OPAL) reactor is a state-of-theart 20MW multi-purpose reactor that uses low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel to achieve a range of nuclear medicine, research, scientific, industrial and production goals.

Opened by the Prime Minister in 2007, OPAL is one of a small number of reactors with the capacity to produce commercial quantities of radioisotopes. This capacity, combined with the open pool design, the use of LEU fuel and the wide range of applications, places OPAL amongst the best research reactors in the world. The tour will be a journey into the sub-atomic world, exploring how – using the basic building blocks of our universe – ANSTO researchers are helping solve the big issues surrounding health, climate change and innovation for industry. A focus of the

ANSTO’s Open Pool Australian Lightwater (OPAL) reactor.

tour will be the specific instruments used for materials science that are assisting to develop better manufacturing techniques.

Date and Time 22 August 2017, 8.00am-10.00am Location New Illawarra Road, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234 The tour is free for AMTIL members, with a $35 fee for non-members. Places on the tour will be limited, and strict security protocols apply. Registrants must provide accurate information at the time of booking. To register, visit: www.amtil. com.au/Events/Local-Events

Breakfast with David Parkin AFL coaching legend David Parkin will discuss the importance of a work/ life balance in business, at an exclusive AMTIL breakfast event on 19 October, at Riversdale Golf Club in Mount Waverley, Victoria.

Parkin’s achievements as a football player and coach are peerless. He captained Hawthorn Football Club to its second premiership in 1971, then coached the team to a flag in 1978. He went on to coach Carlton Football Club to back-to-back Premierships in 1981-82, as well as leading them to a record-breaking number of victories in 1995, which culminated with them again becoming Premiers.

Parkin’s accomplishments have seen his talents transferred from the sporting and academic arenas to the world of business. He originally trained as a primary school teacher and has spent over two decades in teacher education.

A lecturer in Sports and Exercise Science at Deakin University, he recently increased his media commitments with Foxtel’s AFL coverage as a panel

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

member on the weekly show Fox League Teams and as a regular commentator for ABC Radio.

At AMTIL’s event on 19 October, David will discuss “Life: The Importance of Balance in the Life of a Business Entrepreneur”. The event is free to AMTIL members, with a $70.00 fee for non-members.

Date: Thursday 19 October 2017 Breakfast Served: 8.00am Presentations Commence: 8.30am Location: Riversdale Golf Club, cnr Huntingdale & High Street Road, Mount Waverley, Vic 3149 For details and to register for this and all of AMTIL’s upcoming events program, visit: www.amtil.com.au/ Events/Local-Events

More dates for your diary AMTIL has finalised details for its 2017 Annual General Meeting, as well as its schedule of social events in the run-up to Christmas.

AMTIL 2017 Annual General Meeting Thursday 19 October 2017 10.00am-11.00am Riversdale Golf Club Mount Waverley, Vic 3149 AMTIL 2017 Corporate Golf Day & Christmas Lunch Friday 1 December 7.00am-3.00pm Riversdale Golf Club Mount Waverley, Vic 3149 AMTIL’s Corporate Golf Day includes a four-ball Ambrose event with participants invited to nominate teams of four, as well as a light breakfast, lunch and drinks, plus trophies, prizes and giveaways.

AMTIL 2017 New South Wales Christmas Dinner Function Tuesday 5 December 2017 7.00pm-10.00pm Adria Bar & Restaurant 108 The Promenade Cockle Bay Wharf, NSW. AMTIL 2017 Queensland Christmas Lunch Function Friday 8 December 2017 12.30pm-3.00pm Breakfast Creek Hotel 2 Kingsford Smith Drive Breakfast Creek, QLD 4010

Real Business Real People Real Members AMTIL is an organisation that is ‘For the Manufacturer’ and that is why Hardman Bros. is a member. Manufacturing in Australia is facing some challenges and having AMTIL as our voice I believe is invaluable. The organisation of the Austech exhibition coupled with the Manufacturers Pavilion is a brilliant showcase and a great opportunity to meet with peers from the industry. AMTIL’s association with large suppliers has brought discounts to my company that pay for our membership tenfold each year, savings we need to stay competitive.

Mark Hardman, Hardman Brothers

Since 1999, AMTIL has been connecting business, informing of opportunities and growing the manufacturing community.

To be become an AMTIL member contact our Corporate Servcies Manager, Greg Chalker on 03 9800 3666 or email gchalker@amtil.com.au

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Amtil Inside

Insight on Industry 4.0

Festo and CSIRO, in conjunction with AMTIL, held a series of informationsharing sessions in July on the digital revolution sweeping manufacturing: Industry 4.0.

Entitled ‘How to implement and qualify people for Industry 4.0’, the sessions were held at at CSIRO’s Lab 22 facility inClayton, east Melbourne, on 11-13 July. Visitors had an opportunity to learn how to implement Industry 4.0 in their manufacturing operations, and how to prepare the workforce to meet the requirements of these revloutionarty new technologies and processes.

Nico Adams, Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO, delivered the first presentation, with a wide-ranging look at of exactly what Industry 4.0 is and what its implications are. This included case study examples covering companies who have taken the lead on innovation in this area, such as Wittenstein and MakeTime, as well as Australia’s own Sutton Tools.

Adams was followed by David Chuter, CEO of the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC), who provided an account of where Australia stands in terms of adoption of the new technology, where we are lagging behind, and what kind of opportunities are out there for Australian manufacturing companiess to carve out a niche for themselves. Chuter also discussed some of the work the IMCRC is doing to help Australian manufacturers to take those opportuniites and adapt to the new realities that Industry 4.0 entails. After a short break for refreshments and networking, Joson

Loh, Senior Didactic Product Specialist at Festo, gave an interesting demonstration of Festo’s Cyber-Physical Factory, a modular production system installed at Lab 22 where CSIRO researchers can get handson experience of the latest state-of-the-art equipment.

The next presentation was from Dr Lutz Seidenfaden, Head of Festo’s Competence Centre IT Pacific, who described Festo’s own journey in implementing Industry 4.0 with the development of its new, future-ready Festo Technology Plant in Scharnhausen, Germany. It provided a fascinating case study in how Industry 4.0 principles can be integrated into a manufacturing operation. Crucially, it also demonstrated how even extremely small measures can deliver significant benefits, in contradiction to the notion that Industry 4.0 inevitably entails huge investment and drastic overhauls of current processes.

Finally, Volker Schmid, Head of Asia-Pacific for Festo Didactic, talked about how we can ensure that the manufacturing workforce has the necessary skills for the factory of the future. Working in conjunction with organisations such as CSIRO and AMTIL, Festo is taking an active role in guiding efforts to equip young people entering the industry with the right capabilities, as well as helping existing workers to retrain and update their skils.

AMTIL FOOTY TIPPING 2017 WHAT!! It’s Round 18 already, how time flies when you’re a Richmond supporter. The Tiggies have really only played two bad games all year, but will they be able to live up to the hype in September? Port and the Eagles once again succumb to lower positioned teams when they travel. The Dees seemed to scrap and scrape through their games to be considered genuine finalists.

The BIG news, the Swans are ONE game off a double finals chance with a superior percentage than fourth placed Richmond… can they pull off a bigger comeback than Lazurus? Till next time.

Sanchez ROUND 18 1 Swannies 2 Frank C 3 raxo 4 Matt Ferguson 5 STRINGYBARK 6 TWJ 7 Brigitte 8 Vineet 9 murf56 10 Brendan

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Hotspots is proudly owned and managed

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We’re all about teamwork •

You need a specific component made, but don’t have the capabilities in house.

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Your company has landed a major project, but your workshop or your workforce just aren’t big enough to handle the volume required.

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Your business is diversifying into an area where the expertise available within the company is not sufficient.

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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Industry Calendar

Please Note: It is recommended to contact the exhibition organiser to confirm before attending event

INTERNATIONAL CIEME China, Shenyang 1-5 September 2017 Machine tools/manufacturing equipment exhibition. http://english.cieme.org.cn

MTA Vietnam, Hanoi 11-13 October 2017 International engineering, machine tools and metalworking exhibition. http://mtahanoi.com

TAIMOLD Taiwan, Taipei 6-9 September 2017 Event for the mould & die industries. www.odm-dmi.com/en

Metalex Vietnam Vietnam, Saigon 12-14 October 2017 Co-located with themed shows. http://metalexvietnam.com

IMEX India, Mumbai 8-10 September 2017 International Machine Tools Expo. www.imexonline.com

METALCON USA, LA 18-20 October 2017 International metalworking trade show for the construction industry. www.metalcon.com/metalcon17

WESTEC USA, LA 12-14 September 2017 Features metalworking equipment, metrology, digital, software, engineering. www.westeconline.com EMO Germany, Hannover 18-23 September 2017 The world’s premier trade fair for the metalworking sector. www.emo-hannover.de/home Metal Osaka Japan, Osaka 20-22 September 2017 Metalworking trade show. Includes press/die cast, sheet metal processing machines. www.metal-kansai.jp/en Russian Industrialist Forum Russia, St. Petersburg 20-22 September 2017 Includes automation, manufacturing technology, engineering. http://promexpo.expoforum.ru/en/main CMTS Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show Canada, Mississauga 25-28 September 2017 Co-located with Industrial Automation Canada, CeMAT & Motion, Drive & Automation. https://industrialtechnology.ca Materials Week Germany, Dresden 27-29 September 2017 Machine tools, advanced materials, automotive, aerospace, IT. www.werkstoffwoche.de/home Northern Manufacturing & Electronics UK, Manchester 27-28 September 2017 Includes machine tools, automation, design, Q&I,, electronics. www.industrynorth.co.uk Toolex Poland, Krakow 3-5 October 2017 International Machine Tools expo. www.exposilesia.pl/toolex/uk

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

Mechatronics Technology Japan 2017 Japan, Nagoya 18-21 October 2017 Machine tool exhibition http://mect-japan.com/2017/en Manufacturing Myanmar Myanmar, Yangon 20-22 October 2017 Intl. industrial manufacturing exhibition. www.manufacturingmyanmar.com Mashex Moscow Russia, Moscow 24-26 October 2017 Machine tools exhibition. www.mashex.ru/en-GB Euromold Germany, Munich 24-26 October 2017 Mould and pattern making, tooling, design, AM exhibition. http://euromold.com/en Korea Metal Week South Korea, Goyang 24-27 October 2017 Metal technology exhibition. www.korea-metal.com/en MSE Singapore 25-27 October 2017 Manufacturing Solutions Expo. Showcasing emerging technologies. www.ms-expo.com METAVAK Netherlands, Gorinchem 31 October - 2November 2017 Tradeshow for the metalworking industry www.lvdgroup.com/en/events/metavak MATOF South Korea, Changwon 31 October -3 November 2017 manufacturing technology fair & conference www.matof.co.kr Advanced Engineering 2017 UK, Birmingham 1-2 November 2017 Co-located: Aero, Composites, Automotive, Performance Metals Engineering.. www.easyfairs.com/advancedengineering-2017

Fabtech USA, Chicago 6-9 November 2017 Metal forming, fabricating, welding event. www.fabtechexpo.com Blechexpo Germany, Stuttgart 7-10 November 2017 Sheet Metal Working www.blechexpo-messe.de/en/blechexpo/ MWCS China, Shanghai 7-11 November 2017 Metalworking and CNC machine tool show. www.metalworkingchina.com/en Metal-ExpoRussia, Moscow 14 – 17 November 2017 Exhibition for steel industry www.metal-expo.ru/en Formnext Germany, Frankfurt 14-17 November 2017 Next-generation manufacturing technologies exhibition. Includes AM, tooling, design. Q&I. www.mesago.de/en/formnext/home.htm Metal Madrid Spain, Madrid 15-16 November 2017 Metal industry/machine tool sector www.metalmadrid.com METALEX Thailand, Bangkok 22-25 November 2017 Intl. machine tool & metalworking exhibition.

Co-located: Sheet METALEX, WIRETech, TUBETech.. www.metalex.co.th DMP China, Dongguan 28 November – 1 December 2017 Intl. mould, metalworking, plastics & packaging exhibition www.dmpshow.com/en/exhibition-info/ general-info

2018 SIMTOS South Korea, Goyang, 3-7 April 2018 Seoul International Machine Tool Show www.simtos.org/user/eng/eng_index_ main.jsp MACH UK, Birmingham, 9-13 April 2018 UK’s premier engineering-based manufacturing technologies exhibition www.machexhibition.com IMTS USA, Chicago 10-15 September 2018 International Manufacturing Technology Show www.imts.com/show/info.html

Industry Calendar Heading local AWRE expo Melbourne Convention Centre 23-24 August 2017 Australasian waste & recycling marketplace.

Innovations and seminars and workshops. www.awre.com.au AIMEX Sydney Showground 29-31 August 2017 Asia Pacific’s inernational mining exhibition.

Future of Mining and live demonstrations of new mining processes and technologies for all mining techniques. www.aimex.com.au/home Safety in Action Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 5-7 September 2017 www.safetyinaction.net.au/melbourne Pacific 2017 Sydney 3-5 October 2017 Maritime and naval defence technologies for the Indo- Asia Pacific region for industry, government and defence professionals. www.pacific2017.com.au All-Energy Australia 2017 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 11-12 October 2017 Clean & renewable energy event. www.all-energy.com.au Victorian Manufacturing Showcase 2017 Melbourne, Victoria University, Sunshine Campus 24 October 2017 (8.30am – 2.30pm) Hosted by a partnership of the Industry Capability Network (ICN) Victoria and the State Government’s Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR). Provides opportunities for Victorian manufacturers to gain insight into successful Victorian businesses while networking Email: vms2017@icnvic.org.au. http://bit.ly/VMS2017interest Ausbiotech 2017 Adelaide Convention Centre 25-26 October 2017 Australia’s biotechnology industry in the areas of bio-therapeutics, medical technology (devices and diagnostics), food technology, industrial and agricultural. www.ausbiotechnc.org

Advertiser Index

International Mining & Resources Conference Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 30 Oct - 2 Nov 2017 Australia’s largest mining conference and includes Mines and Money Australia, The event covers the latest innovations, technology and services for the mining industry. http://imarcmelbourne.com/ Corrosion & Prevention Sydney, Intl. Convention Centre 12-15 November 2017 Event on corrosion mitigation. Includes corrosion control products, nano technology, cleaning equipment, air solutions, engineering, technology etc. in the Industrial industry. https://conference.corrosion.com.au AusRAIL PLUS 2017 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 21-23 November 2017 Exhibition for Australia’s rail sector. Largest rail event in Australasia. This year’s theme: ‘Rail’s Digital Revolution’. www.ausrail.com Asia-Pacific International Conference on Additive Manufacturing Melbourne, RMIT 4-6 December 2017 This APICAM is the first conference of its kind to be held in the Asia-Pacific region.

Created to provide an opportunity for industry professionals to come together, share knowledge and engage in the type of networking that is vital to the furthering of the additive manufacturing industry. Early-Bird Registrations close 31 August 2017. www.apicam2017.com.au

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Your Industry. Your Magazine.

2018 MEGATRANS 2018 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre 10-12 May 2018 Debut event involving the future of global multimodal freight and logistics, bringing together the entire logistics and supply chain. www.megatrans2018.com.au

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history

Big wheels & little wheels – the story of Sir Laurence John Hartnett (1898 – 1986)

Part 20

Seven months?...“Ridiculous!”

UK-born Sir Laurence Hartnett arrived in Australia in 1934. The visionary Sir Laurence became known as Australia’s ‘Father of the Holden’ – and much more. This instalment covers the years 1934-37 as Laurence exceeds the goal of saving GM-H

A

fter I restructured General MotorsHolden’s in Australia in 1934, I gave my team all I had in that initial settling-in period. Together we worked all hours of the day and night, six and sometimes seven days a week.

Australians were different in many respects from any other people I had met: different in their attitudes to people, to work, to difficulties. They were happy, in spite of the hard economic times, confident, and, above all, friendly. I found myself becoming very pro-Australian.

It is important to remember that before the merger between GM in the US and Australia’s Holden Motor Body Builders Ltd, GM was just one of the many customers of Holden’s. As an independent Australian company, Holden’s had no particular leaning towards GM, although GM was their biggest customer. At the time, they were making bodies for about 66% of the motor business of Australia. So the news of the merger caused consternation in all GM’s competitors who relied on Holden’s for their bodies.

Soon after the merger was completed, GM-H issued a solemn official statement in which it said, “GM-H will continue the policy of Holden Motor Body Building Company to cater for the motor trade at large, impartially and without discrimination. I agreed wholeheartedly. It was the honourable thing to do. So we not only had the GM bodies for their seven different makes; we also had to supply bodies for Chrysler, Nash, De Soto, Dodge, Austin, Willys Overland and many others, and we were in the extraordinary position of receiving the advance drawings and blueprints of the new models of our competitors from their overseas principals.

We had to have them, because the pedal positions, the steering-column angle, and the pieces we had to mate up with, had to be given to us. Never did one of those competitors ever make an adverse comment, or complain that we had allowed a leak of their new-model information.

There is hectic competition among motor manufacturers. Millions of dollars can be the reward for coming up with the surprise angle. The first one in with a new design can lap up the cream of the market. And here was the Chrysler Corporation giving us advance drawings of their top-secret new models seven or eight months before the

Circa 1938. By 1937 Australia was manufacturing all-steel bodies 12 months before GM in the US did so. Pictured is the huge Hamilton press to stamp out roof panels.

models would appear in America. It would be an amazing situation anywhere in any business, but it was particularly so in the car industry. We priced the competitors’ bodies just as carefully and as fairly as our own.

An extreme case concerned the Chrysler Corporation’s decision in 1937 to produce an all-steel Plymouth sedan in place of the traditional wooden-frame body. Chrysler made all-steel bodies before GM, and GM-H got the contract to produce the all-steel Plymouth sedan bodies. It wasn’t easy. It involved multi-welding operationscommonplace later, but very new then and we had to learn a lot in a hurry. Eventually we turned out a reasonably good all-steel body. Chrysler was satisfied.

The following year, 1938, GM went to allsteel and I had a cable from NewYork, followed by a letter which said, “Now, with the advent of the all-steel body with a turret top, the Australian Government should realize it will no longer be practical to make bodies locally in Australia.” I sent back a perky cable saying we had been making all-steel bodies for Chrysler for the past 12 months. I could imagine the reaction that cable would have provoked in New York.

They wouldn’t have believed it at first. And I wouldn’t have blamed them, because we were doing things in Australia at that time that I wouldn’t have believed possible until I saw for myself. Looking back, I wonder how those fellows at GM-H managed to do the

job they did. It was incredible. Those who have an appreciation of what is involved in producing cars should reflect on what was required in Australia when advance blueprints of the overseas chassis and body designs arrived in Australia, usually about May each year. We had to redesign bodies to allow maximum interchangeability of panels, design dies and tools, make dies, and finally produce complete bodies in December to be shipped to four distant capital cities to marry up with chassis assembled at those centres - and this invariably before the chassis had been received at the body plant in Adelaide.

To this day, in the motor industry - or for that matter, in any industry - I have never yet seen anything to compare with the co-ordinated, fast work carried out by the motor-body-building industry in Australia before the war. We were making bodies for 21 makes of cars and trucks, with a total of 75 models. When I spoke to overseas carmanufacturers about what we were doing, none of them would believe me. Seven months from receipt of drawing to despatch of the completed bodies? “Ridiculous!” they said.

I still contend that what we did at GM-H in those days is the greatest achievement in manufacturing that Australia or any other country has ever carried out, or is likely to carry out.

This is an extract from ‘Big Wheels & Little Wheels’, by Sir Laurence Hartnett as told to John Veitch, 1964. © Deirdre Barnett.

AMT AUG/SEP 2017

To be continued…

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